Rusty Rudder

Fun bar/restaurant with outdoor seating. Nice selection of drinks and food. We went for appetizers and drinks around dinner time and the portions were huge! Our server was very polite, but even at dinner time it was quite loud with the music and other guests. The bay views and watching the sun set was totally worth it though!

I loved the outdoor dining at close to sunset. The music Full Moon was a good vibe but sadly took a break shortly after we arrived. The food was just meh and my husband's salmon overcooked l, fried brussels no seasoning, with; no follow up water refills or check in. The lemon meringue crush was delicious and so was the view.

Meh. Our bartender acted like it was a burden to serve us and was very short with us. He was more concerned with talking to his friends and petting a dog than doing his job. I didn’t like leaving bad reviews but this one is warranted. The atmosphere was the only plus For there being so many choices, I would definitely go somewhere else. Never again.

Very disappointed! First time! Flies galore. All over our food. Bar was never sanitized or wiped clean. The language on your employees disgusting. Loud and out of order. Went across the way. Totally the opposite ! Never again. Very dirty.

We only came here for a quick appetizer . The "boardwalk" fries in a huge margarita glass was cool. But it tasted more of a step up kfc fry then a boardwalk style fry. They were good but not the boardwalk style I was looking for. The chicken fingers were good . Service was fine. Can't judge the eat of the food cause that's all we are. To call it boardwalk fries is a shame .

I used to visit Rusty Rudder 20-25 years ago when I was younger and hanging out with my single friends. I decided—since school's back in session and our son is away at college, we'd drive down to our local beach towns and hang out. I was reminiscing about a couple of places that used to be the old stomping ground, so to speak. My husband wanted to try checking out some live music, so I suggested we go to Rusty Rudder. We happened to catch two different artists back to back who were performing on a Sunday evening. This gave me a chance to look at Rusty Rudder from a new perspective since I have different things going on in my life now. I felt there was a good vibe for off-season and on a Sunday, when I wasn't looking for anything too excitable. We both wanted to kick back with drinks and music after being on the beach all day. First, accessibility: there is a ramp leading you to the outdoor seating or their general bar area, and thank goodness for it. I noticed a few individuals who had to use it coming in or leaving. Their bathrooms were behind what would be considered the stage or performance area where there's a secondary bar. It's a bit of a narrow space to get into. I don't know how someone would navigate it if they had a walker or wheelchair. I will say they were clean, though! They'll allow you to bring your dog out to the outside deck there as long as they do well in public. That's a plus! When you're sitting there, it's a great view of the water and the boats going by. It started to rain after we showed up, but we were seated under the covered deck. The young ladies—who were the hostesses, and the gentleman who was our waiter, were both friendly and accommodating. It's still a good spot for drinks and entertainment!

If i could give 0 stars I would. Music was trash, food was overpriced for how bland it was. Waiter was absolutely terrible, very rude and clearly hated his job. He rolled his eyes anytime I asked for a drink and told me he had better things to do then wait for me to pull out my money. Honestly the worst experience I have ever had at any restaurant or bar. Has gone way downhill since I was younger. Do not recommend.

Everyone I know told me to go to Rusty Rudder when I came to town for Memorial Day. Turns out they DO NOT allow dogs in the summer. I have literally never heard of a restaurant that allows dogs half the year on their deck. Trust me when I tell you that I have been to many beaches on the east coast with my dog. So, we did take out. The food was okay and expensive. I’m always expecting high prices at the beach and was disappointed with the portions/food quality for the price. I can easily get better food at home for the same price. The staff was really frazzled when I went to pick it up. Mind you, the town of Dewey has cleared out since Memorial Day is over and we are staying the rest of the week to relax. No crowds. Add Starboard to the list of locations that does not allow dogs during the summer as well. The Lighthouse is closed Monday & Tuesday, which knocks that recommendation from my friends out of the mix. Super disappointed I can’t try these places when I drove 4 hours in traffic to get here!

Can't speak for the food as we just came for drinks on a Saturday night, but we really enjoyed the vibe here! Great band on the back patio. Loved that they had a DJ inside as well to mix up the vibes. Entrance fee came with a free drink. Bartenders were quick and courteous. Definitely a fun weekend spot!

Sigh. This place will forever just...suck. If it wasn't for the view and people watching, we wouldn't continue to come here. In fact, I won't come back ever again after this past weekend. This past weekend we were behind Rusty's for the Crossfit competition. Our group had a few people who have never been and for some reason wanted to try it out even though the reviews are horrendous and I provided a s-l-o-w dramatic pivot to comply with their request in hopes that we could walk elsewhere. We ordered two drinks per person -- I knew to only drink beer here since the drinks are poorly created and one entree. For some reason the food prices here are JACKED THE F UP. My friend (who was with me last time) and I cracked up and then cried because we were famished. The joke was literally on us. SIGH. We decided to split the shrimp tacos and wait to eat elsewhere. The tacos were gross, soggy, and packed with lettuce and ONE SHRIMP. The food and drinks here are always worth complaining over but the food took 42 minutes to get to us and we already knew what we were getting into... Don't eat here. If you must, grab a drink and wander elsewhere. Staff also seem to hate their jobs. Bartenders were SO unpleasant. SO rude. SO...sucky at their jobs. GET A DIFFERENT JOB IF YOU HATE PEOPLE AND SUCK AT MAKING DRINKS...You are in the service industry, seriously. Hate it here.

They had a good variety of food, and were conveniently located by the place we went kayaking. It was quick and easy to get seated. Our waiter was attentive. We got a great spot where we could look out over the water.

My family and I went for Musik Monday to see Kono Nation. They were so good! We got the Buffalo chicken dip and a mudslide, both were delicious. My mom and sister got clams that they really liked, and my dad got the Maryland crab soup. All of the food and drink was so good! Our waitress was really kind and helpful, and all of the other staff were attentive, too. We sat outside by the water, which was stunning. The place is cute and colorful. I will definitely be back!

This was really fun! It's an older but large and well maintained beach party spot. Literally sits at the water so the view is the bay and there is live music everyday! Large portions and a wide range of options to choose from on the menu. The setting on the bay is perfect. Drinks were made with care and a heavy pour. Food was delicious with large portions. Everything we ordered... we loved. Fruit platter was fresh as were the greek and garden salads. Fried Green beans were super yummy with the aioli sauce. YuM! Our server was excellent! The band was fun and this spot will always be part our trips when visiting Dewey Beach. Loved it! Highly recommend!

This place is a place to party, not to eat. The venue is spacious, on the water, and has a stage for live music. It has a gorgeous view during sunset. That ends all the pros. While it was nice for our large group to be accommodated, we were seated so close to the speaker my ears were ringing. The seafood is over priced, underwhelming, and a waste of money. The crab dip was cold and the chips were stale. The coleslaw on the side of our entrees was rancid, and the chips came in a bag. Would avoid coming here again for dinner.

Such great ambiance. The sunset was incredible. I had the huge fries . Fabulous if you're into greasy food ( I am lol ) . The wait staff was great. The prices not so great for what you're getting. All in all good time. The prices are a bit off.

This is the third time I'm reviewing this place. We went back because our son really wanted to see a band. I have to say this place improved quite a bit from the last two times. Mainly the service. We were given a choice of tables, our hostess took our drink order immediately and brought the drinks to us in less than 2 minutes. Our waitress was great. She was very attentive even though the place was packed. My order was incorrect but she made it right within a few more minutes. The band was great and we didn't feel rushed to leave when the meal was over. The waitress told us to stay as long as we liked. The prices are still over the top expensive even for the beach but I guess if you want to listen to live music while you eat that's what you pay. I actually give them 3.5 stars but it rounds to 4.

This is not where you come for amazing eats and service, but the vibe certainly makes up for it. The Rusty Rudder is located directly on the bay and is where you'll want to be to enjoy the sunset with a drink (orange crush, obvi) in hand. The menu is pretty standard- think burgers, fried shrimp, chicken tenders, etc. It's all pretty barebones, but again with a view like this it doesn't need to be anything fancy! There's also a kids menu with a bunch of different options. The main draw of the Rusty Rudder is the live music. They have a large stage area and the band is viewable from nearly every seat outside. There's also a ton of seating. Usually at places on the water it can be hard to snag a table, but here it was no problem getting a table for 8 at dinner on a Friday. This is probably the best family friendly spot in Dewey to see the sunset, live music and have some eats and drinks. The Lighthouse next door has it all, but the layout makes it hard to see the band / water from every spot. And then North Beach does not allow children. This checked off every box, and we really enjoyed it!

My brother, mother, and I came to Dewey beach for a couple days to mourn the very recent passing of my grandmother. On Thursday, May 18, 2023, we ate dinner at Rusty Rudder. At approximately 9:10PM, I stepped out onto the balcony and steps outside of the restaurant to make a phone call pertaining to a grandmother's funeral arrangements, which are this coming weekend. Upon doing so, as I began dialing the funeral home, I was screamed at by one of five staff gathered by the entrance and told that I could not leave with a plastic cup. I clearly explained that I was holding Seltzer ice water, as was clearly visible, nevertheless one employee proceeded to foist himself upon me, grab my cup, and violently crush it while it was still in my hand, crushing my hand, and leaving my shoes and feet covered with water. This is assault. And, without question, completely unacceptable. I requested the name of the aggressor involved yet was merely laughed and jeered at. As you will see below, they not only laughed but waived and gave me a thumbs up. I have never encountered such callous, unprofessional, and violent behavior in any dining establishment in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, or Australia. I have reached out to management (Megan Holdscall) regarding this aggression and await their response. I would like to note that the aggressors were all Caucasian, and myself and family, Latino. I urge all to avoid this establishment.

We stopped in for happy hour on a Saturday. The day was slightly chilly and the crowd was slim. They had live acoustic music but the setup wasn't ideal to enjoy it. You could hear them but only the first few barstools could see them. The drinks are pretty pricey. We ordered the pretzel bites with beer cheese and mustard appetizer and shared an order of fish tacos. There were 2 tacos with a small ramekin of coleslaw. The fish tacos were DELICIOUS. There was a crunch slaw mix on the tacos that really made them different- so good. I've been here in season and I know it gets really crowded. I think we were there on an "off" day. One note that I don't remember from my previous visit - the parking lot is pay to park.

Drinks, meh. Live music nightly. The place just gets bigger and bigger Kind of lost its magic.

The Rusty Rudder is an absolute blast and an ideal spot to witness sunsets. Its modest 2.5-star rating fails to capture its true essence. The Rudder boasts a delightful dinner ambiance that seamlessly transitions into a lively, bustling bar as the night progresses. I definitely recommend stopping by if you're in Dewey beach!

We wanted to find a place that was affordable and close to Dewey Beach. It was close to the bay and seemed very popular. We waited at least 15 minutes before someone came to our table. Then another 15 before we got our food. Our meals did not come with utensils and condiments. We had to ask for them , not paying attention to details. Food was average, The best thing about our experience was the view and the band that was playing, it was a nice backdrop to other mishaps.

First time here... completely chosen at random... not overly blown away with atmosphere- but the staff was friendly and the servings and quality of food were impressive. We came around 4 pm on St Patty's Day... seemed slightly chaotic (they had just opened) and there was a loud 'band' (a couple guys?) singing on the patio (we were inside) but the ridiculously HUGE glass of fried pickles and fried green beans was impressive and delicious, as were our meals - shrimp platter and corned beef cabbage and small potatoes. Downside: crazy, screaming drunk guy hollering like he was losing his ever lovin' mind because we were pulling out of the EXIT of the parking lot- we think he thought we were coming out of the entrance?! Who knows?! Lol Nothing the restaurant could do about that! Lol But we did pity whoever came across his path inside the restaurant and later!

Went for a concert. It was very difficult to get drinks at the bar. One of the bartenders was clearly only interested in serving people he knew and when you could finally get drinks from him, they were terrible. We observed several other people getting frustrated and leaving the show early because of the poor service. Disappointing.

This is really just a bar with some entertainment and a view. The majority of seafood is fried. The crab cake market price is ridiculous at $40 and not very big. I had better crab cakes all week for $25. They charge for parking. The service was good but probably will not be back.

The food here is (very) overpriced and overwhelmingly mediocre. Initially my son tried to order the $40 steak, thankfully I dissuaded him and he chose the $12 kid's shrimp. We love steak, but I'd need more trust in the kitchen to order something like that (we'll discuss in a sec) The service was great and the view/atmosphere is fantastic. Huge bar, outdoor seating and a view of the water. The live music (on a Tuesday night!) was great too. The tacos were $19 for two. What? We didn't order them because anyone charging that much for a taco is unlikely to understand what a taco is. The burger was supposedly some blend of chuck, brisket, and short rib but tastes like mush since they cook their burgers to medium. The bread is too crusty and wrong for this type of sandwich. Something you might expect from a restaurant maybe 15 years ago. Skip. The poke bowl was decent. Excessive edamame and served over quinoa instead of rice, but still some tasty bites.  The mac and cheese is $3 extra since they don't allow subbing sides, only *adding* sides. Soggy noodles and a ye-olde bechemel sauce which means it tastes like flour and milk - not cheesy at all. Cheddar(?) baked on top is a crust of separated oil and protein. Skip.  That kid's fried shrimp was good, but it only had 4 shrimp! If you do the math, that's  $3 per shrimp, wow.  They have a parking lot, but it's $3 an hour... to access their restaurant. Very odd. Gosh, $3 here, $3 there, it adds up to an unsatisfying experience, anyone else agree? My favorite item was the fries. Cut a little thick for me, but somehow fried to perfection. This is the only item I thought was above average. I hope they pay the fryer more than the chef. If I go again I'm arriving just before sunset for drinks and snacking on a bowl of fries. Then, going somewhere else for food.

Honest review. First, be warned you have to pay for parking...no validation or discount off your bill. $25 for 3 Land Sharks and they don't carry Coors Lite or Miller Lite. RR doesnt offer draft beer either. Mostly everything on the menu is fried. Wait staff has no personality. If you're into overpaying, this is the place for you. Expect to pay $33 for a poke bowl.

Fun place for drinks and music with excellent views of the bay. I attended New Year's Eve event which was super fun. I'd pass on the food though.

Yeah pretty bad! Terrible overpriced food and you have to pay to park smh , I don't know how this place stays in business...

My goodness! I've always stayed away from this place. Gave it a chance today. Wow. Ask for George. This was the best time I ever had. I want to live here. GEORGE!

FYI- Will only split the bill between 2 cards!!! Apparently it's stated on the menu too- ‍‍ Decent food, crappy service. Stood in front of the check in booth for 15 mins. After asking when we might be seated they told us they we're waiting for the whole party... "they only counted 5", lol. After pointing all 10 out we were seated with the laziest waitress ever. She took the order and we never saw her again...Until the bill came! Gratuity included- do not add any!

Food is ok. Went in April so very limited food menu. Nice location. Employees friendly. Nothing special though. Go to Woodys.

Absolutely NO beer taps! Food OK. Staff somewhat ok. Not very accommodating when it comes to seatint..

This was such a fun vibe! The band was awesome. Laura Lea I think? The food was good too. I got the grouper tacos which were alright. The steamed shrimp was good and the fried cod fingers were good too! We came for dinner at 7 and stayed until midnight dancing. A really good time!

Amazing vibes. On the water. Beers. Live music. All you need. Lots of bar space, so right on a dock, great views. Miss it right now.

My husband and I stayed in Hyatt recently which is right across the street from this awesome establishment. Food is pretty good, decent and filling crab cake (can't get enough crab cakes in Dewey!). I really enjoyed their late night rockfish fingers, french fries with old bay (my husband loved them so much we went back for more!). Probably their tastiest snack on the menu is their crab and artichoke dip- worth the calories :) . What they are best at and most well known for is their high quality live music. Staff is friendly and attentive, really enjoyed the laid back style. Hands down definitely worth a visit, but be warned, place gets pretty crowded at night.

I mean, the Rusty Rudder is okay for an evening by the sea with music at Dewey Beach. The drinks are good, but as for food, even though it was good, it was definitely overpriced. My daughter got a cheese quesadilla and we paid almost $15 for it- no kids price? I got the crab pot- two clusters of crab legs, potatoes and corn- for $53. Par for the course there, I suppose. For three of us, one drink and a basket of fries- it cost $120. Worth it for happy hour, probably not for dinner.

We go here 2-3 time a week. We are locals. The service and food have gone downhill for the last 4 years. Tonight they wouldn't seat 4 of us it a table for 10. They said 6 of us had to be there. My children were hungry and the rest of the people were on the way. Literally down the street. But, wouldn't hold it either. I go to support the bands that we love and are friends with. The singer asked manager if we could be seated. Manager still was resistant. So I asked if we could get a six top. She said not until all 6 get here. So they would have seated 10 top with 6, but not a 6 top for 4. Then I see 2 people seated in a 6 top and point that out. She just says they shouldn't be there, but doesn't do anything about it. My friends go there 10 minutes later and now and there is only a six top available and 8 of us have to squeeze in. The when we're walking to the table and they make snarky remarks lol you don't have to come here. Last year my husband gave $150 tip on a $50 bill to the only good waiter we've had. I've been coming here 22 years and this is how they treated regulars who tip well and spend a lot of money there.

The place was basically empty and they wouldn't sit a group of 10 together outside because they only had 4 top tables. The entire place was practically empty, how do you not accommodate a group? This place is a low class joke. Not to mention extremely rude. Stay away! Go across the street to The Lighthouse. It's better in, literally, every single way.

5* --Location, location, location. On the bay. Beautiful setting --Dogs can come sit by your feet and be happy to not be left yet again --Live music! 4* --Drinks were pretty good --Service was good 3* --Food was fine, nothing to write home about. We got middleneck clams, buffalo wings and fried cauliflower (which was the best of the 3) But you don't go to the Rusty Rudder for the food or even the drinks. You go to sit near the beach, listen to music, and enjoy being outdoors in the summer with those you love. . .

Extremely expensive for mediocre food. $40 for a tiny tasteless crab cake. $10 to add 5 pieces of shrimp. Drinks were okay. Cool location though wouldn't recommend. Service was also horrible. Took forever for our waiter to even put in our food.

Bartender was kind of rude. 7.50 bottle beers, no thanks. The view is fantastic. This place was great years ago. It definitely is not today!

We have been coming here for close to 40 years. Something that you can count on is ambience! The food is good too, but out on the deck, as the sun begins to set, the great music, food and drink has always been totally reliable as everything around this restaurant has Changed!

This place is in the perfect spot right on the bay! You can't beat the live music everyday right there on the deck. It has plenty of room both inside and outside for large groups too! The menu offers a variety of seafood, delicious salads, sandwiches, and the best cream of crab soup! The bartenders are great and keep the frozen drinks flowing. Will definitely continue coming here!

We came with a group of 8 people to enjoy a nice dinner. We ordered our food and we were told we could only have one check. We knew this would be a challenge with our party of eight. Our food was good. My husband & I ordered the Poke bowl and I had a side pf Brussel sprouts. Both were delicious. Two of our friends each ordered the fish and chips. The picture in the menu showed several pieces of fish. When their meals came there was only a very small piece of fish on the plate which wasn't worth the price. A kids meal with Salmon and chips was $7 less and a larger portion of fish. The waitress told us it was based on the cost of the fish. Cod is way less expensive so that didn't add up, especially since there were 3 pieces of fish in the picture. When our waitress brought our check she told us there was an automatic 18% gratuity. We asked how we could each pay our checks and she said their policy is 2 cards & the rest cash. We had four people paying and fortunately two of us had cash. We thought it was pretty rude that we had to do all the math to figure out each person's check plus the gratuity. After 9:00 PM they cranked the music so loud we couldn't even concentrate. It was a bit frustrating to have to do the splitting of the check ourselves. I think they should have told us their policy before they seated us to see if we were in agreement. The bottom line is it was too loud and too much drama to pay the check with our large party. They should change their policy and split the checks in the future. We won't come here again.

Such a great ambiance!! I liked the food for a more casual restaurant, as it came with great fun! My server was awesome, but I cannot remember her name.

I was at the Rusty Rudder tonight, and was pushed and hit by several trash cans by employees barging through dense crowds. This could have been avoided by the employees strategically going through the crowds instead of pushing them. Horrible experience

Food was good. limited menu considering location. Waitress great. Hostess bit....ch and even my Wife asked to where restroom was to other server and was blatantly ignored. Great location but I would clean out the attitudes such a turnoff.

Chris was very rude to our whole party. I don't recommend coming here. Plenty of other places where you will be treated with respect. Chris was rude and harassed our daughter after she just turned 21. Not with the pain here . Go someone here else

ambiance was great for a beach bar and our waitress was kind but the food was terrible. went there with 5 people, we all got different food, and they were all bad. definitely do not get the crab imperial, its more like crab mayonnaise soup on a piece of bread. also the drinks are extremely expensive and have minimal alcohol. my $15 margarita tasted like margarita mix with no alcohol. we won't be going back.

Disappointing. We were going to eat dinner there but after trying to get service for a drink and appetizer we were completely ignored by bartender. This used to be our favorite place in Dewey with great seafood on menu but after looking at menu there's not many options available. Due to bad service we wont be going back.

George is the best waiter I ever have had. Reminds me of a few years ago when Will was out waiter--that kid was terrific. Mega cheese appetizer and drinks are all we need!

This place seemed cool and the food looked really good, but the hostess was so rude. She was very inconvenienced by us showing up to ask for a table. She reluctantly brought us to a table right in front of a speaker with live music. I asked her if we could be moved to a table further away (there were plenty on the other side of the deck). We have a 2 year old and there were plenty of other kids there, not in front of a speaker. She said it was either this or a high top. So we left.

It's a great music venue with performers all weekend, good food and definitely a shore vibe!

Fun bar but trash boy was definitely underage and intoxicated. He used a homophobic slur to one of my friends and was yelling at multiple other people for simply walking out of the bar. Also, earlier in the night saw him break the arm to the parking gate.

This place is the most inhumane place I have been to . I was there at the front steps to dust the sand off my feet an innocently sat on the steps to wipe the sand off my feet after an event on Saturday 5/27 waiting to enter the establishment when I was approached y an angry bouncer overweight woman who was power hungry and nastily told me to leave now. I was just sitting for 15 seconds and she was verbally assaulted me I'm only 5feet 0ne inches and 64 years old waiting to enter after an event after a big party. I will never go there again to be treated with such disrespect

We used to LOVE the Rusty Rudder, went here for years, close to 20. We absolutely loved the buffet and although that is no longer offered, the food quality has drastically decreased. If only we could pay for an entree with the same quality as the seafood buffet. Not sure if the owners changed or if they just don't care like they used to, but my family really loved this placed so much. It holds a special place in our heart and so many memories here but we no longer return because of the sad food we get for the price we pay.

I don't know why this gets 2.5 stars, perhaps we had such a great experience because it's off-season, but based on what we've experienced if you give less than four stars you are brain dead Fish tacos - 5.0 Pretzels - 5.0 Steamed shrimp - 4.5 Fried fish app - 5.0 Allows dogs - 5.0+ Service - 5.0 Lax on the mask nonsense - 5.0++++