East of Smyrna, Delaware in the middle of a cornfield is a restaurant that I think all Delawareans should experience at least once in his or her life time. For this Delaware gal, I like to visit it frequently during the summer, when I am in the mood to pick some crabs and wash them down with a cool drink.
Located at 825 Lighthouse Road, Smyrna, Boondocks Restaurant and Package Store is a family owned and operated seafood restaurant that's been around as long as I can remember. Hours of operation vary with the seasons, but when it's open you have to go check it out. If you plan to go on a weekend in the summer and you have a large group, you should call ahead (302-653-6962).
If you see this car driving around, Pat--the matriarch of the family who runs the restaurant-- is most likely behind the wheel. And, on many nights she's sitting in the restaurant at a table near the kitchen.
Even though its a seafood place, the restaurant is smack dab in the middle of a field. It's within a few miles of the Delaware Bay and small waterfront communities.
The biggest draw for folks who come to Boondocks are the crabs. Order by the dozen.
The menu is on a single sided sheet of white paper. I recommend a 'hodgepodge' appetizer...which is basically a bucket of fried nuggets of food--macaroni and cheese bites, onion petals, corn nuggets, etc.
You can order your crab cake broiled or fried, as a sandwich or as a platter. If you get french fries, they will come out sprinkled with Old Bay.
Swampwater is the official drink of Boondocks. Get yourself a designated driver order one. We're not quite sure what's in it, other than a lot of booze, but it's tasty. It comes served in a mason jar with a cattail. There's also a signature "Green Head Fly" and "Watermelon Crawl."
Finish off your meal with a hot apple dumpling and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
There's a little section where you can buy the finest Boondocks apparel.
The women's bathroom (and we hear the men's too) are decorated with all sorts of hilarious signs and posters....and bras left behind by patrons.
There are three main seating areas. The regular dining area near the bar and kitchen are always open. There's a huge hall with rows of long tables for parties and big groups, and there's a patio area set up with picnic tables and stained glass art.
Fancy, it's not. But that's what we love about it. Have you been to the Boondocks?
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