This heralded seafood dive restaurant and popular local hangout spot operates out of an old gas station on 2801 Myrtle St. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Whaley’s Restaurant & Bar at Edisto offers traditional seafood and classic American fare like burgers and homemade potato chips at reasonable prices. They also host regular live entertainment, and if you’re in town on a Monday, you can join them for karaoke and belt out some of your favorite tunes.
For dinner, enjoy one of their House Feasts featuring the most iconic of Lowcountry dishes, Shrimp & Grits (their version is made with fresh local shrimp and onion bacon gravy atop creamy grits), or Crab Cakes topped with Cajun remoulade, sauteed peppers, and onions, among other fine choices. You can also go their steamer route with peel and eat shrimp or steamed or raw oysters on the half shell.
Start your meal with yummy appetizers, including their Stuffed Shrimp, more of that local shrimp stuffed with crab, wrapped in bacon, and served with a lemon dill dipping sauce, or Mahi-Mahi Bites paired with tangy honey mustard tartar sauce. Step outside your culinary comfort zone and order the Sushi Nachos, a dynamite Asian-American fusion of crispy wonton stacked with pan-seared ahi tuna, avocado, Asian tomato salsa, wasabi aioli, and teriyaki ginger glaze. This imaginative, refreshing, and flavorful combination is just what you need after a day spent lounging on the beach. And don’t forget to sample a cup or bowl of the Shrimp N Crab Bisque, their smooth and creamy award-winning recipe blended with a hint of Sherry.
Check their website or Facebook page for their rotating weekly lunch specials. Their Fresh Fried Catch gives you the option of shrimp, oysters, or flounder. Create a combo and pick any two or combine them all and add a crab crake for good measure as part of the Round Man Platter. Each plate comes with its raw fries and slaw.
Seafood is the stand-out, but Whaley’s has a little bit of everything. The Prime Rib Sandwich is a top seller, piled high with tender in-house slow-roasted prime rib thinly sliced and swiss cheese, paired with piping hot au jus. Whaley’s Big Ugly Burger makes for a big beautiful meal, or substitute beef and sample the Beyond Veggie Burger. Finger-licking wings are available in a wide variety of sauces, including garlic butter, honey mustard, BBQ, teriyaki, and el diablo, and flavorful rubs such as calabash, lemon pepper, Jamaican jerk, and Cajun.
A kids’ menu offers hamburger, grilled cheese, and chicken tender choices, along with smaller seafood portions with amusing names like Paul’s Pee Wee Shrimp or Wee Willie’s Flounder.
For non-alcoholic beverages, they serve sodas, tea, lemonade, and juices. On the booze-y side, Whaley’s stocks an extensive selection of liquors, along with rotating and seasonal drafts, canned and bottled beers, hard seltzer, and a limited wine list.
Try one of their Local Libations, such as the Happy Wifey, mixed with black cherry rum, soda, and a splash of cranberry, or the Island Mimosa, a Whaley’s twist on this classic brunch beverage with coconut rum, pineapple juice, champagne, and a splash of Grenadine.
Come “fill up” your empty stomach at this hole in the wall that Southern Living Magazine ranked as one of South Carolina’s ten best seafood spots, and swing by Whaley’s on your next trip through Edisto.
