The place was packed. A spring drizzle couldn't dampen the spirits
of the customers who journeyed to the Tale of the Whale for
"Locals Night" on a recent Friday.Cars jammed the parking lot.
Some customers walked from a neighboring lot to join the throng of
diners. These folks were on to something great.
We hit the restaurant shortly after 7 PM and settled into the
lounge for about a 20-minute wait.
"It's like a July night", the bartender said to one of his
patrons.
And it was, but without the harried hot edge of summer.
Dinner at the Tale of the Whale was well worth the wait.
The Bibey family has run the restaurant since 1980. Don Bibey and
his wife Carole were managing partners of the restaurant until the
mid-80's then took it over outright. when Don Bibey passed away
three years ago his son Dan and Dan's wife Kathy stepped in to
help. Family pride shines through at Tale of the Whale.
"I worked in the restaurant for nine years", Dan Bibey said. "I
went to work in the food service industry but came back when my
father died.
The Bibey philosophy is simple "We want to provide great food in a
nice setting. We want it to be casual but nice, And we want to
give people plenty of food for their money."
I opened the meal with a bowl of crab and shrimp bisque, perfect
for a rainy Carolina night. The silky bisque packed only a slight
spicy bite, but it was marvelous.
As for our salads, the Tale of the Whale makes a nice array of
vegetables, topped with homemade dressings. While some restaurants
are content with lettuce and tomatoes, The Tale offers a garden of
veggies fresh and flavorful. Lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers
and onions were complimented by wonderful dressings.
My dining companion had broiled flounder that practically
dwarfed the plate. Prepared in clarified butter, pepper and lemon,
the fish was one of the finest meals we've had on the Outer Banks.
Flaky, white and succulent, the filet concealed only a couple of
tiny bones, an expected hazard when ordering fish filet anywhere.
My choice was the Chef's Trio of broiled tuna, dolphin and
swordfish topped by lump crabmeat and a light, elegant lobster and
sherry cream sauce.
The portions were huge, individual steaks of wondrous fish. The
sauce was a great companion to the flavorful, perfectly prepared
broiled main course.
"We believe in large portions", Bibey said. "And when it comes to
seafood, we try to keep it as simple as possible to accent the
natural flavors. We don't use heavy sauces, And with the fried, we
don't use a heavy batter or egg wash, things like that."
The entree was accompanied by a large, fluffy baked potato and a
loaf of fresh baked bread. In a word, wonderful.
Unlike many restaurants, the Tale does not have a head chef.
"We have a three-person kitchen staff that has been here 13, 15
and 20 years (respectively)," Bibey said. "They do a great job."
For dessert, we wanted to try something light because of the
generous entrees. At the urging of our waiter, I tried the house
desert specialty, peanut pie. Rich and tasty, the pie packed a
powerful peanut punch. The topping of chopped nuts offered a nice
contrast in texture to the pie.
My companion sampled fresh strawberries and cream. Large, well
ripened strawberries were topped with luscious whipped cream. It
was the perfect topper to a mountainous meal.
Three things add a particular joy to dinner at the Tale of the
Whale.
First, the restaurant has one of the finest sound front views on
the Outer Banks. As night fell on Nags Head, the lights of the
restaurants waterfront walkway and gazebo blinked on.
Even though the largely locals crowd was huge the night we
visited, the recently remodeled restaurant allowed for easy
conversation. No Ralph Cramden screaming needed here.
Also, the Tale of the Whale adheres to a "No Smoking" policy in
the dining room, wonderful for those of us practically driven out
the door of many eateries by Chesterfield exhaust. Take heart
smokers, lighting up is allowed in the bar.
In short, Tale of the whale is one of the very best restaurants on
the Outer Banks. Ample portions of food, great service and an
unmatched atmosphere make it worth the wait, even when the house
is crowded.
Please use the form below to provide us with feedback about your
dining experience at Tale of the Whale. Please allow 48 hours fo a
response. Thank you.
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