Prince on Delaware

This place just didn’t cut it. I took a trip to historic New Castle for an «open-​house» type of day, where many residents open their doors to the public for a few hours, and give tours of their neat old homes decorated for Christmas. That said, this normally quiet little town was bustling with tourists & sightseers. Since our first lunch choice of Jessop’s Tavern was packed with a long wait, we tried this place…
Well, to be honest, they just weren’t up to the task of serving lunch that day. It would be wrong to say that the service was bad, because it really wasn’t. It’s just that we were never actually «served». We sat down in a fairly empty restaurant, and a nice waitress took our order for drinks and food, as you’d expect. Meanwhile, more & more people kept coming in, and eventually the place did fill up. But then, people who came in after us began getting their food, and we hadn’t even gotten our drinks yet. I realized something was wrong, and was toying with the idea of just leaving. But after about an hour’s wait, we finally did get our food, which was pretty much the most pathetic excuse for a serving I’d ever seen in my life. Now, I’m not a nit-​picky snobby food critic in any way shape or form. But this just sucked. It was insulting. Starving, I gobbled down this useless $ 11 cheeseburger without anything to wash it down with (the drinks never did come), and left feeling full of nothing except regret. Now, I’m not upset or anything about the service; it’s obvious that they made a mistake or forgot about us, and lets face it… that kinda stuff will happen once in a long while. But what does upset me is that for this one day only, they simplified the menu to 4… yes, 4 kids-​meal-​like choices, and jacked the prices up to cash in on the crowds. These were burgers & chicken sandwiches & fries that came out of a grocery store freezer isle. I really do mean that — no exaggeration! I’ve never left a restaurant without leaving a tip, until today. Like I said, I’m not mad, but really — how can I leave a tip for that??? I actually would go back to this place to try their real menu, but not on a busy day like today. It just didn’t work for them.

This is the most overlooked restaurant in New Castle. The food is excellent, the atmosphere very pleasant and the service is warm and friendly. If you are in the area for dinner it’s a must try. The best fall-​off– the bone ribs I’ve ever tasted! The quality of food far surpasses the other establishments in town.

Listed as the ‘House Specialty’ and Delaware Times critics’ 2008 choice for ‘Best Chicken Wings’, the Outrageous Wings seemed like the way to go on my first visit. They did not disappoint.
Meatier than your average wing, the Outrageous Wings are incredibly crispy until you bite into one. They’re almost buttery, with a combination of spices I’ve never encountered before, making for a very enjoyable taste. The wings are accompanied by fries, crisp without being crunchy, fresh out of the fryer.
My waitress, Bev, was very pleasant, despite having a self-​proclaimed «one of those days you don’t want to get out of bed». It’s a credit to her that she can put that kind of thing aside and be personable, a trait many in the industry recently seem to lack.
It’s an interesting ambiance when you enter, as I felt like I was entering a living room. Which, in the building’s previous life, probably was the case. It’s a very cozy space, most of the tables set for four, with some two-​seaters along the wall.
Parking wasn’t an issue for me, as I walked to the restaurant, but if you drive, expect to walk at least a block or two. And during days when the town is holding one of their bigger events, such as Separation Day, expect that walking distance to increase as you’ll have to resort to one of the side streets.