Moby Dick

4/23/2017

• 1 check-in

We came here last Friday when the sun finally came out after weeks of rain.  It's situated just across the promenade in White Rock, and there was lots of pay parking.  The hostess who took my name down to get a table was so pleasant and courteous so I didn't mind it when she told me the wait time was 20-25 minutes.

We came at about 12:30 pm and as expected there was a huge line-up for tables and take-away.  There were a few seats just outside the resto to wait but it was packed with the take out patrons.  We salivated as we saw the the customers walk away with their take aways.

We were eventually sat in their patio in 30 minutes and our drink orders were taken and delivered within minutes.  My party of 5 all ordered the same thing: 1 piece of fish and chips.  Our waitress was very friendly and patient and explained to us that we are actually getting 2 pieces of fish per order -- a really good deal!  She brought us a huge serving of tartar sauce but I'm a malt vinegar fanatic and happy to see that condiment was already at our table.

We got our orders right away.  The beer batter was not as light as I would like but definitely better than most.  The Alaskan cod was shiny and moist as I showered it in malt vinegar.  The lightly salted chips were crisp on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside.  My parents who routinely order fish and chips in chain restaurants liked Moby Dick's more.

We would definitely come back but probably time it when they open at 11:30 or after 1:30.

1/28/2017

Dropped in here for lunch today. I had the two-piece fish and chips. The fish, Alaskan cod, was overcooked and the batter tasted a little bit burned. Portion sizes for the fish were fine. You will pay a little bit extra for eating fish and chips in a tourist trap but it wasn't otherwise overpriced.  The chips were standard fare. Nothing special but done as you'd expect them to be.

The restaurant is fairly small and busy. Decor is what you'd expect a  fish and chips shack with seating to be. The service was courteous and prompt.

I guess I might've walked in with particularly high expectations given all the positive reviews but burnt batter and overcooked fish kind of ruined it for me considering it's deep fried fish and chips - not that easy to screw up. Maybe they were just having a bad day - they were very busy at the time.

I'll try another one of the eight(?) dedicated fish and chip places on the strip next time around.

5/30/2017

Super friendly staff and the best authentic fish and chips on the west coast. Great hot and cold drinks to compliment the intoxicating fish, vinegar, and chips aroma.

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  Fish and Chips for everyone!

  Fish and Chips for everyone!
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  Spiced cider and Mocha

  Spiced cider and Mocha
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• See all photos from Jim H. for Moby Dick

11/19/2016

• 1 check-in

Beautifully cooked fish. Awesome enviroment. Perfect staff. Very simple restaurant, not fancy but soooo cute. We ll come back for sure.
Ps. The clam chowder is beyond spectacular.

7/4/2017

amazing service, food took a bit long to come out... my boyfriend and i both wanted the chicken and frites but the girl only punched in one so we were both so surprised on how she missed it. the onion rings were the best i've ever tasted

5/29/2017

Great spot for fish and chips! A little on the oily side but trust me, we are every bite!

1/21/2017

Very nice ambiance with great fresh fish and chips loved it  , the place has it all, history good food and great service

2/20/2017

Sad to say, this was our favourite place to go for fish, but had rubbery fish served to us, yesterday, my Daughter n I are sick now, and last night, from it. She couldn't even cut with a knife, first time being served this quality, staff friendly about it, and replaced fish with new ones, and one of the pieces was still bad, manager might want to look into incident, you don't want to be making people sick!

2/22/2016

• 1 check-in

Food 4/5 | Ambiance 4/5 | Service 4/5 | Return Likelihood 3.5/5

One-liner:
Eccentrically decorated, highly acclaimed fish & chips shack that basically tastes the same as the one next door.

Multi-liner:
We mozied down here one weekday winter's morn for the sole purpose of some deep fried fish and potatoes. I've only ever eaten Moby Dick's takeout on the rocks by the beach given how busy it always is, so it was a pleasant change of scenery to sit down inside and not have to fight off hordes of fanatical seagulls. Service was fast once we were seated and we definitely left satisfied as always. It's delicious fish and chips -- not the very best I've had, but you can't go wrong. *However* if the wait is too long, you will be just as happy (unless you need your delayed satisfaction) with the other highly rated establishments along the road.

Food:
Fish was golden and well-breaded though a little oily on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside even without tartar sauce (not entirely sure what the fish is, though). Fries were plentiful though sadly a little soggy (probably from the fish siting on top -- if you order less than 3 pieces, they do not come on a separate plate) and not as crispy as I like them.

Ambiance:
Pictures speak a thousand words for this place -- full of whale memorabilia. Casual; 8 or so tables inside with table service; 3 or 4 on patio. Had our pick of seats when we arrived but it became surprisingly busy as lunchtime rolled around -- although I think we were the only patrons under the age of 50 or so.

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  Fish. Ketchup. Chips. Tartar. Happy belly.

  Fish. Ketchup. Chips. Tartar. Happy belly.

12/11/2015

My absolute favourite place for fish&chips. The fish is moist, batter is crunchy, chips are golden,  best place in WhiteRock. Decor is pretty cool; not much room inside; nice patio.

4/6/2017

Will not return.  Went for lunch today. Fish batter heavy and very greasy. Fries underdone. Will try somewhere else. The portion was generous but not an enjoyable meal.

3/25/2016

• 1 check-in

Traditional fish and chips in White Rock!
We ordered take out but the wait was so long, it was better to dine-in, maybe.
It is a good deal to take the meal and eat it at the promenade.

1/18/2017 Updated review

Used to be good with previous long time owners, but the fish has gone way downhill with its overly greasy and heavy batter in the last two years.  Sad to see it happen.   We gave the new owners a few visits, but the fish was consistently inferior. Maybe they are using cheaper oil in the fry, I don't know, but it's just not the same. Will no longer be a family tradition.  I can't believe they are now planning to franchise the restaurant when it is a pale reflection of its past glory.

10/20/2016

Love moby dick!! Easily my favourite fish and chips in white rock! Very big portions. You get 2 pieces of fish when you order the one piece.

9/14/2016

Moby Dicks is a white rock family tradition. The food is great and so is he service. Speaking of the service, last time I came (Saturday September 10th) I came for the food but stayed for the handsome dude taking orders.

7/6/2016

• 1 check-in

Excellent fish and chips. When you order 1 pc you get 2. When you order 2 you get 3. Its the best around.

4/4/2014

• 1 check-in

A solid choice for fish and chips near the water. The service is friendly, the restaurant is quaint with a cute little patio and the portions are huge. The fish is never soggy and the pieces are always large.

The line can be a little long for both dine in and take out but it is well worth the wait

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  Cute hamburgers

  Cute hamburgers
• See all photos from Sarah T. for Moby Dick

8/12/2016

Always come to Moby Dicks for fish and chips! However very disappointed in them this time. Arrived at 7:50pm and they told us they were closed even though their sign says 8:00pm. I would understand if they said they had run out of fish etc etc but when we said it was only 7:50 they looked at the clock and said yah, no we're closed. Trying out Coney Island so we'll see if we'll be making the switch.

12/8/2014

• 1 check-in

While spending a couple days in Surrey, we asked folks, "Where can we go to get the BEST Fish & Chips?"  Nine-out-of-ten of them responded, "Moby Dick's."  And I can see why!

We were told to either get there early or expect to wait in line and eat it on the beach. I had no clue what that meant, but we were determined to try this.  We did get there early and were able to sit down and enjoy a great fish & chips dinner.

The fish portions are HUGE! The crust was crispy, flavorful and not greasy. The fries were good, but it's that fish that's the seller. Service was a little slow but I quickly attribute that to how unbelievably busy they got within minutes of our arrival. Before we could even finish ordering, a line was forming at their take-out window and quickly went down the sidewalk. Yet, we looked at other places when we walked around later and NONE of them have NEAR the waiting line. That's how good Moby Dick's is.

This is going to be a regular stop for us whenever we're in Vancouver for any length of time.

6/14/2015

Time to talk about another one of my favourites! Again, the only reason I have a load of 4 & 5 stars reviews is because I rig it. I don't go into too many random restaurants. Most places I enter are tried and tested by fellow yelpers.

It's not uncommon for this joint to have a lineup at 4/5am or earlier and even be out of fish by 6 am on a good day. One of the best times I recall going here is when I brought a few of my friends. Everyone was starving, a buddy of mine was going to order 2 pieces, he was on a diet, I pushed him and he got the 3 piece fish & chips. We couldn't stop laughing when it arrived & it came with 5 pieces !! Mind you, normally there's an extra piece but for some miraculous reason he had been given an extra 2, must be fate! It was awesome.

Anyways, I always get tartar sauce, 4/5 pieces of fish, and calarmari, which I specifically order slightly undercooked everywhere in order to avoid getting a rubber-like appetizer, it's always perfect! The fries are no normal fries either, they tower it on your plate, they're nice and sweet, taste amazing with the tartar sauce. If you can get on the patio on a nice day, it feels like you're having just the best day possible.

The Good: Everything! Fish & Chips, Calamari, Tartar Sauce

The Bad: Service can be slightly iffy at times and wait times are always a buzz kill, especially on a nice hot day.

Best Bet: Your Gotta Eat Here!!

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  Fish & Chips 2 Go

  Fish & Chips 2 Go