Predatory worker compensation structure - Be aware We recently dined here and noticed the tabletop signs explaining a mandatory 20% "commission" added to every single bill. When speaking with our server, she informed us that management classifies the waitstaff as 1099 independent contractors, meaning they receive a $0 hourly base rate from the restaurant and rely entirely on this mandatory guest fee for their paycheck.I have a physical copy of the check showing this automatic fee. While the sign claims this "supports our team," classifying standard restaurant servers as 1099 workers instead of W-2 employees is a massive red flag that contradicts federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines. Independent contractors set their own hours and operations; servers do not. Furthermore, a restaurant cannot legally leave a server's direct hourly base wage at zero by relying entirely on automatic service fees.We love supporting local staff, but we want our money going to businesses that respect basic labor laws and compensate their employees legally. Hopefully, public pressure will force management to fix their payroll structure. The server said the restaurant was on the verge of bankruptcy and had to make changes. Sadly they chose to break the law. On that note the service was lovely, the food very tasty. I asked to sub corn for flour tortias and she was able. We don't directly live in the area, and its been a while since we've been here. Its always good, with good portions and not a chain. Its so unfortunate. read more

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It was our first time eating lunch at the Thirsty Marlin. They promote "fresh fish" so we ordered the grouper sandwich which was "market price." When the food came I was surprised by a very generous bun accompanied by a very small piece of fish. The tomato was horrible. The chips looked like crumbs from the "bottom of the bag." My wife just had water but I ordered an Arnold Palmer. We were floored when the check came" $70. It was probably the most expensive couple of lunch sandwiches we ever had. Were also surprised when the server told us that the gratuity was included, 20%. So unprofessional. I will never go back. 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

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

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

Good food, nice bar vibe and the portions were huge. Like seriously I don't need half a bag of chips. The waiter, however, was super nice and replaced sides when he got asked and he seemed like one of the only people there. read more

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Do not go to this place. They automatically charge 20% to any bill. The service sucks. It is a cute little place with a patio in front, inside bar, outside bar at the back, and well spaced tables in the main dining area of course. We decided to sit at the outside bar. There seemed to be one person serving the whole bar which explained why the bartender disappeared for 10 minutes at times. Service is very slow. Nobody around for 5 minutes, you ask for a menu and that's another 5 minutes. Server handling bar and tables ... another 5 minutes ... order a drink which is another 5 minutes. So 20 minutes, we had a drink and haven't even ordered food yet. The staff do not care because they get 20% no matter what ... the food is terrible ... I'm not sure how these folks are still in business. Just do not go ... save yourself the disappointment. read more

First time here, won't come back. I ordered lobster quesadillas which I could not wait to try and they gave me a lobster roll. i ordered on the phone a full hour before pick up and still had to wait at least 20 minutes to get the food upon arrival. When I got there no one greeted me and had to go through the bar and the whole building to find someone, I finally went outside in the rain to the bar and the lady came inside and rung me up still waiting for my food. The food was incorrect. The worse thing was there was hardly no one there and the wait was long and then the order was wrong, do better 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

Salad was nothing special. My cocktail came with rotten mint, the service was not good and a 20 percent gratuity automatically get put on your check. One and done for me. read more

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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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

Advertised all you could eat crab legs, for $69 on sign above our table. Once there was told they can't honor that deal and don't have enough for it. Sushi was also not available because the sushi chef was leaving. Refills on drinks also don't happen at this place. Had to go to the bar and ask for refills because our waitress never came around even with us being the only guest. 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

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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Putrid! This is where a friend chose for their birthday dinner. I don't eat seafood and ordered the Jerk Pork and it was sooo salty it was inedible. Brought home to feed to the opposum and it wouldn't even eat it. 20% auto added gratuity for inedible food? No. Waiter made zero mention of upcharge for any additions/changes. Never, ever again. The food sucked. My friend didn't even eat the seafood over broiled grouper at a hefty price of $35. 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

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

A great restaurant for fun, food, music & drinks. A casual Florida feeling place to meet with friends & family. We always enjoy our time there. The service is quick & friendly. 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

Ordered take out and they tried to charge me 20% server commission. I figured it was a mistake and asked for it to be removed but the bartender said this is the policy for all orders and she couldn't remove it. Seriously? I can get Uber Eats brought to my house for a lower fee than the 14.99 this came out to. On top of that the food was supposed to be ready at 8:20 and I waited there until 8:40 despite the restaurant being nearly empty. Told them to forget it and went to Gyro King, got a good value for my food, which was done in under 10 minutes. Thirsty Marlin used to be great, sad to see this money grab. 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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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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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

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

We ate here for lunch as a party of 6 this week. Our table was in a quiet corner of the restaurant with a view of the outside which was great. We ordered a mix of dishes including Grouper, Lobster Quesadillas, a mixed salad with Salmon, and Philly Steak & Cheese - all were very good, nicely presented, and the portions were generous. The wait staff was friendly and attentive and drinks and meals were served in a reasonable amount of time. They get nicked from a 5 to a 4 as one of our party ordered a Cuban and were told they were waiting on the ham delivery so that selection wasn't available. It wasn't a big deal, but it did happen, and maybe shouldn't have. Overall, I would recommend them if you're in the area and I would go there again. read more

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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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

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

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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

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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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 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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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

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

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

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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