The restaurant has a good reputation here in Deerfield Beach. I came because the restaurant was recommended to me by locals. I liked the place. The food was great and the service phenomenal. The staff was fun and friendly. We had a great experience here tonight. I found the food delish. We had the fish dip and loved it. I have had fish dip before in other places but this restaurant makes a good dip. The clam chowder was excellent. It tasted great and it was chunky. I had the snapper and chips. Its something they not listed on the menu. I loved the dish. The chips were made fresh. The fish was good. I enjoyed dinner. The restaurant looks small but is alot bigger inside. It is a casual spot. The atmosphere is friendly. A good place to watch a game. It had plenty of TVs all around. read more

The best Taste..., Fresh and off the grill ! Whale sauce omg I wish I was still there , Server on point and was ready to accompany me through the entire lunch offerings ... she was Very well informed of all aspects to the menu and the types of fish ( tastes ) , What is For-sure a real restaurant That really cares on Service and Taste ! Hands down Great Value and Ambiance! Please Visit Local Restaurants! read more

I don't remember if I've ever done a review for the Whales Rib; but tonight I wasn't in the mood for cooking tonight and decided to head out for a nice dinner with the family! Going in, we got arrived early and were seated in a booth right away. For dinner we ordered 1x lobster bisque, 1x conch chowder, 1x whale fries & whale juice, 2x key west dolphin sandwhiches, and 1x linguine & clams with garlic butter. Moving on with my review; the food overall was very solid! The lobster bisque had a smooth consistency, subtle sweet flavor from lobster stock and sherry! Just could use tad more lobster pieces. On the other hand, the conch chowder packed a nice punch, savory broth, and nice chunks of conch! The whale fries came hot and crispy paired with a tasty whale juice which tasted like a less pungent honey mustard. The key west dolphin sandwhich came on a nicely toasted roll with flakey fish and melty cheese. The sandwhich could use more thousand island, but still good nonetheless! The star of the show I felt was the clams & liguini; very garlickly fragrant broth with tender chunks of clam and al dente pasta YUM! Moreover, service was attentive and friendly tonight. Overall, despite some minor critiques, the food was certainly worth the hype. My final verdict is 4/5 stars! read more

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Whale's Rib was a solid stop! The whale fries with whale juice were really good, and the rum drinks were a hit too. I ordered the Polynesian chicken sandwich -- the chicken itself was good, but I wasn't a big fan of the bread, so I mostly just ate the chicken. Our waitress was friendly and attentive throughout the meal. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, which is nice depending on the weather and vibe you want. It's also conveniently close to the beach, though parking can be tricky when the beach is busy. They do have a small number of customer-only parking spots, which definitely helps. read more

The Whale's Rib - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida

Deerfield Beach casual beach bar and grill, with a Key West vibe, plus good food and friendly service Terrific beach ambience with laidback surfer ambiance. Sit outside if nice weather Service was terrific, prompt and friendly. Everyone here from the front check in to the server was smiling and helpful Food was also very good. Hawaiian chicken breast sandwich combined with homemade coleslaw really hit the spot. read more

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I've eaten at The Whale's Rib for over 35 years and never wrote a review. At this point, it feels less like procrastination and more like a character flaw. Thirty. Five. Years. I've had friendships that didn't last as long as my loyalty to this place... jobs have come and gone... and somehow those still got more documentation. Let's get this out of the way early, because it matters. It's a dive. Not "we hired a designer to make it look like a dive" trendy. I mean a real one. A beautiful, glorious, perfectly worn-in dive. The kind of place where the wood paneling has seen things, the license plates on the wall have outlasted relationships, and absolutely nothing is trying too hard. Because it doesn't have to. And then the food shows up... and gently reminds you why this place has been packed since before people were arguing about reviews online. The move? Always has been, always will be. The Dolphin Key West sandwich. Blackened dolphin, seasoned like someone actually respects the fish, sitting on a dark pumpernickel roll with Swiss and their homemade slaw. Hot, fresh, consistent to a level that feels almost suspicious. "Consistency like this isn't luck... it's legacy." Every bite tastes like the last time you had it... even if that last time was five, ten, or yes... thirty-five years ago. Whale chips on the side. Extra whale sauce. This is not a suggestion. This is a life choice. If you skip it, I can't help you. Start with the conch chowder. Finish with the key lime pie. Congratulations, you've just unlocked the full experience. There's always a wait. There's always a crowd. And somehow, nobody's mad about it. You stand around, you talk, you smell the food coming out of the kitchen like it's teasing you a little... and then you sit down and forget you ever waited. That's how this place works. Yeah, they've been featured on the Food Network. Cool. Good for them. But let's be honest, that feels less like a discovery and more like someone finally catching up to what locals have known forever. Five stars. No hesitation. And yeah... I'm a little annoyed it took me 35 years to make that official. If South Florida had a Hall of Fame, The Whale's Rib isn't just in it... it's first ballot, unanimous, and they stop counting votes early. read more

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What a great experience! We got there on the earlier side, about 5 pm and we got a nice parking spot. The staff was super friendly. I ordered the fried fish with whales chips with a soda. Melissa was our server she nailed. Great service, great food! Fun place to go with a great vibe! What else do you expect? They got it all right. read more

Back here again with friends on a Saturday night. We arrived around 6:30 pm, had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. Parking is a big issue here. We were lucky that there was one spot at their parking lot available when we arrived. I had a garden salad with blackened shrimp this time. There were 6 shrimps, the portion of salad is a lot, I finished the shrimps of course but I couldn't finish all of the salad, I had to take it home to enjoy it. Hubby had tuna salad and crab cake, he liked it. read more

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This isn't my first time here, but I had a friend visiting and I knew this was a must-stop. There's so much history in this place, and my friend absolutely fell in love with it. We enjoyed the fried shrimp with home fries . she was obsessed with the homemade spicy garlic red sauce. The dolphin sandwich was also delicious, super fresh and flavorful. Our server was friendly and really helped us choose, which made the experience even better. No complaints at all. If you're in the area, definitely come here. The beach is nearby, the vibe is great, and it's one of those spots you just keep coming back to. Love this place. read more

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It has been years since I had been to the Whale's Rib and happy we went. We all enjoyed our food. You MUST get the whale chips! Sooooo good! Everyone enjoyed their food. The only downside is parking. Managers don't just stand around. When they saw my husband's drink empty it was immediately refilled by the manager. Our server was super friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back. read more

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Let me cut to the chase, it's crab legs on crab legs on crab legs for a great price. They're so tasty and sweet that you don't even need the butter they provide. The clam chowder is done to perfection and the crab cake is a great way to start your meal. Not pictured are the delicious whale chips which are must when dining here. The service is always efficient and the restaurant is large with plenty of seating. They don't take reservations but they usually get guys in and out quickly to where you won't wait too long on busy nights. The parking onsite is free as long as it's not too busy which is clutch since you are right on the beach and have to pay for other restaurants around the beach. read more

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A chill restaurant in walking distance from the beach. Outside seating was the best as it was sunny and warm on this particular day. My friend and I enjoyed cups of soup. I had lobster bisque and he had clam chowder. We also ordered oysters, Rock Shrimp and a Blackened Dolphin Sandwich (fries not needed). A very filling and quite delicious meal that would definitely have again on another warm beach day. The server was fine. Not great but not terrible. Our food came out the way it was supposed to and he was always around when necessary so great on that front. read more

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Oh how I miss for the old days at the whales, when you knew every Thursday fresh Ipswich clams were coming in, seafood was always so fresh. Fish dip came with celery and carrots not just boring crackers. Oyster Rockefeller tasted like government cheese, stuffed clams were a blob of I don't know what, clams casino good. They have valet parking but you park your own car in a very tiny lot which makes it hard to maneuver and they expect a tip, which is fine. I'm sorry guys, do better! read more

This place was so neat! The long wait was well worth it! Rumy, our waitress was friendly and attentive. The chips with "whale juice" are so good. We shared lots of apps - all delicious. They were out of a lot of things in their raw bar, so I ended up getting the lobster salad sandwich. It did not disappoint! read more

The Whale's Rib - Individual Soda Pitcher - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida

This is a great place to go! Its right by Deerfield Beach, it has a nice beachy atmosphere, the food is always amazing, I have always had great experiences with all of the staff and as a female who usually dines alone, that says a lot. (IYKYK) The burgers and wings are excellent if you dont like seafood. Definitely recommend. read more

Finally writing a review after years of coming to Whale's Rib, because they deserve the love! Popped in over Memorial Day Weekend and despite the crowds, the wait was surprisingly short...maybe 15 minutes tops. Not bad at all for a holiday weekend. We feasted like we meant it. Standouts were definitely the escargot and steamed clams, absolutely fav's on the menu. Seriously, don't sleep on the escargot, it's buttery, garlicky perfection! MUST HAVE! I went with the blackened dolphin for my main. It was a little overcooked this time around, but still tasty and full of flavor. Nothing a little lemon and some dipping sauce couldn't fix. Whale's Rib has been a go-to spot for years, and it never disappoints. Solid seafood, laid-back beachy vibe, and always a few great daily specials. If you know, you know. read more

The Whale's Rib - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida

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The food is great. Came with my family and we ordered the peel and eat shrimp, fish dip, and several grouper sandwiches. That wasn't even the best part. The service here is superb. Our server Coley was very attentive 10/10 service. He checked on us every 5 min or so. Not only him, the manager Trevor came to our table several times just to make sure Everything was in order. The staff is very friendly and the food is very good. Definitely coming back not only because of the food but specifically because of the service. read more

The last time we tried to eat here this place had just been on Dinners Drive Inns and Dives and it was next to impossible to get in. Here we are a few years later and we around the corner and decide to try again. This time success! It's Busy but not crazy busy and we get seated immediately. First the brought us drinks, the largest glass of soda I've ever gotten in a restaurant, served in a 32 ounces pitcher with a straw. We started out a couple of soups. My daughter had a cup of lobster biquisk and I had a cup of clam chowder. Both were very good. Afre that we shared a basket of whale fries, a thick cut potato chip, but not fried to a crisp, served with their whale juice "honny mustard" It was different but really good and we all seemed to enjoy it. For lunch we all had different things my daughter got chicken wings. I didn't get to take a photo but they looked really good! Now my wife had a grouper wrap with a baked potato. The wrap must have been really good since she ate the whole thing. The baked potato, she it was one of the best potatoes she has ever had. She said it was cooked perfect!! As for me I had the California chicken sandwich, I got it blackened. The blackened seasoning was very good, it also had cheese, sprouts, avocado, tomatoes and onions. It was an enormous sandwich, the chicken was cooked perfect and it was really good. The service, it was just as good, not only our server, but everyone we encountered. Even the manager, we were at the table next to his office and evertime he walked by he did something for us. Drink refills ect. The only negative thing I have to say is the parking. It sucks, I think they have some valet parking but if you need park in another place they charge you. What suck is you have to pay for four hour when you need only two hours. Not the restaurant s fault. read more

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Service was exceptional! Our server was on it! Even the manager came around to check on everything. Food was fresh and delicious! I recommend the conch fritters with whale fries. Ambiance is casual beach vibes. The place was very nice inside and out. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Just a short walk from the beach! Highly recommend. read more

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Our first visit here and was seated right away on a Saturday night. The ambiance is just a chill, comfortable place. We ordered: 1) Yellowfin Tuna Sandwich $15 - tuna was small, buns were huge; would probably be better off with chicken or bigger fish size to match the proportion 2) Snow crab legs with two sides $25 - 2 clusters and we got the baked potato and Caesar salad; good and simple 3) Dozen Steamed Clams $14 - 1/3 of them were sandy *** please don't forget to soak them several more times *** aside from that, they were good picks 3) Conch fritters included with whale fries $14 - thinly sliced fried potatoes were addicting and comes with a small side of whale juice, which is their homemade honey mustard. You normally wouldn't hear someone say gimme that whale juice but ey... gimme a jug of that whale juice, please Food came out quick and service was amazing. I have to compliment this: Every single one of their staff were very efficient and consistently attentive to all the customers. I saw such great teamwork, it's impressive. Great job guys and def recommend! read more

This is my third time to this restaurant. The staff is really good at your job. It's a very popular place, especially due to the location to the pier. Their specialty is seafood and there's a couple of different fish that are awesome. We really like the fried potato chips as in an appetizer. And the crab cakes I had today were very good. I'd recommend it. read more

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This is your Deerfield Beach stop for seafood! Everything is fresh and prepared quickly. We split the fried rock shrimp, each had a bowl of lobster bisque, and then split the blackened wahoo sandwich. The rock shrimp was served with spicy mayo with a light batter, the bisque was creamy with some lobster chunks, and the sandwich was fresh and had a great sauce too. A local gem, don't miss it! read more

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Always a great meal with good service. We're seafood lovers and every time we eat here, it does not disappoint. Consistent food quality and friendly service. read more

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Such a great restaurant! Would recommend to anyone. The whale chips are delicious, they're a must. When I went, we got the sampler of oysters and loved the Parmesan ones the most. Wasn't too big of a fan of the Rockefeller oysters because of the tomato but still good. The mussels appetizer is delicious and worth getting as well. Inside is also cool and staff is lovely. read more

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This is definitely a fun little spot on the beach if you're in the mood for seafood. The vibe is cute, the location is great, and it's one of those places that feels like part of the "beach day" experience. That said... I'm not totally convinced I'd come back. It's not bad by any means, but there are definitely better options in the area if you're really craving good seafood. This one is more of a "nice to try once" kind of place rather than a new favorite. Fun? Yes. Memorable enough to return? Ehh... debatable. read more

The Whale's Rib - Rock Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida

Went tonight after seeing all the good recommendations. I ordered a shrimp poor boy, my parents ordered coconut shrimp and crab cakes, while my wife got the Polynesian chicken sandwich. Everything was very good and we ordered a big bowl of "Whale Chips". They were homemade potato chips with a side of some kind of honey mustard. It was very good but totally filled me up before dinner came out, lol. Good little bar/pub type atmosphere. The service was good and the server was pretty good. Recommended! read more

Such a fun place! The vibe is chill and pro-police/vets, food great, staff super nice and prices more than fair. We will be back!

Great atmosphere with that old, dive bar type feel. Enjoyed looking at the decor on the walls. We made it a point to try The Whale's Rib due to its appearance on Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives. Glad we could say we tried it for that reason, and the soup was fabulous, but didn't love anything else we ate. read more

The Whale's Rib - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida

Came here over the weekend after hearing that it was featured on Diners, Drive In and Dives and it definitely did not disappoint! First off our server was so nice and super attentive. We felt so welcomed and it was such a great start to an ever better dinner. The restaurant itself is also nice and cozy. We decided to order a round of the homemade whale fries and they were delicious! And the portion was huge! Definitely order them either as an appetizer or as a side because they are so good! Some of our table ordered the lobster bisque and they all raved about it. For my entree I went with the blackened dolphin sandwich and I can honestly say it was one of the best mahi sandwiches I've ever had. It was fresh, flavorful, and BIG! I also got a baked potato as a side and it was perfect. Others at the table ordered the famous Dolphin key west sandwich that was featured on the show and they could not stop talking about how delicious and different it was. I cannot say enough good things about the Whales Rib. If you're in Deerfield and wondering where to eat, definitely come here! read more

I devoured my lobster bisque! Would order again , highly recommend. Service was outstanding as always. Ambiance laid back and relaxing.

Have been going here for a long time , just never put review in. I always go here when I'm in Florida on vacation, soon to be living there, lol. The place looks like it's from the 80's , but the service and seafood are great. Been here multiple times and always satisfied when I leave. I'd recommend this place for sure and I'll be going there at least once a month now. read more

My fresh seafood craving was satisfied! I was staying at a hotel in the area and was looking for somewhere to have fresh fish. On Yelp, the Whale's Rib came up. Due to the amount of good reviews and proximity, I chose to dine here. Table for 1. Service was very quick. Waitlist process was very easy. Once inside, it was very cute to see how they decorate the place. Different state license plates took up the walls. I found out prior to arriving this restaurant was featured on Diners Dine-Ins and Drives with Guy Fieri. I got the fresh dolphin, which comes with choice of salad and 1 side. I got a house salad with a side of whale chips. They are famous for their whale chips. I also ordered an additional side of beans and rice. The fresh dolphin was amazing. I asked for extra lemons. The whale chips were okay. Mine felt like they were not fully cooked/crispy but the accompanying sauce was really good. The house salad was nothing special. But was refreshing to have prior to my meal. The beans and rice were a great addition to the meal. I really enjoyed my experience here and would come back next time I am in the area. read more

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Great food! Services was good. With the beach down the block, this place is a great vibe.

Our first time at the Whale's Rib was a positive experience. We were very lucky to have found a spot in their tiny parking lot! Hubby and I sat at the bar. It seemed like it was filled with regulars, but they were all friendly. The bar staff, especially Amanda, were excellent and very helpful. We started with the clams casino which was good, but had too much bacon for my taste. We both ordered side caesars which were tasty and fresh. I had the Dolphin Key West sandwich and it was the best mahi sammich I've ever had. I can't wait to either have that again or try the Key West Reuben. My husband ordered the Dolphin stuffed with crabmeat and Ritz crackers with a baked potato on the side. He enjoyed his meal. Overall a great night out and I would definitely return and recommend. read more

The Whale's Rib - Key west dolphin - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida

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DDD brought me here! I had to try the whale fries and whale sauce. I loved the sauce and the chips were good, too. Some were really crispy and some were really soggy but I honestly liked having the variety! I got a dolphin (mahi mahi) wrap and while I thought the fish was really good, the wrap was missing something. They brought tartar sauce to the table, but I actually opted to use whale sauce on the wrap which helped give it a little something extra. My only issue with the ambiance is the music was super loud. Otherwise, I loved all the license plate decor and the whole vibe of the place! read more

The Whale's Rib - Whale Fries - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida

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Stopped in for dinner while on a business trip in Florida. Sat outside and people watched the tourists and the karaoke from the bar across the street. I am vegan and had my sandwich come out with mayo on it but the staff was super quick to fix it for me. The potato chips (whale fries) were house made and delicious. read more

Good old Florida staple. Fresh fish and other dishes. Parking can be tough but worth looking for a spot in the lots near by. Never had problems with service. It's a fun place with variety menu if you don't like seafood. Enjoy read more

Put our names on the list and they sat 5 parties before us even a table of 12 :( we were standing right in front of the desk too the entire time Don't care how good the food is, service is important and if you're hungry don't even bother, you'll be waiting forever. OVER AN HOUR for 3 people...... Unfortunate. I'm not one to be rude either or give bad reviews, I almost always give good reviews but this is sad - I'll actually never come back and never recommend. read more

The grouper wrap was delicious. I got it blackened and the spices were tasty. Comes with a side so I got the baked potato. The lemonade was massive and super refreshing. The service was kind and timely. Highly recommend. read more

2 words... Whale Fries!! Sooo good, the whale sauce is off the hook and the Key West Turkey sandwich is so good! read more

The Whale's Rib - Whale fries - Seafood Near Me - Deerfield Beach, Florida