Great food, great service and classic Florida atmosphere. The waiter was attentive and the food came in a reasonable amount of time. All the food (sushi, lobster bisque, fish tacos, fried clams) was cooked properly, very tasty, and came in adequate portions. Excellent plating. The restaurant itself was cool, looks to be a converted old house or something. There is outdoor seating with a bar and stage for live music, but also an indoor bar, and smaller, more intimate rooms where parties might eat in a more relaxed atmosphere. Stumbled in here by accident, as we didn't know Fireside Pizza was closed on Mondays, and we were not disappointed. Full price tag for sushi, bisque, tacos, side of fries, and friend clams (no drinks other than water) came to ~$38.00.
(4)
Chloe L.
We enjoy the food at Thirsty Marlin. I always order from the sushi menu and my husband always orders ribs or grouper Atlantis. Portion sizes are huge. All you can eat crab and dollar sushi are great deals. Also great happy hour. I only give it four stars because outside can get smokey.
(4)
Erin M.
The food is always delicious and the service is fantastic. Questionary is a blast and the live entertainment never disappoints. It is one of my go to places!
(5)
Mike M.
Great service Great steaks (!) Easy parking Comfortable atmosphere
(4)
Heather M.
A go to restaurant for our family. Great menu, fun casual atmosphere, live music in the evenings, tasty food, and quick service.
(4)
Lacey C.
Stand back everyone--FLORIDA IS DOING IT RIGHT. The Marlon has a sushi bar -inside- the bar. Fresh. They make it in front of you. And it's good. The rest of their menu is equally impressive--the fried conch was great, and I eyeballed about half a million other things I would have eaten if we hadn't already ordered the immaculate Spicy Tuna and Arizona rolls. Their drinks are good and competitively price. My only regret is that we didn't have the time for a second trip before we left. Service was a little lame, but it was a very busy Friday night with an hour waiting list for seating and live music. We tipped well anyway.
(4)
Renee F.
**BEWARE FAKE GROUPER** Came here to eat last night after a day of fishing at Honeymoon Island. Figured we'd try it since we have never been here and yelp reviews and photos were decent. Took me a little bit to decide what I wanted, but I went with the fish & chips. Hubby had the blackened grouper sandwich. About 5 min after ordering we noticed that Thursday special was buy one get one free Fish & Chips. Well hmmm wish we had known that prior to ordering. Would have beeb nice if waitress mentioned this. Especially when I ordered it! So we quickly call her over and ask the my husbands order be changed. IT WAS ONLY 5 MIN!! She comes back and says, Sorry but no, your order is actually almost done already!! His order was a sandwich with a side of potato chips & cole slaw!!! The ONLY thing that was "cooked" was the grouper!! Seriously?? You can't just skip throwing the chips & slaw on the plate, which slaw came with the fish & chips anyway!! Give me a break! OK whatever... no big deal. She brings out our food and one look at his sandwich and we knew immediately that it wasn't FRESH, nor was it grouper!! We are from FL, have a boat, fish ALL the time!! We know what fresh grouper looks/tastes like!! This "grouper" was 3 very thin peices of the tail end of the "fish". There doesn't need to be 3 pieces!! It was gray in color and very fishy tasting!! ( Sorry no pic!! UGH ) We complained to the waitress who simply said. "Oh, Hmm" She did offer to take it back, but my husband said no ( who knows why?? haha ) He attempted to just eat it and make the best of it. It just really upsets me that she never brought a manager over!! Annoyed that she failed to mention the specail!! Then didn't even take the sandwich off the bill. That was the least she could have done since he was clearly not happy with it. Of course that is partly his fault for not letting her just take it back! But still!! I WILL NEVER GO BACK HERE!!! POOR SERVICE AND GROUPER DEF NOT REAL OR FRESH!! My fish & chips were OK. French fries old, coleslaw tasted premade like from Sam's Club! Only ate 1 bite!!
(1)
Laticia S.
Great food! The stuffed grouper was tender, well seasoned & delicious, but a bit smaller of a portion than the hubby would've liked for the price. The sides were delicious: fresh, well balanced cloe slaw & the rice & beans are to die for!!! Best I have ever had!!! By comparison my meal of ribs was HUGE and generous for the price. Prepare to wait as the place is decievingly large & very busy...They do have what appears to be great looking sushi, but the table next to us waited 45 min for their order.... NOT GOOD! They had a great band playing in the back, but unfortunately, they ALSO had shitty top 40 radio playing on top of it, which was super annoying... & would not honoor a request to turn it off (deciding instead to shut the patio door, which did nothing...) But that is really my ONLY complaint! The wait staff was kind, friendly and on top of things. The teenage hostesses were not but had help from "Mom" to smooth things out. They allow dogs on the patio, which is a HUGE plus!!! The SMOKING ON THE PATIO while people are eating... a huge MINUS!!! Overall a great experience. We will be back!
(4)
Kymberly R.
First night in our second honeymoon discovered this little secret it was amazing FRESH seafood!! Service was wonderful !! Will come back to this excellent find!!
(5)
Dianna B.
The husbeast and I waited too long for a friend to get in touch with us, so we missed our brunch window, so we had to go to an early dinner, but WHERE? All the places we usually go to were bustling at 3 in the afternoon, so we decided to spin the roulette wheel and choose someplace new. I have driven past the Thirsty Marlin many a time and proposed the idea to the Husbeastie so a plan was set into motion. We made our way there, no traffic in our way, and when we arrived on this balmy Sunday afternoon, 80*F at the end of December, the place as all but dead. A few patrons were inside and one couple was outside, so we opted to sit outside on the patio. It was lovely, except for the all too bright sun. An umbrella would have been perfect. The table was set up for it, but none existed. The waitress came out in short order and took our drink order and asked us if we wanted to place an app order. Given that we'd never been there before we asked for suggestions. She tossed a few our way, and Conch Fritters stuck. They were a bit on the over done side when they arrived, and the peices of conch that I could tell were there, were hard to eat, overly chewy, but the fritters themselves were tasty, as was the spicy mayo sauce served with. We ordered our mains, The husband getting a bacon double cheese burger, served with fries and slaw, and I opted for a club salad with chicken, dressing on the side. I know, not something you'd expect one to order from a fish place, but oh well. The burger came out looking and smelling delicious, and given the way the man inhaled it, it must have been amazing. The bacon looked -fantastic- and the fries looked WOW.. just as perfectly tasty. My salad was odd. It was served in a taco shell bowl, a mound of older lettuce, with 2 large rings of green pepper, an egg cut in half. 2 cherry tomatoes, a handful of cheese, a handful of bacon bits, and 2 rings of cucumbers, all topped with 4 well seasoned chicken strips. It was fairly deconstructed. I had to eat it layer by layer. But yes, the lettuce was old, peices were wilted and bruised, and had that OLD taste to them. I was rather disappointed in it, but ate 1/3 of it. Seriously, it was almost a whole head of ice burg. During this time another couple came in with their dog and sat on the patio with us, Our waitress came out and served them, but never once refilled our drinks, My husband's iced tea ran dry and mine came perilously close. We did order the Key Lime pie, and it was decadent. I'd go again just for the Key Lime Pie, but also know exactly where to get that from, so maybe I'll just go if people I know are going. It wasn't really worth repeating a trip.
(3)
Christopher M.
The Marlin is a great place to go when my girlfriend and I can agree on the same type of food. They have everything; seafood, salad, sandwiches, and even sushi. They have this sauce that comes with the clan strip appetizer that is out of this world. It is so good!
(4)
Marinda H.
3 stars for food, 5 stars for service and atmosphere 2nd visit, similar thoughts as the 1st - great friendly service, cute 'old FL' atmosphere, food never wows me - good, but nothing amazing. Servers are always super personable and do a great job. Ordered fish tacos - huge portion, fish was not really hot (warm but not hot) so kinda disappointing. BF ordered filet - also not super hot but still decent. My dad loved his bacon wrapped scallops. Prices are high enough that when the food isn't awesome, it's not really on the top of my visit list.
(4)
Lindsey S.
My boys and I came here for lunch during the Palm Harbor Citrus Festival, looking for something other than corn dogs and cotton candy. We were seated fairly quickly and met our waiter, Barry, who is one of the best waiters I've ever had. He checked on us frequently, and was also great at holding a conversation with my six year old, who called him "such a nice guy". So how was the food? Well, it was pretty flippin' delicious. Bobby had a kid's grilled cheese and fries, and I went for the Southern Belle burger. Oh, what a great choice! This puppy with stacked with cheddar cheese, carmelized onions, bacon, a fried green tomato, bleu cheese, Bahamian sauce (like a spicy ketchup/mayo concoction), lettuce, onion, and red tomato. The burger was so big I had to cut it into quarters, but it was delicious; a definite balance of quantity and quality. I'm drooling even just remembering it! Our meal here was so good that I'll be making it a point to come back soon. Hopefully they can impress my husband as much as they impressed me!
(5)
Scottie M.
Great happy hour and appetizers!! Nice place to try a little bit of everything. Here on a Wednesday afternoon and it's a perfect little spot to hang out munch and have a few drinks.
(5)
Renee R.
I really enjoy this place. Love the location, nice music, food quality is good. Being Vegan, they have nice options. I moved to Ocala and mourn not having places like this around. I will definitely go back when I visit the area!
(4)
Jeffrey C.
We've lived in Palm Harbor for almost six years. When we came here house-hunting we got an introduction to another place to eat (also lovely, and somehow related), and my wife and I mentioned sushi to our friend and the rest is history! If you like sushi, The Marlin is for you. They have two trained sushi chefs and the fish doesn't get any fresher. Mondays and Tuesdays is $1 Sushi night, and we TRY to never miss it at least once/week...even though it's not always in the starts. $1 will get you one piece of favorites like, Ebi, Tako, Maguro, Salmons, roes... but WAIT!! $1 also gets your TWO rolls... Tampa and Mexican rolls are awesome and cali-rolls and everything else is killer. I usually get 4 cucumber rolls (8 pcs for $4!), 4 Tampa and 4 Mexican rolls... 24 pcs total for $12. Are you kiddin'? Then I top it off with Tuna, Octopus, Shrimp and a super house salad for $3.99. You have to roll me out of there, and the best of all, the sushi is just excellent. My kids love the burgers, fish sandwiches (Grouper!), fajitas, fries are great... Agree with Christopher M - the sauce (forgot what they call it) is excellent too. Ask for "Special Sauce" - they'll know what you want. :-) Very "Old Florida" ambience, and a new Tiki bar out back.
(5)
Chris L.
Day one of three days of Fried Grouper Sandwich. Have to say of the three it was my least favorite. Not that it was bad, it was good, just not the best. The fish was flaky and tasty but it was a bit greasy. Also the cut of the fish was a bit thinner than I expected. But again it was very tasty and worth the stop. The onion rings that we got were great, loved the crunchy beer batter. The cole slaw was really good. And the drinks were pretty stiff so we were all happy with that too. So not 5 stars only four, but worth every one of them.
(4)
Andrew D.
I went on Saturday night with my wife for the first and last time. The hostess was rude and snotty saying that all the tables were taken outside, and never mentioning a waiting list that we could have signed up for. We went out to the bar and the bartender was very helpful and friendly, providing good service. The outside is really covered partially and we were surprised to find the majority of people to be smoking. The place smelled like a cigarette ashtray. Nevertheless, we ordered some appetizers. The sesame crusted tuna was room temperature, which indicated it was left out for quite some time. It was pretty tasteless but at least I didn't get sick! Overall, the place is dumpy, the chairs are uncomfortable and the food is marginal. I will not go back because there are so many excellent places in Palm Harbor and Dunedin.
(1)
April T.
Happened to find this place while visiting. Could not have asked for better service and the food was amazing!! We started with The Scorned Women appetizer and had to order a second it was so good! We were a party of 10 so we had everything from the specials to the crab legs and all of us were pleased! This would be a repeat visit when we return to the area!
(5)
Elaine W.
A taste of the sea.... never had fish and chips that were soooo good! Fast service. Need to get there early, place fills up fast. Everything I've tried there?.... Delicious!
(5)
Amy Z.
Great outside bar with live music on the weekends. Lots of locals and parking all around.
(4)
Mark H.
Only stopped in for a drink last night, but while chatting it up with the bartender, Michelle, we learned that Monday night they have sushi happy hour featuring $1 sushi. So we will be hitting them up TONIGHT. Food review to come. As for the drinks we had last night, very good mojitos and bombs. Great layout and atmosphere, and within a stone's throw of several other bars and businesses.
(4)
Kerri C.
Had an awesome time here... food was decent... place was clean... prices were good... portions were huge!!! However... what made our whole experience was DAVID... and he wasn't even my server... he was just awesome!!! Again he wasn't even my server but that didn't stop him from checking on us... he chatted us up and was just so personable. We will definitely be back and will request him as our server...
(5)
Kelsey A.
Can't beat the grouper cheeks with bohemian sauce!! Excellent black beans and rice as a side. Usually have good service, although the wait can get a bit long around dinner time on the weekends and during snowbird season. Covered patio out back with live music and additional bar as well. Outdoor seating available out front as well, which is a bit quieter than the outdoor seating out back (the live music can be a bit noisy!). Overall great dining experience. May be a bit overpriced but worth it!!
(4)
Sarah C.
Publix grade sushi for more money than its worth.
(1)
Ray P.
Interesting ! Somehow my review was deleted ! on Dec 10th 2014 ! Tonight I experienced a general manager that had no clue. I had a $20 gift certificate , I turned it in for my bill and was told I could not use it as it was a pof event. Even thoug no where on the certificate does it say that. Mind that I play softball close to here and we stop in and spend about $ 100 every visit. For $20 that General Manager lost 100's of dollars as we will just go to Boyles instead . If he was my general Manager he would be not looking good in my eyes as a owner . Not to mention the 2 new customers sitting with me 1stt time visitors will never come back . They were very upset at the General Managers lack of effort to solve the matter. Good general manager ! Lost 1 customer thaT HANGS OUT DOWNTOWN AT LEAST 2 days a week, 2 new customers that will never come back, and 1 softball team ! Must be nice as a owner to have a place that can afford that kind of loss in one night ! I have not returned and will never I let my gift certificates expire as I rather loose $20 then give them a Penny. On dec 27th had a group of 35 people in Palm Harbor and spent over $1,600 Every plam in Palm Harbor got a Little except The Marlin last week 30 softball players Boyles made $580 The Marlin 0 and it will continue Management and owners at this location have no idea about customer service at ALL
(1)
Jerry Q.
Great fried grouper sandwich or dinner! Happy hour drink specials are good as well. Onion ring appetizer is really good. Really good sushi selection and is on special Monday and Tuesday. Was too full for desert so not able to rate it.
(5)
Brian H.
why am i giving this place 5 stars after its been engraved in my head that i dont really like this place? the opposite of high expectations is what occured. i was told this place was good by others and i remember eating lunch here once and being really dissapointed at it. i believe it was bad in my head because of lack of value. I ordered the portobella mushroom sandwhich. i usually like fries but decided to stay with the chips and coleslaw. glad i did. the sandwhich was on french bread and not a burger roll. it was large in size and banging on flavor. it came with some of the best carmelized onions i ever had. weird compliment to say i know but they were super sweet which went great with the horseradish sauce. i dont think ill order anything else there now. the coleslaw was also better than i had in almost every BBQ place. Ive heard their sushi is great (considering the choices we have in the Dunedin Palm Harbor area). Bonus Hint: dip your potato chips in the coleslaw.
(5)
Katy H.
Only reason for not giving better review is tonight we watched some obese guy try to pick a fight with a family of four at the back bar. Fat guy claimed to know the owner. I guess that is why the bartender offered to comp the family's drinks, but didn't kick the fat guy out. Too bad because we proceeded to watch fat guy try to pick up a chick using the "be a jerk" tactic. Didn't work for fat guy, but funny to watch. We left around then, but the poor girl looked flabbergasted. Overall great food, but if they are interested in being a family friendly establishment, wish the bartender would weed out the jerks and his friends. . (Who 'know' the owner. )
(3)
Danielle C.
Oh Palm Harbor, how I love thee. This may be the greatest little town I have been to in Florida. Some of my best friends live here, and I went up to visit while on my fall break. I made a reservation for 12 on a Saturday night for a group of us to get together. They were very helpful on the phone even accommodating where we wanted to sit (out on the back deck). It was a gorgeous night and there was a cool band playing 90's music. Right away we got a waiter over to get our drinks. We had ordered some shock-tops are first but when we got them, they were incredibly stale and flat. The waiter promptly replaced them with a pitcher of Bud light. We ordered the Firecracker Sushi roll as an app and it was phenomenal. I always appreciate when things say they are spicy and end up being really spicy. I could have eaten two more of those. I ordered the Lobster Quesadilla. Oh my goodness. My obsession with lobster is insatiable, but his quesadilla almost hit it. It also came with delicious cole slaw. Any place that can make good cole slaw in my book is a winner. I took a bite of the Fish and Chips--also awesome! The fish batter was really fluffy. The chips was actually a choice of french fries or kettle chips and my friends got kettle chips. Those were also very good. Other good items included--lobster wrap, wings, and the Thai chicken wrap. They split the checks without us asking and didn't charge gratuity for our large group! Overall, cant beat this place for some yummy food from all over the place. Cant wait to go back next time in in town.
(4)
Dana N.
When we are in downtown Palm Harbor we usually end up here and always stare at the menu for a while with nothing really jumping out at us. The food is usually pretty good but it's nothing special.
(2)
Kelly A.
Our local, casual, go-to family restaurant! We have never had a bad meal here! Well, don't get the lobster quesadillas... They are covered in Old Bay and it kills any lobster flavor! Other than that, all the food is delicious. The Mount Fuji roll and fish tacos are my favorite!! My husband loves the Jambalaya and fajitas! Unfortunately the service is hit or miss. 70% of the servers are on the ball whereas 30% are "space cadets!" Good happy hour specials!
(4)
Nichole C.
Pretty good. I would actually give it a 3.5 but that's not an option. The atmosphere is great! Very chill and you can tell there are a lot of regulars that visit here. I ordered the fish tacos, they were tasty and decent priced. My husband had the Caesar salad which came in a taco shell! There were five other people in our party and everyone seemed to enjoy their dinners. I'm not sure what it was, but something was lacking. All in all a decent place with a pretty extensive menu.
(3)
Kathy N Tony M.
Got the mixed grill of grouper and mahi mahi. It was like eating fish jerky. Still have the burnt taste in my mouth. I asked how the vegetables were before ordering. Server assured me they were good. Broccoli carrots and green beans sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Note to server: frozen vegetable medley microwaved and sprinkled with cheese are not good vegetables. Place has potential but for 21.99 I could have an awesome meal at Bonefish Grill. Husband's meal was ok and so was daughters. 100 dollars not well spent.m
Tucked on the main drag of an adorably tiny town is The Marlin. Love their sushi specials for a small bite, and love the service. Michelle was especially helpful on our first night there. So much so, that we returned the next night and had a great time yet again. Combine fine service, good food, and cool atmosphere and you get good times. Can't wait to try everything on this expansive menu.Outdoor seating is expansively chill, and seems to be run by the same folks as the Nantucket Bucket, another of our favorite haunts, yet this place went even further with fresh sushi! Yom Yom Yom!
(4)
Tania U.
Fried green tomatoes and big fat fresh oysters and great bands. Their fried food is a so very good always
(5)
Paul M.
Been here twice now, and I'm sorry to say that this place kinda blows. Terrible service masquerading as friendly. Dude, I don't want to be your best buddy, I want you to get my order right. He screwed up all three of our orders. Also, zero knowledge of the menu. When we asked if he had any local beers, he said no, despite there clearly being several available once we looked at the menu. The Cigar City IPA is one of the best beers in Tampa, so to be totally unaware that you offer it is a serious crime. (Well, okay, not as serious as mayhem, but close.) The grouper Reuben was nearly inedible. The sauerkraut was stronger than many a kimchee I've had, which is not a good match for a fairly delicate grouper. Oh, and you do know that a reuben is supposed to have swiss cheese, right? No? Oy vey.
(2)
Kyle R.
Stopped by here late on a Sunday. Place wasn't too full, so we got seated with drinks immediately. Our server (can't recall her name, sorry) was really nice and quick with anything we needed. The menu has a ton of options ranging from affordable to what I considered to be really expensive, particularly for a place that has a dive bar kind of atmosphere. Girlfriend and I split the buffalo chicken strip appetizer and a lobster wrap. Both were well-priced and phenomenal. Tons of lobster in the wrap and the appetizer came with either 5 or 6 huge pieces of chicken. We almost could have made a meal from the chicken alone. Having to pay extra for fries is kind of a bummer, but not a huge deal. I'm just not a fan of chips. Would definitely go back to try more of the options, but I'd likely avoid about half the menu do to price. If I'm going to drop $20+ per plate, I'll go somewhere a bit nicer than the Thirsty Marlin.
(4)
Cassie K.
They have awesome seafood here. Great soup! And nice servers, a little slow but nice. I give it a thumbs up!
(4)
Rob W.
This is a fun festive place to visit. I like the laid back neighborhood and atmosphere. The food is OK, but can be a bit hit or miss. I generally always have a good time here so I give it 3 stars.
(3)
Kelly M.
Best sushi in Tampa bay! Fresh, creative, delicious! Red Dragon roll, crunchy tiger roll and Sashimi plate highly recommended.
(5)
Rita R.
Very nice Florida/Bahamian feel to this place! Service was great. Sarah was our server and she did a very nice job if taking care of us! I tend to judge a place by how full my drinks glass is through out my meal and Sarah did not disappoint! She never hovered, but was very attentive. For starters, we ordered the fish spread. Very good! I was expecting it to be a smoked fish spread since its a local thing here, but it was still very fresh tasting. The celery and carrot sticks were a nice touch as was the lemon wedges. My husband ordered the blackened grouper cheeks and I ordered the fried grouper cheeks. Both were delicious but I wish I had ordered them blackened too. They were outstanding as was the southern corn on the cob. There are many other items on the menu that I would love to go back and try! The only reason I gave 4 stars was the noise level. It was a little difficult to carry on a conversation. Most of the noise coming from the staff not the diners! Oh well, can't win them all. We will definitely go back though!
(4)
Adam R.
Tried it again on dollar sushi night. Sat outside, service excellent food very good I don't know why the service is so slow. We walked in at lunch time had to seat ourselves, waited 15 minutes for our order to be taken. Same old issue. It took 10 minutes for water or beer. Food is ok but not the service. It can't be that hard.
(4)
Janice F.
Tried this restaurant last night as we have never been here before. Reviews were very good so expectations were high. We were seated quickly and shortly thereafter our drink order was taken. My husband asked if pitchers of beer were available but waiter said that we were there at "happy hour" so cost of a glass of beer would be cheaper. That's the direction we went. We ordered their onion rings as an appetizer & that was the best part of the meal. None of us were happy with the food we ordered ; prime rib quesadilla, lobster (where was the lobster? ... Tasted like beef and not good beef!) and a salmon wrap. As I said, none of us thought the food was good ... Not very warm and really no taste to speak of. We waited and waited and waited to order another beer. Finally, our waitperson kind of acknowledged us with a "I'll be back". We ultimately got the beer; no offer to my daughter for a refill on her soda either, by the way. After a long wait, we did get our tab. My husband questioned the cost of the beer as it seemed high for a "happy hour" price. The waiter then told us that there was NOT a "happy hour" on the weekend/that it was only during the week and "I did Not Tell you that!" My husband explained that it was the person who took the drink order when we were first seated and acknowledged it was not our waiter. The waiter mentioned something about talking to person about the charge but it was not rectified on our tab/no compensation of any kind. It's not that price was a big deal, it's the principal of it all. BOTTOM LINE ... Cute atmosphere but highly overpriced for what you get ($76 with tip ...husband is too generous) . Food was probably the worst I've had in a restaurant (other than onion rings ) in years! So disappointed. We will not be back nor will I recommend this restaurant to anyone. Too many other GOOD places to eat!
(1)
Christopher S.
This is one of my local hangouts. The Marlin has a great variety in the menu and the beverages of choice are plentiful. I love the Mojitos. A Key West style food emporium with a bar room that also houses a sushi bar! And the sushi chef kicks azz. Try the Thirsty Marlin and Rose sushi rolls. There are also several different rooms inside and out that you can choose from based on your mood. The menu has something for everybody. The Lobster Bisque, Fried Green Tomatoes (with Gorgonzola), and Barbados Buffalo Chicken are great starters. Also sampled The Scorned Woman (7 large Buffalo Shrimp) spicy but didn't take away from the sweet taste of fine shrimp. My fave dish is Grouper Atlantis, a grouper filet topped with blue water large shrimp, succulent sea scallops and hand picked crab. I added a side of the Smugglers Sweet Potatoes, topped with a marshmallow caramel nut crunch! Yum! I have always been so satisfied, I've never tried the desserts. I think I'll try tonight! :)
(4)
Howie L.
Went today for the first time. Hostess sat us right away. We waited awhile before anybody greeted us at the table. Apparently our server was late for work, or so we were told. Food was good, but waited a long time (for sushi). It's an interesting place. Old house turn into a restaurant. If your in the area and have PLENTY of time check it out.
(3)
Linda P.
I've been frequenting Thirsty's both locations for some years now so I thought they deserved a review. First off the best deal in town on Monday and Tuesday nights when they do $1.00 sushi! The sushi chefs are very talented and the quality is very good. They also have 2-4-1 fajitas and taco nights so why cook at home at these prices? Thirsty's does a great job providing a pretty diverse menu of choices and the food themes lean towards a Caribbean-Cajun style of cooking which they have managed to nail quite well. The portions are ample. The scorned women appetizer is delicious, consisting of hot buffalo style shrimp and served with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.The Bahamian Conch Chowder rocks! I've had many other menu items over the years and my fav are of course the grouper sandwiches, I sometimes substitute mahi- mahi if the prices for grouper are too high. Both options are a win-win. They can cook it any way you prefer, grilled, blackened or fried. The blackened option is spiced just right! Pair it with black beans over yellow rice topped with Monterrey jack cheese, green and red onions and sour cream. Mmmmm! One of my favorite salads is the Sesame Tuna Crusted Asian Salad made with fresh greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions in a cucumber wasabi dressing and topped with sesame seared tuna. Yep, Ill keep coming back!
(4)
Will C.
I was pleasently surprised by the Thirstly Marlin. I went here with my family as a bon voyage dinner for my brother in law that works on a cruise liner. I had no idea what to expect and so I turned to Yelp for tips and pointers. The reviews seemed to agree that the Lobster bisque and the Sushi were two safe bets. So I ordered the Thirsty Marlin Roll and the Lobster Bisque. I think I liked the soup a bit more than the roll just because it had a bit more flavor and it was a little outside. The service was good and we had a very nice waitress. We did sit out on the front patio because on the back patio they had trivia night and we wanted to be able to converse. with that said it is really nice that this restaurant has enough room for two patios and indoor seating.
(4)
Elizabeth K.
love sitting outside there. food is.. a-ok
(3)
Gena A.
Really yummy Lobster Quesadillas and Lemon Drop martinis. Fried Green Tomatoes were pretty good too!. Touristy prices, but good service and food.
(4)
Nora Brie J.
I have been here many times before and been impressed, making this my go to for out of town guests. However tonight's visit was simply awful. I hope that this is simply an aberration and not a disturbing trend in the type if service and food that we can expect in the future. The service was ridiculously slow, we were seated by another table who came in after us and got their food before us and they got comped for slow service while we were not. The food was cold and not very good, while it took 90 minutes. The appetizer came out after the meal and we were not offered to be comped in any way. So disappointed. The conch was cold and rubbery, the burger barely edible, the fries cold and greasy, the beers and refills slow. The sushi was excellent though- would recommend. Hopefully this is a one time problem with a terrible server and this won't happen again ... If we decide to brave this restaurant again. The check also took forever. I wrote this whole review in between asking for it and getting it- and it still isn't here!
(1)
Vicki B.
Spent two hours there, a day or two ago, the 4 of us, & waited while at least 4 other tables, who came in long after we did, were served first. Our waiter ( think his name was Barry) disappeared, & when we asked a waitress where he, or our lunch, might be, she snarkily replied that it "was the cook's fault" & not to blame the waiter. After waiting that long, we finally did get our beers & 1 cup of soup. So we left $25.00 on the table, and left.......only to be confronted by the waiter (who apparently DID work there after all) and another waitress, who tried to convince us to come back in. At that point, we didn't trust them, the food or the restaurant, so we told them we'd left enough for the beers & cup of soup, and left. This is the 2nd bad experience at this place, so we will not be going back.....ever. Nor will we suggest Thirsty Marlin to anyone else. And from a review of some if the other reviews, this is NOT an uncommon problem for this place. Seems to me that with that many negative reviews, most noting similar issues, management (who was in the restaurant thus same day) might want to try & fix things. But either they don't care, or figure they can survive on tourists.
(1)
Richard N.
I've been to the Largo location many times but this was my first visit to the original location in Palm Harbor. I am a sucker for the "Old Florida" feel, and this place has that feel down nicely. Locals go here, as well as tourists, but it's very comfortable, very casual, and very Florida. The draft beer selection is a bit weak (the "best" beer on tap was Amber Bock), but there are decent bottle beers to be had, and a full bar. The menu is fairly typical but it has a slightly more upscale variety than typical bar food, including Mahi tacos, and a seared Ahi Tuna salad. I ordered the blackened Mahi sandwich which came on an onion roll, with chips and cole slaw. The fish was very juicy, and had a nice kick to the seasoning. Very tasty. I sat at the bar and my server was attentive, friendly, and chatted a bit about everyday things, which is a nice touch and makes customers feel welcome. There is bountiful outdoor seating and a nice bar area. It's not fine dining but I certainly have no complaints about the food, service, or atmosphere. The lunch clientele, other than myself, was on the older side. I have a feeling the happy hour and evening crowd is a little younger. This would be a good place for a quick lunch, or for a group outing at night. I will definitely make this an occasional stop for a couple drinks, lunch, or a casual dinner.
(4)
Valarie G.
Came here with friends Friday night. Great atmosphere and menu and no complaints on the food. That being said, the hostess wouldn't tell me how long the wait was to sit outside but just kept repeating that there were reservations ahead of us. When I finally said "ok, that is fine, how many minutes would it be to sit outside even though there are reservations ahead of us?" She sighed and walked off, only to return a few minutes later to inform us that there was in fact an available table outside. (?!?) Our food also took roughly 45 minutes to come out once we had ordered it. While the manager did come out to apologize, nothing was offered outside of an apology to make up for the long wait.
(3)
Penelopy T.
Visit Thirsty Marllin for the food, NOT THE SERVICE. UNLESS you eat at the bar. The bartender provides you with an excellent dining experience, served correctly, timely and with un-compromised verve. I am forced to scratch my head in bewilderment each time I encounter this kind of situation. Why serve exceptional food, delivered by substandard wait staff? Huge question begging to be answered. Serving food properly is a very personal experience. I want to trust my server, and they should serve a guest, as they themselves would wish to be served. So why is great service so impossible to attain in such a dog-eat-dog competitive industry? Don't misinterpret my review as my desire or need to adopt my food server, nor make them my busom buddy. ~ I don't want to know their zodiac sign. ~ The number of children they have by different fathers. ~ Where they have their long white tipped Keisha claws manicured. Which by the way harbour and hide, unsanitary souvenirs one does not want to consume. ~ Why they are tired. ~ Why they are too busy. ~ Why they insist on calling me sweetie! If you are a server plagued with a hair fetish (as with Thirsty Marlin) which prevents you in talking about the food you are about to serve me, WITHOUT touching your cowlick or pimples - then find another freaken job! I score Thirsty Marlin 4 stars for the food, and 1 for the service, with the exception of the bar! A dining experience isn't just about the food.
(1)
Brady S.
With a newly redone outside deck and bar, this place will be a crowd pleaser come Spring. The drinks are good, the food is generally good and there is something for anyone and everyone on their menu. It is far from fancy, so it wouldn't be my pick if I were going on a first date but, maybe the second or third would be fun. The promise to have live music on a regular basis. If you are in to the beachy vibe, you should give this place a try.
(4)
Tyler J.
This is one of my favorite restaurants, and it has been for a long time. I usually order the same thing, although when I do get something different, I'm always happy with it. Their conch chowder and jambalaya are so dang good. I have no complaints about either of them. Thirsty Marlin is in a great location and it has a great atmosphere. I grew up in Palm Harbor and I wish I lived closer now so I could go here more.
(5)
Carrie F.
Three of us went here for dinner, 2 carnivores & a vegetarian. We all had a ton of options the sushi was amazing. The fish was cooked to perfection. Everything was great. Our server was a doll & came over when needed & was not pushy. I can't wait to go back.
(5)
char c.
The atmosphere is very much a Tiki Bar, food is usually good and service good. The meal I had tonite was not good. It was blackened scallops wrapped with bacon, the scallops were tiny and they were wrapped in so much bacon it was difficult to even identify them as scallops. The meals I have had here before were always good. It is a noisy place when the band is playing, so if you want a quiet dinner this is not the place.
(3)
J.D. R.
All their fried seafood stuff was very good...kind of expensive but good.
(4)
B B.
It blows my mind as I read these reviews and realize that nobody says anything about this place being one of the filthiest, most unsanitary restaurants they have ever seen. REALLY??? I live 2 minutes from Thirsty Marlin and last night I remembered why it had been 3 years since we visited this crap hole. Honestly. We were in a pinch on a busy Friday night and attempted another visit with our two small children. When we were seated in the back corner...fear immediately set in. There were chewed french fries from the kids that sat there before us...on the chairs and floor. The carpet was disgusting. My 5 year old had to cover up ketchup on her chair that was left from the kid before us - with a napkin - because she was too sweet to complain. The service was awful as well. We had to ask for a waitress to be served after sitting ungreeted for 15 minutes. When we decided to do the old "run the hell out of here before our waitress comes back" was when my husband went to the bathroom and realized there was no soap in any of the dispensers. Ok...so if my husband couldn't wash his hands after going to the bathroom, and my 3 year old daughter couldn't wash her hands after going in the ladies room...who is washing their hands here?? From that point, we couldn't get the filth out of our minds and decide to make a run for it. We vow to never, ever step foot back in this place again. This place will continue to be in business as long as people support this type of environment. In our opinion, they violate every food health violation in the book and should be shut down. Period.
(1)
J B.
Go here. The fish tacos are great, but small portions of Mahi. On the opposite side, the chicken Philly is huge!! Great atmosphere, very relaxing and back porch type place. Drink specials help the food digest better...
(4)
Vito G.
One of the only restaurants I can think of that is traditional seafood, cajun, and a sushi bar on select days. This is some of the best jambalaya I've ever had, the tastiest fish cuts, surprisingly great sushi for the case of what else they're serving. I haven't eaten here in a couple of years, but what I did have was the best.
(4)
D S.
Was lookin' to try someplace new, and have driven by a bunch of times, and seen signs for it for quite sometime so finally decided to stop in and try it. To beat the weekend dinner rush and avoid circling for parking, I would try and get there between 5 and 5:30pm, we were seated right away outside, and it has a nice atmosphere. Pretty large selection on the menu, and they have a sushi menu also. We got a roll as an appetizer ($8) and it was very good. You can spend $22 on a plate, or around $8-$9 on a sandwich/burger. I ended up getting the Tail Walk Chicken for $15 and it was outstanding. Grilled chicken breast topped with a portabello mushroom, cheese, apple wood bacon, caramelized onions and some other goodness. Serving sizes are quite a pretty good size. Their website also allows for ordering takeout if you'd like. We recommended to some friends who tried it out the following weekend and were impressed also. We will certainly be going back. There is an Irish pub across the street, and two bars within walking distance around the corner if you choose to mosey on after dinner and hang out some more.
(4)
Gabriella K.
This place has great food. I recommend you try their fried green tomatoes, fish tacos and sushi. Strangely enough, their sweet tea is rather good too. Now the main issue I have with this place is the service. It sucks, for lack of a better word. There really is no excuse for a place to have great food, but lousy service. The last time I was there was Friday, and I brought my friend here for the first time. We asked to sit outside because we had a small dog with us, and we let the hostesses know we would wait till a table cleared. Once a table got up, we waited about 5 minutes and I went and reminded the hostesses that this table was now available, it just needed to be bussed. So we get to our table and there is already a server out there who has a few tables, I was hoping to get him because he was very attentive toward his customers, but instead we got another male server who rushed us. I sensed this immediately, so we put our entire order in. We ordered the tuna salad to start off with, but instead got it with our entrees. After taking our order, the server never returned back until our food was up. From there he did ask us if we needed anything, We requested some more salad dressing and he did bring it back promptly. He also brought out some water for the dog after we asked him too as well. He was not a lousy server, but we had just begun to enjoy our meal when he came out and placed the check in the middle of the table. not asking if we wanted desert or coffee after our meal. I thought maybe he was done with his shift and needed us to pay him so he would cash out and go home so I had no problem with that. I payed him while we were eating, and asked for some boxes. I asked if he needed to go home and he said no. OK. He brought out the boxes, and we never saw him again. The other server out there meanwhile was doing an excellent job. So I am wondering, what was the reason we got someone who didnt even have a section out on the patio? I would have rather been served by someone who didnt rush my meal and dissapear after it was delivered. I have been here before and whenever I sit at a table, and the service is just not happening. SOOOOOOooooooooo, I chose to sit at the bar when I do come.
(3)
Justin M.
The food and service was outstanding! The atmosphere is also fantastic. The Grouper Sandwich was delicious and appetizers were excellent . Our server was very outgoing and always ready to serve us.
(5)
Heather R.
I can't say enough great things about Thirsty Marlins!! Awesome food, clean, friendly staff, and great services every time we go. They have something on the menu for everyone, from amazing fresh sushi to awesome buffalo chicken! Some of my personal favorites are the Lobster Quesadillas, Buffalo Chicken, house salad w/house dressing(OMG) & Thirsty Marlin or Bubba sushi roll. Yes, I go there a lot but I'm super picky and I know I can never go wrong, definitely LOVE Thirsty Marlins:-D!!!
(5)
John L.
Great food and great service. The Oysters Desire are insane. The fries are probably some of the best I've had. There's a great atmosphere and equally great food. It's one of my favorite places.
(5)
Alex D.
Food was good but that's besides the point it was April and Frank's Engagement dinner and it was very nice. Congrats to you both... Alex and Cristina
(5)
Danny H.
I was in Tampa visiting a friend who came down from Chicago to see some friends and family when I had the pleasure to dine in this fine seafood establishment. The first thing I noticed about the Thirsty Marlin is the fact that its right across from an Irish Pub....yes, a sign from the dining gods that this will be a grand experience. The first thing I noticed about the Thirsty Marlin is the great feel and atmosphere of it. We arrived at approximately 10 PM and the place was full of people having a great time and enjoying themselves. We were promptly seated and was there for only a couple of minutes before the server came and took care of our drink orders. They had a duo playing some tunes while we wined and dined, and they were rocking out the ukulele, which is always a plus in my book. Unfortunately they didn't play long (I assume its because we arrived at 10 PM), but we enjoyed them while they did, even during the chants of "Freebird". For appetizers we had the conch fritters, calamari, and onion rings. All were excellent quality and generous portions, we were getting full before we even had our food. The sushi bar was also open, although we had to get our order in quick before they closed the sushi down. About half of the table got sushi, and all were extremely impressed at the quality and taste. I personally got the jambalaya, of which I could only eat several bites because I was so full. The jambalaya was stuffed with large portions of sausage, shrimp, and chicken. I prefer having some fish in my jambalaya, but it tasted excellent regardless. Overall, we had a fantastic time. We were not rushed, the staff was very friendly and accommodating, and took care of us with great haste. The variety of foods is great, and they do not disappoint in anything they serve. I highly recommend stopping by the Marlin if you are in the area. Not to mention we proceeding to hit up the bar across the street and enjoyed the rest of our evening :)
(5)
Miss Z.
I have been there twice on our 9 day stay in the area. First time I had a Blackened Grouper wrap which very good. My mom had a Lobster wrap and the Lobster bisque which were both yummy and under $10 per plate. Went Monday night for all you can eat snow crab for $21.99. Crab was very sweet, good quality and came with a huge salad and basket of fries. The servers are very nice and the restaurant has a casual laid back vibe. It's a big place and you can sit inside or out. Tucked away off of alt 19, worth the visit if you like seafood, sushi after 5pm, or all day happy hour!
(5)
Terry H.
My wife and kids go here a couple times a year when we are visiting the area on vacation. It is very consistent in great tasting food, no matter what we order. We've eaten the tuna, salmon, burgers, buffalo chicken sandwich, sushi, wings, grouper, etc. Every visit was like the previous, the food was great, service was good, and prices were reasonable. The kids love the place as well (we have a 4 year-old and a 6 year-old). This past month, we visited twice and had great experiences both times. Our waiter, David, did an awesome job with quickness and entertaining the kids with good humor. We highly recommend this place.
(5)
Sally M.
First time being here. Casual atmosphere. Cold evening, or it would be great place to sit outside. Not many people here. Didn't really like the spot that we sat - which was near entry door. Waiter "Dave" could not be more pleasant and informative. Started with a cup of "she-crab" soup. OMG delicious - homemade, creamy, fantastic flavor. Could have just ordered another bowl and been totally satisfied. Had tuna sashimi appetizer. Good but wasabi was a bit weak. My husband had a combo of blackened grouper, shrimp and scallops. All tasted very fresh. Grouper was the best. Finished with key lime pie which also tasted fresh and homemade and was very good. Was told they recently finished renovations with an outside tiki bar and expanded area for band. Will absolutely come back here when traveling to this area and will make sure it is a warm evening to enjoy the outside setting and band playing.
(4)
Patrick S.
Fun and casual atmosphere. Servers were very friendly, but I must admit a bit on the slow side the night we were there. The menu is very deep and I think most anyone would find something they would like on it. Food quality was good and overall I would go back again. They do have lots of specials (happy hour etc) and I notices 1/2 price apps if you check in on FourSquare last night.
(3)
Melissa V.
If you want a quieter table, they will bring you in a corner that is suitable for that. I sat in there since my father in law hates too much noise. I remember them having a collection of different kinds of cookie jars around in there. I had their lobster bisque soup (had to add some hot sauce in it, though) and then the Greek salad with chicken (didn't get to finish & it was a big plate for me). Their appetizers are delicious, especially the fried green tomatoes with their Bahamian sauce. Be careful, though, it may be hot for some of you. Also, their thai chicken wrap we shared was delicious, especially in the peanut sauce. I had their drink called Pain Killer.. it was so good that I will order it again next time. Our waitress was pretty friendly, and the service was allright.
(4)
Amber H.
Grouper nuggets were awesome! Coconut shrimp w pina colda dipping sauce...best coconut shrimp Ive ever had! Large portion of tuna w the Seared ahi tuna salad for only 11$! Service is excellent..apps came about 5mins..dinner in about 10 mins...very fast and waiter very attentive! We will be back!!!!
(5)
Tina B.
Let me go on record as stating the food is not very good here at all (typical Florida fare, bland and fried) and much of the wait staff is mediocre most of the time. However, this restaurant does shine in two areas: 1. Sushi is some of the best in North Pinellas County 2. The bartenders are very friendly and attentive. Sit at the bar and skip the dining room. The sushi is pricey, but is such good quality that you just can't mind paying for it. And if you hit happy hour along with sushi, you are guaranteed a nice evening. So in summary, avoid the main menu unless you are ordering the grouper sandwich. Get sushi (although only available after 5pm) and enjoy a cocktail.
(3)
Sherry B.
A group of us went here. The wings were pretty good (sauce tasted very good) and they were plentiful on meat. (If you've had Chili's wings, you know how small they can be.) The calamari tasted great, but I prefer calamari with no sauce. The others thought the sauce was mediocre. The fried grouper sandwich as good, nothing spectacular. A 7 out of 10 rating. As a big fish taco fan, I was disappointed that I mainly tasted raw tomatoes. I ate 1.5 of the 3 tacos I received, gave the rest away because they were juicy and would not have kept if I had even attempted to take them home. But they weren't that great anyway. Would not order again. My brother had a burger. It was huge, yes, looked great and fresh, yes, but he asked for it to be cooked medium and it definitely came out medium rare, borderline rare in some places. I like meat rare, but he was grossed out. He didn't get sick or anything, so that's a plus! Won't rush back unless we go for sushi or something. All the good reviews are deceiving. And some people say the service isn't good, but we had a very nice, professional server that took great care of us.
(2)
Suzanne M.
Recently stayed in Palm Harbor for a visit with family - there were 9 of us - two families, aged 45 down to 11. We found Thirsty Marlin on yelp and were thrilled. Sat outside with a heating lamp - it was a bit cool that night - food was fantastic. Our appetizers came out quickly, dinner took a bit longer, but place was busy so that was somewhat expected. Service was friendly - all enjoyed their meals - highlights included Reggae Pasta, Lobster Bisque and Tilapia. Kids meals were good as well. Will definitely go back if in the area again.
(5)
Lesa B.
The Red Dragon sushi is a "must" have. My hubbie and I are in Palm Harbor on vacation. We found this place by searching the Internet looking for restaurants that served grouper. We really scored! The grouper sandwich was awesome! I hate our stay will not allow us enough time to get through the menu. When u go ask for Smilely; he was our server and he's very fast and attentive. So many choices, so little time. Give this place a try. You can't go wrong.
(5)
Ryan M.
Great restaurant. They have a good beer selection with reasonable prices (including some local Dunedin Brewery beers), fantastic seafood, laid-back atmosphere, outdoor seating, and live music. Also a good spot for a rehearsal dinner or gathering with friends, with the rest of downtown Palm Harbor a stone's throw away.
(4)
Debi E.
You want to sit in the A/C? You can. You want to sit outside and listen to the band? You can! Either option is great, & thats just the beginning! The menu offers many options too, so many that I now have to go back numerous times to try all the tempting choices! They offer different sangria choices too! That of which we had nooo problem trying & deciding which one we favored for the day. Yep, Thirsty Marlin, I like you! & I'm coming back with friends, so be ready! :o)
(4)
Amy S.
AMAZING, amazing, amazing sushi! The Rose Roll and Tampa Roll are perfect if you love grouper and want something different than a grouper sandwich. Can't wait to go back and try more! My server, David, was fantastic too!
(5)
Jennifer K.
Food was decent. Service was slow. Entertainment was great! Live music on saturdays. Menu is huge. Choose from seafood, sushi,steak,burgers,etc. They have something for every one.
(3)
Ryan C.
Food was mediocre at best, the servers congregated near our table complaining and gossiping so loud they couldn't be ignored. This place could use a good cleaning.
(1)
Benny G.
Excellent atmosphere. Family oriented. Live music, great sangria, superb menu.
(5)
David M.
it was a monday evening, and raining. so the place wasn't packed like usual. the food was very good and the service was good also. it was suggested to try the crab cakes. it was a good suggestion and a really good meal and a nice evening. i would recommend the place.
(4)
Marc P.
good menu, sat on the outside patio, was nice except for all the smokers, good selection of pub food at a reasonable price, service was very good
(4)
Amy N.
Great food, fun beachy atmosphere. A downtown palm harbor staple :)We've been going there for years, and have always loved it. The last time I was there, I had a fried grouper sandwich, and it was great. Came with some spicy sauce, mmmm. The service was really good, they were always checking on us. My kids got fish sticks, which are real chunks of fish, not minced frozen sticks.
(5)
Jennifer Y.
I love the atmosphere, and the food is always great... The lobster bisque is AMAZING!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Danny M.
Great food, great service and classic Florida atmosphere. The waiter was attentive and the food came in a reasonable amount of time. All the food (sushi, lobster bisque, fish tacos, fried clams) was cooked properly, very tasty, and came in adequate portions. Excellent plating. The restaurant itself was cool, looks to be a converted old house or something. There is outdoor seating with a bar and stage for live music, but also an indoor bar, and smaller, more intimate rooms where parties might eat in a more relaxed atmosphere. Stumbled in here by accident, as we didn't know Fireside Pizza was closed on Mondays, and we were not disappointed. Full price tag for sushi, bisque, tacos, side of fries, and friend clams (no drinks other than water) came to ~$38.00.
(4)Chloe L.
We enjoy the food at Thirsty Marlin. I always order from the sushi menu and my husband always orders ribs or grouper Atlantis. Portion sizes are huge. All you can eat crab and dollar sushi are great deals. Also great happy hour. I only give it four stars because outside can get smokey.
(4)Erin M.
The food is always delicious and the service is fantastic. Questionary is a blast and the live entertainment never disappoints. It is one of my go to places!
(5)Mike M.
Great service Great steaks (!) Easy parking Comfortable atmosphere
(4)Heather M.
A go to restaurant for our family. Great menu, fun casual atmosphere, live music in the evenings, tasty food, and quick service.
(4)Lacey C.
Stand back everyone--FLORIDA IS DOING IT RIGHT. The Marlon has a sushi bar -inside- the bar. Fresh. They make it in front of you. And it's good. The rest of their menu is equally impressive--the fried conch was great, and I eyeballed about half a million other things I would have eaten if we hadn't already ordered the immaculate Spicy Tuna and Arizona rolls. Their drinks are good and competitively price. My only regret is that we didn't have the time for a second trip before we left. Service was a little lame, but it was a very busy Friday night with an hour waiting list for seating and live music. We tipped well anyway.
(4)Renee F.
**BEWARE FAKE GROUPER** Came here to eat last night after a day of fishing at Honeymoon Island. Figured we'd try it since we have never been here and yelp reviews and photos were decent. Took me a little bit to decide what I wanted, but I went with the fish & chips. Hubby had the blackened grouper sandwich. About 5 min after ordering we noticed that Thursday special was buy one get one free Fish & Chips. Well hmmm wish we had known that prior to ordering. Would have beeb nice if waitress mentioned this. Especially when I ordered it! So we quickly call her over and ask the my husbands order be changed. IT WAS ONLY 5 MIN!! She comes back and says, Sorry but no, your order is actually almost done already!! His order was a sandwich with a side of potato chips & cole slaw!!! The ONLY thing that was "cooked" was the grouper!! Seriously?? You can't just skip throwing the chips & slaw on the plate, which slaw came with the fish & chips anyway!! Give me a break! OK whatever... no big deal. She brings out our food and one look at his sandwich and we knew immediately that it wasn't FRESH, nor was it grouper!! We are from FL, have a boat, fish ALL the time!! We know what fresh grouper looks/tastes like!! This "grouper" was 3 very thin peices of the tail end of the "fish". There doesn't need to be 3 pieces!! It was gray in color and very fishy tasting!! ( Sorry no pic!! UGH ) We complained to the waitress who simply said. "Oh, Hmm" She did offer to take it back, but my husband said no ( who knows why?? haha ) He attempted to just eat it and make the best of it. It just really upsets me that she never brought a manager over!! Annoyed that she failed to mention the specail!! Then didn't even take the sandwich off the bill. That was the least she could have done since he was clearly not happy with it. Of course that is partly his fault for not letting her just take it back! But still!! I WILL NEVER GO BACK HERE!!! POOR SERVICE AND GROUPER DEF NOT REAL OR FRESH!! My fish & chips were OK. French fries old, coleslaw tasted premade like from Sam's Club! Only ate 1 bite!!
(1)Laticia S.
Great food! The stuffed grouper was tender, well seasoned & delicious, but a bit smaller of a portion than the hubby would've liked for the price. The sides were delicious: fresh, well balanced cloe slaw & the rice & beans are to die for!!! Best I have ever had!!! By comparison my meal of ribs was HUGE and generous for the price. Prepare to wait as the place is decievingly large & very busy...They do have what appears to be great looking sushi, but the table next to us waited 45 min for their order.... NOT GOOD! They had a great band playing in the back, but unfortunately, they ALSO had shitty top 40 radio playing on top of it, which was super annoying... & would not honoor a request to turn it off (deciding instead to shut the patio door, which did nothing...) But that is really my ONLY complaint! The wait staff was kind, friendly and on top of things. The teenage hostesses were not but had help from "Mom" to smooth things out. They allow dogs on the patio, which is a HUGE plus!!! The SMOKING ON THE PATIO while people are eating... a huge MINUS!!! Overall a great experience. We will be back!
(4)Kymberly R.
First night in our second honeymoon discovered this little secret it was amazing FRESH seafood!! Service was wonderful !! Will come back to this excellent find!!
(5)Dianna B.
The husbeast and I waited too long for a friend to get in touch with us, so we missed our brunch window, so we had to go to an early dinner, but WHERE? All the places we usually go to were bustling at 3 in the afternoon, so we decided to spin the roulette wheel and choose someplace new. I have driven past the Thirsty Marlin many a time and proposed the idea to the Husbeastie so a plan was set into motion. We made our way there, no traffic in our way, and when we arrived on this balmy Sunday afternoon, 80*F at the end of December, the place as all but dead. A few patrons were inside and one couple was outside, so we opted to sit outside on the patio. It was lovely, except for the all too bright sun. An umbrella would have been perfect. The table was set up for it, but none existed. The waitress came out in short order and took our drink order and asked us if we wanted to place an app order. Given that we'd never been there before we asked for suggestions. She tossed a few our way, and Conch Fritters stuck. They were a bit on the over done side when they arrived, and the peices of conch that I could tell were there, were hard to eat, overly chewy, but the fritters themselves were tasty, as was the spicy mayo sauce served with. We ordered our mains, The husband getting a bacon double cheese burger, served with fries and slaw, and I opted for a club salad with chicken, dressing on the side. I know, not something you'd expect one to order from a fish place, but oh well. The burger came out looking and smelling delicious, and given the way the man inhaled it, it must have been amazing. The bacon looked -fantastic- and the fries looked WOW.. just as perfectly tasty. My salad was odd. It was served in a taco shell bowl, a mound of older lettuce, with 2 large rings of green pepper, an egg cut in half. 2 cherry tomatoes, a handful of cheese, a handful of bacon bits, and 2 rings of cucumbers, all topped with 4 well seasoned chicken strips. It was fairly deconstructed. I had to eat it layer by layer. But yes, the lettuce was old, peices were wilted and bruised, and had that OLD taste to them. I was rather disappointed in it, but ate 1/3 of it. Seriously, it was almost a whole head of ice burg. During this time another couple came in with their dog and sat on the patio with us, Our waitress came out and served them, but never once refilled our drinks, My husband's iced tea ran dry and mine came perilously close. We did order the Key Lime pie, and it was decadent. I'd go again just for the Key Lime Pie, but also know exactly where to get that from, so maybe I'll just go if people I know are going. It wasn't really worth repeating a trip.
(3)Christopher M.
The Marlin is a great place to go when my girlfriend and I can agree on the same type of food. They have everything; seafood, salad, sandwiches, and even sushi. They have this sauce that comes with the clan strip appetizer that is out of this world. It is so good!
(4)Marinda H.
3 stars for food, 5 stars for service and atmosphere 2nd visit, similar thoughts as the 1st - great friendly service, cute 'old FL' atmosphere, food never wows me - good, but nothing amazing. Servers are always super personable and do a great job. Ordered fish tacos - huge portion, fish was not really hot (warm but not hot) so kinda disappointing. BF ordered filet - also not super hot but still decent. My dad loved his bacon wrapped scallops. Prices are high enough that when the food isn't awesome, it's not really on the top of my visit list.
(4)Lindsey S.
My boys and I came here for lunch during the Palm Harbor Citrus Festival, looking for something other than corn dogs and cotton candy. We were seated fairly quickly and met our waiter, Barry, who is one of the best waiters I've ever had. He checked on us frequently, and was also great at holding a conversation with my six year old, who called him "such a nice guy". So how was the food? Well, it was pretty flippin' delicious. Bobby had a kid's grilled cheese and fries, and I went for the Southern Belle burger. Oh, what a great choice! This puppy with stacked with cheddar cheese, carmelized onions, bacon, a fried green tomato, bleu cheese, Bahamian sauce (like a spicy ketchup/mayo concoction), lettuce, onion, and red tomato. The burger was so big I had to cut it into quarters, but it was delicious; a definite balance of quantity and quality. I'm drooling even just remembering it! Our meal here was so good that I'll be making it a point to come back soon. Hopefully they can impress my husband as much as they impressed me!
(5)Scottie M.
Great happy hour and appetizers!! Nice place to try a little bit of everything. Here on a Wednesday afternoon and it's a perfect little spot to hang out munch and have a few drinks.
(5)Renee R.
I really enjoy this place. Love the location, nice music, food quality is good. Being Vegan, they have nice options. I moved to Ocala and mourn not having places like this around. I will definitely go back when I visit the area!
(4)Jeffrey C.
We've lived in Palm Harbor for almost six years. When we came here house-hunting we got an introduction to another place to eat (also lovely, and somehow related), and my wife and I mentioned sushi to our friend and the rest is history! If you like sushi, The Marlin is for you. They have two trained sushi chefs and the fish doesn't get any fresher. Mondays and Tuesdays is $1 Sushi night, and we TRY to never miss it at least once/week...even though it's not always in the starts. $1 will get you one piece of favorites like, Ebi, Tako, Maguro, Salmons, roes... but WAIT!! $1 also gets your TWO rolls... Tampa and Mexican rolls are awesome and cali-rolls and everything else is killer. I usually get 4 cucumber rolls (8 pcs for $4!), 4 Tampa and 4 Mexican rolls... 24 pcs total for $12. Are you kiddin'? Then I top it off with Tuna, Octopus, Shrimp and a super house salad for $3.99. You have to roll me out of there, and the best of all, the sushi is just excellent. My kids love the burgers, fish sandwiches (Grouper!), fajitas, fries are great... Agree with Christopher M - the sauce (forgot what they call it) is excellent too. Ask for "Special Sauce" - they'll know what you want. :-) Very "Old Florida" ambience, and a new Tiki bar out back.
(5)Chris L.
Day one of three days of Fried Grouper Sandwich. Have to say of the three it was my least favorite. Not that it was bad, it was good, just not the best. The fish was flaky and tasty but it was a bit greasy. Also the cut of the fish was a bit thinner than I expected. But again it was very tasty and worth the stop. The onion rings that we got were great, loved the crunchy beer batter. The cole slaw was really good. And the drinks were pretty stiff so we were all happy with that too. So not 5 stars only four, but worth every one of them.
(4)Andrew D.
I went on Saturday night with my wife for the first and last time. The hostess was rude and snotty saying that all the tables were taken outside, and never mentioning a waiting list that we could have signed up for. We went out to the bar and the bartender was very helpful and friendly, providing good service. The outside is really covered partially and we were surprised to find the majority of people to be smoking. The place smelled like a cigarette ashtray. Nevertheless, we ordered some appetizers. The sesame crusted tuna was room temperature, which indicated it was left out for quite some time. It was pretty tasteless but at least I didn't get sick! Overall, the place is dumpy, the chairs are uncomfortable and the food is marginal. I will not go back because there are so many excellent places in Palm Harbor and Dunedin.
(1)April T.
Happened to find this place while visiting. Could not have asked for better service and the food was amazing!! We started with The Scorned Women appetizer and had to order a second it was so good! We were a party of 10 so we had everything from the specials to the crab legs and all of us were pleased! This would be a repeat visit when we return to the area!
(5)Elaine W.
A taste of the sea.... never had fish and chips that were soooo good! Fast service. Need to get there early, place fills up fast. Everything I've tried there?.... Delicious!
(5)Amy Z.
Great outside bar with live music on the weekends. Lots of locals and parking all around.
(4)Mark H.
Only stopped in for a drink last night, but while chatting it up with the bartender, Michelle, we learned that Monday night they have sushi happy hour featuring $1 sushi. So we will be hitting them up TONIGHT. Food review to come. As for the drinks we had last night, very good mojitos and bombs. Great layout and atmosphere, and within a stone's throw of several other bars and businesses.
(4)Kerri C.
Had an awesome time here... food was decent... place was clean... prices were good... portions were huge!!! However... what made our whole experience was DAVID... and he wasn't even my server... he was just awesome!!! Again he wasn't even my server but that didn't stop him from checking on us... he chatted us up and was just so personable. We will definitely be back and will request him as our server...
(5)Kelsey A.
Can't beat the grouper cheeks with bohemian sauce!! Excellent black beans and rice as a side. Usually have good service, although the wait can get a bit long around dinner time on the weekends and during snowbird season. Covered patio out back with live music and additional bar as well. Outdoor seating available out front as well, which is a bit quieter than the outdoor seating out back (the live music can be a bit noisy!). Overall great dining experience. May be a bit overpriced but worth it!!
(4)Sarah C.
Publix grade sushi for more money than its worth.
(1)Ray P.
Interesting ! Somehow my review was deleted ! on Dec 10th 2014 ! Tonight I experienced a general manager that had no clue. I had a $20 gift certificate , I turned it in for my bill and was told I could not use it as it was a pof event. Even thoug no where on the certificate does it say that. Mind that I play softball close to here and we stop in and spend about $ 100 every visit. For $20 that General Manager lost 100's of dollars as we will just go to Boyles instead . If he was my general Manager he would be not looking good in my eyes as a owner . Not to mention the 2 new customers sitting with me 1stt time visitors will never come back . They were very upset at the General Managers lack of effort to solve the matter. Good general manager ! Lost 1 customer thaT HANGS OUT DOWNTOWN AT LEAST 2 days a week, 2 new customers that will never come back, and 1 softball team ! Must be nice as a owner to have a place that can afford that kind of loss in one night ! I have not returned and will never I let my gift certificates expire as I rather loose $20 then give them a Penny. On dec 27th had a group of 35 people in Palm Harbor and spent over $1,600 Every plam in Palm Harbor got a Little except The Marlin last week 30 softball players Boyles made $580 The Marlin 0 and it will continue Management and owners at this location have no idea about customer service at ALL
(1)Jerry Q.
Great fried grouper sandwich or dinner! Happy hour drink specials are good as well. Onion ring appetizer is really good. Really good sushi selection and is on special Monday and Tuesday. Was too full for desert so not able to rate it.
(5)Brian H.
why am i giving this place 5 stars after its been engraved in my head that i dont really like this place? the opposite of high expectations is what occured. i was told this place was good by others and i remember eating lunch here once and being really dissapointed at it. i believe it was bad in my head because of lack of value. I ordered the portobella mushroom sandwhich. i usually like fries but decided to stay with the chips and coleslaw. glad i did. the sandwhich was on french bread and not a burger roll. it was large in size and banging on flavor. it came with some of the best carmelized onions i ever had. weird compliment to say i know but they were super sweet which went great with the horseradish sauce. i dont think ill order anything else there now. the coleslaw was also better than i had in almost every BBQ place. Ive heard their sushi is great (considering the choices we have in the Dunedin Palm Harbor area). Bonus Hint: dip your potato chips in the coleslaw.
(5)Katy H.
Only reason for not giving better review is tonight we watched some obese guy try to pick a fight with a family of four at the back bar. Fat guy claimed to know the owner. I guess that is why the bartender offered to comp the family's drinks, but didn't kick the fat guy out. Too bad because we proceeded to watch fat guy try to pick up a chick using the "be a jerk" tactic. Didn't work for fat guy, but funny to watch. We left around then, but the poor girl looked flabbergasted. Overall great food, but if they are interested in being a family friendly establishment, wish the bartender would weed out the jerks and his friends. . (Who 'know' the owner. )
(3)Danielle C.
Oh Palm Harbor, how I love thee. This may be the greatest little town I have been to in Florida. Some of my best friends live here, and I went up to visit while on my fall break. I made a reservation for 12 on a Saturday night for a group of us to get together. They were very helpful on the phone even accommodating where we wanted to sit (out on the back deck). It was a gorgeous night and there was a cool band playing 90's music. Right away we got a waiter over to get our drinks. We had ordered some shock-tops are first but when we got them, they were incredibly stale and flat. The waiter promptly replaced them with a pitcher of Bud light. We ordered the Firecracker Sushi roll as an app and it was phenomenal. I always appreciate when things say they are spicy and end up being really spicy. I could have eaten two more of those. I ordered the Lobster Quesadilla. Oh my goodness. My obsession with lobster is insatiable, but his quesadilla almost hit it. It also came with delicious cole slaw. Any place that can make good cole slaw in my book is a winner. I took a bite of the Fish and Chips--also awesome! The fish batter was really fluffy. The chips was actually a choice of french fries or kettle chips and my friends got kettle chips. Those were also very good. Other good items included--lobster wrap, wings, and the Thai chicken wrap. They split the checks without us asking and didn't charge gratuity for our large group! Overall, cant beat this place for some yummy food from all over the place. Cant wait to go back next time in in town.
(4)Dana N.
When we are in downtown Palm Harbor we usually end up here and always stare at the menu for a while with nothing really jumping out at us. The food is usually pretty good but it's nothing special.
(2)Kelly A.
Our local, casual, go-to family restaurant! We have never had a bad meal here! Well, don't get the lobster quesadillas... They are covered in Old Bay and it kills any lobster flavor! Other than that, all the food is delicious. The Mount Fuji roll and fish tacos are my favorite!! My husband loves the Jambalaya and fajitas! Unfortunately the service is hit or miss. 70% of the servers are on the ball whereas 30% are "space cadets!" Good happy hour specials!
(4)Nichole C.
Pretty good. I would actually give it a 3.5 but that's not an option. The atmosphere is great! Very chill and you can tell there are a lot of regulars that visit here. I ordered the fish tacos, they were tasty and decent priced. My husband had the Caesar salad which came in a taco shell! There were five other people in our party and everyone seemed to enjoy their dinners. I'm not sure what it was, but something was lacking. All in all a decent place with a pretty extensive menu.
(3)Kathy N Tony M.
Got the mixed grill of grouper and mahi mahi. It was like eating fish jerky. Still have the burnt taste in my mouth. I asked how the vegetables were before ordering. Server assured me they were good. Broccoli carrots and green beans sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Note to server: frozen vegetable medley microwaved and sprinkled with cheese are not good vegetables. Place has potential but for 21.99 I could have an awesome meal at Bonefish Grill. Husband's meal was ok and so was daughters. 100 dollars not well spent.m
(1)Miriam M.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon--not crowded! Not thrilled with the hostess who didn't offer back patio seating. Place was empty, and she sat us right NEXT to the front door. So, we ended up seeing everyone coming in and out. It was distracting and took away from the dining experience. Waitress was super friendly and very helpful with suggestions on what to order. Told us the specials and even suggested we come back and try the all-you-can-eat snow crab legs on Monday night! Conk stew was spicy...watch out! Served in a cute little mug. Should be noted that it has both fish and meat. Based on the recommendation of other reviewers (and our waitress), we started with the lobster quesadilla. Very tasty and chock full of lobster meat. Only thing, is lobster is a delicate flavor and in this instance was overpowered by tasty sautéed onions and lots of cheese. I'd probably order the chicken quesadilla next time so I can focus on the great taste of the onions. For the main course...lobster dinner!!! Sunday special is $19.99 for a 1 1/2 pound lobster with one side. Lobster was sweet and easy to crack open. Absolutely perfect! We opted for one side of sweet potatoes (very sweet with brown sugar! Yum!), and black beans with rice. Very good. Overall, aside from the hostess, we were very pleased and will definitely be back for crab legs and the much talked about sushi!!!
(4)Gigi S.
Tucked on the main drag of an adorably tiny town is The Marlin. Love their sushi specials for a small bite, and love the service. Michelle was especially helpful on our first night there. So much so, that we returned the next night and had a great time yet again. Combine fine service, good food, and cool atmosphere and you get good times. Can't wait to try everything on this expansive menu.Outdoor seating is expansively chill, and seems to be run by the same folks as the Nantucket Bucket, another of our favorite haunts, yet this place went even further with fresh sushi! Yom Yom Yom!
(4)Tania U.
Fried green tomatoes and big fat fresh oysters and great bands. Their fried food is a so very good always
(5)Paul M.
Been here twice now, and I'm sorry to say that this place kinda blows. Terrible service masquerading as friendly. Dude, I don't want to be your best buddy, I want you to get my order right. He screwed up all three of our orders. Also, zero knowledge of the menu. When we asked if he had any local beers, he said no, despite there clearly being several available once we looked at the menu. The Cigar City IPA is one of the best beers in Tampa, so to be totally unaware that you offer it is a serious crime. (Well, okay, not as serious as mayhem, but close.) The grouper Reuben was nearly inedible. The sauerkraut was stronger than many a kimchee I've had, which is not a good match for a fairly delicate grouper. Oh, and you do know that a reuben is supposed to have swiss cheese, right? No? Oy vey.
(2)Kyle R.
Stopped by here late on a Sunday. Place wasn't too full, so we got seated with drinks immediately. Our server (can't recall her name, sorry) was really nice and quick with anything we needed. The menu has a ton of options ranging from affordable to what I considered to be really expensive, particularly for a place that has a dive bar kind of atmosphere. Girlfriend and I split the buffalo chicken strip appetizer and a lobster wrap. Both were well-priced and phenomenal. Tons of lobster in the wrap and the appetizer came with either 5 or 6 huge pieces of chicken. We almost could have made a meal from the chicken alone. Having to pay extra for fries is kind of a bummer, but not a huge deal. I'm just not a fan of chips. Would definitely go back to try more of the options, but I'd likely avoid about half the menu do to price. If I'm going to drop $20+ per plate, I'll go somewhere a bit nicer than the Thirsty Marlin.
(4)Cassie K.
They have awesome seafood here. Great soup! And nice servers, a little slow but nice. I give it a thumbs up!
(4)Rob W.
This is a fun festive place to visit. I like the laid back neighborhood and atmosphere. The food is OK, but can be a bit hit or miss. I generally always have a good time here so I give it 3 stars.
(3)Kelly M.
Best sushi in Tampa bay! Fresh, creative, delicious! Red Dragon roll, crunchy tiger roll and Sashimi plate highly recommended.
(5)Rita R.
Very nice Florida/Bahamian feel to this place! Service was great. Sarah was our server and she did a very nice job if taking care of us! I tend to judge a place by how full my drinks glass is through out my meal and Sarah did not disappoint! She never hovered, but was very attentive. For starters, we ordered the fish spread. Very good! I was expecting it to be a smoked fish spread since its a local thing here, but it was still very fresh tasting. The celery and carrot sticks were a nice touch as was the lemon wedges. My husband ordered the blackened grouper cheeks and I ordered the fried grouper cheeks. Both were delicious but I wish I had ordered them blackened too. They were outstanding as was the southern corn on the cob. There are many other items on the menu that I would love to go back and try! The only reason I gave 4 stars was the noise level. It was a little difficult to carry on a conversation. Most of the noise coming from the staff not the diners! Oh well, can't win them all. We will definitely go back though!
(4)Adam R.
Tried it again on dollar sushi night. Sat outside, service excellent food very good I don't know why the service is so slow. We walked in at lunch time had to seat ourselves, waited 15 minutes for our order to be taken. Same old issue. It took 10 minutes for water or beer. Food is ok but not the service. It can't be that hard.
(4)Janice F.
Tried this restaurant last night as we have never been here before. Reviews were very good so expectations were high. We were seated quickly and shortly thereafter our drink order was taken. My husband asked if pitchers of beer were available but waiter said that we were there at "happy hour" so cost of a glass of beer would be cheaper. That's the direction we went. We ordered their onion rings as an appetizer & that was the best part of the meal. None of us were happy with the food we ordered ; prime rib quesadilla, lobster (where was the lobster? ... Tasted like beef and not good beef!) and a salmon wrap. As I said, none of us thought the food was good ... Not very warm and really no taste to speak of. We waited and waited and waited to order another beer. Finally, our waitperson kind of acknowledged us with a "I'll be back". We ultimately got the beer; no offer to my daughter for a refill on her soda either, by the way. After a long wait, we did get our tab. My husband questioned the cost of the beer as it seemed high for a "happy hour" price. The waiter then told us that there was NOT a "happy hour" on the weekend/that it was only during the week and "I did Not Tell you that!" My husband explained that it was the person who took the drink order when we were first seated and acknowledged it was not our waiter. The waiter mentioned something about talking to person about the charge but it was not rectified on our tab/no compensation of any kind. It's not that price was a big deal, it's the principal of it all. BOTTOM LINE ... Cute atmosphere but highly overpriced for what you get ($76 with tip ...husband is too generous) . Food was probably the worst I've had in a restaurant (other than onion rings ) in years! So disappointed. We will not be back nor will I recommend this restaurant to anyone. Too many other GOOD places to eat!
(1)Christopher S.
This is one of my local hangouts. The Marlin has a great variety in the menu and the beverages of choice are plentiful. I love the Mojitos. A Key West style food emporium with a bar room that also houses a sushi bar! And the sushi chef kicks azz. Try the Thirsty Marlin and Rose sushi rolls. There are also several different rooms inside and out that you can choose from based on your mood. The menu has something for everybody. The Lobster Bisque, Fried Green Tomatoes (with Gorgonzola), and Barbados Buffalo Chicken are great starters. Also sampled The Scorned Woman (7 large Buffalo Shrimp) spicy but didn't take away from the sweet taste of fine shrimp. My fave dish is Grouper Atlantis, a grouper filet topped with blue water large shrimp, succulent sea scallops and hand picked crab. I added a side of the Smugglers Sweet Potatoes, topped with a marshmallow caramel nut crunch! Yum! I have always been so satisfied, I've never tried the desserts. I think I'll try tonight! :)
(4)Howie L.
Went today for the first time. Hostess sat us right away. We waited awhile before anybody greeted us at the table. Apparently our server was late for work, or so we were told. Food was good, but waited a long time (for sushi). It's an interesting place. Old house turn into a restaurant. If your in the area and have PLENTY of time check it out.
(3)Linda P.
I've been frequenting Thirsty's both locations for some years now so I thought they deserved a review. First off the best deal in town on Monday and Tuesday nights when they do $1.00 sushi! The sushi chefs are very talented and the quality is very good. They also have 2-4-1 fajitas and taco nights so why cook at home at these prices? Thirsty's does a great job providing a pretty diverse menu of choices and the food themes lean towards a Caribbean-Cajun style of cooking which they have managed to nail quite well. The portions are ample. The scorned women appetizer is delicious, consisting of hot buffalo style shrimp and served with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.The Bahamian Conch Chowder rocks! I've had many other menu items over the years and my fav are of course the grouper sandwiches, I sometimes substitute mahi- mahi if the prices for grouper are too high. Both options are a win-win. They can cook it any way you prefer, grilled, blackened or fried. The blackened option is spiced just right! Pair it with black beans over yellow rice topped with Monterrey jack cheese, green and red onions and sour cream. Mmmmm! One of my favorite salads is the Sesame Tuna Crusted Asian Salad made with fresh greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions in a cucumber wasabi dressing and topped with sesame seared tuna. Yep, Ill keep coming back!
(4)Will C.
I was pleasently surprised by the Thirstly Marlin. I went here with my family as a bon voyage dinner for my brother in law that works on a cruise liner. I had no idea what to expect and so I turned to Yelp for tips and pointers. The reviews seemed to agree that the Lobster bisque and the Sushi were two safe bets. So I ordered the Thirsty Marlin Roll and the Lobster Bisque. I think I liked the soup a bit more than the roll just because it had a bit more flavor and it was a little outside. The service was good and we had a very nice waitress. We did sit out on the front patio because on the back patio they had trivia night and we wanted to be able to converse. with that said it is really nice that this restaurant has enough room for two patios and indoor seating.
(4)Elizabeth K.
love sitting outside there. food is.. a-ok
(3)Gena A.
Really yummy Lobster Quesadillas and Lemon Drop martinis. Fried Green Tomatoes were pretty good too!. Touristy prices, but good service and food.
(4)Nora Brie J.
I have been here many times before and been impressed, making this my go to for out of town guests. However tonight's visit was simply awful. I hope that this is simply an aberration and not a disturbing trend in the type if service and food that we can expect in the future. The service was ridiculously slow, we were seated by another table who came in after us and got their food before us and they got comped for slow service while we were not. The food was cold and not very good, while it took 90 minutes. The appetizer came out after the meal and we were not offered to be comped in any way. So disappointed. The conch was cold and rubbery, the burger barely edible, the fries cold and greasy, the beers and refills slow. The sushi was excellent though- would recommend. Hopefully this is a one time problem with a terrible server and this won't happen again ... If we decide to brave this restaurant again. The check also took forever. I wrote this whole review in between asking for it and getting it- and it still isn't here!
(1)Vicki B.
Spent two hours there, a day or two ago, the 4 of us, & waited while at least 4 other tables, who came in long after we did, were served first. Our waiter ( think his name was Barry) disappeared, & when we asked a waitress where he, or our lunch, might be, she snarkily replied that it "was the cook's fault" & not to blame the waiter. After waiting that long, we finally did get our beers & 1 cup of soup. So we left $25.00 on the table, and left.......only to be confronted by the waiter (who apparently DID work there after all) and another waitress, who tried to convince us to come back in. At that point, we didn't trust them, the food or the restaurant, so we told them we'd left enough for the beers & cup of soup, and left. This is the 2nd bad experience at this place, so we will not be going back.....ever. Nor will we suggest Thirsty Marlin to anyone else. And from a review of some if the other reviews, this is NOT an uncommon problem for this place. Seems to me that with that many negative reviews, most noting similar issues, management (who was in the restaurant thus same day) might want to try & fix things. But either they don't care, or figure they can survive on tourists.
(1)Richard N.
I've been to the Largo location many times but this was my first visit to the original location in Palm Harbor. I am a sucker for the "Old Florida" feel, and this place has that feel down nicely. Locals go here, as well as tourists, but it's very comfortable, very casual, and very Florida. The draft beer selection is a bit weak (the "best" beer on tap was Amber Bock), but there are decent bottle beers to be had, and a full bar. The menu is fairly typical but it has a slightly more upscale variety than typical bar food, including Mahi tacos, and a seared Ahi Tuna salad. I ordered the blackened Mahi sandwich which came on an onion roll, with chips and cole slaw. The fish was very juicy, and had a nice kick to the seasoning. Very tasty. I sat at the bar and my server was attentive, friendly, and chatted a bit about everyday things, which is a nice touch and makes customers feel welcome. There is bountiful outdoor seating and a nice bar area. It's not fine dining but I certainly have no complaints about the food, service, or atmosphere. The lunch clientele, other than myself, was on the older side. I have a feeling the happy hour and evening crowd is a little younger. This would be a good place for a quick lunch, or for a group outing at night. I will definitely make this an occasional stop for a couple drinks, lunch, or a casual dinner.
(4)Valarie G.
Came here with friends Friday night. Great atmosphere and menu and no complaints on the food. That being said, the hostess wouldn't tell me how long the wait was to sit outside but just kept repeating that there were reservations ahead of us. When I finally said "ok, that is fine, how many minutes would it be to sit outside even though there are reservations ahead of us?" She sighed and walked off, only to return a few minutes later to inform us that there was in fact an available table outside. (?!?) Our food also took roughly 45 minutes to come out once we had ordered it. While the manager did come out to apologize, nothing was offered outside of an apology to make up for the long wait.
(3)Penelopy T.
Visit Thirsty Marllin for the food, NOT THE SERVICE. UNLESS you eat at the bar. The bartender provides you with an excellent dining experience, served correctly, timely and with un-compromised verve. I am forced to scratch my head in bewilderment each time I encounter this kind of situation. Why serve exceptional food, delivered by substandard wait staff? Huge question begging to be answered. Serving food properly is a very personal experience. I want to trust my server, and they should serve a guest, as they themselves would wish to be served. So why is great service so impossible to attain in such a dog-eat-dog competitive industry? Don't misinterpret my review as my desire or need to adopt my food server, nor make them my busom buddy. ~ I don't want to know their zodiac sign. ~ The number of children they have by different fathers. ~ Where they have their long white tipped Keisha claws manicured. Which by the way harbour and hide, unsanitary souvenirs one does not want to consume. ~ Why they are tired. ~ Why they are too busy. ~ Why they insist on calling me sweetie! If you are a server plagued with a hair fetish (as with Thirsty Marlin) which prevents you in talking about the food you are about to serve me, WITHOUT touching your cowlick or pimples - then find another freaken job! I score Thirsty Marlin 4 stars for the food, and 1 for the service, with the exception of the bar! A dining experience isn't just about the food.
(1)Brady S.
With a newly redone outside deck and bar, this place will be a crowd pleaser come Spring. The drinks are good, the food is generally good and there is something for anyone and everyone on their menu. It is far from fancy, so it wouldn't be my pick if I were going on a first date but, maybe the second or third would be fun. The promise to have live music on a regular basis. If you are in to the beachy vibe, you should give this place a try.
(4)Tyler J.
This is one of my favorite restaurants, and it has been for a long time. I usually order the same thing, although when I do get something different, I'm always happy with it. Their conch chowder and jambalaya are so dang good. I have no complaints about either of them. Thirsty Marlin is in a great location and it has a great atmosphere. I grew up in Palm Harbor and I wish I lived closer now so I could go here more.
(5)Carrie F.
Three of us went here for dinner, 2 carnivores & a vegetarian. We all had a ton of options the sushi was amazing. The fish was cooked to perfection. Everything was great. Our server was a doll & came over when needed & was not pushy. I can't wait to go back.
(5)char c.
The atmosphere is very much a Tiki Bar, food is usually good and service good. The meal I had tonite was not good. It was blackened scallops wrapped with bacon, the scallops were tiny and they were wrapped in so much bacon it was difficult to even identify them as scallops. The meals I have had here before were always good. It is a noisy place when the band is playing, so if you want a quiet dinner this is not the place.
(3)J.D. R.
All their fried seafood stuff was very good...kind of expensive but good.
(4)B B.
It blows my mind as I read these reviews and realize that nobody says anything about this place being one of the filthiest, most unsanitary restaurants they have ever seen. REALLY??? I live 2 minutes from Thirsty Marlin and last night I remembered why it had been 3 years since we visited this crap hole. Honestly. We were in a pinch on a busy Friday night and attempted another visit with our two small children. When we were seated in the back corner...fear immediately set in. There were chewed french fries from the kids that sat there before us...on the chairs and floor. The carpet was disgusting. My 5 year old had to cover up ketchup on her chair that was left from the kid before us - with a napkin - because she was too sweet to complain. The service was awful as well. We had to ask for a waitress to be served after sitting ungreeted for 15 minutes. When we decided to do the old "run the hell out of here before our waitress comes back" was when my husband went to the bathroom and realized there was no soap in any of the dispensers. Ok...so if my husband couldn't wash his hands after going to the bathroom, and my 3 year old daughter couldn't wash her hands after going in the ladies room...who is washing their hands here?? From that point, we couldn't get the filth out of our minds and decide to make a run for it. We vow to never, ever step foot back in this place again. This place will continue to be in business as long as people support this type of environment. In our opinion, they violate every food health violation in the book and should be shut down. Period.
(1)J B.
Go here. The fish tacos are great, but small portions of Mahi. On the opposite side, the chicken Philly is huge!! Great atmosphere, very relaxing and back porch type place. Drink specials help the food digest better...
(4)Vito G.
One of the only restaurants I can think of that is traditional seafood, cajun, and a sushi bar on select days. This is some of the best jambalaya I've ever had, the tastiest fish cuts, surprisingly great sushi for the case of what else they're serving. I haven't eaten here in a couple of years, but what I did have was the best.
(4)D S.
Was lookin' to try someplace new, and have driven by a bunch of times, and seen signs for it for quite sometime so finally decided to stop in and try it. To beat the weekend dinner rush and avoid circling for parking, I would try and get there between 5 and 5:30pm, we were seated right away outside, and it has a nice atmosphere. Pretty large selection on the menu, and they have a sushi menu also. We got a roll as an appetizer ($8) and it was very good. You can spend $22 on a plate, or around $8-$9 on a sandwich/burger. I ended up getting the Tail Walk Chicken for $15 and it was outstanding. Grilled chicken breast topped with a portabello mushroom, cheese, apple wood bacon, caramelized onions and some other goodness. Serving sizes are quite a pretty good size. Their website also allows for ordering takeout if you'd like. We recommended to some friends who tried it out the following weekend and were impressed also. We will certainly be going back. There is an Irish pub across the street, and two bars within walking distance around the corner if you choose to mosey on after dinner and hang out some more.
(4)Gabriella K.
This place has great food. I recommend you try their fried green tomatoes, fish tacos and sushi. Strangely enough, their sweet tea is rather good too. Now the main issue I have with this place is the service. It sucks, for lack of a better word. There really is no excuse for a place to have great food, but lousy service. The last time I was there was Friday, and I brought my friend here for the first time. We asked to sit outside because we had a small dog with us, and we let the hostesses know we would wait till a table cleared. Once a table got up, we waited about 5 minutes and I went and reminded the hostesses that this table was now available, it just needed to be bussed. So we get to our table and there is already a server out there who has a few tables, I was hoping to get him because he was very attentive toward his customers, but instead we got another male server who rushed us. I sensed this immediately, so we put our entire order in. We ordered the tuna salad to start off with, but instead got it with our entrees. After taking our order, the server never returned back until our food was up. From there he did ask us if we needed anything, We requested some more salad dressing and he did bring it back promptly. He also brought out some water for the dog after we asked him too as well. He was not a lousy server, but we had just begun to enjoy our meal when he came out and placed the check in the middle of the table. not asking if we wanted desert or coffee after our meal. I thought maybe he was done with his shift and needed us to pay him so he would cash out and go home so I had no problem with that. I payed him while we were eating, and asked for some boxes. I asked if he needed to go home and he said no. OK. He brought out the boxes, and we never saw him again. The other server out there meanwhile was doing an excellent job. So I am wondering, what was the reason we got someone who didnt even have a section out on the patio? I would have rather been served by someone who didnt rush my meal and dissapear after it was delivered. I have been here before and whenever I sit at a table, and the service is just not happening. SOOOOOOooooooooo, I chose to sit at the bar when I do come.
(3)Justin M.
The food and service was outstanding! The atmosphere is also fantastic. The Grouper Sandwich was delicious and appetizers were excellent . Our server was very outgoing and always ready to serve us.
(5)Heather R.
I can't say enough great things about Thirsty Marlins!! Awesome food, clean, friendly staff, and great services every time we go. They have something on the menu for everyone, from amazing fresh sushi to awesome buffalo chicken! Some of my personal favorites are the Lobster Quesadillas, Buffalo Chicken, house salad w/house dressing(OMG) & Thirsty Marlin or Bubba sushi roll. Yes, I go there a lot but I'm super picky and I know I can never go wrong, definitely LOVE Thirsty Marlins:-D!!!
(5)John L.
Great food and great service. The Oysters Desire are insane. The fries are probably some of the best I've had. There's a great atmosphere and equally great food. It's one of my favorite places.
(5)Alex D.
Food was good but that's besides the point it was April and Frank's Engagement dinner and it was very nice. Congrats to you both... Alex and Cristina
(5)Danny H.
I was in Tampa visiting a friend who came down from Chicago to see some friends and family when I had the pleasure to dine in this fine seafood establishment. The first thing I noticed about the Thirsty Marlin is the fact that its right across from an Irish Pub....yes, a sign from the dining gods that this will be a grand experience. The first thing I noticed about the Thirsty Marlin is the great feel and atmosphere of it. We arrived at approximately 10 PM and the place was full of people having a great time and enjoying themselves. We were promptly seated and was there for only a couple of minutes before the server came and took care of our drink orders. They had a duo playing some tunes while we wined and dined, and they were rocking out the ukulele, which is always a plus in my book. Unfortunately they didn't play long (I assume its because we arrived at 10 PM), but we enjoyed them while they did, even during the chants of "Freebird". For appetizers we had the conch fritters, calamari, and onion rings. All were excellent quality and generous portions, we were getting full before we even had our food. The sushi bar was also open, although we had to get our order in quick before they closed the sushi down. About half of the table got sushi, and all were extremely impressed at the quality and taste. I personally got the jambalaya, of which I could only eat several bites because I was so full. The jambalaya was stuffed with large portions of sausage, shrimp, and chicken. I prefer having some fish in my jambalaya, but it tasted excellent regardless. Overall, we had a fantastic time. We were not rushed, the staff was very friendly and accommodating, and took care of us with great haste. The variety of foods is great, and they do not disappoint in anything they serve. I highly recommend stopping by the Marlin if you are in the area. Not to mention we proceeding to hit up the bar across the street and enjoyed the rest of our evening :)
(5)Miss Z.
I have been there twice on our 9 day stay in the area. First time I had a Blackened Grouper wrap which very good. My mom had a Lobster wrap and the Lobster bisque which were both yummy and under $10 per plate. Went Monday night for all you can eat snow crab for $21.99. Crab was very sweet, good quality and came with a huge salad and basket of fries. The servers are very nice and the restaurant has a casual laid back vibe. It's a big place and you can sit inside or out. Tucked away off of alt 19, worth the visit if you like seafood, sushi after 5pm, or all day happy hour!
(5)Terry H.
My wife and kids go here a couple times a year when we are visiting the area on vacation. It is very consistent in great tasting food, no matter what we order. We've eaten the tuna, salmon, burgers, buffalo chicken sandwich, sushi, wings, grouper, etc. Every visit was like the previous, the food was great, service was good, and prices were reasonable. The kids love the place as well (we have a 4 year-old and a 6 year-old). This past month, we visited twice and had great experiences both times. Our waiter, David, did an awesome job with quickness and entertaining the kids with good humor. We highly recommend this place.
(5)Sally M.
First time being here. Casual atmosphere. Cold evening, or it would be great place to sit outside. Not many people here. Didn't really like the spot that we sat - which was near entry door. Waiter "Dave" could not be more pleasant and informative. Started with a cup of "she-crab" soup. OMG delicious - homemade, creamy, fantastic flavor. Could have just ordered another bowl and been totally satisfied. Had tuna sashimi appetizer. Good but wasabi was a bit weak. My husband had a combo of blackened grouper, shrimp and scallops. All tasted very fresh. Grouper was the best. Finished with key lime pie which also tasted fresh and homemade and was very good. Was told they recently finished renovations with an outside tiki bar and expanded area for band. Will absolutely come back here when traveling to this area and will make sure it is a warm evening to enjoy the outside setting and band playing.
(4)Patrick S.
Fun and casual atmosphere. Servers were very friendly, but I must admit a bit on the slow side the night we were there. The menu is very deep and I think most anyone would find something they would like on it. Food quality was good and overall I would go back again. They do have lots of specials (happy hour etc) and I notices 1/2 price apps if you check in on FourSquare last night.
(3)Melissa V.
If you want a quieter table, they will bring you in a corner that is suitable for that. I sat in there since my father in law hates too much noise. I remember them having a collection of different kinds of cookie jars around in there. I had their lobster bisque soup (had to add some hot sauce in it, though) and then the Greek salad with chicken (didn't get to finish & it was a big plate for me). Their appetizers are delicious, especially the fried green tomatoes with their Bahamian sauce. Be careful, though, it may be hot for some of you. Also, their thai chicken wrap we shared was delicious, especially in the peanut sauce. I had their drink called Pain Killer.. it was so good that I will order it again next time. Our waitress was pretty friendly, and the service was allright.
(4)Amber H.
Grouper nuggets were awesome! Coconut shrimp w pina colda dipping sauce...best coconut shrimp Ive ever had! Large portion of tuna w the Seared ahi tuna salad for only 11$! Service is excellent..apps came about 5mins..dinner in about 10 mins...very fast and waiter very attentive! We will be back!!!!
(5)Tina B.
Let me go on record as stating the food is not very good here at all (typical Florida fare, bland and fried) and much of the wait staff is mediocre most of the time. However, this restaurant does shine in two areas: 1. Sushi is some of the best in North Pinellas County 2. The bartenders are very friendly and attentive. Sit at the bar and skip the dining room. The sushi is pricey, but is such good quality that you just can't mind paying for it. And if you hit happy hour along with sushi, you are guaranteed a nice evening. So in summary, avoid the main menu unless you are ordering the grouper sandwich. Get sushi (although only available after 5pm) and enjoy a cocktail.
(3)Sherry B.
A group of us went here. The wings were pretty good (sauce tasted very good) and they were plentiful on meat. (If you've had Chili's wings, you know how small they can be.) The calamari tasted great, but I prefer calamari with no sauce. The others thought the sauce was mediocre. The fried grouper sandwich as good, nothing spectacular. A 7 out of 10 rating. As a big fish taco fan, I was disappointed that I mainly tasted raw tomatoes. I ate 1.5 of the 3 tacos I received, gave the rest away because they were juicy and would not have kept if I had even attempted to take them home. But they weren't that great anyway. Would not order again. My brother had a burger. It was huge, yes, looked great and fresh, yes, but he asked for it to be cooked medium and it definitely came out medium rare, borderline rare in some places. I like meat rare, but he was grossed out. He didn't get sick or anything, so that's a plus! Won't rush back unless we go for sushi or something. All the good reviews are deceiving. And some people say the service isn't good, but we had a very nice, professional server that took great care of us.
(2)Suzanne M.
Recently stayed in Palm Harbor for a visit with family - there were 9 of us - two families, aged 45 down to 11. We found Thirsty Marlin on yelp and were thrilled. Sat outside with a heating lamp - it was a bit cool that night - food was fantastic. Our appetizers came out quickly, dinner took a bit longer, but place was busy so that was somewhat expected. Service was friendly - all enjoyed their meals - highlights included Reggae Pasta, Lobster Bisque and Tilapia. Kids meals were good as well. Will definitely go back if in the area again.
(5)Lesa B.
The Red Dragon sushi is a "must" have. My hubbie and I are in Palm Harbor on vacation. We found this place by searching the Internet looking for restaurants that served grouper. We really scored! The grouper sandwich was awesome! I hate our stay will not allow us enough time to get through the menu. When u go ask for Smilely; he was our server and he's very fast and attentive. So many choices, so little time. Give this place a try. You can't go wrong.
(5)Ryan M.
Great restaurant. They have a good beer selection with reasonable prices (including some local Dunedin Brewery beers), fantastic seafood, laid-back atmosphere, outdoor seating, and live music. Also a good spot for a rehearsal dinner or gathering with friends, with the rest of downtown Palm Harbor a stone's throw away.
(4)Debi E.
You want to sit in the A/C? You can. You want to sit outside and listen to the band? You can! Either option is great, & thats just the beginning! The menu offers many options too, so many that I now have to go back numerous times to try all the tempting choices! They offer different sangria choices too! That of which we had nooo problem trying & deciding which one we favored for the day. Yep, Thirsty Marlin, I like you! & I'm coming back with friends, so be ready! :o)
(4)Amy S.
AMAZING, amazing, amazing sushi! The Rose Roll and Tampa Roll are perfect if you love grouper and want something different than a grouper sandwich. Can't wait to go back and try more! My server, David, was fantastic too!
(5)Jennifer K.
Food was decent. Service was slow. Entertainment was great! Live music on saturdays. Menu is huge. Choose from seafood, sushi,steak,burgers,etc. They have something for every one.
(3)Ryan C.
Food was mediocre at best, the servers congregated near our table complaining and gossiping so loud they couldn't be ignored. This place could use a good cleaning.
(1)Benny G.
Excellent atmosphere. Family oriented. Live music, great sangria, superb menu.
(5)David M.
it was a monday evening, and raining. so the place wasn't packed like usual. the food was very good and the service was good also. it was suggested to try the crab cakes. it was a good suggestion and a really good meal and a nice evening. i would recommend the place.
(4)Marc P.
good menu, sat on the outside patio, was nice except for all the smokers, good selection of pub food at a reasonable price, service was very good
(4)Amy N.
Great food, fun beachy atmosphere. A downtown palm harbor staple :)We've been going there for years, and have always loved it. The last time I was there, I had a fried grouper sandwich, and it was great. Came with some spicy sauce, mmmm. The service was really good, they were always checking on us. My kids got fish sticks, which are real chunks of fish, not minced frozen sticks.
(5)Jennifer Y.
I love the atmosphere, and the food is always great... The lobster bisque is AMAZING!
(5)