The Marlin is now open! Cash only bar. Check out their Facebook page for more info. Great Dive bar with Live Music and open mic night, located by UaF on College Road. read more

Typical dive bar CASH ONLY Be prepared it's cash only!! Previous reviews advised bar was a little smokey... I didn't get that impression at all. It is defintely a small hole in the wall. They have a small upstairs area that is away from the music if you happen to be there on a music night. Bathrooms are tiny, and only one person at a time. We stumpled here on open mic night which was pretty cool to see. Parking is limited. Staff is friendly. Appears there are a lot of regulars who visit here. All in all an okay place for a night out read more

This was my favorite bar in Fairbanks. Hopefully it will open up again when the pandemic is over. And hopefully when they do open up again, they will be serving Schlitz Cocktails, which is the best summer time beverage you can get: A can of Schlitz served with whipped cream and a cherry on top. read more

Out of the 4 bars I went to in Fairbanks, this one was by far my favorite. It's one of those warm,dark, tavern-y type of bars that would be great to sip a hot toddy in. The bartenders were friendly and very helpful when helping me pick out an Alaskan beer to try, which they served to me in a pint-size jar (which I would have stolen had it had a bar logo of some sort on it) :D They keep the music in the front room and the smokers in the back room, which is a nice reprieve from the other bars in town (where people smoke everywhere!) I noticed a lot of dreadlocks as well (not a bad thing, merely an observation). Check it out, should you ever be in Fairbanks :) P.S. There's a guy grillin' hot dogs n' onions n' all kinds of fixins in that (oddly well-ventilated) smokers' back room. Yummyness. read more

The Marlin - the marlin logo on a green awning - Dive Bars Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

Sad to see the pandemic got this one. They closed months ago. I will miss the live music and good times I had there. The Marliin. R.I.P. read more

The band and I have played here a few times over the years, and, ooh lah lah! Still my favorite place to pick up some local strange when im out and about in the great white north. (Mmmm... Im gettin thirsty just thinking about it now!) Radical rednecks and psychadelic hillbillies intersperse beautifully with cherubic collegiates and academically inclined hobos. The local wildlife never looked (or sounded) so good! read more

Great little college bar, mellow with lots of character and live music. Very eclectic with a a diverse crowd. Seems to be the musical center for the town, and I'm told there is a lot of history. All the walls have historic wood, if you can see it through all the paraphernalia. Very unique. One of a kind. No smoking, but there is a large deck for those who do read more

Ah, Fairbanks. Where there are six months of darkness and few worthwhile places to go. Never fear; The Marlin is here! If you don't like dive bars, you aren't going to be a fan of the Fairbanks bar scene in general (or, for that matter, Fairbanks), and The Marlin is definitely the best of them. Drinks aren't particularly cheap, but this is Alaska, and The Marlin is totally reasonable. Head over for Wednesday night talent night (always a good mix of college kids and young adults) or be surprised when you drop in for a pint after work to find a Doctor Who theme party in the works. Some nights there is even a hot dog place open above so that you can satiate your craving without, literally, freezing to death. read more

Worst bar in Fairbanks. They charge a cover, even when the place is dead, the drinks are weak, and there is nothing near it. Definitely comes off as a hippy/college joint. read more

I've heard this described as a Bohemian bar, and I would have to agree. The walls are covered in signed and dated dollar bills, along with many other odd decorations. The Marlin attracts a lot of college students due to its proximity to campus. As mentioned in other reviews the smoking area is in the back room, leaving the bar and stage smoke free. read more

Favorite bar is Fairbanks, hands down. Best times had when goo local music like sweating honey or feeding frenzy is playing. Confined, smelly, his is not a bar for heels and tight dresses. Be prepared to cram through tight spots and enjoy good conversation on the back deck. read more

Best dive bar in town, anyone can come here and have a good time, they put on excellent events all week and weekend and have the best staff and drinks, Alanah is exceptionally kind! read more

Great little dive bar...my first time there the staff was great and took care of us right. Confined space...dingy...dirty...I loved it...

Yelp reviews led us here and we were not disappointed. Alaskan beers served in jars. Graffiti everywhere, several small rooms including an outdoor deck. DJ and $5 cover on the Saturday we went. Mostly twenty somethings, and more men than women, can't complain about that. ;) read more

I discovered the Marlin back around the turn of the century in 2001. I had been driving all the way out to Goldstream Rd to play at an open mic, but decided to give the open mic at the Marlin a try. The experience was much more laid back. The room gets crowded real easy and bottlenecks at key spots, but most people are out to socialize and make conversation anyway. The format is super flexible and very open for an open mic. There is no smoking up front by the stage, but smoking is encouraged in a large well ventilated room in the back. All the way up the stairs there is a deck with a few chairs and tables. Over time it drew me in and has become my first choice for a place to play my music. These days I come early and grab a beverage as I head for the back porch to tune up. Time has stopped back around the 70s there giving it a freestyle type of atmosphere. Some nights I just pick and grin with the folks in the back room and never go up on stage. The variety of entertainment you may see on a Wednesday after ten is refreshing. Poets speak to drum beat, singer songwriters pour their hearts out, musicians jam to a laughing room of clinking mason jars and some of the entertainment is just plain bad. Tears and laughter bad, it is all tolerated with love and patience in the name of self-expression. On the other hand most of the local talent that is seen on stage there is way above average. I have even seen a few comics do well for five minutes or more, but sometimes there is just that real drunk guy who thinks he is funny. There is a sign up list hanging by the stage and a host that calls the players up in order. Usually a performance is two or three songs or five to ten minutes. Sometimes it starts late, but I have noticed that even when it starts on time few people are ready to sign up and start performing. They need a little time to loosen up with a few drinks. I have been over excited at times and signed up first thing only to get stranded on stage for thirty minutes. There have been other nights that I hesitated and the list was full. I have never had a problem with the service or staff they are sharp and professional. On busy nights there is a waitress and two bartenders, they seem to keep up with the pace well. Chris has taken his famous hot dog stand upstairs to his own eatery! Nothing tops off the night like a juicy hot brat! The hot dog eatery upstairs is new this year. I have never seen it dirty and it has its own softer decor and style. The portions are huge and Chris the owner is friendly and funny. I always have a good time at the Marlin, it's close to town, and plenty of fun and great music. read more

Cool bar, pricey beers, sometimes music. Very smokey, and both types of smoke at that. It's a solid dive, but on the expensive side for draught beers. read more

It is a very small space and full of UAF students. Live music here. the address on Yelp took me past it, looking it up on Google got me there. read more

You are most definitely a local after vising the basement dive bar, this is the quintessential college corner spot for your weekend entertainment. There are the best people and fantastic music and great times to be had at the Marlin! read more

This is my favorite bar in Fairbanks. Sure there's a super hippie vibe to it, and it's really dark, but you'll find an interesting crowd and hit or miss live music. They also make delicious Flaming Pumpkin shots. Totally a dive bar. And I'm totally ok with that. read more

I love The Marlin! This is the only place that you can have a relaxed philosophical conversation, killer karaoke, play cards against humanity, make friends with nice strangers, dance, or moshpit the night away; depending on the array of the schedule which you can easily check on Facebook so you can find the best nights for you! The drinks are Marlin unique and the prices are the same as everywhere else in town, just not watered down. Give it a try and branch out! read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, TOOOOO SMALL....they were mosh pitting and that bar is too fucking small for that. They have live music which is cool...also the bar is so small when someone farts you smell it through out the whole bar- true story. Someone farted and it stunk for like 10 minuets. read more

Can I give this no stars? Where to start...The clientele there are mostly that of the hippy sort, so it stays pretty rank. The bathrooms are a small upgrade from an outhouse, so I guess they got that going for them. The Marlin crowds easily, due to the size, so one can't dock them too much for going over capacity, if they have that. I have heard people go on multiple occasions to have things stolen. The worst thing, other then the shady crowd, is that it is not well kept. I know it's a dive but most don't let glasses pile up on a table that hasn't had people at it for some time. Give every bar a chance, and sometimes several before deciding how bad it really is. read more

I'm going to give this bar a 3 for now. I've heard a lot of good things about this place. All from good friends. However, the first time I visit the establishment, I am met with absolutely horrible service. There were only two bartenders out of three allowed to serve drinks and one of them never even came to the side of the bar I was on. The other one just served the people around and completely ignored me for all of 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I'm standing at the bar, holding my wallet in an obviously thirsty manner, watching the insidiously large lady next to me (who hadn't been there as long as myself) get her drinks before me. And all I wanted was a beer! After finally receiving my beers (I ordered two because I wasn't sure how long it would take to get another round) my party and I moved to a table in the smoking section of the tavern. The only available seating was a table with spilled concoction all over it. One of my friends nearly sat down where the liquor was running off the table onto the seat. We had to pull a chair from another table to let him sit down. After all the good things I've been told about this bar, I am willing to excuse that kind of service, but only once. If I go again and it's better I'll increase the rating, but if it sucks again, it's going down. read more

Out of every tavern or local music place in Fairbanks, this is by far the best place. From being able to take your pick of every possible beer available anywhere in town, at the lowest price, to a friendly quiet, almost subdued atmosphere of the counterculture, it is difficult not to have fun here. There is no smoking around the stage where every local band in town tries to get for the gig on the weekend. The soundsystem is amazing for such a small space. In the back there is art from various locals, including a mural painted along the deck. This place is a must-see for anyone visiting Fairbanks, and a usual stop for college students after midnight. The resturant upstairs brings classic hotdogs and pub foods, while next door there is, by far, the best Thai food money can buy. read more

If you are looking for serious "turn up" atmosphere, this is not the place. More laid back than anything. On a scale from backwoods slow jam banjo sit around a fire sing-a-long to Skrillex rave in Vegas, it's a Jimmy Buffet ho down at best. Nothing against this establishment at all but the first night I stumbled into this place, some guy was attempting his best at what seemed to be poetry night or what my girlfriend calls "poetry slam night?"... Wtf, I shortly left after that. read more