Blue Marlin

Visited Blue Marlin in Columbia for a late drink and some appetizers—nothing heavy, just wanted to check the place out. We requested an outdoor table, and with a graduation event going on in the city, it took about 10–15 minutes to get seated. While we waited, I grabbed a local IPA at the bar. It was a busy Friday night, and the atmosphere was lively both inside and out. We ordered a couple of appetizers. I always try the Fried Calamari wherever I go, and Blue Marlin's “Pecan Dusted Calamari” was a pleasant surprise—crispy with a unique crunch. We also had the Ahi Tuna starter, which was absolutely delicious, and a fresh salad to go with it. Overall, a great experience. We’ll definitely be back to try more. Highly recommended!

Our waiter’s recommendations were spot on. The salmon was perfectly cooked, the steak was flavorful, and the scallops were incredibly tender. Every dish was delicious, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting.

Great service, large portions of tasty food at a terrific price. Pecan dusted Calamari, Fried Green Tomatoes, Shrimp n Grits, Creole Shrimp, Firecracker Flounder x 2. Our party of four visited late lunchtime, it was crowded but we had made reservations ahead of time and were seated immediately. Looking forward to a return visit for the salt and pepper catfish.

Service was top-notch, the ambiance was inviting, the drinks were A-1, and the food was divine. I can promise you the next time I'm in Columbia, I will revisit. Highly recommend 10/10.

Nice seafood restaurant with plenty to choose from. Those are not biscuits in this pic they are grits and are delicious. We had great server. Definitely recommend reservations, not required but you will have a wait on Friday or Saturday.

Was an awesome experience. The staff was very friendly and the service was amazing. Our server Hillary went above and beyond to ensure we have a great experience. Their portions are very generous and the prices are very reasonable. We'd ordered multiple items, however I loved their She Crab Soup and the starter variety with southern pimento cheese. Update: Visited again at this place and the same amazing experience. Will definitely recommend and visit again.

I went to this restaurant with my wife to celebrate. I can honestly say the service, the food, and the atmosphere was great!! My wife and I ordered 4 appetizers, 3 meals, and a dessert. I can honestly say that we never had to worry about sitting with tons of plates as our server, Dononvan, made sure it would come spread out to allow us time to try everything and wrap it up to go before the next set of plates came. All 8 plates were seasoned and cooked to prefection!!

Went to this establishment for dinner tonight. For the appetizer, I had the firecracker shrimp which was every bit of fire, but extremely delicious! For the entrée I had the Seafood platter which was very flavorful. The crab cake was very good! The service was very professional!

From start to finish...an amazing place!!!! We were greeted in such a friendly manner...had the specials all explained by our server and the food came out perfectly seasoned and hot!!!! Couldn't be happier with the Blue Marlin!!!!

We had a lovely meal at Blue Marlin. The food was very good and delivered hot. The wedge salad was fantastic. The ranch dressing was absolutely delicious. The other dishes were very good. Only mediocre note was the green beans - they seemed to lack real flavor and were a touch undercooked. We'd be happy to enjoy another dinner here some time in the future!

Stopped by the Blue Marlin for lunch while in Columbia on personal business. Decided to make this stop at the suggestion of my bank representative. I am extremely glad we made this our lunch stop before heading home! The staff are absolutely amazing! Very friendly and accommodating! The owner greeted us at the door and also stopped by our table several different times to hold conversation. I am pleased to say that this has been the absolutely best lunch experience we have had in a long time. The people here are so warm and welcoming. We ordered a couple of different apps. First was the crab cake. It's presentation was A+. Well made and tasted great. Our other app was the crab and spinach fondue skillet. Wow! This dip was overloaded with crab meat, cheese and spinach! To be honest, my wife and I got fairly full off of the appetizers, but we forced ourselves to save a small amount of room for our entrees. For entrees, I had the firecracker flounder and my wife had the Blue Marlin Chicken Pasta. Both of us absolutely loved our entrees and could not be happier with our entire experience. And the icing on the cake is the prices. The vast majority of the prices were unbelievably affordable. You definitely get more than what you pay for here! Our servers name was Justin and he was 100% amazing! We will have no problem making the 1.5 hour trip to come back here for dinner one night.

Shrimp and grits are excellent. Salmon salad was absolutely delicious! The manager also stopped at tables, thanking p ppl for coming in. Great service, great food, nice vibe for date night or out with friends. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Excellent food! My two colleagues and I were all thrilled with our dishes. One got the Salmon stuffed with feta (new special), another the fish with grits, and I had the scallop pasta (very, very good). Nice staff and great outdoor seating for warm evenings. Indoor seating seemed fine but a bit too fishy smelling even for this fish loving crowd (probably just need to charge an air filter).

I have eaten twice at Blue Marlin in the past two weeks, and it was so amazing. Think I have found my new favorite restaurant in Columbia when I visit. My last server was amazing. Luke was very professional and personal and connected instantly.

MaryMichael was my server and she was excellent. Very friendly, cute dimples when I accidentally made her smile, her suggestions for dessert was great. I had the salmon pontchartrain and it was so good. Will recommend to friends.

Food was great. There are plenty of options to choose from. There was a Louisiana vibe to the menu with Orleans and Pontchartrain style dishes available. I had the Mahi Orleans blackened and it was delicious. I highly recommend this place. You owe it to yourself to give it a try.

Had recently left New Orleans.. So I had high expectations.. An let me tell you this place was great and didn't fall short at all! Salmon seared to perfection and tender topped with a crab sauce greens and red rice was on point! My fiance enjoyed her entree and said her drink 🍸 was top tier! Will definitely be coming back!

Well….(exhale) Blue Marlin is my favorite go to when in Columbia. I was there at about 2pm for a late lunch. There were probably 10 tables/ booths with guests which left ample tables/ booths available. They were going to seat us at a table and I prefer a booth. The change was made without hesitation. After being seated for 15 minutes I asked a passing staff if they knew who was assigned to my table. He said he would check. 10 more minutes pass and I motioned a waitress that was standing by the kitchen chatting. I made her aware that we had not been acknowledged. She apologized and took over service for our table. I was perplexed. I have always had exceptional, attentive service until today. My reasoning for a 4 star rating is past experience has been exceptional. I recommend Blue Marlin often. I will try again in hopes of Blue Marlin recovering the fumble.

We celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary with dinner at the Blue Marlin. The staff and waitress were super sweet and courteous and took very good care of us. We ordered dessert and they took the charges charges for that off our bill because of our special anniversary. We did have a great time. However, the food itself was a little disappointing. Our crab cake appetizer was barely warm at all. My shrimp and grits was extremely salty (dangerous for heart patients! Caused me palpitations throughout the night!) Also, for me, there should have been a few peppers, onions - some kind of veggies in there, or a side vegetable served with it. No veggies at all in my dinner. On the plus side my husband's steak was cooked perfectly, and the Key Lime Pie was great!

It was a nice lunch for our large group. We had a big round table that could hold 8-10. The menu was pretty big, but we all ended up having different renditions of 3 dishes (shrimp and grits/crab cake/pasta) The service was a little slow especially since the restaurant wasn’t full. The drinks were good and the food was served in generous portions.

Blue Marlin exceeded expectations with its great ambiance and delicious offerings. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was inviting and set the tone for a wonderful dining experience. Our waitress was incredibly attentive, offering recommendations from the popular menu items. The salads, in particular, were not only fresh but also presented with an artistic touch that added to the overall dining pleasure. The true star of the evening was the mushroom ravioli. Each bite was a burst of flavor, showcasing the culinary excellence of Blue Marlin. The menu's diverse options and the chef's expertise truly make this restaurant stand out. Whether you're looking for a casual meal or a special occasion, Blue Marlin delivers on both ambiance and taste. I highly recommend trying the mushroom ravioli – it's a culinary masterpiece. Looking forward to returning for another delightful dining experience. #TeSheraEats

Cool atmosphere, good service and a great location. the shrimp and grits was excellent with plenty of shrimp. Crab cakes and she crab soup was just ok. Nice stop for cozy seafood downtown Columbia with a well stocked bar

Good food, great service and great atmosphere. Tried the: Salmon Pontchartrain 8/10 She crab soup 7/10 Cesar salad 7/10 The food was good, but not I didn't feel anything was amazing. The service and atmosphere were top notch though.

Food was good, however my wife ordered seared scallops which very too salty, but were redone without a problem, they were cooked well. She crab soup was very good. Flounder and salad were good. Bread was a hard roll reminding me of a German bakery. No charge for coffee or soft drink. Service good and friendly

Ordered two salads to go from Blue Marlin—the BBQ salmon and alfresco salmon. Portions were good for the price, and the food was fresh and satisfying. Only downside was the tight parking—we had to double park to pick up the order. (Salmon was packed separately from the salad which was greatly appreciated keeping the salad crisp)

We had a wedding rehearsal dinner at their Vista Room. Service was excellent; the staff did a wonderful job & everyone had a great time! The room was very nice, well decorated, & clean. The food was well prepared. I had the chicken, and while it tasted very good, it was on the dry side. I heard no complaints on the salmon or the lamb... Overall, an exceptionally good experience & I highly recommend it.

It helps to love blackened seafood if you come here because that is the default style for most dishes. If you ask for a different method, they will accommodate you. I asked for grilled tuna instead of blackened, and what they served was pan-seared, which I did not mind. It was not top quality fresh tuna, just OK, but after all this is an inland city. On the plus side, they serve collards the way most restaurants serve bread, free and plentiful, and it is incredible. Other dishes I've had here in the past are shrimp and grits, scallops, and Mahi, and all were good. There's a very well stocked bar, and the music, decor and the vibe are perfect. Cool historic location in the old train station in Columbia's fun Vista district.

I went for the first time with a small group. My daughter got a kids hamburger and fries.she ate half before she realized her hamburger was raw in the middle. Straight red when they do that for kids burgers? It made her sick and she was in the bathroom for awhile and I had to check on her bc her stomach was messed up. I asked for an order of hush puppies but you couldnt buy a side you had to buy the restaurant special. That’s crazy that this is a seafood restaurant and you can’t order hush puppies or a few aren’t giving with your order. Especially with everything so expensive. I asked if I could substitute the red rice and was told yes so I ordered something else not knowing there was a up charge for that. You should clearly tell folks that bc it didn’t state that on the menu. I order the salmon charleston. It was suppose to have a cream shrimp sauce. There was barely any sauce on my salmon and only one yes ONE little baby shrimp in it. The Caesar salad was not fresh and very dry. That’s crazy to me. The salmon was moist mashed potatoes were good. The best part was the bread . lol will I go back no. The only time I will if a group of friends want to go.

I had high hopes for this restaurant, but everything was just average. The ambiance was nice, but nothing stood out. The food was okay—not bad, but not memorable either. Service was fine, but lacked warmth or enthusiasm. It’s not a bad spot, but it didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Thank you Alexis M for Wonderful customer service!!! The only things I would change: is the lighting at certain times~ if it's still daylight there should be a little more lighting on the inside, I seen one customer using cell phone light to view menu; I tried getting Watermelon mocktail ordered spicy cause I seen another drink on menu mentioning with jalapeños for spicy, well what I received looked good but it taste like pickle juice with watermelon instead of spicy watermelon...Lexi tried for bartender to correct and wasn't informed until after 2nd fail attempt that for spicy comes with alcohol and only have pickled jalapeños to make non-alcoholic attempt for spicy fruity beverage; the other thing I like my crust to stay on my fish when fried- I had the Blue Marlin seafood platter and my flounder was flaking everywhere so some bites was just crust; Lastly a bit disappointed at the mash potatoes tasting instant, no flavor. Otherwise, enjoyed the crab cake, shrimp, mix vegetable medley, and the creme brulee cheesecake 😋 👌🏾 😀

After hearing so much about Blue Marlin, we were excited to finally give it a try. We arrived around 8 p.m. on a Tuesday, and the place was nearly full—always a good sign. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm dipped a bit after that. We started with the calamari appetizer. While the sauce was flavorful, the calamari itself was overly crispy with very little actual meat. I wouldn’t recommend it, especially with other more promising options on the menu. For our main course, two people in our group ordered salads—the wedge and the Caesar. Both were just okay—nothing special, not terrible, but not memorable either. I had the pan-seared scallops, substituting the sweet mash for regular mashed potatoes. This dish was the highlight of the night. The scallops were fresh, cooked perfectly, and complemented by a light, well-balanced sauce. The Brussels sprouts, though slightly overcooked, still had a nice flavor. I’d highly recommend this entrée. For dessert, one of us tried the key lime pie and was very disappointed. It was served at room temperature, and the flavor seemed off—possibly a bad batch or something that had been sitting out too long. Definitely a hard pass on that one. Overall, this was an average experience. I might return if I’m craving seafood, but with several better dining options in town, I’d probably explore those first before coming back to Blue Marlin.

Our server was very sweet. Bread is served before meal, ours was not cooked through completely though. We ordered She soup, firecracker flounder and salt and pepper catfish. Our problem was the flounder came out with about 1/4 of grease still sitting in curves. After requesting napkins to soak it which it took many, for just half, it still just tastes like oil. No flavor, very mealy. However, Our sweet server traded it out quickly and made it right. The catfish plates were out hot and tasted okay. The French fries were our favorite thing. Cooked to perfection! The slaw was very bitter. The she crab very fishy or crabby but lacked the rich flavors. Grits and collards both so so, everything just so blah, not seasoned well, or premade items most likely. The sweet tea is good. The place has a good atmosphere. Prices are even fair. About $16/ea with tea. We drove 2 hours to come, so I won't return. Also, the 3 black fingerprints on our soup cup makes me think the line guys aren't keeping their hands clean. Also, all metered parking.

I made a reservation which I highly recommend (if no reservation it was over an hour wait). When you first walk in it was so crowded. The silverware was dirty, my glass had food on it. We ordered a jack and coke and it was a little on the weak side. The ribeye was ok but the filet mignon was delicious. It was so tender. We got the cheesecake and chocolate cake which was ok also. I have been wanting to try this place for a while. The price was not bad but not one of my top choices to go.

Reservations for 5:30. Arrived 5 minutes early, was told they could seeat us but not server. Ok, something I had never heard before. Seated about 10/15 minutes later. The table we were sat at was by the bar which I saw a family of 3 leave prior to us being seated. Server came about 10 minutes later. We ordered drinks. Delivery was a bit of a wait. Ordered appetizers. Our appetizers Pecan Crusted Calamari and a cup of Gumbo were both excellent. Upon delivery of the appetizers we completed our entree orders. Entrees were Crab Cakes and Mahi Orleans. I also requested some bread, which was not what expected, but thought it could of been worse. Entrees came out in a timely manner, bread was delivered after our entrees. We requested another round of cocktails. About 10 minutes into our meal and still waiting for our coctails I found a very dark hair on the edge of my plate. I flagged down the hostess, who promptly had another woman, whom the hostess referred to as a kitchen manager come to our table. She apologized, and asked what wecwanted her to do to make it right. Another comment unfamiliar to me. I spent 15 years in the restaurant business. As a server and assistant manger. Management always offered to take off the meal if that was the problem or offer dessert for the table if it was another issue. Since I didn't find the hair on my food, I asked for our cocktails to be on the house. Well my husband received his within 5 minutes. My wine i never received. We also ordered the Key Lime Pie. Within 10 minutes from delivery of the dessert the server brought our check. Now finally getting upset, I explained to the server all the issues that occurred. Which lastly my husband's drink was Crown and water instead of ginger ale. He promised to have the manager make compensation. It resulted in 1 drink being taken off. My final thought is that this restaurant lacks manager and staff communication when they are busy. Will I give them another chance yes, only because the food is fantastic. Try harder next time.

Blue Marlin offers a charming atmosphere that warmly welcomes guests. While our expectations were high, the culinary experience fell slightly short. The appetizers were satisfactory but didn't leave a lasting impression. The calamari lacked the distinctiveness we had hoped for, tasting similar to other restaurants. The crab cake, though visually appealing, disappointed with a warm exterior and cold center. Moving on to the shrimp and grits, the dish failed to impress with gritty, chunky, and dry grits and small, frozen-tasting shrimp. The scallops on the pasta dish lacked flavor, and the swordfish and potatoes were bland, with undercooked potatoes. On a positive note, the service was exceptional, with attentive staff providing a memorable dining experience. While Blue Marlin's ambiance was enchanting, further refinements to the menu are needed to match the overall experience.

I've been twice and had the same experience both times. I ordered crab cakes and bisque each visit. The first visit, there was no crab in the crab cake. I went back a couple of months later because I know it's a popular place, and I thought maybe it was just a bad bad night the first time. I had virtually the same food experience. The service and atmosphere are great, but don't get the crab cakes.

I’m currently visiting here on 11/2 while in town for work. The drink was nice. The crab cake wasn’t lump crab but it was good. The gumbo was good. And my entree that I ordered of the “specialty catch” never arrived after waiting an hour hence my last photo of my “dinner” aka an empty table. Maybe they had to fly to Australia to catch the Australian sea bass 🤷🏾‍♀️ who knows 🤷🏾‍♀️ I wanted to love it but I’m leaving disappointed. Edit: I expressed my disappointment to the manager Julie and she rectified the situation.

Server rudely threw the carry out utensils past 2 other patrons across the table at a patron instead of having it passed over. Server did not want to process our gift cards properly and the manager had to summoned. Waitresd ruined what could have been an overall great dining experience. However, The food was excellent. Don't skip the key lime pie, it was the best ever!

Nothing special.. I’ve been here before about 10 years ago. For $66 dollars, we could’ve eaten at Longhorns for cheaper and better food. We shared a steak. 12oz??? The Renegade from LH is butter than that. A spoon full of mashed potatoes and spinach was drenched in oil. The Caesar salad was good, then the second one was like old lettuce. So one steak meal, water, 2 salads and crab cake $66. In glad we didn’t get drinks and a second entree’. Mediocre at best. For some I guess it’s ok.. the fried Flounder that came out looked good btw

Had a reservation for 5:30. Seated outside very quickly. It’s 6:59 and the main course has not arrived. Waitress keeps saying it’s on its way. Asked to speak to the manager. Joann came to apologize at 7:03. She was very pleasant. The show at the colonial life arena starts at 8:00. I hope the food is fantastic. Waitress Lauren was apologetic. I ordered a Cobb Salad with medium grilled salmon. The salad came with all the ingredients already mixed up and the salmon was dry! I asked for unsweetened iced tea. When I got a refill Lauren forgot I was having unsweetened tea and poured sweetened tea into my glass. It took forever to get my check. I will never go back.