Delaware

On National Hot Dog Day, try one of these 10 homegrown Delaware favorite spots 🌭

Published

2 years ago

July 16, 2024

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On National Hot Dog Day, try one of these 10 homegrown Delaware favorite spots 🌭

Sure, you could hit up national chain restaurants today to get your big bite of National Hot Dog Day.

But here in Delaware, we have plenty of homegrown greasy spoons, ranging from those specifically known for their mouth-watering wieners to spots that just happen to have top-notch dogs tucked away on the menu.

So if you don’t feel like firing up your barbecue on this hump day to make your National Hot Dog Day meal just as you like it, try one of these 10 eateries for some bun-worthy dogs.

The Dog House, New Castle

Throw a rock, hit a Delawarean and ask them their favorite hot dog joint and The Dog House would most likely be near the top of the list.

Known for its foot-long hot dogs, The Dog House has been in business since 1952 and has a menu filled with a variety of pizzas, subs, cheesesteaks and its best-selling chili cheese dog.

The Dog House makes its own house relish and is partnered with Serpe & Sons Bakery, which makes the hot dog buns. And they just added credit cards and a dog-friendly outdoor dining area.

The Dog House, 1200 N. Du Pont Highway, near New Castle, (302) 328-5380

Deerhead Hot Dogs, near Wilmington and Stanton

If The Dog House isn’t the old school top dog in Delaware, then Deerhead Hot Dogs is.

They started in downtown Wilmington at Hotel Olivere in 1935 and has been cooking up hot dogs ever since.

A popular pairing is the Deerhead Hot Dog with everything, which includes mustard, onions and the secret Deerhead sauce that keeps fans coming. Hot dogs are also sold in doubles or 10 packs if you can’t get enough.

The restaurant, which no longer has a Wilmington location, is still grillin’ in Stanton.

Deerhead Hot Dogs, 1233 Churchmans Rd, Stanton, (302) 266-9333

Johnnie’s Dog House and Chicken Shack, Wilmington

Based in Talleyville, Johnnie’s Dog House and Chicken Shack was featured in an issue of People magazine a few years back for having the best hot dog in the state. And plenty of fans would still give them the honor.

The Delaware Destroyer, winner of the award, is actually two hot dogs served on a 6-inch hoagie roll topped with macaroni and cheese, chili, grilled onions and hot sauce. Burp!

If you’re looking for something a bit sweeter, try the Monkey Hill Dog, which comes topped with grilled bananas, crunchy peanut butter, chopped bacon and honey.

Johnnie’s offers its hot dogs in beef, chicken, turkey, kobe beef or veggie. You can also get a beef in a 13-inch jumbo size, which weighs almost a pound.

Johnnie’s Dog House and Chicken Shack, 3401 Concord Pike, Talleyville, (302) 477-1440

Taco Reho, Rehoboth Beach and Middletown

When you think about the Delaware chain Taco Reho, California-inspired burritos and tacos wrapped in warm, house-made corn tortillas probably come to mind.

But for all of July ― including National Hot Dog Day on the 17th ― their rock ‘n’ roll-themed, homegrown restaurants will be spotlighting one of America’s favorite summertime bites.

In fact, there are always some foot-long beef dogs on their menu, including Danger Dog: a bacon-wrapped hot dog with black beans, Monterey jack cheese, avocado, yellow mustard, chipotle mayo, pico de gallo, pickled red onions, queso fresco and cilantro.

For July, they have been offering a different hot dog each week to celebrate National Hot Dog Day. Their Danger Dog is the featured dog for this week and for the week starting July 22, you can get the new Elote: a hot dog topped with Mexican grilled corn, cheese and chile peppers.

Taco Reho, Rehoboth Beach (18784 Coastal Highway) and Middletown (100 Sandhill Drive), (302) 226-8226

Charcoal Pit, Talleyville

Sure, Charcoal Pit has thick milkshakes, high school-themed sundaes and a beloved hamburger line-up, but there’s another American classic on the menu that gets lost in the shuffle sometimes.

You have two options for their flame-grilled hot dogs: the basic plain char dog or the char dog special with two char dogs topped with chili and cheese with a side of French fries.

They have been serving them for nearly 70 years, so they must be doing something right.

Charcoal Pit, 2600 Concord Pike, Talleyville, (302) 478-2165

Twilley’s Willys, Fenwick Island

Twilley’s Willys in Fenwick Island has a menu loaded with hot dogs just as unique as its name.

Try one of the 17 different city-style dogs such as The Baltimore, loaded with large lump Maryland crab, macaroni & cheese and Old Bay or The Philly, topped with chopped steak, cheese sauce and caramelized onions.

The “Other Dogs” menu features fun styles like the Dirty Dog, which comes with chorizo, pico de gallo, cheese sauce and cilantro lime crema.

All are also available in veggie form.

Twilley’s Willys, 300 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, (302) 581-0255

Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen, Rehoboth Beach and South Bethany Beach

Mixed among potato latkes, Reubens and matzo ball soup, you’ll find some big dogs in the center of the Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen menu.

There are seven third-pound split hot dogs just waiting to fill you up from a plain dog you can dress up with sauerkraut to something that call Twinsies: a pair of third-pound dogs on one big bun. That’s nearly 11 ounces of beef.

If you want to try something new (and probably take a follow-up nap), go for The Big Dog, which is topped with pastrami, corned beef, bologna, melted cheddar.

Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen, Rehoboth Beach (18949 Coastal Highway, 302-645-1700) and South Bethany Beach (34444 Coastal Highway, 302-539-8550)

Gus & Gus Place, Rehoboth Beach

Gus & Gus Place is located on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk and has a special hot dog that might bring on the nostalgia.

The classic oceanfront restaurant features basics such as a cheese dog, a chili dog and a sauerkraut dog, but rounds its menu off with a corn dog that will give you some real state fair feels.

If you stop by, choose your dog and then be sure to grab some of the “legendary fresh Idaho fries” cooked in peanut oil to go with it.

Gus & Gus Place, 15 S. Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach, (302) 227-3329

Ed’s Hot Dogs, New Castle

Located at Airport Plaza in New Castle, Ed’s Hot Dogs is known for its combo meals and great deals.

Their slogan? “Food so great, you’ll think we stole your Mom!”

The limited menu features hot dogs, hot sausages, Polish kielbasa, meatball sandwiches, cheesesteaks and breakfast sandwiches. And if you’re on a budget, it’s a winner.

Ed’s Hot Dogs, 138 Sunset Blvd., New Castle, (302) 883-1338

Doggie Style

Doggie Style, which grew from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar spot on Rehoboth Beach’s next to the former original home of Nicola Pizza, is the go-to spot for hot dogs in the “The Nation’s Summer Capital.”

A hot dog joint that also specializes on Caribbean fare offers 11 specialty hot dogs, alongside an array of sausages and a mini Mexican menu witch nachos, tacos and burritos.

The foot-long menu has dogs named after their style, ranging from the Lardeo, Little German and Little Brazilian to the Little Jamaican, Farmer and Little Weenie Between Two Eggs.

If you want to stick to the basics, try the Little Hillbilly with beef chili, cheese and onions. If you want to go off leash, try Little Boriqua topped with sweet plantains, chili, “Florida sauce,” cheese and potato sticks.

Doggie Style, 4 N. First St., Rehoboth Beach, (302) 384-4386

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).

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Delaware

Delaware education outlines boosts, program cuts – in a $2.5B budget

Published

7 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Delaware education outlines boosts, program cuts – in a .5B budget

Delaware’s Department of Education has introduced its first strategic plan in a decade, alongside a proposed $2.5 billion budget.
The plan focuses on five key areas, including early education, teacher retention, literacy and funding reform.
A major school redistricting plan for northern New Castle County is expected to be delayed until the end of the calendar year.
Wilmington Learning Collaborative is one education program facing sharp possible cuts.

Delaware’s Department of Education unveiled its first “strategic plan” in a decade on March 3, as lawmakers sifted through its roughly $2.5 billion proposed budget.

That’s about one-third of the state’s draft spending plan, up nearly 4% from last year.

Lawmakers discussed those infusions – from reading support to early education and more – alongside some $22 million in various proposed program cuts, which could include lessened support for the Wilmington Learning Collaborative.

“It’s the first plan the Delaware Department of Education has had in at least a decade,” Secretary Cindy Marten said ahead of her remarks before the Joint Finance Committee. “There’s an opportunity here. This is not another initiative that we’re just going to layer on top of one more thing and one more thing. … We’re building on the capacity that’s already here.”

The department sculpted budget requests around five “building blocks” in this plan:

Bright beginnings: Expanding early education, with aims to raise early care enrollment from 25% to 40% by September 2028.
Safe supportive schools: Boosting teacher retention rates, with a goal to raise the three-year retention rate for all early career educators from 72% to 75% by June 2028, alongside reducing chronic absenteeism and more.
Great teaching and learning: That’s boosting early literacy, improving student achievement, growing graduation rates and college/career readiness. A key benchmark here is boosting third-grade reading proficiency from 38% to 53% by 2028.
Fair opportunities for every learner: DDOE leaders seek to implement a new public education funding model by August 2027, in step with the Public Education Funding Commission.
Families and communities as partners: The department intends to launch a family and community portal that enhances transparency and connection to learning tools, support and updates.

For Delaware state test scores, average English proficiency rates across all tested third to eighth graders came in at 41% in 2025, while math reaching 34%. Pre-pandemic 2019 scores remain around 10 points higher in each bucket.

On the Nation’s Report Card, scores released in 2025 revealed eighth grade reading scores had hit a 27-year low.

“It’s been decades where we have let that fall,” said committee Vice Chair Rep. Kim Williams, as statistics joined the budget hearing backdrop. “It took us decades to get where we’re at today. It’s going to take us some time to pull ourselves out.”

Literacy and Delaware’s youngest learners

The plan should sound pretty familiar.

Delaware’s “literacy emergency” has been an ongoing call from the Meyer administration. For Marten, a fixture benchmark is that third grade reading proficiency growing from 38% to 53% by 2028.

Alongside some $97.4 million proposed for state personnel cost, the department may also see one-time infusions of $8 million to maintain support for the “Literacy Emergency Fund” and $3 million in direct-to-teacher grants to fuel literacy gains.

Meanwhile, the plan calls for all K-3 teachers to complete professional learning in the science of reading, as mandated by Senate Bill 4 back in 2022.

The secretary also called early childhood education a “first priority” after a year of plan crafting.

Roughly $8 million in one-time spending could fuel the “Delaware Early Childhood Care & Education Alliance” next fiscal year. That’s a pilot “hub” to support child care providers across the state, while also fueling an estimated 480 additional seats in the state’s Early Childhood Assistance Program, per DDOE, or state-sponsored pre-K.

By fall 2028, the department aims to grow birth-to-five enrollment overall from 25% to 40%. She hopes a hub like this can simplify and consolidate the process for providers and families alike.

DDOE’s Office of Child Care Licensing has also been working to digitize electronic record systems to elevate the office’s public database, while tracking compliance and investigating complaints across Delaware’s licensed providers. A combined $2.4 million has been pledged to make it happen, in the last two years, and the department is aiming for launch this summer.

More investment lined budget spreadsheets, and lawmaker questions, as Marten and her team echoed back to their strategic plan. The department pledged to have regular, public reporting on the goals outlined.

After all, there’s much more to come.

Foundational funding change still in the works

To get anywhere, Marten said Delaware needs funding reform.

A one-time infusion of about $2.8 million is proposed to help launch a new funding formula, including support for public communication. So far, that pales in comparison to investment eyed by the Public Education Funding Commission’s hybrid model.

That model will tweak the state’s current unit-count system, while also adding a “weighted” approach based on student needs, as should be proposed to the General Assembly later this spring.

One commission work group projected a baseline infusion of roughly $70 million just to “hold harmless.” That’s allowing Delaware to launch a new formula, without taking existing funds away from school districts.

“That doesn’t bring us near adequacy,” said Commission Chair Sen. Laura Sturgeon, back in January. One independent research report recommended an infusion from $600 million to $1 billion in total.

While that infusion remains “the gold standard,” Sturgeon said, members think they can meaningfully implement the formula with less. She said a figure closer to $200 million has been in discussion, though nothing is final.

This reform will also likely be implemented in phases, if it clears the chambers above this JFC hearing room.

The next commission meeting is at 4 p.m. on March 16, online.

What didn’t make the cut?

The Wilmington Learning Collaborative was only listed on Meyer’s proposed DDOE spending plan as an $8 million cut.

The collaborative launched in 2022 under then-Gov. John Carney with aims to correct fractured education inside the state’s largest city, combating issues like low achievement, absenteeism and teacher retention. It fused across three school districts touching Wilmington – Red Clay, Brandywine and Christina – and pushed in programming and staff positions in about nine of their city schools.

DDOE initially described the reduction as “carryover” funds, aligned with recommendations from the governor. However, collaborative leadership said it likely wouldn’t shake out that way.

“We’re projecting a little less than $2 million carryover,” Laura Burgos said, moments after her presentation to the committee. That meets an allocation of $2 million eyed for next fiscal year, according to her presentation, compared to $10 million allocations in previous funding cycles.

“That’s still a significant reduction in total,” she continued. “But we’ll have a better idea as we reconcile the budget and see how far we go with our advancement of the STEM learning labs and better understand the number of students being served over the summer months.”

Burgos highlighted these projects and more in her presentation, while she expects more specifics on the funding cut impact to come in its council meeting, March 4.

In his questioning, Sen. Darius Brown pressed that the cut could end up being more than $6 million. In response, chair Sen. Trey Paradee said his committee could have more “conversations as a group” on those cuts, before final markup.

In Red Clay Consolidated School District alone, the collaborative fuels about a dozen teachers and five paraprofessionals, as the school board discussed in its February meeting. Burgos roughly estimated that investment at about $1 million in Red Clay.

Total impact is unclear, as local districts must consider covering positions in local budgets. The same is echoed in cuts to certain block grants.

The administration proposed cuts to a $2 million grant for substitute teachers and another $2.3 million for athletic trainers. Some districts will be able to pick up the cost locally, lawmakers noted, though the department was unable to speak to overall estimates Tuesday.

Sturgeon hopes coming reform will allow districts more flexibility for such coverage.

“What we’re moving toward is a system where all those positions will be able to be grouped together and then funded based on the priorities of the individual district,” she said.

Major redistricting effort signals further delay

The Redding Consortium – a coalition charged with improving education in and around Wilmington, as well as redistricting schools in the same boundaries – caught renewed attention in late 2025, as it voted to center planning on a consolidated district in northern New Castle County.

That’s a pending plan to convert Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay into one school district, which would serve students from Newark to Wilmington and the suburbs north and west.

But that wasn’t the sole focus on March 3.

“Redistricting planning” has reflected about 1% of the group’s allocations in the past five years. Supports in student health centers, at $27.6 million, have made up 54% of that budgeting, while full-day pre-K support has seen about $14.8 million in the Wilmington area.

The consortium’s request this year remained consistent, as Majority Whip Sen. Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman said, at about $10.2 million.

But her colleagues should not expect a redistricting plan this session.

“Having reviewed the project scope, AIR’s best estimate for us is that putting together a thoughtful plan, with robust public input, will take the remainder of the calendar year,” the consortium co-chair said. “Again, we’re committed to delivering a robust proposal – but are very aware that students are in schools of concern every day and eager to see them better served.”

Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

Attention Ag Insurance Agents: Subsidy issues subject of Monday, March 9 virtual Q&A with USDA Risk Management Agency – State of Delaware News

Published

19 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The Delaware Department of Agriculture is encouraging agricultural insurance agents to attend a virtual Q&A session with the USDA Risk Management Agency on crop insurance subsidy issues on Monday, March 9 at 2 p.m.

Crop insurance is a critical component of the farm safety net, protecting farmers from weather, environmental, and economic conditions that can result in low crop yields and income concerns.

The March 9 event is an important opportunity for Delaware agriculture representatives to receive answers and guidance before the First State’s peak planting and growing season begins.

“It is critical that Delaware agricultural insurance agents have all the facts before their clients make critical crop insurance decisions,” said Secretary of Agriculture Don Clifton. “In addition, we need input from crop insurance agents on the performance of the program in 2025 and how we can pursue more improvements.”

For the 2025 crop year, 318 Delaware policies received more than $3.45 million in Risk Management Agency loss payments out of more than 1,400 active policies statewide. In total, after all subsidies, Delaware policies received $1.03 for every $1 paid in premiums.

Agricultural insurance agents should contact Michael Lewis at michael.w.lewis@delaware.gov for direct meeting links and more details.

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Delaware

Delaware eyes $25.3 million infusion to affordable child care. But to what end?

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Delaware eyes .3 million infusion to affordable child care. But to what end?

Delaware is debating a $25.3 million investment into its state-subsidized child care program, known as Purchase of Care.
A potential federal rule change could require the state to pay providers based on enrollment rather than attendance, costing an estimated $25 million.
If the federal rule is dropped, officials propose using the funds to expand child care eligibility to more lower-income families.

Delaware child care has been a fixture of this budget season.

Gov. Matt Meyer pitched some $50 million toward early education in his proposed budget for next fiscal year. It included an $11.3 million federal grant to bolster systems, $8 million to pilot statewide hubs – and the largest piece in $25.3 million to boost Purchase of Care, or state-subsidized child care.

That line item proved a major talking point during a public health budget hearing in Legislative Hall on Monday, March 2, while connecting to broader visions for early childhood reform.

As it turns out, Delaware’s subsidized child care program in particular was already due to shoulder federal requirement changes dating back to the Biden administration. And those changes, effective April 1, could cost the state about $25 million to keep up.

That morning, lawmakers were briefed by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services for more than three hours, before well over 50 public comments stretched late into the afternoon. Topics ranged from at-home care and centers supporting Delawareans with disabilities, to the ongoing strain of child care.

New Health Secretary Christen Linke Young said the Trump administration might drop these coming changes to pay providers based on child enrollment, before they’re effective.

And for Delaware, she would agree with that call.

Boosting Delaware child care, one way or the other

Purchase of Care is one program helping lower-income Delaware families – or those making below 200% of the federal poverty level, as of yet – afford care at various child care outfits across the state. Delaware pays those providers directly, around the end of the month, based on how many days these children attended.

Federal requirements could force states to change that.

Delaware would have to pay providers at the top of the month, based on their overall student enrollment, regardless of attendance. Young told lawmakers that would cost around $25 million each year, if requirements are not rescinded by the Trump administration.

It would mean more money for providers, she said, though also harsher policy needed around attendance expectations.

“If the federal government does change the rules, we need that full amount to shift to enrollment,” she said, addressing the Joint Finance Committee dais. “If not, our intention is to use it for increased eligibility.”

In other words, the administration hopes to invest about $25 million into this bucket either way. However, the health secretary said paying based on enrollment isn’t her recommendation.

Young told lawmakers the administration would rather see that amount infused into the program to expand eligibility to 250% of the federal poverty level. So, picture a family of three making roughly $80,000 would make the cut. No changes were proposed to co-payments or special education tiers.

This was met with mixed reviews.

“I’m sure some folks are going to have something to say about that,” cautioned Sen. Trey Paradee, committee chair.

For her part, Jamie Schneider was already editing her remarks in real time.

“Comments today suggested providers want to keep attendance-based payments instead of moving to enrollment-based payments,” said the interim executive director for Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children, representing some 900 early care providers. “That is inaccurate and I hope it’s a misunderstanding.”

Schneider welcomed the enrollment model, with “clear rules” to hold both providers and parents responsible. She and a handful of other speakers still also reinforced the necessity in bolstering the Purchase of Care program, from accessibility to reimbursement rates.

Some lawmakers hesitated on shifting away from enrollment boon for providers, while others pushed for attention on the benefits cliff. Meanwhile, child care became an economic discussion.

Is Delaware child care everyone’s business?

Some lawmakers did not care for this price tag, either way.

“So, there’s $25 million that will be saved because of this non-change, and you’re going to expand the program?” Sen. Dave Lawson posed to Young, while expressing concern for taxpayer dollars.

The secretary quickly turned to economic impact.

“Child care is expensive,” she said, in a portion of her remarks. “It is keeping people out of the workforce. It is posing an enormous burden on families and keeping them from making choices that they want to make, to participate in the economy, or to drive change.”

The Rodel Foundation released survey data in fall 2025 that would buttress these claims. The nonprofit is focused on public education and policy, with early childhood education as one pillar. At a glance:

About 92% of Delaware employers surveyed said child care challenges are hurting their employees, while some 76% reported such problems directly impact their business operations.
About 1 in 4 caregivers said they considered leaving Delaware because of child care challenges.
1 in 3 employers cited productivity declines, lost hours or services and staff turnover.
2 in 3 have seen their employees miss work, reduce hours or report absences at least monthly.
For parents, 1 in 3 reported turning down a job or promotion, cut hours or left work to meet child care demands.

“The cliff is real for me,” Sen. Eric Buckson said. “It disincentivizes individuals to climb out, and I’ve seen it work against folks.”

Purchase of Care’s “graduated phase out” level – often referred to as the “benefits cliff,” when eligibility runs up – would remain at 300%, according to DHSS budget documents and hearing remarks. It was unclear Monday if it would be solidified in more years to come.

There is a long runway ahead.

Untangling a bigger picture for Delaware child care

Sometimes Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay describes the state of Delaware’s early childhood education system as the backside of an average desk. Tangled wires trace down the wall, with various colors and knots headed toward different outlets.

She’s been tapped to help straighten it up.

Named chair to the Interagency Resource Management Committee last year, Gay has overseen several Delaware departments as they centralize on early education. Those are state departments like Health and Social Services, Education, Services for Children, Youth and their Families and more.

The cross-agency group – with cabinet secretaries, agency leadership, lawmakers and the Delaware Early Childhood Council – landed a $11.3 million preschool development grant. Gay sees this next year ahead as setting the stage.

“That will go to projects in each of the agencies, as well as projects in my office,” the lieutenant governor said.

“And truly, with that money, we are building that investable system so that we can have information, including data about how to better serve Delawareans. We’re going to be building local infrastructure so that we can make sure that providers, educators, parents, have resources at their local levels.”

The former state senator and longtime advocate on child care issues sees a north star of early education as a universal, public good.

“But that’s an incredibly large project,” she said. “And it’s a big change from how we traditionally think about birth through 5.”

From exploring finance models to connecting public and private partners, this could be one step in that direction.

DDOE’s Office of Child Care Licensing has also been working to digitize electronic record systems to elevate the office’s public database, while tracking compliance and investigating complaints across Delaware’s licensed providers. A combined $2.4 million was pledged to make it happen, in the last two years, and it’s highly anticipated, Gay said.

The “Delaware Early Childhood Care & Education Alliance,” or likely hubs to the north and south, may also land an $8 million infusion to work across area providers and assist the state in expanding child care access, as outlined in the governor’s proposed budget.

A budget hearing on public education should bring more on that, Tuesday, March 3.

Got another education tip? Contact Kelly Powers at kepowers@usatodayco.com.

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