By Pam George

For years, beach residents thirsting for a pint of Iron Hill's award-winning beer have had to make the trek to Newark, where the restaurant's flagship location opened in 1996-or, more recently, the Wilmington Riverfront.

But no longer. Tonight, Iron Hill Restaurant & Brewery officially opens in Rehoboth Beach-its third location in Delaware and its first in Sussex County.

The new brewpub, which seats 425 and employs more than 100, was built from the ground up on the Route 1 site formerly occupied by Tomato Sunshine. Regulars may recognize some design similarities, but this location sports one spacious dining room with a view of a large open kitchen. The bar is to one side; there's also a bar on the patio.

Most of Iron Hill's growth over the past two decades has been north of its Newark birthplace, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. But co-owner Kevin Finn's father, who has a condo in Lewes, had been urging him to build a restaurant in the Rehoboth area for years.

Finn says the year-round activity along the coast led to finally opening a downstate location. He was on hand at the May 22 soft opening with partners Mark Edelson and Kevin Davies. The trio repeated its ritual of christening the restaurant with raised pints. (There are now 16 locations open or in the works, including one in Greenville, South Carolina.)

Fans will find many of the same menu items, including the signature salmon spring rolls and cheesesteak egg rolls. Families will appreciate the kids' menu and straightforward favorites like burgers. If you're craving more inventive fare, try the salmon banh mi. Dishes such as fish-and-chips and pan-fried pork cutlets with herb spaetzle are sure to appeal to brewski buffs' taste buds.

Iron Hill's Rehoboth location is open Monday to Wednesday, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is near the Tanger Outlets.

This article originally appeared in Delaware Today.