Iron Whale — Restaurant in Asbury Park

this will be a long, detailed review cause i never leave a review but this last visit rubbed me the wrong way.

my first visit to iron whale was great. my server tyler was attentive & made it a great experience. the food was great as well. i went again on the 3rd of july & did not have the same experience. i work in the service industry as well so i know when mistakes happen there’s probably something reasonable that caused those mistakes and i try to be understanding about it but this day it was not going well for the server, maybe it was just a bad day for him. my boyfriend and i had a reservation at 5pm & it wasn’t busy just yet. we were honestly one of the first in the inside portion of the restaurant. the server introduction was great but then the first mistake happened when the server didn’t put our order in right even though he did repeat the order back to us correctly right after ordering. the chowder and the ahi tuna were supposed to come out first which he even stated then the salad and the steak for entrees. the salad and the soup came out first which was no problem and was guessing the tuna would come out shortly but after 15 min it still never came out. the server came to check on us and if i didn’t mention the tuna again we probably would have never gotten it because i do think he forgot to put it in as he said “so you still do want the tuna”. again not a problem and he was apologetic and we were being kind and understanding about it cause mistakes happen. tuna finally came out which was mediocre then the steak. now we asked for med rare for the steak and it came out rare as can be so we had to send that back for them to cook it more. while we were waiting for the steak another salad came out which we didn’t order. the server put in two salads instead of the tuna. it was kind for them to offer a free dessert with all the mishaps. we got the crème brûlée which tasted burnt because they burnt the sugar on the top which was probably due to the custard itself being dark so it was hard to see when the sugar got the right color. then i don’t know what happened towards the end. the server was passive aggressive towards us and when he put down the check he seemed irritated to have us which is what made me tip less. and take note i always give 20% just because i’m a server myself and i understand. its rare for me to tip less than and i was still going to after the mishaps but how the server acted towards us in the end was what changed my mind. the restaurant itself is beautiful and it’s right on the boardwalk. the drinks are good as well. i also do suggest the...

Dinner early on a Thursday. The restaurant was not busy when we arrived, but by the time we left it was pretty full. The host and hostess who greeted us were....I don't know.... Flat? Disinterested? Not sure but they really weren't friendly and definitely didn't smile. Nonetheless, we were seated and started off with cocktails: the honey dew list and the white negroni. The drinks were excellent; the bar here really knows how to mix a drink. For our meals we started off with the small plate of jerk shrimp to share which for me were quite spicy. However, if you dip them in the aioli provided it cools them down significantly. The watermelon salad was huge! We ended up sharing it. Nice chunks of watermelon, feta, and pistachios all worked quite well together. Ordered a second round of drinks but this time we had the smoked old fashioned and the cantarito. I didn't really care for the cantarito unfortunately. It wasn't bad it just needed something a little sweeter to cut the acidity in my opinion. For dinner we both had gluten free seafood pasta. It was a good portion of food. Clams, shrimp, and scallop (there was only one!) were cooked well. The mussels were gritty and there was too much broth I thought. Asked for some old bay to liven it up a little which helped, but all in all it was a decent meal for the price. For dessert we shared the chocolate torte which was creamy and delicious. Sadly, we heard other servers at nearby tables offering the specials of the day to diners. Our server never even mentioned any specials to us which was disappointing. Otherwise the service was relatively good. Overall, I did enjoy the atmosphere and menu and would return again to try other cocktails...

My recent experience at the Iron Whale in Asbury Park NJ was highly disappointing, primarily due to the abysmal service provided by the hostess on duty. I visited the restaurant on 7/20/24 around 5pm with friends, hoping for a pleasant dining experience, but left thoroughly unimpressed.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were met by a hostess (dark hair, Italian horn necklace) who seemed unfriendly and disinterested in accommodating us. She did not greet us and instead looked at us in a "yes?" type of manner. Despite the restaurant being completely empty, she curtly informed us that all tables were booked, suggesting an outdoor table might be available in 20-30 minutes. Her lack of hospitality was immediately evident as she barely made eye contact and appeared cold and distracted- really setting the tone for our dinner.

We reluctantly provided our name and phone number as requested and received a text message just 3 minutes later notifying us of an available table.

Once seated, we overheard another group behind us sharing a similar experience with the same hostess. It was evident that her poor attitude, unprofessional demeanor, and overall unfriendliness significantly detracted from what should have been a pleasant evening out. In conclusion, based on the treatment we received from the hostess alone, I would strongly advise anyone considering dining at the Iron Whale to explore other options in Asbury Park where they are likely to encounter more welcoming and professional service. This experience was a stark reminder of how crucial first impressions are in the hospitality industry, and unfortunately, the hostess at Iron Whale failed spectacularly in...