or, The Whale

Name: or, The Whale
Address: 38 Main St, Nantucket, MA, United States, 02554-3531
Telephone: (508) 825-5897
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.6

4.6 (606)

$30 and under

American

38 Main St, Nantucket, MA 02554-3531

Make a reservation

2 people

May 6, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 7 times today

About this restaurant

Lively

or a lively brunch, or, The Whale is your destination on Nantucket's Main Street. This bistro and bar offers a vibrant atmosphere and a menu that reflects the island's diversity. Start your day with a delicious brunch featuring classics like eggs Benedict and pancakes, along with unique options such as the veggie mushroom bowl topped with a fried egg. For lunch, enjoy choices like the blackened swordfish sandwich or a classic turkey BLT, and don’t miss Manny's refreshing bistro frisée salad. As evening falls, the dinner menu shines with dishes like lobster cavatelli, made with homemade pasta, and roasted chicken with crispy potatoes. The bar features an extensive selection of wines and cocktails, perfect for relaxing after a day of exploring. Sip on local craft beer or a signature cocktail on the spacious outdoor patio and soak in the island's charm. Whether for a casual lunch or a romantic dinner, or, The Whale is the perfect choice.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American
Hours of operation
Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Phone number
(508) 825-5897
Website
http://www.otwnantucket.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Manny Rojas

Location
38 Main St, Nantucket, MA 02554-3531
Neighborhood
Nantucket
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Gluten-free Options

Popular dishes

Sauteed Mushrooms$22.00
Soy-brined egg - sesame - parsley - brown butter vinaigrette
Street Corn Ribs$19.00
Spiced cotija cheese - miso aioli - parsley - lime
Beef Tartare$36.00
Wagyu sirloin - 1000 layer potato - cured egg yolk - ossetra caviar - sriracha aioli
Tuna Tostada$21.00
Pickled jicama - aji amarillo - charred cipollini & sesame puree - shallot
Grilled Squid$22.00
Squid ink & rice stuffing - pancetta crumble - chermoula - micro cilantro
Head-on Prawns$24.00
Pan mee marinade - pickled fresnos - thai basil - yuzu aioli
Grilled Baby Vegetables$22.00
Carrot - squash - cauliflower - fennel - caramelized cauliflower puree - spiced peanuts - za'atar dressing
Lamb Wontons$24.00
Spiced lamb sausage - chili crisp oil
BBQ Pork Buns$24.00
Boneless smoked ribs - slaw - bbq sauce

Salads

Tomato Salad$23.00
Local farm tomatoes - burrata - cherries - micro basil - passionfruit vinaigrette
Summer Salad$20.00
Mesclun greens - marinated peaches - persian cucumber - cherry tomato - pickled shallot - mint - verjus vinaigrette
- Chicken$16.00
- Steak$26.00
- Falafel$14.00

Mains

Grilled Branzino$39.00
Coconut rice - vegetables escabeche - arugula puree
Chicken Under a Brick$41.00
Bitter green & citrus salad - cara cara port dressing - salsa verde - pecorino
Spicy Rice Cakes$37.00
Eggplant & tofu ragu - chinese broccoli - fried shallot - scallion
Steak Frites$46.00
Grilled sirloin - handcut fries - shishito peppers - green peppercorn sauce

Table

Duck Carnitas for 2$78.00
Raw tomatillo salsa - curtido - herb salad - blue corn tortilla
Prime Bone-in Ribeye for 2-4
Sauteed pea tendrils - sushi rice - scallion pancake - chili-peanut sauce
Korean Pork BBQ for 4-6$160.00
Sushi rice - cucumber kimchi - korean bbq sauce - ginger scallion sauce

What 606 people are saying

or, The Whale reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.8Service
4.5Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

606 Reviews

L
Lauren VIP
Greater Boston128 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 26, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Daffodil day at Or the Whale was fantastic. The cocktails and food (falafel wrap, fried artichoke hearts and Kelly Kapowski cocktails) were delicious and the service was attentive. Thank you!
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K
Kacey
Greater Boston1 review
5.0
Dined on April 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Phenomenal experience! Busy place but they all work together to make sure you have great service and they’re all so nice. Grabbing a drink & going outside after your meal is an added bonus!
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E
Edward
Greater Boston1 review
5.0
Dined on April 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Friendly, helpful, delicious and all around great experience.
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S
Sharron
Greater Boston32 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Or the Whale has a wonderful atmosphere for visitors and year-round Islanders alike! It has the largest bar on island as well as a wonderful outdoor patio area for alfresco dining! It’s a must stop on your visit to Nantucket! The staff are amazing and we consider it our island Cheers! Kudos to the team!!
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S
Sean VIP
Greater Boston15 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 7, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Good food, was there during Christmas Stroll so it was noisy but still great.
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J
Jerry
New Orleans3 reviews
4.0
Dined on October 19, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We enjoyed our lunch today! We shared the burger (best on Nantucket) and the new on the menu Beet Salad... Cocktails were wonderful... especially the Kelly Kowaski (?) and Bloody Mary!
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+
+Liz
Montreal4 reviews
3.0
Dined on October 18, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Very loud group at the bar which made it hard to enjoy our dinner. Service was excellent. The steak was thin and unremarkable for the price.
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M
Mary VIP
Chicago12 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 18, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and atmosphere and service at O’er the Whale are all astoundingly good.it isn’t often that you can say this about a restauant, but it is true here. The Duck dish to share was the best meal I have had in a long time, and all of the shared appetizers to start were delicious as well! I can’t wait to return and try more items on the menu! I highly recommendO’er the Whale for dining on Nantucket!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston8 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 12, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Host and bar were very accommodating as we arrived early for our reservation and were able to enjoy drinks out on the beautiful patio before heading inside for our reservation .
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T
Tony VIP
New York City9 reviews
5.0
Dined on October 12, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A beautiful day on the island, perfect for an Al fresco lunch. Short , but varied innovative menu. Service was first rate and it will remain one of our favorites
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FAQs

or, The Whale is rated 4.6 stars by 606 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

May 6, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 7 times today

38 Main St, Nantucket, MA 02554-3531

Additional information

Neighborhood
Nantucket
Hours of operation
Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am Sun 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Manny Rojas
Additional
Gluten-free Options

Website
http://www.otwnantucket.com/
Phone number
(508) 825-5897

or, The Whale

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Popular dishes

Grilled Branzino

Korean Pork BBQ for 4-6

Korean BBQ Bowl

Menu

To Start

Sauteed Mushrooms$22.00

Street Corn Ribs$19.00

Beef Tartare$36.00

Tuna Tostada$21.00

Grilled Squid$22.00

Head-on Prawns$24.00

Grilled Baby Vegetables$22.00

Lamb Wontons$24.00

BBQ Pork Buns$24.00

Salads

Tomato Salad$23.00

Summer Salad$20.00

Mains

Grilled Branzino$39.00

Chicken Under a Brick$41.00

Spicy Rice Cakes$37.00

Steak Frites$46.00

Table

Duck Carnitas for 2$78.00

Prime Bone-in Ribeye for 2-4

Korean Pork BBQ for 4-6$160.00

What 606 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is or, The Whale restaurant rated?

Is or, The Whale currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information