Smashed & Fried now open at Jungle Jim’s
Using the kitchen facility at Jungle Jim’s outside Rehoboth Beach, Smashed & Fried owner Ken Lingo said he is aware what people will think when they pull up to get food.
“Everyone will associate this place with the River Safari Cafe, but it’s not,” said Lingo. “We had the opportunity to use this facility, and since it just sits here empty after Labor Day, we decided to give it a try. We’re going to keep producing food, but at a higher level.”
Lingo, who is a manager at Jungle Jim’s during the summer, said Smashed & Fried has been years in the making. There were thoughts about opening a food truck, but the Jungle Jim’s facility is unused for months, he said.
The menu – a variety of smashed burgers, chicken tenders, classic cheesesteaks, macaroni and cheese, kids’ items and more – is simple in concept, said Lingo. However, he continued, the menu is focused on quality.
“It’s about wanting to do better; to elevate your craft and turn it into something special,” said Lingo, a local guy who spent his childhood roaming the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. “There are all kinds of niche food items out there, but a good old-fashioned burger hits it all.”
Lingo said he also sees Smashed & Fried as an opportunity to keep hard-working people employed through the months when the park is closed. It’s tough to keep people coming back when they have to find work through the winter, he said.
“I want to make food that makes people happy to spend their money,” said Lingo. “I want them to be like, ‘Dang, this is good.’”
One of the benefits of using the Jungle Jim’s facility is that Lingo has been given permission to use the batting cages and sand pit areas. There’s also a big parking lot that allows for events, he said.
“This is a cool spot for people to enjoy being outside,” said Lingo. “There’s so much territory out here that I thought it could be utilized more during the months when the water park area of the park is closed.”
Looking forward to Memorial Day, when the park reopens and the dining facility is reclaimed, Lingo said there’s time to figure it out.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said.
Smashed & Fried, 36944 Country Club Road, is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call 302-227-1486, email smashedandfriedrestaurant@gmail.com or go to the business’ Facebook page under Smash & Fried. Food orders can be made on DoorDash.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
