THIS is the place I'm gonna bring my mama to when she comes to visit me in Columbia, South Carolina! This is, hands down, the best restaurant I've gone to in the city so far. The food is off the chain, people. They make everything in house in the back, according to friends I've made that have worked here, and you can TELL. The salmon ponchartrain? Jesus Christ and all that is holy. I thought I met my maker. Even the green beans had me double-taking. I wasn't going to get dessert bc I thought I was going to explode but THE KEY LIME PIE THE SIZE OF A SMALL COUNTRY?! My god! The ambiance of this place is just ROMANTIC. People need to experience it. Shoutout to the fabulous servers, talented bartenders, and the wonderful manager that kept stopping by to make sure that not only was I having a good time, but everything was exceeding expectations. read more

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I was really impressed with the Blue Marlin, and I had a great dining experience here! The first thing I noticed about the Blue Marlin was how elegant and sophisticated the inside of the restaurant was. I felt like I was transferred back in time to a different era, and I loved the upscale environment that the restaurant presented.  Having said that, I sat at the bar, and arguably didn't even get the full Blue Marlin experience. Nevertheless, and in spite of how classy the restaurant was, I still had an awesome time at the bar. I got the chicken tenders and fries, as well as one of the local IPAs that they had on tap. The bartender (I wish I had gotten his name) was a really cool guy, and I was very appreciative of both the service he provided me with as well as the fact that he took the time to chat with me like a regular person. He displayed the perfect combination of professionalism, without coming off as robotic. My aforementioned tenders and fries were pretty good as well, and I liked how they carried some local beers to compliment the brand name items.  All-in-all, I really enjoyed my visit to Blue Marlin, I'll definitely be back in the future, and I'd recommend that anybody stop in at least once! read more

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Exceptional Food Exceptional Service Exceptional atmosphere These are the reasons I keep returning! Make sure to ask for the complementary collard greens read more

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So yummy! I wasn't super hungry but needed to watch before dinner based on my schedule. I got my first she-crab soup and some fried green tomatoes. Both were very good. I got my order to go but the staff I interacted with was very nice. The ambiance is very pub-like, but cozy. I wish I had been in town longer so I could go back. read more

Upon arrival we were greeted by the hostess and seated. The restaurant has a nice steakhouse feel. We ordered the ribeye, she crab soup, crab cake, the pecan salad. The ribeye was delicious and cooked to perfection. The she crab soup was very bland and soupy. The crab cake was mediocre, it really didn't have the crabby taste and the salad was just okay. read more

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In town for business and our client suggested to meet at this restaurant for dinner. First thing inside was very clean and nice. Didn't get to get a drink at the bar but looked very comfortable to sit at the bar if you didn't want to wait for a table. Our server was the best and gave us a couple of recommendations to choose from. I forgot his name...I need to remember these names so I can call them out here! Anyway....I started out with a glass of Moscato which was had the perfect sweetness and not overly sweet. Very crisp and refreshing. Then I had the She Crab soup, which was very rich....and had a lot of crab in it. It was DELICIOUS!!!!!! We did share the firecracker shrimp as an appetizer and the shrimp was cooked and seasoned perfectly and not overly spicy but just enough to give it a kick with the peppers! And I had the Seared Scallops with Pasta. It had a little too much cheese for my liking however the scallops were not overcooked and was very good! The pasta was fettucine and it tasted like it was homemade! But the dish was very good. Would definitely come here again when I'm back in town. read more

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Love Blue Marlin ! Me and my husband have been coming here for 20 years. We always stop on are way to Charleston for vacation. The food has always been good and flavor has not changed throughout years . Are favorites are shrimp and grits and blackened salmon with grits and collard greens . Appetizer : firecracker shrimp .Delicious! read more

The complimentary bread with butter was delicious, but the shrimp and grits were bomb. The crab cakes with rice and collard greens were delicious too. The inside had a historic and cozy feeling to it. Overall, I would return to this place whenever I'm in Columbia again. read more

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Service was excellent - Salad and bread was satisfactory overall the food is over priced for pretty bland seafood l. I had pasta and scallops which was underwhelming for the $40 price - pasta was bland but scallops were very nice I asked for parmigiana cheese to give it some taste and I literally receive a teaspoon of cheese!! read more

We used to love to come here when we lived in Columbia 10 years ago so I was super stroked to come back. We sat at the bar and had to flag the bartender down to ask for a glass of wine. Then we had to ask if we could order food. I ordered a cup of she crab soup that was horrible and a petit shrimp and grits which was salty! My husband had a bowl of the gumbo which he loved. I'm never coming back read more

The Salmon Salad was amazing! I love when the salad dressing and lettuce are a perfect ratio. The service was very attentive and accommodating to our requests. Great for a nice dinner with friends and family. read more

Blue Marlin - Grilled Teriyaki Salmon - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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How amazing was it all. Special place for a nice night out. Food was amazing and located in a wonderful area. Food was on point and everything was great. read more

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Service was great, but the food was a major disappointment. The shrimp and grits had poor presentation and looked unappetizing. The quality of the ingredients was subpar - shrimp were very small that lacked freshness and flavor. Overall, the dish fell well below expectations. Raise the prices to get better quality products and become more competitive. Gain back your recognition of Award Winning Shrimp and Grits. read more

Blue Marlin - Award Winning Blue Marlin Shrimp & Grits - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Absolutely outstanding. They were packed. Reservations are definitely needed. Every dish we had was wonderful. Every drink was good. Our service was good. The timing of everything was good. Parking is a little crazy on a Saturday night, but not too crazy. Loved it! read more

Another great meal at Blue Marlin. Pinak and Rilee were great for our meal at the bar! We ate at the bar as normal so I could watch the tube and have easy access to cocktails. With the Masters Tournament in town, met folks for the UK and had great conversations! The Latern Parade with New Orleans styled music graced patio diners. It was great!!! read more

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Blue Marlin is my favorite place in Columbia! It is a classy comfortable place. Today our server Asia was so helpful and attentive. You might recognize her as the lady with the biggest smile. The crab cakes are great choice. Pimento cheese odds such a treat, I have to get it when I visit the Carolinas. The fried chicken and waffles is my new favorite. If you are a fan of waffles, you HAVE to try it. The best waffles I have ever had! Please get me started on the Bloody Mary, the drink itself is worth the trip. read more

Blue Marlin was so on point today! I would give 7 stars. I had the she-crab soup, which was tasty, the palmetto pecan salad was delicious and the sweet tea was perfect. The collards were PERFECT, the last two times I ate there, they were so salty I couldn't eat them. My server, Sydney was super sweet and really nice. I've never had a bad server to be honest and the ambiance was great. I had a couple of servers check on me even though I was not in their section and the cooks were having fun in the kitchen but not to the point where they were a disturbance. I have been eating at Blue Marlin for over 30 years and they have been consistent. See you all for lunch next week. read more

Blue Marlin - She Crab Soup, collards, palmetto pecan salad and the best bread ever! - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Bad all around Service was terrible Steak for 38 was thing and not cooked well She crab soup not sherry read more

Avoid this venue. Don't quite follow the 4 star review. Ordered the she crab soup and gumbo. Gumbo sauce was serviceable, but the popcorn shrimp gave it a Campbell's soup Betty Crocker sort of feeling. Felt canned. She crab soup, chalky chunks of crab and sandy texture. No sherry or bisque texture at all. Might pass with somebody that did not know better. Again, flavor was serviceable. Steaks had no sear: thrown into the broiler, but the broiler may have been a little cool. The sear and caramelization gives flavor and texture. As a result the fillet was soggy and badly under done. Once the meat comes out, rests and gets served, the idea of sending back into the heat to cook more ruins the meat: so one just deals with it. One good thing that can be said, is that quality of the meat wasn't terrible. The error happened in the kitchen. The New York strip: same problem. Poor sear. The cap on the end was not rendered at all, so the result is a bit of sear and charge on each edge, with a strip is soggy an un-rendered fat in the middle. The temperature wasn't too off. Mash potatoes weren't terrible. The nursing home, dome shaped scoop, sure gave away the production line approach in the kitchen. Green beans weren't terrible were the star of the show, left el'dente so they wouldn't get soggy in the steam table. The spinach how ever not so lucky. Wet, soupy in the cruet, and salty beyond belief. Service: drink menus were not offered, so drink orders were taken blind. Along with a dinner order. The server fired the soup, before brining drinks, and so they were on the table well in advance of the drinks. Nothing pairs with gumbo like an old fashioned. Meals were brought, and finally a wine list presented, with a menu of drinks we should have ordered. Steaks were cold and half eaten, by time the wine arrived. The server spilled the wine and both glasses had wine dripping from them. A sloppy attempt to clean them up, while waving to friends across the street. Our rule of thumb, when at an unknown establishment of steak and seafood, is order the steak. If they can get that right, maybe try the seafood next time. Looking around, we seemed to make a good choice, such as it was. The complete lack of connectivity to the diners, and lack flow and restaurant craft left us scratching our heads at the $150.00 check. This establishment may have been good at one point, but worth avoiding when so many other choices are available. read more

Delicious. From the cocktails to the appetizers, everything taste great. Parking is what it is and it gets busy on weekends of course, but Blue Marlin has an excellent staff and relaxing atmosphere. read more

The service was excellent and the food was soooo tasty. I can't rave enough about my scallops and the flavor. I enjoyed my salad tremendously also. I would recommend coming to this restaurant. Everyone was so nice. read more

Blue Marlin - Pan-Seared Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Came here on a Monday night and got a bowl of the she crab soup($8) and a shrimp and grits($22). Soup was creamy and thick. Fair amount of crab meat in the soup. The shrimp and grits were good(this is my time ever having grits), but it wasn't mind blowing good. The grit portion was quite big, I would've like if there was just a bit more shrimp. Service felt a bit lacking, probably since we were seated outside. Overall it was a good experience, I'm sure a different dish could elevate a future review. Food(50%): 7.0 Staff/service(25%): 5.0 Value(25%): 6.5 Overall: 6.4/10 read more

Blue Marlin - Shrimp & Grits - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Always a go to for us. Until tonight. Blue Marlin has always been exceedingly consistent with their food over the past 20+ years. I am not sure what happened within the last six months but everything was battered with the same coating and cooked too long. Whatever they have done to the coleslaw, they need to please undo. It tasted like cabbage with some sort of avocado oil or olive oil just sprinkled all over it. Also, the service was just OK. Order a BLT salad which never came and of course ended up on the receipt which we had to ask to have taken off. This course is very disappointing since my husband and I love this place. Hopefully it was just an awful night. read more

We went to celebrate our anniversary yesterday at lunchtime. Very nice inside, although as soon as we were seated (in a booth that definitely needs new seats (I sank about 5 inches and felt like a little kid!) we remembered how loud the acoustics were. A group of at least 15 ladies were having lunch as well and really loud (having a good time!). Hubby kept asking me to speak up. We ordered calamari for an appetizer. The coating was good, however, the calamari was tough and over cooked. I wondered if the kitchen precooked it and then flash fried them again when the order came in. We told the waitress and she said she would tell the cook...never heard another thing about them. I didn't expect them to take them off our bill, however, an offer would have been nice since we tasted only about 1/4th of them. Hubby had a salmon salad and said it was good. I had the shrimp and grits and it was okay. I always loved the S&G but this time it was just "meh". Overall, the meal/service was "just okay". Waitress was sweet but not overly attentive (place was not super busy). When friends come into town we have taken them here...I think the next time we will try somewhere different. read more

This was bad... service slow, food cold and we were forgotten. The manager apologized... and asked us to give the restaurant another chance. No way! Once is too many times. Seriously do not waste your money. So many other choices in the area. This was a really bad experience read more

Oh,I seriously want to give this place 5 stars, but I'll hold off until we return again, but our dining experience was great! Our server was the absolute best, explaining the menu, attentive & checking in on us, and the food was delicious! We had: Appetizer, calamari: 9/10 Side of greens: 8/10 Fried oyster dinner: 9/10 Stuffed fish dinner: 8/10 Customer service: 9/10. We plan on returning really soon!! read more

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Overrated and overpriced Terrible service, lousy food Warm shrimp cocktail totally uneatable Gumbo tasted like black bean soup, absolutely no flavor Server totally unengaged and disappearing most of the time The ambiance was okay hence the two stars In short overhyped and overpriced tourist trap Will never return Would not recommend it read more

My daughter and son-in-law have raved about this place for years so when he was in Columbia to visit and we decided to celebrate his birthday here. Our waiter was knowledgeable of the menu and his suggestion was a hit. The salmon was cooked perfectly. I noticed they had an impressive selection of liquors at the bar and an impressive drink menu which I will try at another visit. The restaurant gives a laidback vibe and made me feel everyone is welcomed. read more

We had a nice dinner here on a Thursday night. It was busy and lively. Service was friendly. There were some delays but nothing major. Fried green tomatoes, ahi tuna and crab cake were all very good. The She Crab Soup was almost inedible. It was so over seasoned. Too much sherry and way too many spices. We didn't even eat 1/4th of it. Wine was good and affordable. Overall, good experience. read more

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Fantastic dinner, the flounder was delicious and the grits were amazing!!! Our waitress Diana was fantastic, very sweet and attentive with great suggestions. read more

They turn away potential customers who are willing to spend money on a Saturday at 920pm when they close at 10pm. Laziness

I was staying in the area and tempted by the beautiful weather and a nice patio. I was seated promptly and my waitress was very nice. The menu looked good and I thought the prices were very reasonable. I opted for the crab cake entree. It came with a sweet onion remoulade, collard greens, and red rice. I thought it was a bit weird that a crab cake entree came with ONE crab cake, and if that be the case, it should be an excellent one. This is not an excellent one. Very bready and there were absolutely NO lumps of crab. The remoulade was very sweet and frankly overpowering. The collards were pretty good but didn't have any kind of smokiness to them, they were mostly just vinegary. The rice was tasty. I definitely would not order the crab cakes again. The location is great and the inside was beautiful. I think I just chose poorly. read more

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The food is excellent, and the ambiance is pleasant. Last time, the wait was long but manageable.

We love a menu with more than one GF entree option. I was boring this time and I had chicken. I never have chicken when I go to restaurants because it's boring but it was actually pretty good perfectly cooked and not dry. The mashed potatoes were mashed potties but the sauce really made the dish. I also had collard greens for the first time. It was flavourful but I just don't know if I like collards There were a decent amount of people there as it was much time but there was no wait and we got a table immediately. I hope to return soon to try other things. read more

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Cool atmosphere, friendly servers at the bar. Had the gumbo and the Mahi Orleans.... Good flavor and reasonably priced. read more

Blue Marlin - Mahi Orleans... - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

First of all the restaurant was so noisy our party of 4 could not talk to each other. Nor could we hear the server name the specials. Secondly, the ousters were fried so hard you could not tell what they were; and the replacements were just as bad. And the prices given by the server were very confusing. Instead of $1.95 for 4 oysters it was $6,95. The bill also included tax at 14.4% rather than the correct percentage. When pointing this out to the manager he did not know what the correct percentage should be. Stated this was the way their system worked. We will definitely not go there again. read more

First time in Columbia and would absolutely recommend this place for a nice dinner. Food was excellent, steak was cooked to perfection, and drinks were perfect. read more

Blue Marlin - Old Fashioned - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

A Columbia staple! I brought a friend here tonight and she absolutely loved it! She enjoyed the vista chicken while I enjoyed the fresh catch. It ended up being an Australian sea bass with sweet potato mash and Brussels sprouts. My server recommended excellent choices. The vibe gave busy Friday night! I haven't been here in years, but I was just as satisfied as if it were my first time! read more

Blue Marlin - Pan-Seared Fresh Catch - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We enjoyed a great lunch at Blue Marlin while visiting my daughter at USC. Our waiter "Slim Tim" was personable and fun. We never had an empty water glass. Service was quick and the food was good. We had everything from salad to burgers to seafood. Good portions, prices and good. No room left for dessert and we definitely return! read more

Quick to be seated. Nice atmosphere. Restaurant was a little busy so the volume was a little increased as expected. Lots of dinner chatter. Bar was full of drinking and dining patrons. I was thinking a little lighter fair so I just ordered two appetizers. They were delicious hot and tasty. I was pleased and filled. Brooklyn was very attentive and pleasant. Would dine here again and bring friends. read more

Blue Marlin - Shrimp & Grits appetizer. - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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