I have to say, every time I've been here it's never busy. But the food is always great! The only reason why I gave this only 4 stars is because the Parmesan cheese that was served with our meal was spoiled and I didn't realize until I put it on my food and tasted it! The waitress was great and got me a brand new dish, but it just left a bad taste (pun intended) in my mouth. I got a special, the bay scallops with linguine fra diavolo. It came with a salad and since my MIL's entree came with a salad as well, they upgraded both of our salads to a large Caesar salad which was delish and huge in portion! My hubby got the fish cakes which are so good and filled with chunks of scallops, shrimp and cod. I would definitely go back to this place, but would check the cheese before putting on my food! read more

Mother's Day Buffett was poor, presentation was poor, service was as good as it could be, being crowded. Food was okay, nothing special. Desert was a joke, crumb cake, chocolate pudding. read more

It's too bad that I am not able to give this place a half star. This restaurant was beyond disappointing. We made a reservation for 15 people well in advance. When we arrived there weren't enough spaces at the table. OK fine, the restaurant was empty so no big deal. Unfortunately, despite the fact that it was pretty empty restaurant it took FOREVER to even get our drink order taken. And when it was, the waitress asked only at one end of the long table and when nobody at the opposite end even heard her she got annoyed because we went to the bar to get our own. Finally, our orders were taken. We were ordering from a limited menu so nothing was complicated yet it took almost TWO HOURS for us to get food. They forgot mine and my husband's meals and when we asked where our food was we were given some lame excuse that had nothing to do with us not having the food. So, we finally have our food and it isn't even good. My mashed potatoes were not seasoned at all. My turkey was dry and tasteless. One person in our party described the scampi sauce as a mystery sauce. Another said that jarred vodka sauce that was in the cabinet for two years probably tasted better. I could go on but I'm sure you get the message. What a terrible dining experience. What was supposed to be a special occasion ended up being an unenjoybale tension filled evening. I suppose it is possible that a smaller group would get better service but that doesn't make the food good. What an awful, disappointing experience. read more

Very good food. Service was ok, could have been a bit better, but ok. If you're looking for inexpensive food that tastes good I'd suggest it. read more

The White Whale - Shock top! - Bars Near Me - Seaford, New York

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I'm going to have to clarify my review system before I give this 4 stars. I rate based on expectations and needs the specific place may fill. Both a pizzeria on Long Island (Umberto's) and a classy white glove restaurant over-looking Central Park (Asiate) can be 5 stars. It doesn't mean that the two are comparable to each other, or in the same ball-park. It just means Umberto's is five stars for what I expect - great pizza, and Asiate is five stars for what I expected there - a complete dining experience, from location, to the food aspects and service. Hope that makes sense. If you're looking for a fancy pants restaurant, this isn't the place for you. If you're looking for modern décor, or even clean décor for that matter, this place also isn't for you. And lastly, if you're not into seafood, you probably shouldn't bother. However, if you're looking to sit outside on their back deck while enjoying some simple seafood in the sun, this is your place. This is the main reason I come here. For reasons I can't explain, Long Island is very short on places to eat outside (if someone can explain this phenomenon to me, please do). And I love to eat outside. There are only about 3 or 4 tables out there, but when I come here we're generally the only ones on the deck. And I'm talking about the uncovered part of the deck, not the covered part. And as long as you keep the food simple, I think you'll be fine. We start with a bucket of steamers. It really doesn't get any simpler than some steamed clams served with water to clean the sand out and a cup of melted butter. Same with the mussels, keep it simple and you'll do fine. As far as entrees go, the simpler the better. I usually go with the broiled captain's platter, which is just a bunch of different seafood items and no fillers like pasta or rice. As far as sides go, this is the only time I try the German here, they have this purple cabbage that is just enough and just right. Folks, if you stick to the basics I think you'll do just fine here. Same with drinks - go with wine or beer, stray off to a mixed drink level and it's not their thing. The rest of the food is diner level, and most tastes like it comes premade. I would recommend staying away. But do yourself a favor. On the next nice day, grab your gal and head over to the White Whale. Get a seat on the back deck - if you're lucky the house across the street to the right will be playing some light tunes - order yourself a bucket of steamers, or some mussels, follow that with some more seafood (remember, lay off the pasta), wash it all down with a carafe or two of the house white and just sit back and enjoy. Keep it simple. This is the reason I come here and why it's 4 stars. If that last paragraph isn't your thing, then you should definitely stay away. Anything outside of that and there is a great chance you'll end up hating this place. Someone mentioned that the clientele tends to be on the older side, that's a very accurate depiction (although I don't agree with their subsequent insult, unnecessary, but more likely the kind of person who would get his ass kicked by most of these old people if they were twenty years younger). But who really cares if there are old people, are they bothering anyone? I'd rather have old people than a bunch of fools on their cell phones. read more

Tried the place for the first time . Maybe it was an off day but the food was nothing to write home about. Seafood bisque was so, so ,Had the Captain's special ,clams served in a tin clamshell...LOL way too much breading for my tastes ,Shrimp was so over cooked ,you could not eat it . Scallops was OK no sear on them and nothing special.Salad was OK needed a few more things. Prices where good if the food would have been better. The place was not crowded in fact there was only about three tables , so it was not like the kitchen was rushed and they made mistakes. The wait staff was very nice, service was great. It's just that there are so many great places to eat , if you are going to have a restaurant on Long Island , it better be good ! These days. more people know there food. Don't take my word for it give it a try and see. Just giving you a heads up. read more

The White Whale - This is what you see when you park in there lot and go up to there deck. Not very appealing for a first impression. - Bars Near Me - Seaford, New York

So disappointing. With the name of this restaurant and the fact that it's right by the sea we thought the fish and seafood here would be great. Wrong. The scallops were frozen, tasteless and tiny. The fish and chips special was served with rectangular frozen fish patties. I could've stayed home and opened a box of processed frozen fish myself, I didn't expect to be served it as a seafood special. We also ordered the kids meal which said on the menu it came with a drink and dessert, we didn't receive either. This place isn't cheap either. The indoor dining room is pleasant but the covered room outside is kinda scruffy, and I noted with alarm that a working power strip half hung out of the window was being rained on. Places like these are the reason people are gun-shy about giving independent restaurants a try and why they won't stray from the big chains, where at least they know what they're getting. The coconut shrimp deserves a special mention. My mother got it and said it was fresh and tasted wonderful. What a shame the rest of our food was so bland and awful. Wouldn't go back. read more

This restaurant is awesome. The food is great and there is never a large wait. They have the best seafood bisque and manhattan clam chowder I've ever had. The food is decently priced too, and the early bird special comes with baked clams, a soup/salad, and a dessert, which is really good for the price. I love the atmosphere here. It is decorated in a warm nautical theme and there are really nice nautical paintings in the bar and the dining room. The restaurant is right next to the water, so it is a nice place to come and sit on the deck and enjoy a meal. What I like the most about this place is the staff and the owner. The staff is always friendly, quick and really take care of the customers. The owner is super nice, and spends a lot of time in the bar and dining area walking around and greeting customers. read more

Don't waste your money! This place is a bad diner with poor German food and greasy frozen fried seafood. YUK! read more

i can't give this place a fully honest review, as i was here for a party event. from the food that was there, it was pretty decent, nothing great, nothing terrible. if the food in the dining room is better, then this place def deserves a second chance. eventually i'll get back to this place, prob next summer, as the view from one of the dining rooms is nice. read more

They had lobster on the menu and for the specials, but they were "out" of lobster? The mussels came filled with more sand than the south Shore. Sent them back. Shrimp cocktail was bland and rubbery. They had lobster tails,which had an awful taste. The waitress tried but we were sadly disappointed! read more

The facilities are classic water front bar/restaurant/ neighborhood hang out. The atmosphere a throw back to "Cheers". The food? If you don't love your meal you ordered something you don't like! read more

Horrible Mothers Day Brunch! Uncooked bacon Cruddy desserts. Put us on folding chairs on the disgusting patio with signs up of "wet floors" 3 members of our group of 12 refused to stay and eat. Inside its not so bad but how the health department does not close down that patio is beyond me. The owner doesn't care.....afraid to use the bathrooms! Waitresses ate friendly and work their butts off but this place needs some updating and help...it should be on Restaurant Nightmares! Never again! read more

I've always had a great time and experience here. Food was good prices where reasonable. Hooked me up with a few cocktails. Friendly staff.

The White Whale is everything we love in a great restaurant! Service impeccable and food is 5 star. As an amateur chef I can honestly say this is great food. read more

Food was very sub par and expensive. Service was rather abysmal leaving me feeling no sense of welcoming. Overall I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

There are two things keeping this restaurant (that has an extensive menu and good food) from being a quality restaurant. Numero uno - the service. There is one waitress who is excellent - younger, friendly. There is a young man who is helpful, but needs to bring some personality to his work (he's young, so hopefully that will come in time). And there is one waitress who makes you feel like you are being punk'd with the deliberate, minimum service and cranky attitude. If the owner and the one nice waitress is not there, no one will greet you. You'll stand at the door a while being ignored. I introduced myself to cranky waitress and she brought us to a table where she threw a pile of menus in the middle of the table (we were a party of six). So rude!! You will sit at your table for a while while the the cranky waitress passes by and ignores you. The young man (after letting us sit there just to the point where we were going to get our own drinks from the bar (as i see some other reviewers did) brought us drinks. After waiting quite some time, cranky waitress comes to table, no greeting, no niceties, just "do you know what you want?" At no time in our 2 1/2 stay did cranky waitress or young man come by to ask if we needed drink refills, or anything. My husband was getting aggravated wanting another beer, and i had an empty water glass. We had to flag the young man down several times for refills - and he did respond quickly. We have been going to the White Whale for many, many years. We go because it is local, we do love the food and options, and we do like the "throw back family restaurant atmosphere." If we get cranky waitress, it takes away from our experience in a big way. If you ask her a question, she will actually snap at you and show her annoyance. It seems pretty obvious that she doesnt want to be at the restaurant at all. She gives you the bare minimum - takes your order and brings your food. As customers, we do not feel appreciated - and given what seems to be a decline in diners over the years, this is not good. Doesn't take much to make customers feel welcome and appreciated. The second star I am taking away is for the condition of the restaurant. It needs a major face lift. The ceilings have stains from leaks (very unappetizing) and the outdoor patio is pretty shoddy. We will always go back because we know what to expect. Great menu with options for all, always great food and except for that one great waitress, fair (young man) to poor (cranky waitress) service. read more

We ate there last night for the first time and we will most definitely be back again. We both had the pork loin and it was delicious. Great food, great atmosphere, and great service. We highly recommend The White Whale to anyone looking for a great dining experience. read more

Great food very tasty. Service not great. This place should be packed but no. Charge per soda rude. Food good so will go again but need younger wait staff. read more

As a lot of other yelpers state--- this is 4 stars for exactly what it is! It isn't a fancy place by any means. But a cute little place in the harbor. We showed up here last minute on a Saturday night for a quick dinner after other plans fell through. I had the lobster tails and steak dinner, mashed potatoes and wine. Not fancy by any sense of the word (the wine comes out in the little mini wine bottles they serve on the plane) but still --- the food was good, staff was friendly, and its a cute little location. They had some damage post hurricane Sandy- and you can still see the water lines. The lobster tails weren't amazing-- or I would have given it even more stars.. but the steak was great! read more

Really good seafood dishes. Even better German food. Small quaint place. Definitely will go again.

Yes, White Whale smells a bit off. Yes, White Whale is definitely the place for an early senior citizen dinner. Yes, they should invest in a meat mallot as the chicken was too thick. But, I have to admit the chicken marsala flavor was good.. And the service was efficient. A good quick, no frills, meal.. that is probably better appreciated when you can sit outside away from the musty odor. read more

The restaurant is owned by the Carl Hoppl family and it shows, being a patron of his restaurants on my youthful years. The stuffed mushrooms are perfect blend of seafood, breadcrumbs, the twin pork chops are just too much food since they are gigantic, but oh so good. The waitress's go the extra mile to make sure you are well fed, and happy with the service. The seafood entrees are very good, as is the German cousine, my husband loves the jaeger schnitzel. A great meal for a decent price! read more

DON'T GO HERE!!!! I went here tonight for my dad's birthday with my family and the service was TERRIBLE! It took an hour to get our salads and soups. My soup was cold when I got it and it was terrible. We waited another hour and we didn't even get our dinner and there was no one else in the restaurant. When we got our food, they served 3/4 out of us and my mom sat there without her food for about 15 minutes. I didn't even want to eat my dinner at all. DO NOT GO HERE!!! Worst service in the whole world. Everyone else came after us and we didn't get dinner and they were getting dessert. Ruined my dad's birthday dinner. read more

The food was horrible last night. Calamari were chewy, baked calms, all bread no clams. Broiled fish tasted like boiled. Sangria was watered down w/juice. That was my first time and last at White Whale. Outdoor dining was a hole in the wall w/a wet rug under your feet. If Carl Hoppl owns this rest. shame on him. Marie C & family read more

Have seen their ad in newspaper many times and wanted to find a new place to keep on our list of places to go. So sorry to say it was the "worst hour of our lives"! this is from the mouth of my husband who never finds fault such as we did here. Ambiance was awful! waitress was also not good. ordered a wine recognized it looked not right. asked what it was she didn't know! she went back to find out and realized it wasn't what i ordered. Now The food. Major disappointment How bad was it/ very bad. could not stay a minute longer. they also brought out 3 bills all not ours. then she disappeared to locate the right bill. never saw her again. someone else came out to finalize our check. Needless to say STAY AWAY! read more

This place is a community secret. First time there was a bit hesitant to go in as it doesn't look like much on the outside, but what a surprise once you walk in. You get that down home feeling as the place is done in knotty pine and about 5 or 6 indoor tables and a deck outside for additional seating overlooking a canal. Menu is simple and all food has great taste and priced reasonably. Would have given it 5 stars, but just a bit rustic if your a fancy individual. Personnel are pleasant in cordial, read more

This place is so homy and relaxing. They treat you like one of the family. There service is both friendly and quick. The variety of the menu is great for a group with various taste interests. I ordered the mussels and the penne with chicken. The portions were large (had to take a doggy bag home). My only critique was that the side of vegetables that came with my meal was lacking some flavor to it. I have recommend this place to many people. It is hidden in the heart of seafood and I will definitely be returning in the near future. read more

This is good neighborhood "joint". Servers are friendly, food was good, nice variety. Had nice loin of pork dinner. No one rushed us and I would definitely go back again and again. read more

Best burger ive ever had.. so good, not frozen, fresh patty. Got it a kasier roll. Fries were great, beer was cold. Nora our waitress was fantastic. Im going one more time berfore i head home to Georgia. Wheen i come back, one of my first stops. read more

Quite possibly the worst restaurant I've ever been to. We get there and the place looks like a shack, and as soon as we get inside our table is wobbly. So we have to stand there awkwardly for 10 minutes while the waitress stuffs napkins under the table to even it out. During this time, we can't help but notice the place smells like a bathroom. Deplorable. The situation devolved from there. Appetizers were disgusting and, like all the food at this dump, way too salty. Entrees were even worse; the food is clearly not fresh, they definitely just microwave their mystery fish. I say mystery fish since we ordered blue fish and they served us some kind of strange, rubbery "fish" that clearly wasn't blue fish (and possibly wasn't even fish). The steak is just as bad; I asked for medium rare and was instead served a disgusting gray, dry piece of garbage. And this place was way too expensive- $300 for hospital food. White Whale? More like White Trash Restaurant. read more

Im sitting in the restaurant and need to tell you: Don't eat here!! Poor service: There was no one to tell us 'welcome' or guide us to our seats for 10 mins, the door opened to the buffet so we had no idea were to go and even the bartender didnt extend a friendly 'over there!' Even though she saw us. The signs on the buffet were mislabelled (chicken francese instead of fish francese, and lamb instead of eggs). Poor food: You go into White Whale expecting seafood but there was only badly cooked mussles, lox, and suspicious looking seafood crepes. The rest was standard Italian American meats and potatoes. The coffee tastes like luke warm dishwater, the sweet potato mash was flavorless (along with the cream spinach and lasagna), even the watermelons were tasteless. This mothers day lunch costs 25 a person. Fair price, at most, wouldve been 12. Ridiculous. read more

Recently returned to this place several times in recent months after not going for several decades. This is a neighborhood restaurant with good tasting food and decent sized portions at neighborhood restaurant prices. It's kind of a throwback type of place. Sort of like walking In to a neighborhood restaurant bar from the 80's. Not fine dining by any means. But it's a great choice if you want a good hot meal in a very casual neighborhood restaurant. read more

Place is a straight up dump, seedy people, and the food was not good, the bartender was nice thats why I gave it two stars

Went there today with my family. The google reviews were very positive and they had crab legs on the menu, which is a favorite for my mother and I. When I pulled up the place looked run down, which concerned me. I checked yelp while I was waiting for my family and got worried that I may have made a mistake. The restaurant definitely needs to be updated, fortunately it's pretty clean on the inside so I felt better. There is a musty smell in the bar area and the ceiling in the dining room show signs that the roof has had leaks. I think this place has never fully recovered from Superstorm Sandy. The service was very good, our waitress was very personable and attentive. The food was very good, the crab legs were very tasty, but it was a small portion for a high price. It's a great little hole in the wall with good food and as long as you go in with that expectation you will be pleased. read more

This is not the same restaurant that I remember from years ago. On a whim, it's been at least 10 years since I'd been here so a friend of mine and I went there for lunch. Lunchs used to be great and very reasonable. Sad to say that ship has sailed. The place does have a foul musty odor, and I think it does cater to the very senior citizens. The food was almost inedible, my Turkey sandwich was barely acceptable but what made it gross was the fries tasted like fish sticks. They were using the same oil for EVERYTHING. My buddy had chicken tenders, same result Then his burger which was about a quarter of the size it used to be years ago came out very well done when asked for medium., his fries were fishy also. Our waitress was very nice so we didn't complain(we didn't want anything else) we just chalked it up to experience. read more

Very disappointed !!! Went here this past Saturday and to start the bartender was very rude and acted like she didn't want to serve us ! Second, the waitress was rude..I think she thought she funny when we asked for bread and she told us NO because then she would have to wrap our food ?!?! We also ordered a second round of drinks but instead of the drinks, she brought our check ?!? Not good for business but then again I don't think they wanted our business !!! Never again read more

Avoid this place at all costs! My family and I came For fathers day thinking it would be a nice meal on the water. We were soooo wrong. Firstly we ordered appetizers ( raw clams, mozzarella sticks and a couple of soups) the clams and soup were alright nothing fantastic but the mozzarella sticks had to be sent back because they were overcooked and all the cheese came out. Then we ordered our dinners. It took about 45 minutes for the food to come out and there was probably about 5 other tables other than us. We ordered stuffed shrimp broiled salmon and their famous house marinate steak and the kids had chicken fingers and fried shrimp. The salmon was bone dry and tasteless. The stuffed shrimp was dry and cold. The steak which was referred to as a "hanger steak" was inedible. The fried shrimp and chicken fingers were freezer burnt and also inedible. When we asked for a manager she refused to come to our table instead removing 2 of the meals from our bill and sending it over with the waitress. $100!! For terrible food and entrees we didn't eat and sent back. My mother went to find the manager and she was told that there was nothing wrong with our food and she wanted us out of her restaurant. How does a manager speak to patrons this way?? What a horrible Father's Day ruined by this restaurant that should have its doors closed. No worries we will be contacting the BBB as well and the department of health. read more

This place is a disaster. The decor is less than desirable to say the least. There is a bad smell when you walk in the place. They have no idea how to make a proper drink. And the food is sub par. Avoid at all costs! read more

Food is ok--lots of butter in there clam sauce. Clams were terrible!! Waitress was ok. The bar area stunk like smoke and so did the bartender. Your in the service business your staff should not smell like smoke. Would not go back read more