The Whaler

Loved this place! Large cold beers! And the taco trio was the bomb! My daughter loved the burger 🍔

Great place to eat and watch sports! I have to give a shout out to Ally our bartender who was amazing and informative about how to navigate LA..always a smile on her face no matter how busy!

Very Nice place to start the nice on Santa Monica LA. The restaurant is right on the beach front on the ocean drive. Great place!

Right across the street from the beach. It does take a walk down but close. The food was good with friendly service. The lady was nice enough to sit our large family inside taking into account the outside tables were in the sun. Our kids enjoyed their burgers. The fries come with seasoning and are similar to a curly fry in texture. The chicken tenders were flavorful and I appreciated the cucumbers that went with the kids' meals. I got the salmon with a delicious teriyaki sauce. The salmon was not overcooked. My husband enjoyed his shrimp and lobster roll. Comes out with three small pull-apart rolls to make a slider.

Great food and service. The heated patio is a nice touch to get seated faster. The oysters were small when we went but the rest of the food was delicious.

My friend and I were walking towards the beach while I'm town for a convention and this place caught our eye. Checked out the menu and decided to try it. We were seated immediately on the patio which had a great view of the Santa Monica Pier. It was Thursday night and they had the football game on with sound. I appreciate when a sports bar actually plays the game with the sound up! The service was fast and friendly and the food was so good. I had the lobster roll and thought it was delicious. It wasn't a huge portion, but paired with the calamari and a couple of beers, I was satisfied.

Taco Tuesday for lunch is very good. I took my family for my wife’s birthday here. The tacos were delicious and even my 3 year old ate one and enjoyed it (plain). The location is perfect and the service is very friendly and attentive. Will come back.

We went in the afternoon for lunch. It’s close enough to the beach for a nice view, but not close to consider it beachfront. The food was excellently prepared, well seasoned, and tasted great. Everyone got something different and everyone enjoyed their meal. The server was very friendly and attentive. The IPA battered cod sandwich was fantastic. It was fried perfectly and the slaw, tartar sauce, and pickle complimented the fish well. My wife had the fish tacos and loved them. I had a slice of my daughter’s pepperoni pizza and it was pretty good for a place that’s not a pizzeria. The spicy tuna on crispy rice was excellent. We will definitely eat here again.

Great "shore" Bar in Santa Monica. I've bèen here many times and it doesn't disappoint. Always a good time.

Had a great fish and chips with actual vinegar here for afternoon dinner. Food was great and sitting outside in the setting sun was even better. Beer to was it down with. Lovely

Great spot to watch sports. Plenty of screens. Surprisingly great food. Garlic wings hit the spot. Loved the falafel and avocado salad. Cold draft beers ideal for watching game. Crowd was cheering and into the action.

Walked into the Whaler after a business meeting last week at the perfect time. The restaurant just opened, every table was available, and every TV was playing a different NCAA tournament game. We chose our table near the bar and grabbed a draft beer, a delicious Elysian IPA. We intended to stop in for a quick drink but really enjoyed the vibe and music and saw all the delicious food coming out of the kitchen. After a brief glance at the menu, we decided to try the Whaler burger and we definitely weren't disappointed. The burger was piled sky high and seasoned very well, we added a side order of fries that went quicker than the burger. After we demolished our burgers we enjoyed another drink and before we left, took a quick self guided tour of the restaurant, including hanging in the 'game room nook' at the far end of the bar. Not only is the nook a great place to have a seat and enjoy some table games or games on the TVs, the nook is adjacent to one of the two outdoor patio areas. Had it not been so cold and gloomy we would have definitely sat outside and enjoyed the view. Overall we were impressed with the meal, staff, and vibe of the Whaler, we'll see you in a few days for another NCAA tournament game!

Such a cool spot right on the beach. Amazing food, great staff, live DJ, can’t ask for more. We got the lobster roll & the crispy fish tacos & both were amazing!! Those tacos are truly to die for!!

Candice B

Right across the street from the beach. It does take a walk down but close. The food was good with friendly service. The lady was nice enough to sit our large family inside taking into account the outside tables were in the sun. Our kids enjoyed their burgers. The fries come with seasoning and are similar to a curly fry in texture. The chicken tenders were flavorful and I appreciated the cucumbers that went with the kids' meals. I got the salmon with a delicious teriyaki sauce. The salmon was not overcooked. My husband enjoyed his shrimp and lobster roll. Comes out with three small pull-apart rolls to make a slider.

Ray Johnson

My friend and I were walking towards the beach while I'm town for a convention and this place caught our eye. Checked out the menu and decided to try it. We were seated immediately on the patio which had a great view of the Santa Monica Pier. It was Thursday night and they had the football game on with sound. I appreciate when a sports bar actually plays the game with the sound up! The service was fast and friendly and the food was so good. I had the lobster roll and thought it was delicious. It wasn't a huge portion, but paired with the calamari and a couple of beers, I was satisfied.

Byron Enamorado

Taco Tuesday for lunch is very good. I took my family for my wife’s birthday here. The tacos were delicious and even my 3 year old ate one and enjoyed it (plain). The location is perfect and the service is very friendly and attentive. Will come back.

Michael Bailey

We went in the afternoon for lunch. It’s close enough to the beach for a nice view, but not close to consider it beachfront. The food was excellently prepared, well seasoned, and tasted great. Everyone got something different and everyone enjoyed their meal. The server was very friendly and attentive. The IPA battered cod sandwich was fantastic. It was fried perfectly and the slaw, tartar sauce, and pickle complimented the fish well. My wife had the fish tacos and loved them. I had a slice of my daughter’s pepperoni pizza and it was pretty good for a place that’s not a pizzeria. The spicy tuna on crispy rice was excellent. We will definitely eat here again.

G

Had a great fish and chips with actual vinegar here for afternoon dinner. Food was great and sitting outside in the setting sun was even better. Beer to was it down with. Lovely

Jim O

Great spot to watch sports. Plenty of screens. Surprisingly great food. Garlic wings hit the spot. Loved the falafel and avocado salad. Cold draft beers ideal for watching game. Crowd was cheering and into the action.

julio gasson

Walked into the Whaler after a business meeting last week at the perfect time. The restaurant just opened, every table was available, and every TV was playing a different NCAA tournament game. We chose our table near the bar and grabbed a draft beer, a delicious Elysian IPA. We intended to stop in for a quick drink but really enjoyed the vibe and music and saw all the delicious food coming out of the kitchen. After a brief glance at the menu, we decided to try the Whaler burger and we definitely weren't disappointed. The burger was piled sky high and seasoned very well, we added a side order of fries that went quicker than the burger. After we demolished our burgers we enjoyed another drink and before we left, took a quick self guided tour of the restaurant, including hanging in the 'game room nook' at the far end of the bar. Not only is the nook a great place to have a seat and enjoy some table games or games on the TVs, the nook is adjacent to one of the two outdoor patio areas. Had it not been so cold and gloomy we would have definitely sat outside and enjoyed the view. Overall we were impressed with the meal, staff, and vibe of the Whaler, we'll see you in a few days for another NCAA tournament game!

Levi-Jo Smith

Such a cool spot right on the beach. Amazing food, great staff, live DJ, can’t ask for more. We got the lobster roll & the crispy fish tacos & both were amazing!! Those tacos are truly to die for!!

Sat at the bar it’s a gamble who’s going to make you a tasty strong drink amongst the bartenders. First bartender made really weak too sour or too sweet, second bartender was more experienced. Service can be slow. Vibes were good.

loud but fun place , DJ playing catchy music Servers all very friendly and quick . Nice surprise little place to catch a cold drink

Had an amazing time here. Good food and good drinks. The lobster roll was amazing. The drinks were good too. The staff is very friendly and the crowd is very lively. Would visit again.

The burger was alright, but the fries were delicious.

Only went for drinks. Perfect location near the beach. Bartender/ service was great. Drinks were good too. Atmosphere is cool, and clean. Would love to come again and try the food.

We came here for drinks. I have to say, the cocktail I ordered is just so so. The taste doesn’t taste really impressive. But I love the music and atmosphere here. Also, the service is nice. The bartender is really sweet and patient.

We had a perfectly lovely early dinner here this week . The servers were really welcoming and friendly and seated us outdoors with our dog . Our server /bartender was super accommodating when I asked for a change to the espresso martini recipe . Great cocktails . The burger and fried chicken sandwich were delicious but small (ish) but nothing special . Would go back for sure .

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Great burger with really fresh, tasty bread. The flavors were solid and everything was well put together. The fries, however, weren’t that good and could definitely be improved. Overall, still a great spot and worth trying.

Really great place for casual dinning and drinks right across the street from the Pacific Ocean and the beach.

A perfect place for a lazy Sunday brunch. Right on Ocean Blvd with bottomless mimosas (for 90 min) and a spicy tangy bloody mary. Say less. They don't rest on their location. Food is flavorful and filling. We had the muscles with fries. You will want yo lick the bowl clean. Also and the Mexican skillet with chorizo is a winner. Our server Meggie was welcoming and just the right amount of attentive. Would definitely recommend.

The vibe here is casual,nothing fancy, but perfect if you want a quick bite and drink. There is a wrap around bar with bar stools and hooks to hang a purse or jacket underneath the bar. There are lots of large screens for sports. There are two areas where you can sit on the patio for people watching. The food plates are aluminum. The menu is basically pizza, burgers, salads , tacos and some seafood. Their Happy Hour menu seems like a great deal, but we arrived for lunch. My husband I ordered two pizzas and the pizzas were really tasty and perfectly seasoned. These are thin pizzas, which I love. We could of shared one pizza, because we took half of each home. At this time, if you Check IN on Yelp you get a free guacamole and chips! They do not have ice tea, which is what I was craving, so I just had ice water. The full bar, prices start around $16.00 for cocktails, less for beer and wine. Location is right on the corner of Ocean Ave and Broadway so there is a lot of foot traffic.

Excellent quality food and service. Casual sports bar type restaurant.

Joseph A. Sherkat

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Great burger with really fresh, tasty bread. The flavors were solid and everything was well put together. The fries, however, weren’t that good and could definitely be improved. Overall, still a great spot and worth trying.

Paul Perrone

We had a perfectly lovely early dinner here this week . The servers were really welcoming and friendly and seated us outdoors with our dog . Our server /bartender was super accommodating when I asked for a change to the espresso martini recipe . Great cocktails . The burger and fried chicken sandwich were delicious but small (ish) but nothing special . Would go back for sure .

A Calvello

Really great place for casual dinning and drinks right across the street from the Pacific Ocean and the beach.

megan gray

A perfect place for a lazy Sunday brunch. Right on Ocean Blvd with bottomless mimosas (for 90 min) and a spicy tangy bloody mary. Say less. They don't rest on their location. Food is flavorful and filling. We had the muscles with fries. You will want yo lick the bowl clean. Also and the Mexican skillet with chorizo is a winner. Our server Meggie was welcoming and just the right amount of attentive. Would definitely recommend.

eriko p

The vibe here is casual,nothing fancy, but perfect if you want a quick bite and drink. There is a wrap around bar with bar stools and hooks to hang a purse or jacket underneath the bar. There are lots of large screens for sports. There are two areas where you can sit on the patio for people watching. The food plates are aluminum. The menu is basically pizza, burgers, salads , tacos and some seafood. Their Happy Hour menu seems like a great deal, but we arrived for lunch. My husband I ordered two pizzas and the pizzas were really tasty and perfectly seasoned. These are thin pizzas, which I love. We could of shared one pizza, because we took half of each home. At this time, if you Check IN on Yelp you get a free guacamole and chips! They do not have ice tea, which is what I was craving, so I just had ice water. The full bar, prices start around $16.00 for cocktails, less for beer and wine. Location is right on the corner of Ocean Ave and Broadway so there is a lot of foot traffic.

Tina S

Excellent quality food and service. Casual sports bar type restaurant.

Winter Wyatt

The burger was alright, but the fries were delicious.

I went there with my mom during our road trip the 15th of October, the burger and the fries were delicious, i couldn't finish the salad so we had to take it back with us to our hotel! I really enjoyed it! (even though i saw a cockroach's head poking out from a hole in the men's restroom)

Noé Ferreira (Drago)

I went there with my mom during our road trip the 15th of October, the burger and the fries were delicious, i couldn't finish the salad so we had to take it back with us to our hotel! I really enjoyed it! (even though i saw a cockroach's head poking out from a hole in the men's restroom)

Great atmosphere, but pricy. Last call is an hour before closing

Stopped for brunch on a Sunday. We had hoped to eat next door but it was too busy and we were on a time crunch. Oddly, The Whaler was almost dead - which gave us pause as to why - but we tried it anyway. Service was quick and the food was unexpectedly great. Our party of 5 each loved our meals! The chicken and waffles was on-point. I loved that the sweetness was baked into the waffle and didn’t require syrup, instead using a creamy hollandaise as the sauce. The Nutella French toast was universally loved, and the sweet cream served separately in a bowl to dip instead of just melting into milk on top was thoughtful. The ceviche was delicious and fresh and not too spicy. The Captains Breakfast was plentiful and well-prepared and the one that ordered it said it might have been the best waffle he’s ever eaten. He loved that it was crispy on the outside and soft inside. All in an all, we were VERY pleasantly surprised by the food. The downside was the cleanliness of the restrooms. Seeing the dingy white doors and hallway leading from the dining room to the restroom was VERY off-putting, and made us concerned about what the kitchen might look like. This is an easy fix that could be cleaned in less than an hour but hasn’t been touched in months, if not years. The men’s restroom was horrible. Like, truckstop worthy. Super gross. Please, please fix this. The food and service were great but had I gone to the restroom before ordering, I’d have honestly just walked out and never returned. If the public-facing side of a restaurant looks like that (especially one in such a prominent tourist spot), it’s not hard to imagine the back of house looks worse. That’s worrisome. And an easy fix someone simply refuses to do. Wiping down the bathroom doors halfway areas should be ongoing side work for a server each night.

Food was decent but the service was bad. We sat down and were handed menus, waited 5 mins and an employee aggressively told us that we needed to order food before 10, it was about 9:35. We said we were still waiting on our server. When he finally took our order, he forgot one of the soups and it didn’t come out with bread. And we had to ask multiple times for water and didn’t even get enough glasses for all of us

Come here for the views, not the food or service.

+1

Descent first time experience, service was slightly slow might be short handed i understand, great happy hour Tacos didn’t come with salsa clam chowder was luke warm quesadilla was good, will give them another shot next time we are in the area.

+1

Loved the pizza. Mojito and margaritas were a bit too sour. Nice servers and outdoor seating.

Joe Schafer

Food was decent but the service was bad. We sat down and were handed menus, waited 5 mins and an employee aggressively told us that we needed to order food before 10, it was about 9:35. We said we were still waiting on our server. When he finally took our order, he forgot one of the soups and it didn’t come out with bread. And we had to ask multiple times for water and didn’t even get enough glasses for all of us

While the food was good escpecially the clam chowder, the DJ and service absolutely ruined the experience for me and the other guests with me. Music was horrendously loud for indoor seating and server had a relatively sassy attitude towards us. Personally would not recommend this restaurant over others in the area. Also, good luck if you are in a quarter mile of vicinity of the restaurant because they keep their music that loud far into the night.

It was fine. The food was just ok. My swet tea was great. My only tea because the waitress kept forgetting to come back with it. The patio gets really hot with the plastic cover up. It is really loud inside. It was not a place that I need to eat at again.

SEE

It was fine. The food was just ok. My swet tea was great. My only tea because the waitress kept forgetting to come back with it. The patio gets really hot with the plastic cover up. It is really loud inside. It was not a place that I need to eat at again.

All food and drink items were poor, each item was inconsistent texture and flavor and freshness. Mixed drink was not mixed. Wine was in bad shape. Even the sparkling water was flat. Very sad

Food is alright. Small menu, nice view. Service was terrible. Server only came once to ask if we were ready, and took our drink and order all at once. Never showed again.Was serviced more from the buss boy. Had to get another server to get the check. Server arrived to charge us with an attitude.

In from out of town and wanted to stop by two nights in a row. Hours say their bar is open until midnight (on Wednesdays) and 1am (on Thursday). On both occasions, we were told “it’s slow” and that they were closed. Incredibly rude staff. 10/10 would not recommend. I’d actually walk another 5 minutes to another bar and avoid this place altogether.

We were really disappointed with the service during our visit. Our server, who had glasses and visible tattoos, barely acknowledged us from the moment we sat down, while she was noticeably warm and chatty with other tables. It was uncomfortable enough that the manager eventually stepped in to serve us instead. When we first arrived, she didn’t greet us or let us know she’d be with us shortly—we had to ask the host to get her attention. When she finally came over, she acted like she was doing us a favor, without any warmth or professionalism. It made my wife and me feel unwelcome. The food was good, but the service really left a bad impression. Staff should treat all guests with the same level of respect and courtesy.

A 3% ‘happy and healthy’ fee is added to the bill. You already factor in an extortionate tip in order to subsidise waiting staff costs. The company then hides a 3% fee on top of this (look at the photos and decide whether or not this is deceptive). There is zero chance this is paid directly to staff members (feel free to correct me in a response) but this is instead a very cynical business practice which is unethical at best but probably illegal too.

The Santa Monica Whaler was a disaster from the very start. To be fair, we probably should’ve left when we walked in. The atmosphere is by far the most basic, uninviting and plain, to the point of looking unfinished. There are random TV mounts hanging on the wall with no TV, almost zero decor, and it’s unreasonably cold inside, with the sliding doors wide open at 50 degrees. We waited more than 10 minutes to be greeted by anyone, despite the restaurant being mostly empty. On top of that, the menu is small, and extremely expensive for what it is. The food was not tasty in any way, and was dry and largely flavourless. A 12 dollar salad gets you oily Arugula with two paper-thin pear slices, a few nuts, and nothing else. The pizza is as dry as the Sahara Desert, over-cooked, and every topping on it was stale. The bacon was precooked, and incinerated by the time it came out of the oven, as was the chicken. After the food runner dropped our food, we saw our server one additional time in nearly 90-minutes. Getting our check was extremely difficult, and when we inquired as to where our server was, we were told she was “upstairs.” With most of our food still left on our plates, and zero desire to take any with us, we finally paid our bill, which was over $130 for 3-adults and a child, and left. This is by far the worst dining experience I have had in the last 3-years.

Z J

The Santa Monica Whaler was a disaster from the very start. To be fair, we probably should’ve left when we walked in. The atmosphere is by far the most basic, uninviting and plain, to the point of looking unfinished. There are random TV mounts hanging on the wall with no TV, almost zero decor, and it’s unreasonably cold inside, with the sliding doors wide open at 50 degrees. We waited more than 10 minutes to be greeted by anyone, despite the restaurant being mostly empty. On top of that, the menu is small, and extremely expensive for what it is. The food was not tasty in any way, and was dry and largely flavourless. A 12 dollar salad gets you oily Arugula with two paper-thin pear slices, a few nuts, and nothing else. The pizza is as dry as the Sahara Desert, over-cooked, and every topping on it was stale. The bacon was precooked, and incinerated by the time it came out of the oven, as was the chicken. After the food runner dropped our food, we saw our server one additional time in nearly 90-minutes. Getting our check was extremely difficult, and when we inquired as to where our server was, we were told she was “upstairs.” With most of our food still left on our plates, and zero desire to take any with us, we finally paid our bill, which was over $130 for 3-adults and a child, and left. This is by far the worst dining experience I have had in the last 3-years.

Art

We were really disappointed with the service during our visit. Our server, who had glasses and visible tattoos, barely acknowledged us from the moment we sat down, while she was noticeably warm and chatty with other tables. It was uncomfortable enough that the manager eventually stepped in to serve us instead. When we first arrived, she didn’t greet us or let us know she’d be with us shortly—we had to ask the host to get her attention. When she finally came over, she acted like she was doing us a favor, without any warmth or professionalism. It made my wife and me feel unwelcome. The food was good, but the service really left a bad impression. Staff should treat all guests with the same level of respect and courtesy.