Dancing Marlin: Experience New American Seafood Tapas in Frankfort, IL

Been coming here since they open several years ago. Even if you are not a seafood lover, there is something for everyone. Have had larger parties in their downstairs area, birthdays, wonderful brunch, business lunch, and evening dinners. Great tasty food and quality in each time I visited. Friendly staff and service. Be sure to sign up for their frequent diners rewards program and get points for discounts! For private events they have the downstairs area and handy for elevator for those with trouble for stairs. They have a little area by the front where a smaller party could take place. Reasonable rates and great service.

Hands down my favorite restaurant in the area. The space is clean and beautiful, the service is always wonderful, and I love trying their small plates. The menu is designed to be shareable (if you want to, no pressure!) I've tried quite a few things but my favorites are the birria tacos, the lobster rolls, the focaccia and olive plate, and the grilled ribeye. They always have fresh oysters and they rotate so there's always new ones to try. Please keep the kunamotos around, they're soooo good! I usually get a couple shareables but their entrees look really good too. Brunch menu is tasty as well, the chicken n waffles and country fried steak have been my faves. Cocktails and wine on tap, so you can do a cocktail flight which is pretty cool. Nice wine selection. The service is always 5 stars no matter where you're sitting. Service is attentive but not suffocating. The manager Jackie is so sweet and will table touch with the guests which is a nice touch. 10/10 every time. Already planning my next visit.

Met a friend here as it was in the middle place to meet between both our neighborhoods, and it didn't disappoint. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable of the menu items. We sat outside as it was a lovely day. Cocktails were delicious and food choices were outstanding! My only complaint was the apartment complex (?) next door seemed to have multiple pickup trucks coming & going out of the parking lot that were unusually loud & obnoxious revving their engines at the time we were there for some reason. Wasn't the restaurant's fault, but it did make me wish we were inside instead of out that day.

Great variety. Our waitress was on top of it. As a first time diner, it was a little confusing. Only downside was it was very loud. It was difficult to hold a conversation.

Everything was great! My bf took me here for dinner recently and all I can say is you can't go wrong when choosing an item off the menu. We tried the crab stuffed peppers and the fig glazed bacon wrapped sausage. The place is expensive but worth it for a once in a while treat.

Absolutely delicious food! So fresh and innovative. We were just there for a light lunch but I will definitely return to sample more of their menu. The appetizer special: burrata and stone fruit was scrumption. The burrata was clearly house-made and was served with a variety of stone fruits (peach, plum, nectarine) and toasted bread points. Really, I'm still dreaming about it. We also shared the salmon with teriyaki-glaved vegetables. The salmon was perfectly cooked (an uncommon treat!) and the sauce was delicious. Could have used a bunch more vegetables. Lovely outdoor patio with sun shade, ceiling fans and landscaping. Feels sheltered from the road. One point off only for the server balking at separate checks for two people and letting us know that "it's not our policy to do this, so if you come again, they might oblige." This should be standard practice: it's a courtesy in general AND those of us who travel for work must have a separate, itemized receipt for expense reimbursement (not just a check divided equally).

Not only was this our first time at Dancing Marlin, but it was also our first time eating at an American Tapas (small plates) restaurant. I was a little concerned that we'd still be hungry, but I'm also taking Saxenda, so my appetite may be light either way. I must say, although it was a little pricey, I liked the tapas style dining because it was like eating multiple appetizers and sampling everything. At Dancing Marlin, I enjoyed the dining space and delicious food. We tried bacon wrapped sausage and figs, chicken bites, truffle and parmesan fries, mini lobster rolls (not on the menu, but we saw it advertised on the website - yeah weird?!), and flourless chocolate cake. Needless to say, we were stuffed! They should definitely add the lobster rolls on the menu and all-year round. The flourless chocolate cake was my absolute favorite. I would have given this place 5 stars, but the price was more expensive than expected.

Andrew was our waiter. NOT only he is a waiter and also a cook at "Dancing Marlin." Ask for him, he's funny, friendly, knowledgeable about the menu. The wines that Dancing Marlin have are "on tap" and the special drinks are made daily. Every three months , they rotate their beer out. This restaurant has dimmed lighting making it a good ambiance for couples or for families. For dinner, I ordered roasted bone marrow. The bone marrow with sea salt, crostini, & onion jam. As for dessert, their salted caramel is the popular gelato flavor. We ordered their raspberry sorbet.