The Federal Rehoboth

Delicious and delightful! From the moment you walk through the door until you sleepily leave, full and satisfied, you will be glad you came. The ambiance is cozy, friendly and inviting. The food is absolutely decadent. Get 12 fritters. Order the soup. Get the cake. If you're thinking maybe, the answer is yes! I'm STILL thinking about the impeccable service, heavenly coconut lime mojito and legendary Mac and cheese! 10⭐

Intimate dynamo of a restaurant. Family owned and run leads to meals made with love, passion and pride. It helps when the chef is amazing at his craft. I wish I had more photos. We started with Parmigiano Risotto and Corn Fritters with complimentary dipping sauces. Yum. We split the special 'Equinox' Truffle Mac & Cheese and Spinach Rigatoni with veggies. Wow!! Make Federal Fritter & Bistro your next dinner out...you won't be disappointed

The husband and wife, dynamic duo of Ellen at the bar and Todd in the kitchen, can't be beat. Federal Fritter is a true neighborhood gem.

Had a delightful lunch at Federal Fritter yesterday! Wonderful, unique menu, and super friendly owners! Will definitely return soon!

We had the cauliflower and corn fritters, the poached pear burrata salad and the hangar steak. and then the tiramasu for dessert. Service and atmosphere were amazing. Food was delectable. Can not praise the hangar steak enough. Insanely good. I could have ordered a second one to go. It was the most tender hangar steak ever. Wine list was good too. The bartender/owner brought us multiple concoctions to try also. Everyone was so friendly. Our new favorite place in rehoboth. 😍

After just about a year of searching for that special restaurant, we finally found it. The Federal has outstanding service and food with a wonderful and friendly atmosphere. Our server Carmel and bartender Ellen were the best! The owner was also very attentive to our table. He took the time to open and pour our bottle of Prosecco and even to refill our glasses! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an excellent dining experience!

This was our first time and we were happily impressed. The fritters were imaginative and delicious, along with an array of really tasty sauces for dipping. We had the squash blossom also which was wonderful! Although we were going to stay for just appetizers, we had to try the pesto fusilli and it was stellar. Wonderful friendly owners and wait staff! Go try this great place! You will not be disappointed!

Alright, this place is fantastic. It's a little hidden gem and they knocked it out of the park tonight. We showed up kinda late, and our diets have changed pretty substantially recently, so we asked for some accommodations, i.e., lettuce in place of bread, different vegetables, etc. Not the worst, but not your ideal patrons, right? They were so accommodating! The food was prompt and delicious. The gazpacho was so refreshing, and they had a squash blossom fritter special that was crazy good. I greatly enjoyed my salmon--which was cooked perfectly--with vegetables, and husband had a seafood salad that he scarfed right down. We only tried the artichoke fritters (with creme fraiche), but they were very good, you could tell they had a nice marinade on them. Really good spot, and we'll definitely be back. Earlier, next time! Edit: I forgot to mention the service was also wonderful!

Three of us came to dinner lastnight. I had been previously and so enjoyed the food. Lastnight I had the skirt steak - the black garlic aioli was amazing as a part of this dish. The meat was perfect. My son had the rigatoni bolognese - light and with great flavor. And my father had the stir fry - again really good flavor. The staff are cheerful and helpful. Will absolutely go again - an excellent restaurant find in Rehoboth.

We just had an amazing tasting menu experience at Federal Fritter. Todd, Ellen and Harrison created the most wonderful experience for us in every way - exceptional service, delicious food and creative cocktails. As local transplants from big cities, we are very happy to have this caliber of restaurant in our little beach town!

After being turned on to Federal by a very close friend I reached out to Ellen about hosting my fiancés very special surprise birthday dinner. Right away Ellen made me feel like this night was going to be one to remember. She comprised a signature menu specifically for the birthday girl. Went out of her way to video chat with me and show the space designated for us this evening. When my fiancé and I showed up I was stunned! All the friends and family where there in an amazing space laid out by Ellen. The attention to details were spot on! All the way down to the names of the guests placed on the menus. The food was spectacular, the wine and cocktails delicious beyond words and the atmosphere was so friendly and electric. Please allow me to give credit to an amazing menu which was executed exquisitely by Chef Todd Gary! I couldn’t of asked for anything more. Federal Fritters is now and will always be a special place to my soon be be wife and I!

The decor is beautiful and I really enjoyed the bench area and throw pillows. I was a little nervous about the fritters since I’ve only have eaten apple fritters in the past. But their fritters are amazing! They were even better with the house made remoulade sauce. My salmon dish was delicious and the eggplant purée was a pleasant surprise. I’ve never been the biggest fan of cauliflower but their cauliflower is amazing. Our server Lindsey was awesome and did a great job taking care of us and offering dish recommendations. I will definitely visit again soon!

The fritters are incredibly delicious! This is high quality gourmet food-NOT garbage tourist food like many of the restaurants here. Service is top-notch. The staff are warm and friendly, and the chef (I am a big fan) even came out to say hello-he is so nice! I am going back for sure! The fritters are worth a stop, you will love them!

Outstanding customer experience. The service was exactly right, there when you were ready and polite when you were not ready. The artichoke fritters were out of this world, as was the fish dish. Really accomodating to any type of diet and preferences. This is, a five-star experience, yet still hidden gem, by the amazing owners in the Town of Rehoboth,

Really amazing spot. It’s rare when a new place hits it out of the park out of the gate. Needless to say the fritters are incredible. My favorite was the cauliflower and for dessert the apple pie fritter is a must try. I had the soft shell appetizer which was one of the best I have ever had. I am a French fry nut and these are among the very best I have had. At first try FF is among the best in the state. The rest of the restaurants in Sussex county have some steep competition so they better up their game. Most of the places in RB serve up some nice food but few if any are at this level.

We had a really great time here. The chef came out to greet us and offered suggestions. The owner kindly greeted us as well also reassuring us that the staff had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Our server was knowledgeable and attentive. Food and atmosphere was excellent! We will definitely be back. I was imagining that fritters would be a heavier meal but they were surprisingly light which was ideal for our taste. I am not a “dessert person” and I actually split one with my partner. Great place to be all around! Found out that the owners own a very well respected restaurant in D.C. I am not surprised because the quality is truly there.

It was really good! The fritters were really good. The portion they give is not overwhelming. The scallops were cooked perfectly and it tastes really good with the beets sauce. It's unique and the atmosphere is nice. I recommend getting risotto fritters and the scallops.

On our mid-August visit to the Delaware beach areas, we spent the week seeking out the best vegan options. Federal Fritter & Bistro was THE most enjoyable meal we found that week! The fritters are amazing, but the menu offers much more. Plant-based options are clearly labelled and make up 1/3 of the menu, spanning EVERY category including dessert!!! They even have vegan dipping sauces for the fritters. The owner talked with us about their plant-based options and really gets it!! The night we were there, dinner was topped off with an amazing French style plant-based strawberry cake. The service was excellent, too. Note: they're short staffed, so it helps to call or email ahead to let them know you're coming. Federal Fritter will be our next meal in Rehoboth, too!

Federal fritters is fantastic! It’s a unique dining experience with tons of delicious menu options for omnivores and vegans alike. Everyone in your party will be happy. The fritters are gourmet, hanging out at the intersection of street food and fine dining. The service is excellent. Great atmosphere, great food, great service - easily earns all five stars! Check them out!

My first visit but not my last -- I ate every bite of the beautifully prepared scallops with peaches, roasted peppers and corn. It may sound strange, but it was delicious. Not to mention that the scallops were perfectly seared, fat and juicy.

This place was just fantastic. The food was really different and very well executed. The apps were great and the entrees were even better. The connoli and some sambuca was a perfect way to end. Service was great and the ambiance very nice. We will absolutely be back when we hopefully retire to the area early next year!

Loved stopping here with companions. The fritters were delicious and the focaccia was great though the pesto wasn’t my fave. Recommend the risotto and apple fritters for sure!! Yummy complementary chocolate at the end. And some great mocktail options!

We took some friends to The Federal last night, and once again, it did not disappoint! This was our fifth or sixth visit, and every single time we've been, the experience has been fabuloous. The food is consistently delicious, the atmosphere warm and inviting, and the service top-notch. We all ordered different dishes, which made it even more fun to sample everything. We started with the fritters (of course), the soft shell crab appetizer, and then enjoyed the hanger steak, red snapper, cannelloni, and gnocchi—every dish was beautifully prepared and full of flavor. We topped it all off with the tiramisu cake and Jonathan's Ice Box cake, both of which were the perfect sweet ending to a fantastic meal. Our friends were just as impressed, which made the evening even better. It’s rare to find a place that gets it right every time, but The Federal truly does. Highly recommend—definitely one of our go-to spots!

Quaint, elegant restaurant. So happy to find plant-based options. Excellent service. Manager did not have drink my husband ordered, so she came by and offered a free replacement. Food was gourmet and delicious!

Delicious food and very attentive staff. The parm and risotto fritters were amazing as well as the apple fritters. Great corn bread too. The scallop and risotto dish was perfect as was the cannelloni noodle dish. The mocktails are really good and the smoked old fashion drink was great. Definitely going back!!!!

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!

Two experiences at Federal Fritters, and two highly enjoyable and memorable meals. The tasting menus were easily made vegetarian (and it could have been vegan), and the changes were thoughtful and delicious. The food is very well-crafted as are the drinks, and each course was distinct and packed with delightful flavors and textures. The fritters are insane; you really can't pick a bad one. The atmosphere is cozy and low-key, especially considering the quality of the food you are served. The waitstaff and owners crack jokes and you see a lot of front and back of the house interaction, all positive and supportive of each other. We loved the food, and they seemed genuinely happy about that. We try to go back every time we're in town; it's the most anticipated stop in a town awash with excellent food.

What a hidden gem in Rehoboth, we had the most wonderful dinner and can't wait to come back. The food, the service, the ambiance everything was a 10/10. Everything we ate and drank was ncredible, fresh and so flavorful. I'm still thinking about the ricotta gnocchi. If possible, make sure to save room for dessert because the rhubarb crumble is one of the best desserts I've had. I wish we lived closer so we could go back more often but can't wait to return on our next beach trip.

We recently ordered catering from The Federal for a party of 12. Our food was amazing, delivered right on time, and easy to serve for our hungry house guests. Everyone raved about the meal. We ordered both the chicken and steak along with the delicious mac and cheese and a green bean side. We also ordered butternut squash soup and a Caesar salad. Ellen was a great help throughout the process and setup.

Food tastes good and the food is well presented. I would have appreciated bigger sizes in sauce and some pickled vegetables to balance the fried starters. Stuff was friendly, energetic and explained the menu, it was helpful to make our choices.

Sorry I don’t have photos! GREAT STAFF food was good, but entrees did not come out at the same time. Nice wine selection, small venue but it worked. Also nice to have a date night. Thank you LAUREN for great service!

First time going to The Federal. The place is small. CeCe was our server and she was fantastic. Very helpful with the menu and other questions I had. Water was filled and refilled promptly. The gazchapo was delicious and my husband said his fish was really good. As others have stated, it's really pricey for the portion size.

This was a good find. Service was friendly and very responsive. Food was great - kids had the sausage rigatoni and enjoyed. Also recommend the homemade gnocchi w/seafood…delicious! Recommend skipping the Tiger shrimp app, not our favorite but the team did a great job addressing. Super impressed! Last, do yourself a favor and get the apple pie fritters. They were amazing!! Don’t have time for a full meal, grab a fritter snack. Again, great service!

First time trying Federal Fritter. Oyster Fritters seemed the way to go. Also enjoyed the steak and the gnocchi.

Spectacular food in a truly mediocre setting. We had a gazpacho with Yellow, Tomato, and pineapple that was sublime. Potato gnocchi with shrimp and jumbo lump crab also truly fabulous Service was friendly, but a bit intrusive, too attentive. The restaurant was empty when we were there Wednesday night at 8 PM; and they kept trying to take our dishes away. Not really to push us out of the restaurant that just because they had nothing else to do. And a truly terrible blueberry peach cobbler. I took one bite. They did comp me on the desert. So most of the food is really quite good. But the ambiance is that of a mid range chain restaurant with super bright lighting. ( and I mean SUPER bright ) We would never go back because at these prices you want a total experience. Obviously, I am the outlier in this review. Since most people love this place. Not us 🙁🙁

Went here on NYE. Had the tasting menu. I opted for the salad with fried oysters, the seared tuna with soba noodles, the hanger steak and the pot au crème. Paired with wine: $155. Salad: greens were ok. Oysters were minuscule, over breaded and greasy. Rating: 2 Tuna: Was mealy in texture and if i had eaten them blindfolded I wouldn’t know what they were. The rest of the dish was ok. Rating: 2: tuna 1, rest 3. Hanger Steak: The steak itself was tasteless. It looked good so I thought it was because it was unseasoned. Unfortunately, salt didn’t help. The Tuscan broccoli raab was tasteless as well. Should have a nice bitter taste. It was limp suggesting it had been overcooked. The horseradish mashed were inconsistent—some bites had no horseradish flavor and others too much. Rating: 1 Pot au crème: excellent. Rating: 5 Manhattan: poor. Wasn’t made with sweet vermouth. This was very disappointing since i had a superb one at the Spirits dinner in November 2025. Rating: 2. Wine pairings: 3. The Rojas with the steak was excellent. IMO, a sparkling wine should have been served with the dessert. I was seated in the bar area next to the kitchen along with 2 same sex couples. When I was leaving I could not help but notice that only opposite sex couples were seated in the front of the house. Will I be back? Yes, because my first experience with the St George spirits dinner was exceptional. I’m going to the Japanese whisky dinner. Hopefully, it will be excellent and tonight was not representative.

They had a Sunday special menu for Sundays, I called twice during the week to see if we could order off the menu was told no problem (checked with the chef when I called). Got to restaurant owner said no, absolutely one of the rudest people ever met. If we would have left due to reservations, we would have been charged $100 for 5 people. We ended up ordering all fritters with 4 alcoholic beverages (we have vegetarians in our party). The fritters had no flavor, the little bit sauces were not good - drinks ok. Asked about sauces, owner rudely asked if she could bring ketchup. Spent $200 for 5 and came out hungry and very disappointed. Not a place I would recommend.

I didn’t even have a chance to dine at this establishment because I wasn’t able to get past the “hospitality” manager. Talk about a misnomer. I’ve never spoken to such a rude restaurant manager in my life. She basically told me that the Federalist probably wasn’t the “right restaurant” for me because I inquired whether a vegetarian version of their prix fixe menu reflected a price difference. The conversation was such a bad experience that I couldn’t stomach the thought of dining there.

What happened? This was one of our favorite restaurants. Last nights dinner was horrible and expensive. The tempura shrimp with arugula? The arugula was a limp mess as if it had been dressed yesterday. The gnocchi was inedible. Hard little pieces of dough that was to have been accompanied by scallops and shrimp? Didn’t see any shrimp and the scallops were small and buried under some kind of orange sauce. The Scottish salmon was overcooked -can’t say anything to justify the price. Never again!

Had reservations at 4. They called before we got there to confirm we were coming. Got there and then they told us they weren't going to serve dinner till 5 that night. They told us we could eat fritters instead of dinner. We left then they cancelled our open table reservation so we couldn't complain. Very shady, disrespectful, dishonest,and unprofessional establishment. Don't waste your time like they wasted ours. Im sure it applies to their food as well Not sure if the cook was hung over and got in late or what. Don't lie, be honest with your guests.