The Thirsty Marlin

I came in to have some sushi. Unfortunately, they only serve sushi after 5 PM and I was there for lunch. Oh well.
I had a jerk pork sandwich and I was very happy with the jerk seasoning. It wasn’t quite Walkerswood, but still very flavorful and served the pork really well.
They kept my iced tea full and checked back regularly to see if I needed anything more.
I look forward to going back and trying some of the other food the next time I’m in the area.

Food is ok, place is ok, prices are decent. The surf n turf is a good value for $ 29.99 decent sized lobster tail and a filet is a good deal. the place is just kinda grimy sometimes, not dirty per se, just doesn’t look clean. The drinks are great and the fresh fish was good. Ive tried it fried and blackened and they do both well.
Outdoor seating is nice but bring bug spray. we were eaten by mosquitos. They do live music which can get loud but you can always sit inside.
Ive been 3 or 4 times and it was never great but never bad. I think it could be freshened up a bit and it would be better.

Incredible food and service! Vacation here every summer and we always stop in for the incredible food.

So great coming here and sitting outside. Such a great local place! We were back home visiting family and stopped in for lunch. Service was great and the food was delicious as always. We started with the buffalo shrimp, they can make them super hot if you like!
I had a salmon dill wrap with fries instead of chips because their fries are seriously amazing! My boyfriend had a Philly cheesesteak, my parents had a grouper sandwich and anther wrap. I usually always get the grouper sandwich it’s so fresh! I wanted to switch it up this time though and I was not disappointed!
They have all kinds of drink specials and live music. The menu is huge, they have something for everyone!

The grouper sandwich was definitely over salted and over cooked and over breaded. However the oysters were cold and fresh and good value add a dollar apiece on Sunday Service was OK Had to wait for our drinks never clear the table had to ask then we had to go find the waitress to get a check

there are some genuinely worthless people downrating this restaurant. this is a five-​star restaurant and the best in all of cajun food and you should stick to your spam and ritz if you don’t agree.
get the conch. get the sushi. get the fried green tomatoes. get the fried corn. get the bacon wrapped scallops. meanwhile go spit on the pictures of the people who rated this one star lol

My wife and I have stopped several times. Service has always been prompt and attentive without being annoying. If they have grouper that day, it is the way to go. Although, all of thier seafood is fantastic. In addition, you have to start any visit with the cracked conch… Fantastic.

My recent visit in a Tuesday night in late April I joined a party of six for birthday celebrations in a cozy room to the right as one enters. It was the perfect place for a party!
Most of us ordered the fried seafood platter which included real grouper, scallops and shrimp. The assorted sides were salads, good sized stuffed baked potato and Cole slaw. Our server Christine was over the top phenomenal. She made good suggestions for menu choices and was there when we needed her otherwise unobtrusive. She also has an upbeat, happy personality.
All the seafood was cooked to perfection. We savored every bite. Their drink specials are reasonable too!
We briefly met the owner who is delightful. You know she really cares about her customers. That’s rare to see these days.
This was a great dining experience and we’ll return!

Went here for the last time last night. We went in and sat at the bar for 15 minutes no one at the bar. I check outside the bar mId is working both bars which is ridiculous. I said you guys need to hire a bartender for each bar. I won’t be back freakn terrible.
Ok we thought we’d give it another try. Took friends visiting from NY – sat a table and were ignored once again. Place wasn’t busy. Young waitress never acknowledged us. We asked her if we could get some service – nothing. Don’t waste your time or money here. Too bad. Used to be our fave place.

Excellent super good Jambalaya. Sweet and Spicy yum. Goes down well with a beer of course. Price is totally worth it!

Trust me great burgers and Monday all you can eat crab legs and trust me my husband can put a high debt into some crab legs! Prolly one of the best burgers I ever had from a seafood place or any place really! Say out side other then it a lil noisy, was actually kind nice! WILL be going back many times!

Surprise.Surprise. Surprise.
After having a home in Palm Harbor for six years my wife and I finally decided to try a local restaurant. And it was pleasant surprise. It Florida, landlocked, digs but the fare was a delight.
Atmosphere 85 Stand alone structure in the middle of Palm Harbor
Service 85 Top notch
Food 90 Maybe it was the weather, but the cuisine was outstaanding
Value 90 Very fairly priced for the quality
Recommended, if you are in or around the area. Worth going out of the way especially if you are on route 19 traveling through.
Mind you, its Florida casual the type of place you would wear that island shirt with jeans.

I come here every Monday. Good Sushi, 8 pieces for $ 4 (Monday’s). I also get the Portside Salad. Bartenders are always extremely busy but they are friendly and do a good job.

Went to the Thirsty Marlin for lunch today. Hadn’t been for a while due to inconsistent portions on certain meals. Today, I’d have to say the service and the food were both good. The big problem was the noise. There were a bunch of couples with their pre-​teen boys who were allowed to just run around all over the place and play with a hover board on a wooden stage… close by to patrons trying to eat and engage in conversation, and also close by to propane heaters which at the time were running (just like the boys!). Not one of the waitstaff said anything to the «adults» about their children’s behaviors and loud yelling. Not a very pleasant atmosphere for a good meal. Needless to say, we weren’t overly impressed, and by the looks on the faces of other patrons sitting near us… neither were they. Maybe we’ll try it again… next year.

Love love love the bacon wrapped scallops here. Bacon is crispy, and the scallops melt in your mouth.

Great place!!! Cool design and ambiance. Amazing menu… all good. Like to take friends. They have live music. Saw a duo there, Tommie and Lisa, a few times but they haven’t been back. Highly recommend…

Love the sushi here! This place has never let me down! There is a reason that I always come here.

The service was good except it took forever to get seated, the food was okay, but we didn’t get the right change back for our meals. Overall okay experience.

Dropped by here to meet up some long time friends for dollar sushi. The hostess was very nice and we were seated right away. The place has a nice steady stream of people going in and out.
The sushi was so-​so, I have had much better sushi. I probably wouldn’t order this again. Monday and Tuesday is dollar sushi night but I don’t think you really come out ahead. There are limited rolls and most are your basic rolls and for $ 1 you get 2 pieces or if you get nigiri it’s only 1 piece for $ 1.
Additionally we ordered the prime rib quesadilla, this was out nice and fast, but again nothing great. The prime rib tasted like ground beef and the quesadilla was soggy.
Overall, not sure I’m running back to this place but the service was nice, and they have a good beer selection.

Went here for the last time last night. We went in and sat at the bar for 15 minutes no one at the bar. I check outside the bar mId is working both bars which is ridiculous. I said you guys need to hire a bartender for each bar. I won’t be back freakn terrible.

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!

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.

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!

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.

**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 Unilocal 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!

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.

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!

Great service
Great steaks (!)
Easy parking
Comfortable atmosphere

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.

3 stars for food, 5 stars for service and atmosphere
2^nd visit, similar thoughts as the 1^st — 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.

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!

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.

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.