Dancing Marlin

The food is really good, but it’s on the pricy side. We had 8 plates for 3 people and left hungry. But the food is really, really great so if money is no problem. This is the place!!! I like that it’s all different.

Absolutely phenomenal! This place totally reminded me of the lovely places I went to in Southern California! Excellent wine selections, fantastic tapas style menu and a beautiful, warm and inviting atmosphere. Our server was Gina and she was amazing! This place is one of a kind and totally unique for this area. Cannot wait to go back!

This restaurant has creative dishes, but a lot of little things were wrong. I got 10oz glasses for my 12oz beers (a real problem for bottle-​conditioned beers). All the glasses on the table didn’t look clean… hard Frankfort water spots or maybe just not clean?
Speaking of beer, they have a good list of craft beers, but the Lagunitas Daytime I had was 17-​months old. Maybe the fault of the distributor, so I pointed it out to the manager.
We had two orders of a creative seafood guacamole, but:
1. not enough seafood,
2. impossible to scoop from the top of the pile of chips — needs it’s own bowl,
3. many of the chips were stuck together (like 3 or 4 at a time),
5. all the people who ate from one of the two orders had nausea a few hours after eating and even worse the next morning.
We had Sunday brunch: a good salmon omlet, a good burger, and a good stuffed pepper benedict (but it was difficult to eat). The bacon-​wrapped italian sausage came with no bread and the bacon was limp, not crispy. Chicken & waffles were good.
So, although creative, the meals were just good, not great.
On the plus side, the desserts were outstanding.

Dancing Marlin American (New), Seafood, Bars Frankfort
Okay, on September 1^st of 2014 I wrote a glowing review of Dancing Marlins. Last night I returned for the first time since then, and am committed to making this a semi-​annual dining experience at the very least. I LOVE THIS PLACE!
My wife and I took a dear dear friend to dinner there last night to thank her for being so supportive of me. She loved Dancing Marlins also, and my experience exceeded all of my very high expectations given my prior experience! The slightly modified Tapas style eclectic menu allowed us to share a number of dishes, and again EVERYTHING was OUTSTANDING! Last go round we tried the shrimp & chorizo, and avocado taco selections. This time we opted for the Off the Hook (daily seafood special) fresh seafood catch in a taco — perfectly prepared salmon on this night. Most surprisingly they have replaced the stunningly succulent ahi tuna nachos with Shrimp Nachos, an interesting gluten-​free well-​balanced offering of buttered shrimp, mushroom étouffée, montemore cheese, old bay cream, Louisiana hot sauce and crispy tortilla chips. Next time I think I’m going to have to place an order for the Seafood Guacomole for myself! Gluten-​free hess avocados, tomatoes, onions, garlic, shrimp, crabmeat, again served with the in-​house crispy tortilla chips. I must admit that I was slighted disappointed with one change in the menu – they removed the oysters «rockefellaz,» but the scallops, seared to perfection, not spongey and overcooked nor undercooked and rubbery, served on a corn and brown butter purée with caramelized leeks, pickled corn and pistachios. I think that we all agreed that the coup de grace this time was undoubtedly the Seafood Eggroll dish comprised of ahi tuna, shrimp, scallops, kimchi, and daikon radish served with a house created soy sauce. No we weren’t done — we simply had to try the «Slider Special» which were three soft shell crab sliders, a big hit with our guest who hails from Maryland, and the gluten-​free Cuban Black Beans — Cuban style black & white beans, house bacon, tomatoes, cumin, and crispy tortilla chips. Although I was already full, I was glad we ordered those two dishes and highly recommend that you try both. Save room for dessert, and I again recommend the «turtle cheesecake bites.» Just as the name indicates, this dessert dish is perfectly proportioned in four bite size decadent servings.
As for the «wine on tap,» again much to my amazement, the wine that is served on tap was not the least bit oxidized. Technology! Ed, one of the owners who on our previous visit, hearing that there was an armchair wine connoisseur with questions about his wine list took 15 minutes to sit with our table to explain the process, again came out to check on our table – NICE TOUCH. You will have to go there and ask for him to get more on this issue, however the wine was excellent, though as you might imagine because it is served on tap the offerings are somewhat limited. I decided to take advantage of what they call «WINE FLIGHTS.» A flight is a taste of three, 2 oz pours. What better way to sample the wines on tap? 1) Estancia, pinot grigio, monterey, 2014 — lively green apple, asian pear & grapefruit; 2) Priest Ranch, grenache blanc, napa, 2014 –bright aromas of white peach, melon & honeysuckle; and 3) Simi, sauvignon blanc, napa, 2014 citrus notes of lime zest, pink grapefruit and lemon grass, followed by green papaya, passion fruit, & green apple. I recommend the Estancia, Pinot Grigio, but you simply can’t go wrong with any offering at Dancing Marlins. A GREAT night! Great friend, Great food, Great wine! Jackpot!
On a scale of 1 to 100, I continue to give the Dancing Marlin a 99 – though I urge them to bring back the oysters «rockefellaz!»

Pros: We opted to sit outside, they have such a great ambiance it’s super cute the 2 stars are given for al fresco seating and the customer service we were well attended too.
Cons: Food!!! we ordered 4 dishes they all fell FLAT. This was very disappointing because the menu looked SO tasty I wasn’t sure what to order. We decided to get the fried chix, Bacon Wrapped sausage, crab stuffed peppers and brisket tacos. The meats were so FATTY we couldn’t eat it my husband just ate the taco shell after being frustrated that all the meat fell out the shell because the taco was so wet. The fried chicken was soaked in grease yes I know it’s fried but it shouldnt b soggy coming straight out the kitchen .The crab stuffed peppers was the best dish but it was just OK nothing special def not worth the $ 15 price tag. The Bacon wrapped sausage was recommend as the most popular dish on the menu EPIC FAIL the Bacon AKA fat casing they threw on the sausage was not edible I had to remove it from the sausage and I couldn’t eat the dish. BAD! The highlight was the cocktail flight by far the best thing I consumed while dining there. I completed a survey after the $ 60 check to voice my opinion on the meal. Unfortunately I was still hungry I left the leftovers on the table I typically do not like to waste food but it wasn’t worth taking the food home with me. however I left the waiter a nice tip wasn’t her fault she did a great job.

The Dancing Marlin is fantastic! The inviting and relaxing atmosphere is the perfect compliment to the tapas menu. We love the eco friendly wine selections, and the high quality and artistry of the food. I celebrated my birthday at the ‘kitchen table’ with family, and think we tried half the menu and didn’t have a single bad dish. It can be pricey, but is worth every penny.

The dancing Marlin is my absolute favorite restaurant in the area! The menu is innovative and never disappoints. I love sharing and trying new things each time I go. The chef is amazing! Make sure you come hungry because you will certainly leave satisfied.

Fantastic service from reservation to dessert! Joe the manager was able to accommodate our party of 9 with 2 birthdays at the kitchen table. We are a robust Irish-​Italian family and Joe encouraged us to have a good time and be as loud as we wanted! Our waitress, Missouri, didn’t miss a beat. Our drinks were full and we ordered pretty much everything on the menu. We celebrated with dessert. Do NOT miss the Peanut Butter Semifreddo with carmelcorn. Outrageous!

The food is clean and tasty. Sitting outside made me feel like I was on vacation and the staff is down to earth and super friendly. This is a South Suburb Gem! So happy to have found it.

Amazing! Great service. Prompt! Used OpenTable day of for reservation! Loved everything we ordered. 4 different dishes 2 drinks, and desert for 2 $ 56

PROS: Delicious food and wine! One-​of-​kind flavors and selections. Come here for what you haven’t seen before. Great ambiance. Very clean and professional. Kid friendly & family friendly. Ideal for first dates (if he has the $$) and special occasions. We will definitely be coming back.
CONS: Expect to have a high bill, but the quality stated above makes up for it. I also wish we hadn’t sat up front and center the first time. I would have preferred a more private location.

Been here twice and can’t have enough! Pro tip: don’t come too hungry, bill will climb fast for the small quantity you receive.
I enjoy the special way they can cook fish and the odd menu items you can’t find at most places. Get the bone marrow. It’s awesome, if you’ve never had it try it!
This is tapas style, remember that. I had fun coming with a small group of friends, we could eat and try things from everyone’s plate and just split the bill.
Now I just need a night off to go see the dueling pianos they advertise!

THE BEST. Every single time we come here, it is amazing. Food is great, drinks are amazing, and service is phenomenal.
Whitefish dip and the Fig & Pig are always a MUST GET!

Dancing Marlin is one of our favorite restaurants to go to in the area. We love how there are always new food items to try, and the fact that it is Tapas style allows us to try a lot! Presentation is always beautiful and the food never disappoints. Last but not least, the staff is always super friendly and this place has great service. It may be pricier than some of the other restaurants in the area. But it’s worth it to have good food and great service. What more can you ask for?

Everything was great and met or exceeded expectations except the seafood egg roll, I don’t mean to be negative but it seems like they take all the seafood scraps pulverize and wrapped it in a wonton and fry. I thought it would be at least identifiable pieces of seafood. Doesn’t taste bad but for what you pay and what you get, not that great. Everything else is pretty right on, keep in mind the menu changes seasonally. I would love to try their brunch, hope to update this review after that.

I had heard so much about this place that I had to try it and I’m so glad I did! This is now a regular stop for me and a place I recommend to everyone. With a clean and urban atmosphere and upscale menu options, it’s a much needed upgrade for the area. I try something new each time I go and I have yet to be disappointed. My husband and I even spent our New Year’s here with another couple and the sea bass special that night was amazing! I hope to become a regular at the Dancing Marlin.

It’s so refreshing to find a restaurant like this in Frankfort! From the inviting dining space to the inspired menu that lets the seafood shine, Dancing Marlin is not to be missed.
Menu highlights included the shrimp nachos (these are SO good I wouldn’t recommend leaving without trying these), the chicken pesto flatbread and the tacos (salmon with peaches was the special of the day for me.) Though the menu boasts small shareable plates I was pleasantly pleased with the portion sizes. Some tapas places leave you wanting much more after just a bite, but the quality of the food here left me satiated.
I’d definitely recommend coming here with a small group to share several items. I love that there’s live music too — what a lovely spot for Frankfort and Chicagoland overall!

We came here for brunch and everything was excellent!
We definitely order way too much food than we could handle but it’s all good !
They have a help your self Bloody Mary bar !
We ordered breakfast sliders, salmon scrambled hash, chicken and waffles and burger and fruits from the kids menu. We were surprised by the portion of each item that came to our table, we thought it would be a smaller size or maybe we were not as hungry as we thought. Anyways
Everything taste pretty good, the fresh fruit however it’s like a fruit parfait bowl tho.
My favorite was the chicken and waffles! Hmmm the chicken has a mildly spicy marinate it’s perfect !
The staff were really helpful and attentive.
We will definitely be back to try their dinner menu !!

Great place for groups or a fancy date night. Food is pricy but rightfully so. When you have items like seared ahi tuna and escargot, you expect to pay the price. We enjoyed pretty much everything we tried.
The wait staff was friendly and helpful since it was our first time trying topless dining here. (Small shareable plates)
Went with just my husband but would love to try it again sometime with a larger group and be able to try even more items

Way expensive for the quality. That pretty much sums it up. My family has been raving about this place so we finally went and I was truly disappointed. I have reviewed a lot of places and you can see I am a fairly generous reviewer, this place just missed the mark.
The food was good. My favorite dish was the steak. It was cooked to perfection. I suggest the scallops as well. Everything else was just ok… and we tried most of the menu.