My husband found this place after searching for places nearby. We decided to give them a try and were so impressed! The food was fantastic! Tasty, generous portions and very high quality. We split the prime rib special. They charge for splits but they do so because each person gets a full portion of the sides as well. The prime rib was cooked perfect (ordered medium rare) and it came with two sides; creamed corn and mashed potatoes. I don't know what they do to make their cream corn but it's been over two months since we went and I'm still craving it! Katie was our server and she was just a delight. I shared some medical/dental issues I was dealing with and she was so incredibly helpful, giving me ideas for what foods might be easier to chew. I can't say enough about how kind she was, and what a great experience she made our visit! The restaurant has great decor, feeling cozy but also clean. We don't go out often, but we will be back! read more

Lots of great choices for brunch and reasonable prices. Service was attentive and friendly. Corned beef hash is house made and excellent. I love that when you order poached eggs they ask how hard. That's the details! read more

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Absolutely delicious! The service was great and our server was super friendly! We also loved the girl at the hostess stand. She was so friendly! I enjoyed the scallops and my husband enjoyed his shrimp pesto pasta. Highly recommend! read more

My go to spot for $1 oysters on Monday! Despite only being $1, the oysters are high quality and delicious. We also got the Caesar salad (with anchovies) as well as the black marlin burger, both of which were delicious as well. The restaurant also has two outdoor patios, both of which are completely covered. Service can sometimes be a little bit slow, but otherwise this is a great spot to come for a great meal, especially on Mondays. read more

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Hi! Last night I went to The Black Marlin restaurant in Tustin for a special occasion dinner. I have to confess, it was my first time going, and I was not disappointed! It was fairly crowded, but it was a Friday night. They only take reservations for parties of eight or more. But, fortunately we were seated without any wait. We asked for, and received, a very nice table on the back patio. Our sever was excellent! It took him very little time to assess it was a special occasion and he gave us plenty of space while still being very attentive. They have a nice wine list and a decent selection of wine by the glass. We started by splitting the crab cake appetizer. Two pieces with a nice sauce. A little on the small size but very tasty and not loaded with filler. I had the jumbo Shrimp and Scallops over risotto special. It was incredible. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the Shrimp done just right. Sandy had the Sea Bass. I had a taste and it was quite good! We finished by splitting the Whiskey Crème Brûlée Bread Pudding! Only one word. Yum! We had a wonderful time here. Great food. Great service. A quaint little restaurant with a nice patio. Who could ask for anything more? Jim read more

The Black Marlin - Shrimp and Scallops over Risotto. Yum! - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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I wanted to leave a brief review since I stopped here for about 15 minutes in Old Town Tustin. I talked to the hostess and the guy at the bar and checked out the menu too. I found out that this place has been around since the very early 1900's and was called the Tustin Garage back then. They have had several restaurants lease out this building and finally it has become the Black Marlin I think now for 5 years. They still keep the original name on the building. It's quite historical so I was interested. The menu seems great and I plan to go back for lunch and either try the clam chowder, a salad, fish and chips, or perhaps a burger. It looks great. Some of the items are pricey, but the place looks really cool. To be continued:) read more

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Good food and service was fantastic. Bree was our server and offered numerous helpful suggestions and tips during our dining experience. Fishing and ocean themes throughout the establishment make it cozy and kitschy. read more

The Black Marlin - Blue point oysters and lobster risotto balls for appetizers - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

It's a much better experience compared to last... All the food was good, especially the croissant beignets... There were only a few customers on Saturday 2:00pm, it is quiet and the servers could be a lot more attentive. Oh, the clam chowder is one of the best I've ever have too! read more

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Our waitress was awesome. It was a busy Friday night and she was so personable and attentive. What was ordered: 1) Cups of Clam Chowder Soup (yes, plural... haha) 2) Chilean Sea Bass 3) Center Cut Salmon Filet 4) Ahi 5) Pesto Shrimp Pasta 6) Garlic Cheese Bread The food was amazing. Inside was warm and cozy. Very noisy and loud but that's just a good sign everyone was enjoying themselves. The hostess was great. The staff overall just seemed amazing. Would recommend. : ) read more

The Black Marlin - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

I used to live in Tustin and would go here regularly. I loved the Monday $1 oysters and bring your own bottle they offered. Was still offered on the website when I went but when I arrived they said it's no longer offered. Today went in because on THEIR website is says brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday and when I arrived they said it only Sundays. I was asked if it's from their direct website, which it was. We no longer live close so checked this menu weeks ago so to stop but and find out it's false advertising AGAIN is insane.It's about a 30 minute drive for us and was told but multiple people we should report this read more

The Black Marlin - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Website recently states that they are permanently closed, very sad to hear. They were the best seafood restaurant in Orange County, per the OC Register. read more

The Black Marlin - Website stating closure. - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Great food and service. This is a favorite local spot of mine for steaks and seafood. Dry aged steaks are amazing and I had their Chilean seabass today for the first time. I've never finished a fish dish so fast, and I like seafood. Nice sear and very flavorful. I mostly go here for special occasions but they have entrees between $20-30 on the menu too. My dad lives in TX and isn't easily impressed with steaks when in CA. He was here. Their spirits selection is great too, but I've mostly stuck with bourbons when I've gone. read more

The best part of the restaurant was the magician on a Thursday night. We took grandma out to dinner because she wanted seafood. Unfortunately, everything was super salty. We ordered ciopino, short rib, lobster mac n cheese , beef stroganoff and clam chowder. It was so mediocre and and lackluster. We left feeling unsatisfied. For the price of each entree we expected more. read more

Old town Tustin is such a gem, a real small town feel where time just goes slows down. Now bring in Black Marlin, right in the heart of all of this. A simple, yet complex American menu with a flair of seafood and grill. I've have been several times and highly recommend going for breakfast. This is the only place I have ever had a crab and shrimp eggs benedict, and let me say HAVE MERCY. This tops them all. Saturday and Sunday Brunch is offered with bottomless champagne, $23 and worth every cent. If you choose time at the bar, I recommend a walk across the street at the gardens at Armstrong. A nice stroll down El Camino Real any direction will bring you peace of mind, you will easily forget you are in busy Orange County. Great servers will take care of you with a smile, find a seat and enjoy all the enjoyment Black Marlin has to offer. I can't thank them enough for taking care of us every trip there, and treating us like family. read more

The Black Marlin - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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Came here with some gfs for their happy hour Mondays which include $1 oysters and no corkage fee to bring your own bottle of wine. This place is super cute! There's a huge outdoor patio where they hosts live music for Sunday brunch. We ordered 2 dozen oysters which were very fresh! They had the usual dressings of lemon, vinegar, cocktail sauce and Tabasco sauce. We also ordered their chili, lobster Mac n cheese and shrimp over mashed potatoes. We were very pleased with our food! We have added this spot to our happy hour rotation of restaurants. We will be back soon! read more

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I went there for my birthday, for starters, we shared a small bowl of clam chowder that was delicious. The clams were so tender, and the soup was so creamy. My date orderedordered the Chelan Sea bass with a side salad. I ordered the wedge salad and the halibut with yellow squash, zucchini, and red potato. For drinks, we had Cadillac margaritas with the shadow grammar on the side really good The service is exceptional, very attentive. The ambience was nice and welcoming. We will definitely go there again. Everything was so fresh and delicious. read more

The Black Marlin - Chelan Seabass Fresh Chilean Sea Bass - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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I love brunch. I love seafood. Came to Yelp and found the Black Marlin. They do not take reservations so we just made our way over. My husband loves me so he will take me to brunch as long as there are other options besides breakfast items. Our server was on it. She was friendly, quick, and personable. I'm extra AF.... So I want everything. I ordered the calm chowder. It was really good. My husband doesn't like soups but, I think he ate most of my cup of soup. Shrimp cocktail - shrimp tasted fresh. Cooked perfectly. Cocktail sauce has a good kick with the horseradish. Blue point oysters - my husband doesn't like oysters. More for me! It was delicious. Walk the plank Benedict - hollandaise was good. Always important. The seafood on it was yummy. I did ask for well done hash browns but, I didn't get it that way. It's okay. I still ate it. My husband got the fish and chips - perfectly battered and cooked. The tartar was also really good. Dip the fries in it. Thank me later. Will we be back? Yes. We are coming back on Father's Day with my in laws! read more

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Guys!! I heard the owner of the building pulled out of their contract to help the Black Marlin remodel and fix their $$$ costly plumbing issues. So it's possible they won't be returning!! No other business is going to want this building with its smelly issues. Hope the owner really thinks about this before saying goodbye to the Marlin!! read more

I won't repeat what I've said previously. The purpose of this review is to review a particular dish, namely the Ciopinno. If you don't already know, Ciopinno is an Italian fisherman's stew filled with a variety of seafood in a tomato based broth. It's typically served with grilled bread, usually grilled garlic cheese bread. I'm a fiend for a good Ciopinno. The best I've ever had is the Ciopinno at Taddich Grill in San Francisco. How does the Marlin's version measure up? The Marlin's version is quite good, and I would order it again, but it doesn't quite measure up to the Taddich Grill version. If I were the chef, I would make the following changes: Ditch the Calamari. The Marlin does a great Calamari that's fried and served with dipping sauces. We order it often as an appetizer. Tossed into the Ciopinno unfried, it's more or less flavorless chewy texture. I'd substitute that with a little more white fish. Am I being a little nit picky? Yes. Notwithstanding the nits in this review, I still maintain the Marlin has the best seafood in Orange County with an upscale but not fussy atmosphere. It's a great place worthy of your attention. Cheers! read more

The Black Marlin - Ciopinno aftermath - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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This place is awesome. I've come a few times over the past couple years of traveling to this area for work. One thing I've noticed is that they retain staff who become experienced and recognize you. That is super rare and super cool. The menu is surf and turf. I love seafood. The scallops are perfect and not over cooked. Try the killer-Rita if you aren't driving! Good selection of whisky. Excellent food. read more

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Love the laid back ambiance here. It's a great place for lunch or dinner. We've had really nice service here the last two times we visited. Fish and chips, Rueben and clam chowders were all really good! read more

We came in for happy hour, 1$ oysters on a Monday. Service was good. Menu had a good selection, but we just got happy hour appetizers. - Oysters (4/5): pretty basic, and a bit small, but well worth it for $1 each! Oysters were fresh and came with lots of sauces to choose from - Garlic cheese bread (4/5): can't really go wrong here, good portion size and lots of cheese read more

The Black Marlin - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Brought my sister here for a birthday lunch. We opted to sit at the front patio which was great because it's mostly open air without the sun getting in your eyes the whole time. Another perk from sitting there was we were close to the hostess stand and I'm pretty sure that the hostess passed on overheard service requests to our waitress. That's great service! We ordered the Old Town Steak Chili which came loaded with a lot of cheese and full of steak chunks. And we also got an order of Garlic Cheese Bread (half-priced with Yelp check-in). It was very cheesy and garlicky, yum! Very rich way to start off the meal. I ordered the Neptune's Cobb salad since I've been on a big Crab Louie salad kick recently and this salad has crab, shrimp, and grilled salmon along with asparagus, grilled corn, and tomatoes on iceberg. What's not to love? I guess it's a big salad bc the waitress asked if it was for the both of us. Haha I told her it was just for me and that I was hungry. It actually took me a long time to finish but the salad came dressed so taking it home would have resulted in a soggy mess. The seafood was delicious. No-effort crab that doesn't require my picking it out of the shell is my favorite form of crab haha. I always love shrimp and special kudos to the chef for perfectly cooked salmon. A major peeve is when salmon gets cooked until the albumin curdles out in white chunks and that was nowhere to be seen here. Delicious. We also ordered the Grilled Swordfish with Harvest Wild Rice rice in place of the Mashed Potatoes. The swordfish was handled well but the grill should probably have been cleaned a bit better before cooking because there was a heavy burned oil taste to it. The broccoli and wild rice were mild in flavor so that heavy burned oil taste stood out. I mentioned it was a birthday meal so our waitress brought out a slice of very rich chocolate cake for her. Wow that was very good cake. Service was efficient but friendly. We came in a Saturday morning so I was a little surprised no brunch menu was offered. I guess I'll have to come back on a Sunday to try out brunch here. read more

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Everything we had a was delicious! Clam chowder, caesar salad, cioppino, and halibut! read more

The Black Marlin - Halibut with mushroom risotto and spinach and sun dried tomatoes - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

I've always walked by this place but never had to chance to stop by. Last weekend I made brunch reservation with a gf and not until I got there, I realized I booked at a place I've always wanted to try before! Black Marlin is located right at the corner of the street, next to Hondaya (across from Armstrong garden). We got Center cut salmon plate and Neptune's salad, which was their seafood salad. Both were delicious! I especially like the Neptune's salad because it has crab, shrimp, and salmon! So good! There are plenty of outdoor seatings, which was more like in their covered/walled up patio. I didnt go inside so I'm not sure how the inside is but it looked nice from the outside. Plenty of places to walk around after meal. I would recommend this place! read more

The Black Marlin - Neptune's Cobb - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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This place is great. Great food. Great atmosphere. All the bartenders and servers are very nice and great at their jobs. Definitely a go to spot in Tustin! read more

So this place is a mixed bag. It started at 5 stars because of the excellent clam chowder then went down to a 1 star because of them making a strawberry margarita out of a traditional margarita by throwing a couple of random strawberries in it plus we got the worst most fowl-tasting lobster Mac n cheese I've ever eaten. I think the lobster had gone bad and I never, I mean never, spit food out but I had to because of how bad it was. My husband actually said I turned green and he stopped eating after and lost his appetite because he also said it was awful. The only good thing was that the server was really nice about it and the manager came up and apologized. They removed both the bad food and messed up drink off the bill with no complaint, which is why we are settling on a 3 star because the ceviche and garlic bread were decent. I did wish the bread came out with our clam chowder since the crackers were a bit stale and the bread would have been good to dip in it. Also, when they say double clams they mean double clams for the chowder. They were chewy and I did get a bit of sand in mine but my husband said his was great. Overall, okay but won't be coming back any time soon since there are way better places out there. read more

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Father's Day menu sucked. My grandsons steak was a gray piece of overcooked blech. My daughters and mine salmon was dry as a popcorn fart as well as the boring rice that came along with it. They couldn't even make a Bloody Mary. The server agreed with me brought me a beer instead. What a drag as I don't have that many opportunities to eat with my daughter and grandson. read more

Went on a Friday for happy hour and the bar area was full. We were told that happy hour food was only in the bar. The entire restaurant was empty, but the tables RIGHT NEXT TO THE BAR AREA weren't included in happy hour. How stupid is that? We left and went somewhere else. Why would you turn business away? read more

Sunday brunch breakfast was not good. Very cheap ingredients. The Eggs Benedict had discs of ham (I don't think these qualify as Canadian Bacon) which were very tough and had fake smoky flavor and some other weird flavor to them. The English Muffins were rock hard like they were toasted hours ago. However the Hollandaise sauce was nice. The corned beef hash was anything but. I'm aware that some places use canned corned beef, while other places make their own, and I'm fine with both. However this place took thin slices of corned beef deli meat and just laid them on top of the potatoes. And the potatoes were just prefab deep fried cubes of potato. If you're going to make your own corned beef hash, don't use those potatoes and please use legit corned beef. The pancake was an attempt at made from scratch pancake batter, but it turned out rather flavorless as though it was literally a flour water mixture. I will not be coming back for breakfast. I would have given even less stars but they do a good job with dinner. read more

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The food was awesome. Especially the $1 oyster Mondays. Magi mahi melts in your mouth. The double clam chowder is really had a generous amount of clams. The cheese bread were also amazing. We were not too crazy about the house bread though. The service was good but could be better. The ambiance was great and there are plenty of parking. They do take reservations so they highly recommend it. read more

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Over priced for the quality of meal. Halibut was small, not that good and served on bed of mystery diced veggies swimming in sauté oil.Won't eat there again, but maybe for drinks. read more

The hostess was great we where seated quickly. Our waitress was awesome. She was friendly and polite. What was ordered: 1) salmon fillet 2) French dip sandwich 3) Garlic Cheese Bread Every thing tastes great. The fish was well season and tasted fresh. The cheese bread tasted great and hot out of the oven. read more

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We moved from Tustin almost three years ago and we've been missing this restaurant, especially their $1 oysters on Mondays. We thought this special price was only for Happy Hour 2-6pm so imagine our surprise when we found out it's $1 ALL DAY on Mondays! BUT our server said they do run out sometimes so they still would advise not waiting too long. Their clam chowder is still the best, we haven't found any place else that's as good. And we tried the Poke Nachos for the first time, it was pretty good, especially at the Happy Hour price of $9. There's parking on the street and they have a parking lot in the back. Real nice ambiance and super friendly staff. read more

Happy hour at The Black Marlin was good and had a decent selection of food and cheap drinks. We ordered the rock shrimp with sriracha mayo, two fish tacos, a crab cake slider. All good, except the poke had just four pieces. Also my old fashioned and dragon glass margarita wasn't the best but still got the job done lol. Total for food and drinks for three people was under $100. read more

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The food was great. Nice service from waiter only had to ask for water once. The restaurant is really cute and cozy. And not too loud. The parking is the only problem. On wed night difficult to find spots read more

Can't get over how amazing the staff is here! I was with a group of friends and one of my friends is gluten intolerant. We always have a hard time finding a place to eat due to her dietary restrictions. We came here and they were beyond accommodating. They broke down each dish that would be safe or potentially cause an issue and even was able to adjust their recipes in order to make it suitable! In addition, we originally volunteered to just put everything on one check for convenience, but they split all the checks accordingly anyway. The food was also delicious! The lobster Mac and cheese was perfectly seasoned with nice hearty chunks of lobster. I highly recommend this place and I appreciate you all being so accommodating and friendly. read more

Wait wait wait don't let the outside deceive you! Fabulous happy hour, fabulous cost and kick ass drinks! Leave your Gucci, fendi, and Prada home. Throw on a pair of jeans, grab a good friend, a spouse or even grandpa....you won't be disappointed. And we love Courtney. read more

I've come in twice now- once for happy hour and once for lunch. I shared the plump and juicy calamari last time. Their service was a bit slow for our table and one other during our late lunch around 1:30pm, but the food was comforting and flavorful. Of course, you have to get the chunky clam chowder! They have ample street parking and indoor/outdoor dining with comfortable chairs and Saturday shade coverings, not makeshift ez ups. Their whiskey menu is extensive! I will come back for dinner and update my review! read more

The Black Marlin - Blackened Salmon Sandwich was flavorful and thick - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

I dropped by Black Marlin after playing golf with some business associates. I saw that some of my Yelpies had dropped positive reviews, and they have reasonable prices for surf & turf: I was eager to check it out. Black Marlin is on El Camino Real & Sixth in Tustin. We started off w/ a dozen oysters ($32), and garlic cheesebread ($3.50 w/ Yelp check in). First of all, the oysters were super fresh, shucked very well, and good sized. My associates raved about the high quality. Likewise, the bread was as advertised: Cheesy & garlicky. For one person, the two together could serve as a light meal. What I noticed about the entrees is the low pricing compared to other places. The foregoing combined w/ an expertly prepared Chilean sea bass & sand dabs (not pictured), made for an excellent experience. Most places charge more for just the fish, and the sides are extra. There was so much food on my plate, I could not finish it: I rarely leave leftovers. My associates said the sand dabs were some of the best they ever had. Lastly, one of my associates is a big fan of bread pudding. He thoroughly enjoyed Black Marlin's version. The whisky, caramel, and large portion (big enuf for three males), was gobbled up by all us. I like all the items individually, so putting it all together was genius. Regarding the ambiance, they have pivoted nicely w/ dining in the front on the street. We sat in the back patio which had a nice aire libre vibe on a hot summer evening. The tables were spaced well from each other. My only rec would be to remove the table where you walk onto the patio bc you get too close to some of the guests. The service from Nicole and her team was outstanding. She was super friendly, attentive and knowledgable about the menu. She made me and my guests feel real relaxed. I am ashamed it has taken me this long to come here. The food & service are top notch, and the prices are lower vs comparable restaurants. read more

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