Elite Event @ Marlow’s Tavern

The food, drinks and atmosphere truly made this Unilocal Event rise on my list of favorites. Also the servers on staff that night were awesome. It all was a winner in my book. We can’t wait to get a group together and meet up at Marlow’s for an evening of merriment.

What a fun event. This is a delayed review but better late than never. Marlow’s was cool and it was great to finally meet and talk to Colleen! Thank you for putting on the event. The food was solid and the music was good. Hung out with Gustavo for a while and got to meet a few other Unilocalers that I’ve only read about. I’m looking forward to slowly meeting all the other elites in person at future events!

This was a great night and fun Elite event! Cool patio, we really liked Mitch on guitar, he played a lot of great music the whole night and kept the crowd entertained.
Staff was very friendly and the menu offered plenty of options for any different kind of tastes. We tried a few of the drinks, which were really good. I liked the Gin Job and the Pom martini, nice for a cocktail but I was in a beer mood, they had plenty to keep me.
The fried asparagus was so good, I could have eaten a who basket myself. I also loved the Shrimp and fried grits, really flavorful. The loaded Kettle chips were also great, I really liked the herby-​ranchy sauce with them. There seemed to be a ton of food and I could have kept eating. We signed up for Marlow’s email list, so we’ll be heading back down for some more awesome drinks and snacks soon!

Updating with the review I had (incorrectly?) posted for Marlow’s instead of this event. Sorry, I’m a n00b! :)
ENVIRONMENT
Lovely and lively. Outside covered patio overlooks a beautifully landscaped fountain and there is often live music. The acoustic guitarist we saw even took requests.
SERVICE
Fast & friendly (enough for a very busy crowded night, anyway).
DRINKS
Shared a few with my husband so I got to try each one.
Winter martini — my favorite — SO scrumptious. Creamy, cold, and topped with sweet cinnamon spice. Almost like a gingerbread or cinnamon sugar cookie. Only gripe is wanting to drink it too quickly!
Blueberry Buck — a not-​too-​sweet refreshing cocktail with delightful levels of blueberry.
Southern Peach Coupe — whiskey-​based. Not our favorite but it was ok. I can’t say it was terribly memorable. I don’t recall a strong peach flavor.
Tupelo Honey martini — mmm. I can’t say I remember a distinct honey flavor as it may have been a little overpowered with grapefruit, but definitely honey in color!
White sangria — perfect balance of wine and fresh fruit, not too sweet. Fresh green apple, pineapple, and I think mango.
Gin Job — wow. What a unique cocktail accented with cucumber and basil flavors (including basil syrup). Great combination with Hendricks gin, which has notes of cucumber on its own. Even if you are not a huge fan of gin, you might like it.
FOOD
Shrimp and crab nachos — So. Good. It didn’t sound like something I would like — I don’t like those weird fake «seafood cheese dips» but this was a pleasant surprise. Much better than I expected!
Flatbread — perfect. Just the right balance of soft, warm, and crispy, and not too much breadiness. Fresh ingredients on top.
Shrimp and grits — *warning* Picky New Orleans native here! I thought the grit cakes were rich and creamy but a little bitter, possibly due to the liberal amount of cheese. It was topped with a creamy sauce which was good, but I’m used to a brown gravy.
Asparagus fries — if you like vegetable tempura you will love these. I loved the light crunchy tempura-​like batter on this. Possibly my favorite thing.
Kettle chips — you might think «eh, I’ve had kettle chips before.» Not these! Definitely the best freshly fried kettle chips I have had. It didn’t hurt that they were topped with bacon and blue cheese!
OVERALL
I would definitely choose this place before several of the other restaurants on I-​Drive or in Pointe Orlando. Marlow’s Tavern is not another tourist trap.

I had the privilege of being invited to this event as a plus one. I had a great time! The place looks really good– it reminds me of an upscale Ruby Tuesdays.
We each received up to four of their signature drinks. I tried their pomegranate martini, red sangria, and Irish Coffee. The drinks were great! Sangria and martini were superb.
We were also served a variety of their appetizers including stacked chips, hummus, buffalo chicken flatbread, asparagus fries, and more. The hummus was my favorite. Perfectly seasoned and very smooth, just how I like it! All of them met or exceeded expectations.
The service was great, very friendly hosts and waiters/​waitresses. There was even a quality singer/​guitarist performing for us out on the back porch! The only thing that would have been appreciated in addition would have been if they could have turned on their outdoor heaters on the patio– it was cold, BRRRR! A little chill was a small price to pay for a fantastic Unilocal event!

Big thanks to Colleen and Marlow’s Tavern crew for a great Unilocal Elite event. Service was fantastic — very attentive and pleasant. Food… yummmmmm! Asparagus fries and shrimp with grits were my absolute favorite. Drinks were great too! The Winter Spice Martini — so so goooooooood ! Will definitely go there again.

Mmmm, Asparagus fries!
Seriously, with all the other great things provided to us at the latest elite event, imagine tempo fried asparagus being the biggest hit. Who woulda thunk?! Those crispy little things are addictive and I could have eaten them all night. Err, wait, I did eat them all night.
Marlows spared no expense. I’m strictly a fine beer type of guy, no wine or liquor, so after seeing the menu for the event I figured I’d just stick to water. I was happily impressed that they also allowed me to use my drink tickets for Guinness. Yes please! The servers were friendly and attentive. I wish I got their names, but I cannot overstate how important friendly servers are to me and these folks had me wanting to return for an afternoon on their porch. Music was great too. An acoustic guitar player who actually plays more than the standard pub playlist. I forgot the singers name, but he was very good.
Yet another flawless elite event thanks to our own Grand Poobah, Colleen.

What a lovely event, once again. The location had a wonderful vibe, and the patio was an excellent choice — even though it was a bit chilly.
For starters, the drinks were great! I was immediately greeted by a very nice waiter who took my drink order right away. My first drink was the Pomegranate martini, second was the gin drink (kinda like a mojito) and then I tried the Tupelo Honey martini. OH MY! What a delight. I had to order another. If i had started with this drink, I don’t think I would have tried anything else.
Now let’s talk about the food! The options were fantastic. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the shrimp and grits and the crab nachos. Being allergic to shellfish, I could not partake in these dishes, but they looked great and I heard really good things. Due to my allergy, however, the staff was eager to bring me things I could enjoy, like the asparagus fries and the hummus. I liked the fries best, but both dishes were very good, and I could see myself ordering either in the future.
For our entertainment, Marlow’s also provided live music. He was very good, and I thought his song choices fit the event perfectly.
All in all this was another very successful and very enjoyable Unilocal event, and I look forward to heading back to Marlow’s in the near future!

What a GREAT Elite event! Marlow’s Tavern is located near Funky Monkey and Tommy Bahama in Pointe Orlando. Our event was located outside, boasting a great patio area. Mitch Michael entertained us, what a great voice and song selection. Our group was singing along with Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, Pete Yorn, Dave Mathews and more as the evening progressed. We are scoping his FB page for when he plays at Marlow’s again to plan our next visit.
The inside offered plenty of booths, tables and hightops. Staff was very friendly and the menu offered plenty of options for any different kind of tastes. Ms. Colleen worked her magic and we tasted our way through many different bar and food offerings. We will be BACK. Drinks were tasty and creative, food was wonderful. I never would have thought fried asparagus would be something people were diving for, it was stellar. Shrimp and grit cakes had great flavor and had everyone clamoring for more. Kettle chips with toppings were scrumptious. Crab and shrimp nachos, YUM. Hummus and chips/​veg, YUM. Great options for snaking, tapas or eating a full meal. Onto the festive adult beverages: Nice selections of beers, wines but the bar is where it’s AT. The Skinny Margarita was amazing, skinny due to agave and not sugary sour mix. Fresh, great flavor. Gin Job was tasty and the Pom martini was juicy perfection. Shall we talk about CHRISTMAS IN MY MOUTH? Yes, the Winter Spice Martini is just that and should be renamed accordingly, with all trademarking going to Justine, who came up with that description. Go there now, get your nosh and beverage on! Thanks so much for having us!

I thought I had been to my best Elite event, but It may be a tie. I always count on my Unilocal friends to find the best places, but somehow this is one that we had missed. Let’s start with the easy one. The live music. We originally saw Mitch on what turned out to be his first gig almost 3 years ago when we were getting ready to move to Florida. He still sounds great and puts on a great show! The drinks were good, but I hate to admit that I stuck with what I knew. I didn’t try any of their signature cocktails, but I can say that the drinks were strong and the service was superb. The food was magnificent! I don’t even know where to begin. I would give 5 stars to everything but the humus. That was about a three, as I found it average and nothing special to me. The asparagus fries were a 9 (can I do that?). We will definitely be back to try the rest of the food and especially the okra fries. The tempura batter is an awesome compliment to the perfectly cooked veggies. Thank you Colleen and Marlow’s from the bottom of my heart (and my stomach). Another perfect Elite event! It was great to find another cool spot and get to visit with all our friends.

It was so great to enjoy an event as Unilocaler. You know it will be a fun night when 4 drinks tickets are on the table. There were two drinks Unilocal set up for us but apparently you could get anything off the menu. I didn’t really believe that so I stuck with the pomegranate martinis and they were delicious.
The food was great (and it kept coming). I really enjoyed the shrimp and grits. The fried asparagus was heavenly. The flatbread was great. Seriously, everything I sampled was great.
We were outside and I was scared I was going to be chilly but it turned into a great night. The musician, who is a staple at Marlow’s Tavern, was great. He played an awesome selection of music and wasn’t bad to look at.
And on the bathroom note, there are three: Men; Women; and an either/​or. Chalkboard walls (my fav) but I didn’t see any chalk… Hmm.
Thanks to Marlow’s Tavern, Laura and Colleen for this event. It was a ton of fun. I want to eat at the restaurant and try their burgers.

Was super presently surprised with this venue! Amongt other touristy places off i-​drive this was a foodie/​drink lovers paradise. As always this was another fabulous Unilocal event. Colleen and everyone did a fantastic job. I made a few new friends and saw some old friends.
Marlow’s Tavern is a modern tavern/​gastro pub. Their staff was so polite and attentive and the décor was warm and welcoming. I will definitely be returning. Cocktails were amaze. Seriously, I am mostly a beer drinker but these cocktails were to die for. There was a gin and cucumber concoction that was was so light and delightful. Next I tasted a pomegranate martini that was perfectly balanced and tasty. After that there was this Christmas martini?! I can’t remember exactly what it was but it was like «Christmas in my mouth»… No really! I can’t wait to go back to marlow’s for that cocktail alone.
Next the food… So so so so good. Shrimp and grit cakes with spiced remolade was so tasty. The pub chips are far superior to most others in Orlando. They were homemade chips covered in a Gorgonzola sauce and bacon with fresh chives, so good!
Also the music was great! One guy with an acustic guitar player a mix of old and new songs and was the perfect volume. Not too loud that you couldn’t talk to everyone. And he was actually very talented. Would love to hear him at another event sometime soon please.
All in all this was another great event that enabled fellow Unilocalers to meet and have a great time face to face. Thanks to everyone involved, you rock!!!

Five stars for the event — one star for us for arriving so late (unavoidable as it might have been). I mean when you get to an elite event and they just FINISHED the draw for prizes, you’re pretty darn late. It was hard to «make up for lost time» — food was down to last dregs, even as they did bring out more — and we didn’t try. Better to reacquaint and meet new people, which is always the highlight any way. You can eat or drink any where, free or for a fee, but fine folks we meet at Unilocal Elite event you don’t get just anywhere. I love especially how we do our best to make the new ones feel welcome. One time, one person said that she’s been to our church, and it was the «coldest» place she’s ever been. OUCH! Unilocal Elite events aren’t like that, whether it’s your first time or twenty-​first time. Let’s keep it that way.
I am incapable of waxing eloquent on the food as many of my fellow Elite members have already, but from what I’ve seen of Marlow’s new location, I REALLY like it. Food was tasty all around (OK I didn’t say HEALTHY — this is a pub, peeps!), but whether it’s new items or new treatments of old favorites, the fare we sampled last Thursday showcased two important ingredients of a great kitchen: flair and imagination. As I commented on one of Jim’s wonderful photos, service was superb.
Thanks for another great evening, Colleen. I won’t do my usual name-​check — you guys and gals know who you are, and how delighted Agnes and I were to see you all, many of you, again, and others, for the first time. Until the NEXT time…

Always a great time!
Enjoyed the outdoor seating with live music.
Now, the asparagus tempura–
Fry potatoes– sweet or Idaho.
Cheese – mozzarella, Gouda or brie, does not matter to me.
Asparagus?
Leave it alone.
It’s a crime against nature.

Finally able to make it out to an Orlando Unilocal Elite event, and the best way to describe it, for lack of a better word would be: WOW !
Marlow’s Tavern is a pretty cool place, they were very generous to the Unilocal crowd, the night was simply perfect for an event like this in the outside patio.
Awesome live music, this guy is pretty darn good. Will definitely return with friends to enjoy another night here especially now that the temperatures are dropping to the very comfortable 50’s or so…
As for the food, the shrimp & grits are simply fantastic, way to get creative with these two items, you would never think they match but match indeed they do and they leave you craving for more.
Asparagus fries, what? How freaking awesome is that? Freaking and Awesome indeed.
Hummus, I have an affinity with hummus and have tried it in a few places, Marlow’s Hummus, is quite simply some of the best I have ever had.
Shrimp and Crab nacho plate, this is just as good as you might it would be. My suggestion would be, go to Marlow’s Tavern and have you some, you will like it… a lot !
Drinks? Hell yeah, IPA for me, thanks !
Super Kudos to Colleen and the Orlando Elite crowd, this group definitely knows how to party.
Can’t wait for the next one, if I’m allowed in… I will be there !
Cheers Orlando !

This is my favorite type of pub/​eating place to meet up with friends. The shrimp grits dish was five star. The drinks superb. I recommend this place for anyone, especially after being on your feet all day at the Convention Center. Great place.

Since my first time here was for a Unilocal event, I will mention what I had when I was there:
Food:
Shrimp and Grits– so good Bubba might not have let himself get blown up if he had tried it! Amazing!
Buffalo Chicken Flatbread– So tasty I think a buffalo would gladly give it’s life to be a part of this dish. Lucky for the buffalo, there is no buffalo on this flatbread.
Asparagus Fries– Apparently the tastiest fry ever because by the time I turned to grab one from the BRAND NEW basket brought to the table, they were gone except for a sliver-​crumb. Thanks guys! (ps, crumb was tasty)
Crab cheese nacho– WTF. This shoudln’t taste so damn good. But it does.
Drinks:
They are ALL awesome. I will come back to marlow’s just for the drinks… and stay for the food.
The Gin Job– Not just a clever name! It is a gin and tonic with a punch of basil flavor and a cool refreshing hint of cucumber
The «Christmas in my mouth” — Like a white Russian having sex with a cinnamon stick. Does that make you horny? I am. FULLY. Ask for it by name… although this is NOT the real name of it…
The atmosphere of Marlow’s is elegent and inviting.
I was also told this was their soft opening and I couldn’t believe how well run their service and staff was for a first day! Well done.

Thank you Marlow’s Tavern and Thank you Colleen! This has to be up there as one of the top Unilocal Elite events I have been to. It was a perfect night to enjoy the cool weather on the patio with some old Unilocal friends, and I got the opportunity to make some new ones! I really loved my Unilocal sweatband and Flashdance 80’s style fingerless gloves too. Excellent compliment for the evening.
Not sure there is anything new to say about the food and service, except that it was really top notch! I would have to say that my favorite dish was the Crab and Cheese Nachos. I didn’t even know that they were nachos! It was also nice of Marlow’s to let us sample more than the original two drinks that they said we could try. My new go to drink this holiday season will the be the Winter Spice martini! Oh my Jesus, It is like Santa’s white Christmas coffee… kicked up a few hundred notches.
Another great thing was the fact that we had live music. This guy could sing! His range was very eclectic, and took requests. i did forget his name though, but I do remember he is at Marlow’s on Wednesday nights.
Thanks again Colleen! Not sure how you can top this one!

This was an awesome YEE in Point Orlando. The Marlow Tavern had recently opened and they wanted to show the Unilocal Elites what they had to offer:
— Pomegranate Martini (which I had them sevre in a traditional Rocks glass to make it more manly. it was super good)
— J.T.‘s Kettle Chips (best chips I’ve ever had)
— Marlow’s Famous Hummus (I’m a big hummus fan. And this was right on)
Thanks to Colleen B. for letting this Elite from Philadelphia join her awesome event! I really enjoyed meeting elites from Orlando.