We always enjoy our trips to Dockside. Food is always good and the drinks are even better. Great setting along the river. Beware. They charge you extra for using a debit or credit card. Worse part about Dockside is the parking. Especially when it is high tide. read more

Pros:Definitely the best spot in Colonial Beach for live entertainment. The MashUp band is great. Cons:The food is mediocre overall. The hostess said she would come find us when a table opened in the main entertainment area, but she never did. The marinated chicken on my salad was tasty, but it was the only good part--the salad itself was very basic, consisting of just lettuce and croutons. The buffalo wings were rubbery and not extra crispy as requested; the server even asked when she delivered them if they were crispy enough, so the request clearly wasn't forgotten. We ordered 10 but could only eat 2, and the rest were thrown away. The hush puppies were just okay, but they were small and dried out easily, needing butter to add both flavor and moisture. Overall:A fun spot for live music and atmosphere, but the food and service miss the mark. Come for the entertainment, not the dining experience. read more

Dockside Restaurant - Hush puppy appetizer - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

Doesn't open till four it's crazy. You would think in the summer as busy as this town is it would be open at least for lunch.

Enjoy the atmosphere and the drinks. Food was good, but I expected more options. My children really enjoyed getting to play on the Sandy Beach area. read more

The food and drinks were on point. The drink I recommend if you like sweet is dockside punch. Nice atmosphere with a small beach and tiki bar. read more

Fun Beach Vibes, Great Setting -- But Pricey Food Dockside Restaurant is definitely a cool beachside spot with a unique vibe. The seating made from boats is such a fun touch, and the whole place has that laid-back, tropical feel with lots of palm trees and ocean breeze. It's a great place to snap a few beach getaway photos and enjoy the scenery. The drinks are well-priced and refreshing, which made for a relaxing afternoon. The food was decent, but the prices were definitely on the higher side for what you get. You're really paying for the atmosphere here more than anything. Overall, it's a fun place to visit once in a while if you're in the area and want to enjoy the beachy setting and a cold drink. read more

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Nice spot right next to the marina. We ate in the bar, very, very busy. Food was good (fried shrimp), beer was excellent. Waitstaff was hurried, they need more servers on a busy Friday night. Band was good, but WAY too loud. Like to come back in the summer when it's warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the view of the Potomac - agh - next summer? read more

If you don't want to throw away your money on food that you can't eat, and are charged for anyway.........................................DON'T GO HERE!!! Couldn't eat the very salty fish and was made to pay for it anyway. Terrible Customer Service and No Ethics..................................... read more

I just dined here for the second time. The location is perfect, right off of Colonial Beach, and one of the only restaurants right on the beach. If you're sitting outside, you can even keep an eye on your stuff on the beach without worrying about it. It's a lovely view of the water, as well. The outdoor seating in general is great. The inside does not seem as nice, and the bathrooms are in a bit rough shape, but it is a beachside restaurant, so it is what it is. The frozen cocktails vary in flavor, but there are a ton of options and all are reasonably priced for a beachside restaurant. I liked the frozen watermelon margarita. The Crab Norfolk, while a bit expensive, is totally worth it for not having to pick your own crab and the two sides. I ordered it both times I went, and it was good both times. In terms of downsides, one is that their water tastes super funky. I don't know if it's just the area in Virginia, a lack of filter, or something with their ice, but it tastes pretty nasty. A good excuse to order a cocktail, I guess. But what really took this review down from four to three start was the incredibly rude hostess. I checked in at the front desk and said our party would like to sit outside in the shade. The hostess led me outside to their very large deck and proceeded to seat us directly in between the only two other parties out there, not on the side near the water, partially in the sun, with an extra chair and high-chair crowding our space. I asked if we could sit at the other end and she said no, that's another section, and I said well, we'd at least like to sit in the shade, and she said that's a different server. I said "Okay?" and she finally relented. Ma'am, as a paying customer it's not really my problem whether it's another section or another server--either switch the table to whatever server you need to switch it to, or put us with another server. And when we sat down and the hostess left, the table next to us leaned over and said, "Don't worry, she was rude to us, too." So we're not the only victims! And puzzlingly just a few minutes later she sat another party at the other end of the deck. Baffling behavior. read more

I'm sad to say that my friend and I have never felt more unwelcome in a restaurant in our lives. We were first-timers and stood at the hostess stand for about five minutes until finally realizing nobody was going to come help us. We walked through the entire restaurant looking for someone we could ask on what to do/where to sit. We found a bartender who answered my question that we should seat ourselves. She told us to order at the bar for food and then come back to pick up our order when it was ready. Nobody told us we could eat inside or that there were proper servers in that area. When our food was ready, we picked it up at the bar in these huge plastic containers. The plastic waste was unbelievable. It's like we ordered takeout inside a restaurant. The vibe was cute and fun, but food was overpriced and not that great. We ordered a crabcake sandwich, hamburger, and hush puppies. Fries came with each dinner and those were good. We also ordered the orange crush which tasted like watered down orange juice. The bartenders were not friendly in any way, and we felt like such outsiders. We will not be back. read more

Enjoyed a delicious scallops and cod and shrimp and steak and salad even fries are good

I stopped by here on my way back to Richmond and I had a great time. The restaurant is right on the edge of the water and it was packed with people enjoying a beautiful day. When I got there, I was seated right away and had a very attentive server who gave me Fantastic suggestions for my lunch. I ordered the Shrimp Po boy and it was flavorful and very delicious. You definitely get your moneys worth. I found the place to be somewhat easy to navigate and accessible. My only Issue was with the bathroom and that was more due to it being a little narrow and low ceilings. Outside of the bathroom, I was able to navigate the area with ease while using my cane. read more

Dockside Restaurant - Shrimp Po Boy - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

This is the "Cheers" of this beach. Lots of drunk locals. But food and drink are good. Staff is fast and efficient. Vibe is loud and energetic. read more

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This place is wonderful, the scenic setting is to die for!! The food was perfect. We had crab legs, scallops, shrimp skewers with bacon and jalapeños. Everything was cooked perfectly and we sat next to a pontoon boat on the beach. This day there was seaplanes which was an added delight. Service was wonderful too, there were no unhappy servers. Truly great place. read more

I love the vibe at dockside! Cute little beach, live music on the weekend, feels like you've been transported to a tropical island (especially when it's 100 degrees!). They also have the only dog friendly beach in colonial beach so super big plus on that side. The service is a little slow and not particularly friendly if you aren't a local, food is good but a bit pricey (I got the crab cake sandwich, husband got a burger, fries were nice and crunchy), and expect everything to be served in plastic and there was no recycling in sight. read more

Dockside Restaurant - Large outdoor patio area - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

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Loved this place. Servers were a little blunt / cut to the chase but understandable at a busy place like this. Food is really good, drinks were very refreshing. Love the outdoor setting right by the water. read more

We stopped by with a party of five. We were seated quickly on the patio. We waited a bit for a waitress but did order Garlic Parm wings and old bay wings and hush puppies appetizers. We asked for recommendations and she said hamburger and steak sandwich, odd being a seafood restaurant but ok. We waited a bit again and ordered dinner crab cake sandwiches, shrimp baskets and blackened fish tacos. Our waitress came out and said the had to send one of the cooks home sick and our appetizers would be out shortly. Our wings and hush puppies finally came out and they were good. Dinners Crab cake sandwiches great Fried shrimp basket- bad rubbery few shrimp Blackened fish tacos- not cooked all the way lacking blackening seasoning So if we were to come back we would come when as busy and hope service was better. We would reorder wings, hush puppies and crab cakes. read more

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The food was good, but check the prices on the crab legs first. The drink's, very good. The band was fair but the loud drunken women were a bit much. Management did nothing to quiet them down. But I guess this is normal these days. They should have a hostess or a sign at the main entrance to direct you where to go. Had to find an employee because I'd never been there before. In all fairness, its okay, but I will give it a second chance. read more

Dockside Restaurant is my go-to for a relaxed meal with an amazing view. The seafood is so fresh it practically melts in your mouth, and the crab cakes are the best I've ever had. The Tiki Bar adds to the fun with its tropical vibes, colorful cocktails, and delicious island-inspired bites-it's like a little vacation for your taste buds. Follow my IG account for Curated Google Maps list for brunch, happy hours, rooftops, parks, wineries & more in the DMV area: @yourdmvbestie read more

It'd been years since we'd been to Dockside and it's totally different now. They leaned into the tiki bar and now it's more of a fun hang out riverside watering hole, rather than fine dining. They have garage doors they open up in nice weather, lots of awnings and shaded areas. No beer tap, but plenty to drink and good seafood. The huspuppies were melt in your mouth, I had pretty good snow crab legs, and he loved the tuna tacos. Our waiter was a chill hippie we dug. We'll be back for those seafood craving lazy evenings. read more

This place is for the locals, full of regular entertainment and a great decor that ushers in the beachfront. You can choose from indoor and outdoor seating. Definitely would recommend. read more

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Amazing spot if you're looking for seafood and want a great view. Very beachy/Jimmy Buffett vibes. Drinks are strong but good. BEST CRAB CAKES OF MY LIFE Definitely a must stop in the summer especially when there's live music. read more

I went here with friends for lunch on a weekend. It was absolutely packed in the bar outside, but it was cool inside. We were able to get a table quickly. Service wasn't super fast, but we didn't wait a long time either. I ordered a shrimp po boy. It wasn't New Orleans quality, but they got the bread right, which is the most important part. Everyone else said their food was also good (burger, shrimp tacos, Mahi tacos). It hit the spot, and I'd go back. Parking can be challenging in Colonial Beach, but their lot size was ample. read more

Honestly dockside was probably the only place worth mentioning in colonial beach. The drinks were pre made so checkout was fast. We didn't get any food, but did notice that it came in plastic tins. The service style is "order here and we will page you to come get it and bring it back to your table". The atmosphere was really cute and we enjoyed the views and the sand. There was live music and a Dj, both were okay but mostly we enjoyed just enjoying the scenery. Also, very dog friendly !! Best part of the whole place. read more

Dockside Restaurant - Love sign - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

after a long day on the water we looked forward to relaxing over dinner. Weordered crab legs and shrimp at market price $55. Both were way overcooked and extremely difficult to crack and peel. Potato salad was delicious as were the hush puppies. Thankfully I had asked the waitress to leave a menu because we needed it to try to keep the flies out of the food. We were under attack for our entire meal. One of us would eat while the other fanned the flies. Our waitress did well but sadly could not do anything about the flies or the decibel level of the very the rowdy crowd at a nearby table. We were totally disappointed and exhausted after working for our dinner! We wont be back! read more

The menu that is pictured is not available at the restaurant, but we had already driven there and there weren't too many more options. It is probably better in the summer when you can sit outside. Oyster Po Boy was good but more bread than anything. Calamari was ok. Fish (good) and chips (meh). The Fried Mozzarella was the only thing that was fantastic. Service was super slow. Waitress was ok. But we did hear someone ask her for something and she told them she was too busy to get it and just kept walking We saw someone had ordered soup and mentioned we didn't see soup on the menu. She said it's a special that comes with a premium Oyster Po Boy. Then when we asked why she hadn't told us about any specials when we had ordered one she shrugged. Over priced. Wouldn't go back. read more

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A MUST visit when in Colonial Beach. This place has it all. Indoor seating, outdoor seating, picnic tables, adult only swings, a beach are, yes you can go in. The atmosphere is so great! Great people having good times!! read more

We had a fun time. This is right on the water and we ate under a tiki hut. We watched boats come in, kids playing in the water. Listened to a very pleasant guitarist/singer. The food is bar food and was not very good. I had a soft shell crab plate and my husband had their other special and we were both disappointed. Flavorless. Wait times are very long! We even wondered if they had lost our order ( they did not). Come and enjoy a beer and a sunset. We would have enjoyed our evening more had we just done that. read more

My boyfriend's entire family has been coming here for years and we all have some of our best memories from here. If you have kids, dogs and are looking for a Tiki Bar with live music and a simple menu this is your perfect place. But, come it stay and chill for a while and they charge a bit extra, but it's worth it for the view and the ambiance. They have one of the best Steak and Cheese sandwiches in the area if you are not into Seafood, and even though it's not on their current menu, if you ask for a salad and Grilled chicken it's always super fresh and I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it's local. Calamari is pretty good, sauce is better, crabs are always a big hit with the kids as soon as we can pry them away from the sand. It's always quickest to walk up to the bar and get drinks outside rather than to get a waitress and sit inside but all the bartenders and really friendly and great. Our family takes over a section of the outdoor tables every time we come and there's always 1 or 2 of us who's order us messed up but it takes too long to fix and we can never find wait staff to help, but the rest of it all is all good. Always a good time! read more

Great service and food. This is definitely a tiki bar, surf shack vibe and it works. The bartender was great helping make my pregnant wife a non-alcoholic low sugar cocktail, and the dockside punch I had was tasty and mixed perfectly. The fish was phenomenal and the fries were excellently cooked: crispy and tender. Just a add a little salt out of the fryer and they would have been perfect. The crab cakes were okay, but I was expecting more after having the fish. I can see why this is a popular spot with newcomers and regulars alike, and I will definitely be coming back once I've moved in. read more

Drinks are always Good. They have a wide ranger of alcohol including Sauvignon blanc (which a lot of bars don't carry and it's a delicious one). We got the sweet potato fries with ranch which were perfectly crispy and a side was HUGE!! The ranch is homemade and a standout. Boyfriend got the fish and chips and it was the biggest fish I have ever seems and was so fresh and flaky. Bloody Mary and other drinks were great as well. And I was totally happy with our experiment read more

Dockside Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

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Nice place. Waterside, beautiful views. Bring your kids, or not. Bring your dog. A bit pricey but good service. We plan to go back. That says alot now-a-days :) read more

The food was delicious, through no fault of the servers my food was delivered with mayo, which I cannot eat. I was unable to catch the attention of anyone to get it corrected until the rest of my party had finished their meal. Needless to say I did not get to enjoy dinner read more

Great place, funky atmosphere. The seafood was good although a little expensive. They have a couple of boats on the lawn you can sit in to eat. Fun for the kiddos. read more

Great place for a true Virginia coast experience. Relaxing. Fun. Authentic sea food offerings (had to try the oysters!) & full bar. I loved the way they pastel-painted boardwalks and picnic tables to match and created seating areas with retired sea vessels. They also have a grouping of inviting hammock chairs for "adult swingers only." Very memorable. read more

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What's not to love about Dockside? An incredibly fun beach set up, complete with beautiful white sand. Live entertainment is a regular feature and the service is always friendly and efficient. The menu is unremarkable, but has plenty of tried-and-true favorites, all executed pretty well. Was stunned to find the house wine selections are actually decent and I think them from the bottom of my heart for not stocking gross Barefoot wine, which a lot of the more casual bars do. Could use a few more kinds of beer on tap. BUT - the reason you go to Dockside is that IT'S GOT SUCH a FUN VIBE. It's next to impossible not to feel happy there. #PRICELESS read more

I came here for drinks and didn't try the food so my review is based on the drinks and atmosphere. I'm a beer drinker and they have a pretty basic selection which was disappointing. Throwing in some blue moon would have been appreciated or anything beyond the basic budwiser category. The setup is cool. They had live music which was good. There are a lot of locals drunk and running around. I'd come back, but because I don't like their beer, only for a drink or two. It's a fun local dive bar. read more

Dockside Restaurant - people sitting at picnic tables under umbrellas - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

Very nice atmosphere. There was a live band playing. We sat outside. Not sure if service is different inside. You order at the bar and then they buzz you. They were out of a bunch of items. So we settled for the shrimp po boy Not the best I've ever had but it was good and I'd eat here again read more

Fresh seafood= great ! Service = wonderful ! Prices = very reasonable. Family friendly environment - a community favorite !

7/24/2020: Four stars for our server, the food and the location. The Dockside sits on a sort of peninsula in Colonial Beach offering a great view of "The Rivah" and the houses that share the waterfront. The vantage point also lets you watch watercraft of all sizes heading into the adjacent marina. From kayaks and small fishing dinghys to luxury mini yachts and sailboats, the waters here beckon adventurers. We arrived about 15 minutes shy of their 10 am opening time on a Friday morning. The smell of bacon wafted through the parking lot as we walked up to the hostess stand out back. Due to COVID-19, entry was relegated to the rear of the restaurant and were only seating folks outside. That was fine by us because while it was already quite warm (86 degrees), there was plenty of seating in the shade. The staff was prepping for the day but made no moves toward the growing line of patrons before EXACTLY 10 am. As my husband and I waited, more golf carts driven by locals and vacationers made their way to the parking lot. Folks can even beach their boat or dock at the adjacent marina and walk up to Dockside. There is a covered deck with fans overhead and umbrellas at every picnic table in the sand. Unique seating for groups include a "beached" pontoon boat and small runabout boat, both with Bimini tops. Our server (who's name escapes me I'm sorry) was a sweet young lady with wavy blonde hair that made sure to check on us often and smile (despite her mask, you could see the smile crinkle at the corners of her eyes) each time she approached. The menu for breakfast offered about eight items but fell short in not advertising sides like bacon or toast. No drink menu was offered either, which we found odd given that the Tiki Bar was open. They were popping a LOT of corks, so we verified with out server that there were mimosas. She also said their "orange crush" drink is very popular. Being self-proclaimed "Crush Experts" due to our annual summer trips to Virginia Beach, we opted for the orange crush. Sadly, it fell short of expectations. It tasted like it was made with SunnyD or Tang instead of fresh-squeezed OJ. It was also made with full ice cubes, not crushed ones... obviously a faux pas because that's how these drinks got their name. No hint of alcohol (either by taste or by "light buzz" meters) which may or may not be a good thing. At $8 each, these definitely weren't up to par for us. Maybe we'll try the mimosas or Bloody Marys next time. There were a LOT of corks popping during our hour there! Luckily, the food was delicious... I ordered the breakfast tacos and my husband ordered the breakfast burrito. We also added on a side of bacon. We noticed a nearby table getting a short stack of takeout containers which I questioned because the couple was seated right before us. Turns out the food is served this way, likely due to COVID-19. This was confirmed when our sever brought us individually plastic-wrapped serving wear packets (utensils, napkin, salt and pepper packets). We overlooked the unfortunate presentation when we opened our containers because the portions are VERY generous! Luckily too, the taste was great. My breakfast burritos were chock full of eggs and chorizo. I diced the small avocado slices that topped them, added the pick from the condiment container and enjoyed. Neither the server nor the kitchen runner knew what the other container held: maybe a ranch-type dressing?? I dipped my fork in it but wasn't moved to use it. Some picante would have been nice but the lack of it didn't detract too much from my meal. Tater tots came on the side but weren't seasoned at all. This fed needs to be addressed because I had to use ketchup and really prefer not to. Many waterside restaurants will do garlic Parmesan tots, cheesy tots or at least salted ones! Note: due to COVID-19 restrictions and mandates, folks were supposed to be wearing masks unless seated at their table. Sadly, several patrons were allowed to dine here without wearing a mask. We also noted several employees wearing their masks on their chin or only covering their mouth, not their nose. THIS needs to be addressed. While we understand that young folks working for probably $8/hour should not put themselves at harm if a guest refuses to wear a mask and becomes aggressive, someone needs to be enforcing this for the safety of ALL patrons (lots of retired-age folks come here, among others!). Employees should be wearing their mask appropriately, especially when working at the Tiki Bar, prepping drinks for patrons. But to end on a good note: Again, our server was friendly and attentive; the ambience was relaxing and beautiful and the food was good. We will definitely come back and try lunch or dinner here. The lunch specials on the board mentioned scallops, calamari and other typical waterside fare. There was a stage (see pics), so we'd love to come back when musicians are scheduled. read more

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