Love the blue marlin!! Living here is beautiful the perks are great restaurants , thank you Blue Marlin

Best food on the island by far! Actually the best burger I have ever eaten. Only reason I am not giving 5 stars is that none of the servers (including ours) wore masks (before the notice about vaccinated people could go without masks), and he was very good but too much in our face - even without COVID. read more

What a treat! Finally a local seafood restaurant with a flare. This a a casual quaint nicely decorated restaurant. It has a beachy feel with a great staff. We had the snapper special, shrimp and grits and the hamburger. All three of them were outstanding. Each of them had a special flavor that was prepared to order. All the ingredients were fresh and delicious. I would tell you more; however you should just go and experience the Blue Marlin for yourself. Parking can be a challenge. They have a shuttle to help. read more

I'm still here waiting for my food. It's been a wile. Maybe they forgot us? I guess the owner apologized because they asked us how our food was, and we commented on how we have not received it yet. Our waitress brought us free drinks after the table next to us, that arrived after us, but ordered before us left after finishing their meal. Then she abandoned us. With no explanation we had a new waiter. It's amazing that someone thinks it's ok that we have been here for an hour after we ordered and no entries. They were breaking down tables and stacking them around us before our food arrived. Finally our food arrived. It was good. But what a fiasco. read more

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Delicious and fresh seafood that can't be beat! The Blue Marlin offers an eclectic atmosphere and great service. You can't go wrong with indoor or outdoor seating. The outdoor backyard with a beer and wine bar and live music make for a perfect night on the Island. The Blue Marlin is the perfect addition to Bridge Street! read more

Blue Marlin - Nightly special: Snapper crusted in tortilla chips, simply delicious and fresh! - New American Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

This place is a gem! Fresh food always made to order. Small dining area so plan ahead and make a reservation if possible. Outside bar area is excellent. Often times outside bar has a live band that is worth listening to. Food is superb, wait staff is attentive, without a doubt my favorite. read more

Small intimate place. Casual setting. Food was good and service was appropriate. Reminiscent of a small northern town local place . I would definitely return. read more

Blue Marlin - Potato crusted grouper - very good - New American Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Every other item on the menu is clams.....on a Tuesday night at 830 they are out of clams...our of clams .. they brag about their seafood and the clams and they are our of clams.. I got a lame story about miscounting the bags of clams... and an offer to sut add more shrimp to sub the clams... So the host/maitre de has healthy attitude and frankly a host in shorts should not have attitude. Then, after ordering, are you are looking forward to grouper and clams, or low country boil, or steamed clams..they zing you with...we are out of clams. And then.. a pet peeve... a loooong wait for soup... really? These folks have the customer/service provider relationship backwards.. Oh...and it is really expensive.. 25 for a salad with fish...(no clams) Ps.. Got the food. Ok. Not more. Mediocre presentation. Mediocre taste. Service was ok. Nice space.. I would avoid this place unless you like $100+ disappointments (2 diners). The management has an unrealistic view of what they are doing.. read more

I'm really going for three and a half stars here but not so much that I'll bump them to 4. It was all perfectly fine, but nothing that really was all that special. Which is too bad, it is a cute place and they are really making an effort to bring some original music to this part of town instead of the bad jimmy B imitators. But considering the tourist trap bland food that is in this part of town they are slightly better. Actually went to hear some music for a group we like that happened to be playing there. But tricky to get a table and things out where the bands play so keep that in mind. Service was ok, but at times was absentminded and lets just say opening a bottle of wine should not have been as hard as it was for our server. The strawberry salad was good, but nothing you won't find at every other restaurant in town. We split the low country boil, which was very tasty and nice, especially the clams. But for the price I was expecting a bit more, especially for something like this. Instead of dessert we got some of the smoked salmon spread while the band got going. The waitress did a double take not that but no way was i interested in another bread pooling thing. The fish spread was good, but try cutting the lemon so you can actually squeeze some juice out of them instead of the crazy rings that were on the plate. But nothing else on the menu got me all that excited to come back. I would come back for the boil, but not that often. Just a few odd misses on mostly a good night. some decent wines, maybe I should give them four stars............ read more

This place is a gem. Small restaurant with lots of charm. I really enjoyed the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer and for the main course the shrimp and grits were made to perfection. I have been coming to Anna Maria for years and had only eaten here once before. I highly recommended it Don't miss the desserts, save the best for last. Best chocolate creme brûlée I've ever had. read more

Blue Marlin - Love the decor and service. Great southern dishes. - New American Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Visiting the LBK area and have eaten out two meals out of three for the last nine days. Blue Marlin dinner stood out far above any other meal as the best in the area. Modern, sophisticated menu items that included the local classics (such as shrimp and grits) elevated to gourmet level. All dishes that our table of four had were outstanding. Ambience was fantastic, intimate dining rooms, soft lighting, old school B&W framed photos lined the walls. Most importantly, friendly, professional staff who made our dining experience so special. This is the best restaurant in the area, which includes all of Longboat Key. read more

Blue Marlin - Scallops and shrimp over linguini. - New American Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

We're foodies visiting fr San Francisco and have been having a challenging time finding great places to eat in the area (without the benefit of local guidance). We walked by the Blue Marlin Grill a couple of times before trying - thrilled to have found it! We've been twice this week and both times had fantastic meals. The Caesar salad w shrimp was very tasty, blackened scallops delicious and spicy, and the lobster risotto is out of this world. Last but by no means least, the key lime creme brûlée (!) OK, I'll admit it, we did actually lick the bowl clean. We have to go back tonight to try that again - possibly a few more times before we leave... Everything is fresh, quality oriented, and the portions are decent - with reasonable prices considering the great quality. None of that 'it's cheap and you get a ton' which we're unfortunately finding so much of elsewhere. Service: the waitstaff is outstanding. The waiter from our first visit not only remembered us several days later, he remembered what we had ordered and where we liked to sit. The other waiters also seemed to be equally friendly and helpful. Clearly the restaurant has solidly trained its staff for professional and friendly service. The decor is also wonderful, very clean and fresh, w lots of great nautical details and personal mementos - we spent quite awhile admiring all the photos of 'the ones that didn't get away...' beautiful and comfortable. This place is worth driving a good distance to try - you won't be disappointed. Two thumbs enthusiastically up!! read more

In a word: Fantastic! Also visiting from the SF Bay Area, I actually came here on a recent trip after reading Deb D's Yelp. review. I ventured out for an evening of good food. I remembered the Blue Marlin and can I just say..one of the best places on the island. By myself sans a plus one, I took a seat at their cozy bar. Great service, warm staff who are genuinely interested in providing a great experience. Food was high quality, fresh, great flavors without being overdone. I had the smoked fish spread served in true 'cracker' tradition w/Ritz crackers...cuz you know..everything tastes better on a Ritz! I moved forward with their special seared sea scallops with fresh corn, then into a phenom fresh black grouper with saffron & lobster sauce. Truly great wine list with some very interesting selections. I actually wish they were doing seafood this great in Marin County...they're that good! read more

WOW! Came in for dessert late one night and cannot get over the freshness! Split the Chocolate Guiness Cake and the Creme Brulee with a friend and we were practically licking the plates. The people next to us were just finishing their own dessert, the Bread Pudding, and from the looks on their faces (and the way they licked their forks!) I will be trying that next. Fresh food, beautiful ambiance, attentive service. A great spot for dining on the island. read more

We frequent the Longboat key area restaurants and this is definitely one of our favorites. Fish is fresh and delicious. Salad was awesome. Loved sitting outside after dinner to listen to live music. We will definitely be back. read more

We had an exceptional dinner at the Blue Marlin! Started with the cracker shrimp - outstanding and fresh We also shared a couple of entrees. Shrimp and Grits, Pecan Grouper and the Lobster Grilled Cheese. All were exceptional but I must say the grilled cheese was over the top delicious and maybe my favorite. Service was on point and we finished with a key lime creme brulee. Excellent meal! read more

YOU MUST TRY: The Tater soup. The blackened fish Alfredo. The salads are good. Don't come here expecting fast service, but the quality of the food more than makes up for the kitchen speed. Kitchen: please don't sacrifice quality for speed because what you are doing works perfectly. Completely amazing! read more

The place was very cute, charming. We should have made a reservation but because we didn't, we had to sit outside. Still cute but a lil warm. Service was good. Wine list a tad pricey but ok. We ordered the lobster corn dogs off the specials' menu because our daughter wanted to try them...meh. Greasy but perhaps we should have expected that. We also ordered 3 entrees. We felt all of them were overly seasoned/ drenched considering the seafood is so fresh. The cornbread coating on the snapper ($32) was salty...and we often add salt to our food . The Mediterranean lobster/ shrimp linguini ($34) was very, very buttery and the pecan crusted grouper ($32/ 8 oz) was oily/ greasy for our taste. I'd try the place again but would order more simple dishes (less coating, sauce, butter) like blackened or just grilled. read more

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My wife and I were told to check this place out for awesome seafood. We were not let down. The snapper and pecan encrusted grouper was cooked to perfection. I will even say it is hands down better than The Beach House and The Sand Bar. read more

Blue Marlin - Snapper - New American Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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Eat outside!! Adorable!! This is a really nice, quaint place to eat. My hubby had the Blue Marlin burger and I had the catch of the day, grouper. Hubby said, and I quote, "It was a good burger, but not a $12 burger...". I, on the other hand, LOVED my grouper. It was just the right portion & the beans and rice side went perfectly with it. read more

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We saw the reviews and decided to give the Blue Marlin a try. We live in Stuart FL and frequent the Black Marlin there. Well we had a fabulous meal! We had our 2 yr old grandson with us and when we sat down they immediately brought him some goldfish crackers to snack on. Big win there! The decor and food was fantastic. I had shrimp and grits. The best I've had anywhere. Better then the places I frequent in Atlanta. The blue marlin salad was a favorite for everyone at the table. Just need to figure out the recipe for the dressing. The potato crusted snapper was enjoyed by my daughter and son in law. We will definitely return to the Blue Marlin next trip to the area. read more

Fresh grouper very good. Side veggies crisp and interesting. The Lola Chardonnay was very good. Service friendly and reasonably prompt. Small place with interesting decor. Parking a challenge. read more

Husband, friends, and I have been here multiple times since it opened. I only get the Shrimp and Grits as it is delicious. The little cottage is adorable, decorated in a beach style, and houses great old pictures and some darn good art. We love to eat and then go outside to enjoy the live music. Staff is attentive and friendly. We will continue to patronize the Blue Marlin. read more

Horrible customer service. We had reservations two weeks in advance and they knew we were a big party, celebrating a special event. A week before our reservation they called us asking if we were coming and we kindly explained that we were coming the following weekend. The manager rudely said "glad we got that fixed" and hung up on us. When we showed up for our reservation we were seated inside. Before we knew it, our menus were being collected and we were being asked to move outside. When we spoke to the manager, he said a few tables complained we were too loud. As we were sitting outside (where we were forced to sit) tables inside were pointing and laughing at us. I've never felt so mistreated in any dining experience. The manager even made a comment making fun of my sister's headband she was wearing. Yes, we were a large group and we were excited and celebrating my sister, but they need to let us know they don't take large groups before humiliating us in front of an entire restaurant. We were a large group of successful, educated women who were out to have a fun, carefree weekend and instead were discriminated against and made to feel like we were scum. My family has been coming to Anna Maria Island for over 30 years, so I'm familiar with the laid-back atmosphere of the island. This was unlike anything I've ever experienced on the island. I will not be returning. read more

Everything about this place was fantastic. The food, service, ambience...I could go on but now i'm hungry thinking about how awesome the food was. Gotta run. read more

We wanted to have our last dinner at Blue Marlin since the reviews were so good. When we entered the restaurant, it was ovious the business is cramped for space. The host informed us that there is no chance we would be able to dine here due to the fact that most of patrons make reservations in advance, and the kitchen was about an hour behind. Sadly, when we asked if we should wait, he replied that we shouldn't and if we were hungry there is a "food truck outside". We actually were very hungry and to our luck people were leaving the bar area where we found 2 very tight seats (the bar inside seats 4 people only). The place was very busy, so we decided to get drinks and appetizers. The spring rolls, home-made chips, and grouper bites were delicious. The flavors were well-balanced, the portions were good size, end each dish had its unique character. This is definitely a place to enjoy a lovely dinner if you manage to get in. There was only one restroom working, and the line extended past diners' tables. The food itself brings this rating from 3 stars to 4, there is definitely a need for comfort and customer service improvement. Just keep your chef! read more

Amazing food! We loved everything we got, service was awesome also! The Fresh Fish Pesto Alfredo was absolutely delicious, hubby got the Snapper of the day which was very tasty also - but he was surprisingly jealous of my Alfredo dish. read more

Blue Marlin never disappoints!! We eat here every time we come to AMI. The service, food, drinks, & music are consistently perfect!

Had dinner here last night. I had the scallops and risotto meal and my husband had a shellfish meal. We carefully picked this place after looking through reviews and saw it was well-rated. I'm not sure exactly why this place is rated so well. The staff was very pleasant, which was the upside. The food was good, but I've certainly had better. Our meals were portioned so small that it seemed as though we'd ordered off the kid's menu. My scallops risotto was described on the menu as having asparagus. It took me about 3 bites to realize that the green bits in my risotto were in fact my asparagus. They were literally teeny diced pieces rather than recognizable pieces of vegetable. My husband had the same issue with his small portion size and with his vegetables - they were quite scarce. For the price per meal, this place certainly isn't worth it and I wouldn't venture back. read more

Hands down some of the best food I've had on Anna Maria Island. The restaurant is really cute inside and the service is beyond excellent. I had blackened snapper and the others in my party had pretzel crusted grouper. Wow! Reservations are recommended. read more

Have a plan for parking! It's worth it. This is a small cottage with quaint atmosphere including old fishing pictures on the wall. Definitely call for reservations and may not be the best for large groups. We had the shrimp and grits which was great. The guava lime pie was a wonderful twist on key lime. The service was very warm and friendly with excellent suggestions. read more

The best high end restaurant on the island quality local seafood done very well and presented exceptionally. Oh and if they have the guava key lime cheesecake on the menu for the love of Jesus please try it...but be forewarned it will ruin your taste buds for all other lesser key lime pies..so sample at your own risk:) read more

My favorite place to eat! Everything I go and order a different entree it never fails to taste delicious. Good wine list too. Everything is yummy. read more

I adored this restaurant. The service was phenomenal and the food was some of the best seafood I've ever had. A big plus for cooking fresh fish! Everything we had was amazing. The food here is fresh and top quality. The Cortez Boil - perfectly cooked, delicious clams and shrimp. Shrimp & Grits - so delicious I wanted to take my husband's plate for myself. Desserts were also delicious. We sat inside and had a wonderful time, they were able to easily accommodate a group of 8 quickly. read more

Loved it! Food and atmosphere was great. The only negative thing I can say is that service is a little slow but considering how enjoyable everything else was I would be willing to tolerate the wait in the future read more

Blue Marlin - Such a great quaint dining experience. Delicious and unique dishes and side items. Patio view comes complete with Blue the cat. - New American Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Looks like a dive but is fine dining with accommodating mature wait staff. Great wine and beer selections and all LOCAL seafood. They also have steak on the menu. Edamame is served at seating. I am a very stern reviewer that dines mostly at restaurants with James Beard foundation nominees. Will definitely return. read more

Blue Marlin - The best clams outside of Italy - New American Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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First time at The Blue Marlin and it won't be our last during our week's visit to Anna Maria Island. We had a party of 7 (4 adults & 3 children) and service and food options were accommodating to all ages! We started off with cracker shrimp and the house edamame (beats the traditional bread basket). The table enjoyed Special Thai chili snapper, Fulford grouper, pecan crusted grouper and Brussels sprouts & hush puppies for additional sides were a hit! Kids devoured shrimp egg rolls, Mac n' cheese, more edamame and fish and rave reviews for the corn bread! We had a great server too! Thank you for a great experience! read more

Excellent, just excellent! Wonderful service and delicious and savory food. Honestly the best place to eat on the island! Our server Brad was wonderful. Highly recommend this restaurant for any seafood lover! P.S. The scallops are amazing, as well as the clams!! read more

A fun, casual sea food place. It offers fantastic seafood with live music and good drinks. A warning though, they do not offer liquor (only sangria, wine, and beer) but will let you bring in drinks from the outside. Outdoor seating was wonderful as well. Service was on point, our server was able to give great recommendations for dinner! I will definitely be coming here again. read more

The newly remodeled courtyard and live music is truly a great dining experience especially this time of year. We drove up from south Sarasota and will be back. A special thank you to Max, Devon and Drew. Our dinners and desert were delicious. See ya soon. read more

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