July 7, 2017
Corpus Christi, Texas – I’ve driven through Texas twice, but this was my first time actually traveling to Texas. We were in town for a graduation ceremony. It was my son’s idea to dine here today. He’s pretty good at taking us cool places, so we gladly went along expecting yet another nice outing.
We drove down South Padre Island Drive toward the gulf, across the causeway, and onto South Padre Island itself. Then, suddenly, we turned off South Padre Island Drive (interestingly, it is frequently abbreviated as S.P.I.D. but never pronounced “Spid”.) and pulled into a dirt parking lot. I thought we had arrived at the wrong place. Maybe my son had to run an errand first. Nope. He said this was the right place.
We got out of the car and started walking back toward the road. A paving stone path branched off and meandered around a building covered with sea-themed murals. The building’s trim was painted in bright colors. Soon, I heard Reggae music playing and knew we were in right place.
The sign next to the door said, “Enter here”, so we did as instructed. Since we immediately moved outside to the patio, I don’t remember much about the interior other than the walls were painted in a sea green color. I hear the bar area features a handmade translucent bar.
The patio provided a nice atmosphere for our late afternoon event. One of the first things you’ll see as you head out to the patio is a post with marker signs nailed to it showing the distances to destinations like Charleston, SC; Santa Fe, NM; Albuquerque, NM; and Dumas, TX. My favorite was the marker for Paradise. It says 0 miles.
The poles and the patio cover were painted in bright colors to go along with the trim of the main building. There are several wooden tables, lots of sand, and patches of grass and gravel. A turtle pond is on premises. Palm trees and other flora abound. It felt like being in the Bahamas. Even if you aren’t dining here on the patio, it looks like a relaxing place to just walk around before or after your meal inside.
We asked the staff to light the tiki torches for us, mainly to help keep mosquitoes away. It was not completely effective. That’s probably why there is a mosquito warning posted. A word to the wise should be sufficient.
According to the menu, the founders of The Angry Marlin Restaurant and Coolwater Bar, Glenn and Ricky, met 20 years ago in Dallas, Texas. Both worked in and managed different restaurants but kept in touch throughout the years. While Glenn was back visiting The Island, as South Padre Island is sometimes called, Ricky showed Glenn a place that had the potential to become something wonderful. Glenn got on board, moved to The Island, and The Angry Marlin was born.
The restaurant incorporates New Mexico fusion, which is found throughout the menu and in a special dinner entrée section at the end of the menu. Angry Marlin uses fresh local ingredients and flavors of Santa Fe. How did that end up on a Texas restaurant menu? Glenn, one of the founders, is from New Mexico. Actually, I should have guessed that from the Zuni sun symbol on the menu.
I also noticed lots of blue corn featured on the menu. The blue corn serves as crusting for items from shrimp to onion rings to fried chicken to hot wings (!).
My dinner selection came down to a choice between a green chile burger and a Pueblo Indian Taco ($11). The Indian Taco replaces the traditional tortilla with Indian Fry Bread. I opted for the taco because it’s much easier to find a green chile burger than it is to find real Indian Fry Bread. I’m always on the lookout for fry bread. And since the menu has a whole section dedicated to New Mexico fusion, I figured they’d know a little something about Indian Fry Bread. I ordered some tea ($2.49) to wash it down.
Within our group of six, we had a lot to talk about. With so much conversation going on, it seemed like our food came out fairly fast.
My tea arrived while we waited. It tasted brewed but just didn’t quite get me excited. Nothing really noteworthy but it did clean my palate and it was refreshing on a hot and humid day.
Now let’s talk about the taco. The Pueblo Indian Taco is served open-faced. ‘Inside’ is pulled pork, cheese, lettuce, pinto beans, raw red onions, tomato, and red or green chile. I ordered mine Christmas style (both red and green chile) and no tomato. It comes with a side of dirty rice.
Dirty rice was a unique choice as a side for an Indian Taco. It’s not often I get dirty rice, let alone see it served in a restaurant. I was pleased to see it being offered here. The ingredients elevated the flavor of the rice itself, but it was far overshadowed by the Pueblo Indian Taco.
My, oh my, what a combination of tastes that taco had! Just perfect. The pulled pork blended very well with the sweetness of the fry bread. The thickness of the fry bread held up very well to the all of the liquid the other ingredients contained without getting soggy. I would have been happy with just the pulled pork on the fry bread, but the beans, cheese, and lettuce added that much more flavor. And then the chile adds enough punch to knock the whole dish out of the park. True to its Texas upbringing, this was a big meal. I ended up taking the rest of it back to the hotel for later.
Dining solo, as a couple, romantic lunch or dinner, groups, everyone will feel comfortable here. The menu is varied enough to please nearly every palate. Plus, it’s the only place I know of where you get a little bit of Texas, New Mexico, The Gulf of México, and The Caribbean, all in one place.
Though ‘Marlin’ appears in the restaurant’s name, there is no marlin on the menu. But they do have live entertainment. And they will cook your catch for you, even if you caught some marlin.
Angry Marlin and Coolwater Bar – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A true “diamond” on The Island!
P.S. Sorry, no photos. I didn’t even consider reviewing this place until the next day.
Kanale Eats 