Fritters, soup / salad, pasta, soft shell crab, steak, duck - every dish that came out was a hit with my friends. Sending love and gratitude to the owners and chef for making our evening special. With all the competition in Rehoboth, this is a gem, not to be missed!
ZoeJDW
Small and similar to dining establishments found in Europe. Unusual menu with pub items. Try a sampler. Red pepper sauce was superb. Service outstanding and noise level for a senior with impaired hearing was good.
Gilda
Attentive and appropriate staff greeted us at entrance and guided us through our meal. Every entree delightfully served in comfortable portions and delicious! Equinox truffled Mac& Cheese, light with a bit of crisp from panko topping. Tuscan Kale was devoured! Crab cake lightly mixed and almost totally crab, served with perfect fresh salad mix of lettuce, tomato, seasonal vegetables and herbs. Don't skip dessert! Apple Pie Fritters uniquely served along with a Carmel dipping sauce. Yes, restaurant is small, really a wide hallway but the ambience is wonderful, the walls are cleverly decorated, you could be in Soho. Looking forward to our return.
KristenB
Lovely lovely place to celebrate our wedding anniversary! Ellen and Todd and the whole staff were attentive and friendly. The food was delicious and they took care of our food allergies very well.
wildman
This was a four course, dining and wine dinner. The first three courses were excellent for all three diners. But then one of the dessert choices was not available – a bit surprising in a restaurant that was largely empty - and the available substitute was good. The alternative dessert a variety of cheesecake was OK, but not up to the other courses. Service seemed a little uncertain.
Munchkin
Service was excellent. Each course was a wonderful experience of flavors. A table next to us was extremely noisy but when we asked for a quieter table and one more romantic, they quickly moved us to the best table in the restaurant. We loved the explosion of flavors and the bread basket was the best. We would highly recommend the restaurant and we plan on returning soon.
RTPx5
The food was pretty good, although it took 45 minutes to get our appetuzers and almost as long to get the first round of drinks. Another little surprise ,a coffee refill was $6 , We spent $18 on three very small cups of coffee. Again the food was pretty good, Our server was nice enough, but the service was horribly slow. Not sure if I would go back, and felt like it was very overpriced for what we got.
Kimberly Diane
First time at The Federal, and it was hands down the best dining experience I’ve had in the Delmarva area. The food, people, and overall ambiance was phenomenal and I will now recommend this restaurant as my go to when I have visitors.The truffled Mac and cheese was “light” and had tons of flavor, and the little crust of breadcrumbs on top elevate it further. The hanger steak was cooked to the perfect medium rare and had a balance of flavor that didn’t take away from the quality of the meat being the first thing I noticed when I ate each and every bite.Owners Ellen (and Todd) were active in the kitchen and the bar, and still made time to check in to make sure everything was great. Loved their story and how they came to bringing their fritters idea to life, which are genius and after trying a free sampling of the apple fritters, a perfect treat on a beach day!I look forward to when I can return and try even more of their delicious creations!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
JudyB
Our first visit to the Federal and it didn't disappoint! We enjoyed a tasting menu/wine paring filled with flavor and perfectly prepared. The staff were very knowledgeable and helpful with recommendations. We will be back to this gem at Rehoboth!
Best meal in Rehoboth! Friendly crew and the quality of the food is amazing. This is the spot for both special occasion dinners and a comfort food meal. The restaurant is cozy and you feel like you're their most important guest. Love this place!
The fritters are good and it stops there. My main dish (seafood with gnocchi) was inedible. I think the seafood was old. The lobster sauce was terrible. My husband ordered the tofu vegetable dish. They were out of tofu but didn't bother to ask if he wanted something different. They served all vegetable stir fry to him and oh by the way we were out of tofu. The dessert (madeleines) was stake, probably a few days past prime. To sum it up, it was an dxpensive meal for sub par food.
CapHillRes
Entrees were overpriced, small and not prepared well. Fish was overcooked and fishy. Rice was undercooked. Pasta tasted off. Panacota was so hard you could not get the spoon in it. Fritters were good but the artichoke fitters were just fried artichoke hearts, no fitter. Service was excellent. Small cold restaurant Not recommend
JaniceB
The Federal is a small restaurant in Rehobeth. Their specialty appetizer is Fritters. We ordered the Artichoke Fritters with the Horseradish sauce. They were very good but after seeing the corn fritters on a neighboring table we wish that we had ordered them. They were more like a fritters than the artichoke ones were. We overheard the waitress telling another customer that they could split the order. We would have done that if we knew that was an option. The entree menu only has a few option's. We both ordered the Gnocchi with Seafood. At first we thought that the portions were small but we really enjoyed it and wasn't hungry after we finished eating. The taste was terrific even though the bits of fish were cut into small pieces. The sauce had a wonderful flavor. The gnocchi was light and very fresh. We think it was a bit overpriced for the amount of fish in the meal but it was very good. We shared the chocolate mousse desert. It was excellent. Very smooth and tasty. We really enjoyed our experience. It is a small restaurant; maybe about 18 small tables. I am sure it is difficult to get a reservation in the summer. We are glad we went during the Off Season. We definitely would recommend the restaurant for a special night out.
GaryR
The food is always good even though the menu changes regularly. The challenge is picking from so many great options. The restaurant is cozy and the noise level is always low. It is a regular go-to place for us at Rehoboth Beach.
Peggers
Our first time at the Federal. It was perfect. The lobster bisque was full of good lobster chunks and the flavor was wonderful. The Sea Scallops over the squash filled pasta were the best I ever had, . My husband had the braised short ribs which were so tender and full of flavor. And for dessert, we requested fritters That they made and they were a hit. So overall we had a perfect evening we're we could talk and hear each other. Definitely will do back. Waitress was so accommodating and very pleasant. A big 5+ star rating.
Fritters, soup / salad, pasta, soft shell crab, steak, duck - every dish that came out was a hit with my friends. Sending love and gratitude to the owners and chef for making our evening special. With all the competition in Rehoboth, this is a gem, not to be missed!
Small and similar to dining establishments found in Europe. Unusual menu with pub items. Try a sampler. Red pepper sauce was superb. Service outstanding and noise level for a senior with impaired hearing was good.
Attentive and appropriate staff greeted us at entrance and guided us through our meal. Every entree delightfully served in comfortable portions and delicious! Equinox truffled Mac& Cheese, light with a bit of crisp from panko topping. Tuscan Kale was devoured! Crab cake lightly mixed and almost totally crab, served with perfect fresh salad mix of lettuce, tomato, seasonal vegetables and herbs. Don't skip dessert! Apple Pie Fritters uniquely served along with a Carmel dipping sauce. Yes, restaurant is small, really a wide hallway but the ambience is wonderful, the walls are cleverly decorated, you could be in Soho. Looking forward to our return.
Lovely lovely place to celebrate our wedding anniversary! Ellen and Todd and the whole staff were attentive and friendly. The food was delicious and they took care of our food allergies very well.
This was a four course, dining and wine dinner. The first three courses were excellent for all three diners. But then one of the dessert choices was not available – a bit surprising in a restaurant that was largely empty - and the available substitute was good. The alternative dessert a variety of cheesecake was OK, but not up to the other courses. Service seemed a little uncertain.
Service was excellent. Each course was a wonderful experience of flavors. A table next to us was extremely noisy but when we asked for a quieter table and one more romantic, they quickly moved us to the best table in the restaurant. We loved the explosion of flavors and the bread basket was the best. We would highly recommend the restaurant and we plan on returning soon.
The food was pretty good, although it took 45 minutes to get our appetuzers and almost as long to get the first round of drinks. Another little surprise ,a coffee refill was $6 , We spent $18 on three very small cups of coffee. Again the food was pretty good, Our server was nice enough, but the service was horribly slow. Not sure if I would go back, and felt like it was very overpriced for what we got.
First time at The Federal, and it was hands down the best dining experience I’ve had in the Delmarva area. The food, people, and overall ambiance was phenomenal and I will now recommend this restaurant as my go to when I have visitors.The truffled Mac and cheese was “light” and had tons of flavor, and the little crust of breadcrumbs on top elevate it further. The hanger steak was cooked to the perfect medium rare and had a balance of flavor that didn’t take away from the quality of the meat being the first thing I noticed when I ate each and every bite.Owners Ellen (and Todd) were active in the kitchen and the bar, and still made time to check in to make sure everything was great. Loved their story and how they came to bringing their fritters idea to life, which are genius and after trying a free sampling of the apple fritters, a perfect treat on a beach day!I look forward to when I can return and try even more of their delicious creations!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our first visit to the Federal and it didn't disappoint! We enjoyed a tasting menu/wine paring filled with flavor and perfectly prepared. The staff were very knowledgeable and helpful with recommendations. We will be back to this gem at Rehoboth!
Best meal in Rehoboth! Friendly crew and the quality of the food is amazing. This is the spot for both special occasion dinners and a comfort food meal. The restaurant is cozy and you feel like you're their most important guest. Love this place!
Restaurantji Recommends
The fritters are good and it stops there. My main dish (seafood with gnocchi) was inedible. I think the seafood was old. The lobster sauce was terrible. My husband ordered the tofu vegetable dish. They were out of tofu but didn't bother to ask if he wanted something different. They served all vegetable stir fry to him and oh by the way we were out of tofu. The dessert (madeleines) was stake, probably a few days past prime. To sum it up, it was an dxpensive meal for sub par food.
Entrees were overpriced, small and not prepared well. Fish was overcooked and fishy. Rice was undercooked. Pasta tasted off. Panacota was so hard you could not get the spoon in it. Fritters were good but the artichoke fitters were just fried artichoke hearts, no fitter. Service was excellent. Small cold restaurant Not recommend
The Federal is a small restaurant in Rehobeth. Their specialty appetizer is Fritters. We ordered the Artichoke Fritters with the Horseradish sauce. They were very good but after seeing the corn fritters on a neighboring table we wish that we had ordered them. They were more like a fritters than the artichoke ones were. We overheard the waitress telling another customer that they could split the order. We would have done that if we knew that was an option. The entree menu only has a few option's. We both ordered the Gnocchi with Seafood. At first we thought that the portions were small but we really enjoyed it and wasn't hungry after we finished eating. The taste was terrific even though the bits of fish were cut into small pieces. The sauce had a wonderful flavor. The gnocchi was light and very fresh. We think it was a bit overpriced for the amount of fish in the meal but it was very good. We shared the chocolate mousse desert. It was excellent. Very smooth and tasty. We really enjoyed our experience. It is a small restaurant; maybe about 18 small tables. I am sure it is difficult to get a reservation in the summer. We are glad we went during the Off Season. We definitely would recommend the restaurant for a special night out.
The food is always good even though the menu changes regularly. The challenge is picking from so many great options. The restaurant is cozy and the noise level is always low. It is a regular go-to place for us at Rehoboth Beach.
Our first time at the Federal. It was perfect. The lobster bisque was full of good lobster chunks and the flavor was wonderful. The Sea Scallops over the squash filled pasta were the best I ever had, . My husband had the braised short ribs which were so tender and full of flavor. And for dessert, we requested fritters That they made and they were a hit. So overall we had a perfect evening we're we could talk and hear each other. Definitely will do back. Waitress was so accommodating and very pleasant. A big 5+ star rating.