The Mad Marlin Bar

Chill bar awesome bartenders. Ordered the chamoy shot wowwwww I’m awake now. They have private room in back and outside bar and patio with big jenga and punching bag

Cucumber martinis are amazing. Drink prices are great and bartenders are so freaking nice. Seriously the nicest bartenders I’ve ever met.

This place has something for everyone, very diverse crowd, outside bar and hipster hangout, inside classic bar with great drink specials, billiards, darts, jukebox, & brand new dance club in the back wit adjacent outdoor club patio… head bartender Scott can make you anything you can imagine, and the craft brews flow like the Nile, love this place

The Mad Marlin is a decent hangout spot. Situated amidst several other Broadway St drinkeries, it attempts to stand out from the group that is divey type bars aimed at drawing in eclectic, casual-​only patrons. While without a doubt providing a nice, chill atmosphere, not to mention playing its due part in supporting local artists and musicians, MM still misses the mark in fully differentiating itself from its counterparts. Not that any one thing is a letdown… MM just fails to significantly outshine its neighbors. Thus the 4 stars.
Parking’s nice here — obvious and straightforward, to the side of everything. Approaching the digs, you’re given ample opportunity to high-​five fellow patrons Tim Duncan-​style as you walk through MM’s outdoor tables and high-​top stools. You’ll immediately notice the outdoor bar, stocked with just a handful of seats for San Antonio’s swankiest. (Kidding, of course.) And to your right, you’ll stumble through the front doors and into the coolly lit habitat of the Mad Marlin itself.
Inside, there’s an adequate variety of seating options and group areas; however, the entire space is open and absent of the «boundaries» akin to neighboring Rebar’s (e.g. out-​of-​the-​way lounges, dedicated spots for playing pool, etc.). The indoor bar is center-​stage and approachable from all 4 sides. Service is notably quick and attentive, regardless of crowd size — something that is always very much appreciated as it greatly decreases one’s chances of awkwardly trying to get a/​the bartender’s attention.
Should your party shift drunkenly to a table/​lounge or out-​from-​inside [or in-​from-​outside], MM’s staff still generously checks up on how the night’s progressing — again, something that’s very much appreciated, especially when no one in the group’s willing to bumble back to the bar (s) for subsequent shot or cocktail orders. Speaking of drinks…
If you’re Mexican by any stretch of the imagination or are a fan of special spices, chamoy and pickle juice all mixed together into some twisted concoction, their «Massive Marlin Michelada» has your name written all over its sour, sexy self. Nowhere near as frightening as it may initially seem, the drink is a perfect cocktail of 50% sour, 30% savory and 20% sweet flavors… smoothened out and deemed more drinkable by the addition of your favorite beer. And yes, as the MM claims, it’s quite the hangover cure.
Find the MM on social media to remain in-​the-​know regarding specials and events like open mic nights, etc. But with a true 9-​hour happy hour setup, how much more special would one need to be?!

Alright y’all I’m totally diggin the vibe of this joint and how eclectic it is especially for this side of town. This place gives zero f***s and has a unique personality that’s makes them… Well them.
The music doesn’t conform to the standard top 40 playlist and it features some of my favorite indie bands. There is an inside and outside area but I personally love the outside patio.
The bar has some pretty killer specials including $ 3 shots and $ 2.00/$ 2.50 beers.
The theme and decorations are funky and mismatched and I honestly believe this place is the classier version of Butters. Thank the lord they don’t have Jell-​O shots here or it would be a repeat of CM Week…
If you want a place to bring a big group of friends and have a great time to make memories then this is the place for you. Come on over and make memories that you may or may not remember.

Had a really good time, great, reasonably priced drinks and really friendly bartenders. The cucumber martinis were also on point and only $ 5. I will definitely come back!

Fantastic bartender that really knows his way around making some really unique and amazing drinks! Very fun staff. Some very, very delicious cocktails that are incredibly cheap. And a lot of really friendly patrons; although, they’re a bit of an older crowd (a.k.a 25+).
They tend to have live bands playing every weekend, but we went on an off weekend. It was pretty empty at around 10PM, but it seemed like a lot more people enjoyed staying outside at the patio bar. (But the patio bar doesn’t have the kickass bartender). When there’s no live band playing, there’s a modern-​style jukebox that has a pretty wide selection of interesting music.

Bartender was superb! The entire team was very welcoming to our party! We had been to many bars previous to mad Marlins, but Marlins was the friendliest and non judge mental. Drinks were always on time and prices were even better than we could have imagined. Thank you Mad Marlins for showing our bachelorette party an amazing time at the outside bar!

The Mad Marlin is a cool new trendy neighborhood bar/​club that is known as the home of the «9» hour happy hour. YESSSS… I said «9» hour happy hour. Not 2 hours and not 5 hours, but «9» of the happiest hours of enjoying a couple of drinks while unwinding. And not only is happy hour 9 hours a day, it is for 6 days a week. Those days are Sunday through Friday.
The staff are all very friendly and you feel like you have known them for years. The bartenders are quick to wait on you. The bartenders, along with the owner, created their very own signature drinks. One of their signature drinks is the Chamoy Martini. The happy hour not only includes domestic beer and one or two drink specials, they also include a variety of craft beers, mixed drinks, and their signature specialty drinks. They also have daily drink specials.
The Mad Marlin is a very laid back trendy place to go and unwind. They have a huge bar in the center of the room that has seating all the way around it. There is a lounge section in the same room that is very cozy and quaint. They entertain with live bands and they also have a dj. There is a dance floor to enjoy as well. So… if you, your friends, or your family need a place to throw a party or even to host an event, this is the place. They will make sure that it will be special and full of happy memories. And on the second Sunday of every month, they welcome and host the local talent to come in show their talent. Not just completed art, but also art created right then. And when you first walk in the bar, look around and you will notice all kinds of art that is created by local artists that The Mad Marlin sells for the artist. Talk about giving back to the community! What a great way to give back and also keeping it real, positive, and hopeful for the artists.
And last but not least, the awesome outdoor patio with a bar, where bands and singers are also known to entertain you and your four-​legged buddy. Yep! Just another plus for The Mad Marlin. The outdoor patio is pet friendly. So bring your pet for some fresh air and enjoyment. After all our pets are not just animals, pet means family. So, not only does The Mad Marlin entertain and wait on people from all walks of life, they also entertain our furry friends as well.
The staff also does everything possible to keep you safe. It is definitely a zero-​tolerance place. They are there to see that you unwind, have fun, leave happy, and come back to do it all again.
Now that I have rambled on, and I just proof read my review, lol it sounds more like an ad for a commercial. LOL its not at all that, it is a review. But I will admit that if it does do The Mad Marlin any justice and gets them hopping every night, then I am giving back to the community as well.
So… go and check them out for, yourself. I promise you will enjoy, leave happy, and return again and again **********Go, relax, enjoy…
*** «Get Hooked» and «Catch A Buzz» @ The Mad Marlin! «***

Awesome place to bring your dog and enjoy some cold ones indoors or outdoors! Super friendly staff and owner!

I have enjoyed this bar several times. If you are gay don’t come here. If people make derogatory comments they will take the side of the straight people. This is 2015 and I don’t give a damn if you have a daughter or are with your dad. You are not right!

This place wasn’t what I thought it would be. So bummed. I was hoping this would be a place for 20 – 30 somethings and good music. Instead, it was happy. Sad.

Good drinks, nice atmosphere, staff was nice enough. Unless you’re watching a baseball game, they’ll change the channel on you.

Happy hour til 9pm what else do you really need to say? Ok here’s a little more, the happy hour selection is actually pretty wide ranging and that’s on top of their daily specials They have super cool bartenders (ask for Scott) who make kickass martinis and cocktails for reasonable prices. They also have a patio bar and outside seating if you want some fresh air. You can also bring your K9 friends as well.

Absolutely love this place, I’m glad that it has opened and now the The Mad Marlin. The drinks are bomb and I was totally digging the Artwork. LAUREN is a bad ass Bartender. Also gotta try the street Tacos! Shot out to CODY, he’s running a Great Place, works hard as well and checks on everyone. Meet some cool peeps, and Overall Great Atmosphere This is must go to place, and will most def be one of my top Chill Spots !!

PET FRIENDLY! They have an awesome unique patio bar and the best happy hour 12 – 9 M-​F. Gotta stop by, great atmosphere and great bartenders. Make sure to make friends with Bradley or Scott! Rebar has got some competition!

Best chamoy anything!!! Finally got to a place with my favorite drinks!!! Really recommend this place start here and stay here!

Dirty Bird. Mad Marlin. Who could keep up? I believe the Dirty Bird is the outdoor, less fancy version of the Mad Marlin. I went to that part of town looking for a hot dog stand and bumped into this little beauty. Ever go to a place and say, «I’m glad I went here. This was good.» Well that’s the Dirty Bird.
I only spent 45 minutes here and had a blast. $ 1.00 Bloody Mary’s and mimosas, cold beer, and a lot of interaction between customers. Great vibe on the patio, super nice people. Giant Jenga made out of 2x4s. The manager and bartender (Mari) set a great mood.
The Bloody Mary’s were excellent (not quite Opal Divines, but very close), done with a chile salt around the rim with a pickles and olives garnish. Mari the bartender made Changas (?) (see photo) for the bar, which were excellent.
Didn’t eat, didn’t stay long, but know enough to say that if you are looking for a place to go and spend a couple hours, check out Dirty Bird. You will have a good time if you want to.

Cheap drinks. 9 hour happy hour?!
I enjoyed the new remodel of this place, which recently opened up in the Broadway North Neighborhood. This place has a new vibe to it. It’s got some cool design and neat and comfortable places to sit and chill out and drink a few beers. The feel is more comfortable and less meat-​markety and up in da club vibe that it had on some of the previous iterations of this place.
This place doesn’t really have a nautical theme to it, like I was expecting. The restrooms have a comic book theme to them. (The guy’s do anyhow) I don’t really know what kind of theme they are going for overall.
They took out the pool table that used to be here when it was Rev Room, and they’ve sealed off the back part of the bar, so it’s not as big as it used to be. But more mellow and neighborhood bar could be a good thing.
The restrooms were clean, and they’ve added a bunch of security cameras around the place to make the clients feel safer, I guess.
There’s a nice outside area that allows for people to sit out and drink beers in on the patio.
I’ll be back. It’s a nice, comfortable place to have a beer!

Awesome atmosphere, clean and elegant with friendly staff! Definitely the new hot spot.
Local artist available to display art to be sold, separate dance room, stage for live music and outdoor bar with smoking area. Great location as well. Plus you can’t beat their 9 hour happy hour.