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Expiring Resy credits and a visiting family member gave me the perfect excuse to try a beachfront restaurant in Venice. It mostly worked out—except for one small (and avoidable) parking mistake. Join us for a quick review of the Whaler Beach Bar Venice in Los Angeles’ Venice Beach neighborhood.
Why Did I Pick Whaler Beach Bar Venice?
Our 18-year-old niece from Colorado was spending spring break in Southern California. I picked her up, and Venice was sort of on the way home. I hold several American Express cards that feature Resy restaurant statement credits and figured someplace on a beach would be a fun way to use my Resy credits. Plus, this visit took place at the end of the month — and I try to follow my own advice as much as possible!
(Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.)Where is Whaler Beach Bar Venice?
You’ll find Whaler Beach Bar Venice at 10 Washington Blvd, Venice, California, 90292.
It’s steps away from the Venice Pier, which you may recognize from movies such as Falling Down, Barbie, and White Men Can’t Jump.
It’s about a five-minute walk from the picturesque Venice Canals — a quiet, scenic area to enjoy a walk and take pictures.
Where to Park for the Whaler Beach Bar Venice
I screwed up here. But it’ll be worth it if my mistake saves you a few bucks.
Free parking in the beach areas is a challenge. There are some permit-parking-only streets. Finding an open spot on a street with few restrictions comes down to fortuitous timing.
We didn’t find any spots and drove a few blocks north. I found a lot where the Venice Canals start. I shelled out $20 to park. However, the attendant told me I had all-day parking privileges. So, if I wanted to stay past sundown, I’d probably be fine — as opposed to other lots which start dishing out parking tickets as soon as the sun dips below the Pacific.
Lo and behold, next to the Whaler Beach Bar was an L.A. City lot charging a $9 flat fee. I could’ve parked there and saved $11. We were just there for lunch and then stroll along the beach for a bit.
#FAIL.
That said, we enjoyed our walks along the canals and then on the boardwalk (read: cement walk) to and from the lot.
If you don’t plan to stay in the area too long, just park at the beach lot.
Whaler Beach Bar Venice
The Whaler Beach Bar Venice features plenty of seating inside and outside. We opted for patio seating because my 18-year-old niece was visiting from Colorado and it was a nice day. (I love eating outside anyway — especially by a beach!)
We showed up around 1:15 PM on a spring break Saturday — and were seated right away. The crowd is a fun potpourri of people: tourists, hippie California beachy types, 20-and-30-somethings who love brunching and drinking with friends, college kids getting their drink on, Harley riders, people with dogs and more.
If you want a quiet place to enjoy a conversation and quinoa, this ain’t it.
Don’t expect to be wowed with elegance or fine food. The Whaler is pretty much what its name says: a beach bar. You’ll find upper-ish scale bar food.
We seemed to be some of the only diners not enjoying an alcoholic beverage or several.
The Whaler’s cold brew is delicious and very strong. It gave me a genuine caffeine buzz!
My niece ordered the fish and chips.
Her review? An enthusiastic two thumbs up.
Being a creature of habit and a hamburger lover, I went with the Whaler Smashburger
Cheeseburger at Whaler Beach Bar Venice (©EyeOfTheFlyer.com)Decent burger — nothing to write home about (yet here I am writing a blog post about it! 🙂 )
But the fries. Wow. Both my niece and I thought the fries were legit.
The service was fast and friendly, too.
I paid $20 on my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and the balance on my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card.
Should You Go?
- 👍 Great for: casual beach lunch, people watching, using Resy credits
- 👎 Skip if: you want quiet, upscale dining
Final Approach
I used some of my monthly Resy credits to take a visiting family member to Whaler Beach Bar in Venice, California. The service is good, the food is above standard bar fare (and good), and the people watching is top notch. If you find yourself in the area, it’s definitely worth your time if you need to burn Inedits.Kind or Resy credits.
Have you been to Whaler Beach Bar in Venice? Do you have any beachy favorites anywhere in the Resy program?
Other Resy Restaurant Reviews
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link.
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and and may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This relationship may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
