Restaurant Review: Runyon's

Walking into Runyon's of Seaford, located at 3928 Merrick Road, Seaford it is easy to see the bar as the main attraction. It's large, circular, and takes up the majority of the ground level, but the dining area, raised two steps up, is worth checking out.

Runyon's has been in business for over a quarter century, first opening its doors in 1981. There are entrances in both front and back, but the rear entrance offers more convenient parking, especially compared to parking right on Merrick Road. The restaurant is busy, but the service is prompt and remarkably friendly. Reservations aren't necessary, but recommended.

Upon being seated, a plate of fresh vegetables with ranch dip was served, a nice, healthy alternative to chips or bread. The waiters know their menus well and will explain any questions you may have, like what cheeses are offered or whether the appetizers are generous enough to split.

The dining area offers a mix of booths and small tables. The booths are a great place to bring a date; cozy and private. The low lighting and dark wood paneling lends itself to a pub-like atmosphere, even away from the bar itself.

At the table, the wine and beer lists are extensive and the staff can help choose your selection. A standout is the beer flight option, which offers a choice of four beers from a list of six, served in small glasses. The six beers offered are Peroni, Miller Light, Blue Moon, Dos Equis, Guinness, and Warsteiner, an eclectic combination to choose from.

Every day of the week, Runyon's offers a different special, like two salads, entrees, and coffees or teas for only $22 on Tuesdays. Monday night's Pasta Night meal includes half price bottles of wine as well.

The appetizer list is varied with classics like Wings ($9.95) and Chicken Quesadillas ($10.95) next to fresh ideas like Crab Bag Spring Rolls ($7.95). The Spring Rolls are small but light and crispy. They're not fried as most rolls are so they're much healthier but the sensation is different from what you might be expecting from traditional spring rolls.

The rest of the menu is equally diverse, with traditional burgers, sandwiches, and grill entrees mixed with more original dishes like the salmon and sirloin ($27.05), a pistachio Salmon with a lime and pepper crusted New York sirloin.

Runyon's also offers pitzettas, small pizzas made on seasoned pitas, which they boast as their signature item. The buffalo pizetta, ($8.95), with buffalo chicken, onions, and mozzarella cheese looked especially appetizing.  

From the burger menu, the bull burger ($13.95) has a fried egg with bacon and cheese. At first it may seem like an odd choice, but the egg works well with the bacon and the cheese.  The yolk and the juiciness of the burger can make for a messy meal, though, so be prepared. The cheese options are mozzarella, american, swiss, gorgonzola, and bleu Cheese, and horseradish cheddar. The staff might warn you that the horseradish is quite sharp and indeed, you may end up pulling most of it off your burger, unless your tolerance is higher than most. A more traditional sharp Cheddar would have been a nice option.

The barbeque pulled pork sandwich ($13.95) is served with the barbeque on the side, which allows you more control over how much sauce you might want. However without the sauce fully saturating the pork, the taste is not quite as satisfying. Sandwiches and Burgers come with crispy fries in large portions, along with cole slaw and a pickle.

Desserts are large enough to split, especially the hot blonde ($7.25), which is served with coffee ice cream, pecans, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. The blondie is served warm and the ice cream is a nice compliment to the heaviness of the rest of the dessert.

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