Welcome to our original taproom, nestled on Miller Road in Wilmington’s 9th Ward! Bathed in natural light from our large arched windows, our space evokes the lively spirit of a German Beer Hall—a place where you can easily gather with old friends and make new ones.
What’s on Tap at Miller Road? Click here!
Taproom Hours
MON: 5PM – 9PM
TUE: 5 PM – 9 PM
WED: 3 PM – 10 PM
THU: 3 PM – 10 PM
FRI: 12 PM – 10 PM (13+ after 6pm)
SAT: 12 PM – 10 PM (13+ after 6pm)
SUN: 12 PM – 6 PM
Address
3129 Miller Road, Wilmington, DE 19802
About the Taproom
Step into our taproom and make yourself at home! We’ve designed a relaxed, open-seating experience – simply pick any table, scan the QR code to order, or chat with our team at the service bar. With 16 taps flowing, we proudly offer a wide selection of beers and ciders, available in various sizes from a 5oz taste to a generous 20oz pour. Undecided? Build your own flight with up to five 5oz servings and discover your new favorite!
Soak up the Delaware sunshine in one of our many outdoor areas! We have a charming Pergola and Patio right on Miller Road, and another inviting Patio and a spacious Beer Garden out back. Throughout the year, catch incredible live music sponsored by The Queen every Friday night. Plus, during the summer, our Beer Garden comes alive with fantastic Saturday night bands!
We love having families here! Our taproom is family-friendly, complete with a big chalkboard wall where kids (and adults!) can express their artistic side. For everyone’s safety, please supervise your children closely and ensure they don’t climb on the dry-stacked rock walls – they’re off-limits. On Friday and Saturday evenings, we have a “family last call” at 6:30 pm, with families with children 12 and under kindly asked to depart by 7:00 pm. Older, well-behaved teenagers are welcome to continue enjoying the evening with their parents. (more info) And while our indoor space isn’t suitable for pets due to our lease, we’re thrilled to welcome your leashed, well-behaved canine companions on both of our patios and in the Beer Garden!
Food
We offer a limited kitchen, with taproom staples like Hot Dogs, Pretentious Grilled Cheese, and House-Made Hummus, We carry plenty of snack items, like Federal Soft Pretzels, Aji from Empanalgas, Kernel Clark’s Popcorn and Knotty Preztels, among others.
Looking for something more? You are welcome to bring food to enjoy at the taproom, or order in from local restaurants. We ask that you be considerate of others in the Taproom and clean up after yourselves when finishing.
La Pizzeria Metro is our neighbor at Miller Road Station, and what a great neighbor to have. We highly recommend their Neapolitan Pizza! Feel free to order a pizza with them and enjoy it in our taproom. If it’s in the early afternoon, sandwiches and pastries from our neighbor Sleeping Bird Coffee are tasty! Unfortunately, you cannot carry alcohol from our licensed area to either La Pizzeria Metro or Sleeping Bird. Other local food spots include HotSpot Pizzeria in the next shopping center (They deliver!).
History of the Building
Francis Irenee du Pont commissioned this building when he left DuPont during the divestment of 1912. He had previously been the first director of the DuPont Experimental Station. You can see a number of Patents issued to du Pont during his time here hanging outside out restrooms. Work conducted here included the separation of oxidized nitrogen from the air to form nitric acid and nitrates, the effect of strong electromagnets upon partially ionized gases, and the development of Smokeless Powder.
The building, completed in 1917, was designed and built by Robeson Lea Perot of Philadelphia, and is in the Mission/Colonial Spanish Revival Style.
In 1930 it became the research laboratory of the Darco Division of the Atlas Powder Company and was sold the Harry Thiel in 1946, who operated the Harper Thiel Electroplating Company. They had a reputation as one of the most modern and versatile platers on the east coast. Our taproom served as the Machine Shop at Harper-Thiel, and possibly the earlier companies as well. In our rafters, you can still see some of the driveshaft bearings.
Harper-Thiel operated until April of 2000, at which point the property went vacant.
The property required significant remediation, with help from numerous government sources, prior to its current renovated state.
Interestingly, the City Limits of Wilmington used to run directly through the taproom, right in the neighborhood of the current bar.
1917-1930: Delaware Chemical Engineering Company
1930-1946: Research Lab – Darco Division of the Atlas Powder Company
1946-2000: Harper-Thiel Electroplating
2000-2018: Vacant
2018-Present: WILMINGTON BREW WORKS