Erickson opened The Whale Wins with partners Chad Dale and Jeremy Price in 2012.[8][9][10] The restaurant's interior was designed by Heliotrope Architects.[11] The business has shared a space withJoule.[12] Erickson eliminated tips in 2015[13] and removedchinook salmon from her restaurants' menus in 2018.[14] Like many restaurants, The Whale Wins closed temporarily in March 2020 upon the arrival of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[15] The Whale Wins became The Whale Wins Cafe and Larder, described byEater Seattle as "a hybrid cafe and retail shop with counter service only".[16][17]
In 2013, The Whale Wins was food writerAndrew Knowlton's selection for the ninth best restaurant in the United States.[18][19]The Seattle Times said the restaurant offered the city's happy hour in 2014.[20] Bill Addison included The Whale Wins inEater's 2015 and 2016 lists of 38 restaurants which "define American dining".[3][21] In 2022, Matthew Lombardi, Gabe Guarente, and Jade Yamazaki Stewart included The Whale Wins Larder and Cafe in Eater Seattle's list of 15 "fantastic" Fremont restaurants.[22]
Aimee Rizzo ofThe Infatuation wrote in 2022, "The menu has a ton of vegetables, and the portions are so small that you’ll spending a lot of money only to likely be hungry in an hour—but we can't deny that this place works incredibly well for a light snack and glass of wine."[23]Seattle Metropolitan included the restaurant in 2023 list of Seattle's best lunch destinations.[24] The magazine's Allecia Vermillion also included the business in a 2023 list of restaurants with "perfect patios for sunny days".[25]
Fodor's says, "The vegetable plates are unfailingly excellent, but everything that comes out of the kitchen seems blessed... A plate of sardines on toast for the table is a must, even if you don't think you like sardines. Order family-style so that you can sample as many dishes as possible."[4]
