I went here after a terrible experience at the very touristy, and rude Boardwalk Grill. Free parking here (unlike John's Pass Village which wanted to charge me $32 for 2 hours). The bartender, Kelsey was very friendly and helpful (unlike the exceptionally rude server at the Boardwalk). The food was damn good too. I had a grouper sandwich. It was HUGE! When it arrived, I thought they made a mistake because it looked like they brought me a fried hubcap, it was that big. It took a few bites before I got to the actual sandwich part and that's a good thing. The onion rings were very good too. I'm glad I had a bad experience before eating at the Boardwalk Grill because there is no way they could top the food or the service I had at Dockside Dave's. read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Huge grouper sandwich - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

Bad food ( we didn't eat 2 of 3 meals that we ordered). Very poor service- very slow. The food wasn't hot. We won't go back!

Dockside Daves has reopened! We had grouper bites, onion rings and a blackened chicken sandwich. All were delicious. Upper seating has view of Gulf! read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Onion rings are the best! - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

Best grouper sandwich anywhere. Outstanding onion rings, too! Since they reopened following the hurricane, they have an upper deck with views of the beach and gulf - awesome. read more

Just reopened and as great as ever! Had grouper and onion rings. Amazing atmosphere and outdoor seating area. Highly recommend!

Why did I wait so long to come here? Paula, who ran the entire dining room rocked. She was quick and efficient and was kind enough to blacken my fish on the lunch special instead of it's advertised fried. For $10, I received a decent size piece of fish, crisp lettuce and a white onion with bread and butter pickle slices. My only complaint was the bun wasn't toasted. It was served with waffle fries (yes they were that good and put chick fil a to shame) and a side of cole slaw. Everything was great and a wonderful deal. Support local business and local seafood. read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Blackened grouper lunch special ($10) - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

What a wonderful little spot. It's not the prettiest place on Gulf Blvd., but I doubt the food could be much better. Our service was good, our food was great. The atmosphere was a little meh, but this is a great place to eat for sure !!! The scallops were large, fresh and juicy. The grouper was large, fresh and juicy. The shrimp were large, fresh and juicy. You get the idea. YUM !!! read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

This place looks like a complete hole-in-the-wall, but don't let the appearance fool you. The seafood here is excellent. Be sure you start with the seafood bisque. Then order the black grouper (their specialty) which is fresh caught daily. There are several ways to have it prepared so I asked the waitress what was the best, in her opinion. She recommended the "lightly blackened on the grill" which was amazing. It gives you the best of both worlds - blackening seasoning for a little spice and the caramelization from the hot grill. There are dozens of seafood restaurants on Gulf Boulevard, but don't overlook Dockside Dave's Grill because it doesn't have a fancy neon sign or even a proper parking lot. read more

This place is the best seafood location within walking distance of the resorts at St. Pete's Beach. It's a bit towards the end of the "strip" for the resort area, but it's worth the extra walk. Seafood Bisque was really good! It looked like some colored sludge, but the flavors were delicious! Also, I've heard their onion rings are legit, but I didn't get a chance to try them on my two visits here. Calamari was decent, nothing spectacular, but well done and ample portions. Crabcakes get a bit salty if you eat all three by yourself, however they were fairly decent as well. The grouper meal was excellent, and many locals have recommended the grouper sandwich as an item to get here. Also had the chance to try the shrimp, and scallops dinner. Shrimp was a bit overseasoned, leaving them more salty than I would have preferred, however the scallops were definitely cooked well. Atmosphere is excellent, have some limits of beer on tap, but nothing that would take away from the experience here. All in all, if you're visiting the resorts at St. Pete's Beach and feel the need to get some seafood, Dockside Dave's is worth looking into! The best we found out of the handful of seafood places in the area! Hope that helps! read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Page 2, back of menu - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

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Grouper sandwich is famous- for a reason! I had mine blackened, but other options. Florida ambiance ( you'll know what I mean if you go there- it's a good thing). Great service. read more

Place is such a dive, I love it! Food was amazing, and the place had a nice kids menu. The Grouper sandwiches were awesome. We also got the seafood bisque. That was also incredible! A definite must when at St Pete Beach! read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Seafood bisque - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

This is a charming little hole in the wall with really good food. My hubby, Peter P. managed to write a review before me and mine would read nearly word for word like his. Highlights - Grouper "lightly blackened on the grill" - Onion rings the size of your head - Friendly and fast service Lowlights - Sangria, while tasty, was made with a powder - Key lime pie. Get it if you love sweet (they use an Oreo crust). If you like a tart pie, skip this one - Either someone was smoking in the kitchen or just outside the back door. It was starting to waft in as we were finishing dinner and it was yucky. read more

We had phenomenal service in this small quaint little place. Barb took great care of us and even successfully recommended portion sizes for our family saving us money. The onion rings are to die for. Seriously. The batter is seasoned perfectly and amazing. Tried to order a large order a d thankfully was told we really only needed a small. How right she was! Fried oyster dinner was exactly what I was craving. Caesar salad was so large my nearly adult kids shared it. The side Caesar salad at that. Gator bites, yum! Calamari wasn't a hit but that was by no fault of theirs. Chicken sandwich was delicious too. We will eat here again when we return to St Pete Beach. read more

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Great seafood restaurant on St. Pete beach!!! We walked in and were able to seat ourselves at a table of our liking. We were promptly greeted by our server, drinks ordered and reviewed the menu. Having dined here previously, we were familiar with their menu and offerings. Ordered a large basket of onion rings--- ohh my goodness gracious were they amazing! The rings were hot, fresh, huge and delicious! Served with horseradish and ketchup-- can't beat the flavor! Three of us ordered the grouper sandwich which was the largest portion I'd ever seen, a burger that was huge and chicken tenders with waffle fries. The burger was good, chicken fingers batter was great and waffle fries blew chick fil a away! Great alternatives to seafood. This is a low key restaurant which I appreciate! There are silverware and napkins on the table, some plates are Styrofoam and food is usually served in a basket. There's outside dining for those who wish to dine outdoors and a small parking lot. Please don't let this small dining establishment fool you on their food, flavor or expertise of a great meal! read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - The largest grouper sandwich I've ever seen!!!! Absolutely delicious paired with onion rings!!! - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

Real - Deal - Best - Grouper - Sandwich! Hands down, the winner of all Tampa Bay. Don't be distracted by touristy spots along the beach that say they are the best. All of the Dockside Daves have the biggest portion of REAL flaky thick white grouper around. I have had it grilled, fried and blackened and all are incredible. I also stole a few bites of the Grouper Ruben as well from my mom once and it was quite a treat and a unique take on the OG Reuben. Think Cole Slaw instead. Great appetizer - try the incredible fish spread which is a nice size portion for a few people to share. I also order the 2 crab cakes on the appetizer menu for less than $5.00 and have an incredible meal. Great spot to share onion rings (super fatty and greasy but oh my goodness good). I miss the old Dockside Daves which was actually DOCKSIDE! It had an incredible ambiance to sit by the water. None the less, it's one of our fave spots. We eat there often and never had a bad experience. I would highly recommend and taste the best grouper in town! read more

Best grouper sandwich I have ever had- hands down!! You can definitely tell this is a Dive by the locals who hang out here. The staff are welcoming and although we didn't have one specific waiter, they all were friendly and quick. The grouper was so large on the bun, it was double the size! I ordered my Grouper "Lightly blackened" and that was definitely the way to go. My boyfriend ordered it with lemon seasoning and although he enjoyed it, he liked mine better. I was kind of bummed that they removed the menu item of "Grouper Sliders" because that would have definitely been my first choice, but I was still happy with the sandwich. We also ordered a slice of Key Lime Pie. The portion was small, but it was absolutely delicious. My boyfriend's favorite food in the world is Key Lime Pie, so he has tried plenty, and he said that this was one of the best slices he's ever had- that's saying something! Downside: You have to specifically pay for your side items! The sandwich is just the sandwich itself for $14 bucks. Look- I'm willing to pay $14 for an excellent meal, but I don't like adding on another 2 bucks just for fries or cole slaw, I think in the least that can be included. read more

This is it folks as good as Grouper can get. You can have it prepared 7 diferent ways. You can even get Grouper tacos or nuggets. All come with the signature fresh sauces, horseradish, tartar and cocktail. This is FRESH! The tacos had generous amounts of grouper with slaw and a pico de gallo on top. The grouper sandwich (which is what Dave's is known for will not disappoint or leave you hungry! The REAL sliced, battered, fried, big as your fist onion rings were the bomb! Waffle fries were crispy, hot and goooood! Don't forget to save room for the (homemade Of course) Key Lime Pie. If you are looking for a great place, great food and good prices without alot of attitude--this is IT. Dave is even their bussing the tables! read more

I had the grouper sandwich, the flavoring was bland. There was only 1 cook & the entire restaurant was full. 2/3 servers working. The Experience and food was overall not worth it. Won't return read more

Went to Dockside Dave's on a Monday night in march after a recommendation from a friend back home...it was delicious, and inexpensive! We had the New England clam chowder and grouper fritter! For the main course we had the grouper Philly... Imagine a Philly cheesesteak with perfectly cooked fish instead of beef.. An interesting twist! And the grouper Caesar salad!! So yummy and a nice change from chicken! We also added a side of garlic bread for a dollar! Delish! We highly recommend this place. The owners were lovely and took the time to make us feel welcome! They introduced the staff to us and were there if we needed anything.. They also didn't seem to mind that we came in on the late side... Which was also appreciated! The prices were great dinner for 3 was 60$ unbeatable really! read more

I absolutely love this place. Came on vacation. I used my trusty Yelp friends to lead the way, and they didn't fail me!!! The ONLY possible improvement I could come up with is possibly a better beer selection. That being said, it's Florida. Florida isn't big on craft beer, so if I want a yummy IPA, I should go home to New York. So let's break this down... Ambiance... I LOVE dive bars, so the low key vibe was my jam. Bathing suit, shorts, flip flops. Boom. You're in. Drinks... As I mentioned, I'm a beer drinker, so it lacked there. But, the waitress suggested the Florida lager on tap. Citrus-y and yummy. It fit. Win. Dinner... Holy frick! I'm in love. I started my love for fish tacos in Austin, TX, where it sets the bar pretty high, and I've been chasing that high since. So I opted for the spicy shrimp tacos. My friend got the friend got the "famous" grouper sandwich, which, again, the waitress, Mandy, suggested. We shared a "small" basket of onion rings. They also offered several sauces, which they gave us large bottles of. (Who doesn't love sauces?!) Nothing fell short of amazing. These tacos were out of the world. Healthy slathering of guac on the bottom with some fresh salsa. The shrimp was fried perfectly with a banging spicy (not too hot) sauce on top! The grouper was lightly breaded country style, fried just right, placed on so soft roll. The onion rings were the bomb! REAL onions, thick slices and battered. So good. We followed it up with their only dessert, key lime pie. In a chocolate graham crust!! Everything was absolutely delicious!! Service... Not one face short of smiling or friendly. Food came out so quick (helpful after a day at the beach in the sun!). Mandy was so friendly and helpful, plus we were able to make the hometown connection!! In conclusion. I love this place. I will come back, 100% when I'm in St. Petersburg again. Heck, if if I'm in Tampa. If you love food, it's worth the drive. read more

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Best Grouper Nuggets in St.Petersburg! I love grouper nuggets! I've had them from key west to Miami all the way to home base in st.Pete and tried many places, Dockside Dave's has some off the hook Grouper Nuggets. I've never had better anywhere here in Florida! I ordered take out and just like I'd imagined they were done in 10 minutes! $11.70 for a TON of meat!!! I had like at least 15-20 good sized nuggets. Other places have charged me $17 for 6 prices...it's not like I'm eating lamb rack!! I was haaaaappy!The breading was light and not heavy or filled with grease, notdamp from the stryofoam box making moisture. It was perfect crunch. And the seasoning was out of this world and tastefully done and not too salty. Looked like an old bay or seasoned salt type of flakes on it. I had it dipped in ranch and that was just perfect. I then headed to the beach for the first swim of the season! I love the beach life and my new spot for grouper nuggets! Can't wait to try more from the menu! read more

I was referred to Dockside by patrons of another restaurant while here visiting St Pete Beach. In my travels I have informed almost everyone about my intentions to find the "best grouper sandwich" in St Pete. Cab drivers spoke of this place in unison. I was not disappointed. This sandwich was amazing. The black grouper was incredible and at the recommendation of the waitstaff I ordered it beer battered. Again I use the word Amazing. Fried, huge and seasoned well. Now, this is not for the faint of heart, it's a big fat sandwich and you're here for the grouper which there is a lot of. The bun was just alright (nothing crazy or different there), and I didn't get the fries on the side... But man that grouper was delicious. Moist, crunchy and all together great. All in all the grouper is the star of the sandwich, hands down. Lastly I will add that the rest of my party had the onion rings, and grouper nuggets. Everyone really enjoyed their food. Plus the beer was really cold and that added to our enjoyment. read more

Small place, but it had great character and better food. The blackened grouper was excellent, as advertised. The "side" basket of onion rings we got for the table was enormous and incredibly tasty. All the portions were large actually, but not at the expense of flavor. The service was very good. The waitress was friendly, helpful and just the right amount of sarcastic. read more

Have eaten at Dockside Dave's a few times. It never disappoints. The Grouper sandwich is a must try. It comes blackened, battered or country fried. My favorite is country fried. It's a little lighter than the battered, but the blackened is great also. The sandwich is also large enough to be two meals for most people. read more

This place is fantastic. I decided to stop here after reading all of the reviews on Yelp as well as hearing it was a great place from a few locals. Definitely better than my expectation. Driving up I had a bit of hesitation as it looks a little worn on the outside, but the inside is very fun and beachy themed. The staff were very polite and informative when choosing menu items. The bar tender was exceptionally sweet. I was also waited on by three different people so that I never had to ask for anything. And I have so many great things to say about the food! I ordered the grouper sandwich as it was recommended. It is enormous! Easily the size of a normal dinner plate and spilling off the edges of the buns. Perfectly battered and fried and the waffle fries were great as an addition! I would recommend spreading the tangy Cajun sauce that comes with the gator bites (gives it a great kick!) on it or leaving it dry. Either way, it's delectable. If you're in the area, definitely worth a stop. read more

Ok so, We've driven by this place 50 times and never stopped in. Shame on us! If you like great real food, great people then stop in!! The grouper is fresh and cooked perfectly. The waffle fries are amazing!! The staff is hilarious and not fit the faint of heart! I wish yelp would let me give this place more stars. read more

Love the grouper sandwiches here. I always get mine blackened. But I have friends that love them beer battered. Either way you won't be disappointed. Another thing to have here is the onion rings. They are big and flavorful. The best around. If you are in the area you must give this place a try. read more

After reading reviews of several places we chose to eat our last dinner here. They bussed a table for us quickly and even put our order in ahead of a large group of people (who clearly ordered before us) to make sure we didn't wait too long for our food. The seafood bisque was yummy and other reviews are correct - stick to the small onion rings unless that is all you plan on eating. The fish tacos were great and everything was fresh. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Order the onion rings!!! They are as big as doughnuts!!! A small order will make several people happy read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Great onion rings...and this is a small order! - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

This place had incredibly delicious, and fresh, grouper! The Grouper Tacos were fantastic, and my wife's Seafood Trio (shrimp, scallops, and grouper) was absolutely perfect. The staff members were all very warm and hospitable, and the owner even checked in a few times to talk and make sure things were up to par. They were, indeed! Not only were the meals tasty, and the staff friendly, but they didn't break the bank. If you want a 'great food/great price' value while in St. Pete Beach, this is your spot! read more

The food here was very tasty and plentiful! A tip: SHARE! My parents both ordered the catfish and when it came out, they realized they could have shared because they both had about 3-4 huge filets! I had the chargrilled grouper. AMAZING! The flavor was perfect and it had that awesome smell from the grill. YUM! I've never had better grouper! and let me tell you, I like grouper and have had it many times and many different places. This one hits it out of the park! read more

I have no idea why this is reported closed but I ate there this past Thursday. Fish spread was different but great with carrot, bread and butter pickles, pepperocini, and club crackers. When in Rome (check the reviews) I ordered the local caught grouper sandwich. It was so much fish the I couldn't finish it. Also had the super crispy waffle fries, the best ever! The cons is this place is divey looking. The outside needs sprucing up and the general service equipment needs to be trashed and new restaurant general equipment bought. It is a seafood restaurant but there is a sour stitch emitting from the kitchen near the bathrooms. Waitress is super nice and quick. read more

Beyond our hungry and high set expectations. Brought here by Yelp 4 star reviews. And, 4 stars may be too low for our experience. Freshest seafood and none overcooked! Best calamari I've ever had and I'm picky. Light batter used. Homemade marinara was good, but I prefer an aioli or more creative sauce. Sierra brought options: swamp sauce (remoulade style), cocktail sauce with straight horseradish (because we asked), and an asian style orange sauce that was my favorite with habenero that Sierra appropriately suggested. Fried oysters: great light batter with plump and juicy oysters. As good as the best I've ever had. Peel and eat shrimp: man and the boat overboard. These suckers were BIG. But, again, not the least overcooked or dry. Tender and juicy with good flavor and served with just enough Old Bay seasoning. So, we had to try the Captains Platter to seal our fate. This was not about hunger, but endulgence at this point. Lightly blackened was our selection out of about 5 ways. Scallops were big, not really big, but juicy perfection. The shrimp were plump and juicy, not overseasoned. The grouper was a little well done, but so fresh that it stood out as the best tasting I've ever had. No reason to need it, but again, we couldn't stop. Key lime pie. Not too sweet or too tangy. Just creamy and perfect with chocolate cookie crust. We usually stay away from fried foods, but this was a great choice with our appetizers with no regrets. read more

Ate here today... Thanks to yelp Looks like a hole in the wall from the street.. Very clean inside.. Waitress was great.. Had the Hog fish blackened .. Was it delish!!! Grouper was also on the money!!! Lemon pepper captains plate.. Delish!! If your on St Pete beach swing by.. We will be back for sure!! read more

BEST GROUPER in st petes.. Also, have to get the onion rings phenomenal..dip them in a horseradish sauce.. I went with the blackened grouper Philly and the girlfriend had the spicy shrimp tacos.. Good spot when you get off the beach.. read more

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I heard good reviews of their grouper but our experience was not as great as we thought it would be. The ambiance is ok, but you expect that of a bar/restaurant that is supposed to look like a local hangout. The service is what gets me. I am a restaurant manager and I expect more out of Custer service than the other person. Our waitress seemed to want to be other places than our table and another waitress took care of us better and more. The cole slaw had a little too much mayo for my taste and their breaking on the fried foods was a little too much and greasy for our taste. When we left we saw why our waitress never paid us much attention, she was out back smoking with a member of the kitchen staff. We will not be back here. read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

Best grouper sandwich EVER!! Really enjoyed having it 4 different ways. They have blackened and lightly blackened (spice on one side), country fried (lighter breading and my favorite) and battered. It was all very good, fries were great and service was good. If we were close we would go back!! read more

DSD is our favorite place for Grouper in all of Florida! My wife and I have driven over from Orlando before just to eat lunch there. You MUST try the onion rings! Please be sure and tell them Famous Scott sent you in!!! read more

Really good hogfish! Blackened but not overpowering. Conch chowder was excellent also. They were both specials so not sure how often its offered. read more

Dockside Dave's Grill - Relaxed decor. - Seafood Near Me - St. Pete Beach, Florida

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No trip to the Tampa Bay area is complete without a stop at Dockside Dave's. The best grouper in the history of the world. You can't go wrong with anything you order here. I love the shrimp and scallops combo. They make their sauces in house, so yummy. I wish I was there right now. The only drawback is the lack of anything local or interesting on tap, but when I'm devouring my grouper sandwich or the shrimp and scallops I'm not too concerned about what I'm drinking. The bartenders and servers are always friendly and service is quick. read more