Black Whale Bar & Fish House

Spent the weekend in LBI and came here for dinner on Saturday night. Glad I listened to my friends’ recommendations and went with the crab cakes as my main course. It was delicious with lots of crab meat, not filler. All four of us ordered the crab cakes so I probably would’ve had some major food envy if I got something else. The crab and artichoke dip was also good.

Great dinner spot on LBI. Tried the happy hour for the first time this afternoon and they had some great specials: dollar oysters, some beers and wine for around $ 3.50. My favorite was the peel and eat shrimp and the crab cake sliders. Got a salad because I love their homemade ranch. Service here is excellent.

My boyfriend and I stopped here after seeing crab and artichoke dip on their menu and wanted to try it out. It was amazing! They serve it with bread and sesame crackers, which we used to clean the bowl. Before I get into more of the food, let me explain the impression this restaurant offers.
There isn’t a large parking lot, but it’s located off the main road so there’s plenty of street parking. Inside, there’s a mix of a local dive bar atmosphere with a classier restaurant, so it’s a nice in-​between. When you enter, you walk through the bar to get to the the dining area. The hostess and waitress we had were welcoming, and made recommendations from the menu.
We weren’t looking to break the bank on dinner so we ordered soft drinks (no free refills,) the crab artichoke dip for an appetizer, fish and chips, and a grilled tuna sandwich. Everything was fresh, and the fish and chips weren’t greasy — which was great for a fried meal. The wasabi mayo on the grilled tuna (our waitress recommended rare, and it was excellent) added a nice mellow spice to it. The total came out to around $ 50.
The food was great and the restaurant had a balanced atmosphere, which is definitely family friendly! We would definitely come back expecting to spend more, but it is definitely worth it. We basically went the cheaper route and the food was great. So if that was the lowest tier, so to speak, we’re looking forward to returning and trying out their other menu options.

Seafood is very fresh of course. My husband is in love with this place. Haven’t been anywhere else for good seafood that compares to this place. Plan on easily dropping a good $ 100 for just two people which includes 1 alcoholic beverage.

We decided to spend a Mother’s Day dinner here and called the day before and made a reservation for 6 at 8 pm. Little did we know, since the person on the phone took our reservation, that the restaurant does not allow reservations after 6 pm for parties of our size. We «luckily» got a hightop next to the bar. Next thing the manager is at the table telling us not to try and make a reservation in this manner again, and then how we must have called the wrong restaurant. My mom was flabbergasted that she was essentially being scolded for letting someone take her reservation. No matter how kind the tone, the manger was telling us how we did wrong and not to do it again. It was uncomfortable. There was an issue in their chain of command that they should not have blamed our family for, I’m sorry someone on your staff accepted a reservation they should not have.
We are an easygoing bunch and after the manager left we had a wonderful evening, and did not let the evening stay as awkward as it started. Had I been in that manager’s position I would have apologized for the miscommunication and reviewed reservation policy with my staff. I would NOT have scolded a guest’s mother on Mother’s Day.
When the manager was done our response was «so you’re not here to take our drink order?»

Best Crab cakes ever! Great place on bay for seafood. It’s not near the center of town but it’s worth the drive to the other side of the island. Not sure if it’s on the menu anymore but they also had some type of bbq bacon scallops skewers which were to die for.

Fresh flavorful oysters. Amazing Tuna appetizer. Good beer. ALL around fun time here! Service was great. They have a sister restaurant Mud City Crab House… Worth the visit. You won’t be Dia appointed unless you have no patience or understanding of going during the «busy summer season». RELAX. ENJOY.

My favorite place on lbi. Garlic style crabs are the best. Garlic mussels are incredible too. Can’t go wrong.

I do not plan to return to the Black Whale. For some reason, the owners of the Black Whale, Ship Bottom Shellfish and Mud City Crabhouse, regardless of a relentless PR campaign, have failed to teach their cooks how to fry seafood. I cannot stand it when you try to fork a piece of fried seafood and the piece SHATTERS due to being so over cooked. It happens at EVERY restaurant this owner group owns. We have all of this world-​class seafood available here on Long Beach Island and their cooks ruin it.
Several years ago I found myself in Ship Bottom at dinnertime with little extra time between then and my business appointment so I decided to grab dinner at Ship Bottom Shellfish. That proved interesting. The food was less than marginal due to being over fried and my wait staffer admitted that everything on their menu was frozen. Frozen in a place where we have world-​class seafood fresh every single day year round? Just incredible.
Tourist traps at best.
Now a week ago I was invited for dinner with friends at Old Causeway next to Mud City. After discovering that the same owners that own Mud City also own Old Causeway, I checked the reviews for Old Causeway on Unilocal.Whoops. A few were rave reviews as can be expected but many others were barely 1-​Star noting serious deficiencies. I am locked into dinner there next week so we will see.
But as for their other places, never again.

Not bad seafood place. I ordered some herb crusted salmon, which they were willing to cook it almost rare for me. The dish came out cooked the way I wanted it. The herb crusting had good flavor to it.
The dish came with a good, simple salad that I enjoyed as well they serve it with two dressings. I tried the balsamic, it was pretty typical.
I was here with a huge group, they were able to accommodate us. They kept drinks in our hands (the pumpkin traveler beer was really good) throughout our meal.

Have been here multiple times overs the years and have never been disappointed. Keep in mind this is a fish house… super fresh, always packed, accepts no reservations and is noisy and small. That being said there is no better place on the island for freshness, variety and preparation. We always eat here multiple times on vacation.

We dined here on a Tuesday night and it was packed. We got a last minute reservation because a family member knows an employee. My husband and I shared the lobster dinner. I also had steamers as an appetizer. Nothing bad but nothing exceptional either. Ambience was loud and dimly lit. We expected more for $ 140.

This is one of the most popular restaurants in beach haven. It’s always so crowded and if you’re lucky to get a seat at the bar for dinner in a Friday– Sunday night in the summer, grab it. Otherwise the wait will be close to 2 hours. They do not take reservations but you can put your name in and they’ll text you when your table I ready.
The crab cakes here are their specialty. Can’t go wrong with the sandwich, appetizer or entrée. I also love the mussels in linguini with spicy red sauce. The mussels in red or garlic appetizer are also awesome. All the food is good but not the best on the island. It’s totally overrated but also good food.

An extended weekend getaway called for even more seafood and good times on a Monday. After a couple of places didn’t pan out do it its still being LBI’s slow season, we remembered walking by the Black Whale on the way to the wedding rehearsal dinner. And we we entered we discovered a classic fish house that was a whale of a good time.
Since they just finished a beer event over the weekend their was still plenty of solid picks from Forgotten Boardwalk Brewery on tap. It it washed down well with the bacon wrapped scallops and shellfish combo we ordered as appetizers, and the complimentary oyster crackers and horseradish spread that they hook up.
The Whale is a casual butcher paper place mat kind of place, which is a good thing considering how big the and succulent the broiled fish combo that paired a jumbo lump crab cake with flounder, shrimp, and scallops. add in a side of dirty rice with beans and it was one of the most filling seafood meals that I ever enjoyed. And all of the above made it a solid beach destination.

Extraordinary menu, freshest oysters on LBI, great pours for all cocktails and icy IPA on tap make this my go to place whenever I’m on the island. Try the basket of shrimp and thank me later. This is where locals, tourists and people who appreciate good food come together. It’s also «Cougar Town» during happy hour. Wink wink.

I had a fantastic dinner here with my family back in June. We liked the text alert system that they use while you are waiting– very convenient. Everyone we dealt with here (hostess, waitress) was professional and friendly. I ordered the crab chowder to start– yum! It had great flavor (though I do with there was even more crab meat in it!) We also got some clams for the table to start, which were very delicious. It’s been a while so I don’t remember exactly what I ordered since it was a special, but I want to say it was mahi mahi– what I DO remember is that my fish was cooked perfectly and that I couldn’t even finish my plate! (I got a baked potato for my side.) We ordered a few desserts for the table and my favorite hands-​down was the toasted almod cheesecake– it was fantastic. I will happily come back here the next time I’m in LBI!

With a friend visiting from 1,200 miles away, a day trip to LBI to experience the true New Jersey Shore brought us (and two family members) for a return visit to the Black Whale. My first visit was in 2012 during a trip and based on that great experience, I opted to choose the Black Whale again for our party of 4. Unfortunately this experience was average (at best) and with the price paid, poor considering the food and service.
We arrived early on a Monday (shortly after 4pm), so we had no trouble getting a table and prompt service. That would be the highlight. The server was average, and needed some attention to personal hygiene. He was polite, but did absolutely nothing to make the experience special.
The $ 14 shrimp cocktail shared with the table was average size and dry (as if sitting out too long) — something you would find at a place known for cheap fare and good service. Two in the party don’t eat much seafood and ordered the chicken sandwich. When I asked how their sandwiches were, both said «good» as if to be polite. Good is not a compliment in any restaurant. My $ 24 Asian BBQ Shrimp were of the same lame variety shrimp as the appetizer. The best meal was the $ 27 Sea Scallops but the presentation was so blah. Not a touch of color on the plate.
Various staff brought the dishes, never knowing who got what (i.e. no front of the house training). At no point did anyone resembling a manager /​supervisor /​owner ever come by and ask about our experience. It’s really not fair to rate them average, because in my estimate they didn’t even get the basics right. Maybe they were having an off night, but that’s not my problem. $ 200 for 4 people (with tax and gratuity) is perfectly fine — if the food is excellent, the service professional and someone beyond a student working a summer job comes by to check on the guests.
Since the Black Whale failed on all these accounts, it became a mediocre experience and I would not return again nor recommend with so many restaurant options on the island. We finished with the $ 8 elephant ear dessert which consisted of dry elephant ears, ice cream, whipped cream, sauce and strawberries. My Mom requested the Kiddie dessert, which was a far better deal at $ 3, but I don’t think they even wanted to offer it to her (and she is a senior citizen).

We arrived at the Black Whale Bar & Fish House on a Saturday night at the beginning of the summer tourist season. How come, you might ask? Well, we were tourists! After our fairly long wait at the bar, a vibrator told us that our turn had come; soon after, we were ushered to a table.
Connor was our server. I remember this because he wrote his name on our paper tablecloth as soon as he came to our table to ask us for our drink orders.
The best thing about our visit was the large number of interesting beers that were available from the tap. I drank the Dogfish Head 61 minute IPA and like it a lot. The beer was good enough that I was willing to drink a second pint of it; normally, I try to switch around so that I can sample different things.
Our dinner began with a «bucket of salad». The bucket was cute, and the two salad dressings were both interesting. The salad itself was kind of «meh» until I drenched it in dressing.
My main dish was the sautéed soft-​shell crab. There was a lot of butter and salt on my plate — this made the crabs delicious. Also, I was very hungry.
The food was merely A-​OK, but I loved my beer and liked the ambiance. Four stars it is.

Excellent even on a Monday night. First time ever in LBI. I highly recommend this place.
CJ at the bar was very attentive & provided excellent service.
I ordered the fried oysters and the white clam sauce. I don’t know what they’re putting in that sauce but it’s even better than mine. My husband’s dinner was wonderful, scallops were cooked perfectly. That’s why I appreciate good food and service. That’s the point if you’re going out to spend money food should be as good as home cooked if you’re paying for it. Going again tonight can’t wait!

Our gang of 4 enjoyed our seafood dinner at Black Whale in late season, Oct 2014. Recommended by friends.
Our wait at the bar at 8 pm on a Saturday night was about 45 mins. By being flexible about seating (bar area or main dining area), our wait was less. Busy bar scene too. No reservations accepted.
Attentive service and friendly fellow patrons when we were there. I note good choice of bourbons too, including Angel’s Envy and Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve – all pricy.
We enjoyed:
* 1 appetizer of Tuna spring rolls
* 4 entrées of Grilled Tuna, Broiled Sea Scallops, Shrimp & Scallops, and Seafood Combo platter (either broiled or fried)
* 4 house salads served family style
* 1 key lime dessert to share
Much of the seafood, such as the scallops and flounder, are sourced locally, and make the meal special.
Entrées come with a small salad served family style with house balsamic vinaigrette as well as your choice of one side vegetable or starch.
Small gripes:
* While drinks are well made by Bob the bartender, all drinks are overpriced by about 20−25% higher than typical – such as glass of Malbec $ 11, Knob Creek bourbon straight up $ 13. If not for this reason, would be rated higher.
* Booth seating is uncomfortable
Dinner for 4 with 5 drinks was $ 230 including tax and tip.
Tip: For somewhat better value, order off the bar menu.
Tip II: Check for seasonal closing. Not on website but believe they close offseason.