Marion Street Deli and Pub

Cannot cook a steak had to send it back three times and then they overcharge me for not a good place to eat

Consistently great service and wonderful food. I eat here at least once a week. Best beer menu selection in the county. (matched only by phish heads).

Ron the owner of Marion Street Pub is one of the MOST Dishonorable men I have ever met. To say burgers are $ 5 on Mondays on your specials board but NOT say it’s 5-​close is FALSE ADVERTISING! And what does he do? Pat my boyfriend on the back and said «Sorry man, there is nothing I can do.» And walk off!
Then later calls my boyfriend AT his work to ask why we are making a fuss over «$ 5» hamburgers. The nerve of this guy.

Once there was a teen/​alternative/​young adult-​oriented music venue and coffeehouse here called the Marion Street Café which had great promise and where I saw some really rad shows, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be in the end. For one, they didn’t have the vision to bring back the best aspects of the old pharmacy space here and perhaps not the funds to do that, either. After that role, this space was a bar for a while, but still not using the richness of its superb architecture. Once this was the Columbia Pharmacy and the architectural trappings were amazing but somewhat neglected to time, wear, and tear. Alas no more: now this wonderful space has a new lease on life as the Marion Street Deli & Pub, a gastro-​pub that really fills a deep need in downtown Lake City.
The staff is beyond nice and prompt. Maybe I stopped by at less than a peak time, but everyone working seemed super-​attentive to all customers. I only had a drink – an Old Fashioned – and none of the food, so I cannot comment on the food at all. People around us were getting food though and seemed happy with it. I heard no complaints whatsoever. I asked for a Sazerac at first, not an Old Fashioned, but due to the bartender not knowing what the Sazerac was felt an Old Fashioned was safer than having her look up the Sazerac. I was a little unimpressed someone working at a bar with a very nice and extensive selection of fine liquors – including some good bourbons – was unaware of the noble Sazerac. The Old Fashioned was well-​made, though, no complaints there. Looking over their food menu it seemed both impressive and quite extensive, but the menu itself was ratty and dirty, which stood out considering how clean and well-​appointed the restaurant is: I’d suggest they just laminate their menus or else replace them every couple months, because they don’t look good as they are.
Marion Street is a remarkable business and I hope they’re doing well. I’m a little worried because even though they were busy even on a Monday and early in the evening, things others have reported about the food being bad, improperly done, and such hint that perhaps they’re not doing enough business to really ramp up the kitchen to the level you need for a gastro-​pub. However, they have a beautiful space, a good selection of food (on paper, at least), good drinks, and a great, friendly staff, so they’re on the right track. The real test will be if Lake City can support this gem or not, because that’s what is necessary to keep even the best restaurant in business: a viable and loyal customer base.

My boyfriend and I ate dinner here. I got the quinoa bowl, he got the shrimp and grits. As soon as his food hit our table it smelled rotten. He was so hungry he stole a bite before I could warn him. Needless to say, he was sick as a dog this morning. The food smelled absolutely rotten. The quinoa bowl, which I’ve had before, was so plain and my vegetables were essentially raw. Typically it’s «Asian» veggies and a lot of them. This time it was zucchini, squash, and chunks of massive raw carrot. That’s all. Maybe only 6 pieces of vegetables in the bowl. Whole experience was terrible. The waitress didn’t even remove my boyfriends rotten bowl of sickness. I think the concept of Marion is great, but they need managers BAD!!!

Marion Street Deli & Pub is a delightfully beautiful spot in the heart of the historic district in Downtown Lake City, a place so warm and charming that calls you in with her adorability. We were on our way to a different restaurant nearby, but as soon as I saw this deli-​pub I had to go here instead. Unfortunately, a pretty face suckered me in.
So, here is the straight poop on Marion Street Deli & Pub; the building and ambiance is wonderful; the wait staff is wonderful; the beer selection is wonderful; the full bar is wonderful… The food… Not wonderful.
First we tried the chili. Jeff was okay with the chili, but I thought it was flavorless. It was not a matter of seasoning; it is a matter of ingredients and construction. There was a lot of carrot in this chili. I am not a fan of carrots in chili it makes it more of a stew, which I guess technically chili is a stew. Grrrr, it makes it more like a beef stew. I think the carrots diluted the tomato flavor, and tomato did not have a lot of flavor to begin with coming from a bulk can or container, as did the beans. Canned tomatoes Just do not cut it. Canned beans just do not cut it. I think the problem with the chili was the carrots and the US Food, flavorless canned restaurant ingredients.
For lunch I had the mahi taco. The fish was cooked beyond recognition. Mahi when cooked to death can almost seem like chicken. It was dry and tuff, and quite frankly, tasted like chicken. The construction of the taco was poor as well. It was goopy and heavy in mayo-​sauce.
Jeff had a hot pastrami sandwich, something he is not allowed to eat on my watch, but he distracted me and ordered it so sneakily, saying I will have the sandwich special. He did not say pastrami so I missed it when he ordered.
The trouble with pastrami is that it is fatty, and for a guy Jeff’s age it is probably more dangerous to his heart than a whole room full of co-​eds with daddy issues. I want my husband to live a long time, and if he eats the things he likes all the time that is not going to happen. When he does get a little treat, when he gets pastrami, or a big fat bacon cheese burger, or any of the things he should never eat, there is a huge burden for that thing to be as good as he expects it to be. You do not get a pass on the fat and cholesterol when the food is disappointing. And WOW was this pastrami sandwich ever disappointing. They fried the pastrami crispy and then wedged it between butter soaked marble bread and fried that into a mouth sheading torture machine. It was awful. And the mustard was freaky and flavorless too. The sandwich was a disaster.
So, Marion Street Deli & Pub, is adorable, with a great beer selection, full bar, super friendly, smiling, small town girls waiting tables, and the food is so disappointing that you will wish you only came to drink.

Great ambiance and good food! Beautiful building and the employees are all smiles!

In the heart of downtown Lake City is this gem. Who would have thought? Thanks, Unilocalers!
Southwest chicken soup: chunks of chicken breast that was excellent, black beans and a hearty Broth. This was perfectly spiced. I could have been satisfied with a bowl of this yummy goodness.
Golden nuggets: Fried corn nuggets served with honey. These came out hot and crispy but I think the honey made the dish too sweet — with the sweetness of the corn. They were excellent without the honey but probably not worth $ 8. I was just hungry and wanted everything.
Slider Sampler: Meatball, brisket and pulled pork. They smoke their own brisket and make their own BbQ sauce. Pretty darned good!
Pastrami on marbled rye: the meat was outstanding. The French fries were homemade resembling a ruffle. Not a potato fan but these were good.
The building is a remodeled pharmacy with tin stamped ceilings tile and wood floors. Beautifully done.

I am giving this four star’s mainly for the atmosphere and in recognition of the hard work they put into the building. I have eaten there a number of times and never had anything that was overly spectacular. My last trip there I had the crab shrimp and fish soup which was OK but very salty, it did have a nice chunks of fish in it. my entrée was the beef brisket which was very very dry the barbecue sauce was good that’s what saved the meal for me.

Locally Inspired, Fiercly Independant Gastro-​Pub and Outdoor Eatery… Best of the Best in Marion County. Great food, great people, GREAT place!

Cool place to eat at. Good drinks and unique menu. One of the better places to eat in the area. Good variety and Very friendly waitress that.

We stopped in on our way down the coast, from
Atlanta to St. Augustine, for a quick healthy bite, and we were not disappointed. Great food, cool live music vibe, and well decorated interior. Two thumbs up! Kids loved it, as well as the adults! Great choice!

It’s very hard to patronize an establishment that messes up your lunch order on 3 different occasions and the person who takes your call places you on hold and doesn’t come back to the line after holding for 5 minutes. Also, it helps if you can actually get someone to 1, answer the phone and 2, have your call go through so you can actually place and order. I won’t be returning to this establishment and I also won’t even be surprised if the restaurant survives this year

We planned on stopping in Lake City on our way north with the kids. After finding sterling accommodations at the Comfort Suites, I noticed the long row of chain restaurants, and thought I would be having an ordinary meal. Little was I to know that I would have one of the best meals of our entire vacation downtown in this gem of a restaurant. If you are passing through skip the chains and head straight here.
First of all, the location is extraordinary. The restaurant is part of a historical downtown district and sits inside a restored brick commercial building. The restaurant is very open inside with very high ceilings, an open kitchen, and an adjoining bar area. The décor is filled with vintage newspaper clippings and other inspired touches. The front brick patio is very inviting even on a cool night with gas heaters.
We went on a Monday and we appeared to be the only tourists — always a good sign. The food was decadent. We started with pita and hummus which can be very boring wit which they spiced up with roasted red peppers, a touch of cheese, and other accoutrements — it was a great start.
We ordered the ‘golden nuggets’ — corn fritters — for our daughter but ended up eating most of them ourselves. With honey to dip they were extraordinary.
I had the brisket sandwich after considering many other options, mainly because they smoke their own brisket. Very very good. My wife had the chicken and waffles, which featured raspberry butter and raspberry syrup — she and my toddler devoured them.
They do have a kids menu which features pulled pork, and other more standard children’s fare but we found some of the starters to be perfect for a toddler.
The deserts looked fab, including red velvet donuts, but we didn’t get there — no more room! They also feature local beers, a nice selection.
This place really shines. I am just sorry we are leaving town tomorrow morning and can’t go back. You’ve got to try this place, even the prices are reasonable! Our bill came to much less than we usually spend on a place of this caliber. Bravo!!!

Well… The customer service, environment, décor, atmosphere is GREAT!!!
Now for the FOOD — positive part: The BBQ Brisket, Crab Cakes and house salads were very tasty and the hot food meals were cooked and seasoned well. The bad part: The Mahi Mahi fish… was NOT cooked all the way correctly. Solution: the cook should’ve cut in the middle with that area being so thick, cause someone can get sick.
The waitress was VERY NICE at making the cook redo it again, but it still wasn’t cooked correctly. I cook and have been to many restaurants in my hometown Chicago to know how that meal should be prepared.
The bathroom was clean and fragranced appropriately. All in all, my husband and I may go back.

Stopped in for a drink pre Olustee festival and went back for lunch. This is a very nice «local» place. The service was great and food top notch! Our bartender Teala was very personable and on top of her game! If we make it back to Lake City we I’ll make it a point to return to Marion Street!

It was a very pleasant surprise to find such a professional (and independent) restaurant in Lake City, and downtown to boot. Every aspect of restaurant management was easily met or exceeded. The interior buildout, menu design, menu creativity, service (both front-​of-​house and back-​of-​house) and overall quality could easily stand and compete with any restaurant in a larger metropolitan area. Portion sizes are generous to excessive (something that might be reconsidered as takeaway boxes indicate profit loss). Plating is creative but could use some attention (case in point: Biscuits & Gravy Benedict. Tasty but not visually appealing). The bread to protein ratio in the sandwiches was generous but offputting to smaller stomachs. These, of course, are very minor observations to what is an incredibly successful implementation of a great new dining venue in Lake City.
Mr. Donovan Rating: Two Thumbs Up (taste, service, style, price, options) & Will Return

The food is usually good but at times it can be mediocre, the staff is friendly, and there is a little bit of wait. I’m still a fan, but I have noticed a decrease in customer service and overall food quality. I will say that for Lake City, Marion street does a fairly good job of keeping people coming back.

We tried Marion’s last week for the first time and again last night. Someone put a lot of effort into creating a nice dining experience. The inside of the restaurant was perfect — the owners did a great job remodeling, makes this one of the nicest spots in town from an aesthetic standpoint. They are promoting themselves as a gastropub.
Service:
On our first visit we got great service, last night was a different story. We had a server in a bad mood, which was unfortunate because she was very efficient and took good care of the table, she just did it with an attitude.
Food:
It should be noted that everything at the restaurant is hand made and prepared in-​house, from the mozzarella sticks to the deserts. In true gastropub fashion you can expect to receive freshly prepared meals — a rarity in today’s frozen food world. Ambitious efforts like this deserve due credit — it’s much harder to run a restaurant where everything is made to order and served fresh.
First time — the food was just «ok». The disappointingly overcooked steak (which was a tough cut to begin with) I received was a sharp contrast to the great fish tacos my wife ordered. The much hyped brownie desert was clearly frozen or refrigerated after it was made — why would you do that at a Gastropub?
Last night — the food was much better. I went with one of their flatbreads and everyone else got sandwiches (and one more steak — which was ordered well done). Everything was good and the sandwiches were particularly well received. We finished the meal with a carrot cake which was decent but not spectacular.
Each night we’ve been there they’ve had live music. Sometimes the atmosphere is as important as the food and in this case the live music is Marion’s «Extra Credit».
One funny note: As we were leaving I visited the men’s room (it was clean — don’t worry). As I took position at the urinal I heard two sharp raps on the door as it swings open and a girl walks in announcing «BATHROOM CHECK». On seeing me she immediately did an about face and scooted back out. She was standing nearby when I left shortly thereafter and I took a moment to advise her that at 9:30 on a weekend you are likely to find the men’s room in a bar occupied. Note to the owners: Send a male staff member into the men’s room to do checks during peak hours.
When I go to a restaurant I expect two things at a minimum — good (not great) food and good (not great) service. When I get both of those things I’ll happily give a clean restaurant 3 stars — «Great» earns an extra star in each associated category. Taking both visits into account I got better than average food and average service in a clean restaurant, which resulted in three stars. The fourth star comes from the atmosphere and credit is due the owners for having the vision to put this place together. I really wish I could give Marion’s five stars and hopefully I’ll be able to update at some point soon once they work out the kinks and find some consistency both in the food and the staff’s training. Oh, and in case you’re wondering — I judge each restaurant on the merit of its category — equal stars does not mean a burger joint is as good as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.

Very nice addition to small town Lake City.
This place has a very neat décor,
Great food, friendly staff,