Marlow’s Tavern

So, in October I dinged Marlow’s for a sub-​standard meal after having excellent experiences at their other locations. Well we finally got back to the Alafaya location and am happy to report that they did an excellent job this time! Our shrimp and grits was spot on and the Gumbo was excellent. Thanks for restoring our faith in Marlow’s! We’ll definitely be back!

My husband and I dined in on a Friday night, which was super busy. To our surprise and appreciation the wait went by fast. Two people. 15 minutes. The ambiance is very modern/​contemporary. The mood is very casual. We started with the ahi tuna poke, which was served with crispy wonton chips. The taste was simple and refined, yet tasty. I ordered the grilled salmon for my entrée, which is paired with a crispy bacon and scallion succotash. It developed a great flavor on the grill and was cooked perfectly with a tender center. The accompaniments added so much depth to the entrée itself. My husband ordered the center cut filet. The steak was cooked perfectly to his liking, and the flavor was out of this world. The portions are satisfying, however without the addition of appetizers you’re left wanting more.

A guy who thinks he’s funny walks into a gastropub and orders a kangaroo burger and an IPA because; he says «I feel like something hoppy.»
OK, that’s my only gastropub joke but seriously, I had a fine meal and a couple of brews here on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.
The ATMOSPHERE here has a couple of unique features that I appreciated. One side of a beautiful rectangular bar serves the inside of the restaurant and the other serves a very long open air patio that could be glassed off. It looked very pleasant out there when I visited but it will be interesting to see how they manage Florida’s heat and sun glare. There were also some communal tables that looked like fun with the right group of folks.
I sat at the inside bar and my bartender was spot on. She was friendly, knowledgeable and checked on me appropriately. So my CUSTOMER SERVICE was just fine.
As befitting a gastropub the beer list was extensive and the wine list was also decent. Specialty drinks were also present so the three categories were covered. I was drinking Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale in a frosty glass and it was excellent. Four stars for overall ADULT LIBATIONS.
Now for the «gastro» part. I ordered the Tavern «Double Cheese» Cheeseburger for about $ 11 and choose cheddar, among several choices for my cheese. It arrived nicely plated on a toasted bun with excellent hand-​cut fries. The fries were accompanied by standard ketchup which was a small disappointment. I’ve visited many gastropubs that upgrade to specialty ketchup with unique flavors that would have added a nice touch.
The star of the show was of course the burger and it was four stars for sure. It was juicy and flavorful and cooked perfectly. It was built properly so you could eat it without needing a bib! The condiment used was House-​Made” Tomato Bacon Jam. It was tasty but as others have said, I would have appreciated a little more. Overall it was an excellent plate so once again four stars for the FOOD.
I’m rarely disappointed when I see a solid four stars from my fellow Unilocalers and these folks are a perfect example. I believe you’ll have a fine experience here.

Well the manager offered to make my meal right and I appreciate the offer. I am super impressed that they even read their reviews. I think I would go and give them another try just based on the managers speedy request. Thank you.

Great food, and drinks. We came here once for dinner and loved it so much, we came back for lunch the following week. Tried the truffle fries (very good), nachos (pretty good), chicken sandwich (very yummy), grit cakes (awesome) and tacos (ok). Also tried the chick pea fries which were good but a little too soft and flimsy. They had a pork sandwich that my coworkers loved as well.
Oeverall, had a great time here and really enjoyed their specialty cocktails. Great service both times as well.

This place was busy, but the wait was not too bad for two people. I only waited for 15 minutes and there is open bar seating which serves full menu as well.
I had the ahi Tuna Poke and a grilled chicken paenini which were both delicious. I loved the tuna poke!
Staff was super nice to bring me more pickle for my paenini as well since I loved their pickle. It was not too salty and had the perfect texture.

Place looks nice especially during the holidays but the food is just ok. My husband had the Marlow burger (their signature) and I had the BBQ Pork sandwich (Cuban style), both with fries. The burger was the best part of both our dinners; as I had a few bites myself. It was juicy and cooked as requested and the specialty sauce was delicious. However, my BBQ sandwich left much to be desired. It was mostly BBQ sauce and nothing Cuban about it except that it was pressed. The fries were horrible, in my opinion. The were too crispy to be fries, they were more like chips! Probably won’t go again.

What I’ve had so far
Shrimp and Grits is good
Crème Brulee is good
Chocolate Cake is good
Shrimp crab Nachos is not good; weird mouth feel weird taste.
I’ll give it another try.

Grilled chicken and hamburger were good but asparagus fries just terrible. Very oily and chewy — save your money and order something else. We came in at 5pm, not yet crowded, and service started out spotless. But as more people came in, our waiter became less attentive and even forgot to bring our dessert menu. We Will try this place again and give it another chance. There are just too many awesome restaurants out there.

Solid, decent pub fare. We decided on this place for lunch after catching a movie in the Waterford area and seeing that there were pretty good reviews of Marlow’s online.
We started off with the brie fondue (Melting Brie, Swiss, Mascarpone, Chardonnay and Warm Salty Pretzel Bread) which was tasty with the pretzel sticks (not really pretzel bread but soft pretzel sticks, but okay). The brie added an interesting tang to the fondue that I haven’t had at other places. I wish there was one more pretzel added – having only 3 is weird when there’s two people and we have to split that last pretzel :(
I tried to order several beers before I finally could get one. First I tried to order a Stella Artois but the server came back after noting the keg was tapped out. Okay, I’ll try the seasonal IPA on draft… nope, that one’s out too. Finally I ordered a Jai Alai (in a can) and that they had. I was a little bummed because I prefer a draft beer to a bottled but none of the other drafts really appealed to me that day. The Jai Alai was really good with the pretzel fondue, though.
I got the Tavern burger (Our Classic, Simple and Seasoned Perfectly Served with «House-​Made» Tomato Bacon Jam, Toasted Sesame Brioche Roll) and added Gorgonzola (and my server, to her credit, did ask if I meant the crumbles or the dressing – crumbles, please) to it. I’m glad I did – the burger came out perfectly medium-​rare as I asked, yay! But it was a little bit on the blander side and the cheese helped perk it up a bit. I would have liked a bit more of the tomato bacon jam too as it got a bit lost in there. The «hand cut» fries on the side were decent – again, typical pub fare.
My husband got the Buffalo chicken wrap (Spicy Chicken, Grilled or Fried, Shredded Romaine, Tomato, Jalapeño Jack Cheese, Ranch Dressing in Grilled Tortilla) grilled and it wasn’t bad either. For his side, I convinced him to get the white cheddar grit cakes. Those were super. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you like grits, give them a try. I thought they were miles better than the fries to be honest.
I will say that the service was great. Our server checked on us multiple times, as did another server who was just passing by and the general manager, who came by to apologize about the different beers not being available. Everyone was really friendly and wanted to make sure we had everything we needed.
This is a good place to grab a bite if you’re out and about in Waterford.

Glad there is better option at the Waterford Lake now! Marlow’s Tavern is an upscale-​casual gastropub with a good menu. The interior has a nice polished vibe with a mix of booths and high-​top tables. There also are two long communal tables where you can join other diners or for big group.
In term of food, I was taken back at the variety of the menu. There is something for everyone. I like the fact that the chef create a creative combination of flavor and not make the sandwiches and soup so boring. My favorite dish there are the Killer Calamari, Turkey Burger, and French Dip.
Customer service is pretty standard. The waiters are friendly and bring out the food quickly. I usually come here for lunch with a big group or late dinner. I know during primetime it gets pretty crowded and service can be on the slow side.

Sitting here at the bar after a delayed flight home and I wanted to relax with a nice dirty martini. So on a whim I decided to give Marlow’s Tavern a try. The only food I had tonight were the olives in my martini which Ron the bartender made to perfection! The décor is nice, cool place to hang out with friends. They also do a happy hour from 4−7pm. From the plates I saw on tables food looked ok. I love their location and would come back.

I visited Marlow’s Tavern on a Friday evening with a group of friends. When I arrived I was told 20 – 25 minutes for a table (they don’t take reservations, we had tried). The wait wasn’t bad, but looking around I realized there really isn’t anywhere to wait (and it was pouring rain outside). I asked the hostess where to wait and she gestured to a space along the back of the booths where I could stand. Awkward…
Anyway, my friends arrived, and before long we were seated at a pretty nice corner booth. Our server was very friendly and attentive throughout the night.
We chose Marlow’s based on a friend raving about their sangria, so of course a few of us ordered the sangria. Opinion was split over whether the red or white was better, but I personally liked the white, it has a nice pear flavor that was very different. Both sangrias were very sweet. I also had a ginger margarita, which I probably would not order again. I love ginger, but it was a bit overpowering and didn’t really compliment the margarita flavor. Oh well.
For our appetizer we shared the asparagus fries, which were good, but not tremendously popular. There were five us and we didn’t finish them.
For my entrée I had the ahi tuna salad. The tuna was good, and a nice sized portion but I felt that the dressing was really bland. I’m used to ahi tuna coming with a spicy sauce and this one had no spice at all, it was pretty disappointing.
Most of the group ordered sandwiches, and nobody was really thrilled with their food. We were in agreement that if we were to go back we would hit the bar for the sangria but skip the food.

Last night I was in the mood for a burger but did not feel like driving very far so I headed up to Marlow’s. Since mama was still busy studying I figured I would bring her home something sweet but off to the bar I went.
I had the most bubbly bartender approach me and she really made my night fun. She is obviously a fan of the food because she knew the burgers like a champ. I decided on a Tavern burger topped with Provolone and Gorgonzola along with some EXTRA crispy fries. They ran out of the baked potato soup but had a zesty chicken soup instead which sounded delicious. What else but unsweetend iced tea with lime… I hate it when I crave a beer with my burger and can no longer drink… GRRRR
The soup arrived and other than the the food runner sloshing soup all over most of the rim of the soup bowl, it was piping hot and nicely garnished. The sweetness of the tomatillo and the flavor of the cilantro complemented the chicken nicely. A bit more salt and pepper would have been preferred but that is why it is on the tables. My only disappointment was that I expected more «ZIP» with the name «Zesty» attached.
My burger was perfectly cooked. My only complaint is the «Bacon Jam» just does not have enough «bacon» flavor and they were a wee bit chintzy on the Gorgonzola. You could barely taste the Gorgonzola. The char flavor was wonderful however. The fries were VERY VERY crispy and just how I like them. Kudos to the kitchen because it seems to be a challenge to get crunchy fries at many places…
I waited until I was done to put in the dessert order for my wife and they boxed it up to go with great car. They even put the chocolate cake and ice cream in separate containers for me. The ice cream was not melted and I plated it for my wife to enjoy. I had a nibble of course and this time the cake was not over baked and absolutely delicious. The caramel nut glaze was not as sweet this time and that was a good thing.
Marlow’s seems to be settling into a groove now and it is for the better. I noticed that the overall service seems to be getting better and better every trip not only for me but for the other patrons around me. I am glad to see that since my first trip to now, service has improved 500% and that says a lot. Management seems to be doing a great job of fine tuning things to adapt to this location’s demographics. Keep up the good work!

Great food at not-​so-​great prices.
The menu is surprisingly small — 2 narrow pages of food and 1 insert with wine on one side and all beers and cocktails on the other.
I think for cheaper bar food I will go to Duffy’s, also at the Waterford lakes mall.
Entrees range from $ 10 burgers w/​fries to a $ 30 steak or seafood dish. I tried the chicken panini and fries ($ 11.70) — it was an outstanding sandwich with some type of pesto mayonnaise. I noticed a burger on the menu had tomato-​bacon jam, so I asked for some of that on the side. It was excellent both on the sandwich and fries.
The cocktail menu looked very interesting, but I rarely am willing to sample several $ 10 – 12 mixed drinks. I know you can’t find a decent martini anywhere for under $ 10, but for that price I just assume buying high end liquor and mix at home.
In the end, this is a nice upper mid-​range addition to Waterford, and I’m sure my wife will want to come again, but it’s a little much $ for the experience.

Overall, we had a great lunch here. Prices are a little high to make it a regular spot for us, particularly for the «standard» items that you can get almost everywhere like the French Dip. It was very good, but it’s also the second most expensive French Dip I’ve ever eaten, and that puts a damper on things.
The Shrimp and Crab «Nacho» Plate is an interesting take on nachos. You may only get 8 nachos, but each one is carefully loaded up with all of the ingredients, so it ends up being a better appetizer than standard nachos would.
It’s a little smaller than I expected inside, and that translates to a likely wait when you arrive, especially when it’s too hot to sit outside.
All things considered, it was a great meal and Marlow’s will be one of those places that we return to occasionally when we feel like splurging a little.

I excitedly watched Marlow’s Tavern go up in Waterford Lakes and finally got a chance to visit for a late lunch with friends. I know for sure I’ll be back.
Kendra G. made my first experience at Marlow’s wonderful. She was pleasant and helpful in explaining the menu. My friends ordered shrimp and crab nachos to start. I don’t eat seafood — but they looked amazing. I ordered the grilled chicken panini stack and upgraded to a side of the truffle fries at Kendra’s suggestion. It was worth the extra money! The truffle oil and parmesan cheese really made the fries something special. The sandwich itself was good. Flavorful chicken, crispy pressed Cuban bread, delicious basil aoli. The fried green tomato on the sandwich was a little strange and got soggy so I pulled it off and kept it moving.
As great as the truffle fries were, I passed half of them over to my friend so I would have room for dessert. They have crème brulee on the menu. Crème brulee is my kryptonite. I bake all sorts of things but leave this dessert to the experts. Marlow’s Tavern did not disappoint. The top was crunchy and wonderful, and you could see the fresh vanilla bean specks in the custard.
Marlow’s Tavern is a great addition to Waterford and their employees like Kendra along with the delicious food will have me returning on a regular basis.

This was my first visit to any Marlow’s Tavern and I really enjoyed it.
Atmosphere was simple, comfortable and modern.
Plenty of beer, wine and spirits to choose from and enough variety in the food on the menu as well. Pricing seems very reasonable for a place like this and was less than a Bar Louie or Brick House.
The hummus appetizer plate was particularly good and my chicken salad sandwich was really tasty and fresh. Fries were just okay and fried okra was a little disappointing because I like it the way 4Rivers does it (chopped and crispy).
We chose to sit inside, but I can see the appeal of being in the enclosed patio outside if you want the fresh air and live music on a Saturday evening.
It did take awhile for our server to greet us (for which he apologized) and it took even longer for us to receive our drink order, which seemed odd considering it was just a bottle of beer and a glass of wine. A couple managers had their eyes on our table and one stopped by as we were finishing our meal to ask us about our visit and proactively apologized for anything that took too long.
They’ve been open a couple weeks now and clearly are not where they want to be on training employees, but I’ll gladly return as there were plenty of things I liked about Marlow’s Tavern despite a couple customer service issues.

Marlow’s really surprised me. I went to the I-​Drive location once, and it didn’t really impress me. apparently I ordered the wrong thing!
I ordered the chicken salad sandwich which turned out to be better than I expected. Normally I don’t care for lemon/​basil flavors, but it works here. WARNING: the menu doesn’t say it, but the chicken salad sandwich has melted cheese on it. Luckily our server mentioned it. But I don’t think the servers should be responsible to communicate that. Just list it on the menu, Marlow’s…
Anyhoo, you know I’m the Fry Snob, and I think the fries are great. They seem to be made from fresh-​cut fries. I’ll always be tempted to get them. I also had a house salad which was fresh and tasty.
This is a great addition to Waterford Lakes. I’ll look forward to coming back here.

I’m very happy to see a new restaurant over on the east side. We were lucky to attend the soft opening for the dinner session. They are located in Waterford Lakes town center near the movie theater.
The atmosphere is great but I highly recommend dining on the outside covered patio. They really put a lot of thought into the design. There are several fans with water misters that help keep you cool and I also noticed they have ceiling heaters for the few days it gets cold here. There are 2 large TVs and ample seating.
Since this was a soft opening there were «training menus» that consisted of different items from the main menu. We were allowed to choose 1 appetizer to share and an individual entrée or sandwich. We were given the regular menu and drink menu to review just in case we had questions or wanted an adult beverage.
Our waitress was awesome! She explained the process and gave suggestions and let us know what some of her personal favorites were. We decided on the wings for the appetizer because I have a shellfish allergy and a lot of the other choices had shellfish. Luckily she heard me say that I had an allergy because that decreased my options of what I could eat.
One of the corporate trainers came to our table to explain that they use the same fryers to fry seafood, shellfish, fries, wings and gritcakes. I was totally bummed! I wanted to try the crispy snapper dish but couldn’t.
We ended up getting the warm Brie fondue with toasted crostini bread which was delicious! I even joked that it would make a great lunch with a nice glass of wine! For my entrée I ended up getting the homemade chicken salad sandwich with a side of the jalapeño corn grits since I couldn’t have fries. I’m not a sandwich person so I had low expectations although everyone was sure that I would love it. They proved me wrong about that sandwich! It was delicious! I actually wanted to ask the waitress if they just sold the chicken salad by itself because it was so good! It was served on a nicely toasted ciabatta roll with cheddar cheese and sliced red onions. Great flavor! The jalapeño corn grits brought my southern roots right out! Lol! Delish! It’s made with true yellow cornmeal which is what grits are supposed to look like. Nice hearty taste and just enough spice.
I can’t wait for them to officially open. I’m just a little bummed that I’ll be limited to what I can order due to the shellfish allergy.