Charcoal Deli offers char-grilled favorites
“I’ve got repeat customers already,” said Adams, taking a moment to serve a couple returning from the day before. “That tells me my food is good.”
The Charcoal Grill, a new Rehoboth Beach eatery, boasts a menu loaded with picnic and beach fare, from burgers and hot dogs to chicken wings. But the pride dish – and the inspiration for the restaurant – is the pit beef.
Adams explained that pit beef is a Baltimore specialty, commonly served up by street vendors. The version she serves is carved from a 25-pound hunk of top round, dry-rubbed, marinated in a cooler for at least a day and grilled to order. The beef is served on a kaiser roll with horseradish and costs $5.95.
For such a simple sandwich, quality is important. Adams said gas-cooked foods lack the distinctive summer flavor of a charcoal grill. When she moved to Rehoboth from Baltimore three years ago, she was struck by the absence of char-grill takeout restaurants. She saw opportunity.
“To get a real burger that’s cooked on a real charcoal grill, for $4.95?” she said. “It tastes like it just came off your grill. I want to offer good, tasty food for a reasonable price.”
The community has responded in kind, she said, keeping the freshly hired staff busy and depleting supplies during frantic lunch hours. Once, Adams had to buy a bag of fries from a Rehoboth business – that’s a friendliness, she said, you wouldn’t find in Baltimore.
Adams admires what she calls the entrepreneurial spirit of Rehoboth. While the majority of her experience is in corporate wholesale, she said she’s happiest with her own business. While she said her friends and family think she’s crazy, Adams views the recession as a crucible.
“If you can make a business during these times, your chance of future success is high,” she said.
The Charcoal Grill is located on Route 1 in Rehoboth, between Coldwell Banker and The Fractured Prune. It’s open daily for lunch and dinner and offers free delivery. To order food, call 302-260-9615.
