When I stepped inside High Stakes on Route 54 in Fenwick Island on a beautiful Labor Day, I was delighted to find a full house. It was high noon on a gorgeous day. The deli, bar and restaurant at High Stakes were all packed full of lunchtime customers.

Regina, who is a local regular customer at High Stakes, greeted me at the bar and introduced me to a very friendly and fast-moving bartender, Heather. Owner Brian greeted me, as well. “You should definitely try the Cheesesteak Egg Rolls,” he recommended. “They are new on the menu and our customers can’t get enough of them.” In fact, the Cheesesteak Egg Rolls are so popular that Brian plans to expand the menu to include a weekly specialty egg roll. I sampled an order, and indeed, the crispy egg rolls have a buttery flavor with juicy, warm cheesesteak, American cheese, and cilantro oozing into a melt-in-your mouth sensation.

“This is a very fun place to watch football,” said Regina. Take advantage of enticing food and drink discounts during NFL games at High Stakes, which is flanked with high definition, flat screen televisions on every wall. During NFL games on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday, customers enjoy $4 Mini Steaks and discounts on Wings and Cheeseburgers. During Monday Night Football games, High Stakes offers .50c Miller Lite and Coors Light Drafts with any NFL Food Special Purchase, starting at 8pm and until the first point is scored!  

Philly’s Finest Cheesesteaks are definitely the specialty at High Stakes. Philly Cheesesteak is comprised of cheese whiz, fried onions, and green peppers. Chicken Cheesesteak and Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak (mild, medium, or hot) are also on the menu.

I thoroughly enjoyed an order of Old Bay Wings with blue cheese dip. Wings flavors at High Stakes include mild, medium, hot, BBQ, and Honey BBQ. The Wings are very good—the perfect combination of crispy, fall-off-the bone deliciousness. The restaurant has Chili and a wide variety of Soups on the menu, such as Tomato, Baked Potato, Chicken Noodle, and New England Clam Chowder.

Offering the best selections from the adjoining carryout deli, High Stakes is locally known for its Hoagies, which are served on a warmed bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, salt, pepper, oregano, and oil. Tuna, Turkey, Veggie, Italian, American, and Roast Beef are the Hoagies options.

All of the Burgers at High Stakes are hand packed on the premises. Build your own six-ounce Cheeseburger. Served on a potato roll with tarter sauce, the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Sandwich is also hand mixed in the kitchen and is full of lumps. The Fish Fillet Sandwich is a house specialty sandwich, as is the Pulled Pork BBQ—Carolina style BBQ served with Cole slaw on a Kaiser roll.

I ordered my #1 favorite sandwich—the Reuben. Served on toasted, buttery rye bread, this corned beef sandwich is smothered in sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. Shrimp Salad, Club Sandwich, Meatball Sub, and Grilled Chicken are additional sandwich options. The Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich is a concoction of grilled chicken, peppered ham, Swiss cheese, and honey mustard on a Kaiser roll. Chicken Salad, Hot Roast Beef with Gravy, Cheeseburger Sub, Veggie Burger, and Chili Cheese Dog top off the Sandwich selections. Of course, another benefit of having a carryout delicatessen on the premises is the option to Build Your Own sandwich, choosing from a variety of meats, cheeses, veggies, toppings, and bread.

High Stakes has an array of healthy options on its menu. The Wraps selections are Club Wrap, Chicken Caesar Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, and Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap. Salads choices are House, Chef, and Caesar. Additionally, The Wedge salad is tomato, bacon, and bleu cheese. The Antipasta is capacolla, salami, peppered ham, and provolone cheese. Or, you can order Three of a Kind—one scoop each of Shrimp, Tuna, and Chicken Salads.

“The Sliders are fun and very tasty,” Regina advised. So, we ordered four of the Pulled Pork Sliders with Cole slaw. Other Sliders are Chicken, Cheeseburger, Crab Cake, and the High Steak. Each of the Sliders are served on potato bread and served in quantities of four.

High Stakes also offers plenty of classic munchies like Crab Dip, Crab Pretzel, Onion Rings, Chicken Tenders, Mozzarella Sticks, Jalapeño Poppers, Broccoli Bites, Mac & Cheese Wedges, and Cheese, Bacon, or Gravy French Fries. Order the Deuce’s Wild Sampler for a variety of appetizers to share.

Everything that I tasted at High Stakes was really impressive. And, I noticed that the prices are very affordable. High Stakes is the type of place you can go to enjoy quality food in a fun atmosphere without spending too much money. The walls are decorated with baseball and sports memorabilia. On a hot day, the ceiling fans keep a cool breeze circulating. Plus, the two large bars have an extensive collection of draft beers on tap.

High Stakes keeps the fun going every day and night of the week. Happy Hour is daily from 11 AM until 7 PM. That’s eight hours! The crowd certainly appreciates it. Thirsty Thursday is the day to catch Baltimore Bob performing at 4 PM, followed by “Bandeoke” at 8 PM—karaoke with a live band. On every Friday and Saturday at 4 PM, local musician Booby Burns provides live entertainment, followed by rotating live bands at 8 PM. This weekend, don’t miss Lower Case Blues performing on Friday night and local celebrity DJ Rupe on Saturday night.

Mini Monday presents $4 Mini Steaks & Hoagies and $3 Corona & Corona Light. Two Dollar Tuesday brings plenty of drink discounts, while Wacky Wednesday offers discounts on Buffalo Chicken Wraps. Frantic Friday is the day for Crab Dip discounts. Sinful Saturday presents Soup & Salad combination deals.

Open year round, High Stakes is conveniently located next to Walgreen’s at 5799 on Lighthouse Cove (Rt. 54) in Fenwick Island, Delaware. The carryout store is a great deal. For more information, dial 302-537-6971 or visit www.highstakesbarandgrill.com.