There’s something new and exciting happening in downtown Dover Delaware. In the last couple of months, a new German inspired beer garden, Rail Haus, has opened on a one acre lot at 92 N West St. It occupies what was previously an auto parts store and gas station and the property has sat empty for the best part of 30 years. The railway line which borders one full side of the property, is still used occasionally, giving a gentle rumble as the freight trains pass over the tracks.
Owner Donny Legans hopes the beer garden will become a community hub for the area, and help in the revitalization of Downtown Dover. It’s a family friendly, child friendly, and dog friendly beer garden, with about 20,000 square feet of outdoor space. He hopes this first-of-its-kind venture in the area has the potential to transform the city. Walking distance from Dover’s hub Loockerman Street, and with Delaware State University and Dover Air Force Base nearby, the potential for a large varied group of customers is there, just waiting to discovered it, so this little gem can flourish.
Rail Haus’s urban beer garden has fire pits, a children’s sand box play area, bocce court and corn hole, sitting next to a 40-foot shipping container which is the Rail Haus. There’s an on-site kitchen serving pretzels, Haus fries, a selection of Wurst, burgers and sandwiches, along with a kid friendly menu which has chicken tenders, cheeseburgers and Frankfurter bites. The flavorful pretzels come with an amazing cheese and mustard dip, well worth trying!
There’s beer on draft including Guinness, German beers including Schofferhofer and Warsteiner, and a selection of local craft beer which includes First State’s Hazy IPA and Mispillion’s War Llamma fruited sour. Their beer cocktails are fun, try a Black Velvet, a Guiness with coffee liqueur and sparkling wine, or one of their cocktails, like the Pear Martini, for a delicious treat.
The indoor area is bright, modern and comfortable, surrounded by a wall of windows which can open in the summer, bringing the outside in. QR codes on the tables allow you to order your drinks right from your seat, which are then delivered to your table.
This aspiring new enterprise aims to be the first year round beer garden in the state of Delaware. As well as being a great place for friends to meet up for a drink and a chat, Rail Haus also hosts Trivia Nights, Yoga classes, and Barre at the Bar, a full body and low impact workout class. With indoor and outdoor seating and plenty of fire pits and heaters, the Rail Haus is somewhere to hang out for couples, friends, families, and their pets year round. Rail Haus hope to bring the community together and encourage locals and visitors alike to enjoy this one of a kind space in Dover De.
Check out their Facebook page and website for more information.
I really enjoy the family atmosphere the friendly servers and the pretzels are my favorite.