Taco Reho has opened its Middletown location with a minimum of fanfare.
The Southern California-style taqueria used the formula that led to its first location on Coastal Highway in Rehoboth by rehabbing a fast food joint (Steak & Shake) and gaining a drive-up window. In Rehoboth, the owner overhauled a vacant Burger King.
The concept was first launched as a Rehoboth area taco truck that’s still available for special events.
After the opening, the Middletown location closed for a couple of days but should be open Tuesday.
Owner La Vida Hospitality is no stranger to fast-growing Middletown It earlier opened Crooked Hammock brewery-restaurant with a large family-friendly outdoor area. The other two Crooked Hammocks are in Lewes-Rehoboth and Myrtle Beach, SC.
La Vida also operates the Big Chill cantina and a beach club in Sussex County.
The company grew from the highly regarded Nage (later Fork+Flask restaurant off Coastal Highway. The restaurant was closed last year as the company focused on its other brands that come with room for expansion.
Under Delaware law, another Crooked Hammock is allowed.
Donuts, pancakes and barbecue
Don’t tell your cardiologist, but Another quiet opening occurred in north Wilmington with the Hill Donut and Pancake House. The location is on Marsh Road at the former location of Rosenfeld’s deli.
The South Jersey restaurant group has two other locations and will later bring another concept, 322 Barbecue, to the Marsh Road location.
Among the specialties at Hill is pumpkin pancakes, breakfast items, and big doughnuts.
Rosenfeld exited northern Delaware after an alliance with the Big Fish Restaurant Group did not work out. There are still delis in Coastal Sussex County and Ocean City, MD.
Sausage House opening approaches
The opening day for the Helen’s Sausage House location in Newark is approaching with its Facebook page saying that an announcement is coming “fingers crossed.”
Inspections, equipment deliveries and other issues can lead to delays.
The menu for the first Helen’s outside its original Smyrna-area location will feature inexpensive breakfasts and the famous pork chop on white bread, a classic that has received national attention.
The restaurant is located in the former Duck Donuts location on Main Street.
Wawa pizza update
This column earlier noted the debut of Wawa pizza.
We ordered it a couple of times, and the quality ranged from OK to pretty good. One quibble is excess cheese.
That’s not the opinion of many people, including one faithful DBN reader who said the pizza was beyond terrible.
He has plenty of company, with Philadelphia Magazine and the Washington Post offering scathing commentary on the convenience store chain’s pies.
Is the pizza that bad? My take is that the key to almost any pizza is the person making the pie. We may have lucked out and gotten someone who knew their stuff.
That may not be the case in some of the 900 stores that offer pizza after 4 p.m. and into the early morning hours.
The marketplace, not journalists, will determine the fate of the pizza. Wawa has tried twice before to offer pizza and both times went back to the drawing board. We’ll see if it happens again. – Doug Rainey
