208 Social

Came here with a few friends for Rehoboth restaurant week! So excited to try a new place in Rehoboth :) we walk in and I immediately love the décor. It’s an old house that was renovated to become a beachy/​rustic type restaurant. Super cute !
We sit down and are greeted by our nice waitress. I ordered the red sangria which is 6 $ during happy hour and it was fantastic ! For appetizers we got cauliflower soup, 208 sticky ribs and hot n peel Cajun shrimp. Yum so good ! Then for entrée two of us got the ropa Vieja (braised pork) and my other friend got the fried chicken breast with white gravy. The ropa Vieja had a good kick to it, the braised meat was tender and juicy and the cilantro rice gave a good balance to the whole dish. The fried chicken was excellent and the gravy was to die for!
We finished our delicious meals with delicious dessert! I got the double chocolate cookie ice cream sandwich which had salted caramel ice cream between two warm cookies. I wish I had alittle more ice cream in my dessert sandwich but it was still fabulous! My other friend got the butter cake which was good but not as good as the cookie sandwich. Overall a great experience and I will come back again to try something else :)

What a great place, atmosphere was good, we were greeted as we walked through the door and didn’t have to wait for a table. The waitress was professional, courteous and knowledgeable. The food not only came quickly but was better than advertised! I highly recommend going here when your in the area. We also met the owner who seemed like a genuinely nice guy who was appreciative of our business. Happy hour prices were excellent!

We have been coming to Rehoboth for almost 30 years, and the past 5 we have come for a week pre season before town is too crowded and restaurants too chaotic. So of course we have developed a list of favorites that we return to year after year. After eating at 208 Social last evening we have a new restaurant to add to the list!
From start to finish our experience was fantastic. Upon entering we were greeted by Nate the chef and owner. His enthusiastic personality made us instantly feel warm and welcome. He was able to chat with us for a bit, (a luxury he may not have had in season), and told us a little about himself and the restaurant including the fact that he had made all the tabletops! He also told us he had gotten soft shell crabs in fresh that day, that’s all we needed to hear! He offered a couple of different preparations and we chose to have him prepare them similarly to the halibut on the menu, pan sautéed with spinach, garlic, and Jerusalem artichokes. They were outstanding!!! Cooked perfectly and the flavors combined beautifully to compliment the crabs and let their freshness and flavor shine. For starters we chose two, the sautéed calamari and the charred romaine. The calamari was also outstanding, he used Asian ingredients such as lemongrass, Thai chilies, and fish sauce which created a fabulous sauce with just enough heat. The salad was unusual as well with roasted mushrooms, sunflower seeds and fresh Parmesan reggiano… yummmmm!!! We don’t normally do dessert but upon the recommendation of some ladies behind us who had been before we decided to do the homemade ice cream sandwiches. Two sandwiches made with fresh warm cookies; one had salted caramel with I think macadamia nut cookies, and the other had vanilla ice cream with chocolate cookies. Wow they did not steer us wrong!!! There were sparks flying off that plate and nothing left on it! Absolutely divine!
Service was excellent, provided by Allison, who was also extremely knowledgeable and delightful to interact with. The wine list is great, well thought out and providing interesting and diverse selections without being overwhelming.
The only bad news is we will most likely have to wait until next year to return as we don’t typically come during the season. Whenever we return we will certainly look forward to enjoying chef Nate’s creations, and I encourage you to do the same!

We checked out 208 Social as part of our search for restaurants in the Rehoboth area where there are chefs that actually cook. Finally, we found one! Beyond the charming and unpretentious décor and excellent service, the food was both creative and delicious. For appetizers we had the calamari (fresh, hot, with a unique, light, flavorful peanut sauce) and sticky ribs (fall of the bone, crispy and totally yummy). Main dish was the pasta with significant quantities of wonderfully spiced Italian sausage and bright red peppers, and the strip steak, with lightly fried wonderfully seasoned mushrooms, small potatoes and thin sliced onion. We will make this a regular go-​to restaurant, a place to bring friends who visit. PJB

My friend and I were very impressed. Great atmosphere and food. The lobster Wellington was one of the best meals I ever had

New RB Favorite!
The 208 has been around for almost a year and has received very positive reviews so we decided to check it out for dinner on a Saturday night.
The décor and atmosphere are bright and upbeat, creating a welcoming casual vibe to the restaurant. The service was excellent, with our servers taking the time to chat about the restaurant, chef, and various items on the menu. Even when we sampled appetizers prior to deciding if we would be placing a entrée order the servers were very accommodating and never pressured/​rushed us.
The Food & Drink: The 208 has a nice selection of cocktails and specialty beers to choose from. The sangria was one of the best we had during our RB visit! A nice balance of fruitiness and tartness.
We sampled the sticky ribs and the calamari appetizers. The calamari was incredible and one of the best I have every eaten! Lightly breaded, flash fried, and then placed on greens that had a mild peanut curry glaze on it, which was a nice surprise. The flavors melded perfectly and no «dipping» sauce was needed to enjoy this dish. The sticky ribs were good, nicely seasoned/​sauced, and the meat fell right off the bone. While they were good, I didn’t find them as amazing as other reviews had written.
The entrée choices provide a nice variety including seafood, chicken, pasta, sandwiches, and beef/​pork. Many of the menu items sounded delicious and I am sure we will eventually make are way through the menu.
This visit we chose the 208 Double Patty Burger! This is a burger that dreams are made of! The meat is a combination of ground short rib and chuck cooked to perfection, topped with applewood smoked bacon, cheese, and house made pickles! I would drive back down to RB just to order one of these burgers! The side we ordered was the house made potato chips, which had a nice twist to most chips ordered at restaurants. These chips were paper thin sliced fingerling potatoes, which maintained the potato flavor with a light and crispy texture.
The 208 is a welcomed addition to the RB dining scene and I plan to make this a regular stop when we visit!

No wonder Chef Nate’s restaurant was declared best new restaurant in Delaware. His dishes are creative, delicious and he takes sourcing the best quality ingredients seriously. The sticky ribs are an absolute must.
Smoked pork chop had wonderful smoke from pinion wood and the braised duck breast was delicious, tender and cooked to perfection. To give a 5 star I’d like to see more of the accompanying ingredients in each dish. Not sure I could discern all the extras the menu mentions. Check it out. I know I’ll be going back.

Great food, really good wait staff and the chef came out to check on things. One of the best «foodie» experiences I’ve had in a while. You need to check this out!

Had drinks and dinner at 208. Staff is great, drinks were great, had the ribs, calamari and steak tar tar apps which we all very good. The only food we didn’t like was the lobster tacos. The lobster was fried with too much batter. This was not explained on the menu or I would not have ordered it. Other 3 entrees were great, 2 fish meals and a burger.

Tried 208 Social on ¹²⁄₂₆ because of a good Zagat recommendation and am elated we did. The timing was good — off season and right after Christmas so it wasn’t crowded. The restaurant has a casual décor and a relaxed vibe.
The menu is creative and has a heavy Southern influence. We were lucky enough to be there for All You Can Eat Hot Chicken night! I was all in on the Chicken and it was excellent! Crispy, nicely spiced, and served with seriously tasty fries. The table also ordered the ham sliders which we all enjoyed. Other orders — the wedge salad, monkfish Wellington, and the tomato soup.
The staff is attentive, friendly, and professional. The bar service was excellent. You won’t be disappointed with the pours here.
Go to 208 Social — you deserve to treat yourself!

We visited today when it was not crowded, lovely rustic décor and high wood bench booths. It was chilly inside but after sometime we adjusted. This restaurant was relaxed and the food was good, service was a bit slow but I am guessing so because it was mid day.
The fried chicken boneless appetizer was delicious and spicy, with great presentation with fresh veggies & pickles. The simple salad was fresh and light, with a generous portion. We enjoyed the burger, calamari and lobster roll. I would rank the calamari and burger top notch! The tempura lobster roll was a bit too greasy for my taste.
I would eat here again but try some lighter items like fish and salad, steering clear of fried, rich items. Overall, great late lunch!

This is one of «those» restaurants that foodies like myself wish for. Expertly crafted food and drink are normal here! Try the Sour Sue with roasted grapefruit.
Experienced Wellington with monkfish and it was a culinary revelation. A must experience.

Found 208 on accident and couldn’t walk by when we saw the menu. We had the hot fried chicken and octopus from the «tavern» section of the restaurant and split an order of snow crab legs. Their old bay fries are damn good! Dare I say better than thrashers on the boardwalk. Also the roasted Brussels sprouts are crispy and caramelized. The owner brought our food out and gave us extra crab legs since we were splitting. We had great service and a really fast dinner all for under $ 100.

My wife and I dined here on Friday evening and decided to stop back on Sunday afternoon because we enjoyed it so much! The food and drinks were incredible! The owners and staff made us feel like locals, so friendly and welcoming!
P. Auman

We highly recommend the Lobster Tacos! The calamari is delicious! The crab legs were cooked to perfection and yummy! The atmosphere is relaxed and the staff is friendly! I recommend this new little gem! Stop by and try it out! Oh and the Navaran Brut Champagne was tasty! Enjoy!

We had such high hopes for this new spot that we made reservations before even getting to the beach. Starting with cocktails, the peach bourbon number I had needed a bit more balance… it was okay. The one outstanding cocktail is the Lazy Afternoon. Consisting of rum, lemongrass and cantaloupe, it was a winner!
Moving to the dining room, our server (who had also been our bartender) happily described their gluten free offerings to me finishing with the news that the chef had made a number of gluten free crab cakes and had set some aside especially for me. I was thrilled! Of course that’s what I ordered along with an app of truffle fries. Nice way to celebrate a birthday, right? Um, no. In no time the server was back at the table to report all the gf crabcakes had been sold. I was sure he was kidding, but alas he was not.
Okay, backup plan. I ordered the Creole Shrimp Risotto instead. Nothing like a nice spicy bowl of fresh gulf shrimp and a well prepared Creole rice to take away the sting of the crabcake disappointment. Or not. Creole indicates big flavor to me… and I’m pretty sure to most people. Not in this case. No spice to the shrimp, no spice to the rice. Why call it Creole? The dish went back with the explanation that it was bland and certainly nothing like a Creole dish. Our server explained that diners didn’t like spicy food do they toned it down. Then why call it Creole?
The chef came to our table to apologize and as we talked it came to light that there most certainly were crabcakes still in the kitchen for me and he’d be happy to prepare them for me. Sigh. Obviously communication is an issue at 208 Social. I declined, nibbled on a few more excellent truffle fries, paid our check, shook our heads and crossed this new spot off our list.
Cocktails = 4 stars; food = 1 star; service = 0 stars. I rounded up the average.

My wife and I ate here while on Vacation in Rehoboth and would make it a point to eat here again if we were to come back.
I had the special which was spare ribs and was very impressed. My wife tried the scallops and was just as happy as I was. Service was good and the atmosphere was quiet despite it being in a busy location at a busy time a year.
I would call this a must try in Rehoboth.

My wife and I have become BIG FANS of 208 Social. This location is extremely convenient for us, the drinks are outstanding with unique flavors, and the food is absolutely mouthwatering and delicious. The quality and presentation of every entrée and its accompaniments we have tried have always impressed us and the staff has always been accommodating, attentive, and friendly.
For apps, we are huge fans of the sticky ribs and lobster tacos. Our last visit we really enjoyed the Day Boat Scallops and Churrasco Steak for dinner. For drinks, «must haves» include the El Maguey, Smokey Sombrero, and Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita… amazing!
I should add we came there twice last visit because we had amazing burgers the first night. I think it’s the 208 Double Patty short rib chuck burger – you don’t need teeth! Throw a sunny side up egg on it. Outstanding!

Best new restaurant in Rehoboth! Almost didn’t want to write this because the masses will soon find it and I know it will eventually be impossible to get a reservation! But truly, a gem of a place. The décor is old Rehoboth Beach House style and the food is delicious. HIGHLY recommending the burger and ribs! Plus, they are very good about dietary restrictions like gluten. Do not let this place go unnoticed!

6 of us. $ 350. New Restaurant. Service was friendly, efficient. No issues.
Food came out in timely manner.
— a manager should have stopped by: asked us how our meal was tasting. Welcomed us to new place. Not once. Never saw a manager.
–menu is very limited.
–requested salmon medium. Was undercooked. Seared well on top.
–appetizer of «chips /​Parmesan reggiano /​mayo-​type dip. Comes out WITHOUT the cheese. Is anyone checking the dishes before it leaves kitchen? Pass on this appetizer.
–dessert was delicious. We split 2 desserts. Apple with a very generous scoop of cinnamon ice cream.
As we are STILL in the middle of eating dessert, a runner stops at our table with two entrees and asks which one of us has the burger (can’t even remember if he said burger). The point is… we are on our dessert course and are not ordering more main courses.
Overall, it was an acceptable meal; I would just choose a different restaurant.