Dockside Restaurant

Well, I found this little gem after a 22 mile bike ride with friends. We were famished and needed to get to some food immediately! Figured we’d try this little joint out — right on the water with some picnic tables in the sand. Football was on and the place was fairly busy. We were seated immediately and our waiter was attentive and funny! One of us ordered a sandwich, another ordered steak and baked potato and I got shrimp and grits… every meal was delicious! There wasn’t a single complaint! Friendly, good food, good prices, attentive staff and great atmosphere — we will be back!

The buffalo oysters are a good choice. The hush puppies are shit. The dude playing Alice in Chains and Van Morrison covers was nice. The inside looked like the Regal Beagle. Really, though, sit outside — it’s an awesome spot.

Been coming to this place for years but have been away for awhile. The quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff hasn’t changed since I’ve been gone. The only complaint is that the crab legs weren’t cooked very well. They were spongy and way too salty but I devoured them anyway. The outdoor bar is a lot of fun and has a great choice of fruity drinks.

I had the crab sandwich for lunch. It was most excellent. The crab was tasty, the crab patty was lightly seasoned so as to not over power the crab. The coleslaw was very good. Chopped up bite sized which is a touch I appreciate. Very pretty view when sitting outside. Reasonably priced. God house wine. And the service was friendly, competent, and prompt.

This is a first for me. I have never returned food. I would give zero stars if I could. How do you mess up crab cakes? The staff was very friendly and accomodating. Beyond that… it was a sinking ship. The inside had carpet that we had in our basement about 30 years ago. Didn’t appear to be real clean. We got around that. The fried fish and fries looked like they came out of the frozen section of the Food Lion. The salads were not fresh. One meal out of 4 (seafood pasta) was o.k. The drinks were $ 5. We ended up paying for the kids meals which were $ 72. It was about $ 10 worth of food. Very disappointed. Again, the staff was very apologetic and accomodating and couldn’t have been nicer but the food is not nearly up to par… not even close.

This rating is for quality of food. They have a great selection of bands for their Saturday night shows. However, be prepared to eat seafood and only seafood (except for the one burger on the menu). They are unwilling to make changes to the preset way food is made. For example — the one burger they have, I ordered, and they made an ‘exception’ to put the crab cake on the side. On the side! And when I got the burger it wasn’t well done like I had asked. And the hush puppies are bland. Overall — not good enough quality for price. Will not be returning for food again. May come for late drinks & dancing — but not for a sit down meal.
Also — after 9:30 on the weekends kids should be gone. Its all drunks and rowdy dancers.

The fried fish was amazing and they have teriffic fries.

Best bar in Colonial Beach. You ask locals where they go for good service, good food, and a friendly environment and they will tell you Dockside.
The management does a great job making sure that amazing talent comes in to play killer music on Sat night and they do their best to make sure customers are always looked after and happy.
Definitely try the hand cut mozzarella and then go big or go home and try the Hangover. A beastly burger that sports bacon, egg, and a blue crab cake.
Today its Sunday. I’m watching football enjoying their killer wings, cold beer, and watching the game on one of their 5 large flat screens in a screened in tiki bar ON THE BEACH!!!

I guess they fired all the rude, inattentive staff from before because we had no problems with service. The guy behind the bar kept a genuinely friendly tone the entire time, with us, with new customers, with callers. He was up to his eyeballs in stuff to do but managed to get everything right and out in a decent amount if time, all the while keeping a level head.
Anyway, to the food. I had the eggs Orleans — lord have mercy. My eggs were poached hard (the yolks were pretty much cooked through) and I didn’t ask for them that way but was secretly grateful they came out on the hard side. The crab cakes were excellent, meaty, hardly any filler, fresh crab. Oh let me explain; the Orleans is two mini crab cakes on top of a toasted English muffin, topped with poached eggs and hollandaise. If you’re ever there for brunch, GET THIS DISH. God it was like heaven on a plate. Plus, they add a peppery twist on the breakfast potatoes. They’re sautéed in oil (I think) and mixed with peppers and onions. I was pleasantly surprised.
My husband had the corned beef hash and eggs and didn’t complain so I assume it was good.
The only odd thing was in the women’s bathroom there was like, a plates worth of bacon in the trash can (that isn’t covered by a lid)… So that was. Weird.
4 stars, dockside!

Went here for our anniversary and sat outside and let me just say, you forget your at Colonial Beach and feels like your in key west. I loved the sandy beach area, hammocks, adirondack chairs and a tiki bar. There was a band playing at nine but unfortunately it’s too late to have my 8 month old. Would love to go back when we have a babysitter :)
My sister in law got the steak which she loved. I had the crab cake sandwich and it too was fantastic. The hush puppies were so good as well.
We are moving to CB in a month and can’t wait to get back to Dockside.

I didn’t have high hopes for this place, but I was incredibly wrong. Wow!
First of all, very kind and accommodating staff. On time as well. A little slow on the drinks, but then again, there were a lot of them.
Incredible evening outdoor atmosphere, with bright colored benches and patio area. You can also play cornhole, or enjoy the outdoors. So wonderful! When it gets later at night, the outdoor lighting is a bit dim. I suggest candles, tikis, or Christmas lights to brighten up the vibe. If they did this, they could maybe move their live music outside and take advantage I that vibe.
Lackluster indoor area, sadly, and the air conditioning was blasting a cold and putrid aroma. Eat out on the patio if possible.
Note: I don’t usually do seafood, but this was spot on!
I ordered the flounder stuffed with crab cake. The crab cake is claimed to be famous for a reason: appropriately spiced crab cake with an old bay style mixed with a creamy flavor. The broiled flounder was very fresh, but there was a but too much butter for my taste.
My brother lives close by, so I hope I can come back some day. So worth it!