Great food and atmosphere. I had the Mediterainia Grouper and it was perfect. We also had an order of onion rings that were huge and perfect. I would definitely go again. read more

SOLID 5 STARS My Wing Man Gary (USAF Pilot, retired) and I had a taste for scallops, so off to Dockside Dave's we went. I had my 8 large scallops ($24.95) prepared with my fav, lemon pepper, and Gary went with his fav, blackened. We also went with Dockside Onion Rings appetizer ($9.95). Topped it off with a great Bloody Mary. Dockside Dave's is a local favorite with great prices and great food. Emilie provided spot on service as well. Can't go wrong with any item on the menu. Trust me! read more

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Love Love Love this place - so glad they opened back up after the big storm! Grouper Nuggets were so good! Fish was moist and the outside was crispy. Perfecto! Dave's Citrus Shrimp sooooooo DELICIOUS!!! Get them!!! Onion Rings... something changed..? The batter didn't seem quite the same as last time we were there. Still good, but not as "airy" and light as they were before. The staff was the same friendly, maybe even more upbeat, as before. Always happy to be there! The renovation is amazing - the new upstairs seating and the added bar is GREAT!! Love what they did. Got me some nice merch to show off that they are back in business!! Would I go back? YES... totally worth the trek from California ! read more

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As a veteran 37 year resident and loyal customer of Dockside Dave's since the late 80's when they occupied the now Mad Beach Cantina location have been enjoying FRESH off the boat, never frozen Grouper known to locals as the 1/2 Pound Super Grouper Sandwich that has never disappointed EVER! At 14701 Gulf Blvd, this completely renovated & restored structure has been dramatically improved from its pre Hurricane Helene stature in a great way. All new bars and the total addition of a second floor eating & bar area has enhanced the restaurant 500%! Renovations have taken 18 months and locals have patiently awaited the reopening with total satisfaction! Service at the brand new operation is very good and the food was exceptionally good ! This restaurant will likely grow to be the STAR of Madeira Beach Seafood. Offering free parking for patrons and a PSTA STOP directly in front makes for a prime location! Many local residents as ourselves are so very fortunate to walk making this truly a HIDDEN GEM!!! If you love fresh Grouper and a great olde Florida ambiance - this is a Must Try! read more

Took a day trip and had lunch at DD's. The outside seating allows to enjoy a nice day with an ocean breeze to go along with some good food. The hand made onion rings are a meal by themselves which is what may happen next time with a beer. The fried oysters meal came with waffle fries sprinkled with old bay and they spoke to me! The shrimp po' boy had some really good Gulf shrimp that was good by themselves which. Our server Amanda was always there and made sure you were never in need. read more

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We sat at bar as there was a wait for a table. James greeted us and got us ice cold beer to start. We ordered the Gigantic onion rings. They were so good. We shared the Grouper sandwich as it was HUGH!. Got it blackened Nice atmosphere. Open to outside downstairs and an upstairs bar and outdoor seating as well. We'll we got the grouper sandwich and it warm at best. We got it blackened, but flavor was lacking. We thought we were getting fries, but we were served waffled fries which were just barely warm. The slaw was warm at best. We went here way before the hurricane and the grouper was not that great then either. After hearing all the rave reviews about their grouper sandwich, not sure we'll be back. James the bartender was attentive as the bar was busy. The atmosphere was ok, just it was a little pricy, but I guess its for tourists mostly. read more

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I had previously (pre hurricane) gone and wrote a Great review. Fast forward after hurricane to celebrate my husbands birthday and support a local place, what a horrible difference! Stood inside to be acknowledged when walked in and not kidding waited over 20 minutes, only because we asked a waiter. Took forever for food to arrive and not all at once, 5-15 minutes between plates arriving and on top my husband whom was celebrating his birthday was the Last one to receive his meal. Complete disappointment between the time and the food being horrible. Yes, they've only been open a month but at that rate I don't know. Saturday night was not full house. We were told they were trying to work everything out. Today Sunday, Everyone is sick to their stomach! Good Luck read more

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They just recently renovated the building. It's nice and clean with outside seating and inside as well. Service is friendly and helpful. We ordered the large grouper sandwich blackened. It was huge and plenty for us to split. The largest onion rings I have ever seen. We got a small order. They were cooked perfectly and crispy. Best rings ever. We are always happy at this restaurant. Good drinks also. read more

Dockside Dave's - Huge onion rings - Seafood Near Me - Madeira Beach, Florida

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First time back since the hurricane disaster. Its completely remodeled with 2 stories and full bars. Yes I said bars. 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs. Ordered the grouper sandwhich batter fried and its better than it was before. Didnt think this was possible but it was! And the onion rings are magnificent. The batter is unbelievable. Love love love this place. And now with better views on the second story read more

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Great food- excellent water view on 2nd floor/ good beach location. Limited parking. Unfortunately our servers were terrible! Two separate members of our party asked for mayonnaise. We got 1. We asked for more for our fries (a few times) & the guy pointed to the bottle of tartar sauce on the table & said "you HAVE tartar sauce". We both told him that is NOT the same thing as mayonnaise! Also I can't eat tartar sauce. Our primary waitress was rude, curt & didn't make eye contact- no smiling - as little interaction with us as possible. Didn't check on us- despite being within eyesight- didn't refill waters - was basically ignoring us. It was early afternoon on a weekday so not busy at all. Really no excuse. We ordered three grouper sandwiches at $30+ dollars each which is pricey but we knew that. Either she was having a really terrible day or she has forgotten that tips are contingent upon service. We did tip but it wasn't deserved... read more

Was excited to see dockside Daves reopen and was in hopes the building was the only change and it was! The food is just as good as before and the pricing is about the same as before Great food,more room!! The staff is top notch just like the blackened grouper sandwich! The upper deck option is awesome,great views while you're eating great food!! read more

The grouper sandwich was one of the best I've ever had. We were in treasure Island on vacation and had to stop in.

We had the grouper sandwich (2 blackened & 1 fried), onion rings and chowder. My son thought the blackened wasn't seasoned enough and was bland. Loved the fried grouper sandwich and the onion rings. The 2nd time we visited, we ordered the fried clams which we immediately sent back! Absolutely horrible! They looked like pieces of batter on the bottom of the fry basket! There was no way anyone would think it was anything else. I don't know any cook that would put that on a plate to serve including fast food restaurants! The server, Emily, was an excellent server and took it off our bill. It made me question the quality of their kitchen staff. read more

My wife and I went to Dockside Dave's for the first time since it's reopened. We ordered some of their famous onion rings as an appetizer, but they needed more salt and I wish they came with a dipping sauce of some kind. I ended up using cocktail sauce which wasn't great. My wife got the grouper bites which she loved and I got the grouper sandwich (blackened). The sandwich looked great but seemed to be under seasoned -- but it was also a huge portion. It came with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and peperoncini. The sandwich and a few other menu items are permanently on the menu as MP (market price), which I can understand. We enjoyed our dinner but maybe we set our expectations too high based on our pre-hurricane experiences. Overall we enjoyed ourselves, had a good diner and will definitely be back to this landmark. read more

Dockside Dave's - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Madeira Beach, Florida

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The atmosphere is amazing. Cool place right across from the beach. The food was fresh and hot. All tasted so good. The drinks were yummy and awesome read more

Finally reopened, after hurricanes, and are we ever happy! Still delicious food, best grouper, great ambience, service and prices!!!

The food and service were great!! Loved the grouper sandwich and the grouper pasta was next level. Open late with a full menu. Highly recommend. read more

We have been coming here for years. The grouper sandwich is the best and biggest on the beach in my opinion

We were eager to try this based on all the raves for the pre hurricane version of the restaurant. The food was ok. Sandwich was large sides of slaw and vegetables with platter were small and average. Service was ok. Portion sizes other than sandwich were quite small especially for the prices. read more

They messed up our appetizers. Gave wrong food to people. And didn't check on us for 30 min...This review is a warning to all!! Goodluck!! The amount of fries they give you for $6 is an absolute joke! read more

I was absolutely impressed by the freshness of all the food! The server mentioned all the sauces are made in house, the BBQ had a unique flavor that will definitely have me coming back for me. You can tell the owner cares about quality over quantity here. The service was great and the space was very well maintained. 10/10 and looking forward to going back in the future! read more

As good or better than I remember! Friendly people, both employees & customers. Great! Grouper sandwich and Onion rings! The new deck bar up top has great views of the gulf. read more

Dockside Dave's recently reopened that it's awesome. Great grouper sandwiches as usual, onion rings, and now smoked chicken wings are delicious. Menu looks awesome. Service is great. Also try their green room bar next-door. read more

Food excellent Service excellent Cost $$$$ To expensive to be a regular Ambiance , typical beach bar, no frills read more

I ate at Dockside Dave's last night (8:45 pm) and was unimpressed with the service. The young, attractive, barmaid seemed more interested in engaging with her peers than serving her customers and was somewhat apathetic.I was served my seafood bisque almost cold, with my main course. My soda was refilled with what can only be described as a languid response and questions were answered with the enthusiasm of a narcoleptic turtle. I gave Dockside Dave's 5 stars because it still has the best FreshbGrouper Sandwich this side of Neshaminy Creek, and the Lobster Bisque is delightful. I will add that this experience was unusual, as I hit this joint about once a month. Ask for Talia's section if you go, she seems pleasant, witty, and efficient. (I hope I remembered her name correctly?) I sat at the bar this time as a matter of convenience, but usually prefer a table, because I don't drink alcohol. The atmosphere is everything you would expect from a legandary beachside canteen; fabulous job on the post- hurricane remodel Dockside Dave! read more

Dockside Dave's - Dockside Dave's Sign - Seafood Near Me - Madeira Beach, Florida

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It was very busy and its easy to understand why. There was a wait but it was reasonable and absolutely worth it. The food was out of this world. My wife had a lemon pasta with shrimp and scallops and I had a platter of grouper, shrimp and scallops. WOW doesnt even come close. Brianna the server was as great as the food. We ate outside and it was very nice. Even though it was sunny and hot we were in the shade with a nice breeze. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. read more

Operating on a limited menu until the kitchen is up to speed but food was excellent and service outstanding. Great to have them back. Place looks a lot better and less crammed in. Great ambience with the outside and upstairs bar. read more

Best onion rings ever. Service was amazing. Had a small issue manager handled it in 30 seconds. Will go back tomorrow

Fun way to spend my sister's birthday! Large food portions & we have been waiting for Mad Beach to get back in action after the hurricanes!! Can't beat this place for fun, drinks & a grouper sandwich! read more

I found out about this place on TikTok, seems like that's how I find all these places now a day's. They are known for their fresh grouper. We went right around dinner time and it was busy, which is a good sign because that means it's good! We didn't have to wait, got a seat quickly. Ordered a small onion ring as an appetizer but for the price of it versus the quantity wasn't really worth it. They were good with a tasty zesty sauce but for the price, I'll pass next time. For the meal, I got the fried grouper sandwich, my dad got the broiled grouper, and my wife got a chicken sandwich. We didn't have to wait very long, the meals arrived quickly. Everything was very good! The atmosphere was nice and the food was good! read more

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We always go to dockside Dave's when in town. They had a very limited menu this time, I guess due to the remodeling from the hurricane. The grouper sandwich is always the best in town. we were hoping to have more variety of grouper options. We like the rooftop patio and bar that has been added. read more

We are so happy they have opened back up! It is our absolute favorite dinner spot while on vacation. We will probably even eat here twice while on vacation. It is the best grouper I have ever had and the portions are massive. Great value, great food. Don't let the quoted long wait scare you off, it's worth it. Trust me! read more

I went yesterday for the first time since the reopening and I must say I was disappointed, unlike every other time before where everything was spot on. First they were out of fried mushrooms so then I ordered a half order the onion rings which came out in about two minutes and they were barely warm, which tells me that they were cooked ahead of time. I also ordered a grouper sandwich which came out very fast. It looked great! A big red slice of tomato, a big slice of onion, and a nice piece of lettuce with a hot pepper but the bartender asked me if I had touched it, I said no, and she took it away. I assume that it was not mine however, about three minutes later another sandwich came out which totally looked different. This one was batter fried a couple of sweet pickles slices, a small piece of tomato and not too much lettuce, very little onion and no pepper. I should have requested the country fried option and not the batter fried but I was not asked how I wanted it either. The batter was not cooked all the way on one side of the fish, was mushy and had no flavor. read more

Always great Grouper sandwich! Service is the best ! Recommend to those who want fresh .

Was so excited and been waiting for them to reopen. Very disappointed had a grouper sandwich that was to greasy, the batter was dripping. Onion rings were the same. The price $$$$ for what you get. I'll let the tourists go. It's a shame as the remodel is fantastic with upstairs bar. read more

So glad they are back open. Limited menu to start but it was great. Service and bartenders were excellent.

Is there anything as good as fried food, blackened fish and a machine carbonated soda after the beach? Dave gives it all, the spot is casual for those coming in walking distance from the beach, and has its own parking lot if not. We got the Blacked grouper sandwich (MP $19) with fries ($3) and yellow rice ($2), fish and fries were great, meh on the rice. Service was a bit slow, but it was a busy Saturday so it tracks. read more

Dockside Dave's - Entrance - Seafood Near Me - Madeira Beach, Florida

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Lots of great seafood and one really big (decorative) shark! And, don't forget the alligator bites. No, they don't bite you, you bite them! Dockside Dave's promotes itself as one of the very, very few places around to get fresh alligator (rather than it getting you). We had a variety of seafood, including mussels, grouper, calamari, shrimp, scallops, and - yep - alligator. Does alligator count as seafood? Whatever, it's good stuff. I just hope they don't hold a grudge! It was all very, very tasty. One side note - we also had a seafood pasta dish. Based on that, I wouldn't say that pasta (or rice) is their strong suit. Maybe it was just a bad evening for carbs (and veggies)... Also, watch out for the onion rings. They are delicious, but we ordered a small portion and, see the pictures, I thought they made a mistake and brought us the large. I thought that -- until they brought an actual large to another table. You might want a wheelbarrow for that order! Wow. I've never seen that many onions that weren't in a field... (jk) The restaurant is very much old Florida. Inside is, festive, fun, and very casual. We sat outside, which was nice - but, you are sitting not too far from a major road. I didn't regret the outside seating - just know what you're getting. There is plenty of parking around back. Service was very good and the prices were very reasonable. Two thumbs up for Dockside Dave's. read more

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We have been loyal customers of Dockside Dave's for many, many years. It breaks my heart to write this review. It has been our go to for birthdays or when we have out of town visitors. We were saddened to see how badly they were hit by the hurricane and followed them waited anxiously for them to re-open. We were excited to here they finally had! Yesterday was my brother's birthday and of course we decided to go check out the new place. It was Sunday afternoon, beautiful weather so it was very crowded. They took our names and said it would be about 15 minute wait. Then we were ignored for a half an hour. We were okay with that. Finally we were told the "kitchen was on hold". Okay, there are still working out the bugs. We were chatting with other people waiting for seats, weather was great and we were willing to wait for the best grouper sandwiches. We were finally seated outside at a picnic table. It was fine, breeze great. Waitress for nice and efficient. We all ordered grilled grouper sandwiches, our favorite. When the food was delivered we thought it looked different. The grouper was almost square and as tough as a bad steak. I have had grouper many times in many restaurants and have never had tough grouper. We had trouble eating it. We were so disappointed! We are not the type of people to complain but $90 for three people for what we were served almost changed that. We decided not to say anything. I am sure we will give them one more change in the future in hopes it was a one off bad day? read more

4 stars for the large grouper sandwich, $18. It was big enough to split and the fries are an extra $3. We also ordered a side of rice $2, it was okay but kinda mushy and tasted similar to thanksgiving stuffing. Service was super fast, they were always giving us refills and other servers helped us when we needed anything. Everyone was super friendly who worked here. There's seating outdoors in the front and on the side but we opted for inside since it was pretty hot. Good spot for a quick bite if you're visiting the beach. read more

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