The Gourmet Whaler — Restaurant in Town of Huntington

Lets just say they refused to let my 3 year old use their bathroom, which is against the law. They have to allow their patrons to utilize their facilities according to the board of health. They are allocated for 16 people to eat at their resturant according to the board of health therefore they cannot tell a paying customer they cant have access to their bathroom especially when they provide table and chairs. Instead they told me to take my 3 year old to the porta potty down the street. So basically you cant even wash your hands if you wanted too. I would not recommend this place at all. Took over 30 minutes to get our food and my poor 3 year old couldn't go to the bathroom. Good thing i found some place for her to go just in time after packing up our stuff. Not people friendly at all. Very rude customer service.

Update from owners response: as my review was short this will be my side of your response. 1: the only thing that was told to me upon arrival was indoor dining was closed. Nothing was mentioned about bathroom. I overheard it by chance. Nothing was said directly to me. 2) as a restaurant owner, you should know policys per the board of health. Your staff is technically serving people when you bring the food and water outside to your patrons and placing chairs from your dining room outside. What else you would consider that as When? When I came in to ask about letting my child use the bathroom, we had been there for an hour at that point and and over half of that time was waiting on food. I was told no and to use a porta potty. Im sorry but a porta potty for a small child? I get other patrons may say okay to your "policy, but as I said before, you cant do that and again, as a store owner, you should know this, not assume. I asked again and the lady said she would " call" to ask. As she took her time about "calling" I told her again my child needs to use the bathroom and there is a chance she might pee herself if she didn't "call" someone. Then I asked another lady and was told no. Then a 3rd lady that told me no again. While we where there an hour in total, over half of that waiting for food. The only reason that you were going to allow us to use the bathroom was because I said I would leave a review. Your staff (or you, whoever the last lady was ) followed me outside and was told to stop yelling (which I wasn't) and stop making a scene. Following me outside made a scene. I was advocating for a child who had to pee and you not allowing her to until the end. As all the other patrons said to me as we left to find a place to pee, your staffs response was uncalled for. You're the only resturant that doesn't allow restrooms, heck even places like old navy allows it. Especially for a small child. Instead of just saying okay, you and your staff made it to be a big deal especially because I am sure most adults would understand allowing a child to pee. Also, Hand sanitizer before eating? Yes you might provide that but a place to wash with water and soap is much better than hand sanitizer. Especially with children when their hands are in their mouths. Im sorry I do not want my child who just used sanitizer using her hands to eat with. As for my sister in law, you again attempted to state your "policy" until she stated what the board of health told us. That you have to provide a restroom. Im just glad I found a place for her to go to...

My wife and I have been customers of The Gourmet Whaler for many years. We used to do quick day dates at the park down the street and would have our above average sandwiches sitting on a blanket right by the water. We would always call our order ahead so that the sandwiches would be ready by the time we got there. I remember eating inside once years ago and don't remember the specifics but do remember it wasn't the best experience and I did bump my head on a low hanging metal decoration right where people sit and get up. Years ago, this would be a 4 star review. But now to my more recent experiences...

We had family day by the water not too long ago and the food was not what I remembered, but not terrible. Today though, this is what is warranting a poor review.

Today, me, my wife, and our 2 year old daughter went inside and saw that the place has been completely redone since pre-COVID. We went to the counter and ordered a Philly cheesesteak with no peppers and a kids chicken fingers which came to $27. It used to come with chips but I guess due to inflation, they can no longer give. Nonetheless, I thought this was overpriced. The staff was very friendly and had maybe 10 employees doing various tasks all around the restaurant. Expecting the food somewhat quickly, around 15-20 minutes went by and still no food even though I am seeing people walk in and out of the place with to-go orders left and right. They had to-go bags lined up sitting there for God knows how long. But my family and 3 other tables were sitting there waiting twiddling their thumbs. I walked over to the counter and tasked the person who took our order how much longer it was going to take and she basically couldn't tell me because they're "backed up". Another 15 minutes went by (30-35 minutes after ordering) and I asked someone else for an update. He went to the back and told me 7 minutes. Low and behold, about 10 minutes later, our food came out.

My daughter’s chicken fingers were just chicken fingers, no fries our anything else. They put a piece of lettuce under the chicken and made the chicken wet and soggy. My 2 year old was also pretty fussy after waiting in a restaurant for 40 minutes and wasn't even interested in eating. My Philly cheesesteak was 50% cheese 20% onions and 30% steak. It was the smallest greasiest sandwich I've ever had. Either the quality and consistency has gone down or the staff cannot handle even the slightest bit of pressure. As a customer, it did not look busy enough to warrant a 40 minute wait for a very basic order.

I probably could have drove to 3 different delis and gotten better food in the time that we waited inside of Gourmet Whaler. Probably could have had a sit down meal with a wait staff and faster time and same price at Sandbar which is a 1 minute walk down the street.

As a long time customer who goes to this establishment a few times a year, I can confidently say I may have gone for my...

My recent visit to The Gourmet Whaler restaurant left me utterly disappointed and disheartened. While I usually try to find the silver lining in any dining experience, this particular visit was a complete letdown, courtesy of a dingy atmosphere and the shockingly rude and mean-spirited owner.

From the moment I walked in, it was evident that cleanliness was not a top priority here. The dining area was in dire need of a deep clean, with dusty corners and sticky tables that bore witness to weeks of neglect. I couldn't help but cringe as I navigated my way through the labyrinth of grime. It was a disconcerting start to the evening, to say the least.

But what truly tarnished this dining experience was the behavior of the woman who I later learned was the owner. She greeted me with an icy stare and a dismissive wave, clearly showing her disdain for my presence. As I attempted to engage in polite conversation about the menu and specials, I was met with sharp retorts and condescending remarks. Her outright rudeness made me feel unwelcome and uncomfortable throughout the meal.

The food, regrettably, offered little redemption. It was mediocre at best and did nothing to counterbalance the dismal atmosphere and the inhospitable owner. With an uninspiring menu and lackluster dishes, I struggled to find anything that would make me consider returning to this establishment.

In summary, my visit to The Gourmet Whaler was nothing short of a disaster. The dirty dining environment, coupled with the unwarranted rudeness of the owner, made for an uncomfortable and disheartening dining experience. I cannot recommend this place to anyone seeking a pleasant and enjoyable meal out. Save your time and money and look elsewhere for a dining experience that truly values its customers and the quality of...