While visiting Edisto Island, we decided we didn't feel like going out to sit down and eat, so we did a quick search for somewhere nearby to grab a pickup order and landed on Whaley's Restaurant & Bar. Ordering was quick and easy with no issues at all. When we arrived, we waited a short bit at the bar while the food was being prepared, but nothing too bad. Overall, the food was pretty good! The crab bisque was delicious and definitely one of my favorite things we ordered. The crab cake was tasty too, although it was a little more breaded than I personally prefer. The fried stuffed bacon-wrapped shrimp was probably the biggest disappointment of the meal, but not terrible. My friend enjoyed her food she ordered, though I can't remember the exact name of it. Service was decent -- nothing over-the-top amazing, but the staff wasn't rude either, so I'll take it! Overall, I'd give Whaley's about a 3.5 to 4-star experience. I'd probably go back, and if you're in the area looking for a convenient seafood spot near the beach, I'd say give them a shot! read more

We chose this restaurant due to reviews and proximity. We arrived shortly after their opening at 5p.m. on a Wednesday. The restaurant was somewhat busy, even then. (This is considered the early side of Spring Break.) Adair was our server, and was prompt and friendly! He was all we could have wanted in an efficient server. I was disappointed that the only water they served was bottled. Therefore, Pinot Grigio it was!!!! We received drink orders promptly and Adair asked for our food orders. We were an easy group. Two shrimp baskets with raw fries (which to the unaware are house made chips), a Fried flounder basket with regular fries, and two kids cheeseburgers, with regular fries. The seafood orders also come with slaw and hush puppies. Later, Adair told us they were out of hush puppies. Adair went the extra mile and brought me a bottled water due to HIS perceived wait for our food. The fried shrimp were "gulf size" and perfectly cooked! Breading was light and not overdone! The founder was tender and flaky, the cole slaw was not of the "food processor" variety, and the fries were good, (crinkle cut). This was a very good "family trip" restaurant stop. We generally cook every night, this restaurant needed to provide the "shrimp" cravings of two of us! We will return on future visits!!! This is a place that has been around since 1948. Just know the venue is in an old gas station which suited me!!!! My daddy was a Gulf oil dealer in the 60's-1980's. Enjoy! read more

It's always a great restaurant to get to. Neat stuff on the walls and the food is consistently good. You don't have to have seafood either. Smash burger and French dip are very good also. The raw potato chips are seasoned with Old Bay seasoning. Very hard to get into Friday or Sat evenings. read more

Whaley's - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

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Been here many times over the years (my husband's first visit). Very casual. Definitely a locals place. Excellent service - even though we were there approaching closing time. We shared a HUGE platter (don't remember what it was called). All the food was delicious. And there was enough for us both for lunch the following day. So 4 meals from this one plate. I had a shrimp & grits appetizer that I loved - very buttery and garlicky, but it may not be for everyone if you prefer the Tasso gravy flavor. Will visit every time we're at Edisto. read more

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Wings are not good with butter garlic. Something was really off with it. Fried shrimp were good. Crab cake, not good. Fried fish tasted eggy from the batter it was dipped in. Disappointed! read more

Even though we are here off season and on a rainy Monday night, the place screams "full capacity" and "fun" ! Husband had prime rib sandwich and I had crab cake dinner. The green beans had a little too much bacon grease, but they offset that by making my bloody mary "hot and spicy". Would come back again on next trip. read more

Whaley's - bloody mary and modelo beer - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

Dont go at dinner time. There's a wait to get seated , a wait to get waited on and an even longer wait to get your food. Had to get our own silverware, and had wipe down the table. Our own Togo boxes. There's a long wait to get your check and even longer to get someone to process your payment. Forget it if your order is wrong or you didn't get something. read more

Oh so worth waiting for. We put our name in at 5:40pm and we're told 30-35 minutes upon return we were still low on the list and decided to sit at the bar. Great choice for sure, our bartender was very knowledgeable and friendly we ordered drinks and decided to order a big combo platter to share. It was enormous. After eating it with my husband I still took home an entire container full. So delicious with fried fish, shrimp, oysters, and a crab cake. Also tons of what they call raw fries but what they are are their own fried potato chips, very good, coleslaw too. It seems like a local place with little ambiance but a great local vibe. Had a great time and will be back to try the creamy crab soup. read more

Whaley's - fried seafood platter - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

So it was a Monday night, and just about every restaurant on the island was closed...and my husband actually chose this place over the Waterfront. Well, the place was packed. For reasons I'll never understand, this place is popular with the island locals. Just as I remembered it, the place looked just awful...just like some gas station that it used to be. Possibly the biggest dive I've ever been to??? Almost to be expected, but everything was done in the crudest-cheapest of manner. Plastic utensils, paper plates, tin, you name it...almost gross presentation of foods. We started with their "award winning" Crab Bisque Soup, then my husband ordered their "Big, Ugly Smash Burger" and I got their Prime Rib Sandwich, stated as their Best Seller. Well actually, the soup was pretty good, but just not delivered hot. It was barely warm...and I feel sure it's because our waitress didn't deliver it when it was ready to go. My husband had to go get her attention to go check on the soup. We waited WAY too long for this soup appetizer. I was relieved, however, to see that we actually got decent silver spoons with our soup. Otherwise, we were just given plastic utensils. We waited way too long for the rest of the meal as well. When the foods were finally delivered, I must say that the presentation was nearly gross. I say that because the foods just looked so greasy and cheap...thrown on this tin plate with soggy paper over it. That aside, my Prime Rib was edible...but quite basic...and very salty. Definitely not the best. The crinkled Fries were greasy, but tasted OK. So were the Cole Slaw. Gross presentation aside, guess the foods were better this time around than the last. Service, however, was NOT as good as last time. I remember having to wait forever on our last visit here as well...but I recall that the waitress was better. This time, our waitress seemed nearly clueless. Granted she was this lanky teen but she was just off. For one, she did not look toward our table, let alone give us eye contact, even once! We had to tag her down 2-3 times...and that qualifies as Terrible. Despite the fact the foods were a tad better than last time, I really can't bump the ratings up due to its crude presentation of foods, use of too much salt, and bad service (inattentive waitress). If I had it my way, I'd never return here. read more

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Unfortunately, the seafood soup I had was flavorless. We also got the Asian nachos, but the sauces on them were like soup. They charge for water. I had the BLT, too, which was fine, but everything was so expensive for not amazing food With that being said - maybe it was an off day or something because my neighbors said that when they have gone there before, they loved it! read more

We came in late for dinner. Savannah greeted us with a smile. She was very attentive and answered all of our questions. The restaurant does not serve water from the tap. You must buy bottled water. The wings, burgers, and salads were very tasty. The restaurant is more of a bar so it is a bit divey but overall we had a good meal. read more

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Awful food and very slow service. There was an ambulance outside. The outdoors was great so its 2 stars.

The food was very good besides the cheese curds definitely not as good as Wisconsin, but it is understandable. Prime rib was very good. Our server John was very good he even gave us free chips. I like the vibe here too. Very underrated one of the best in edisto. read more

Whaley's - Mahi mahi I devoured - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

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Not fresh, overcooked, served cold. We were very disappointed, especially since the other restaurants are far superior.

They had a rough start this morning. The young lady who served us was awesome! She was very friendly and smiled the whole time. Lasted start wasn't too bad. They did get us out of the heat to open up shop. The kitchen and bar weren't ready for customers, but the servers up front did what they could do to keep us updated. Was food with the wait? Definitely! We got Caesar's salad, smashburger, and prime rib sandwiches. By the time we left in 1.5 hrs, we were fed and had a great meal. Side note we were looking at the photos on the wall that made Danny and his mother start tearing up because there was a tribute to Dan Newton on the wall. Danny's daddy. It was a wonderful experience. read more

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Local dive. Everyone is super friendly. Just the right type of casual. Food is great. My husband loves the prime rib sandwich.

Food: 3/5 Ambiance: 5:5 Service 4/5 Nice little spot here to have some fresh seafood. A little on the pricey side for what you get, but most places are these days. The food was good. It tastes like anywhere else on the coast with good seafood, but what I really liked were the steamed oysters! They had a good flavor to them with some kind of spices. It was delicious! My son and J agreed they were probably the most memorable steamed oysters we have had in a long time. He also liked his cheeseburger. All the ingredients came together nicely and the burger patty was grilled perfectly. My youngest loved his popcorn shrimp! There was a long wait when we arrived but we didn't mind. We sat outside in the beautiful sunshine waiting for our table and before we knew it, it was time to be seated. Loved the beachy atmosphere here! The service was good too. read more

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Worth the wait! The food was delicious and the drink special was good. The staff were so nice and welcoming.

Very poor service. The young man who took our order rarely showed up at our table to check on us. It took 15 minutes after being seated to get our drink order. He spent most of his time talking to someone at a table outside. The restaurant was out of baked potatoes and HUSHPUPPIES. How do you run out of hushpuppies at a seafood restaurant? We waited 1 hour after our food was ordered until it was delivered to the table. My $26 fried oysters were cold. Very poor experience. We've dined there a few times before and generally have had good experiences. For whatever reason I suppose they had a bad night read more

Walked in on Memorial weekend. Hostess was alright.. Went to bar and stop 15 min to order take out. Bartender made eye contact several times.. Eventually proceeds to take order from coupe that walked up well after me and then glances at me to acknowledge he intentionally did it.. Dive bar fine but really are really are there real dove bars anymore? That's their theme but their staff was awful.... Judging from other reviews makes sense.. Went to McConkeys and the food came fast, fresh and the staff was terrific.. So glad I walk out of Whaleys read more

Great food and atmosphere . One of my favorites. It's worth the trip for me from Johns Island .

Southern living review said lump crabmeat. lol knuckle meat from a can and filler was crushed cracker. The only good thing was the service. Bar atmosphere read more

Whaley's - Crab cakes - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

We knew there would be a wait - was told 45 minutes. After an hour, ask why we had not been called and people that came after us had been called. The girl said " we call names twice and then mark them off the list". I said you never called my name, she acted like I was making that up. I said look at your list- There was my name and no line through it- just skipped over and 5 other customers had been seated. Oh, she says - let me get a table for you! I think NOT - Shame on you to skip my name and then act like you called it and I didn't respond! Do better !!!!!!! read more

Yummy and affordable. Nice servers, it's a cute little hole in the wall. Way better than coots. read more

Whaley's - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

Terrible service it took 7 hours for our food! the water cooked the food whilst in the nude! that was not tartar sauce in my foood! the servers were incredibly disrespectful! read more

I saw some reviews and thought the wings would be good. They tasted like oil was old and was way over salted. The Service was slow and not attentive to our drinks. Neat little place but the food just didn't hit the mark. read more

It's true, the prime rib sandwich was 10000/10. I was skeptical at first but took the chance and glad I did! I added grilled onions (excellent decision) definitely order this. My husband got the duo platter. He says the oysters were amazing but the shrimp kinda made him feel sick. The environment is lowkey, hole in the wall type (my personal fave). Our waitress was very kind. She did a great job, very attentive. read more

Service is friendly and efficient. Food is great. Fun spot to come by bike and sit a spell.

We love eating at Whaleys when we visit Edisto. They are so friendly, the food is fabulous. We haven't had anything here we don't like. They cook it per request. The atmosphere is fun. The wait can be long but so worth it. My favorite there is the mahi-mahi and steamed vegetables with grits! There raw chips are great! Our server ever time is always so nice and smiling . read more

Whaley's - Mahi-mahi with fresh steamed vegetables - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

I had high hopes for this dive beach bar, but we were disappointed. The restaurant looks its age, its run down, and needs a good cleaning. The unisex bathrooms smell of urine. The bisque was gray and gluey with minimal seafood in it. The 2 combo fried platter was just so so and overpriced for the portion side. Our bill with a 20% tip was $65 for the 2 combo platter, bowl of bisque, one beer, and two bottles of water. We won't be coming back. read more

Came here again! Had the prime rib sammy. Aus juice. Muny!! Buffalo chicken sammy. Terrific. Ellee (?) was fabulous. Some of you know.... I collect koozies. Got me one. Seated immediately. Great atmosphere. We felt like we were family as EVERYONE ELSE just seated and had drinks asap. Local lunch spot. Tells you all you need to know! Love this place. read more

Whaley's - Got one! - Bars Near Me - Edisto Island, South Carolina

The sushi nachos are an absolute WOW! Delicious! If you like sushi these are a must try at Whaley's. So innovative!

I've been here a lot and you can usually get seated fairly quickly and the food is always good but it's typical bar food

We have never had a bad meal here and we have been going for over 10 years. The food is delicious and the ahi nachos are delicious and one of the most unexpected appetizers I've had. I was worried the first time we tried them...but I would never visit and not order them. They have local beer, outside seating, and local bands that you can occasionally catch. We have always had good service, but that could be influenced by the beer and the atmosphere It is a unique spot and I would never miss it!! read more

If ever there was an eatery in need of a reboot, it's Whaley's. Food was mediocre at best, service was slow, tables were not bussed, wait staff attire was pitiful, totally disorganized and management hasn't got a clue. The building is old and rickety and the interior needs to be updated. Maybe the locals are okay with it the way it is but for visitors, it leaves a lot to be desired. The place has a lot of potential but it needs a facelift and an owner who cares about customer service and organization. I won't be back and I can't recommend Whaley's. read more

Okay taste for fried food. Fried oysters and fried shrimp were way better than the crab cake. Definitely overpriced. Very slow service.

Food is always delicious and they are not stingy with their portions. Just a reminder to be prepared for a wait during peak summer hours. The only downside is that we have great drinking water at the Beach but Whaley's continues to charge $2.50 for bottled water and refuses to serve tap water. I would love to see Whaleys be more sustainable and get rid of the water bottles. read more

The sushi nachos were fabulous, unique and full of flavor. The fried oysters were delicious. The hamburger was fine. It was a good value for the money spent. We would definitely go back. read more

The food was absolutely amazing, but we ended up waiting for nearly an hour once we seated before getting our food.

What a gem! The staff was friendly, the environment was relaxed and casual, and the food was fantastic! I got the grilled mahi mahi and it was excellent! Definitely lots of yummy drinks that can't be beat! Know if you want water it's $2. read more