LITTLE WHALE OYSTER BAR

We made reservations on open table, and made the mistake of not fully reading the menu, they only serve beer and wine for alcohol .. had we known that we never would have gone here as neither of us drink beer and wine. We did not find out until we sat down and ordered, we would have left but we made the additional error of agreeing to put a credit card on file for making the reservation , otherwise we would have been charged $100 for leaving without ordering. Reluctantly , we stayed and ordered two appetizers while waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant to open up. I am no restauranteur but the business model here seems completely backwards, definitely will not come back.

굴이랑 랍스터 롤과 리슬링 글라스 주문했습니다. 맛있는데 서비스는 적당히 좋았습니다. 분위기가 정말 좋아요 !

We really wanted to try this restaurant since we LOVE oysters and the reviews are so good here. We ordered some oysters which were delicious and Salmon crudo, Sautéed clams. 1. I wasn’t big fan of Salmon Crudo. I didn’t taste any of salmon and also the salmon smelled a little. I would rather order a couple more oysters instead. 2. Sautéed clams are fantastic! Everything was perfect! 3. Only thing that made me 4 stars was that server took all of our plates and cleaned even I was still eating. She left the plate I was eating and took everything else. Made me feel that I have to finish quick and also uncomfortable. 4. They charged 20% tip with no explanation. The reason why I knew about this 20% was that the same server as mine explained to the customer next me when they checked out. But she didn’t tell me anything which is not so kind. I probably come again since the Clam thing was SOOOOO good but hopefully it will be more comfortably have meals next time!

How do you have the audacity to force a 20% tip without proper in-advance disclosure AND force a 3% operations fee all while providing mediocre food and close-to-none services? The whole "support your local restaurants" and "help our waiting staff" concept has really gone out of control here.

Such a lovely and adorable oyster bar we stumbled upon. We didnt have a reservation and seated fairly quickly. The ambiance is warm and inviting. Enjoyed the selection of oysters. More on the expensive side but the dishes we got were delicious. The beer battered hake sandwich was beautifully cooked and flaky with a good amount of sauce. The halibut curry was composed amazingly and surprisingly very filling. Definitely on my recommendation list for the area.

My question is, what is 3% operation fee for? What is that even mean? And why there is 20% mandatory tip?