Lewes, Del – Grain On the Rocks opened to much fanfare on June 12, 2020.  For Grain owners Lee Mikles and Jim O’Donoghue, it’s all about location and the Lewes Ferry terminal – with its scenic view of the Delaware Bay – was the perfect place to expand their offerings.  The menu can be described as polished casual, featuring a variety of sandwiches, burgers and appetizers, but also a seafood-heavy selection of entrées.

Grain On The Rocks is the fourth restaurant for the duo, who opened their first location in Newark in 2015, shortly followed by restaurants in Kennett Square, Pa., and in Bear on the C&D Canal.

In an interview with a reporter from the Cape Gazette newspaper, Mikles said the goal is to be the neighborhood spot on the water. “We’ve been talking about creating a place that we would want to go to, a place where we could bring our families often, not just once a month,” Mikles said. “I think we’ve accomplished that.”

“It’s just good food without pretense,” he said. “We’re not trying to compete with Heirloom and other places. We’re trying to be a really good place to come hang out.”

To create the atmosphere they were looking for, Mikles and O’Donoghue had to extensively renovate the terminal space. The most noticeable change is the removal of the dated glass atrium along the bay side of the restaurant. It was replaced with a long, open-air bar with stools both inside and outside.

“Our whole goal is to bring the outside in,” he said. “You’re on the water. That’s the whole reason people are going to come here. So, we wanted to make sure everybody has a really good view of the water.”

Grain On The Rocks is open year-round. The renovated terminal also includes Lewes Coffee Co., operated by Grain. Open daily at 8 a.m., the to-go shop is just inside the main entrance to Grain, offering coffee, lattes, and espressos, as well as breakfast sandwiches, yogurts, smoothies and light lunch options. For more information on Grain On the Rocks, please visit www.meetatgrain.com.