damnlines.comdamnlines.comA City Island fixture since 1961, known for its tree-shaded patio and a Sunday Brunch Buffet the venue itself says fills up fast.
damnlines hasn't pointed a lens at The Black Whale yet. The most-wanted lines get a camera first.
The clearest signal on wait/booking reality comes straight from the restaurant's own website, which is unusually direct for a small operator: the Sunday Brunch Buffet runs 10am to 2pm, and the site states plainly that "space can be limited so reservations are always recommended," per theblackwhalefb.wixsite.com. The same site notes indoor reservations are taken up to two weeks in advance and directs guests to call (718) 885-3657 rather than book online — there is no live booking widget on the venue's own pages, so phone is the actual reservation channel, per theblackwhalefb.wixsite.com.
There's no independent reporting of minute-by-minute wait times, but demand shows up in review volume: Yelp's listing for the restaurant carries 228 reviews under "New American," and Tripadvisor hosts a dedicated write-up headlined "Sunday Brunch on City Island, NY," evidence that the Sunday buffet specifically — not dinner service — is what locals plan a visit around, per Yelp and Tripadvisor. The venue's site also describes brunch as a hosted, seated buffet ("you will be seated by our host and then you will be ready to go"), rather than a first-come line-up-outside format, per theblackwhalefb.wixsite.com.
Put together, the sourced picture is: dinner service (Wed–Sun from 4pm) has no reported wait-time pattern, while the Sunday brunch buffet is the one seating the venue itself flags as space-constrained and reservation-dependent.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: Phone-only reservations per the venue's own site (718-885-3657); indoor seating bookable up to two weeks ahead. Sunday Brunch Buffet space is described by the venue as limited, with reservations "always recommended."
Walk-ins: Possible, especially for dinner; the venue's own site cautions space can be limited during the 10am-2pm Sunday brunch buffet.
Wed-Sun from 4pm for dinner; Sunday Brunch Buffet 10am-2pm, per the venue's own website.
No source publishes exact wait-time minutes, but the venue's own website says space at its Sunday Brunch Buffet (10am-2pm) "can be limited" and calls reservations "always recommended" rather than promising walk-in seating, per theblackwhalefb.wixsite.com. The restaurant treats its phone line, not a walk-in queue, as the main way to lock down a table.
Yes — per the venue's own site, reservations are taken by phone at (718) 885-3657, with indoor seating bookable up to two weeks ahead. There is no live online booking system listed on the restaurant's own pages, per theblackwhalefb.wixsite.com.
Walk-ins are possible, especially for dinner service, but the venue's own site cautions that Sunday Brunch Buffet space "can be limited," meaning walk-ins risk a wait or no table once the room fills, per theblackwhalefb.wixsite.com. Neither Yelp nor Tripadvisor report a formal wait list for dinner.
It's known locally for its Sunday Brunch Buffet (10am-2pm), which the venue's own site and area reviewers highlight as the signature draw, alongside dinner service Wednesday through Sunday, per theblackwhalefb.wixsite.com and Yelp's 228-review listing.
The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4pm for dinner, with an additional Sunday Brunch Buffet seating from 10am to 2pm, per the venue's own website.
Sources: The Black Whale — official site · Yelp · Tripadvisor