Whale’s Rib

This was our favorite place to eat while vacationing in Deerfield Beach. We went twice. Loved the whale fries and the rock shrimp was unique. We had great service both times. The atmosphere is want you want from a dive. Reasonable prices. Would definitely go again.

Was here few days ago… Food is great, portions are big… Rock Shrimp is to die for!!! Have to try it!

I have read about this place several times while exploring Unilocal.The reviews all seem really complimentary so I decided to give it a try. We don’t live exactly close so this was a special trip that took about 45 minutes each way. Just to eat lunch!
I wish I could share the other reviewers raves. I really wanted to love this place, but in all honesty it was just ok. I had the New England clam chowder. Tasted alright, but it was a little pasty– too thick.
My son had the fried shrimp. They were pretty good, but he wasn’t a fan of the breading. I didn’t try them myself, but it looked to be a beer breading.
I had the conch fritters. To be honest, they weren’t very good. First, they were overcooked so the outside tasted a bit burnt. The inside was sort of mushy and I found maybe one sliver of conch in each one. I doubt that the fritters were made fresh because they were perfect little balls just like the frozen ones are. Being frozen would also explain the overcooked outside and slightly undercooked inside! They weren’t the worst ones I have ever had, but definitely not the best. It was a large portion though. I didn’t count, but I would say probably 8 fritters come in the meal.
Both items were served with an anonymous portion of their «famous» Whale fries which are actually homemade potato chips. They were good. I am a huge fan of anything made from fresh cut potatoes so I liked them. My son, who was expecting actual fries, was not thrilled.
Overall, I have to say I was disappointed in the adventure. If I am in the area, I might eat there but I definitely wouldn’t drive 45 minutes again. Considering that their next door neighbor (and the restaurant about a half a block away) has similar menu and a more well known name, I probably would go next door if I had a choice.

After hearing so many great things about this place I am so happy we finally made it to this restaurant. They don’t take reservations, but even on a busy weekend night you don’t have to wait so long for a table. The only down fall is that in the restaurant itself it is warm and the amount of people probably doesn’t help it either. Tried the whale chips and whale juice which is delicious and most recommend from people I know who have been there. I wanted to put the whale juice on all my food. For our main courses we ordered a fresh blackened dolphin Key West sandwich and the seafood combo. Which were both delicious. The blackened dolphin was perfect with the sauces on the Key West sandwich. And everything on the seafood combo was well portioned and cooked beautifully. The restaurant is very casual and beach themed. Making it perfect for its location so close to the beach.

It’s been a long time since we have had perfect service & Rhonda nailed it. Quick & so friendly. Even brought extra cucumber slices without having to ask. Have the fish dip, seriously. The whole staff was so friendly. I love going to a place where the staff seems glad too see you. Will definitely be back when we’re in Boca. Thanks, again, Rhonda. And she even git our Ron Burgundy joke. «San Diego!»

I ordered the calamari, bad decision.
The table was dirty and the attention was poor, and the menu was overpriced.

Top notch no wonder why Guy Fieri liked this place. This was our first time here and we have lived in South Florida for years and we finally made it here. I had the Key West fried Dolphin sandwich and my buddy got the same as me but grilled Blackened Dolphin and oh my goodness sooo delicious and we both split each other’s sandwiches so we could try both. And I didn’t even want to eat a sandwich just a regular meal. For appetizer we had the whale chips and they were awesome and the sauce they come with was awesome too. I can’t wait to come back.

How have I never had ROCK SHRIMP!
My husband and I love to try restaurants that are featured on Food Network shows and this one lived up to the hype! The food was fantastic and the service was friendly and fast. Our table had the rock shrimp (Amazing), fried shrimp and whale chips (fantastic), shrimp po-​boy (delicious), raw oysters (not my thing, but the hubby loved them), and the key lime pie (perfect end to a perfect meal).
I can say without a doubt that next time we are in the area we will eat here again!

How have I never reviewed this place! Seriously one of the best restaurants I’ve been to hands down. I mean, it’s a hole in the wall with spectacular food and service.
The line is always out the door here. Always.
I was pleasantly surprised on a Tuesday to get a seat at the bar. Bartenders are super attentive. Strong drinks, smiling faces! I had the fish dip which is really good. They could use some better crackers other than saltines but the dip was still good.
I also had the avocado salad and it was awesome!
I’ve been here before with my mom (who is hard to please) and she loved it!

I came here with a few friends when we decided to go to Deerfield on a random Saturday. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table but later on in the day others were waiting 3 hours! The whale chips are phenomenal, my entire table scarfed them down in a matter of minutes. I got a tilapia sandwich and it’s probably the best I’ve gotten. The server was nice and the drinks were reasonably priced, I will definitely be back here.

Very difficult to find parking, almost nearly impossible, but it’s totally worth the effort.
If you like anything that is deep-​fried and related to seafood, then you’re gonna love this place. Too many bar food deep fried seafood items to mention, but you have to get the whale chips with the whale sauce.
If it can swim, you can deep fry it and serve it at the Whales Rib.

I had rock shrimp mahi fish sandwich it was really nice place I had a great time great atmosphere good food and close to the beach I would recommend this place very very good

As soon as my friend pointed at Whale’s Rib, I knew I had to try it. A feature on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives, one can see why. Upon entering, the small nook to sit in to wait had lots of pictures and even a signed photo of Guy Fieri. The place has so much character which I enjoyed. I went around St. Patricks Day so they dressed everything in green.
My party of three sat in a booth. The tables have their logo which is a nice touch. We ordered the Whale Fries. I HIGHLY recommend these. They are freshly made potato chips that come with a white, sweet & savory sauce called «Whale Juice». Some chips are quite crispy whereas some are a little soggy in the middle. I believe this combination symbolizes the epitome of homemade potato chips. Anyway, they were mouthwatering! We ate the whole basket.
I ordered the special, a tuna wrap with slaw on the side. The fish was very fresh! The wrap was cut in half, so I took the other one home. One of my friends ordered the po boy which looked delicious! It had a combination of seafood on a thick baguette-​style white bread.
Is Whale’s Rib touristy? Of course. But it is for a good reason.

If you’re looking for a great place the answer is here first off we started with the rock shrimp D Lish S we ordered iced t (when in roam) and they literally show up with a pitcher with a straw in it, yes finally someone gets it lol
Great kids menu which is reasonably priced. And good size bathroom. Lots of tvs so it’s extremely family friendly.
Our server was extremely enthusiastic and have a full one explaining how to open rock shrimp since we’ve never had it before he also checked on us often and just replenished our drinks when he saw that they were empty. I had the fish of the day and I wrapped it was delicious which came with the house will chips which route really interesting the outside was Crispin the inside was soft and came with the house dip Called whale juice, loosely translated some type of honey mustard and mayonnaise dip not actual whale tooth. They also have a private parking lot talked on the side of the building with the valet so when everyone else is driving around looking for somewhere to go you will know to come here a great casual spot across from the beach

Service was prompt and courteous and the prices are very fair. The rock shrimp dish was our favorite course. We lucked into a two top high top near the bar and didn’t have to wait. The vibe is fun and I’d recommend it if you’re in Deerfield Beach.

We found it because it’s a Guy Fieri selection on Diner, Drive Ins & Dives.
The portions are big. We had appetizers, salad, soup & entrée!
So much food, so little stomach!
Give it a try!

Divey goodness! This place is definitely a dive, but I had a great meal here. I came with some family members who were in town and had requested stone crabs for dinner. We spent the day at the beach and then came straight here for an early dinner… In beach clothes and all! It was a perfect end to a beach day! I had the medium sized stone crabs, rock shrimp, escargot, and fried oysters. Everything was wonderful. I was especially happy with the escargot and fried oysters. Fried oysters, especially, are easy to overcook, but these were absolutely perfect! The rock shrimp may have been a tad bit overcooked, but they were still really good… Especially dipped in the garlic butter that the escargot were cooked in! The stone crabs were a nice treat as well. Meaty and fairly easy to crack.
We had two hungry toddlers with us, and they were very accommodating with them. The two of them shared three kids meals. The fish fingers, chicken fingers, and a grilled cheese! Happy kids! I would definitely return after a day at the beach!

We came here New Years day around 1pm and it was very crowded. We waited about 35 mins for a table. While we waited we looked at the Unilocal pictures and reviews to see what people go for and decided on what we were getting before we even sat down.
Rock shrimp — There mini lobsters! They come with butter sauce for dipping. Ask for old bay on the side. It’s so good mix with butter.
Lobster bisque — I usually love a thick creamy lobster bisque but this one is thin, but it had a good amount of lobster in the soup and it was tasty.
Fresh dolphin key west sandwich — You can get your dolphin blackened, grilled or fried. I went with fried and it was amazing! The combination of the purple coleslaw with thousand island dressing went so well together. A little messy but so worth it. I’m craving it now just writing about it.
The hostess, our server and even the people at the raw bar were so nice. It seemed everyone that worked there was friendly and happy with there job.
I can’t wait to go back and try the whales fries and the key west sandwich again

Fresh ingredients but incompetent recipes and entitled servers.
We came because of Guy Feries’ show Diner Drive-​ins and Dives but what we found was an over hyped meal. We ordered most if not all the dishes people recommended on Unilocal and online. I’d classify the food as fresh ingredients and unthoughtful cooking. Raw bar had decent dishes but anything that required preparation was uninspired and unimpressive.
The rock shrimp and stone crab were delicious. But that can be credited to the base ingredients; very little was done to it other than a quick steam.
The items that required more elaborate cooking were bland at best. The sandwich tasted more of bread and tomatoes than of fish. If you had told me it was a chicken sandwich, I’d have believed you.
The whale chips — something this place is known for — was either undercooked in some corners or blackened and carbonated in other corners. It was obvious no care was taken with the preparation. This place seems to exist to churn customers through without any thought to their enjoyment.
Rockefeller oysters were not impressive as mentioned on DDD show. Flavorless and the hunk of cheese takes away from the oyster texture.
The whale juice, a tangy sweet sauce was the only good thing and is probably makes the food good. Unfortunately, that is not what I call good cooking.
Service was effective but there waitress clearly didn’t want to be there. She was moody and not genuine. I think it lost the charm it might have once been.

We had to wait about 45 minutes for a table here on Labor Day weekend. Though, we expected the wait, it wasn’t that bad because we just went to hang out near the pier until just before our table was called. The beach here is very pretty.
I’m not going to lie, the only reason we ventured up to Deerfield Beach from Oakland Park, was for the lobster salad sandwich. If you have anything on your menu with lobster in it for $ 11.99. Rest easy, because I will be your loyal customer, up to 50 miles away from my city. ;)
I ordered the New England clam chowder on instinct, and almost instantly wished that I ordered the lobster bisque instead. Honestly, it wasn’t great. This is definitely not made fresh. I like my clam chowder to be heavy and creamy. The flavor was OK. It’s only slightly better than canned clam chowder from the super market. I’m not really sure that it wasn’t to be honest.
***disclaimer — I’m kind of a New England clam chowder snob, if such a thing exists.
The signature Whale Chips, were far from supermarket potato chips. They were actually pretty amazing. The sauce they came with was great too. I had a really hard time not filling up on them.
The lobster salad sandwich was huge! I’m not sure what they use to dilute the lobster content, but it’s a great recipe. I definitely tasted the lobster, and enjoyed it thoroughly. The bun was either freshly baked, or freshly toasted. The bread was warm, sweet and toasted. I saved half of it for breakfast the next day so that I could save room for dessert.
The Key Lime pie was pretty good. It was just a little bit tart for my taste, and not as whipped as I would like it. The crust had a perfect texture.
This type of restaurant reminds me of the family road trip vacations to Cape Cod I had as a child. There’s something about this type of place that’s very welcoming to me.