Hunter's Den History

The Hunter's Den has opened a second location at Frog Hollow Golf Club, and we are bringing over 29 years of restaurant experience to Middletown.

Going back to the early 80's you may recall the Blue Lantern in Wilmington. The Blue Lantern was purchased by Don Sr. and Helen Marie Jester in 1981, and a few months later they changed the name to the Hunter's Den to honor their passion for the great outdoors.

Don Sr. cooked his homemade recipes and Helen Marie handled the administrative duties. A true example of a family owned establishment, their son Don Jr. (current owner) and daughters Stephanie and Dawn held various positions throughout the years. In 1990 the widening of Kirkwood Highway forced the owners to relocate the business. Don Sr. not only found the new location, but he acted as the General Contractor,

He personally constructed most of the interior including the newly expanded lounge area and the three spacious dining rooms. The decore still boosts as the name suggest outdoorsy stuff; decoys, wildlife prints and mounted game fish caught by family members. The Hunter's Den location may now be off the beaten path, but it is just one mile from its original location on Kirkwood Highway. The restaurant has three dining rooms and a cozy lounge abd a spacious kitchen. As some of you recall the other location was not much bigger than a walk-in closet. This has been a family owned and operated business for over 27 years. We may be off the beaten path but we make it worth the trip.