In an effort to try more places that we’ve passed so many times over the years, we went to St. Pete's Dancing Marlin for lunch recently! Having no idea what to expect, we swung open the door to find dozens of giant plastic fish staring at us in a space that made us feel like we’d just stepped into a dive bar along a coastal Florida town.

Updated May 2021

St. Pete's Dancing Marlin

A Greek fisherman opened St. Pete's in 1994, and and the fish on the walls are modeled after real fish that the owner has caught over the years! He’s has created a super casual, no frills atmosphere filled to the brim with vintage memorabilia, where locals, who all know each other, escape the Deep Ellum madness elsewhere in the neighborhood. Fun fact: Pete's has been featured in numerous commercials and is a hub for local film crews, actors, producers, and other creative community members!

ST PETE

DECOR

If it feels like you walked into a vintage shop, you’re in the right place. But it’s not tacky, in fact, everything hung on the walls and ceiling has meaning. You might even spot a signed Dirk jersey handing on the wall. Try your hand at a game of "I Spy" with friends to explore every corner of the restaurant.

FOOD

From a new American menu that features a wide variety of options, the food stays on theme with the fish surrounding your table. We started with the Tuna Crustini, which is sushi grade yellow fin tuna diced with pico de gallo and glazed with their house made zesty cilantro sauce. WOW it was so good! The sauce, for all the cilantro lovers out there, is divine. We then moved on to the fish tacos, because it’s not too often you find fish tacos in Dallas, but sadly they disappointed. However, we heard the must order signature item is the Dancing Tuna Steak! There's also salads, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and other American classics for those who don't love seafood.

PATIO

If it's nice out, head to their picnic table lined patio with a big tent shading it. It looks out over Commerce St and is never too crowded, so you can relax with a cold beer in hand and catch a sports game or people watch! It's really cool to check out and support iconic haunts, like this one, that have stood the test of time in rapidly changing neighborhoods like Deep Ellum!