We all had a fabulous evening, there were 15 of us, and we felt Covid safe it was open air very breezy with our table close to the entrance. Ana took great care of us, and Dustin was an exceptional bartender, my Tito's and Grapefruit was made with fresh squeezed pink grapefruit, I loved it!! Their drink menu was great with their variety of margaritas too and good wines. We went in for the Oysters "buck a shuck" night, but seemed to take one look at their menu and went crazy with ordering Seared Ahi, Chicken Marsala, Poki Salad, Barbecued Ribs, Halibut and other great seafood choices. Desserts too were exceptional with the chocolate layer cake and cheesecake. We definitely plan on returning very soon, this was a fabulous experience. Thanks again Ana & Dustin, you both made our evening exceptional here!!! read more

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This time we stopped by for lunch. Hubby started with a cup of the double clam chowder, then enjoyed the Reuben sandwich. He chose the shoestring fries over the steak fries. My healthier lunch choice was the Asian Ahi Salad. Good-sized portion of seared ahi over mixed greens, crispy wonton strips, Mandarin orange segments, water chestnuts, and noodles. The rice wine vinegar-based dressing had a touch of sriracha that give it extra zing. We loved the excellent service that included keeping our water and iced tea glasses refilled, yummy rolls and butter, as well as quick delivery of our food. The server noted that Hubby likes the yellow sweetener, and he made sure that he had enough for his drink. I didn't realize that the $1.00 oysters on the half shell were available at lunch, so we will have to come back another Monday to indulge! read more

The Black Marlin - Asian ahi salad: seared ahi over mixed greens, crispy wonton strips, Mandarin oranges, water chestnuts & noodles. Rice-wine vinaigrette. - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

I'm not sure if this was a one off scenario but you might want to be careful eating here, especially since management doesn't care. The oysters and clam chowder were good, but the halibut smelled and tasted like ammonia. Our server really wanted to help but the two managers insisted that replacing the fish would result in the same outcome. So they're implying that they only serve old fish that tastes like ammonia? They refunded us and never returned. You might want to take your health elsewhere. read more

Best Clam Chowder in the west! Everything is so fresh and tasty! The staff are friendly and kind... a fun place to be! We highly recommend The Black Marlin! read more

The Black Marlin - Crab Cakes... Guinness.... Perfect! - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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Food was excellent. Had never been there and went to watch the Cleveland Browns game and the food was very tasty, the service was excellent and everyone was friendly. Highly recommend read more

First time here. Had the Caesar Salad, Sea Bass Special and Beef Stroganoff. Very good! read more

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

The Cajun pasta was a bit spicy for me but tasty. The Chilean seabass was buttery and good.... read more

The Black Marlin - Chilean Seabass w/Risotto and fried asparagus..... - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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We finally tried this place (we went to all other restaurants in old town tustin, but finally checked this place out)...we came on Friday night around 6pm and got seated right away. The sever came quick to take our orders too! The food came quick, but my soup was not hot, but tasted decent. The other dishes (a salad with seafood, fish and chips and a French dip) were all just ok. I came home with a stomachache though, not sure if it's from the food I just ate. Price is decent and service is good! But food is just ok. read more

We've been coming to the Black Marlin for years. Great food and the best bartenders and servers in town. read more

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

Went here for happy hour and it was a blast! We were lucky enough to sit at the tip of the restaurant by ourselves and it was wonderful. Our waiter was attentive as he could be, it was extremely busy and he did the best he could. We ordered a bunch of items off the happy hour menu and everything was really good. We ordered one of everything pretty much and with my Yelp check in I got cheaper garlic cheese bread and that was really good! Had a great time! Will definitely be back for happy hour! read more

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The food was delicious and poke was fresh. The service by Ally and the others who helped serve were excellent. They were prompt & friendly. The outside space where we sat was calming & we got to see the people walking the town enjoying Mother's day. read more

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Great clam New England style chowder!! Possibly the best in the OC!! Mac & lobster was a disappointment. Sports bar environment so expect a bit of noise. Great staff. read more

Ingredients weren't of the best quality. Food was pretty bland, and overall taste was just missing something. Service was slow. There was a fly in the water pitcher and it still continued to be poured even when noticed. Excellent location in Old Town Tustin, but there are much better options around. Limited outside seating out front. read more

The Black Marlin - Easter brunch - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

We wanted to get away from the hustle of the convention center and of course wanted seafood. Kicking it right off with the lobster mac and cheese - it had great chunks of lobster in it and it didn't overpower the mac and cheese. I love a fish and chips situation and felt I couldn't pass it by. The filets were a good size, the fries were fries. A little splurge at the end of the meal, I had the Memphis Donut - yum! Warmed with vanilla ice cream it was a great way to complete my dinner. read more

I love this place! I used to like the live bands on Sundays but that's no longer a thing, but food is consistently good, great selection of wines, beers and cocktails. Lots of seating inside and on back patio. I've had salads and brunch items. Friends enjoyed heartier items like fish & chips, salmon, and prime dip sandwich. Parking is easy and there are a few shops nearby if you want to walk off calories or mimosas! read more

We've seen this place for years, but never got to try it until quarantine. The food is tasty, the prices are fair, and the service is friendly. Their clam chowder is soooo good!! It's one of the top ones I've ever tried. On a sadder note, we were pretty bummed about the king crab legs we ordered. They're supposed to be split legs according to the menu. They gave us 2 claws, which we were not split, instead of legs which was disappointing. read more

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Our first time eating here. We chose open seating at a high top in the bar. Our service started with one of the bartenders who seemed like she didn't want to be there & didn't smile at all. A very flat affect and not friendly. We sent back the spinach dip appetizer. It was very watery & bland and the tortilla chips were definitely not "house made" haha. Another server/bartender checked on us intermittently & she was very friendly & engaging. The sauce on the beef stroganoff was very runny, like soup- and not thick & creamy. The shrimp pesto was ok. It had a good number of shrimp which was nice! But the pesto flavor was very mild. If we return to the restaurant it would probably just be for drinks. The price point of the entree dishes do NOT align with the atmosphere of the restaurant. There is no way I'd order a $48 sea bass dish here :/ I'd be leery of the quality as well. read more

The Black Marlin - The chips with Spinach & artichoke dip are advertised as "house-made" ha ha - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

We had a great server named Kole who gave us great service. He was very attentive in asking us if we needed anything, quite a few times. He answered all questions we asked with a smile. We give him a APLUS read more

Came on a Friday early evening (5 pm) and the place was pretty empty so no wait to be seated. FYI- it a pretty casual atmosphere; like a casual bar ambiance. Had the following: - Fish Chowder 8/10 pretty good, highly recommend add Tabasco - Ginny Hendrix (Cocktail Drink) - 5/10 a strong drink but really lacking in flavor - 4 cheese Mac & cheese side - 7/10 Standard Mac & cheese but if you like cheese pasta this is for you regardless - Neptune's Cobb Salad - 8/10 Generous size! Only downside was I was expecting lumps of crab not shredded so it was hard to fork with the lettuce. - Seared Scallops w/ sides - 7/10 Presentation was fantastic for this item but the scallops were lacking in flavor. Would have liked to have had a more substantial sauce. Overall, the experience was pretty good, just had a few bumps... - came in with a party of 2 and were sat at an awkwardly placed table. We asked if we can move to the table next to us meant for 4 people but our waitress said it's only for parties greater than 2... which I get but at the same time, there was no one else in the restaurant except for 1 other couple on the other side of the room. Just seemed a bit off. - Service was very slow. We did have to wait for our waters to be refilled a few times. Again not a big deal but just a bit off putting considering how empty the place was. Overall I'd give the food a 8/10 but service a 6/10 read more

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First I'd like to say the ambience it very laid back and relaxing as we chose to sit outside in the patio area we ordered the lobster Mac and cheese and honestly it was delicious! It made my mouth water with the amount of ooey gooey cheese and the lobster bellisimo! Then they brought me the man of the hour my pan seared scallops with Brussels sprouts and potatoes and the scallops were cooked to perfection nice and juicy with a hint of smoke, the garlic Brussels sprouts were cooked jus enough and I just could stop eating it and the potatoes whaaaaatttt! The pan seared halibut with risotto with spinach and vegggies not only did it look so pretty and delicious it almost made my cousin not want to eat it because it was so pretty however I will tell you the risotto with veggies was a really nice touch and they meshed really well together. The fish was cooked to perfection bravo black marlin everything came out great and there are no complaints here! Also having nice wonderful efficient staff is just another added bonus I love it! Ohhhh yesssssa whiskey bread pudding in caramel sauce with bananas and a side scoop or better pecan and vanilla and if it all came down to it that dessert put Me in TKO status for real for real! read more

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Finally dined here with my wife for lunch on Monday. Promptly seated and greeted by a friendly server. She mentioned that Mondays are $1.00 Fresh Blue Point Oyster's on half shell. That's why we came!! We ordered a dozen and they were delicious. Next we shared a bowl of their double clam chowder to share. It was pretty tasty, although, as others have suggested, it's rather salty. Also, used Yelp promo for a basket of Cheesy Garlic bread, which was pretty good. Lastly, we shared their Fish and Chips / 3 pieces for: $32.00 It was pretty skimpy, the fish pieces were tasty but minuscule. The portion size of fries was ridiculously small! Usually, some Cole Slaw would accompany the dish? Nope! So, we'd say the value wasn't there and we'd recommend passing on this overpriced entree. Overall, the food quality, wonderful service and atmosphere were great. Would we return? Probably not. read more

I ordered the Island Poke today at lunch. The rice in the Poke bowl was so hard. I found that it is precooked rice served straight out of refrigerator. It tasted weird. I asked them to fixed it. They finally gave me a new bowl with rice from rice cooker. I will never recommend this restaurant. read more

I was looking for a place that served ceviche and oysters. So I visited the Black Marlin because they had oysters and ceviche plate on the menu. When I sat down and ordered it, the server came back after a few minutes and said that the owner said that they couldn't serve that to me because they only had a limited amount of ceviche and oysters and had to order two separate orders of ceviche and oysters at a higher price. Which I found that fascinating because they had both but they just chose not to serve me what I wanted. I think they just wanted to charge me a higher price for my food and so they should take the oysters with ceviche off their menu if they're not willing to serve it. Overall, the food was OK and the service was OK the ambience is decent and relaxed and they have a full bar. read more

The margaritas are delicious and some of the fish meals are too. I miss the live bands there on Friday nights. Please bring them back!

Food is wonderful, atmosphere is very casual and service can take some time. Staff is friendly, but sometimes seem dust.

Good vibe, great food and awesome service. Sort of just picked this spot at random. Their clam chowder is awesome as are their fries. Good spot for groups. They have booths as well as a bar. TVs on to watch the games. Small-ish parking lot and parking on the street available. Would eat here again. read more

Love old town, food at The Marlin is good but their Old Fashion Cocktail needs some work. Worst old fashioned I've ever had.

Tried this place with my coworkers for happy hour, and I had such a great time I went back the next day. The happy hour prices are great for the portions. I've now eaten here a few times, and the food is always top-notch! The drinks are even better (if it's possible to beat their food.) We love the bartender, Tommy! We now have made this our go-to spot, so we'll be back again and again :) read more

I soooo wanted to like this place due to location and ambiance. However, I was super disappointed. First, it took over 15 minutes for the server to come to our table and only after I mentioned it to hostess. Next was the food, my wife ordered the halibut that was on special for 45 bucks! Way overcooked and odd looking rock hard crust different from pan searing. My meal was below average too, in which I ordered the short rib. The meat was super fatty and too much bbq sauce on it. Only bright side to evening was finding the sushi joint next door!!! read more

My tastebuds were in literal heaven! Our waiter greeted us with a smile and was so knowledgeable of the menu. She recommended all 3 dishes and did not disappoint. I would come here for the whiskey bread pudding alone! Great atmosphere and the vibe was amazing read more

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This business has improved. The service went down and is up thanks to Cole. Amazing steak read more

The Black Marlin - Very good service - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

First time at this location. Great environment for a relaxing and causal lunch/dinner. They have an outdoor and indoor area. Our waitress was Kim and she did a fantastic job. Very nice, helpful and happy and excited for us to be there and to try the food. Her energy was positive and made the dinning experience that much better!! They also have live music I really enjoyed the environment. Food: Clam chowder was ok Red snapper with cauliflower and coconut rice - apparently red snapper was freshly flown in today from Canada so heck it must be good! It was good! It was grilled with light seasoning. Simple and tasty. Cheese cake was made at the restaurant and it was really good! Great texture and it came with strawberry topping. Sunstory time is the drink that I got. It hit the spot and it was really good! I enjoyed it. I will definitely come back to try other dishes. read more

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Not bad. Freeflowing mimosas? I think yes. The waitress was not stingy with the champagne, let the good times roll. We had Sunday brunch, I got eggs Benedict+ my docta friend got a scramble. Both of us thought the eggs were too runny. I know eggs Benedict is supposed to be like that but next time I'll try saying make em a lil like over medium or something. The eggs is the only reason I didn't give five stars. The potatoes were good, normal. We had hot sauce options which always makes me happy! Chalula for the win. Thank you for having us, it was delicious otherwise. Hope we win the 500$ raffle! ^_^ read more

The Black Marlin - Little and crab eggs benny-- "the walk the plank" + Free-Flowing Champagne/OJ - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

This restaurant was recommended by friends who really love it so we decided to give it a try for my wife's birthday. It's set in a cute area in old town Tustin. Upon first observation the seating and ambiance is similar to a coffee shop and we were expecting a little more class setting based on the prices they charge which are similar to any higher end seafood restaurant. The service was excellent but the food lacked what we expected based on the recommendations we were given. The fish breading was hard, so it was difficult to ascertain the quality of the fish inside. Their signature dish "lobster Mac & cheese" was only "so so" with not much flavor. Not sure why our friends love this place so much, but they do. The 4 star rating is really only for the server as, she was great, the setting and food not so much. read more

Came here last night and we had a blast. Sat at the bar and ordered a lemon drop as well as an old fashioned. Both were strong and good, just how I like them. We checked in on Yelp and got half off the garlic cheese bread which was unreal, but the star of the apps for us was the sriracha shrimp. This plate was the most talked about by or table after, and now that I'm typing this, my mouth is watering again. For dinner We did the Cajun seafood pasta, chicken marsalla, short rib and the pesto shrimp pasta. All plates were good but in my opinion the short rib was the best. Great vibes, great bartenders and TVs so you don't miss the games! read more

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I really would have given this place a 5 star review because really all I had were oysters and they all taste the same. However, before my oysters arrived the waitress had already brought me my bill. One, it makes the customer feel like they are not being welcomed. Two, it makes me feel like they think I'll run after eating without running or something. I've never been given a bill before my food even arrive. I am very sorry but not really! read more

The Black Marlin - This would have been a 5 star review right here but they lost 3 stars on their poor service! - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Went on a Sunday for late brunch/lunch and to see the band, Crimson Crowbar. The menu is great and includes breakfast items as well as lunch. The service was awesome for as busy as it was. Our server, Shannon, was friendly and on top of it. We had mimosas, which were $13.95 for bottomless, but it ends at 2, so make sure you don't get there too late because you want to take advantage of that great deal! I had the Widowmaker breakfast, which consisted of eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage and home fries. This breakfast is no joke. Definitely a good base of if you are planning on drinking a lot of mimosas. :) This breakfast is the opposite of avocado toast. If you want avocado toast, walk your ass somewhere else cause this place has the real deal home cooking breakfast. My husband had an Asian ahi salad, which he loved and my friends had the French dip and the Cuban sandwich. Everyone was digging their selections and as well as the music. read more

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Clam chowder -- need I say more? Live and hopping place with delicious food. With the best BEST best clam chowder. read more

We love black marlin. Great atmosphere, friendly service, and delicious food. They also have a great happy hour!

Where has this place been all my life. Well apparently right here. Can't wait to come back and do it again! Service was outstanding, and the food was probably the best I've had in a few years. Left walking away so happy about this find. It's been here for years, but so glad we found it! read more

The Black Marlin - Filet, Blue Cheese topped, Mushrooms in demi glaze, onion strings, sautéed scallops with sauce, risotto and Brussel sprouts. - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California