The White Marlin and Oysterette — Restaurant in Port Saint Joe

2023 updated review:

The restaurant has a new chef now, and things seem to have changed a lot. See my new pic #13 vs. all the old beautiful dishes. We felt that the dishes are now less creative, the seafood which should take center stage at a seafood restaurant was just ok, (loved it last year). My prime rib was good but the crab cakes seemed dry and my hubby said the only flavor for his lobster came from the butter. The Brussel sprouts were ok but a little too sweet.

When we came for our honeymoon last year, this became our favorite restaurant. The food was amazing. The chef gave us some special treats, and several members of the staff congratulated us. This year our anniversary dinner didn't feel very celebratory. Nobody said Happy Anniversary, no special dessert, etc.

I made the reservation 2 weeks in advance. I was initially told we would have the best table in the house and another table reserved for us outside. I called twice to check on our reservation and was asked both times if maybe it was under a different name. Nobody mentioned our table outside afterward or said Happy Anniversary, so we wandered out alone to listen to the live music, which was lovely, and check out the gorgeous sunset.

I will add some photos from this years meal vs. last as well. I would return, but we it just wasn't the 5 star fine dining that it used to be. Attention to detail and good customer service are so important, + seafood at a seafood restaurant should be amazing. If we have better luck next time, I will update. The LAST photo in my review was this years meal.

is our 2023

2022 REVIEW: This is the ONLY fine dining establishment in town thus far! We are honeymooning, and this made for a superb date night experience!

We travel all over the country and therefore eat out frequently so we know good food. Staff was very professional, and they seemed to have a nice flow for such a new restaurant. It was a beautiful presentation with beautiful views and phenomenal food. Chef knows what he's doing.

Everything seemed fresh, and that's a must if you are near the sea. We recently went to another restaurant in town based on the "fine dining and 5 star" reviews and were so disappointed. Everything had been frozen, even the bread. The scallops there were the size of Kix cereal nuggets, so we were thrilled with our experience here and will be returning next week.

Also, a big shout out to our waitress Caitlin last night. She was lovely and did so well helping me navigate through my allergy issues. I often get sick after eating out but...

Where to even begin with our experience tonight at the Chef’s Bar at The White Marlin? Absolute perfection from start to finish! T’Ron “T” Caesar is the consummate chef host, guiding us with warmth and humor through cocktails and first courses, then wine and salad and entrees. The experience of watching every course prepared from scratch on the bar in front of you and feeling the heat from the wood fired oven and hardwood open fires… I have never found better in any big city, and I’ve done a lot of big restaurant nights in big cities. Port St. Joe, you have a golden egg here. Loved talking with Executive Chef Chris Infinger, too. We can’t wait to return and support this very special place every time we are in the area. Every dish was spectacular, from the opening amuse bouche of a trio of raw oysters to a dozen more of Panacea’s finest, tuna tartare, then wood fired Caesar salad (specially prepared in three portions so we could share), followed by the Key West Pink Shrimp and grits, Day Boat Diver Scallops and the 12 oz. Wagyu NY Strip, complete with T’s two favorite secret dipping sauces (which have both now been ordered on Amazon for our home use). Truffle Mac and Cheese, over which Chef Chris casually sauntered by and shaved another bonus truffle on top…and the Brussels sprouts that are so good with candied bacon they make me want to cry. Couldn’t possibly consider dessert after all of that so we brought home the flourless chocolate cake, which again they divided into three portions for us to enjoy later. The thoughtful touches are so special. Our 17 year old daughter ordered a Diet Coke while her Dad and I were ordering yummy specialty cocktails. T asked her if he could instead bring her a “Nojito”, an alcohol free Mojito. So good and it made her night. Until the bartender came around and brought her a “refill” but it was his own special concoction that he makes for a friend, of pineapple juice, pina colada mix and instead of rum he gave her Sprite. SUCH a warm and special vibe from the entire staff. We can’t applaud enough and support enough this wonderful new establishment on The Forgotten Coast. Don’t forget The White Marlin, and do yourself the favor of reserving seats at the Chef’s Bar! I promise you will fall in...

Wow. What a great place! Seriously. We took our youngest daughter there to celebrate a great first year and making the Dean's List at Auburn while we were enjoying a week at Cape San Blas for summer vacation. I made note of the reason for celebration when I made the reservation online, in the notes section, and requested a table on the rear deck/patio if weather permitted. We arrived about 10min early for our reservation, and one of the hostesses immediately showed us to our table. As we were leaving the front desk area, the other hostess casually commented to our daughter "Congratulations on making the Dean's List!" My daughter was shocked, to say the least. We were seated at a very nice table out on the patio where we could enjoy the sunset and the breeze. Waitress came by and brought us water, and commented to our daughter she had heard the celebration was for her excellent year in school. Wife and I tried a couple of cocktails (I loved the Maverick - Vodka, St. Germaine, Jalapeno, and sour mix - DELICIOUS!), our daughter tried a Blackberry Mule mocktail, and we all settled on the Scallops for dinner, as we'd read reviews saying they are excellent. Food came out relatively quickly, and was hot and fresh when it arrived at the table. Restaurant was pretty full inside and out so good to see their service was on point even when busy. Enjoyed dinner immensely. Highly recommend the Scallops! (And want to try the Parm Crusted Grouper next time...)

After dinner our waitress, Kayleigh (spelling?) asked about dessert, and convinced us to try the key lime pie. We were not disappointed, but she also surprised us with a huge homemade chocolate chip cookie with ice cream and other toppings on it, and "Dean's List" written on the plate in chocolate syrup. Absolutely made my daughter's night! The key lime pie was delicious, too. Tart, sweet, and with a graham crust perfectly prepared.

The staff were all pleasant and attentive, without being overbearing. The food was excellent. The drinks were delicious, too. And dessert was the final touch. An absolutely perfect celebration dinner. We will be back when we are in town...