This place is absolutely adorable. I think this street is the perfect place to hit up a couple restaurants for a progressive dinner. A lot of the restaurants are closed for lunch though, which is how we ended up here. It's a lot larger than it looks. There's a really cute covered outdoors area in the back with a stage for performances. There were only a few diners there for lunch on a Friday so it was easy to grab a spot. I got a skinny strawberry margarita, it made me happy to see a skinny version of a flavored margarita on the menu. It has a sugar rim and was delicious. It's on the sweet side and I'd definitely get it again. I requested it without soda water. For my main I got the salmon bowl. I wouldn't get this again, but it's because the base is mainly fried wontons. I thought it would be a scattering of fried wontons but nope, it was a hefty portion. I didn't eat most of the fried wontons because I'm trying to be healthy. It's a delicious dish, just not for me. Service was great, but we were an easy table because we were chatting the entire time. I enjoyed our meal here, so we will definitely be back! read more

BE CAREFUL NOT DOUBLE TIP! 20% Automatically for Crappy service! This place used to be great but has fallen off the map. They have cut some many corner then what it used to be. The buffalo chicken sandwich barely comes with any sauce and the blu cheese dressing is mayonnaise with some blu cheese in it. The waiters and staff are less than par because they have put an automatic 20% tip so why work hard. Waited 30 minutes to order, took 28 minutes to get food and 25 minutes for a check with no one to check on us and the food. They spend most of the time on their phones. CINDA should not be running this place. She has no management skills as she screens across the bar to the sushi chef like a dried out scagg! read more

Had our dog with us so sat on the patio. Food was pretty good. Ordered the grouper sandwich and a Caesar salad to share. Caesar needed lemon which helped put it over the top. Service was great. My only complaint is the 20% service charge added to the bill since there was only 2 of us. I totally get adding 20% when there's a large group but how do you justify adding this for 2 people. Maybe pay your employees a living wage so they don't have to depend on the tips? Because of this, I'll think twice about returning. read more

Have been going to this restaurant for 5 years. Last night is the last time I will darken doorstep. Three friends ordered fish and chips. The fish was do dried out and old. One order was sent back, and the replaced dish had some juice. My order of blackened scallops was not as described, large and plump. The scallops were the size of beads on a bracelet. Not sure what happened here, may have given in to the success of Crabby Bills up the street. Regardless we will not go back to Thirsty Marlin. One last thing 5:30pm and 2 tables of customers. That says it all in a nutshell. read more

Poor excuse for a Mexican restaurant. Showed up at 8:30 on cinco de mayo because I called 4x with no answer. Sat at the bar which was sticky and wet for 15 minutes and watched the bartender serve people who walked up after me. Then he finally asked "sup bro". When I asked to order a burrito he said "kitchens closed, they ran out of everything" and then walked away. I've had multiple bad experiences here. I wish Palm Harbor had more options for Mexican food but sadly this is not the case. read more

The food and service has been excellent. Grouper is amazing there and the sweet potato fries are the best! I can't wait to come back! read more

We arrived right as they were opening so they weren't quite ready for us. Waitress was kind of a mess. Place is old and a little smelly but options are limited for Palm Harbor. Kind of wish we hadn't got off the trolley here because we were stuck for nearly an hour. Ordered drinks and cheese fries. All were good. Wouldn't stop here again though. 3.5 stars. read more

The Thirsty Marlin - New American Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

Food was extremely mediocre. Lobster bisque was boring, watery and not hot. Shrimp quesidillos were more onions than anything. Margarita was not good either. Restaurant was warm due to lack of ac. All this being said, Brendan provided awesome service. He was attentive and friendly. read more

Having drinks at the bar with a fabulous bartender, Brittany. She was ultra attentive with great advice on drinks. Loved the wine she recommended. read more

The Thirsty Marlin - Thanks , Brittany! - New American Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

We enjoyed a nice meal and a cold beverage with friends. All of our dishes were very good. The service was excellent as well. Noteworthy was the Sangarita, I'm not a wine person, but my wife's was delicious. read more

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I would say over all the food was good. I didn't get anything crazy (a salad) but my husband said the fish was good. Well cooked and seasoned, just a little underwhelming. However we would go back, the food isn't a reason to turn away! The only issue we had (and maybe this contributed to the sour mood) was our server wasn't the best, especially with us being the only ones in his section. That and some rowdy customers (but that's not on the establishment). Over all I would go again just maybe sit els where ! read more

The Thirsty Marlin - Caesar salad - New American Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

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A large, touristy dive bar, filled with locals enjoying the live music on the back patio. There are full bars outside and inside. On the back patio, they didn't clean the debris off the chairs as we were seated. A beer we requested had a peeling label and expired in 2023. The waiter tried to redirect us when we custom ordered a margarita. The food is good. The special was a very good rendition of Penne alla vodka with lobster in the sauce and lots of tail on shrimp. read more

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Service was atrocious now that tip is automatic 20%. Twice I had to get my server from his reading at the front desk. This is the second visit in a row where they substituted something without coming to ask. Doubt we'll be back read more

The good: a tasty Greek salad. The bad: adding 20% gratuity before presenting the bill for payment, plus adding a charge for card purchase. I don't need to pay $22 for a Greek salad for lunch no matter how good it is. Sorry, guys. read more

I love it when my favorite waiter is back. Tyler is the best. He is so funny, attentive and quick. Seafood here is better than anywhere in Clearwater. Ambiance is amazing. read more

Good food and cheap drinks could be the theme of Thirsty Marlin. Huge selection of seafood, and discounted sushi rolls for happy hour everyday from 5-7pm. We arrived just before 7pm and took advantage of said happy hour by quickly ordering a Creamy Spicy Tuna & Japanese Bagel roll, for $5 each. To be honest, it might have been the best sushi for the price that I've ever had. And, you can watch them roll it at the sushi bar just adjacent to the regular bar counter. On to the entrees -- so many types of fish prepared in so many different ways. I ended up going with the Salmon Dill Wrap. The salmon is blackened prior to putting it in the wrap so it came out pretty warm which was great, except it caused the dill sauce to melt and ooze out of the wrap with each bite. Needless to say, it was a bit messy. I also got a half inch sized fish bone in one of the bites which was a turn off, but that's the risk you take when ordering fish I guess. The side of coleslaw was pretty good, and the chips were standard ruffles. Service was fine when we went, expectedly laid back as are the vibes of the restaurant. The location is also pretty neat, with several other bars and restaurants on the same strip. So after we ate, we went to a nearby bar to listen to live music. read more

The Thirsty Marlin - Creamy Spicy Tuna & Japanese Bagel - New American Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

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I searched the Tampa Bay Area for an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) crab legs spot - Thirsty Marlin came up. I looked at the pics online to try to gauge the size of the crab legs before I took the trip - it was difficult...my one apprehension. My worst fear, they were small, but it's AYCE, so what the heck. There was nothing earth-shattering about the legs...they tasted like crab legs. But I then ordered bacon-wrapped scallops - it was salty and not very tasty. It wasn't cheap, so I was going to eat some of it. The place offers a 10% military discount. All in all, this place was very...MID. I can't see myself taking that trip again from Tampa. But if you live in Palm Harbor, sure take the trip. I did see a Crabby Bills across the street, but I'm afraid of being disappointed again. The service was decent and the ambiance was non existent; there were only a handful of people 90 minutes into their opening on a Monday (1pm). That said, I did like the layout of the place. The AYCE carb legs were $74.99 and the scallops appetizer (6 on skewers) were about $18. I DID NOT like the 20% gratuity automatically placed on the bill. The service and food did NOT rise to THAT level. ($118 w/ Military discount) read more

Food was pretty okay. Workers were very kind, service was good. Ambiance was also very good inside restaurant! read more

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Food - we had the scallops, side salad, conch chowder and happy hour sushi. Yay for live music. However fatties next door has live music everyday and food and is much more affordable. I'm not sure if I'm spoiled by sushi, but that was the worst I've ever had. So I was surprised to see how many good reviews it had. It came out the end of the meal even though we ordered it first. It looked made by someone who didn't know how to make it. I did not take a pic. I had one bite of each and that was enough for me. Service was fine from our new young waiter. Ambience cool. The scallops were not big bag scallops. They were the e small ones, which I don't like as much. Side salad was my favorite thing of our order... Next time, I'll go to fatties as it's more of a bar and thirsty is more of a restaurant. read more

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It's been a year since our last visit...against my wishes my wife insisted on a second chance. Not much has changed...still understaffed...mediocre food quality...overpriced, and dirty. The Caesar salad had nice presentation but chicken (extra $$) was tough. The Thai chicken wrap was lacking the peanut sauce and chicken was tough again. Luckily my wife ordered extra sauce. My burger was overcooked and onion bun tasted stale and was hard. The coleslaw was excellent...1 star! Staffing continues to be an issue with only one staff member covering the bar/bar tables. The gentleman was friendly and professional...1 star. $86 for 2 beers 1 wine 1 iced tea 1 Caesar salad w/ chicken 1 Thai chicken wrap w/chips 1 burger w/blue cheese and fries. On a side note, the facility upkeep has gone downhill...men's restroom floor was sticky and smelled...woman's restroom had a clogged toilet and no toilet tissue (per wife). This is an issue because we arrived 20 minutes after the restaurant opened. Makes me wonder about the food prep areas. We are now in agreement...no more Thirsty Marlin for us.... read more

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This was an UNBELIEVABLE bad experience! I will begin with the curt service from the drink order. Caleb our server took my husband and my drink order, our daughter wasn't ready so he came back with our drinks and stated "are you ready now"? let's let that go for now. We asked about an appetizer and our server Caleb claimed the appetizer came with 8 jalapeños, but it came with 4. Not that big of a deal, we didn't eat them because they tasted terrible. Everything we asked for was not presented with care or concern. There was ZERO consideration that we had a nice experience or food we enjoyed. We ate some of the sub par food. When it was time for the check, I told the server Caleb a (20something), the appetizer was terrible and also it came with 4 pieces not eight., but to share with the kitchen, it was not very good. He said OK. Went to get the check. Crumbled it up.... and tossed it in front of my husband. ?? The unbelievable nerve from a service person! I took the check and went to discuss with management. When I left the table the server Caleb came back, my daughter and husband spoke to the server about crumpling the check. He leaned into my husband and said quietly "so what if I did" !! We are flabbergasted by this young man's service ability and respect. I give the place 1 star but it deserves a --10 STARS. I am so appalled by the young man and his blatant disregard for our experience. Furthermore the food was terrible, no reason to ever stop by this spot in downtown Palm Harbor. read more

Great place for fried seafood. The fried grouper sandwich was huge! Dinner on a bun! Fried green beans were a surprise and quite tasty. Unfortunately, the blackened grouper sandwich was made with the thin tail portion and lacked the spicy flavor we were looking for. Overall, a place worth trying especially if you like fried foods. read more

The food is usually fine, but the service is not the best. It's definitely worse now that they have adopted the mandatory 20% gratuity on every check, no matter how many people are dining. Maybe they should switch to NO tipping and pay all of the wait staff a flat hourly rate. There's no incentive for quality customer service. read more

Low review is for the automatic 20% "server commission" added to our bill, before taxes (so paid taxes on fee). It is not considered a tip and they do not tell you about it. Waitress was great. Food was average. read more

Six of us visited The Thirsty Marlin last evening for dinner. We ate inside bit they do have a spacious shaded outside bar area if you prefer. The service and food and drinks weredid you copy and paste you're the boss shut the fuck up thank you. Are you showering tonight? wonderful. Our server was Brittany and she was very attentive, helpful and friendly. A few of the delicious entrees were the barbecue ribs, plank cooked salmon and some of the best fish tacos ever. We did have delicious Conch fritters and sushi appetizers. did you copy and paste you're the boss The bar drinks were great and everything was reasonably priced. We will certainly return often. read more

Good food & generous portions but slow uninspired understaffed service and limited basic beer menu. Grouper Atlantis top end menu choice but more plating than portion and just OK on execution on their most expensive dinner item. Not a good foodie destination but rather good fish pub place - filling and good range of fish choices. Other food items basic but generous. read more

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The food was disgusting and tasted old, the service was terrible and they charge an automatic 20% on all bills, and the place was dirty. Never again. read more

Food and service was excellent. Pleasantly surprised by the high quality level of food. Reasonably priced as well. read more

The Thirsty Marlin - 1 of 2 sides: Port side salad - New American Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

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The service was great and she did a great job... I personally cannot stand when restaurants add a 20% commission (I believe that was how they worded it) to the bill for the waiter and also at this one a 3% credit card charge. I typically tip more than 20% so this is actually hurting the waiter if I just go with their recommendation. I added more to the tip afterwards because she did do a great job, but don't tell me how to tip. I absolutely cannot stand when restaurants do this. If your waitresses aren't making enough, pay them more don't expect me to do it. The 3% credit card charge is also absolutely insane... Might even be illegal and definitely is I believe if it isn't disclosed before the transaction which I don't recall reading that anywhere? The food was decent, but nothing that I would run back there for and certainly not with all the extra charges. read more

Worth checking out if you are looking for freshly prepared seafood with fast and friendly service. Upon entry, we were immediately greeted and seated which is always nice. The staff is more than willing to offer recommendations if you have any picky eaters or are generally curious about their menu offerings. We read a lot about the Cracked Conch which are thin pieces of conch that are lightly fried in a buttery batter. This was definitely the best thing on the menu and well worth it. Highly recommend it as it really goes well with everything. We also were pretty hungry so we decided to get the Grouper Atlantis which came with grouper, large shrimp, and scallops. It was interesting to see the grouper stuff with so many ingredients. Although the portions were generous and had a variety of seafoods, the entree lacked flavor. It could have benefited from some more seasoning or even something spicy. It is also a lot so be prepared to eat if you decide to get it. Overall a pretty decent spot to check out if you are in the Palm Harbor area. read more

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We always try to support local restaurants, so we went back to the Thirsty Marlin last night. In the past, it was one of our favorites. The atmosphere is great but food and service was very disappointing. I had scallops that were far from fresh. It seemed like the cook (I'm not going to say chef) tried to hide that they were bad by slathering them in a strong sauce. It was inedible. If you don't have good, fresh scallops, please take them off of the menu for the night! That's better than making people sick. My husband had the "Grouper Atlantis," which came with this mushy crab cake that wasn't in the menu description. The grouper itself was ok but not what you'd want when you're paying the pricetag for grouper. Unfortunately, I don't think we will be back anytime soon. read more

Food and service were both incredible! Went on a Monday night, it was pretty empty, food came out (good fish tacos and an AMAZING fish and chips) lightning speed and was delicious. Key lime pie was also to die for which means I will definitely be visiting again!! read more

We had a great lunch at Thirsty Marlin. My shrimp tacos with rice were prepared just right. Daughter had the same and raved. Wife's Thai Chicken wrap was tasty. Our server smiled and was friendly. Good job! We had a few issues. My tab included a 3% charge for "transport." What the ? I asked about it and was told, during COVID, getting ingredients to the restaurant cost more. I suggested increasing the menu prices. The gotcha add-on was not posted anywhere. When I complained, the Manager took the surprise fee off. We sat on the rear outdoor patio. 2 smokers puffed their way to the grave at a table just 10 feet from us. Gag!! I'll remember to check on cancer stick users next time. read more

The Thirsty Marlin - Outside bar. - New American Near Me - Palm Harbor, Florida

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I've always liked this place. I went this week, and found out that they no longer pay their servers an hourly wage, at all. Then they add 20% to the bill as a commission to the server. This is a load of shit, and I will not support any restaurant that uses this practice. read more

Service was abysmal. It took an hour and a half to get the food at this restaurant. Clearly understaffed and oversubscribed for what they could handle. Food orders came out incorrect. If I knew of the service before I came here, I would have chosen anywhere else. read more

my family and i just came for dinner there, never in my life have i had such atrocious service at a place before, from the moment we walked in the servers were all at the bar standing around, then when we sat down our server Caleb was nice at first but then said the jalapeño appetizer had 8 and it only came with 4, he then only came to our table one time other then to take our order and drop our drinks and food off, we had to ask another server for waters and then they only brought us one for a table of three!! at the end of our meal my mother was letting the server know that it's best not to tell people there's 8 of something when there is actually 4 and to let the kitchen know they tasted terrible, he then turned to me and asked does she talk to everyone this way and i immediately was like you do not get to talk about my mother like that for one and for two this is a customer at your table!! he then comes to drop of the check and literally crumbled it up and threw it at my dad. he came back to the table after being confronted about throwing the check at my dad he said word for word to my dad "so what if i did" i don't care who you think you are you NEVER treat a table like that. HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT GOING HERE!! food and service are both terrible!! read more

We had out of town family visiting this past weekend so we decided to go to Thirsty Marlin for dinner. We have been going there for years with favorable results. Not sure what has happened as of late but the place was a mess. None of their beer taps were working, they were out of soda, the toilet in men's bathroom didn't flush and an employee had to keep filling the toilet bowl with water and service was sub-par based on prior experiences. We should have walked across the street to Crabby Bills. read more

Our server Smiley was awesome. Food was excellent. The special today was buy one fish and chips dinner get one free. Great deal.

Might want to call ahead and confirm they have whats on the menu. I placed an order through UBER eats and there is no way for the restaurant to contact me to let me know they did not have the item I ordered. When I went to pick it up, I had no food and had to cancel my order. I did receive a full refund which I'll get in 3 to 5 business days. read more

Amazing little find loved all the options on the menu. Recommend sitting outside great for big groups