1808 american bistro

the tuna tartar is perfect!. we took family to d's last week and my mother-in-law, who would never eat sushi, loved it!

we've tried most of the menu and the crab cakes, the steaks, the salmon and the carpaccio are all amazing!

the service was a little rough when d's first opened, but seems to have gotten into the groove and the pacing is very good now.

we hope d's stays. it'sgreatto have so many terrific dining choices (d's, nova, chandra's, bag o nails, hoggy's & buns) as it adds vibrance and energy to our town.

went here for valentine's day brunch and absolutely loved all of the dishes they offered.greatlittle restaurant with a classy interior, friendly staff, and a small-town feel to the whole place. loved the 3-course meal -- couldn't go wrong with everything that was set in front of us (biscuits and jam for first course, pulled pork sandwich with french fries or nutella filled french toast with strawberries and whip cream for a topping for the second course, and new orleans style beignets or sour cream donuts for the third course).

went for brunch today. there weren't many people there. we were seated quickly. our drink orders were taken quickly. after that we saw no one for 20 mins. the waiter came back after 20 mins to tell me they didn't have an ingredient for my drink. we finally got drinks and ordered. again waited 40 mins for our food. three of us had the huevos rancheros. they were all cold. tasty but cold. one of us got the shakshuka. it was very hot but the fried eggs were barely cooked. waiter was friendly but not timely. second time ive been there and both times bad service. food would have beengreatif served warm too.

fantastic!. chicken salad, grilled cheese, bread service, creme brule, whiskey bread pudding
great service, and yes i'm willing to wait a few minutes forgreatfood. wonderful food and nice cozy atmosphere. can't wait to come back and try the drinks!

servers suck. i came in for dinner and had the rudest server. she didn't seem to care about our table. her attitude was horrible and it ruined my entire experience! my food wasgreathowever, i will not return. so sad, kimberly ruined our dining experience.

this place will never let you down everything is fantastic!!! alsogreatmanhattan's !


-----16 apr, 2014-----

pork belly and manhattan's!!!!

good experience. while alittle pricier than other delaware restaurats, i think its worth it! the shrimp n' grits are delicious! i was surprised that a menu like 1808s would make it in delaware. but they continue to serve excellent meals. the steaks are good as well.

the bar selection is good and the service was prompt and attentive. this is agreatplace to celebrate those special events or just grab a meal with friends. glad to have them in delaware!

good food, slow service. i dine here at least once a week. the quality of the food is outstanding! the service is usually slow. if you are not in a hurry and enjoy high quality food, this is the place for you. agreatfind in delaware.

great desserts & coffee. they makegreatcoffee here. only came for dessert, but i have to say the best beignets outside of louisiana!

family dinner. i don't think this is agreatvalue for the money spent. one thing that came out is the martinini price, don't say half price and charge full, service is key. sell us on the drink and then overcharge... party foul. your food could be great, but that ruins the experience.
we had the crab cakes, walleye and fried chicken.
crab cakes, they had the same color as the walleye, just looking at it i knew it was not a good idea. tell me you are going to deep fry my crab cake. it was dry and tasteless without enough sauce to help it along. the chicken was pounded within an inch of it's life, battered and fried, served with a side of glue. the walleye was ok.
i didn't go there to have a fried food fiesta for 150 bucks

great little restaurant. we visited 1808 for dinner tonight and were pleasantly pleased.

the renovated space is beautiful and the food was good. lily had tempura shrimp and the wedge salad, both of which she really liked. debbie had a burger, which she said were really good.

i had the 48-hour short rib. it was good, but the entire dish would have been elevated to outstanding with the judicious use of some salt. the texture and tenderness of the beef weregreat-- it was supposedly cooked for 48 hours "sous vide." the mashed potatoes actually tasted like potatoes, not some gummy mess like what passes for mash in so many restaurants these days.

all of the elements seemed to lack any salt. too bad. very, very positive experience, but could have been a "top 10" meal!

we'll definitely be back, but hope the kitchen staff starts to season and taste their food more consistently.

food is superb but service needs work. we drove up from columbus on a friday night around 8pm after having agreatmeal and experience the last time we visited 1808 a couple month ago. we walked in to the bar area where every table was full. the host ignored us as he grabbed silverware for a table, delivered the silverware, and returned to the host stand to stare blankly at us. i told him we had a party of two for the restaurant. he said there would be a 20-30 minute wait. i was shocked as the second half of the restaurant was empty when i glanced in the window before we came in. we agreed to wait and since it was 8pm several tables were getting up to leave anyway. we were offered to sit in the bar area as a table open up but declined the seat as we already indicated we wanted to be sat in the restaurant. ultimately we were seated within 25 minutes which seemed like a lifetime as there was a drunk table of 4 sitting in the high-top tables in the bar. our waiter (scott) seemed a little frantic which again surprised me as only half the restaurant was open and from what i could tell he only had 2 other tables other than ours. we asked if a different preparation was available for one of the specials (which was one of the reasons we decided to drive there that night). he said he would have to check with the kitchen. he came back several minutes later to give us this long spiel about checking with the kitchen and ended it saying the special was sold out. we ordered a beer and a wine and bread service to start. the bread took forever to come out and wasn't as good as i remember. i order the shrimp scampi and my husband order the burger. both our entrees were delicious. last time we had the beignets and they were to die for but we were too full and too annoyed with everything to stay. living in columbus we have a million restaurant options. we drove to delaware for something special. bottom line the service needs work but we would return solely because of the food.

an exceptional evening at 1808. the restaurant was busy and the sounds, smells and warmth were in stark contrast to the dreary evening outside. the staff were attentive and polite and we settled in to what was one of the best meals i have experienced. i think it is a true sign of a chef's talents in their ability to be creative, not only with different foods, but in how they combine flavors, preparation and presentation. our meal was a delightful sample of some of the wonderful 1808 creations. i won't go into specifics, there is much to choose from and you should try a bit of everything (though that may take a few visits). it is clear the chef at 1808 has a passion for all things gastronomic. it shows through in the staff, the menu, the presentation and in every bite. with a complete bar, 30 some beer choices and a brilliant menu from start to finish, 1808 has all the qualities for agreatmeal every time.

we have heard a lot of good things about 1808 and dinner tonight was our first visit. casey was our waitress and she started us out with a wonderful reception and madegreatreccomendations. 5 stars and we will be back!

above and beyond!!. i had out of town friends and called for a reservation last minute on oct 1st. was told by kara(i believe) they were booked but she took my cell and promised a call if anything changed. i thought, yea..right.... at approx 6:30 pm, kara called me and got us in at 8:15. the meal was outstanding, the service was excellent and kara even stopped at our table to welcome us and introduce herself to us. we had drinks, 4 amazing meals, salads and shared 3 outstanding desserts.....needless to say our friends were greatly impressed and i was very proud to have such agreatrestaurant in our own town. being part of the business community in delaware (finance director at byers ford) i was very proud to take my out of town friends to this restaurant for such a wonderful evening. i later found out from our waitress that kara is the restaurant manager. all i can say is....great job kara and crew!!!