How is Whaley's - Permanently Closed restaurant rated?

Name: Whaley's - Permanently Closed
Address: 301 Water St SE, Washington, DC, United States, 20003
Telephone: (202) 484-8800
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.6

Whaley's - Permanently Closed

4.6

638 Reviews

$31 to $50

Seafood

Top Tags:

Whaley’s Raw Bar and Restaurant offers icy cold piles of oysters, clams and other shellfish, as well as seasonal seafood plates and craft cocktails – all served with sweeping river views in the heart of Yards Park, a short walk from Nationals Stadium.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Seafood, American, Shellfish
Hours of operation
Sunday 11:00pm - 9:00pm Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 9:30pm Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Bar open until 11:00pm) Happy Hour Everyday 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Phone number
(202) 484-8800
Website
http://www.whaleysdc.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Daniel Perron
Private party facilities
Whaley’s is located in the historic Lumber Shed building in Yards Park just a few blocks from National’s Park with sweeping river views. We can accommodate parties from 8-80 people. We require a minimum to secure all spaces.
Private party contact
Private Events Coordinator: (855) 993-2302

Location
301 Water St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Neighborhood
Navy Yard
Parking details
Valet is available daily. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Lumbershed Building for $2 per hour.
Public transit
Green Line Metro: Navy Yard-Ballpark
Additional
Bar Dining

What 638 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Sort by

Filters

DO
DaniO
Washington DC
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 23, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Brandon was amazing I hope he finds a great job in DC when Whaleys closes
HD
HappyDiner
Washington DC
13 reviews
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on November 9, 2019
overall4food5service5ambience4
The food and the service were both very good. The only negative was the plating. We both ordered off the “plate” section of the menu. There was absolutely zero finesse or visual appeal with the plating. Everything was just sort of thrown on the plate. Everything tasted excellent, but the restaurant could certainly use some work on plating.
BM
BeaMarie
Washington DC
82 reviews
vip
3.0
82 reviews
Dined on November 9, 2019
overall3food3service4ambience4
Despite a very limited menu, my swordfish and his steak (rare) were well prepared. B/C of a limited menu, we will not return.
AH
AnnH
Chicago
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 3, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fabulous food and service. We wish we lived closer; we would be there all the time.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 2, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great! Cool atmosphere, reasonable prices, and very delicious!
B
Bmax
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on October 27, 2019
overall1food3service5ambience5
Classy restaurant. Great location and venue. If you want to impress your date, great place to eat.
DS
DanielS
Washington DC
12 reviews
vip
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on October 26, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great food, portions were perfect, fresh seafood, Oysters super
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
6 reviews
vip
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on October 6, 2019
overall4food4service3ambience4
First time was good, second time was about the same. Would like to see menu expand or maybe daily specials.
D
Dessert1st
Washington DC
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on October 5, 2019
overall4food5service5ambience5
I’m a little picky when it comes to seafood and limit my selection. Whaleys had a great menu and I was able to pick and choose from a good selection of dishes. Everyone should try the hush puppies! Loved the pancakes too. They weee great to share.
SS
SusanS
San Diego
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on October 1, 2019
overall4food4service3ambience3
First time at the restaurant--enjoyed the food. Host was not particularly friendly. Our waiter was quite pleasant but service was a bit slow, possibly kitchen-related. Would give it another try in the future.
DM
DonnaM
Washington DC
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was fabulous ! I enjoyed the grilled swordfish dish so much !! Wonderful cocktails as well ! It was a great place for a Saturday night dinner with friends . Loved the peppers as a side dish. They were beautifully prepared !
JF
JoanF
Atlantic City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 14, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience4
We loved this place. The only TRIVIAL comment would be that they served our main meal on small dishes rather than giving us larger dishes. Just seemed crowded on the plate. But, overall, we loved it and planned to go back. Wait service was fantastic!
VC
VirginiaCS
Philadelphia
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Birthday lunch w son and daughter before Nats game. Enjoyed the seafood tower for the 4 of us and then each a small entree. Terrific meal. Ate outside on terrace and watched the scene. All great
NJ
NicolleJ
Washington DC
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 8, 2019
overall5food3service2ambience5
Food was very fresh yet salty. Service was pleasant yet Extremely slow. Recommend only go for the oysters only.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had such a great experience at Whaleys. Delicious food and great service.
r
rode0
Washington DC
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on August 24, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Both the food and service were absolutely amazing! We ordered the whole fish of the day and got a black bass cooked to perfection. The suggested wine pairing complemented the fish perfectly as well.
LB
LBFDC
Washington DC
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on August 24, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
We sat at the bar and Cortez was our server/bartender. He was fun, friendly and knowledgeable!!! The food was super yummy too. I can’t wait to come back.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
18 reviews
4.0
18 reviews
Dined on August 24, 2019
overall4food4service4ambience4
Grabbed an early dinner. Beautiful day. Loved the food and beer. We will come back!
L
Lynn
Washington DC
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 23, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great dinner with an awesome waiter.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 22, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
The service was outstanding!! And the food was amazing!! Fresh oysters were my favorite but the scallops were really delicious as well. Highly recommend!!
R
Robertmakelcowboys22
Baltimore
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 18, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
This was our first time at Whaleys and we had a great time. Food and service was excellent. Would definitely come back again and recommend to others. Thanks for a great time. It was our 15th wedding anniversary it was spent at a wonderful venue. Thanks again for your kindness.
d
dinerps
Washington DC
86 reviews
vip
4.0
86 reviews
Dined on August 18, 2019
overall4food4service4ambience4
Enjoyed Restaurant Week brunch - the food value was terrific with 3 large oysters as an appetizer followed by a good entree including a choice of a mimosa or other beverage.
JC
JasonC
Cleveland
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on August 18, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love this place. Worth every penny and the service was amazing.
EL
ElaineL
Austin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 17, 2019
overall5food5service4ambience5
We came to Whaley's for restaurant week and we were delighted at the seafood focused dishes. They had fantastic oysters and a tomato heirloom salad with the most amazing flavor for appetizers. For our entrees, we had the risotto and scallops. The scallops were perfectly seared and they had pillowly luscious texture that I dream about. I enjoyed the risotto as well, but it leaned salty and too rich. I could have been tapered with some green onions or a pickled onions. They did provide pickled birds eye chilies (?) but I needed a bit more balance. The gelato desserts were perfect as were their coconut panna cotta. What's not to love? The ambiance of the restaurant is adorable. It echos and outside fish market and has a carousel in the middle serving as the bar and an actual raw bar in the back where they prepare the fresh seafood. Definitely make a trip out and right after you can take a stroll through the wharf.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 15, 2019
overall3food2service2ambience5
Food took way longer than expected. Food presentation wasn't the best. Tacos were a win.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
5 reviews
2.0
5 reviews
Dined on August 15, 2019
overall2food3service1ambience3
Manager: train your staff to solve problems. We were served by E. We asked for a kids menu, and were told there was none. We had a 7 year old and were rushing to find something for them to eat because gets kid hungry (you feel me parents?). We were told that only the items on the fixed menu for restaurant week were available. Ok. Fine. We fed her from scraps of our dishes. After spending $100+ I see a plate of hush puppies delivered to a couple 6 feet from me. I ask the waiter , E, and he says “those are available at the bar of the bar menu”. Dude: solve the problem. Earn your tip and some repeat business.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 14, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Restaurant week
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 13, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Special shout out to our server, Brandon G. He was friendly, knowledgeable and provided us with exceptional service!
DM
DianeM
Washington DC
66 reviews
vip
5.0
66 reviews
Dined on August 6, 2019
overall5food4service4ambience4
Enjoyed the lovely atmosphere and quiet during my visit but then there were only a few other tables occupied. The location is great right by the river with great views but also is a bit hard to find as it seems there is no sign out on Water St. We had to call and ask "Where are you?" Appears to be a great oyster place, but I didn't have any. Enjoyed my meal and dining companion also loved hers but at the moment I can't recall what we had. Excellent service with a knowledgeable waiter. Treat yourself to a great meal at this hidden gem. Perhaps on the weekends it's more lively but we enjoyed a quiet weekday meal.
S
Sarah
Washington DC
10 reviews
4.0
10 reviews
Dined on August 5, 2019
overall4food4service4ambience5
Great food, wine selection and scenery.
JB
JohnB
New York Area
22 reviews
5.0
22 reviews
Dined on August 2, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Whaleys was a wonderful “find” for us since were out-of-towners. Beautiful setting near the river and an added benefit was the outdoor concert...on a Friday evening. We started with the oysters (great variety) and Heirloom tomatoes (which looked a lot like cherry red and yellow tomatoes), both were presented well and had great flavor! We also had the hush puppies which were large, flavorful, but a bit oily. For our entrées we had the scallops and the grilled swordfish and both were absolutely wonderful! Pricing was satisfactory and comparable to the season and a good restaurant. Last, but not least, our server, Jeremy, was polite, knowledgeable and did a fine job serving us, even permitting us to move to an outdoor location after our dinner to enjoy the concert while sharing our dessert, coconut panna cotta. A restaurant well worth the visit, highly recommend. A MUST return for us when in DC.
EP
ElizabethP
Washington DC
7 reviews
3.0
7 reviews
Dined on July 30, 2019
overall3food4service3ambience4
The food was tasty, but we were the only people in the restaurant and still had to ask repeatedly for a few basic items. Most of the dishes are a la carte so this is not a good place to take a hungry teen or otherwise heavy eater.
DC
DCPattie
Washington DC
81 reviews
vip
2.0
81 reviews
Dined on July 28, 2019
overall2food2service2ambience2
Server was knowledgeable and helpful, but service was very slow. And it took a long time to get our checks. The dining room is lovely with a soaring ceiling that gives a feeling of space, but the slatted benches are very uncomfortable. Food was okay but nothing special. For instance, fried oysters were quite tasty, but the oysters were tiny and the batter predominated. Salted caramel gelato was so salty that it was inedible. We were a compatible group of seven, and enjoyed ourselves -- but would not return for a future outing.
JJ
JulieJ
Washington DC
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on July 28, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was wonderful and the service was outstanding!
GL
GayleL
Washington DC
3 reviews
2.0
3 reviews
Dined on July 27, 2019
overall2food2service4ambience2
The raw oysters were enjoyable and our waiter was nice, but otherwise disappointing experience. The seared scallops were good but the corn dish they were served on was not. The fried oysters were overly breaded and the crispy fingerlying potatoes were not crispy. The heirloom tomatoes turned out to be small cherry tomatoes. The hushpuppies were dense, tasteless, and over cooked. The shrimp were okay.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on July 26, 2019
overall2food4service1ambience3
We wanted reservations at 5:30 but none were available. We arrived on time for our 5:45 reservation to find the restaurant nearly empty. After being seated, we were asked if we could order “everything at once.” After doing so (drinks, appetizers, and entrees), we waited 25 minutes for our drinks. Our very cheery waitress kept assuring us that everything would be up soon. To be sure, it was an excellent meal, when it finally arrived after we had been there for nearly an hour.
E
Emv92
Washington DC
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on July 22, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Whaley's was amazing!!! I took my friend for his birthday who LOVES seafood (who also owns some of his own bars/restaurants in DC/Arlington and has tried many great restaurants in the DC area) and we were both so impressed. We ordered soo much food and it was all delicious (peach salad, hush puppies, etc etc). HIGHLY recommend the seafood risotto - portion is massive and it's been a staple on their menu since they opened. Our server was very attentive and sweet and management came by to check on us a couple times as well. They even brought out a dish on the house (I believe it was crispy oysters & that was also sooo good). The build-out/furniture/decor for the restaurant was really nice as well, pictures online don't do it justice! Very nice sit-down restaurant with great seafood and it wasn't over the top/too stuffy, if that makes sense. Lastly, our server brought out their coconut panna cotta dessert for his birthday and we were freaking out over how delicious that was.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on July 21, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent in every respect!
RA
RaselA
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on July 21, 2019
overall3food2service4ambience5
Decent food but slightly overpriced. I don't think I will visit this place again but if you are a giant sea food lover you might as well enjoy the food.
SN
SNBY
Charlotte
2 reviews
vip
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 14, 2019
overall2food1service2ambience4
If you are not ordering the seafood Tower or the tacos, then do not go to this restaurant. The Food lacks flavor which then shows the lack of passion of the preparer of the food. It is a place I would not recommend for food. Cocktails are good, so stop here to have a drink and then head to one of the other many restaurants in the area.

FAQs

Whaley's - Permanently Closed is rated 4.6 stars by 638 OpenTable diners.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
Navy Yard
Hours of operation
Sunday 11:00pm - 9:00pm Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 9:30pm Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Bar open until 11:00pm) Happy Hour Everyday 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Cuisines
Seafood, American, Shellfish
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Valet is available daily. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Lumbershed Building for $2 per hour.
Public transit
Green Line Metro: Navy Yard-Ballpark
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Executive chef
Daniel Perron
Additional
Bar Dining

Website
http://www.whaleysdc.com/
Phone number
(202) 484-8800
Private party facilities
Whaley’s is located in the historic Lumber Shed building in Yards Park just a few blocks from National’s Park with sweeping river views. We can accommodate parties from 8-80 people. We require a minimum to secure all spaces.
Private party contact
Private Events Coordinator: (855) 993-2302