Christopher is our favorite bartender. He is kind, efficient, fast- and always remembers our drink orders. He can handle high volume and keeps the crowd flowing with a comfortable and well quenched vibe. I also love their fish and chips (tuna with tortilla chips and salsa)- good stuff. Their fries are also on point. It's also a dog friendly establishment! That makes me so happy. People watching is always good and the sunsets/water views are wonderful. read more

Stopped for happy hour and ordered drinks on the patio. Service was adequate and drinks were tasty. Perfect water-side seating with views of the boats/marina. read more

One of my favorite waterfront spots in Wilmington! Casual beach vibes. Grab a seat on the patio and watch the boats go by. Great burger and massive salad. We split it. Top deck and bar have a smaller menu if you don't want full service. More parking across the street. read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Bar - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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2 ate for $54 before tip - okay - WHY is the rating so low? The service - great - we came on a bust Saturday night - the Shrimp & Grits were absolutely to DIE for!! The flounder was battered and came out perfectly - their tarter sauce really good - just a good - well portioned meal - beautiful dock views - now I will say the bathroom was rough but those shrimp n grits forces me to 5 star! read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Shrimp N Grits! - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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It is nice to sit by the water. Badly needs updating. Upstairs has a cleaning solution smell and windows are old. Food was fine and reasonably priced for being next to the water. That's the draw. Other places across the inter coastal are nicer but $150 with tip here for 5 people is totally possible for lunch. read more

Food is aways good, service is great and best part you can sit outside and eat. It's a locals hangout and have music in some nights. It's been in several movies. The only 2 negative things I have to say are 1. The Flys are awful to keep away. 2. They need different buns for the burgers. The one they use fall apart. read more

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Went for lunch. Was first to be seated in downstairs heated area. Never greeted or recognized. Several other parties came in and were served before. We let the 5 other servers know that we had been waiting. After still no response we left. Mentioned this and they said they were so sorry. Looked like a great place but service was non existent read more

We love this waterfront bar for drinks! There is plenty of outdoor seating with beautiful views of the waterway and marina. They had lots of slushy drinks on special as well as beachy cocktails. They can also make non alcoholic options so I went with a virgin pina colada. It was delicious and refreshing on a hot day! It gets crowded but we were there early to snag a seat. The people watching is top tier and watching the boat traffic is fun too. Check it out! read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Pina colada - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I looked up this place on Yelp and was hopeful my Yelp community would give me some insight! I like that this restaurant was on the Marina. There was live music playing upon arrival! The waitstaff were young (high school & some college aged kids) and they were not very attentive and took to much time to follow up on orders and asking if there were any additional things needed during our time there! The food was average ..not much seasoning and I felt the prices were above average for the offerings! read more

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Met a group for happy hour on the veranda. It was early evening ,weather was perfect and it was not crowded when we arrived. Found several tables and pushed a few extra chairs together. They have several bars available to order your beverage from. The bartenders were busy fulfilling orders. There was a good list of mixed drinks available and beer, sours, cider, seltzers and wine. Also some non alcoholic options. I ordered a Meomi Pinot Noir, it was a generous pour. Found my way back to the table, enjoyed my wine and watched the boats go by. It's a great place to sit, drink your beverage of choice and watch the boats on the water go by. There was also un upper deck with more tables. There was music being played, low enough you could hear people talking at your table. The parking lot can hold quite a few cars. A place that I would return to. read more

They have great views and vibes, and the food was delicious. We were a large group, and our food came out in a timely manner. Everyone enjoyed their meals! read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Blackened Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Good food with a great view! We picked Dockside very much for the view and weren't disappointed. There is a terrific view of one of the bridges and all of the boat traffic coming and going is very entertaining to watch, especially if you have younger folks in your crowd. You can sit inside with a good view or outside with a direct view. The food was pretty good - not the best seafood in town (that's what we all got) but certainly good. The kids menu was well received as well. The bar options included local beers which were great, and good drink selections. The price wasn't too bad considering the location and the premium you normally expect from that sort of thing. read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Had lunch and drinks here on Tuesday and I want to give a happy shout out to Emme! She was such a great server and extra helpful and kind. Great food and view as always. read more

The first red flag was parking. Good luck with that. We circled around for several minutes waiting for someone to leave so we could park. Patio seating was an hour wait but we got seated immediately (6:00 pm) because we chose inside seating. Waited 15 minutes for our waitress to bring us some water. Ordered beer and an appetizer at 6:15. (At this point it was entertainment for me to track times). 6:20 the cans of beer arrived. At 6:30 the table sitting next to us was seated. 5 minutes later they received what looked like our appetizer. The proceeded to eat away while our waitress, who was also theirs, seemed shocked they had an appetizer since she had not taken an order for one. She then proceeds to avoid us. 6:45 we decided to leave. Paid for the beers and went to McDonalds. I do NOT recommend this place. Service was God-awful. read more

Crabcakes did not even look like a crabcake! They were flat and burned! Totally inedible! So disappointed since I have been dining there for decades. The server was nice and the view beautiful but did not compensate for crab dip with little crab and burned entree. read more

We were in Wilmington yesterday and stopped here for lunch. Plenty of seating and the place stays busy. Nice view of the intercostal waterway. I ordered the Crab cake Sandwich it was not that good. No real crab flavor and was overcooked. All I tasted was the oil. Another person in our group said the same thing. My son ordered the Peel & Eat Shrimp and he said that it was really tasty. My wife had the Calamari appetizer (excellent and very nice portion size) and their fries (they were cooked to perfection) I felt the drinks were a little watered down and if there is a next time would order a beer. Great views & good service overall. read more

I love this place - mostly for the amazing views, beach vibes and every time I am here, I am on vacation! But the food is pretty good too. My husband ordered the clam strips and fried shrimp - I sampled them but I really don't eat fried food. The clam strips were really good and reminded me of summers I spent at Rye Beach in New Hampshire. Shrimp was okay - just not my thing. I had the tuna with a side of mixed summer veggies. Both were perfect for a hot summer day at a marina. The tuna was cooked to perfection (medium rare) and the veggies were perfectly sauteed and tasty. Service is great and again - you can NOT beat the view! read more

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4.5/5. Absolutely floored at the 2.9 star review. The view and vibe of the place alone bring it to at least a 3. A casual place to eat and drink by the water, yes please! My experience: I had no problem finding parking and was quickly seated. The waitress was friendly and attentive even though they were pretty busy. The cocktail service area is nice to hang out after eating (or if you weren't planning to eat). I got the Caesar salad with a crabcake on top and a side of hushpuppies. The meal was pretty standard (nothing especially amazing) and I enjoyed it. The hushpuppies hit the spot and were very generously portioned. My biggest issue was there aren't any draft beers! The selection of cans is good, a little pricey but in line with what you would expect to pay for waterfront drinking. I did not try any cocktails or food other than mentioned. I came around 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon. read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Beer after finishing my meal. Sitting on one of the mamy barstools that look out over the water - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Excellent food, service and ambience. Our server, Hunter, was phenomenal. Great experience overall. read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Beautiful day and great food at Dockside. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We had lunch here a few years ago on a trip to the area and I rated the experience five stars. This time the seafood again was fresh and we received prompt friendly service. We enjoyed lunch but I felt that the cost was a bit excessive for a fish sandwich and my wife's crab cake. The total including tip was $70. We had lunch so we didn't have any drinks or desert just tap water . Because of the cost, I'm going to give the restaurant a new rating of four stars. The view of the Harbor is nice and the furnishings in the restaurant are also excellent. I guess that's what you're paying a premium for. read more

We've lived here 20 years. Haven't been to Dockside in quite awhile. Four of us enjoyed a delightful evening. Haley was our server and she was fabulous. We enjoyed the fiesta salad with various toppings such as blackened chicken and shrimp. Get this dish. And yes, the French fries are wonderful. read more

Went on a Friday around 12:30. Sat outdoors. Food was fast, fresh, and hot. Great waitress. No complaints. read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Chicken Tenders and fries - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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We had a late lunch here on a Friday. We waited about 15-20 minutes for a table but we're able to hangout at the bar while we waited. The restaurant is pretty large with lots of seating. Our waitress was very attentive & nice. We both got tacos - I got the shrimp and my husband got the fish tacos. Both were good. I will say almost $20 for two tacos & a side is pretty pricey but that's my only complaint. The restaurant could use some updating but it was a nice vibe sitting right on the water. We'd come back! read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Shrimp tacos with hush puppies - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Service and the atmosphere was great! Drinks at the bar by the water. Good times with family and friends!! read more

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Great food, staff, and atmosphere !!! Lots be the water view! I would definitely recommend!! read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Let me say " Up front " . I will not return to this restaurant. You do have a view of the dockside, hence name. The parking is good as they have an annex parking lot across the street. As I was walking in I noticed they were getting mileage out of an old building. It needs a restoration, some fresh paint . As we entered we were cheerfully greeted. As were we're entering the outside area , I noticed a different in floor elevation between the building and patio. This was enough of a uneven area that people slightly stumbled going in and out. I seen at least a dozen people stumble as I was there. I did not see a sign that would warn you or even a bright colored paint on the area on the floor . We were seated outside on the patio deck. The day was sun , clouds, sun , and clouds. When the sun was out it was blazing. They did have table umbrellas and were setting them up. They started with the tables that were closest to where the umbrellas were stored. As I told my wife , I am starting to sweat from the heat of the sun. They put up about 6 umbrellas, all were closest to where they stored them , then they stopped. You had many more tables that could use an umbrella. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I figured that he went in the gather something, but come back and finish setting the umbrellas for the restaurant patrons. I was wrong. The food was mediocre at best. Although the homemade chips were good. I had a shrimp burger. It was ok , I have had better shrimp burgers though. They have only cans of beer , nothing on tap, if you are a draft beer drinker. The service by our waitress was very good. She was cheerful, attentive, and prompt. Oh yes , continuing on the building. The back of it was rotting in some areas, they had some areas patched with wood putty. It was in desperately need of major upkeep. As I said I will not return as there are so many restaurants in that area that are better and priced the same. The place has potential , but major upkeep is needed. read more

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Food is just ok. Nothing exceptional. $10 for a Tropical Lightning IPA and 20% gratuity. $12 bucks for a can of beer. Maybe it's time for Dockside & some of the other Wilmington, North Carolina bars & microbreweries ripping people off to be Bud-Lighted. Do better!!! read more

Delicious! Yummy yummy chicken strips and crispy calamari Spanky's blue crab dip is so good! We bought the bride a tequila soda and she had much fu!!!!! read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Dockside views - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Ate late lunch/early dinner...ordered the flounder Blackened with cole slaw and house made chips. With the flounder (fish of the day) being a bottom feeder like catfish, I feel the price was exorbitant. The blackening seasoning wasn't flavorful. The person I was with ordered the crab cakes, which he felt tasted pasty and lacked a sufficient amount of crab. The crab artichoke dip tasted very cream cheesy, with artichoke, but lacked crab. We were disappointed by the taste and amount charged for the dishes. read more

Tonight we ate at Dockside Restaurant. It was a little confusing finding the actual entrance. We ended up walking through the patio bar area to get to the hostess station. When I told her that we were a bit confused, it looked like we were wondering around, she said a lot of people do that. Maybe some signage would be better. Our waiter was Diego. He was very polite and helpful. The view of the boats and water from the patio was awesome. It was entertaining, watching the boats going through the canal. At first, I wasn't sure that there was anything I wanted on the menu. But we ended up ordering shrimp and grits and fried shrimp dinner. The fried shrimp was smaller shrimp. But it was lightly breaded and very good. And a good quantity of shrimp. The shrimp and grits was very different from what I have had in the past. It was very good. It had peppers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms in the sauce. Two scoops of grits. Also was a bit spicy. There was plenty left to bring home leftovers. All in all, it was a good experience. For 2 dinners, a Cola and 1 glass of wine it was $62. read more

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A beautiful sunny day we got to sit out and watch the water while eating some great food. The wait staff was very helpful! We will be back! read more

Dockside Restaurant & Bar - Bathroom decor - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Food was decent. The outside area was pretty full with people, good weather today. Great spot to have a drink and hang out by the water.

We never went here - we went on a Friday, waited 45 minutes for our phone to get a message. Was seated and was surprised by how small the menu was. Not much to order. I was going to get a drink on the menu but for $16- no thanks. Prices were a lot for what we were getting. I felt like leaving but I already waited 45 minutes. Food was OK - but you're really paying for it. I won't come back. read more

What a view! We stopped here for dinner to relax and watch the boats coming in to dock. The parking was easy, just across the street. We walked in and asked to sit outside, beautiful views. Lots of outside seating, some higher up which would be nice to try too. The menu had a good variety and we started off with the crab dip. You could choose tortilla chips or pita chips with it, we went with tortilla, yum-o! I had the crab sandwich and my daughter had the shrimp tacos, you can request the shrimp to be grilled not fried and I thought that was great, not every place does that. The good was divine as were the drinks. That view though, it'll bring me back for sure. read more

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It is with sadness that I write this review of Docksides. So many wonderful nights here in the past and while the view is still the best in NC, sadly the food tonight just was not good. My table was under a speaker and it was loud enough for the whole outside. I had fried shrimp. They were OK. I love tartar sauce. The tartar sauce was awful. The chips were ok. The slaw was ok. Back to that tartar sauce, it was really awful. I really loved this place and practically raised my kids here, but not tonight. read more

Prices have really gone up..... Had shrimp tacos and they now charge for the house made chips...been going for years and can't justify going back. read more

This review is strictly for the location, environment and drinks. I have not eaten here and can only recommend it as a sweet spot to park your boat and "Dock and Drink" after a nice day on the water. They do not have a technical Happy Hour but around that general time period, the bar gets super packed and you will definitely have to wait a minute to get your order in, especially if it's really nice out. They have a massive craft beer list filled with tons of local favorites. I generally go for a vodka bloody mary (topped with celery, lime and shrimp) or a tequila margarita (salt rim). Most cocktails are around the $5-10 range. You come to Dockside for the views and the vibes. It's kind of like a fancy beach bar with average drink prices and great views of the boats on the Intracoastal. It's not a place I'd go if you're in a rush but rather a cool spot to park up for a while and have a couple drinks amongst friends before getting back out on the water. They have their own dock for boats right out front, and free parking lot for cars, across the street. Would recommend! read more

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Used to be my favorite place to go until I found issues on my bill and they then gave me the run around and said they would fix it never did then gaslighted me and interupted me.. So yes after that I was rude.... They guy picking up the phone on 11-12-24 should be fired.... VERY UNPROFEESIONAL. Watch your bill here.. read more

Looking for another restaurant came across the parking lot for Dockside it was filling up quickly so I parked and decided to take a look. Ask for seating outside the view of the boats on the water are worth it. My server was slow and seemed in training which was fine I had time to kill. Looking for a snack ordered the Hot Crab dip after seeing it go down on another table. It will come out hot and bubbling with your choice of tortilla chips or pita points. The dip is rich and creamy with plenty of crab. At sixteen dollars felt it was a decent portion for the money. It is also gluten free if you go with the tortilla chips. I would suggest bringing a sweater or a light jacket if there is a breeze and your in the shade it can get chilly. read more

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This is our second time here. We came off season back in February and today! We started with the calamari and crab dip and the coconut mojito. The calamari was ok, the crab dip was good as for the mojito! That's a hard no. All I tasted was club soda, stick to beer and it was the same when I had a cocktail back in February. For our main dishes; hubby had the catch of the day which was Tuna and 2 side dishes, our daughter had the kids chicken and I had their pita bread with chicken. Honestly this place gets 3 stars just because I love the view! I would give it 5 stars but people don't come only for the view! The food lacks flavor! The chicken had no flavor! I can honestly say that a fast food restaurant probably has more flavor than the chicken my daughter and I had. The tuna was ok as per the hubby! He knows his seafood and it was a bit over cooked even though he told the waitress how he wanted it! Again, don't expect much from the menu! Come here for the view, the cold beers and that's it! They do have a large area outside so it's a good place to come for that! But if you are looking for a good meal, I suggest you go across the bridge and go to those places. read more

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