Starboard Claw — Restaurant in Dewey Beach

Saturday 9/30/23, at 6:45pm, had checked into a local hotel along with my elderly parents, and took a walk along the Coastal Hwy to find a nice casual place to eat dinner. I had been to a couple of the nearby restaurant/bars in previous years (which I really liked), also in late Sept, six or seven years ago, so I had a few places in mind to take my parents this time. We were surprised & disappointed to discover that unlike all the previous times I'd visited Dewey at this same time of year, THIS time around, every place we walked by was so jam-packed with ear-splittingly LOUD crowds of people filling the entire establishments, that my parents absolutely couldn't tolerate being in or near any of the places I was familiar with. So, we continued walking around, desperately hoping to find any kind of restaurant where we could have a casual, decent meal without suffering from tinnitus and migraine headaches for the rest of the night afterwards. We saw the Starboard Claw and decided to give it a try. We were so pleasantly surprised to find that even with a bar on one side of the restaurant and a couple of large screen TVs tuned into sports games, the overall atmosphere was quiet and mellow. Our hostess was very accommodating when we asked to be seated in a section away from the central dining area where all the other patrons were seated. Our server, Maddie, was outstanding in every regard! The standard menu as well as the daily specials offered plenty of selections for soups & salads, appetizers, entrées, and desserts. There was also a sizable menu of alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, and hard liquor cocktails. I'm not really a fan of seafood, but there were a good number of non-seafood menu offerings as well. All of the salads, soups, appetizers, and entrées we ordered were AMAZINGLY GOOD! The dessert we all ordered was extraordinary too -- a key lime Crème Brule. Portion sizes are generous, and the prices are very reasonable. We ate in the indoor dining area on the first floor, but there is also outdoor seating available on the second floor. We will DEFINITELY be eating at the Starboard Claw the next time we're in Dewey Beach!! FIVE STARS for this gem of a...

Went to the Claw for the first time last Thursday. Young hostess told us the outdoor seating was first come, first serve, so my party of 3 went up and sat at a table that had been cleared but not wiped down. After about 10 minutes of being ignored a server named Tyler came over and asked if the hostess had seated us. When I said no, she said we seated ourselves for outdoor seating, he said no, I heard wrong. All of us at the table then heard him say but he'd be back with menus. Another ten minutes later he asked what we were waiting for and we said the menus, he said, no you have to go see the hostess. My adult son stood up and Tyler asked him if there was a problem in a confrontational manner and I just said, no. That was news to us and he said we had to go see the hostess who then told us oh, for outdoor seating on the bayside you seat yourself but not oceanside. That is not what she said the first time, so she brought us back to Tylers area, the same table we were waiting at for over 15 minutes without service, when Tyler stated he'd get us another server. Matt came apologized and gave us outstanding service. Great customer recovery. Food was very good, but Tyler ruined the dining experience for us so it may be a while to get us back there. Lower rating...

With Starboard opening another restaurant we had to try it out. The restaurant itself is nice and though there's TVs they're not overwhelming for a pricey want to be upscale restaurant. The upstairs bar and outdoor area are loud, so come prepared. There is a fishy smell when you walk in, but then it's called Claw. Had the Peel and Eat Shrimp which was good and the Bread and Cheese Board (not a fan of Harbison after trying it, brie would be better with this mixture). The grapefruit crush was light in the alcohol and the Bloody Claw with a side of lump crab was good but lacked any liquor vibes. The Chicken Ed was a little dry in some pieces (but coudos for keeping a Dewey icon alive and bringing that cook into your fold). The grilled whole fish of the day choices were Bronzino, Red Snapper or Stipped Bass (Sea Bass/Striper) so ordered the Red Snapper. It was presented well, cooked properly as the meat easily came off the bone and tasted good. The market price $55 though for what it was and the Spring Salad that came with it was overpriced and more of a $30-35 meal. The salad with added salmon...