We're a couple of Dive Bar aficionados. Thus, in advance of our few day visit Avalon, we researched the Best Dive Bars in Avalon. I was truly excited to visit the legendary Marlin Club. I'd read glowing reports. I'll confess we arrived before noon on a weekday, but my experience there's a degree of hospitality and camaraderie that pervades a good Dive no matter the time of day. Certainly our fellow patrons were engaging, whereas the bartender was nowhere to be found. We waited. Certainly our fellow patrons were getting beverages from somewhere. We waited some more. It was getting uncomfortable. Finally. Finally! (I was about to walk a person wearing a cowboy hat emerged from the back. No greeting. Just a very cold "What can I get you?" Someone was having a day and. not a good one. After this drink, we departed. However, on the plus side, I will say the fabulously artful UNDER THE SEA wall decor was worth the visit. read more

Weird, weird vibes. A local dive bar that doesn't seem to be the go-to place for locals, just misbehaved tourists. Prices are normal and there's a reasonable amount of seating, but the crowd the is just strange. read more

This place is so cool! We visited while we were here on a cruise. The staff was friendly, the vibes were great, and my cousin said the drinks were on point. They have a jukebox you can play music on, a pool table and a decent amount of seats. We left to explore more and then came back and it got really crowded, my guess is that it is one of the more popular bars here on the island. This place will definitely be one of our stops if we ever come again. read more

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This is such a town must try spot!! This type is located in the middle of Avalon, where everyone goes to shop and eat. They are the only place that is poppin off on the weekdays at night!! we talked to a lot of regular cycle there and we even saw noodles the dog :) Very happy that they have such great vibes and everyone talks to each other other!!! If you're ever in Avalon, this is a spot ;) P.s. The drinks are super affordable here. read more

Marlin Club - Bar seating - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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Great little place. Excellent service. It's a Avalon Catalina staple. I think it's been there since the 40s. was there about 20 years ago. Always a fun place was there this past month March on a royal Caribbean cruise and stopped and met a really cool guy named Paul on March 5, 2026 from Arizona. Never got his info and I wanted to share the photos. Paul, if you see this. hit me up on Facebook Billy Mac Las Vegas. read more

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Great bar to stay for a visit if you wants nice, bold drinks. Decor is the style of the 40's that will appeal to fans of everything retro. The actual bar was build by Merchant Marines in WW2 and it is still on fantastic shape. Take time to see this bar! read more

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Sam our bartender was great and as always the tunes were blaSTING GOOD OLD CLASSIC ROCK! A must stop in Catalina! read more

I love dive bars and always looks for them when I travel. Bartenders at dive bars are usually pretty sassy, and I love that. The bartender Erin, was drowning with the POS going down and her being the only one making drinks. It's was a busy day and people weee getting impatient. Erin was viably upset and more than sassy. She vocalized many times that people needed to be patient and gave one kid a lesson on being polite because he didn't say please when he ordered. Management should provide more support during busier times and provide other POS options as theirs was not working and sounds like it hasn't worked right in a long time. Although Erin was sharp and frustrated, I can see why it would be frustrating. We enjoyed our experience, but felt bad for those who were the target of her anger. read more

FIVE STARS! What's not to like about this fabulous bar! Great location. Great ambiance. Great bar service. Great cocktails. And sharing it all with great friends. Even met new friends during our visit. Painkillers hit the spot! And our bartender on Halloween afternoon was AMAZING!! I only wish I could recall her name to give her proper credit. Cheers until next time! read more

We had a good time at the Marlin Club! Friendly bartender and friendly people. A nice dive bar with good drinks at a reasonable price for a tourist town. Bonus points for the deer chilling outside. Sums up a good day in Avalon read more

This is a must-hit if Catalina is a port when taking the cheapo Carnival Cruises to Baja! Killer ambience! Have to see it to believe it. A universe unto itself. We had one Zombie poured by the very friendly lovely lady bartender and we were rocking. Had a second one and by the time we made it to Luau Larry's we were ready to get blotto! Barely made it on our Buffalo and Airport in the Sky Tour. Highly recommend! read more

Stopped in while hopping off the carnival cruise and had to take my brother to the Marlin club for a Catalina specialty! The Buffalo milk! An island specialty named after the free roaming mammal you wouldn't expect on the island. The Marlin club is the go to spot for this local drink in the local establishment quaint space that just screams good vibes and good energy where strangers become friends and everyone shares a laugh and a smile! read more

Marlin Club - Buffalo milk - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

the drinks were super good very friendly and clean I recommend this place if you want to have a good time music box and the scooby snack is out of this world read more

Marlin Club - Nice tv - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

I would not even give this place a one !!!I would not even give this place one review, I tripped over the carpet. The bartender said I was part of a group that it was not even with said she couldn't serve me. The place was disgusting and smelled like urine.the girl In the white was so nasty read more

Marlin Club - Bartender in white - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Great dive bar!!!! I love a great dive bar, and this is near the top of my list! Play pool, have a drink and enjoy Catalina.... Anything better than that? No. read more

They better never mess with the decor of this bar! It's simply the coolest. The actual bar is shaped like a boat with portholes and other details. The underwater murals must go back to the 1950s. The drinks are excellent and pretty cheap considering everything costs more on the island. Our bartender was super nice and she really hustled to serve everyone. It's just a great spot. Don't change a thing!! read more

My wife and I stopped into Marlins Club as part of a bar crawl. When we arrived, there was a good crowd and the place looked lively--people seemed to be having a great time, which was a good sign. Unfortunately, we weren't able to experience much beyond that. We stood at the bar waiting to be helped, but no bartender ever acknowledged us. After waiting for a while, we eventually got tired of standing there and decided to leave. Because of that, I can't speak on the drinks or prices, but our experience with service was disappointing. read more

Affordable, fun dive bar on Catalina Island with pool and a TouchTunes system! It can get crowded here as the place is tiny without a lot of seating. But it seems like it's always a good time, and the service is impeccable! read more

Great dive bar. Lots of locals and noise. Erin was a great bartender. My only regret was she didn't roofie me with a jello shot. :-)

Probably the only dive in Avalon but this is a solid one. This bar is popular among both tourists and locals. The beer selections are bit limited but they make strong cocktails. Lemon drops were made from fresh lemon juice which were very refreshing and yummy. We like to play all of our favorite songs from TouchTunes on the jukebox all night long. Occasionally we play some pool although I am very bad at it. The crowds are usually mixed like some older and some younger. Bartenders and patrons are friendly and chill. This is a great dive for drinks and a low key night. read more

Marlin Club - a beer being poured into a bottle - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

This little gem is one of the best dive bars I've ever been to. The bartender greeted us with a shout out, 'ARE YOU THIRSTY!?' The clientele was also super friendly as well as the owner, Heath. We will be back. read more

Marlin Club - Fun bar! - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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had fun in the beginning because of Savannah the bartender but ERIN the other bartender was horrible she was very drunk on the job being messy with customers. Didn't want to serve us water lol. She also threaten to fight me when i called her out for being very rude. Also locals said she's always like this don't know how the owner hasn't fired her embarrassing!! She also lied she owns the bar when she doesn't Keith does locals told me. read more

100% would return. Great spot. In town from San Diego and love a good dive bar. This place did not disappoint.

Stopped in for a beer, stayed for more than a few, really enjoyed shooting the breeze with bartender Erin. She was professional, efficient, and took just enough time to talk to us and made us feel welcome. After we bounced around town, we returned for a couple more beers. Definitely ended up being our favorite bar in Avalon. read more

Bartender was a young lady. Incredibly inattentive. Made our drinks with her back to us. Wanted to ask a question but she was too busy getting a massage by a customer? Never again. read more

So so good! We were recommended to go here by our hotel front desk. So happy we took their advice. Service and food was awesome. I had a cucumber mojito, my husband had a Bloody Mary. We ordered the artichoke and crab dip and it was delicious. For entrees we had fish and chips and the grilled fish tacos. Everything was cooked great and the ambience was perfect. For a winter night we sat outside under a heater and listened to the waves crash with wonderful food and it was perfect. Great getaway and will definitely be back. So fun. Our server was awesome and attentive but did not hover. Perfect night! read more

Popped in here for drinks while on Catalina. Great vibe, fun divey bar but clean and the bartenders were great. Be mindful they pour pretty heavy but that's all part of the fun! read more

On a family vacation a needed a quick break. Stopped in at the Marlin Club for a couple of beverages. Classic dive bar. Good music going and a positive energy. Savannah and Erin tending bar and were a good yin and yang. Savannah super nice and sweet, Erin all business and getting the job done. No food had, but the drinks were solid. Good pours while remaining balanced. read more

A must DO in Avalon. Great drinks, friendly staff & ARTIS the best bartender ever. Stayed there with My son & friends for 13 hours, Yes 13 hours,lol Recommend, see ARTIS A+ read more

Marlin Club - The Blue Marlin - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

If you're looking for a local dive bar, this is it. Dated decor, extremely poor and rude service, and a local crowd. The only difference with this dive bar is that the drinks are extremely expensive and the can still be nice ... after all, it is the hospitality business! read more

OMG, my most favorite dive bar ever, this is a must stop every time we visit Avalon, the first place we go is the Marlin bar when we get off the boat. Cheap, and strong drinks, fun atmosphere, pool table and music. What more could you ask for? read more

We stopped in and Erin the bartender was amazing. My wife and I were on the Carnival Firenze ship and we docked in Catalina. Drinks were fantastic we definitely will be back read more

Dive bar goodness. Shoot some pool grab a beer and relax. Located in the hub of shops and restaurants. Friendly locals. Super chill on a Monday. read more

Marlin Club - Dive Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Says it's the oldest bar on the island-of course I had to visit it! Great little dive bar. Friendly people and one waitress working very hard behind the bar. Interestingly decor-charming old school vibe. Good Jack n Coke and rum and Coke. read more

Stay away from the Jello Shots, Wife was roofied from the Jello Shot. The bar itself was OK but the Jello Shots are not normal. Stay Away.

A staple every time you visit Catalina. Such good Friday energy. Everyone in an island mood every time.

Fun times at this bar. They have TouchTunes jukebox available as well to keep the party alive. Decent prices for the drinks. Yummy jello shots. read more

A small tourist bar that is worth visiting. Good selection of draft beers. Best if not too crowded since service can suffer. Best location if you want to talk with other tourists and some locals. I have had many interesting conversations over the years with temp construction workers, scientists, film people and more. read more

Marlin Club is a must while in Avalon. Nice bartenders and good crowd. Tight pool table and good atmosphere. Take a mermaid selfie with the swinging doors. read more

Fantastic service from the blonde female bartender. Jello Shots, TouchTunes Jukebox, and great service?! There is no better little love in the wall. Do yourself a favor and check out Marlin Club on your Catalina Bar Crawl. read more