Unearth The Voyage
One Delaware restaurant has a burger topped with something you would normally expect to find on the breakfast table. The Cinnaburger comes crowned with a cinnamon roll and cream cheese frosting, but it is far from the only unusual creation coming out of this kitchen.
Another burger combines fig jam, caramelized onions, goat cheese, bacon, and arugula. There is also one with Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce, smoked Gouda, and pickled jalapeños, plus a creation built around one of Delaware’s most recognizable regional foods.
The creativity is backed by ingredients sourced close to home, including hamburger delivered fresh daily and seasonal produce from a Delaware orchard. But there is also a family story behind this small Dover spot, including an unusual reason for the number in its name.
A Family Milestone Turned Into a Restaurant
Some restaurants are born from culinary school dreams or investment pitches. Restaurant 55, at 2461 S State St, Dover, DE 19901, came to life because a man named Dennis Forbes turned 55 years old and decided to do something bold with that milestone.
He opened the restaurant in 2011, channeling that birthday energy into a full-blown dining concept. His daughter, Desirée DiAntonio, joined him in running the place, making it a true family operation from day one.
The name is not just a number on a sign. It carries a personal story that you can feel in the way the staff talks about the food and the way the menu is built with genuine care.
More than a decade later, that family connection remains a defining part of the restaurant rather than simply an interesting piece of its history.
Dennis also owns Cool Springs Fish Bar, a seafood spot located roughly 30 steps away. That proximity means fresh ideas and shared values are never far from the kitchen door at Restaurant 55.
The Burger Menu That Stops You Mid-Sentence
Most burger menus offer a classic, a mushroom swiss, maybe a BBQ option. The menu at Restaurant 55 does not operate by those rules.
The Fig It Out Burger layers fig jam, caramelized onions, goat cheese, bacon, and arugula into something that feels more like a composed dish than a casual sandwich. The Cinnaburger arrives with a cinnamon roll and cream cheese frosting on top, which sounds outrageous until you actually taste it.
The Willie Nelson Burger brings Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce, smoked Gouda, and pickled jalapenos together in a combination that has a slow, smoky confidence about it. The Scrapple Apple Burger nods to Delaware’s regional food traditions in the most delicious way possible.
Each creation feels like it was designed by someone who genuinely loves flavor combinations and is not afraid to test the limits of what a burger can be. The next section explains exactly where those flavors come from.
Fresh Ingredients From Farms You Can Actually Name
The creativity on the menu at Restaurant 55 is backed by a genuine commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients that you can trace back to specific farms and suppliers.
Ground hamburger is delivered daily from Witt Bros. Market, which means the beef hitting the grill every morning has not been sitting in a warehouse. Fresh turkey comes from T.A. Farms, and seasonal vegetables are supplied by Fifer Orchards, a well-known Delaware grower with a strong reputation for quality produce.
That sourcing philosophy is not just a marketing talking point. It shows up in the texture of the patties, the brightness of the salads, and the overall taste of dishes that rely on simple ingredients done well.
When a kitchen cares this much about where the food comes from before it ever reaches the stove, the results tend to speak for themselves on the plate. The appetizers are a perfect place to see that in action.
Appetizers Worth Ordering Before You Even See the Burger Menu
Fried Pickle Spears appear on more than a few menus around the country, but the version at Restaurant 55 has earned enough mentions to suggest they are doing something right with the batter and the crunch.
The Giant Bavarian Pretzel arrives soft, well-salted, and exactly the kind of thing you want to pull apart at the table while you figure out which burger to order. Pulled Pork Nachos bring a heartier option for groups who want something substantial before the main event.
Mozzarella sticks here are made in-house, which shows up immediately in the cheese pull and the quality of the breading. These are not the frozen variety reheated in a fryer.
The appetizer selection sets a clear tone for the rest of the meal: familiar comfort food treated with more attention than you might expect from a casual spot. And just wait until you see what the kitchen does with dessert.
Beyond Burgers – A Menu With Real Range
Burgers may be the headline act, but the supporting cast at Restaurant 55 deserves serious attention from anyone who wants something different on a given visit.
Fish and Chips has drawn consistent praise, with the fish arriving flaky and moist in a way that holds up to comparison with dedicated seafood spots. Balsamic Salmon and Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry offer lighter options that still carry the kitchen’s attention to fresh ingredients.
Loko Moko and Stuffed Meatloaf represent the more hearty end of the menu, the kind of dishes that feel genuinely satisfying rather than just filling. A Reuben sandwich made with pastrami has also earned strong reviews from guests who ordered it on a recommendation from the server.
Fresh salads, including the 55 Burger Salad, round out the options for anyone who wants the flavors of the kitchen without committing to a full entree. The dessert menu, however, is where the kitchen really shows its range.
House-Made Desserts That Close the Meal Perfectly
A restaurant that takes its desserts seriously enough to make them in-house is telling you something important about how it approaches the entire dining experience.
The Carrot Cupcake and Farmhouse Cupcake at Restaurant 55 have both received consistent praise from guests who ordered them almost as an afterthought and ended up talking about them on the drive home. The cupcakes are clearly not an afterthought in the kitchen.
Cheesecake options include a New York-style version and a Snickers variety, both of which offer a satisfying contrast to the savory weight of a burger-forward meal. The homemade cheesecake in particular has drawn comparisons that place it well above what you would expect from a casual dining spot.
Ending a meal on something made from scratch rather than pulled from a box is a small detail that adds up to a noticeably better experience overall. It is also the kind of thing that brings people back for a second visit.
The Craft Beer Selection That Keeps Regulars Coming Back
Twelve rotating taps and more than 35 bottled domestic and international selections give Restaurant 55 a beverage program that goes well beyond the standard bar setup at a casual dining spot.
The emphasis on local Delaware breweries is a deliberate choice. Names like Evolution, Fordham, 16 Mile, and Dogfish Head have appeared on the tap list, giving the selection a strong regional character that feels connected to the state rather than generic.
The rotating nature of the taps means repeat visitors have a genuine reason to check what is pouring on any given week. It is the kind of setup that rewards regulars and gives curious first-timers a reason to ask their server for a recommendation.
Handcrafted cocktails are also available for guests who prefer something different, with the key lime martini earning particular attention from those who have tried it. The drink program complements the food menu in a way that feels intentional rather than incidental.
The Atmosphere Inside the Dining Room
The interior of Restaurant 55 is compact, warm, and lively in equal measure. Wooden floors run throughout, pendant lights cast a comfortable glow, and a distinctive red stripe along the walls gives the space a personality that feels deliberate rather than accidental.
A whimsical cow diagram on the wall doubles as both decoration and a quiet nod to the kitchen’s commitment to quality meat. The booths are comfortable, the tables are simple, and the overall vibe lands somewhere between neighborhood gathering spot and casual date night destination.
The dining room fills up quickly, especially on weekend evenings, and the noise level rises with the crowd. Conversations require a little more effort when the place is packed, but most guests seem to take that as a sign that the food is drawing people in rather than a reason to leave.
Free parking is available, which is a practical detail that removes one small friction point from an otherwise easy dining experience.
Service, Hours, and What to Expect on Your Visit
Restaurant 55 is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Tuesday through Friday, the kitchen runs from 11:30 AM to 9 PM, and Saturdays bring a slightly later start at 12 PM with the same 9 PM close.
The staff earns frequent praise for being friendly, genuine, and attentive during busy service. On nights when the dining room is packed, wait times for tables can stretch to 15 minutes or more, so arriving a little earlier in the evening tends to make the experience smoother.
The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, and free parking is available in the lot outside. These are small practical details, but they matter when you are planning a visit and want the logistics to be as easy as the food is good.
The phone number for reservations or questions is 302-535-8102, and the website at myrestaurant55.com carries current menu information. Going in prepared means you can spend your energy on the important decision: which burger to order first.
Why This Spot Has Earned Its Loyal Following
A 4.5-star rating across more than 1,100 reviews on Google Maps is not the result of a single good week. It reflects years of consistent effort from a kitchen and a team that genuinely care about what they put on the table.
Restaurant 55 built its reputation almost entirely through word of mouth. There are no franchise shortcuts here, no corporate menu handed down from a headquarters somewhere. Every burger on the list, every house-made cupcake, and every rotating tap choice reflects decisions made by a father and daughter who wanted to create something worth returning to.
The crowd that fills the dining room on a Friday night is a mix of regulars who have been coming for years and first-timers who heard about the Fig It Out Burger from a coworker and finally made the drive.
That mix of loyalty and discovery is exactly what a neighborhood restaurant should aspire to, and Restaurant 55 has earned every bit of it one hand-pattied burger at a time.
