Gardens Mall shoppers, there’s coconut shrimp, piña colada cake and Baja Margaritas in your future. That’s thanks to that famous lifestyle brand established on island vibes, looks and flavors.The Florida-born Tommy Bahama brand is set to open a new restaurant at the Palm Beach Gardens mall. Tommy Bahama’s Marlin Bar makes its debut Tuesday, June 20.The new bar and restaurant now houses the mall’s existing Tommy Bahama store, but in a new location. The first-floor store has moved into the Marlin Bar’s second-floor space, between Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The 9,000-square-foot space also includes an outdoor patio.Unlike Tommy Bahama’s full-service restaurant at Jupiter’s Harbourside Place, the Marlin Bar takes customers’ orders at the bar. Servers later bring the orders to their tables.“We developed the Marlin Bar concept to create a more casual way for our guests to enjoy the Tommy Bahama shopping and dining experience,” Tommy Bahama CEO Doug Wood said in a restaurant statement. “We also have more room in the retail store so we can showcase our expanded women’s collection. I know that our Palm Beach Gardens guest is going to love our new space.”More openings:Downtown West Palm’s The Square adds New York restaurants
Tommy Bahama’s menu offers island-inspired bites, sips
What’s to eat at the new Marlin Bar? While the food menu is not as extensive as the Tommy Bahama restaurant in Jupiter, the Marlin Bar menu does offer more dishes than your average happy-hour bar-bite list.
The Gardens menu lists shareable snacks such as a Mexican street-corn dip with house-made chips ($11), coconut shrimp with papaya-mango chutney ($13), jerk spice chicken wings ($14), and crispy vegan Buffalo cauliflower ($9). Larger bites include brisket birria tacos ($15), blackened mahi mahi tacos ($14), cheeseburger sliders ($13), Cuban sandwiches ($13) and chicken poblano quesadillas ($12).
There are bowls as well, including an ahi poke bowl ($17), a grilled chicken and mango salad ($14) and a roasted veggie bowl ($14). And for dessert: key lime pie ($7), warm chocolate-coconut brownie ($8) and that piña colada cake with dark rum and white chocolate mousse ($7).
Cocktail highlights include Tommy Bahama’s signature Mai Tai ($15), Grapefruit-Basil Martini ($16.50) and the tequila-spiked Mango Nada ($15), which is kicked up with Tajín syrup. There’s also beer, wine and mocktails.
Marlin Bar: A first for Palm Beach County
While Tommy Bahama has Marlin Bar locations elsewhere in South Florida (Dania Beach and Fort Lauderdale), this will be the brand’s first Marlin Bar in Palm Beach County.
However, it’s not Tommy Bahama’s first Palm Beach County restaurant. In 2001, the Tommy Bahama Tropical Café and Emporium, a restaurant/retail hybrid, opened on Clematis Street steps away from the downtown West Palm Beach waterfront. The restaurant component closed in the summer of 2004, and the retail store moved to the former CityPlace the following year.
In November 2014, the Tommy Bahama restaurant and store opened in Jupiter, where it continues to offer a full-service restaurant experience with waterway views.
The Gardens’ Marlin Bar is one of five in Florida. It’s also the state’s ninth Tommy Bahama-branded restaurant and retail location. More Florida locations are expected to open next year, according to the restaurant company.
An idea born in Florida: The Tommy Bahama concept
The Tommy Bahama concept was first dreamed up in Bonita Springs. The Gardens Mall debut comes nearly 30 years after the brand’s first menswear items appeared on department store racks in 1993.
Read all about Tommy Bahamas’ Southwest Florida roots.
The brand’s hybrid, restaurant/retail locations are particularly popular, said CEO Wood in the restaurant statement.
“Over the last 30 years, we have seen how our guests enjoy shopping at Tommy Bahama when it is combined with a restaurant,” he said. “It’s one of the ways Tommy Bahama is different from other lifestyle brands.”
Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar
Located in The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Blvd., space J205, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-909-1886.
Hours: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. An “Island Time” happy hour with live music is offered from 3 to 6 p.m. daily.
Online ordering: Marlin Bar offers its entire menu for delivery and takeout as well, via online ordering. Find the “order online” tab on the Marlin Bar’s page at TommyBahama.com.