Diego's Bar Nightclub, Rehoboth Avenue Extension, Rehoboth Beach, DE — Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach

We won't go back. Which is a shame, as the outdoor space is very nice - open, airy, but sheltered. It was our first time there. We checked published sources ahead of time to make sure smoking was permitted outside - and it was - but not for cigars or pipes, just cigarettes. NOWHERE is this stated - not on their facebook page or website (my fiends said they checked online ahead of time to see if they could smoke their cigars there).

When we arrived, the manager (owner?) gave us a brief 'first time here' orientation at the door that included a joke about the wristband system letting you order more drinks even when you were so drunk you couldn't talk (the gist of it), but never mentioned the bizarre smoking policies. So, my buddies lit up their cigars - outside, in the smoking area, surrounded by cigarette smokers, where there were also no signs saying 'no cigars or pipes'.

At no point did any of the other patrons around us inform us of the policy (one clearly early drunk patron asked us if it was 'ganga or a sausage' we were smoking... perhaps obliquely/sarcastically 'reminding us' about a policy we never knew in the first place?), but someone obviously complained and a waitperson appeared to confrontationally and rudely inform us 'No cigars at any time- and if you have a problem with that you can ask that man right there' (pointing to the manager) - as if expecting us to make a scene. We were confused, but quickly and politely put out the cigars, despite the snotty delivery of the message from the waitperson.

On the way out (to find someplace we could enjoy our preferred smoke), one of our party stopped to politely ask the manager about the policy - mainly so we would understand the basis of the odd policy and ask where we would have been able to see that policy before lighting up and having to put out (waste) some expensive cigars. We would inform our friends where to find it.

I am told that the manager was even more snotty than the waitperson was - snipping that 'people had been leaving because of the cigar smoke' (or something to that effect) and they had not allowed them for years - acting as if someone that was there for the first time should somehow magically know that.

Earlier I had said to my party that I found the outside space nicer than when it was the Double L, but sadly that is all that is better and the rude interaction with the staff/manager was enough to erase the positive first impression and sour the evening. I will not return and will advise all my acquaintances away from the place.

Again, not so much because my husbands and friends cannot smoke cigars there, but because of the complete idiocy of not posting the policy anywhere a reasonable person would check and then rudely slinging attitude at those who are - understandably - unaware of it. Unprofessional and rude.

So, the manager was correct - people were leaving, five of us, 'because of the cigar' policy. We have a better time inviting friends over to our yard and lighting a fire - without all...

Update: i had a bad experience last time. Today i came with some local friends to have a good time. But soon after they scan my id a guy at the door said that i can't get in because of my criticism last time!? People use fake name/account to post negative reviews, i don't, because it is what actually happens and I don't see why hiding my identity if it's true.

-----13 months ago----- Horrible service!! Didn't know the bar closes at 1am in Delaware, I was sitting near their outdoor porta potty waiting for friend to finish his business in there, the guy who clean up the table came to me with some attitudes and rude, instead of telling me they're closing nicely, he was simply tell me you can't sit there, you gotta go, because that particular table is not one of those the smoking tables and i need to leave now, so i ask him we're at the outdoor area and I pointed groups of people that were still sitting, smoking and chatting near me. He told me that those tables few feet away from me are the smoking tables, so i say ok, then I'll just grab our drinks and move over, and he replied no, and said that he had already cleaned those tables, you either drink up or leave your drink on the table and leave. I'm not happy that why those people didn't get booted but me, because I was sitting at the wrong table? Not so sure how Diego earn their business with such poor service? We left so quick and don't even have chance to close our tab 🙄 wondering if they will charge us admission fee when we go over to close out...

SEE MY UPDATED RESPONSE TO THE OWNERS COMMENTS BELOW

Bad attitudes and they are collecting your PERSONAL DATA. First, door guy's attitude was horrible. Watched him almost get punched by a customer because of it. Great first impression. Second, they are scanning your ID to enter. NEVER let a private business do this. They will insist that it's safe (they always say that) but this is not secure and is potential identity theft waiting to happen. We decided to go somewhere else instead.

UPDATE: YOU ARE OUTRIGHT LYING. But you already have a reputation for making up excuses for questionable behavior. I'm not some tourist. I have worked at a restaurant on Rehoboth Ave with an extensive bar for 8 years. No law in DE requires you to scan a license unless the person looks under 27 and trying to insinuate otherwise is a lie. You CHOOSE to scan everyone. Secondly, my husband's job is identity security for a DE bank. Arguing that the same situation applies for credit cards and online ordering is just deflection. Those processes have security processes in place. ID scanners at bars are not secure. NEVER LET A PRIVATE BUSINESS SCAN YOUR ID.

Your door guy is not "doing his job". Scanning IDs is his job. Being an unprofessional a-hole to your customers and starting fights is NOT his job. If you want to bring up Club-Q and Pulse as an example of then you need to teach your door guy to not start fights with patrons before someone comes back enraged and puts people at risk doing the same thing that happened in...