Review: Marlow’s Tavern on International Drive Offers Unique Tavern Fare at Reasonable Prices

Hi everyone!

It was a busy Tuesday, beginning with a media event at the upcoming SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium and then lunch just a few minutes drive away at Marlow’s Tavern. Marlow’s Tavern has been located at Pointe Orlando near the Orlando Convention Center for over 2 years now, with solid reviews online. The restaurant could be easy to miss, with the plethora of restaurants on International Drive – but I’m glad we finally made a visit.

Pointe Orlando offers a convenient parking garage, and Marlow’s Tavern validates for parking. The restaurant is located on the lower level, along International Drive. Once downstairs, it isn’t hard to find.

Marlow’s Tavern offers “Classic American Tavern Fare” – but often with a twist, including burgers, salads, sandwiches and Tavern Favorites. One of those Tavern Favorites is Shrimp & Grits, which won an award at the Downtown Food & Wine Festival just a week ago.

For full disclosure, we were originally invited for drinks and an appetizer to try Marlow’s Tavern. Until the end of the meal, we expected to pay for our entrees and dessert (Marlow’s ended up covering it all, with us paying a full gratuity).

We began with two drinks – I had the Sangria, and Jeff tried a drink off the seasonal Bayou ‘n Bourbon menu. The description of it: “Pat’s” Marlow’s Hurricane– a New Orleans tradition stolen from Pat O’Brien’s.  Bacardi light rum, fresh orange juice and a floater of Bacardi 151. Hold onto your beads!”

My sangria tasted very fruity and I ended up with a second one (just to make sure it was good!) 

There are quite a few appetizers available, and they range from $4.50 to $13.00. The Asparagus Fries with Tarragon and Citrus Aioli was completely addictive, it took some willpower to not order a second one. It is also on the lower end of the price range at $5.50. The coating is similar to what you get with onion rings, but the asparagus gave it a very interesting flavor and a different type of crunch inside. We split this. I’ve never had anything quite like the Tarragon and Citrus Aioli, it is a wonderful accompaniment . We were also told (by someone on my Instagram account) that J.T.’s Kettle Chips are a must, so we will save that for next time.

The Classic Tavern Burgers come with patties that have never been frozen, on a toasted sesame brioche roll. My burger ($9.00) came with a generous portion of hand-cut fries. I’m not sure what the size on the burger is, but it was large and I took half home and was happy to enjoy it again.

Jeff ordered the Deconstructed Jambalaya, also on the Bayou ‘n Bourbon menu. It includes grilled Prestige Farms chicken, andouille sausage, house-made dirty rice and traditional crawfish Creole sauce. I believe this entree was $16.50, I forgot to photograph that particular menu. Jeff loved it. He doesn’t eat a lot of jambalaya, but he just raved about the dish.

This refreshing cocktail is the Blueberry Buck 3.0. It includes Hangar One Blueberry, Fresh Lime, Simple Syrup, Barritt’s Ginger Beer and Shaved Nutmeg.

We also split one dessert. We had a hard time choosing between the Honey-Bourbon Bread Pudding, made with honey and vanilla crème brûlée, soaked Cuban bread and a splash of Jack Daniel’s Honey (a seasonal item) and the Warm Chocolate Cake, which includes warm pecan & Jack Daniels syrup with hand scooped vanilla ice cream. We didn’t have room for more than one dessert, but they equally sounded wonderful. We ended up going with the chocolate option. This dessert was truly like nothing I have had before. The Jack Daniels syrup with pecans is such a unique flavor, and I’m not familiar at all with Jack Daniels and I don’t eat pecans. But it worked with this cake, and the ice cream was a bonus. For $6.00, I think it is really a bargain. Actually, I felt like our meals were very reasonably priced for the local market. The $9.00 burger would easily go for $10.99 in other restaurants, and this dessert would not be overpriced at $7.99. It looks smaller here than it is in person, the portion size was pretty large.

Bayou ‘n Bourbon lasts through March 30th.

I enjoyed the artwork in the bathroom!

If you need information on Happy Hour, look no further than the ladies room.

I thought lunch was a great time to go to Marlow’s – there were guests but it wasn’t too packed, and it was nice and quiet for having a conversation.

We were also offered the outside patio to dine at, though we stayed inside.

If I hadn’t read the bathroom chalk board, then I’d have found out about the Happy Hour specials outside.

We look forward to going back to Marlow’s Tavern. It is very convenient for the Orlando Convention Center, the upcoming Orlando Eye (about one mile away), and other attractions that include Ripley’s Believe it or Not and WonderWorks. There is also a Regal Cinema here, making for a nice dinner & movie combination. Check out their website for specials and seasonal menus, as well as their Facebook page. And if you join the Insider’s Club, you can get $10 off of $30 (food only, expires 60 days from receipt). I signed up and received my email with coupon within seconds.

There is a second Central Florida location in Winter Park. Marlow’s Tavern Orlando is located at Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Drive, Orlando FL. 407-351-3627.