by “The Food Guy” – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine and Vero Beach Foodie
--> Join the conversation in Vero Beach Foodie and 43,500 very active members right now! <--
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a restaurant critic and get to eat all the amazing food that goes along with the job? Let me introduce you to “The Restaurant Review Experience”, our latest offering to bring you closer to the action than ever before. Join me, “The Food Guy” on an actual restaurant review and go behind the lens to see how I work and taste all of the amazing food you have seen in my articles!
Six guests joined me as I went back for the one year anniversary of the restaurants opening. I’ve been a regular customer here, so I knew what to expect of the food, but Chef Louis Kolbauer had a few surprises up his sleeve with a few new dishes on the menu that I have not seen before.
Located in the old Outback Steakhouse building just off US Hwy 1, only the outside seems to be reminiscent of the old restaurant with the white siding and the trademark green roof. While I never paid a visited the old Outback, the inside seems to have undergone a transformation to make it a totally new space. The large bar is a beautiful centerpiece upon entry with green accent lighting. The bar itself offers plenty of seating along with several high top tables. The dining room is composed of stained wood tables and booths that are comfortable and spacious. The abundance of fish décor throughout the restaurant lets you know the direction he is going with the menu. While the parking lot seems quite small, their location at the front of the shopping mall does allow for ample overflow.
Now let’s dive right in and see what this place has to offer and what we had to eat!
Up first for us to try were these Reuben Egg rolls! They are made with diced corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. They are then fried till golden brown and served with a side of Thousand Island dressing. The egg rolls were perfectly fried and had a nice crunch. The filling was flavorful and the Thousand Island dressing was the perfect dipping sauce for them.
With the name of the restaurant having “Raw Bar” right in the title, this is a dish you would expect to see here. The dish includes 6 raw oysters and a 1/2 lb of peel and eat shrimp. Crackers, cocktail sauce, and lemon were served alongside. While I’m not an oyster fan, these are some of the freshest ones I’ve tasted.
Gumbo is not an item I see on that often around town, so I was excited to see it on the menu here. A generous portion of shrimp and scallops was served in this large bowl of gumbo. The broth was very flavorful and had just a tiny bit of heat. If you prefer it spicier, just let your waitress know, Chef Lou is willing to make it to your liking!
Chef Lou told me that this dish was inspired by the gatherings he has in his own back yard with friends. They would grill up a bunch of different meats, vegetables, and serve all of it family style on a cutting board. The dish has three skewers of grilled meats including chicken, tenderloin, and shrimp. Rice and bean, a salad, and a half Cobb of corn (hidden in the back) are included in this dish. The meats had been marinated and were very flavorful. The rice and beans are always excellent, and the side salad was crisp and delicious!
WOW was our first reaction when this was brought out to our table! A whole main lobster is cooked, split, then stuffed with lobster, scallops, shrimp, and Mahi and was served over a bed of garlic spinach and was topped off with a lemon buerre blanc sauce. This thing was chock full of seafood with very little filler. Chef Lou’s seafood
In Conclusion:
The Green Marlin has now been open for a little over a year and I think they have only gotten better since my last review. Chef Lou orders fresh whole fish every day for his dishes and you can taste the difference that it makes. He also comes up with fun and unique dishes you won’t find on an everyday restaurant menu. One of the reasons why we visit often is because of the large salad bar with a ton of options to choose from. If you have not been here in a while or if this place is new to you, then I suggest you head over to the Marlin, I know you won’t be disappointed!
Have you tried The Green Marlin? What has your experience been with them? Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts, or feel free to email me at thefoodguy@verovine.com with your questions or comments.
The Green Marlin has a wonderful Sunday Brunch from 10:00 am till 2:00 pm for only $24.99 so be sure to stop by and check it out sometime!
The Green Marlin Website | The Green Marlin Facebook Page
1475 US-1, Vero Beach, FL 32960
Hours of Operation: Monday – Sunday, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
- The 2019 GOLDEN FORK Awards - February 5, 2020
- The Wave Kitchen & Bar – Restaurant Review – Nov 2019 - December 4, 2019
- Italian Cousin – Restaurant Review - November 13, 2019