The food and service were very good. The building and deck could use a bit of freshening up.

Five stars for the beautiful waterfront location and friendly service. We went at 11.30 on a Sunday morning and they were just getting started. They did not have any draft beers and very limited selection of bottled beers, so we got a and a Bloody Mary. The chicken sandwhich and mazarella sticks were okay, nothing exceptional... would give 3 stars. Worth a visit if you are in the area. read more

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Fantastic view, friendly service, and great prices! Oh, and the food is pretty fantastic as well. Great portions for the money and solid crisp and flavor. read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - Fish n Chips Breaded and fried whitefish with fries and tartar sauce. - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

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Nice tuck away place by the water, Food was great!! Bang bang good stuff, Will be hitting up again this weekend!! read more

Cool riverfront location with a chill walk up bar. We went for drinks and live music and the location .... so location 5 stars. Beer selection 3 stars. Service at walk up bar 4 stars Live music. Welll we get there at 2. He was already on a break. 30 min goes by and he goes up to the stage and gets his cell and we expect him to start. But no... his pizza arrives and he spent the next 25 min eating. So one hour we finally left. If he is being paid they are not getting their moneys worth. So. Zero stars for the live music. read more

Dockside - Chill Vibes & Great Food Dockside is solid! A great spot to hang out, relax, and enjoy some really good food. Perfect for a laid-back day with friends or family. read more

Good bar that's as you guessed it, dockside. It has some pretty good views of the water. Dockside is one of the few places in Ottawa that's not a chain. Has a pretty basic bar menu. The drinks are pretty cheap, and food has some better options. After being here a few times, I can say the view is the best thing about it. It has a pretty nice patio. The river can be seen from inside too. Drinks are a good thing too, because these are real cheap. It's about $3 for the cheapest cocktail. They also have cheap shots. Food isn't as good. The House Salad is the healthiest thing. It's $7 for a small one. This did taste fresh though. Fried foods make up most of the rest of the menu. They have fish of course, since it's next to a river. For sure it's nothing fancy. Its nicest thing is the patio. The views are nice to look at while you get wasted. read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - Whiskey And The House Salad - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Wonderful location on the river. Incredible patios multi level outdoor patios on the water. Dog friendly. Kid friendly. Mooring for boats. Picnic tables, lots of parking There is no water access for swimming. Several stairs, one patio ground level. Good solid food killer onion rings. Closes October 27th for fall. read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - Onion rings - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

This is a hidden gem where locals hang out. The menu is simple with lots of fried goodies. We got bang bang shrimp, a side salad, and a pork tenderloin sandwich. The bang bang shrimp was a bit too spicy for me. The side salad with quite large but heavy on croutons, and the dressing was a packet. The tenderloin sandwich was ginormous! Definitely splittable. the Devil's Paint Bix IPA was delicious. The best part is defintely the views. read more

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Food was great Service also very good and cosy Ambiance great very friendly and relaxing read more

Not impressed. We were ignored by the server. Drinks came late. I didn't get the water I asked for. I ordered the pork tenderloin sandwich, but I couldn't catch the server for several minutes to bring the condiments. He brought them as I was finishing my super dry sandwich. Sometimes we find that 70 year-old people like us are invisible. We gave the server a 15% tip. Usually, we tip about 20-25%. read more

Good burgers, yummy fries, cheap drinks and two huge outdoor decks with views of the water. Was there two days in a row and drive out of my way the second day just to be there. Service could have been better but I did not mind. I'm sad I discovered this place at the end of summer. Next year I will come often to sit on their second story deck, relax with cocktails and catch some sun. I was told that some days they have a bands that play outdoors. I ordered a burger and I got to customize it, ordered my favorite toppings and cheese and it came with a huge side of fries and coleslaw. My entire meal was delicious!!!! I can't wait for next summer so I can go back read more

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Simple little place with nice large patio on two stories and solid burgers, pub food, etc. Great view of the river.

Super fun. Nice views and they hooked up my e-bike to recharge while we enjoyed blue moons and fried shrimp.

There is a rope across the access toad and no tresspassing sign. It appears they are closed. We called the phone number and it is an aitomated message with no options. read more

Definitely a hidden gem. We had the sweetest server. Brought our dog with us and we got the whole outdoor area overlooking the river. Food was delicious. read more

Of course, Yelp reports a place being open and they're closed yet again! But, as I was about to take off, the cook comes to the door and says hey, we can't serve drinks until 12 unless you want to wait (it's 11:40am). I'm like, no I just want a bite to eat. So after a few minutes of going back and forth after all that he's cooking my food and we chop it up a little. Unfortunately I was pressed for time so I grabbed my food and left. I ordered shrimp and calamari bang bang style, and it was awesome! Everything was FRESH and crispy. I'll definitely be back next time I come out. read more

If you were coming here for drinks and appetizers/fried bar food, it would rate 5 stars. For two very hungry motorcyclists needing dinner, not that great. The service was prompt but inaccurate. Ordered steak sandwich with onion rings. Got fries. Ordered bang bang shrimp dinner. Got the appetizer. No "how was everything" no "would you like another drink". The food was OK. Not great, not awful. The ambience right on the river, with all the outdoor seating is terrific and the inside is well appointed and comfortable. Live entertainment on the weekend. read more

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Stopped in for a bite after shooting at Buffalo Range. This place doesn't take cash but they have an ATM. We used to live down the street when it was H2O. They have since updated the place, thank goodness. The deck looks awesome! I ordered the Malibu chicken sandwich and it was huge with a heaping side of fries. The fries were a bit salty for my taste. The pickles here are delicious! My parents ordered burgers and they looked great. My husband also ordered a chicken sandwich and it was devoured quickly. They have plenty of dock spaces for your boat and we will definitely be back on our boat! read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - Menu - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

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It is definitely more of a bar than a restaurant. Keep that in mind if you think this would be a nice place to watch the River and have a meal with children. Menus on the website are not what was available when we arrived. On the plus side, the shrimp tacos were delicious. The onion rings were huge! read more

Wow! Ordered the backroad burger (bacon,onion rings, cheese) and it was the best burger I've have in a long time. Came with fries and slaw for only $9! Clean, riverside porch with good view and nice staff. Mac n cheese bites were great as well. Will come back if in the area again. read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

(Sigh) Pretty disappointed. The last time we came it was early on a Friday afternoon and the food was amazing. Seriously. It was so good. So we invited some foodie friends & raved about it the way there. We went on a Saturday, around 6pm. We both ordered wings with Bang Bang sauce (totally over cooked) and the double bacon burger. Our burger was supposed to be medium & our friends ordered medium rare. Both upgraded to onion rings. We were told a big party just came in so the food would take a little while, which we were fine with. (And they bought us a round for the wait, which was nice) When the food arrived, both of the burgers were well done at best & onion rings were ice cold. Flagging down a server was challenging, because, you know, the big party. She was sweet but just overwhelmed. Our pride was hurt more than anything, as our friends raised their eyebrows at the obvious mishaps. We asked them to remake the burger but got the same result. Atmosphere is nice, especially in the summer when they have live music. Suggest sticking to simple things--like beer--and grabbing something to eat beforehand or coming during the day in the middle of the week. read more

So glad some strangers we met from Ottawa recommended this place. Beautiful setting in the river with views from inside it out on the deck. Great atmosphere, very friendly server and manager. Good food and beer selection. Will definitely go back out next time in Ottawa. They also have a great setup for outdoor events with a lower level outdoor deck and reception and banquet area and great entertainment area all right in the river. Boats pull right up and dock to dine in it carryout. read more

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Really really good place to enjoy during the summer haven't been there in fall or winter yet but the food was phenomenal every time I've been there great scenery can chill and relax indoors outdoors and smoke on the patio which is very important as a lot of us Love 2....establishments don't allow that anymore I give this place 10 stars if I could and I can't wait to go back again! read more

The outside decks are awesome. The food is great and very reasonable and on Sunday there is live music can't bet that on a Sunday afternoon . Can't wait to go back read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - a table full of food - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Good food, good service and lunch for 2 for $13. Nice view of the river although we sat inside because it was raining. Looks like a great place to have dinner and a few drinks during the summer. read more

Gave Dockside, on the river, rating of 4 and not 5 for one reason, entry way and parking lot, terrible soft gravel with all the wet weather we have had! Understand situation with lot and entry is not entirely up to Dockside, area is in a 'flood zone' so can't/won't be paved by city, real shame! The food was really great, priced fair. Cocktails were very good and reasonable. Our bartender/waitress, Crissy (sp) was great, friendly and knowledgeable about menu and area. We would actually give a 4,75 if we had option, only deducting minor amount because of entry/parking, thinking will be great when dried out in warmer weather watching boaters and listening to live music. read more

Love this place. I've only been for afternoon shows but it never disappoints. Local acts as well as national acts in the outdoor stage. Right on the river with plenty of room for walking around. I usally take my pup and she's treated like a queen. Real good beers on tap. Even have guest breweries bring out thier trucks. I guess this place has only been open for a couple years. I am excited to get in on this while it's still somewhat newish. read more

Great food and live music. We were staying at a resort a town over and stopped here with the family for dinner. We sat outside on the deck overlooking the river and had a great time. We will definitely be back. read more

We stopped here for the first time while boating on the river. We were going to check the place out just to see what it was like after seeing it from the river. Unfortunately, We didn't get the chance to enjoy lunch or even a drink due to the aggressive customers in the lower bar area and at the dock. We chose to leave because of the way we were being treated. However, when we were leaving, we were approached by a man and a woman that either worked or owned? the bar. They apologized for their customers behavior and wanted to make sure it was no reflection on them. I appreciate them doing that because we left feeling very angry, harassed and unwanted. They unfortunately lost the business of seven people that were ready to both eat and drink. The aggressor seemed to be known for acting like that. There should have been quicker intervention in the bar, especially since we were right in front of several bartenders. read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

We bought property in Ottawa and have been checking out different places to eat around town. Dockside is a hidden gem! They have a huge deck right on the river. My husband and I got hamburgers, and we easily could have shared the meal! The burger was enormous with a huge portion of fries - think Five Guys. And the prices are ridiculously low! We found our new favorite in Ottawa. read more

While camping we decided to have dinner here. It was definitely a favorite spot for the locals. I would recommend candles on the tables on the very dark riverside dock setting. We couldn't see our menus without the help of our cell phones. And forget seeing your food. My husbands rib eye sandwich was very tender and tasty with a large helping of good fries and Cole slaw. My flatbread bbq chicken was a huge disappointment. The chicken and cheese topping was so salty I had to scrape it off the flatbread and just eat the bread. There was no side either. Our IPA beers were very good and our waitress, Trish, was excellent. Probably will try a different spot next time. read more

My favorite Sunday spot, although every time has been great here. Live music, great food and friendly staff. Great view on the river. This place is a hidden gem! read more

This place turned out to be our go-to place for live music this summer. They've had music all weekend , every weekend since Memorial Day Weekend. The food is very good, portions are ample. My wife and I are not drinkers, so I can't comment on that. I'm sure they're in line with all the other establishments tho. For us, it's all about the music tho. If you enjoy great music with a river as a backdrop, ducks wandering up on and around shore, good good at a fair price, this is the place for you. Check 'em out, you won't be disappointed!! read more

This place was great! Stopped in on a cross country road trip for dinner. Best feature is the view. Huge deck right by the river. Full of locals, who were very friendly (one helped us get our car started! Thank you Davey!). Good burgers (buttered bun) and GREAT fries. Wished I lived closer so I could come here again! read more

Dockside Bar & Grill - a view of a lake and picnic tables - Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Awesome bar food, fries are the best! a cool atmosphere with great views being on the river.. have been here many times and the service was always excellent read more

Location is cool, however we waited for 20 min without even getting water. We asked for waiter and bartender 2 times for service, but no dice. Ended up leaving without even anyone asking or noticing. read more

Great location right on the river with fun views. The service is very slow. The servers try but there seems to be a lot of confusion. The food was not as advertised on the menu. The descriptions did not match the sauces or spices. Tread with caution!! read more

Definitely would recommend to anyone in the area or even driving by! Stopped here on the way to Iowa and it was amazing. Awesome location right on the river with great views from the deck. The food was awesome and come in huge portions. I had the "Upscale Bacon Burger" and it was better than some I've had at "better" restaurants in cities like Boston, Cleveland and Los Angeles. The prices were so low compared to other restaurants I've been to of similar quality. The staff was very friendly and helpful. If I'm ever in the area again, I will definitely be returning. read more

The food is high quality bar food with very fresh seafood (which surprised me considering the seafood at most local restaurants), I drink beer and shots so I can't comment on what their mixed drinks are like but the bartenders were fast and courteous so I was happy with the service. The view was amazing, probably the best in town so I'll definitely be back!! read more