I visited Dockside Restaurant with two guests on the evening of September 1, 2022. I ordered the fried shrimp plate and my guests ordered the fried flounder plate. The cold slaw literally had no taste--it obviously was not fresh. The hushpuppies came with a sweet molassis tasting butter spread that did not go well with the bacon flavored hushpuppies. My guests' flounder was thin and had a fishy taste. My shrimp was hot and tasty on arrival but it would have been nice to have the external shell removed before frying. Our server was friendly and helpful and our meals were served hot. On average, I would give our dining experience a D+. read more

Ehh. Nice location on the water. Sort of a beachy waterfront waterman' dive bar kind of atmosphere. Decent country cover band. Waitress was great. Sorry I can't remember her name. Food was average for this style place with prices as expected. Yes, I'd go back for cocktails and music. Flip flops and shorts is proper attire. Seems the "man bun" is in here. Why? Real dudes shouldn't wear a girls hair style. Not a masculine look. Sorry, I digressed for a moment. Now u know what to expect , so go have a good time. read more

This rating is for quality of food. They have a great selection of bands for their Saturday night shows. However, be prepared to eat seafood and only seafood (except for the one burger on the menu). They are unwilling to make changes to the preset way food is made. For example - the one burger they have, I ordered, and they made an 'exception' to put the crab cake on the side. On the side! And when I got the burger it wasn't well done like I had asked. And the hush puppies are bland. Overall - not good enough quality for price. Will not be returning for food again. May come for late drinks & dancing - but not for a sit down meal. Also - after 9:30 on the weekends kids should be gone. Its all drunks and rowdy dancers. read more

Went to Colonial Beach for a Family Reunion. There wasn't many seafood restaurants real close to where we were staying. Tried Dockside on Friday night before the reunion, just my wife and I. The staff was friendly. Service was quick. But the food was average at best. I had the stuffed flounder. Slightly undercooked and bland. The flies inside the restaurants were a real nuisance! I would not recommend unless you are going to sit outside, drink and listen to the band. read more

This quaint not-so-little joint at Colonial Beach is definitely a must visit for anyone interested in the local seafood fare and entertainment ambience as well as a great view of the water. This is a little bit Chesapeake and a little bit South Beach! Although we went just as they opened on a late afternoon recently their tiki huts, outdoor bar, entertainment area and bandstand really make you feel you more like in the Caribbean than in Virginia! No matter, even without entertainment, we had a great meal. My wife thoroughly enjoyed her Fried Scallop platter, the best she'd had in quite a while - and she's picky about her scallops! I had their Hangover Burger, and I must say, even though I didn't have a hangover, it WAS the best I've had anywhere! Although the service is pretty much laid back and what you'd find and expect from such a joint, at such a location, it was enjoyable overall. They give you the option of sitting under umbrellas out on the unreal beach, or lounging nicely on picnic tables under the covered and much cooler deck. Prices were good, although the quality of their servings match superior prices elsewhere. The bartender was even very candid in her preferring not to recommend a nicely exhibited American Harvest Vodka bottle (see my pic), the Fried Calamari appetizer was perfectly cooked and very, very tasty and fresh, the 2 Coronas I had were more than Ice Cold, and we give both the Fried Scallops and Hangover Burger 4 stars in presentation, freshness and taste. We visit Colonial Beach often, and I am sure we'll be back to Dockside! You really should give it a try. read more

See all

Went here for our anniversary and sat outside and let me just say, you forget your at Colonial Beach and feels like your in key west. I loved the sandy beach area, hammocks, adirondack chairs and a tiki bar. There was a band playing at nine but unfortunately it's too late to have my 8 month old. Would love to go back when we have a babysitter :) My sister in law got the steak which she loved. I had the crab cake sandwich and it too was fantastic. The hush puppies were so good as well. We are moving to CB in a month and can't wait to get back to Dockside. read more

See all

We sometimes boat here on weekends for live music and margaritas. The food here is tasty, and drinks are always good, but the bait and switch on the "Specials" leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Monday night is supposedly $2 burgers starting at 5pm "while supplies last". Past 5:30, they are often out of burgers already, and last night, by 6:30, they were also out of other key items. When they brought my husband's Philly Cheese Steak ($10 instead of $2), the server put the plate down loaded with fries and said "We were out of potato salad." At the very least she could have asked him which alternative side he preferred. read more

I had the crab sandwich for lunch. It was most excellent. The crab was tasty, the crab patty was lightly seasoned so as to not over power the crab. The coleslaw was very good. Chopped up bite sized which is a touch I appreciate. Very pretty view when sitting outside. Reasonably priced. God house wine. And the service was friendly, competent, and prompt. read more

Dockside Restaurant - Crab sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

There is no mask requirement and none of the customers follow any social distancing. This includes two Westmoreland County EMTs stopping in for lunch. Also, the shrimp tacos are rubbery from the microwave. The orange crush tastes like Tang. People were moving around tables. The overall experience is terrible! Covid 19 is still very real but you wouldn't know it from this place!!! read more

Me and my friend sat down around 8:00 pm waiting for someone to take our order, however we were ignored for over an hour even after we tried to get an employees attention. We had to walk up to an employee just to get asked if we needed anything. After that this kind lady went to get a waitress and she asked what we would like to order. After we told her our orders she proceeded to say that at the time they are only serving pizzas so that was the only thing that we could order. We thanked her and told her that we had been waiting for so long that we were wondering if there was anything else but pizza. She said "I don't control the kitchen so I don't know what to tell you" in a very annoyed voice. You don't understand how frustrating it was to see her talking to every other table and hovering over another just to talk to the people and look at us and ignore us. LIKE HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE US ATTITUDE AFTER YOU IGNORED US FOR OVER AN HOUR??? MAKE THAT MAKE SENSE. LITERALLY WHY ARE YOU WORKING HERE IF YOURE JUST GOING TO IGNORE YOUR CUSTOMERS??? read more

Definitely a place to go for the outside atmosphere. Many regulars and and an older crowd but might be because of the time we went. Went on a Sunday at 5pm by boat. Outside bar was packed and outdoor tables filled quickly. Pet friendly and band playing outside. Started with orange crushes that were more OJ than anything else even though this was considered their "Signature Drink." The appetizers were both really good. We had the crab stuffed mushrooms & texas clocked shrimp. Highly recommend both. My son had the hangover burger which was huge, messy& delicious. My shimp tacos and my husbands fish & chips were like any other. Will definitely give this place another try. Oh the inside is a dark & dreary feeling so definitely would only go on a nice day and wat outside! read more

The restaurant is loud and has a beach-bar aesthetic that other restaurants do better. The service is good; my rating would be higher if service were the only criterion. The food is decent, but except for the fries, the portion size is small for the price. read more

This was the very first time we came here for the day to experience everything. Went here for dinner on June 6,2020 at 5:20pm and it's a 90 degree day and we were the only couple to get placed in the hot sun. I saw a table with an umbrella leave and I politely asked the host if we were able to sit there since we were drenched in sweat from the sun. The host stated "we are wanting to place a bigger party at that table" literally 2 mins later they place a COUPLE (two people) at the table we asked for. When I had asked to this table it was not used NOR was it picked out for anyone else yet. LOST MY BUSINESS. We will not be coming here ever again. Not a good experience for our first time with the hosts. read more

it nice but the service back there is sort of bad and it also is kinda hard and rough

Came here for the first time while staying in Colonial Beach. We came to eat lunch. The lunch menu did not have a lot of options like other restaurants. We ordered the fried calamari as an appetizer. The fried calamari were extremely thin i thought it was a joke. It did not look like the pictures above. Since it didn't have a lot of options, i got popcorn shrimp from the appetizer. It was a small but that's coming from the appetizer section. Food wise, i would choose the other tiki bar than this place. read more

Have loved dockside for years. Unfortunately, neither staff not clients are following the covid guidelines. Yesterday I saw exactly one staff member masked properly. Very few of the clients. Staff were sporting the "protect the neck" look. Patrons were hanging out at the bar, which is against regulations as well. The tacos weren't great and the beer selection was worse than usual. Both of which I'm willing to overlook because the staff is always friendly and the atmosphere is great. Well, no one to blame but yourselves if a second round of closings comes around. read more

Dockside's property has the potential to be a clean and thriving restaurant. However, it is out dated and not used to its full potential. The food is alright- the wings are good but are not listed on their menu- but everything is over priced. The staff is not very attentive unless you're a regular. Overall this restaurant needs an upgrade including staff and atmosphere. read more

Holy cow! I am never happy at a restaurant BUT this place rocked it tonight! I met the chef Katie and our server Jenna was the most awesome! I AM SO HAPPY! The scallops were superb and the seafood Alfredo the beat I ever had. Serving the Alfredo on penne pasta was genius! A little burst of the awesome sauce that is in the pasta tubes makes every bite perfect. The stuffed mushrooms were the largest and tastiest ever! All made on site to order. Service was excellent. Live music on Friday and Saturday Nights. So awesome! Will be coming back often! read more

See all

I went to this place in April but the entire outdoor section was closed. The food was good, service was good but overall the experience was somewhat "uneventful". I came back in June and the outdoor area was in full swing: colorful picnic tables with great water views, outdoor bar, outdoor games for the kids and stage for live music. I loved the atmosphere and the food! The fried calamari and ocean scallops were my favorite dishes. This place is unpretentious, has good food, good and friendly service. The atmosphere is laid-back and relaxing. What more can you ask for? read more

We rode over to meet friends here yesterday. I ordered the Norfolk Shrimp. It was really really bad. It smelled and tasted un-fresh. It was stuck together and very tough. It was not deveined, which makes it taste fishy and dirty. I don't expect jumbo shrimp to be served this way. Definitely NOT a do over. The singer in the band featured was bad. She sounded like karaoke with a decent band behind her. We used to go to this place years ago before it put in the Tiki, and the food was quite good. I guess those days are over. I gave it 2 stars because the green beans were good and the service was ok, but for the lofty price of $20 an entree and 5 bad shrimp, we got shafted. read more

So good. I absolutely love the tuna tacos with the wasabi sauce. The only thing I've had on the menu and keep ordering it- it's that good! Highly recommend this dish and restaurant. read more

Took some faily from out of town the food was marginal, service was horrendous. When we first got there we were greated with at least an hour wait, maybe, and the kitchen was switching over to snack items. Then when we were getting ready to leave they seated us out side at a table that was dark, sticky and hot. Won't be going back. read more

We did both dinner and Saturday brunch. Food was great and the service was excellent! Definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed the live entertainment there yesterday during the Jeep Rivah Jam. The band Taboo was nothing short of AMAZING!! Top Notch for sure! read more

This place is fun, it's like visiting the Keys, with a Tiki bar and beachfront setting. The food is great and so is the service. You can't ask for a better setting. If you are in the area and you want a nice meal in a fantastic setting then come here, it's a real gem. read more

I'm a fan. Great inside and outside bar. Food is consistently good as well as the service. Live music most weekends. Big open back dining room with bar that opens up to the patio. This place rocks out in the summer time. read more

I'm a slip owner at CBYC. I needed to get a glass of water for my toddler. And they wouldn't let me in without paying a $10 cover. They threaten to put me in hand cuffs for taking a picture of the ridiculous "bouncers". Don't ever come hear! read more

Memorial Day, closed early with a handwritten note on the door. Change your Facebook page if you're going to close early.

Stay away - go to one of the other places. By far one of the worst run restaurants I've been to. Great location, but the food is bad and the management is worse. We have friends that go here and hence have tried it on multiple occasions. Every time we left disappointed, poor service, rude management and overpriced for bad food. Many horror stories heard recently, mostly with rude staff and management attacking customers and treating the senior citizen that dine 1-2 times a week poorly. Even went as far as accusing one of the regulars (senior vet) of walking out on a bill. This place needs a major overhauling with new management that understands how to run a business where the customers come first. read more

Great food and great live music last night! My only complaint is that the music was a little too loud for me to effectively hit on our fantastic waiter.. read more

Me, my sister and brother in law came to Dockside tonight and I am extremely disappointed by the service. We were sat down and then not acknowledged for 30 minutes. During our wait we observed a waitress cuss at the hostess when she pointed our table out. Finally that waitress came to our table after 40 minutes and asked "do y'all want something to drink?" So moral of the story is we left and came to High Tides and had great service. Will not be going to Dockside again. read more

After hanging out by the water we decided to grab lunch at Dockside. Not only does this restaurant have a great outdoor area, the food was delicious too! We ordered side salads, hush puppies, and burgers. Everything was fantastic. My kids loved exploring the outdoor area and loved their food too. We will definitely come back to Dockside. read more

Dockside Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

Came back to Dockside for the second time hoping their food improved from the first time. Unfortunately I'm still dissappointed. The so called jumbo shrimp are by far no jumbo shrimp. The broiled food choices are small and greasy. Ambience and view is nice. The seared Ahi tacos my son had looked amazing. read more

Three stars are for the view and the ambience. Went to lunch here at 11:30. Decided to order drinks and chill out to wait for the switch to the lunch service at 12. The Bloody Mary for $3 (Sunday special) was fine. At 12, the waitress came over to apologize that the kitchen staff was backed up and she was not allowed to put in lunch orders until 12:30. By that time, we were really hungry and had to call Denson"s for lunch carry out. Disappointed that we went for food and couldn't get any. read more

Dockside Restaurant - Here's the view from the little beach area behind the restaurant. This place could be making money hand over fist with proper management. - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

We really did not enjoy ourselves this time. We drove up for the night just for the music event Saturday night. Looking at the menu didn't see anything that looked special so asked server when dinner menu would be available. She said that actually the lunch menu would switch over to an even more limited menu at 4 )10 minutes later). We paid for our drink and headed on. Out back where the music was going to be was hot and muggy. Need more ventilation considering how hot it can get. Too bad the place can't be turned around so the outside portion faces the water. It was so much cooler out front. read more

Dockside Burger and Popcorn shrimp is so good , the atmosphere is what you would expect out of Restraunt on the marina , you will not be disappointed having a few drinks after a great dinner with a view that never gets old read more

Can I give 0 stars? I called the day before to try to book reservations because i knew we were going to have a large party, because it being my birthday! they said they do not take reservations. From the time we walked in the door we were treated poorly! They said they didn't know if they could accommodate 15 ppl, then stuck us in a corner in separate tables, it smelled like a sewer in there. We asked could we eat outside they said they do not serve outside during the week? 4th of July week in a beach town and you don't serve outside? Said they only had 3 servers... my mother in-law paid them extra so we could sit outside! it was $2 burger night, (but you pay more for toppings) took 2 hours for waitress to come out and say they ran out of burgers, only half of us got our food and the burgers were black and dry! The waitress repeatedly kept saying she was ready to quit... the bill end up coming to $700 !!! I have no idea how, and they didn't offer to take off any of bill even though the food and service was beyond pitiful! It's sad because they're not many places to eat in this town, and i hyped this place up to all my out of town family, so disappointing, Will not be going back and do not recommend to anyone! read more

Where do I start... The night we went to this place Dockside was having a bikini contest run by some international group. My friend was entered in it and long story short there was an altercation between my friend and the lady running the bikini contest. My friend ended up getting sucker punched in the face by the lady running the contest along with a few of the girls she travels around with. We called the police and the owner of Dockside came out and kept trying to tell us it was 8 people's words against 2. Finally when that failed he turned around and said my friend got caught smoking weed on the property by one of the security guards. This was an absolute lie either concocted by the owner or the security guard so we wouldn't go to the police. I know this was a lie because she never left my side except for when she went into the shared dressing room with the other girls that was right in view of where I was. Obviously now since it's 8 lying girls and one lying owner/security guard against 2 we decided to leave so she wouldn't get arrested. Next there was apparently no cut off for anybody when they got too drunk. 50-60 year old drunk guys going up to the girls in bikinis and touching them in inappropriate ways as well as saying inappropriate things to the girls. Did security do anything about it...only once when one drunk guy tripped over his own feet and into one of the girls. Did this guy get kicked out...no...he got pushed towards the bar encouraged to have another beer. On to my final part...the server was one of the most rude servers I've ever had in my life. At the end of the nights after spending about $65 in food and drink I received the check and wrote $0 in the tip. My friend also gave the server a $0 tip on a $40 bill. Fast forward a few days I look at my credit card statement and I was charged $78. I'm happy I kept my receipt thinking maybe I might of left a tip and forgot...no the server decided to give herself a 20% tip even after I wrote $0 in the tip. My friend who I was with was also charged 20% after writing $0. Now we have to call our banks to file a fraud claim...are you kidding me!!!! This place is an absolute joke. So extremely unprofessional with nothing but liars and thieves. I will make sure if anybody I know even thinks about going to this place that they steer clear of it!! read more

This is a first for me. I have never returned food. I would give zero stars if I could. How do you mess up crab cakes? The staff was very friendly and accomodating. Beyond that...it was a sinking ship. The inside had carpet that we had in our basement about 30 years ago. Didn't appear to be real clean. We got around that. The fried fish and fries looked like they came out of the frozen section of the Food Lion. The salads were not fresh. One meal out of 4 (seafood pasta) was o.k. The drinks were $5. We ended up paying for the kids meals which were $72. It was about $10 worth of food. Very disappointed. Again, the staff was very apologetic and accomodating and couldn't have been nicer but the food is not nearly up to par...not even close. read more

Fun outdoor tiki bar on the water! Accessible by boat!