I get the feeling that someone here is spreading bad vibes all over town. Â I was in town, mud season, and wanted to try someplace new since our favorite restaurant was closed for the season. Â I asked 2 locals about the Whale's Tail and was told that under no circumstances I should eat there and then they listed ridiculous, unbelievable stories on why we shouldn't eat there...well we called their bluff and went anyway and we're very happy we did.
First off, our Server Charlie (I think it was) was awesome. Â He'd been there forever and was conversational and funny. Â We talked about about the Deadliest Catch shoot as I'm a fan, and he told some funny stories. Â He recommended a couple of dishes to us and we took his advice
Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna app, with Coconut Shrimp and Lamb Chops. Â
Everything was excellent. Â I'm just glad we had the sense to understand that in a small town still unwinding from Cabin Fever there can be politics on a High School Girl level.
I visit Breck a couple times a year and Whale's Tail is now in the dinner rotation....regardless of what some locals say.
Stopped in after a day of skiing for happy hour(3-6pm). Â Service was great! Â Had a couple Coors lights $2. Â They brought out some tomato juice for my wife to make a red beer(no extra charge). Â Had the 10 cent each peal and eat shrimp-just OK but only 10 cents! Â Wings were very good at 50 cents each. Â This is our new happy hour location when we are in breck.
Review Source:First time I went to Breck and every time since, gotta stop by the Whale's Tail for Happy Hour. Â Great cheap grubbing on shrimp and wings, and good drink specials, all wrapped up in an old school Breckenridge establishment. Â Giving an extra star for the vibe! Â Great place. Â Would be 5 stars if they would have a better happy hour beer selection, but taps are limited. Â So many good Colorado beers, so few taps to serve them on....hint hint!!!
Review Source:We stopped into Whale's Tail today for lunch to get away from the freezing snowy weather after a half day of skiing. I had the mahi mahi on the grill with sweet potato french fries. It was delicious and fairly healthy. Our waitress was very peppy and helpful. Food came out fast not just for us but for everyone else there from what I saw. Overall we were happy with the experience.
Review Source:There was plenty of seating available on a busy Friday night. Â That should have told us enough, but we went on with it. Â
Service was good, but the food was barely palatable for all of us...and we all had something different. Â Okay, my clam chowder was pretty good, so I'm giving an extra star, but the entrees were lacking. Â The beer selection was kinda skinny too - at least given what our waitress told us they had. Â
This place will do in a pinch, but I'd stick it pretty firmly on the last resort list.
I am surprised that this restaurant got so many bad reviews. Â I went to dinner here a couple weeks ago and it was perfectly fine - no food poisoning or shoddy service as some have said.
We got the king crab leg special and they were really good. Â Not as good as West coast fresh but for a mountain town - I'm certainly not going to complain.
The drinks were varied and delicious.
The service was prompt and professional.
The only downside would be the prices. Â They are a little on the pricy side. Â But this is a resort town - what do you expect?
I'll likely come back the next time I'm in Breck.
We came here for lunch one day and the food was just okay, it was empty in the restaurant..as usual.
Just went back for happy hour to get the $.50 wings and they were not great. They were fried and the sauce was on the side and there was just nothing special about them...except the fact that they are only 50 cents. The thing that really got me..besides the horrible tap selection...was the bartender. She was scratching her head with both hands the entire time!!! Then she would look at her fingers to see what was on there and scrape underneath her fingernails and start scratching again. She then proceeded to bring the food and plates out to us. I'm am absolutely disgusted and definitely will not be going here again. The manager saw what was happening and didn't even tell her to stop doing that in front of the customers or to go was her hands or anything. I do not recommend this place...that is gross and the food isn't worth it.
Had a great lunch at the Whale's Tail today. Walked in for an early lunch with the kids and were greeted like you would THINK you should be greeted in the off-season - VERY nice waitstaff & bartender. We were the only ones there for a while, which I've found can mean spotty service (because the server doesn't remember you're even there) and less-than-good food. This was the exception .. our server Kelsey was fantastic: super nice, gave great service and was just all-around pleasant. Makes such a HUGE difference in a meal!!
Our food came and everything - from my husband's outstanding mushroom & swiss burger (I was jealous!) with sweet potato fries to my sliced ahi starter and exquisite side salad (way more awesome than any side salad I'D seen in a while!) to the kids meals, which were generous portions and super yummy.
Thanks Whale's Tail - we'll be back this ski season!
Had dinner here on a Friday night during the off-season (August).
Service was great, food was tasty and the portions were very generous. House wine was even pretty good (which is unusual for a house wine. I'm a bit fussy that way).
This place has been around since the 70's and I can see why, it's a nice place with good quiet atmosphere. We will definitely eat here again. The homemade crab bisque soup was very yummy, as was the beet salad (made with Colorado beets) and the seafood pasta my husband ordered was tasty as well.
Not sure why people have commented on the food prices; they seemed reasonable to me, after all it's a ski town and it was commensurate or less than what you'd pay at the other restaurants in the area.
Visited here after seeing it on After the Catch and as we were already in Breckenridge, figured we would put it on our list of places to visit for happy hour this past Saturday. Sat outside, soaked up the sun, ordered some wings and though that is the only food I had, have to say they were amazing! They come without sauce on them, it's on the side but they are crispy and a bit spicy all by themselves. The service was great and so was the happy hour. When I go back, will be on my list to visit and try something else but if the wings are the bomb, can only imagine their other offerings...
Review Source:Heard alot of good local talk about this place. I took my family here for Thanksgiving instead if cooking at the condo. Food I guess was ok. I decided to try a fish plate "The Whaler" I guess they should have feed it to a whale as chum. The salmon was frozen, raw in the center, shrimp was over cooked and they put a pretty spicy sauce on it. The mahi mahi was frozen as well. I don't want this to discourage anyone from coming here, I am sure thier other dishes are better. Just my 2 cent. Hope next time I go there food will be better.
Review Source:After coming here for lunch it was very clear to me that I did not want to return for dinner. Not because of the food, but because of the prices. You will pay double for dinner.
I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak and my husband got a burger with cajun seasoning and bleu cheese. I had fries and he had pasta salad. He loved his burger and the pasta (just a warning, that serving of pasta salad was very, very small). I really liked my cheesesteak. Definitely better than some other places in Colorado that are supposedly known for their cheesesteaks. The bread is what made it what it was.
I loved the decor and our waitress was nice. I would come back, but only for lunch.
We've walked by this place several times over the years and we decided to try it for lunch one day. Â I don't recall exactly what I had but it was some sort sandwich. Â Food was ok, nothing great. Â My husband ordered the burger with blue cheese but then they told him they were out of blue cheese. Â I don't know, maybe we should give this place another try....
Review Source:The food was adequate -- I enjoyed my shrimp dish and appetizer, and a couple of members of our party also liked their dishes. Â Others commented their steak was overdone and their fish wasn't great.
The service, however, was friendly but strikingly inept. Â The waiter spilled some beer on me -- he was very apologetic about it, but I had to ask *three* times for a replacement napkin after using my original one to mop up. Â He came and asked if we were ready for dessert while one member of the party wasn't even halfway through his main course. Â We were sat literally crowded up against another party while the place was almost empty outside the bar area. Â The waiter completely forgot our appetizer order. Â He forgot that he brought the first beer and brought another. Â On and on. Â The kind of bad service you remember for a long time, but a full tip had already been figured into our bill for a party of five.
Is Mac playing tonight? If so, there isn't a better place in town to be.
I went to the Whale's Tail with a large group of friends and we had a blast with Mac, our local multi-talented musician who knows how to keep things entertaining. He takes requests, but as his tip jar clarifies: Free Bird $100. It was certainly tempting.
The Whale's Tail offers a nice space for dancing, drinking, and hoola hooping. Mac has all sorts of costume attire and keeps the party going. He even customizes song lyrics for Summit County. Local legend!
Headliner: Come in between 3pm-5pm and ask for the Seared Ahi
Main Street is icy, and I had slipped up and severely banged myself, plus my phone was in pieces. Â We needed a place to sit down close by, and the Whale's Tail fit the bill. Â We were not planning on staying, but we are glad we did. Â The Whale's Tail is in essence a dive bar, but served dinner after 5pm. Â Between opening at 3pm and dinner service, they have specials (50c wings, 10c peel-and-eat-shrimp), happy hour in the bar, a quick bits menu and a bar menu. Â Phew! Â This place also lets dogs in the bar apparently. Â Good to know if you are a dog owner (I'm not). Â Just please don't bring your yippy dog in.
We decided to order a few wings, plus a crab melt that we liked the look of from the bar menu and the seared ahi tuna from the quick bits. Â The crab melt and ahi tuna - at over $10 - were easily the most expensive things on the menu, so our value isn't really there, but read on for our view of that food.
Firstly, let's talk service. Â Our waitress supplied DECENT coffee (I know - in a dive bar - who would have thought they would have decent coffee), and HOT plates (I wish more places did this). Â However, she forget the cutlery. Â We were apparently meant to eat with our fingers. Â Fortunately, the cutlery stash was close by, so we helped ourselves. Â I'll call that spotty brilliance on the service.
The wings came our crispy and dry - with wing sauce and blue cheese sauce in little ramekins so you could sauce yourself. Â However, the wings were plenty spicy already, crispy like fried chicken should be and oh so delicious. Â I'd call these a hidden gen. Â I was not expecting such perfection in a wing from this place.
The seared ahi tuna was seared with pepper on the outside, and had a perfect sear. Â However, the higlight was the intertwining of the two sauces that the eight slices were laid on. Â The wasabi mayo and I think it was some sort of soy teriyaki thing - both excellent and a highlight of the dish.
The disappointment came in the form of the crab melt. Â There was plenty of crab and it was nicely cooked and seasoned, and the parmesan cheese melted on top provided a salty hint. Â However, the english muffin should have been well toasted, and it wasn't. Â The result was a soggy consistency that was not pleasant. Â I'd also have preferred some other melty cheese on top instead of the parmesan - it just doesn't melt well.
So, really, a mixed bag. Â One place well worth checking out for yourself. Â We will certainly be back to examine more of the bar menu.
The Ahi was Awesome! I didn't feel that the price was without reason. My food was Awesome, served Hot, Correct and Timely. The waitstaff could improve, I say this because the rest of my party had some problems. The bus staff, especially "Bev" was awesome! Bread and Water without asking and super clean. Lot's of local brews and good lively crowd!
Review Source:A local spot right in the heart of Main Street with a killer happy hour and friendly locals. Â We only stayed here for a few beers to warm up from the wind and snow but as usual in Breckenridge, we're greeted with plenty of conversation from our neighbors at the bar. Â This seems like an easy place to come hit for an early drink and some pub grub.
Review Source:There's a reason there's no wait for this place... Â The food was okay, but way overpriced. Â The biggest issue was the service was horrible! Â The older waiter we had was rude and blamed us for not knowing who ordered what when he was the one who screwed the order up and brought out soups for appetizers that were meant for the main course.
He was also very pushy and accused us of being short on the bill before he even did the math and demanded $5 extra in cash. Â We just said whatever and gave it to him, signed our receipts and left. Â We went outside and the waiter stormed out and said he only had 3 out of 5 receipts and demanded we come up with the rest. Â
Well after one member of our party offered their customer receipt he just gave up and said he would go "look" for the rest. Â We actually helped this guy out and put all 5 receipts together in the book after we signed them. Â And the 5th receipt that "disappeared" apparently decided to show up again because everyone was charged.
This was honestly the most bizarre experience I've ever had at a restaurant. Â Do yourself a favor, save your money, and go to a better restaurant in Breck trust me the wait at other restaurants is worth it. Â I will never go back to this place.
Good food and friendly service. The seafood medley was great although I should've ordered a side as the portion sizes are pretty average. The next table had children and they were really taking the time to make sure that they were having a good time and enjoyed their fish and chips which looked good too. Â It is a casual place and less stuffy than a lot of the Breck places can be.
Review Source:This place turned out to be a pleasant surprise; after walking around Breckenridge and checking out various restaurants to see which had the best non-meat options we settled on this place. Â My companion and I shared the seared ahi appetizer with a wasabi sauce and it was excellent, as was the fish I ordered (ruby red trout with a pesto cream sauce). Â The house merlot was flavorful and the food arrived promptly. Â Contrary to what other reviewers have written, some of their fish is local - the trout, for example. Â I was not crazy about the decor or the humongous television but we were near the fireplace which added warmth on a brisk evening.
Review Source:i really don't know why we ended up here. Â On my company's ski trip, there were contingents from multiple offices in a large group looking for dinner, and let's just say it wasn't the folks from Boston who suggested the seafood place in the Rocky Mountains. Â Wary of places with long waits on a Saturday night, i think the strategy was to pick the lamest-looking establishment on the street. Â Where we still waited for an hour plus. Â
Mind you, we'd all skied and snowboarded through the day and were hungry and thirsty. Â A mere three taps (only one of which wasn't crap) meant that we were drinking expensive bottles in a cramped, overheated bar area where we overflowed dangerously close to nearby tables. Â They were kind enough to ply us with bread until we were seated, though.
The server and i think the manager or owner were very attentive to our large group. Â They really were trying very hard. Â i can't really speak for the quality of the seafood. Â i don't eat seafood. Â My other colleague from Boston is a vegan. Â You can see why we might have been rolling our eyes. Â The pasta was okay; it was your stereotypical token non-seafood dish that i've been enjoying since my childhood. Â
The decor was exactly what you'd picture the Sea Captain from the Simpsons decorating a restaurant with. Â Like a theme park, but with less restraint. Â To top it all off there was, er, entertainment. Â One of those singers who starts conversations in the middle of songs to disguise the fact that he probably can't sing the whole thing right anyway. Â
Like i said, they try hard, and are friendly, but deep down, it just wasn't very good at all.
Ate here last week with some family members. Â We were walking around and decided we wanted seafood to eat so we popped in. Â It was a very disappointing dinner. Â
3 of the 4 of us had the clam chowder to start. Â It was just ok.. Â We all ordered different entrees. Â None were hot or fresh tasting. Â One of our entrees was just plain cold and had the wrong potato for the side. Â We questioned this and was told that they had run out of baked potatoes earlier that night. Â Our server never told us this and in fact, offered a baked potato with the dinner. Â Â We just sent back the entire entree all together. Â
Overall, definitely not worth the money...I have had better seafood at chain restaurants.
The fillet mignon was cooked to perfection and the New England clam chowder was delicious! The service is laid back and it's the kind of place you'd expect to find at the bottom of the slopes. The staff gave us all the information we needed to have a killer road-trip the next day. They were so committed to us having a great time while in Breckenridge. It's a "feel good" bar/restaurant perfectly suited for some beer, peppermint schnapps and well prepared food!
Review Source:I'm really surprised at the low ratings this place got. Â It's not a high-end restaurant, but we had a nice lunch on the patio facing the street and came away feeling good and satisfied...that's A-ok!
Food was good--fish and chips, tuna sandwich, crab cakes--service fine, and atmosphere pleasant. Â Maybe it's the difference between summer and ski season, but I would definitely go back.
Due to flight times being delayed (surprise surprise), we arrived in Breck much later than we anticipated and just wanted to get a meal and get to bed. This was one of the few places that was still open and serving, so in we went.
Service was good. And that about ended the goodness. Had the tomato and mozzarella salad. My parents split the strip steak. Nothing to write home about, other than the worst tomato and mozzarella salad I've ever had.
The music would have been perfect for a karaoke bar.
I recently ended up at the Whale's Tail after a failed attempt to take the recommendation of a few locals and try the South Ridge Seafood Grill, which had over an hour wait. It was already after 8pm, so we headed back towards Main and peeked in to see if the Whale's Tail had an open table. Unfortunately, they did.
The atmosphere at this place is atrocious. It's obscenely loud though I'm at a loss to say why. We had to shout across our two-person table to hear one another. And the whole place just seems grungy as if its dive bar qualities had seeped out from the drunken mess that is the bar area and infected the whole restaurant, including the women's bathroom. I waited forever for the single occupancy bathroom (so long a line had started to form) only to be horrified when a couple of drunken idiots came stumbling out rearranging their clothes, and the girl nearly spilled her cranberry-vodka on me as she staggered by.
The wine and food we ordered was vastly overpriced, as it is pretty much everywhere in ski resort towns, but at the Whale's Tail, it was wine I know sells for $10 a bottle marked up to $9 a glass and food that was barely palatable. I had the seafood pasta with a disgustingly clumpy, tasteless, sluggish cream sauce. There were about 3 cups of cream sauce to 1 cup pasta, 2 pathetic shrimp, a few pieces of dry, overcooked mystery fish, and a few very sad scallops. Perhaps the chef was trying to recreate the sensation of swimming for them. It was gross.
Maybe this place is better if you're drunk at the bar, I don't know, but dinner at the Whale's Tail was an unpleasant experience, and the food was disappointing to say the least. I've had more flavorful meals on transatlantic flights. Breckenridge is so packed with cute shops and a wide variety of restaurants, you really shouldn't waste your time here.
Everything .... about .... Whale's .... Tail .... was .... so .... slow ....
We arrived and were told there was a 30-45 minute wait. The host pointed out a table near the bar and said a waitress would pop by to bring us drinks. There were still empty glasses from the previous party at the table, so we pushed them to the end. 10 minutes and no waitress ... now we're bussing our own table and getting drinks from the bar. Fine, no big deal.
Three tables open up in the dining room and we wait patiently for them to be bussed. 10-15 minutes go by before they clear the first one. Another 5 before someone let's us know that it was our table.
The server pops by and says he'll be with us in a minute. Twice. Ten minutes later, he takes our drink order. Five minutes later we get our drinks ...
I don't want to do this anymore. You get the idea. It wasn't one bad waiter ... it was everyone there. I watched it over and over. I could have handled it if the food had been good. Or even decent. But, it wasn't. My pan fried rocky mountain trout was lacking any spice and had so much grease on it, that it might as well have been deep fried and not drained. The zucchini was boiled limp. At least they couldn't mess up a baked potato.
Oh, they sat us in front of a covered keyboard and speaker set-up. We didn't think much of it until halfway through our meal ... when the "entertainment" showed up. It would have been nice of them to let us know we were about to be blasted with awful jokes and bad singing.
Ugh. Stay away!
Hmmm....no food poisoning here.
We were fools and tried to go to Kenosha Steakhouse without reservations. Walked a little farther and found Whale's Tail (recognized the name from a friend's suggestion). It was busy but there was an open table.
I was wary of our server.....he looked like a die hard skier..... trying to make some extra cash so that he could stay for the whole season....and wouldn't be very....intelligent . But boy was I wrong--he knew the menu & made a  great wine suggestion. Smoked salmon appetizer was outstanding and the rest of the food was just good, not great. We were all ravenous from a long day of skiing so we were happy.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
