Chuck Lager Legendary Kitchen — Restaurant in Pike Creek, Delaware

The food here alone would have made this a five star review. However, we ended up being at the restaurant for about 4 hours due to computer issues delaying our food and drink orders for several hours.

I truly believe that this was possibly a freak incident and could also be new restaurant growing pains. I also want to say that due to the delay our entire meal was comped by the manager who came over multiple times to apologize. Now, on to the food!

We ordered quite a few items while we were here. For apps we started with the deviled eggs (from the appetizer portion of the menu) and the roasted brussels (from the sides portion of the menu). The deviled eggs were prepared with candied bacon and a lemon chutney and were delicious. It did seem odd that there were 5 egg halves, so 2.5 eggs, but that may just be because I really wanted more. The roasted brussels were cooked well and also yummy, but not as good as some other local options if brussels are really your thing.

I ordered the Roman carbonara as my entree and it was super fun and delicious. It arrived in a large glass jar to be mixed by the server by shaking the jar and then plated tableside. It was creamy, the peas were crisp and the pasta tasted homemade even if it wasn't. One friend ordered the salmon with barley risotto. She said that the same as was bland but that the barley risotto more than made up for it. Another friend ordered the salmon salad. After waiting about and hour and a half for our food to come out of the kitchen, it was not what she ordered. She asked for two items (the Mandarin oranges and barley) to be left off and to switch out the dressing. Her salad arrived as is described on the menu. When a replacement came out almost another hour later it was also wrong. At that point she was so hungry she just ate it.

In the meantime, my friend and I ordered desserts. I had the Italian doughnuts. They were light and fluffy and sugared and the custard underneath was silky and well portioned. It was definitely too much for me to eat alone, but would be a great shared dessert. The cast iron cookie also looked yummy. The cookie was more of a chocolate or fudge cookie than a chocolate chip cookie but was amazing.

All of the drinks were amazing and while there was a backup with those as well done were worth the wait. The wine pours seem pretty small, but the wine list is decently built out.

Our server, Carmen, was absolutely, hands down amazing. She was funny and knowledgeable and kept us apprised of what was going on the whole time. When we go back, we'll definitely be asking for her.

We were offered a couple free items for when we return and I'll be updating my review after that visit in a few weeks. I'm sure I'll be changing this to 5 stars and hope that the computer issues are...

We stopped by this location on a spontaneous visit while en route to another activity. After discovering that our initial restaurant choice was closed, we opted for this nearby establishment, which turned out to be visually impressive and exceptionally clean. The warm welcome from the staff and the inviting atmosphere were noteworthy, particularly the appealing bar design.

Upon our arrival, we were pleased to find a fun activity for the children: a duck hunt where they could search for hidden ducks throughout the restaurant, with the promise of a prize for those who found all seven. Additionally, we learned that kids eat free on Tuesdays, which was a delightful surprise.

Our experience took a downturn once the food arrived. While the patties of my burger were flavorful, the excessive saturation rendered the bread soggy, making it less appetizing. My partner ordered the truffle fries, which were commendable and the highlight of our meal. We also tried the deviled eggs as an appetizer but found them lacking in flavor, reminiscent of pre-packaged options. My partner's meatball sub suffered from a notable absence of seasoning and taste. My burger, though minimally seasoned, still surpassed the flavor profile of hers, but overall, the dishes felt quite bland.

As we concluded our meal, we intended to order dessert; however, we experienced a lengthy wait of nearly 40 minutes for our waitress to return. Eventually, we approached the hostess to place our dessert order but opted to leave when time became a concern for our prior commitment to Boy Scouts.

Furthermore, upon the bill’s presentation, there was an issue with the complimentary children's meal; our server was reluctant to remove it despite a clear sign at the entrance indicating Tuesday's "kids eat free" promotion.

In summary, while the atmosphere and decor were commendable, the food quality and service left much to be desired, leading us to decide that we are...

First time back since I went to the pre-opening event a few years ago.

The atmosphere was ideal for a Friday night, live music, sat outside, not overly crowded but also no wait. The wings were some of the best in the area and the Aztec Burger was stellar!

The cocktails could maybe use some revamping (granted, my tastes are a little extraordinary) the ones I tried were definitely creative but somewhat lackluster in terms of taste. I ended up sticking to draft beers and whiskey on the rocks. Overall great experience, it was my friends' first time at Chuck Lager and she definitely plans on coming back.

One last thing I'll add: I ended up staying until close and while I was leaving, a younger manager appeared to be exchanging some words with a guest. I only witnessed the tail end of the interaction but judging from what I saw, I would say the manager could have definitely taken an alternative approach to the situation. After the couple indicated they were eager to cash out, the manager persisted to run his mouth. The bartender tried to diffuse the situation by asking him to stop and that they were getting ready to leave anyway. At which point the manager told the bartender to "clock out and go home". As someone who has worked in multiple restaurants for nearly a decade, this is not a way to treat a guest, your own employees, and let alone in the public eye.

I don't mean to use this as a way to dissuade people from coming, I only mention it because hopefully the management team will take some corrective action to prevent it in the future. I'll still be returning but public displays such as this are not a sustainable way to maintain loyal...