I ate there last night. I had a great experience food isn't really expensive. Outdoor seating area is dog friendly. Good was great and good portions. I will most certainly be back especially for Thursday night trivia read more

Love this place for its outdoor atmosphere. The indoor tiki-bar room on the waterside is a nice compromise when the weather isn't ideal for outdoor dining. read more

I still think Dockside is the best seafood in town, but service seems to be inconsistent...especially when seated on the back enclosed area. I'm not sure why that is, but it always seems to be the case that things take forever back there. read more

Located at the marina, Dockside is a favorite with both locals and summer visitors. Both the fried and broiled seafood platters were excellent, the crab cakes had a lot of crab and very little filler, the crab chowder was superb. I would give it five stars except that our waitress wandered off for about 20 minutes and I had to ask another server for drink refills. read more

Location is good. Bit expensive but you pay for the view. Food is okay. Good for a casual meet.

We visited The Dockside Restaurant for the first time today (usually fine at another great restaurant when in Colonial Beach). The service & food were both awesome! Hubby had the Hangover Burger which is a double decker with beef both a beef & a crab patty and egg/bacon & their homemade potato salad. I had the seared tuna tacos w/ an amazing wasabi ranch type sauce. They also use turtle friendly pasta noodle straws. We will definitely be dining here again. read more

Three stars for the view, music ONLY! Visited 3 separate occasions - Service still sucks!! Waited 10 minutes for a server after another server finally saw us (3 ppl) waving our hands frantically who then had to go ask who was responsible for our table. Previous visits took about the same amount of time and food delivery is over a half-hour from ordering. Food portions are above par but taste of food is ok. Lastly, if your under age kids order an orange soda, taste test if BEFORE they drink it. My age 15 daughter was served an alcoholic orange crush and she certainly doesn't look 21. Waitress name unknown. WON'T BE BACK TO DINE ANYTIME SOON - IF EVER!!!! Note: Loud obnoxious people sitting at the inside bar and front room seating. Sit outside if the weather permits. Suggestion: Check out High Tides or Wilkerson's. Great views, great service. read more

Horrible service and a RARE steak. They brought my appetizer right before my meal and everyone else had theirs for 15 mins. Then they brought my meal and said since the appetizer came late they wouldn't bring me the salad. Skip this place. read more

The best restaurant in Colonial Beach (in all of Westmoreland & King George Counties actually). Great food, great drinks, great staff, great prices. This place is............great! I eat here constantly and they have never disappointed. The past couple years, my company has had our annual XMas party here too. GREAT FOR GROUPS! read more

Taco Thursday! Plain old beef tacos, we loved them. Just like Mom used to make. Great service, friendly and attentive staff.

The food was just mediocre and it was just a little pricey. Nothing to write home about. My last visit was in 2014. I have not been back.

We were staying about 6 miles away in an RV park. The Ranger at our park recommended dockside restaurant as a good place for seafood and it did deliver. The appetizer of calamari was the best I have ever had. The pieces were small and tender with a delicious corn salsa. I ordered the Norfolk style scallops and loved them. My husband had the same style of seafood with fish, scallops and shrimp and kept wanting me to try the fish. We started at the tiki bar and ended up canceling our reservations in the dining room. It was a beautiful evening sitting outside enjoying the view. Service was excellent and we both agreed it was the best seafood on our trip in the North East this summer. read more

This place rocks! Great music, relaxing atmosphere, and amazing food. My favs are the shrimp or fish tacos, shrimp and grits and bread pudding. They also make a drink called paradise Punch which is super yummy. read more

On a recent visit in Colonial Beach, our son introduced us to the Dockside Restaurant and Blue Heron Pub. We were very glad to make its acquaintance! The food was delicious, and we sampled all the seafood offerings during the two nights we dined there. (We enjoyed the most succulent oysters we have ever eaten.) The relaxed atmosphere of the back deck was nice and gave us a front row seat for watching the corn hole players and listening to the band. The only drawback was that the volume of the band was so high that we could not carry on conversation at our table. For great food, friendly people, and laid-back beach dining, the Dockside Restaurant is perfect! read more

Horrible, horrible place!! from the moment before we walked in they were very unaccomodating.... told us they couldn't seat 8 of us and we weren't even in the door; unable to figure out how to put two tables together! Then they didn't want to seat us outside because it was too hot and humid for them. then we got accused of cussing at their staff when no direct comments towards anyone were made.. just simply how difficult is it to put two tables together? we were confronted by someone who accused us of being rude. we were told we could leave so we did. we were followed out of the restaurant with constant comments from the staff to not return. we were actually flipped off by people from this establishment. sad thing is they lost well over $300 from our group which we were not rude until receiving such uncalled for behavior. we were only looking to enjoy music and get some food. they will fail miserably at bike feast!!!! very sad since we were their last year and had a blast. never again!!!!!!!!!! read more

The service at this restaurant was lackadaisical at best. We had to ask for silverware and salt and pepper. We ordered steamed shrimp and clam chowder for appetizers. The shrimp came out overcooked the first time. The replacement batch was better but still not great. The clam chowder came out 10 minutes after the shrimp and about 1 minute before the entrees. The food was edible but the flavors were boring. I would recommend this restaurant only if you can not get a table anywhere else in a 20 mile radius. read more

Visiting colonial beach for the first time. This place is great! Very casual, fun, beach type atmosphere. Great music! Shrimp and the wings were very good! Also got a side salad that was very fresh with amazing honey mustard dressing. Orange crush drink refreshing and perfect for a hot summers night! Highly recommend!!!! read more

Last Sunday we were looking for a good restaurant in Colonial Beach and wrongly the iPhone maps app took us to the Riverfront casino restaurant. Ewww! Awful!...... then my husband decided driving around and saw this place and just remembered that someone had recommended it ! what a pity-- we had already eaten horrible sandwiches in the other place :( but we got in anyway, asked for some desserts (apple cobbler and tiramisu) and we were not disappointed ..yummy!! besides, the place is so cozy, the staff very nice...and the patio looked so great that we promised ourselves to go back in summer and try the seafood! :) read more

I was so happy to find this place - the reviews sounded good, and when we arrived, things just got better and better! They were open at 5:30 pm (GREAT as we were looking for an early dinner with kids), the waitress was welcoming and we had a choice of tables inside or out. It was a warm evening so we sat outside by the water and the kids could play on the sand and in the swinging chairs while we enjoyed a cocktail. The kids' menu was good, and we had a choice of plenty of local, seasonal seafood. The menu is pretty heavy on the starch, and I found ourselves sitting in front of white bread rolls, a baked potato, a side of hush puppies (WTF?) and plenty of fries. I had to try hard not to laugh when told the dessert that night was bread pudding. Our mixed seafood platter was nice, although the serving side seemed a little small compared to what I would expect on a 'platter', as it was more like a small dish. All up, though, the drink and food selection was great, the service prompt and friendly, and the atmosphere perfect for a summer evening. read more

This is by far the best restaurant you can boat to on the Potomac River. The menu looks like many others, with fried and steamed shrimp, crab cakes, oysters, etc and so I was expecting the same tired tiki food. But was in for a surprise. The spinach salad came with a choice of homemade dressings. The hush puppies were light and flavorful - the best I've had. The crab cakes huge and tasty, with a side of green beans that were out of this world. We had to order extra green beans because my family loved them so much, and trust me that has never happened before!! To top it off the staff was friendly and very welcoming. My kids are busy playing on the beach and we couldn't be happier. read more

The buffalo oysters are a good choice. The hush puppies are shit. The dude playing Alice in Chains and Van Morrison covers was nice. The inside looked like the Regal Beagle. Really, though, sit outside -- it's an awesome spot. read more

Took my wife here for her birthday tonight because she wanted shrimp and I didn't want to go all the way to Fredericksburg. A coworker mentioned this place out of several in the town. The place is at the marina so parking is limited. We got there a little before 6 and there was basically no one there yet. We sat and ordered drinks which were brought out quickly. We then ordered our food. Seemed to take forever and a couple who came in after us go theirs before us. While we were waiting I took our littlest boy outside. There is an outdoor patio and tonight they had two guys playing guitars. There is also a bar and a small tiki bar along with a small beach with seating. Our food arrived and it was very good. My daughter and I had the "dockside" burgers which was a thick patty with a slice of ham. She had coleslaw and I had the potato salad. both were good but a few bites of the slaw were a bit peppery. My wife ordered the Norfolk style shrimp which was shrimp boiled in butter with a little sherry. She said it was good (I don't like seafood) and there was also a side of green beans and a huge baked potato. The boys both had cheeseburgers which were big. My son also ordered hush puppies. someone said that they were bland or something but they were actually really good. Overall this is a good place. Could use a lot of updating but it is a good place to eat. read more

We thought this place had good service, pretty good to delicious seafood, and OK sides. But the location is great (right down from our B&B), the live music was cool, and everything (seafood-wise) was fresh. Suggest getting the texas-style stuffed shrimp and any oyster dishes. read more

Waited almost an hour for the simple sandwiches we ordered. service was terrible - the waiter was rude and disrespectful. food wasn't even quality. read more

I was there the same night craig was bikini contest was awesome atmosphere was great food was excellent did not witness anything negative happen that evening read more

I've eaten at the dockside on and off over about 15 years. Lately, I think the food has slipped a bit. However, it is still probably one of the better options in Colonial beach. I would stick to the seafood menu rather than try the other meats. read more

Delicious! I love soft shelled crabs & they were on the menu. They brought out 2 of the biggest crabs I think I've ever seen for soft shelled. I could only eat 1 1/2. My husband had shrimp and grits & that was delicious also. I saw many other dinners on the menu that I'd like to try so we will will definitely go back. Service was very good too. Drinks were quite expensive but food prices were reasonable for seafood. read more

What a great spot. The band was amazing and so was the drink I had. Wild cherry rum with lemonade.

Very clean and nice wait staff. The atmosphere was great especially on the outside deck watching the boats go up and down the river. Good food. Had the flounder platter and my wife had the crab cake platter. We also had the oyster appetizer. The oysters were a cooked a little soft though. Everything else was very good. read more

great restaurant! excellent food, and perfect atmosphere. crab cakes was amazing, one of the best I have had. Cheesesteak sub is a great surprise to find at a seafood place, a really good one! For dinner, the shrimp and grits is my all time favorite. the staff is efficient and friendly. all around great place, good food, good drinks, friendly people and great atmosphere! read more

Bang bang shrimp pretty good. Nice salad, fresh with chunky bleu cheese dressing. Beautiful dinner rolls. And then all down hill from there. Crab cakes needed a huge helping of Old Bay. Broiled scallops the size of a nickel in a watery wine broth, barely warm. "Fresh" flounder virtually tasteless. Huge baked potatoes at room temp. Pleasant, helpful server. It certainly wasn't her fault that the kitchen came up short. I would not return there again. read more

There's just something about Dockside ... The vibe is comfortable and friendly (sometimes frenzied on a busy night), and the food is pretty darn good. Everyone works hard to please the customers and even if you didn't have the very best meal of your life, the local color and ambience will provide you a good time. I love their salads and burgers (I'm not a seafood fan). read more

Laid back, but with great food. Right on the Potomac in cutsey Colonial Beach, VA. We had popcorn shrimp appetizer, which was served too hot to eat. They have a sherry sauce that is wonderful. Wife had fried oysters, I had crab cake sandwich. The oysters (in June!) were succulent and fried just perfectly. The crab cake was broiled, with a crispy outside and a soft inside. Both were seasoned just perfectly. Go watch the big boats cruise down the Potomac, and enjoy some really good seafood, served up hot from a very accommodating staff. read more

Really good. Friday's are trivia night (you have to call in on Thursday when it opens and reserve a table. It gets packed quickly). There are different areas: a bar area, a connecting room to the bar, a dining area (for those that don't want to eat in a bar atmosphere. You can also eat in the first 2 rooms that I mentioned as well), a sports bar area that opens up outside, and an outside area. The bar area is your classic bar; clean well-lit, a few tvs; the connecting room is the same (bar doesn't reach into that room). The dining area looks nice (I haven't checked out the entire room); the sports bar is large and has a stage (I guess for when the weather is bad outside). The outside area (where the tiki bar is) is also large. Has a stage for outside concerts. Has a small area for kids to play in the sand (it's small, keep that in mind), has hammock chairs (ages 21 and up only was on the sign), a number of benches and tables, 2 swing a ring on a hook games for adults, and a few cornhole games. Food and service were good. Parking may be an issue (I don't know how it is during the rest of the week, but on Friday nights it gets packed by 7. There is another parking lot before you get to the restaurant, but it is a walk). read more

great venue for live music artist in season.sam grow a rising md star was there and great! food is good and breakfast.nice tiki bar out back n sand.also can eat up top on roof overlooking tiki bar and music.great pub(blue heron)service good but a bit slow when not busy and shouldnt be.great water and marina atmosphere and river view.do it! read more