Went there one time, not so recommended. The waiting time for the food is long, the food itself is mediocre. She Crab Soup is good, but a very small portion don't worth the price. Had a fish entree I forgot the name, the fish was blend and non special. And overprice. By the way the waiter was annoying, he keep step in my conversation. read more

This is a hard review to write because I'm so incredibly disappointed.... We come to Columbia from Texas every 3 months for one full week, without fail our first stop is always the Blue Marlin and usually hit it again within the week. I crave their greens so we go often. This trip was such a bad experience it will be our very last. Every time we come we order: 3 appetizers, the wedge salad, a bowl of gumbo and 2 kids meals(the chicken strips and the fried shrimp), plus drinkssssss! This is beyond enough food for any two people to consume but we do it because we always like to get a little bit of everything. Now mind you this has been at least our 20th visit and we've never strayed from our order, this time we were told we could NOT order the kids meals until we provided them with a child who is 12 and under. He said there is a "button" that pops up when entering the order and he couldn't push it because he didn't see any children. Like what!?! Furthermore, there is no sign, no policy change notice, nothing. In this day and age what if I identified as a 12 year old? TF lol So instead of profiting $75 over and over they've lost a regular customer and earned a bad review. On a side note I'd love to hear why this is a rule in general anyway... the portion sizes in America are vile and do nothing but contribute to the obesity epidemic we're constantly dealing with. I don't want to be and feel gross eating an entire plate of shrimp & fries (I don't do leftovers) and frankly the 3 other appetizers plus kids meals are fatass level on their own. So why not allow it? We could've ordered one shrimp platter and split it for like $30 but our decision to leave was rooted in principle only. Just ridiculous to lose a regular this way. read more

Last Friday I made reservations for 12. Service was impeccable. Food was outstanding across the board. It was a great way to start our weekend and it was punctuated with the huge upset of the Gamecocks over Tennessee. Carrie was one of our servers. Our other server was awesome as well. They made everyone feel welcome. We had two giant Booths back to back. Definitely recommend Blue Marlin!!! read more

Excellent food and amazing service, especially if you're fortunate enough to have Haley C as your server!

We have been eating at the Blue Marlin for many years but last nights dinner was the last. The service was decent and ambience was missing The meal was terrible- who wants a pile of tasteless potatoes on their plate? My seafood was also in the tasteless category and the vegetables were soggy. If I have to praise anything it would be cole slaw because it had a tiny bit of flavor. Most disappointing but happily we have other Columbia eateries we love,. read more

Fantastic seafood for lunch a couple of days ago. First, the Southern Sampler or Taste of the South (maybe the name) is a great appetizer that they will prepare for just asking as it is not on the menu. Homemade Pimento Cheese (Southern Caviar) and pita chips, fire cracker shrimp with hot red peppers on top, crab cake with toppings and fried green tomatoes. Man, that is so good for sharing! The calamari appetizer is excellent also and we all love their award winning shrimp and grits which was the finale. Our waitress was excellent and looked after us constantly. We will be back!!! Don't forget to ask for the gratis collards as these are the best around! read more

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Delicious food and a great atmosphere!! Great seafood!! Personable waiters!! We'll definitely be back!!! read more

Blue Marlin- Columbia, SC- 5 Stars Continuing my sojourn up the Eastern Seaboard I hit the streets of Columbia, SC in search of my evening repast. Glancing at my random name generator, I programmed my GPS to the Blue Marlin and commenced a rather delightful cruise in historic downtown Columbia. The Blue Marlin is located in a historic building downtown (well, truth be told, aren't they all?). From the real wood accouterments to the baroque throwback lighting, this place was truly epic cool. After being shown a table and handed a menu, I was introduced to our Server for the evening, an outstanding and very energetic young Terran by the name of Colby. Colby was exceedingly polite, professional and knowledgeable on the menu--just what a top-notch server is supposed to be. I asked Colby for a Seaboard Manhattan cocktail to precede the meal and for the meal a Caesar Salad along with one Oyster & Shrimp Skillet Bienville. Glancing about as I waited for the return of Colby, I was again taken in by the beauty, charm and calming mood exuding from the interior of this historic building. Colby soon returned with my cocktail and before too long, was seen approaching laden with steaming culinary treats from the kitchen. The cocktail was energetic and superbly mixed by a master of their craft that ended with delightful cherry notes. The Caesar Salad was the real deal as it was made to order with all fresh ingredients. The dressing was outstanding and landed perfectly on the palate. Truth be told, this has to be in the top five Caesar Salads I have ever had. The Oyster & Shrimp Skillet Bienville, sadly, as last in my taste rotation, now had what seemed an almost insurmountable hill to climb in order to just hang with the cocktail and salad that have so far graced my gullet. Well, loyal reader, I am here to assure you it not only didn't fall short of the bar set, it raised it just a bit. The Bienville sauce was made to perfection with just the right amount of kick to compliment the tasso ham cream sauce perfectly. The Oysters and Shrimp were tender, succulent, and cooked to perfection while the Adluh stone-ground grits added delightful taste and a texture to the whole shebang. This is another award-winning Big Boy 5-Star restaurant that you won't want to miss. The Big Boy Says, "when in Columbia and hankering for some amazing Carolina low country flavors with a sometimes Cajun kick and gourmet twist, you can't go wrong with the Blue Marlin." #bigboydiningout #bigboy read more

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All I can say is: amazing! I went here for my birthday dinner after my friend raved about how delicious their steaks are. I went with my boyfriend around 7:30PM and we were seated immediately. The table was kind of small and we were struggling a bit fitting everything on it, but service was absolutely incredible. Our waitress knew everything about the menu and was very attentive. She brought out our drinks and a bread basket a few minutes after we sat down. I ordered a rare plus lightly seasoned ribeye and my boyfriend ordered the black and blue New York strip without the blue cheese. Both dishes came with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes. I like my steak on the rarer side, but when I cut into it, it was blue! Basically just seared and raw. I asked my waitress if it could be cooked a little more ironically and she had no problem with it. The chef returned a few minutes later and made sure I was okay with the cook on it. It was perfect! Service really is impeccable. The ribeye was marbled with fat, making it so juicy and delicious. The sear beautiful really. I loved the fresh, crunchy green beans and my boyfriend really liked the mashed potatoes. He hates fatty bits on his meat, but ended up liking the ribeye better than the New York strip. For dessert, we got the blackout chocolate cake. I assumed it would be a cake slice but it was a square of solid chocolate cake slathered with thick, chocolate frosting, whipped cream, caramel, chocolate syrup, and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. It was very sweet, rich, and decadent. The frosting was so thick and sugary, I ended up scraping some off. But it's good for any chocolate-chocolate lovers. Overall, food was great, service was great. Would love to come back for dinner again! read more

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My husband and I both agree, this restaurant had the best scallops we've ever eaten in our lives! They have numerous gluten-free options. (Look for the red stars on the menu.) My husband said the bread was terrific, which they brought at the beginning. And he had the Salmon Ponchartrain with grits. He said his was fabulous too. Ask for Olivia... Fabulous server. Everyone here, though, is friendly and puts customer service first. Jeff is one of the managers, who makes sure of that. This place is well worth the wait. We got here at 7 PM without a reservation, and had a table by 7:30 PM on a Monday night. And we found the history of the building to be very interesting. Out front you can read all about the history on a display. Put this on your 'must visit' list! read more

Weekday lunch at 1230 seated promptly probably due to vacation week. Pleasant staff. Parmasan crusted trout was hot. Good. A bit crusty on edges but good. Parm has a different taste? And not my favorite. Beans were hot. Charleston salmon on grits was ok but Collards were the best. They didn't chop all the stalks in with the collards like most do. Yea. read more

The fire cracker flounder was a home run along with the shrimp and grits. Service was Excellent and so was the service.. read more

Love this place! The classic shrimp and grits are fav and I like to try new things from time to time!

The crabcake salad was bomb! Great combination of flavors. I'm talking a proper SC crabcake full of crab meat accompanied by a generous amount of avocado and bacon. Very filling. I also tried the fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits. Those were delicious as well. Take out was quick and easy. read more

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

I've been to Blue Marlin about a dozen times over the last few years. It's been one of the few nicer restaurants that are open on Monday nights. Tonight I had my usual, the crab cake platter. The staff was easily able to change side dishes upon request. My dinner partner got the oyster and shrimp skillet bienville, and thoroughly enjoyed t. Our waitress, Riley, did an excellent job keeping us updated on our order's timing and refilling our beverages. There were numerous large groups there, both inside and outside, but the kitchen was able to keep up the pace fairly well. So far, this has been a hit for our family. read more

Blue Marlin - Off menu - spicy collard greens as an app. - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Okay so I was a little disappointed in my food choices and my alcoholic beverage. I will say that the atmosphere is lovely and the wait staff was on point. However, my food was just okay. My Crème brûlée cheesecake was the highlight of my meal. I wasn't impressed with my aperol spritz at all. There was way too much club soda in it. My pesto ravioli had so much spinach that I couldn't eat half of it. I put it off to the side. Overall it was a good experience. Would I give it another try? Yes. read more

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Went with a large group (had reservations). Parking was a nightmare on Saturday evening, but service and food was great. Very attentive server. Got our food quickly. read more

Food was okay and wine selection was on the lacklustre side. Servers were very nonchalant and took 10 minutes to seat me even though it wasn't busy. read more

Always a favorite place while in Columbia with family & friends! Great appetizers, seafood & steak. Staff has always been courteous & accommodating! read more

Let me preface this review with even though our dining experience here had a kink, I would recommend trying this establishment due to how the manager, Rachel, handled the miscommunication. My friends and I had a meet-up here for lunch as we all drove from out of town from various parts of SC. We landed on this restaurant as it had variety from the menu we found online and it was opened for lunch. It was pretty busy for a Friday lunch but had started clearing out around 3:00. Our friend arrived first and had gotten the Firecracker Shrimp appetizer. It was spicy and delicious. Would recommend it. I got the Fried-green tomatoes appetizer and I must say I was on the fence. I've had better Fried-Green tomatoes and even though it was drizzled with some yummy sauce, it just seemed bland. Fried-green tomatoes are a tricky appetizer and it can be hit or miss with some restaurants. I don't think I'd order them again. They would need to experiment with their breading recipe to get this one right. (Oh, let me mention that when I ordered my appetizer it came out pretty quickly. I had just sat down and when our waiter came back over with our drink order I put it in as we were looking through the menu.) So, here's the kink. First we did have to wait a bit to have our waiter come back over and take our order. Whether he was giving us time to get settled in as we all arrived at different times or he became a bit overwhelmed with some other tables, he did not come back to check in for our order I'd say for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once we placed our order (which were all more appetizers and a salad) we waited for a seemingly long time (sorry I cannot be even approximate as we were chatting and just catching up with each other). I finally got a hold of our waiter in passing and asked how much longer for our food. We were told the ticket got lost. We asked to speak to the manager and she got right on it. Apparently there was a miscommunication in the kitchen. So our food was then put on a rush. So we then receive our food and most of it was delicious. My friend enjoyed the petite shrimp and grits and said it was very delicious and she would order it again. She had also ordered the crab appetizer and it was also yummy. I ordered the Charleston Crab Cake Salad and OMG it was divine! It was light and perfect for a hot, humid day. My other friend ordered the Crab and Spinach Fondue and was disappointed. However, we all thought because our food had to be rushed it wasn't prepared adequately like it would have normally been prepared. Even though the plate was very hot to the touch, the dip was not. So if you've made it this far, congrats! We would come back because of how the manager handled this situation. Our food was comped (even our original appetizers) and even gave us some quarters to make up for having to extend our time meter. I'd recommend coming to this restaurant to at least give it a chance. Even though our experience was less than ideal, management cared about their customers experience. read more

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Service was great, food was really good! The Wedge salad was really good and enjoyed the candied pecans in it! My steak was good, not the greatest, but good and cooked to a great temp! The other party said the Shrimp and Grits are a must to try if you are in town here and the Vista chicken was pretty good as well. read more

A company we had a meeting with recommended we try this place since we are pescatarian. We were off to a good start. Our waiter was great and my white sangria was good. The menu looked great upon glance but reading further a lot of the seafood, fish and side options were made with some form of pork. It was 3 of us so we got our orders in. Some apps first consisting of she crap soup, crab cake, firecracker shrimp, fried green tomatoes and calamari. All meh. The crab cake was very bready and cold because it sat to long, and the soup was way too thick for my taste. Our friend said he wasn't a fan of his calamari. They also served complimentary bread and butter which was pretty decent. For our entrees I got the scallops, my husband got the glazed salmon and our friend got the Pontchartrain salmon. My food was flavorless to the point I had to ask for cocktail sauce. Again nobody was moved by the food so I'm pretty sure we wouldn't return. The best part of the meal was the chocolate cake.....now that was saying something. The appetizers were very reasonably priced. The meals were pretty comparable to other seafood restaurants we frequented but they don't really give you a lot of food in this case that really wasn't a bad thing. read more

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Although it's only been 5 weeks since I moved to Columbia, this was my 4th time visiting Blue Marlin. I love the ambiance, the service is always fantastic, and the food is consistently great. Also, all of their seafood comes from sustainable fisheries/fishing companies which is a plus - but that does reflect in the price. Reservations are HIGHLY encouraged and are very easy to do through Open Table, but if you're dining by yourself there is almost always a seat at the bar which has equally good service. My first visit was on a Friday night and they had an almost 2hr wait for a table; I took an open seat at the bar, enjoyed a delicious meal, and was out the door within 40 minutes. I started off with the $10 Fried Green Tomatoes. While they were good, they weren't $2.50 per slice of tomato good. I've also ordered the She Crab Soup as an appetizer in the past - that stuff is the truth. Treat yourself and order a cup before your meal I usually order the Mahi Orleans (which is amazing), but tonight I went with the Carbonara. The Mahi is $24, served with lump crab meat and a citrus wine sauce on top, and is easily one of the top 3 meals I've had in SC. The Carbonara was $27, and while it was tasty it left a lot to be desired. The scallops were cooked perfectly, the sweet potatoes were almost candied and were so good that I would've been happy with a plate of just that. My biggest gripe is the fact that there is supposedly country ham (nom) in the dish, yet I didn't see a single sliver of it. This is just nit-picking at this point, but the ham was what sold me on this dish over something else. Bummer. I really wish I could remember my waitresses name because she was awesome, but I sat in the far back booth right next to the kitchen. Hopefully that's her section, because that's where I'll ask to be seated in the future. All in all, Blue Marlin is busy for a reason - the food is delicious, the service is on point, and you don't feel like you're being rushed out the door by the staff trying to flip tables. I'll probably be back within the week, because I'm salivating typing this out thinking about their She Crab Soup and Mahi Orleans. read more

Blue Marlin - The delicious Carbonara - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

On 11 Mar 2023, I was part of a party of six (5 original and 1 late arrival). After a short wait (25 mins approx) We were seated and we were met by our server (Evan) who is, in my opinion, the absolute best at his job. He was extremely personable, knowledgeable, friendly. He made the dining experience just that, an experience. His recommendations were spot-on perfect. I enjoyed the Ribeye steal with shrimp which was way beyond my expectations for a steak at a seafood restaurant. My entire party thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience which was made all the better by Evan. Thank you Evan, for a wonderful dining experience. John Shrum Virginia Beach, Va. jshrum0@gmail,com read more

I had dinner recently at the Blue Marlin and if I am ever back in Columbia I'll do so again. We were able to sit outside which was very nice on an early fall afternoon. I had a glass of cold New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as the tartness of this wine is perfect with seafood as well an an excellent aperitif. I stated with a cup of the gumbo which was prepared with a rich chocolate brown colored roux. The flavor was excellent. Having grown up in the south I love fried seafood which is hard to fix well. I had the fried seafood platter which consisted of a large piece of flounder, many shrimp, a crab cake, fries and slaw. There was a lot of food but I managed to eat everything except half of the crab cake. It was all very good. Service was excellent and I highly recommend the Blue Marlin for seafood. read more

A true Columbia, SC staple. You can't go wrong with almost anything on the menu. They have a lot of outdoor seating under a shaded awning which makes it a great lunch spot to enjoy nice weather. Have never had a bad experience here. read more

Gets 2 stars because our server Dom was fantastic but the food and customer service: crab spinach dip app...9/10 (could've used more crab) Wasn't very hungry so tasted my food there and brought the rest home. Ordered the tilapia & well the fish was not cooked entirely, and the green beans had so much pepper on them I had to wash them off....2/10 (grits were good) I've been trying to reach management but nobody will return my phone call...overall experience 2/10 read more

Their outdoor seating attracted my party for an early dinner on a Wednesday night. It was a typical summer evening but we sat near their large outdoor fan so we were able to keep cool. We ordered the crab and spinach fondue and a cup of the she crab soup for appetizers. The fondue dish was more spinach than anything else, which didn't impress me, but the she crab soup was creamy and tasty. It also came out very hot in temperature which I appreciated. On to the main course- my fried gulf shrimp was good and was a decent sized portion. The slaw that came with it was neither too vinegary nor too mayo-y which I enjoyed. Despite sitting down at the end of their outdoor seating area, my water glass never went empty which was also really nice. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. I definitely recommend them. read more

Had lunch at the bar to skip 45 minute wait for a table. The joint was jumping mid-day on a Wednesday. And with good reason, this place is great! I had the crab cake salad. Hard as it is to believe, the salad was even better than the crab cake. Tender red lettuce, avocado and bacon with a very tasty, lite dressing. Perfect for lunch. My wife had the gumbo and it was delicious. The bartender could not have been more attentive and was great with recommendations. I will go back on my next trip to downtown Columbia! read more

My family had reservations for Sunday lunch. The service was friendly and timely. All orders came out with no errors. I ordered the salmon salad and it was delicious. The pecan crusted calamari was so good. We are indoors, and it was not too loud. We could all speak without hearing others conversations. They have outdoor seating as well on the sidewalk which would be lovely for a nice day. read more

Went with friends and our USC students. Enjoyed everything! I had Orleans Mahi and it was delicious. Son had something teriyaki and ate everything. Husband had filet and gumbo. We are from Louisiana so we judge gumbo harshly and it was good. Got the collards and they were not that exciting. This is our new go to place! Yum! read more

Stopped over in Capital City on our way to Asheville. We were looking for a seafood restaurant, but we didn't want to change out of our casual travel clothes. Blue Marlin was recommended. It is downtown and has a comfortable, upscale casual atmosphere. You can dress up or dress down here and not feel out of place. Pennek, our waiter, was excellent at letting us know all the of the specials. Companion got the shrimp and grits entree and said it was delicious. Shrimp, sausage, and a light gravy topped stone ground grits which were slow cooked in cream and butter. read more

Blue Marlin - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We wanted to try a good, authentic Southern food in Columbia. We decided to come here. And boy we did not regret. Mules were amazing. We had shrimp and grits, fried oysters, crab cakes, and fried seafood platter to go. Everything had their own distinguished flavors. Super tasty, ingredients felt fresh too. Amazing. We came back the next day with another friend. read more

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Visited from Charleston and found such fresh seafood (really fresh). The firecracker shrimp app was the best we've ever had and the flounder main was the best my hub ever had. My potatoes tasted instant but that was the only thing I could find that wasn't exceptional. Would make the trip up here just for this dinner. *Loved it so much, we came back the next day. Did not disappoint. read more

Blue Marlin - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Great food. Some of the best seafood around. I usually get the fried clams with sides and clam chowder as a starter. We eat here often and the service and cleanliness is top notch. read more

We have been here before and were not impressed, but thought we would try it on Restaurant Week. I had the Teriyaki Salmon, it was unremarkable. My wife had the Flounder, which was good but the skin left on and that was not good. My green beans were under cooked, my red beans and rice while tasty came out cold. My wife's grits were excellent, and her coleslaw was good. The She Crab soup was particularly good. The service was exceptionally good. The venue is unique and historical. The deserts, Key-lime pie, and a Chocolate cheesecake were fabulous. My wife's Flounder and Grits came out with the Flounder in the Grits not on top. The timing was not great either, our main course came out when we were only just started eating our Salad and Soup. The whole meal felt very rushed. read more

Food and Service were excellent! Dined outside for a great dining experience! The server was quick to provide some excellent recommendations besides the daily specials. read more

I love the blackened mahi here. So good. And good bread & butter. This time I came for appetizers. But the she crab soup didn't have enough crab & needed more salt & pepper & it was also cold. The fried green tomatoes were good & tart but the batter was bland. Definitely again needs salt & pepper. I still like this place & nice bar. Guess u just have to add more salt & pepper yourself on these items. read more

I am a huge follower of Essential Eater list. Every time I travel to any location I always check to see if there is an Essential Eater list for the location on Eater.com. Anyway, I came to Columbia for a work trip and saw the Blue Marlin was listed on the site. I decided to do take out due to COVID precautions. I ordered the Salmon Ponthchatrain. The fish was cooked to perfection. I also enjoyed the shrimp and scallops tremendously. However; I was not a fan of the grit cakes nor the sauce that came with the entree. The grit cakes did not have any sort of appealing flavor. And the sauce was just gross. However, I would still recommend this restaurant since I enjoyed the main course greatly. The other items on the restaurant sounded quite intriguing. read more

Blue Marlin - Seafood Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I am so impressed by this establishment. I have actually avoided it for a while because I'v been told the prices are super high. I went to lunch expecting ridiculous prices, but everything on the lunch menu was a great price. I ordered the salmon, which was super tasty. I ordered it with mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans. Both were delicious. Definitely worth the prices on the lunch menu and they get you in and out quickly. I will definitely be back, and often. read more