Cool place on the bay side - ended up in the upstairs room (kiddie/family room?) but had a better vantage point to see the sunset. You come here for the seafood and it doesn't disappoint. We had the lobster bake which had a mountain of clams and muscles. It could have used some broth in the bowl to keep from drying out. The lobster was very juicy. I had the broiledseafood combo. While the crab cake was outstanding the flounder, scallops and shrimp were overly dry. Lastly, the garlic Dungeness crabs - the menu description is spot on - get dirty with this one. Take the bib and have plenty of napkins on hand! Very garlic forward in a good way. Everyone talked about the ranch dressing, not sure what the hype is. It's definitely better with the balsamic opposed to separately. Love the overall atmosphere and will be back. read more

Black Whale - Broiled seafood combo - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

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Great place. To start, there's a couple of grand on the wall in $20 bills in their bar which is a neat touch. The bar service was fantastic despite how busy they were, the bartenders were friendly and seemingly happy to help. A pleasant surprise to other establishments that can get as busy as this restaurant. It took a while to get seated, but to be fair, we had no reservations and a larger party. Carly was our server and she did awesome for the how many tables she was juggling. The food was excellent but could have come out a little faster. All in all a great place, we'd come back for sure. read more

Last stop on our bar hopping adventure in LBI Ordered the shrimp, basket of fries and grilled oysters. Everything was enjoyable and service was fast. Great place to go to and hang out right on the bay. read more

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Everything was fantastic! The restaurant is casual and the staff friendly. Julianna was our server and was excellent. Even the homemade salad dressing was delicious. Oysters, stuffed clams, sea scallops and the blackened tuna were all perfect. Cannot praise our whole experience enough read more

Ok first question, what is in the salad dressing? Seriously so good. No trip to LBI Is complete without a dinner at Black Whale. The lobster bake is one of our family's favorite meals. The entire group of restaurants is amazing. We are lifetime fans. read more

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It doesn't have to be beach season to love the Black Whale! Come for happy hour when you'll get amazing drink and appetizer specials to lighten your wallet. Our bartender Brian was amazing, attentive, personable, and put up with our nonsense. Come for a wonderful local spot visit. read more

Black Whale - Calamari happy hour special - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

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Go here for the ranch salad dressing and take some home to go! This was our first time trying this restaurant without our kids eating with us. My sons refuse to return here but we went late and sat outside, and we had a fantastic and delightful waiter that helped us navigate the menu. It was nice and quiet outside. We started with the salad, artichoke dip, tuna spring rolls, and general tsos cauliflower. I was extremely disappointed that for 5 little tiny pieces of cauliflower, a little rice drowned in sauce and onions cost $26. Thank god I didn't get that for my main and we did it as an appetizer that the five of us could share but we all only had one little piece each of the cauliflower. The price of that dish or the quantity needs to seriously be reevaluated. I had the shrimp scallop Santa Cruz and the scallops were super fresh and delicious. That dish is so large and filling...quite the opposite of the general tsos! It was really good but what will keep me returning is really the ranch dressing. Supposedly you mix the garlic ranch with the balsamic but I couldn't do it. I'd come back just for the salad. The other meals were good but nothing truly knocked my socks off. ****** My son wrote this last year but I never published it: So I am 13 years old and this might be the worst food I've ever eaten the dungeon's crab was so bad I rather eat literally mac Donald's and had hair on it like all over it and it was really loud in here too I would put 1 star but my mom wouldn't; never coming back here until I die read more

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Clean plate club! Typical seaside seafood restaurant. Our server was patient, personable and professional. It's a busy spot on a Wednesday. My wife had halibut with a Thai Curry sauce. Clean plate club. Both my sister in laws each had the broiled combination platter. Clean plate club! I had the fried oysters. Plump and fried to perfection. Clean plate club! Recommended! read more

The service and food were spectacular. We told our waitress Ciara that this was our first time. She recommended the jambalaya and boy did she nail it! The sauce had a nice kick to it and was simply delish! All of the fish was cooked to perfection. For dessert we had the most amazing key lime pie. read more

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Had the best steamers here the other night. They gave me a ton since the steamers were small, which I happen to love. They were tender and juicy and satisfying. Service was also great. We had a reservation for the next evening but they accommodated us since the "no reservation restaurant" we were planning for was closed. They just cancelled our reservation for the next night. Thank you! read more

Looking for good seafood? Look no further. The food is out of this world. Our server Jen was so personable and attentive. It's giving cute tavern seafood vibes inside. Highly recommend. read more

Black Whale - Twin South African lobster tails - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

The Black Whale is an institution in Beach Haven. I believe it's named after the old ferry that used to run to Atlantic City way back when. There is a downside to being the most popular restaurant in town. It can be very hard to get a seat, and they cut off take-out if they get busy. I recommend a reservation, or getting take-out early. Once you get seated the food and service are consistently good. They have a good children's menu, and the atmosphere is family friendly. Parking can be a challenge, and they will not seat you until your whole party is present. Leave a little early. It's worth the slight hassle to get a table. Five Stars. read more

We've been going to the Black Whale since it opened. I've not been on LBI in a few years, so I wasn't sure what we'd find. I had grilled Mahi with slaw, which was perfectly cooked. My family had a fried and broiled seafood combo. My spouse had fish and chips. Everything was fresh, seasoned well, and delicious. It was the best dinner we've had all week by far. The service was attentive and pleasant. The restaurant is a homey, beachy place. I hope you'll check it out. I'm looking forward to my next visit. read more

Black Whale - Grilled Mahi - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

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We ate here for dinner last week when we were down the shore. I had the Fried Seafood Combination which was Fried lobster tail, filet of flounder, shrimp & scallops. It also came with a house salad. They have two homemade dressings there that are so good. The main course was delicious. I would definitely go here again read more

Came here for dinner with family and the wait was very long so we luckily snagged a seat by the bar. I tried out one of their specialty drinks and honestly didn't like it all that much but the food was fantastic. Similar to all their other restaurants their fried and broiled fish platter is delicious. Came with a crab cake, flounder, scallops - all fresh and very tasty. I was feeling clams so I went with the clams and linguine and it was absolutely fantastic. The broth was so flavorful and not too salty. Really a perfect meal when that's what you're craving. Service was good, I do think the dining room is a nicer ambience but again, we took what we could get with the wait times. read more

Black Whale - Classic Clams & Linguini - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

Best salad dressing- ever!?! The food is reliably wonderful, fresh and delicious. Our family of 4 has enjoyed coming every year- and even though we had to get online at midnight 3 weeks before we came to LBI to get a reservation, it's all worth it. Great atmosphere, great service. Everyone is happy! Thanks Black Whale for another memorable vacation dinner! read more

Black Whale is a yearly must during my annual stay in Beach Haven. It's a family gathering, and we always make the happy hour clams on the half shell. We ultimately get 6 dozen. So fresh. They are always friendly, accommodating (we can be a large group and with grandkids with us now we can get a bit loud). I just love this place. Will be back next July. read more

This is an LBI favorite. I posted before about the delicious food and fun and yummy drinks, while it's still so delicious - this review is for the staff ! This staff is FANTASTIC. If you are lucky you will get served by Mara or Sara. Personable, accommodating and attentive. Don't miss this place when you come to LBI! read more

Black Whale - Mara - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

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Sea Bass here has always been excellent but that was taken off the menu for some reason. We ordered the Halibut and were truly surprised how poorly prepared this $40 dish was...the fish had been cooked to death and had almost no sauce and didn't match the menu description. To the restaurants credit the dish was immediately replaced so a solid response. The lobster rolls seemed smaller on this visit as well...this is a huge disappointment as our past experiences have been better but we felt something had changed and not for the better! read more

THANK YOU BLACK WHALE!! For helping my now fiance host an amazing suprise engagement party last weekend. We had an absolutely amazing afternoon. The upstairs event space was perfect and everyone raved about the mussels afterwards. Looking forward to being back again this summer! read more

Follow-up to my review from eight years ago - the food is just as fresh and cooked to perfection and the bartenders are on their game with a full court press to keep their diners happy and the cocktails and beer are poured with love. I could go on about the fresh clams, oysters and other seafood but you've got to try it for yourself. Been coming here to LBI for years and it's never been less than a five star experience for me. Do yourself a favor and get in here. read more

Black Whale - Da Beers. - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

This apparently the most popular restaurant in Beach Haven and getting in without a reservation is not easy. We were fortunate that the owners of the B&B we stayed at have an in with the restaurant. This is a family friendly restaurant so if you don't mind the noise and children running around put this on your list. The food and drinks were acceptable but not anything special. I had maple glazed scallops with a side of beans and rice. It was just ok. Service was also acceptable given the crowd and loose children. Our waitress was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu. read more

We went for Happy Hour.... Mainly for the oysters, Black Whale won over Triton because there we're other choices to choose from Fyi, if your looking for Oysters the BW HH is not the way to go but everything else on the HH menu is delish!!!! read more

Amazing. The food was all amazing. We had reservations based on a friend's recommendation. OMG. It was great. I had items off a seasonal menu. My favorite was the jambalaya. It was awesome. Fresh. Tasty. Could be the best I have had. Loved this place so much that we got reservations the next day (we were lucky when we called since this place is always busy - we know why now). This place is now one of my favorites. read more

Black Whale - Jambalaya - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

Stopped in for a quick bite after dropping off the check for our summer rental. Our server Molly was fantastic! The food equally fantastic! Highly recommend the Poke Chips soooo good! We had mussels in white sauce and they too were delicious. The Shrimp Bisque was perfect and served hot; one of our requirements. All in all, a first stop here and looking to come back for more! read more

Wow was this place good, the wait was kind of long but the atmosphere around the restaurant was a celebration. We were able to get a couple cocktails and sit outside on the deck enjoying the weather and the huge amount of people walking around. We were seated ahead of schedule which made us feel great. Our waitress was super cool, very friendly and the food came out surprisingly fast. We had clams casino, steamers, scallops, giant plate of oysters and some broccolini for our veg. All of it was delicious. I'm definitely looking forward to visiting this place again when we revisit the island . read more

Saturday night no reservations so we had an hour wait Not the best seats but we got seated! We were seated outside of the kitchen and had a birdseye view on what makes this place work like a well oiled machine ! Our waiter Kyle was spot on ! Impeccable service..food came out quick Delicious meals served promptly...as it should be and it was ! My second time here and definitely my favorite place in beach Haven hands down We cleaned both plates and talked about our meals the whole way back home to north Jersey read more

Black Whale - Shrimp and Shrimp & Scallop Santa Cruz - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

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We had lobster tails, cole slaw, salad & baked potato. All delicious except the Cole slaw. Howard's was better. Their balsamic salad dressing was so good we took a pint home! Service was conscientious and the ambiance, well, very noisy but you have to expect that especially on a Saturday night. read more

Black whale was recommended to us from friends back home. We waited the quoted time for our table. Our server Kyle was very friendly and honest about questions we had with the menu. Much appreciated. Our food was served promptly and was very good. We would go back again read more

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The food was amazing and the service was wonderful. Can't wait to go back again. I think the best restaurant on Long Beach Island.

Order the garlic clams for an appetizer and was by far the best clams I have ever eaten. I ordered the jambalaya (photographed) it was good. We also ordered the smoked salmon (photographed) and for someone who doesn't like salmon it was so good and I almost wanted to order another dish of it to take home. Service was very slow unfortunately. read more

Black Whale - Jambalaya - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

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Outstanding food, reasonable prices and a seasoned staff that are amazing. This is my go-to restaurant when I visit the beautiful Long Beach Island! read more

Good food. Good prices. Cold beer. Prompt service. Great no-frills, down-to Earth atmosphere. Case closed. read more

As a home owner on the island this place has awesome food. Even teh salad with teh two dressings they have is amazing and I am not a salad guy. Make a reservation and you will be satisfied for sure. read more

Amazing food and service for a bar & restaurant so well-renowned on the island. Do not expect to walk in during the in-season (May-August) and be seated immediately, the demand for their delicious food is too high! Service has always been exceptional and food is reasonably priced for the quality of the dining experience offered. read more

The popular local bar and place to be. Some of th bet and freshest seafood restaurants on LBI. Service is excellent. Reserve your spot at the Black whale and enjoy! read more

I got the broiled seafood combo and it was very good. The vibe is fun and it's noisy in the bar and dining room, but that's what makes it a fun atmosphere. Would definitely recommend read more

I don't know how my husband's favorite restaurant on LBI could have turned in to such a disappointment. We gave eaten at this restaurant 5 times prior and have been very happy with the grouper, flounder, etc We dined here on a Monday night in November around 6:30 The calamari was over down, the baked clams were great, but the nuts on my pistachio encrusted halibut were blackened and the fish was overcooked. My daughter's fried flounder was over cooked and dried- out. Prob as reason why she nearly touched it and asked for a box. The fried oysters had more batter than bivalve. Our waitress also had an impatient attitude. I think it is time to take a break from the Black Whale, sadly. read more

Hung out and had dinner on Monday night, it was very busy but we only had to wait a couple minutes before two seats opened at the bar. We ended up staying there as opposed to waiting for a table and I'm so glad we did. We started with the Baked Garlic Clams and they were great. For entrees, I had the Crispy Lobster sandwich which was good but messy. My sister had clam strips and old bay fries which were fab. The bartenders were great and the drinks were amazing. But the ambiance in the bar area is very cool, I truly didn't want to leave. The vibe in there is old-school sea shanty bar (I've never seen the dining room, this is strictly the bar area) and they deliver with chill lighting and a great vintage soundtrack. It's just an overall cool place to be. I wanted to hang out all night! Will absolutely try to get bar seats here again next time I'm in LBI. read more

We came for happy hour and they have a great happy hour menu. They had a good choice of oysters for buck a shuck and had good sauces to add more flavors. They also had great wings, super crispy but not breaded. Drenched in Buffalo sauce but not too intense. I would've tried more things on the menu but we were already set to go somewhere else. read more

Black Whale - Wings - Seafood Near Me - Beach Haven, New Jersey

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