Woody’s Dewey Beach
A Dewey Beach institution for decades, Woody’s is not only a local’s favorite, a warm and inviting bar-restaurant to eat and drink, but also poses as a tourist destination for beach visitors desiring to test what Woody’s claims is its award-winning crab cakes, a food staple that many Delmarva regulars anoint as the litmus test of a coastal restaurant’s culinary standing. But award winning, well, what does that mean? There is that Delaware Today nomination Woody’s boasts in its ads, but really, what is the basis of any magazine food honor – the unilateral opinion of the disclosed author (sometimes receiving a meal in anticipation of a quality review)? A fan poll whose numbers are often buttressed by ballot-stuffing restaurant employees, food groupie regulars, and owner friends? How about being recognized by a non-revenue website published by anonymous operators who may not even live in Delmarva? Hard to say, because all food and restaurant reviews are by their nature inherently subjective, no matter the background, culinary skills, food training, or experience of the panel. Still, ‘best-of’ food awards are there for the arbitrary giving and taking, if not for the attendant publicity and conversation they provoke, and some restaurant somewhere may have the best of something, at least in somebody’s learned or arbitrary opinion.
We have not tested every crab cake in Delmarva, and even if we did, kitchens sometimes have off-days with less than market quality ingredients because, say, the blue crab haul was weak or briny that day. Also, ‘best of’ awards are influenced by individual taste, especially given that crab cake lovers disagree about broiled or baked; type of binder-filler or no filler; Old Bay or other spices; and other cooking styles and attributes that test the recipes of many crab cake chefs. While this collection of reviews focuses on Delmarva, we dine and have sampled crab cakes around the world, including destinations known for crab, and while Woody’s may be popular in Dewey Beach for various reasons, nobody anywhere serves a better crab cake. Yes, that’s right, as ‘The Greatest,’ Muhammad Ali, once observed, “it ain’t bragging if it’s true”: Woody’s offers the best crab cake in Delmarva, period. And its other largely bar menu items are not far behind, especially burgers and cheesesteaks. Hard to believe that a pub-style small kitchen cranks-out such great pub food, but Woody’s has figured it out, and with attentive, if not hastened, service and a wide variety of drinks that more than compliment the food quality.
Let’s conclude with what Woody’s is not: a raucous Dewey party place that gets as crowded as many of its local neighbors; it also is not among the best restaurants in Delmarva by any measure, especially given its largely coastal pub-inspired menu; and is not a culinary destination for high-end dining. Still, no visit to the Delaware beach is complete without trying Woody’s crab cakes, but you already know that from its well-deserved reputation. Be ready to wait in line, however, because Woody’s is as good as it is popular, and parking in Dewey Beach is not for the feint of impatient heart. Woody’s is worth the test of your patience and wallet, capturing this reviewer’s award as, by far, the best in (crab cake) class.
