The Iron Whale, located on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park, is quite a departure from the previous ventures of the McLoone Restaurant Group. It features a rustic, yet still contemporary design in the spirit of seafarers, with prominent reclaimed wood, ropes, and gas lanterns.
The menu, by executive chef Charles Collins, features inventive takes on seafood including a Taco Bar, hence the title Whale. However, it also includes a wide selection of meat presentations, or Iron.
Based on 540 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.1 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ Delivery
Address:
1200 Ocean Ave Unit 504, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Phone: (732) 361-5185
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Tuesday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–11 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–11 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Monday | 11 AM–10 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Order and Reservations
Reservations: ironwhalenj.comopentable.com
Reviews
Yamarie Colon
Went for birthday dinner after a failed reservation at another spot on the boardwalk. We had such a great experience here that I found myself grateful that the original plans didn’t work out!
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Lisa S
I had this place on my radar to go to since they opened several years ago. I finally stopped in yesterday for the first time for lunch. I was greeted warmly by the hostess and waitstaff as soon as I arrived. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant is spectacularly beautiful. I could really see this place really hopping in the summer months. My server Jamie was friendly and very attentive, and the food came out super fast. The menu is a tad small and a bit odd, but from what I was told, nothing can be substituted. I do, however, agree with several other reviewers that the prices are pretty high for the amount of food that is served. I ordered the Crab Cake and the Maine Lobster Roll, and both were very tasty, but again, I wish there was more for the price. The Whale Mary cocktail was absolutely fantastic. I even got complimentary french fries to go with my order because of a mix-up. Overall, I was pretty happy with my experience and would dine here again in the future.
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Lisa Davis
The atmosphere was wonderful. The staff was pleasant. The food was wonderful. Loved the bread choices and spreads. Our waitress was knowledgeable and explained the dishes. I would dine here again. Our reservations were just prior to the standard dinner time hour so we had the dinning area to ourselves. Customers from the bar are could be heard as well as customers from a 2nd take who arrived near the end if our dinning experience. This was not a concern to us
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Cristy Garcia
Great spot for couples and families alike! It’s our 2nd time here and everything we tried on the menu is fantastic! Super fun and creative cocktails (tonight we tried the Violet Femmes and The Benchley – both fabulous!), and for apps we had the chicken and lemongrass dumplings along with local oysters and the tapenade. For mains we did the coconut shrimp tacos and the cowboy steak. The steak was a little bland for our taste, but everything else was great! For dessert we did the key lime pie and the strawberry cake special. To complete the night we had the iron whale coffee. All wonderful and we’ll definitely return again!
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jen sluyk
I am so glad we finally tried Iron Whale. Their menu had a lot of interesting options that sounded delicious, and their specials also sounded (& were very tasty). They also had gluten free and vegan options. We got seated by the window with the view of the beach. It was aesthetically pleasing in the restaurant. I got the gluten free vegan cauliflower flatbread and the waiter did get offended when I asked him to double check that the flatbread was gluten free because it did not taste gluten free. But rest assure it was and it was so good! The cocktails and drinks were also really good! We had a great experience.
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Walter Vashey
Really nice place and great food. We had the Ceviche,Crab Cake,Po Boy Fish Tacos, Halibut special, 12oz Sirloin ChocolateChip bread pudding and Pear Crene Brulee. The dishes were excellent! The Tacos did need a little more sauce though. The Whale ( bloody) Mary was delicious, as waste Rachel Margherita. Paul, our server was excellent as well.
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Doug Ward
I’ve been here twice in the past 3 weeks. The food ( at least what I’ve ordered has been fantastic ). The service is excellent, from the hostess to the server’s ( very professional ) .
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Madelyn Weathers
4 stars from me today because I reserve the fifth star for barstaff that’s actually attentive to the patrons and doesn’t make you have to say “excuse me…” I can’t say much about the food as I only got the calamari appetizer but it was pretty good.
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Tyler Pincus
Definitely on the pricier side, but I was satisfied with everything we ordered, and the service was great. I had heard mixed reviews so I wasn’t sure of what to expect, but it’s a great spot and dining outdoors was nice. The sesame seared tuna and jerk shrimp appetizers were highlights, though dessert was weak. Overall, would visit again.
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Jay Carpenter
We have eaten here twice now. The first time we came in, our waitress had the same stye infinity tattoo on her wrist like we did. We thought that was sooo cool..and she let us take a pic. The food is outstanding, you will not be disappointed. The fish tacos are the best we have ever had as well as the Clam Chowder. Of course everyone would like to see lower prices but look around, prices are jacked up everywhere. The price is fair in this establishment. We will be back
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