Great tapas place in the suburbs. Have been here several times and never a bad meal. Great for a group but can also be just a date night. Try the bone marrow read more

The best place to go if you want great tasting food in small quantities. This is not a meat and potatoes kind of place. You have appreciate high quality food you would not see in a typical restaurant. It's perfect place to go if your on your way to the theater or a movie. Great selection of wine. read more

We live in the area and dine here often. We LOVE this place! The ahi tuna with the bacon braised bok choy is KILLER, as is the bone marrow. Great cocktails and a wonderful atmosphere. Never have had a bad meal :) read more

This is my favorite place to go for date night. Love the wine and drink flights. Not many restaurants serve flights of mini drinks. Great food and they change their menu every so often. Service was great. Reasonably priced. You must get the Greek meatballs!!! Have been here a few times and will continue to go back. read more

Carly was our server, she was fantastic!! Food is always great, ambiance is awesome too!!

Love the small plate concept, and it's fun to bring new people here especially those who are a little more daring and will try different things. I have been here upwards of half a dozen times and each and every time the service has been impeccable and the food fabulous. We were there last night with some new Dancing Marlin customers, and tried alot of plates: fried green tomato sliders, hamburger sliders, crab dip, several kinds of tacos...spicy shrimp and cauliflower...mushroom flatbread, chicken bites to to name a few. Well I am not a fan of spicy food, I did try the chicken bites with the Dill pickle and together the combination was flavor explosion. Served with a side of spicy dipping sauce. Who thinks to put crispy chicken with dill pickle? But it works! And believe me when I tell you, this place serves the best french fries you will ever put in your mouth. They are triple fried, served with onion and herbs with a side of garlic dip. Stupendous! I cannot say enough about Dancing Marlin. Take your friends, try new things...enjoy a house made sangria. Our server, Karen, was extremely attentive, informative and on top of things at all times. Desserts: banana creme brûlée, turtle cheesecake bites....spectacular! It's fun, different, and great place to hang out. There is outdoor seating as well, and I love the wine bottle overhead lighting. Add Dancing Marlin to your dining repertoire. read more

Dancing Marlin - Mac n cheese with chorizo. Decadent - New American Near Me - Frankfort, Illinois

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So we visited here for brunch today. It was really enjoyable to sit on the patio with the nice weather and we did not have to wait for a table. The food was good and the presentation was really nice. The only thing I found odd was the fact that mine and my husbands food came out at least 5 minutes before my sons food came to the table, and all we ordered for him was a kids waffle. If you have kids, you know that the time it takes for the food to come is critical before a meltdown ensues. So my son kept whining and asking where his food was when my husband and I received our food several minutes before his waffle. This wasn't too big of a deal, but when we gave our credit card to pay, our waiter disappeared. By now my kids were in full meltdown mode so I left to get them into the car while my husband waited to sign the check. 20 minutes later...25 minutes later...my husband has now asked two staff to ask the waiter to come back to no avail. He finally gets up and goes inside to ask where the waiter was to get his credit card back. The waiter appears and tells my husband he does not have his card. At this point my husband asks to speak to the manager. The manager asks where we were sitting, trying to figure out what happened. The manager then speaks with the waiter who pulls the card out of his back pocket. After all of this mess, all we really got was an apology and a car of screaming kids. I'm not sure why the waiter would deny having our credit card, whether he forgot or not, why would he not even check when we asked him where the card was? Also, it was odd that it was in his pocket. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I assume his hands were full at the time, but I don't think it's appropriate to be putting customers credit cards in your pocket at any time, especially when we're in the middle of a pandemic. And why did he not return to the table at all?? It's unfortunate that our experience would have been pleasant if not for this and we probably won't be returning. read more

The food is excellent. Served as tapas sized portions, the chef has an advanced skill for balancing flavors and texture. Presentation is first rate too. I ordered five dishes and loved every one of them. My favorite was the baby octopus with an asian flavor profile (sorry' I don't remember the name; it was a special and not on the menu). I will definitely be back. I was there towards the end of dinner on a Sunday. Observing all the hard surfaces, I suspect this is the kind of place that gets too loud during busy service times. read more

Ask for Karen, she knows her stuff. She is very friendly and enhances the experience. I can't wait for their spring menu. They are bringing back oysters!!! read more

Food, service, & drinks were GREAT! Food came to us fast. My favorite was the Fish tacos & avocado tacos. We'll be goin back for sure. read more

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I've always driven by this place And never thought much of it. Gave it a try and it surpassed my expectations! We will be back. We had the ahi tuna, avocado tacos, beef sliders, mac daddy (w/lobster) salmon tacos and drinks. The service was excellent! Everyone was very attentive and friendly. read more

I had heard so much about this place that I had to try it and I'm so glad I did! This is now a regular stop for me and a place I recommend to everyone. With a clean and urban atmosphere and upscale menu options, it's a much needed upgrade for the area. I try something new each time I go and I have yet to be disappointed. My husband and I even spent our New Year's here with another couple and the sea bass special that night was amazing! I hope to become a regular at the Dancing Marlin. read more

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Dancing Marlin is one of our favorite restaurants to go to in the area. We love how there are always new food items to try, and the fact that it is Tapas style allows us to try a lot! Presentation is always beautiful and the food never disappoints. Last but not least, the staff is always super friendly and this place has great service. It may be pricier than some of the other restaurants in the area.. But it's worth it to have good food and great service. What more can you ask for? read more

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One of many visits to this excellent establishment , highly recommend this gem !!! Wine on tap is a wonderful idea ... read more

Love Dancing Marlin! The staff is amazing! Super friendly. The menu has a little of everything. Definitely something for everyone. Prices are good. Plates are for sharing. Most of all this business supports their community which is very important to me. read more

This place offers small portioned food items which allows you to try numerous items on the menu. Never had a bad meal here.

Restaurant was nice and clean. I wasn't expecting too much. The food was good. It wasn't terrible. I will say we were there for a special event so we didn't have access to the whole menu. What we did have was their filet with mushroom risotto and some roasted vegetables. I will say the steak wasn't overcooked. I feel the overall flavors were just bland. If we return to this area, I would give it another try due to the fact that we didn't get to see the whole menu. I will say the service was absolutely great. All the servers were very friendly and made sure everyone at our party was taken care of. read more

Great food and atmosphere, eat outside and the patio. Fantastic restaurant

One of the best restaurants in the area! Dancing Marlin has such a fun concept and lets you experience so many different items! Honestly you get such quality for a decent price. I have not been disappointed any of my visits. If you like seafood, I highly recommend the Baked Crab Dip, and the Crab Stuffed Peppers. If seafood isn't for you, the NY Strip and the Mac Daddy is the way to go! Friendly Tip: The menu changes seasonally so some of the items will vary. read more

My fiancé and I just had the BEST experience because of our server Emily! The food is always amazing at this restaurant AND she made it a fantastic dining experience this evening read more

Food is very good! The restaurant is pretty noisy but worth it. The outside patio is also great, especially for brunch! Worth checking out for sure! read more

We had breakfast at Dancing Marlin this morning. I had a delicious Salmon Benedict. It was amazing! Lexi took wonderful care of our table. I will go back for sure! Open Sunday 10:00 am. read more

We have been here many times and I must say, it gets better every time. Went Friday night at 5 before a concert in Tinley at whatever the heck that amphitheater is called now. My friend and I stuck to seafood across the board which is what they do exceptionally well. Started with some seared salmon tacos with a smoked cabbage slaw and yuzu chimichurri - killed those suckers in 2 bites. Delicious with a nice balance of sweet, smokey and a bit of herbal citrus zip. Seared scallops came next cooked perfectly and on a bed of creamy potato puree with a red curry beurre blanc and topped with little dollops of yuzu tobiko - each bite was a party popper in your mouth. Hit up the seabass special which was killer (consistent common thread here if you didn't notice). Seared and served on a bed of new potatoes with red lentils and a nice balance of brown butter and balsamic. The sweet vinegar added just the right amount of acidity to keep the dish fresh and interesting. Followed that up the damn delicious Korean BBQ shrimp - what looked like 16-20's cooked perfectly in a Korean BBQ sauce on a bed of crunchy spicy kimchi with sesame. Had to get some herbed fries with pickled shallots and fresh made aioli to go with that because why the hell not. Those were crack and we didn't stop until the bowl was empty. The fresh rosemary was lightly fried and mixed in with the fries and was perfectly light and aromatic without being bitter. Perfect. Finished with a little sweet in the way of flourless chocolate cake that tasted like it had had toasted coconut in it and topped with a tart citrus crema, pistachios and candied strawberries. the perfect finish. My buddy said the on tap Mule was the best he's ever had and my 2 Daisy Cutters were reliable as ever. Here's where the place went above and beyond - I had an incredibly busy day and printed my parking pass for the show (remember the show?) at work and forgot it. Printed it at home and forgot it. Realized after my girlfriend texted me and said - "hey, did you need this?" Crap. I went to the host stand and asked if they could print it for me by any chance off of my phone. Ed, the owner and my new favorite person, grabbed my phone, emailed the pass to himself and 2 minutes later dropped it off to me on the patio where we just had the best meal in the burbs. Bravo Ed and the Dancing Marlin. We will continue to eat your great food, drink your delicious cocktails and sing your praises. Thanks for being awesome. If there was a sixth star to give I would. read more

I went to Dancing Marlin with 3 of my friends. It was one of the BEST times I've had in the South Suburbs in a long time. The food was delicious and catered to various tastes from carnivores to vegans. Our server, Carley, was professional and extremely personable. She was very helpful navigating selections for our very different tastes. She was extremely efficient, keeping the food coming at just the right pace, and making sure we had everything we needed at the right time. Yet, she was warm and funny. We wanted her to pull up a chair and sit with us by the end of the evening. Ambience is also very inviting. Highly recommend Dancing Marlin for a fun night out. read more

Wow! What a great evening! After doing a funeral and needing to connect with my wife after a crazy week, we chose to hit up Dancing Marlin. Our waitress Emilee was a God-send! Her sense of humor and great recommendations made a good evening great! read more

Rick was an amazing server! Food was delish!! We will be back! The cauliflower was the best ... we are very pleased!

Great place. Started off with the crispy kale and had the service was friendly. The entrees were good especially my fish. Everything was cooked great. Good job. read more

Great atmosphere !!The food was awesome the waitress went out of her way to make us happy !!! read more

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Today was my first visit to the Dancing Marlin. I loved the small shared dish concept and the way everything just comes to the table when it's ready. We really enjoyed the seared ahi and the crispy calamari with spicy remoulade, but the crab stuffed peppers seemed to lack flavor. I had a white wine flight of two chardonnays and a viognier. The pours were generous and the presentation was attractive. Our server, Becky, was the consummate professional. She knew the menu inside and out, and had tried all the dishes so she could give us her own take on each dish. She went out of her way to get answers to my questions about preparation and flavorings. She was always available and kept our table cleared. Unfortunately, she did rush us. We went on a Thursday night so I didn't expect the need to turn the tables would be so great (or maybe it's more so because the night is short). But, I'll be sure to go back. Becky told us about their Sunday brunch. That sounds like a reason to return! read more

Dancing Marlin - New American Near Me - Frankfort, Illinois

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Ordered curbside yesterday. Got a nice mix of things like we usually do. Everything was fantastic, as always. The portion sizes were at least double what you would get if you went for a sit down dinner. Free cookies, too! Sweet! (Pun intended) Please support these guys. I would hate to lose the best restaurant in this area. I still can't believe we have a place of this caliber around here. I can't wait until I can go there and enjoy a fabulous cocktail and more great food again! read more

Wow! Wow! Wow! Every single thing we ordered was amazing!! Blue cheese fluff? Yum! Whipped ricotta? Yum! The perogies were fabulous! Great flavor combo. We enjoyed everything. Our server Mandy was friendly and VERY good at her job, thank you for taking great care of us. Great atmosphere, staff, music, very clean. We live 3 states away and will make sure to come through again just to eat here. read more

Went here for the first time on a chilly Sunday afternoon. I felt as if I was transported to Florida and it was a beautiful sunny day. The only thing that could have made this better would be outdoor dining on a warmer day (which they do have, btw). We loved everything we got especially the cocktail flight and look forward to returning for the Sunday chicken family dinner. read more

Good idea: Eating at the Dancing Marlin. Bad idea: Eating here while on the Whole30 diet. We loved the tapas and re-ordered the shrimp, but couldn't eat anything with cheese. And we loved looking over the drink menu even though we couldn't drink. We've already made plans to return and order from that drink menu when we are not on the Whole30. We'll be back to eat on the cute deck when the weather's warm! read more

I love this restaurant. The food is so good and each dish is better than the last. We took a friend this evening for her birthday and she declared it as her new favorite restaurant. Tonight they had the dueling piano and they were horrible. Definitely could have missed them read more

DANCING MARLIN, ....What took us so long to find you. We have now been there twice & it just gets better, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE! The food is outstandingly good , love the atmosphere, & the staff, second to none. Karen was our amazing server, & people at hostess desk, including, I think a Mgr.(female), could not have been more helpful & they also were second to none! Cannot say enough good about all of you. What a great place to go. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU!!! read more

The food here was delish. Great experience once we had the food. The reduction is due to a waitress we saw very little, doubling the time we should have been there. Also the first two beers I was served were pst their shelf life and on an IPA that is not a pleasant thing. The manager did address that issue though. read more

Delicious and creative, delightfully plated tapas-style food. One of the areas nicer restaurants. A bit on the pricy side, but a very nice environment...Great for a date night, always busy and worth the visit! read more

Love it here! The menu is always changing especially the desserts which almost always have some kind of creme brulee. The servers are always knowledgable on both the food and drinks. Our last server danielle was great! read more

Worst experience. Party of 3 Waited over an hour for our 7:30 reservation because "parties wouldn't leave". We were very understanding, but no one ever apologized. Customers that walked in behind us & were seated before us apologized to us as they were leaving at 8:45 and we were still waiting to be seated. Finally seated...1st Waitress came to table and never came back. Another waitress came to table and took forever to come back...she was busing tables and scraping plates instead of taking our order. Once our order was finally in, they brought our entrees at different times. One entree came immediately after we ordered. We ate and talked for a few minutes after we finished. The waitress came to our table and said the manager asked us to leave because they closed at 9:30. The manager never apologized for seating us over an hour after our reservation and now was telling us to leave and that they were closed. Extremely unprofessional restaurant and we were super understanding customers the entire time..did not complain at all. There are many choices to go and they did not care about their customers. Very poor experience. Will not be returning. read more

First time we tried this place we thought it was weird. We went back a year later and loved it! We had a great time everyone was friendly and everything we tried was good. Perogies were especially good. Wine/beer selections appear to be well thought out. We tried several more times, brought friends and had a great time. read more