called ahead & they said there was no wait. now I know why. we were seated on the deck, nice location. main groupings were loud, drunk tourists, it appeared. we waited 15 minutes without seeing a server. we left. and we won't be back. read more

The food is overpriced for what you get. My fiancé and I came for dinner and I got fried mozzarella as an appetizer...it came out soggy, sitting in a plate full of water with some marinara sauce just kind of thrown on top. Nasty. Didn't even waste my time ordering an entrée. Stayed around for music afterwards and the bathrooms were disgusting, the employees were beyond rude and the beer prices are too high for low-class. The only reason I gave two stars instead of one is the outdoor tiki bar layout. read more

The atmosphere is excellent. Great view, on the water, nice ambiance. The service was okay, but not great. However the food was not only over-priced, but awful. Driest shrimp I have ever had. Small portions and just totally lacking proper cooking and flavor. Would not return for food. Only go for drinks. read more

Been coming to this place for years but have been away for awhile. The quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff hasn't changed since I've been gone. The only complaint is that the crab legs weren't cooked very well. They were spongy and way too salty but I devoured them anyway. The outdoor bar is a lot of fun and has a great choice of fruity drinks. read more

Really loved the ambiance here! Locals enjoying life, music and good food. Highly recommend the oyster Benedict and the Bloody Mary's! We plan to visit often! read more

Well, I found this little gem after a 22 mile bike ride with friends. We were famished and needed to get to some food immediately! Figured we'd try this little joint out - right on the water with some picnic tables in the sand. Football was on and the place was fairly busy. We were seated immediately and our waiter was attentive and funny! One of us ordered a sandwich, another ordered steak and baked potato and I got shrimp and grits... every meal was delicious! There wasn't a single complaint! Friendly, good food, good prices, attentive staff and great atmosphere - we will be back! read more

Alright food nothing special, but overall decent . The servers were nice. It has nice outside area. I had the crab cake sandwich which was pretty good. The food was a little slow. It was the best restaurant in this small area so I recommend it read more

We had dinner here Saturday night, opting for the boiled seafood platter to split. It came with a crab cake, tilapia, two stuffed jumbo shrimp, four large scallops, four boiled shrimp, a baked potato and some seasonal veggies. For $27 bucks it can feed two people, but the crab cakes were not the caliber of a let's say Timbuktu. The waitress was nice but hurried, the napkins smelt funny like they hadn't been laundered well, and the baked potato (which had been cut in the kitchen) had a noticeable black rottened end. I personally would have either thrown the potato out or cut off the end, rather than serve it to a guest, but hey that's me. The live music was good though, and people appeared to be having a great time. read more

This place is a gem. They usually have a band playing Saturday nights and have a great staff and great food. During the summer they have cornhole tournaments and many other events. Their crab cake eggs Benedict is fabulous. There just isn't enough great things to say about this place. read more

I went there for the first time on a Sunday afternoon with two of my sisters and my dad.Our waitress was Jamie and she was awesome.She went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of.We started off with the buffalo fried oysters and stuffed mushrooms.The three of them had scallop baskets and I had the crab cake sandwich for the main course.We finished it off with the bread pudding and chocolate lava cake.It was an enjoyable day with great food and service.We will be back soon. read more

Just came from having one of the best seafood meals we've ever had!!! The atmosphere is relaxed, the service outstanding, the views beautiful and a wonderful place to bring the entire family or just have a great date night. read more

We had a great time at this casual bar/restaurant on a late Sunday afternoon. It was primarily a local crowd, all were friendly, including the staff. The band was fun, my big, fluffy dog was treated with care and affection, and folks were playing corn hole in the sand, relaxing in air chairs, and chatting at the tiki bar. The oyster po' boy was tasty, as was the coleslaw. It's not fine dining and doesn't need to be. It was a wonderful way to top off the weekend. read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

This is a diamond in the rough. We will start with the atmosphere; the owners have a unique ability to pick the perfect band for every night. Friday and Saturday bands are very lively and talented and can really play to a crowd. Sunday afternoon bands are more laid back and make for a wonderful atmosphere to relax and take in the picturesque view of the Potomac River. Moving on to the food; whether you prefer steamed or fried seafood, fresh salads or french fries Dockside has what you are looking for. There is a sense of pride that you can taste in every dish. (Try the sherry wine dipping sauce with the fried shrimp). Last we come to the staff, what I believe to be the heart and soul of any business that specializes in customer service, they are incredibly friendly and attentive with a genuine taste of home town hospitality. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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