Crerands Ale House

Elite '08

22

116

Jill K.

Wilmington, DE

This place has changed hands a bunch over the years, but I think they've finally found their niche.  

It's a charming old building on the outside, and inside it's a pretty good-looking bar with pool tables, big screen TVs (and about 8712676 small ones), plus a couple video games in the back.  There are high tables in the bar area, and then more secluded boothy tables in the dining room and the in-between room.   (You'll know what I mean by "in-between room" when you get there.)

They've got a $5 lunch menu that has damn fine burgers, awesome meatloaf (really!), and even a pretty good reuben.  You might expect everything to be kinda crappy bar food, but they do a nice job.  

It's totally empty at lunchtime, so I used to hold lunch meetings there when I worked closeby, because I knew we'd get in and out of there quickly.  

The servers are super-friendly, and you know they really like their jobs because they genuinely like each other.  Refreshing, no?  Plus, if the coffee is old they'll throw on a fresh pot for ya.

As for nights, I've only been there a few times in the evening when my friends' band used to play live jazz there.  We also went another time to watch the Red Sox win the World Series (*sniff!* What a moment!).  I understand they have DJs and karaoke and a weekly open mic night.  They're certainly trying to make Wilmington (and Claymont, especially) a little less with the suck.

Blagh!  I almost forgot:  Their onion rings are *awesome!*

The clientele definitely has that, um, Claymont flavor, if you know what I mean.  But it's all good.  Jazz fans, sports fans, drunks, post-rehearsal theater geeks and truck drivers all get along just fine here.  Totally unpretentious.

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