Summer Party? Outdoors!
You'll probably want to order food, though, once you watch plates of fish tacos or stuffed poblano peppers go by. Even the nachos, piled high with homemade salsa and served in old Mexican beer trays, look too good to pass up.
Still, remember that Agave takes its tequila seriously, and even if you've had a margarita or two, never try to order a round of shots and limes. "You're not going to do shots at my restaurant," McKeown warns. "The proper way to drink [tequila] is out of a snifter, so that's how it's served."
AGAVE MEXICAN GRILL AND TEQUILA BAR 137 Second St. 302-645-1232. Kitchen open daily 5 to 11 p.m.; bar open daily 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. After Memorial Day: Bar and kitchen open Monday-Saturday from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., Sundays from 3 to midnight.
Dewey Beach
It's hard to see changes in Delaware's biggest party town: Cover bands such as Kristen & the Noise are on the marquees of the Rusty Rudder and the Bottle & Cork; the Lighthouse offers cheap bar food at its Friday night Taco Toss; the Starboard is giving away its coveted VIP cards, which allow the bearer to skip the Friday night lines during high season.
But there's plenty to talk about, and most of it is centered near the Ruddertowne complex.
New this season is Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar & Grille, a themed tiki bar that opened across from the Rusty Rudder in April. Giant flat-screen TVs show surfing videos, and surfboards are mounted on the walls above murals of palm trees and tropical scenes. The place has a festive atmosphere: Bartenders hand out plastic leis and whip up such drinks as the Backscratcher, a mix of rums, fruit juices and whiskey that's served with a long-handled wooden back scratcher, or the potent Kapu, a fruity frozen concoction served in a pineapple shell. (Its name, appropriately enough, is Hawaiian for "forbidden.") I've yet to see anyone order the Tonga Bowl, a 22-ounce alcoholic punch served in a large ceramic bowl; I'd like to watch a group take on the 96-ounce version, which the menu suggests is "perfect for sharing!" Designated drivers don't have to feel left out, thanks to a short list of nonalcoholic coladas and cocktails.
Live entertainment Thursday through Saturday features acoustic guitarists playing the usual covers (the Beatles, Neil Diamond, singalong '80s hits), while DJs spin music between sets. There's not much room to dance near the crowded bar, but that doesn't stop anyone from trying.
Across the street, Ruddertowne proper has undergone a few changes. Most notably, the Baycenter, a large venue that played host to the likes of Reel Big Fish, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Hanson and Rick Springfield, has become the Baycenter for the Performing Arts. Instead of concerts, the first performances scheduled are by the Rehoboth Summer Children's Theatre. When concerts do return this summer, there will be less alternative rock and more R&B and jazz.
Next door, the Sunnyside Up restaurant is making way for Que Pasa?, a casual Mexican joint that will also offer a "cantina" with seats right on the beach. (You'll even be able to rent watercraft on the spot.) It opens Memorial Day.
NALU HAWAIIAN SURF BAR & GRILLE 1306 Coastal Hwy. 302-227-1449. Open Tuesday-Thursday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
BAYCENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 113 Dickinson St. 302-227-3888.
QUE PASA? Dickinson Street and the bay. 302-226-1820. Open daily 11 to 11.
