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    Dockside Restaurant

    3.6 (203 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Dockside Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    DOCKSIDE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Casual
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Dockside Restaurant

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    Hush puppy appetizer
    Jenn M.

    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.

    Michelle H.

    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.

    Shrimp Po Boy
    Jaime P.

    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.

    Shrimp app
    Bob M.

    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.

    Large outdoor patio area
    Sharyn L.

    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.

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    Page 6 of 6

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    High Tides on the Potomac - Sweet potatoe and coleslaw sides

    High Tides on the Potomac

    2.3(210 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    We visited with a party of 7, and despite this being Jocelyn's second large table ever, she…read moreabsolutely crushed it. The service was outstanding. She was friendly, attentive, and always on top of everything we needed. The food was great as well. The pizza was a little greasy, but it was still delicious and everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. Honestly, I'm surprised by some of the negative reviews because our experience was fantastic. What really stood out was the customer service. One person in our group accidentally left their glasses behind, and Jocelyn actually ran outside and chased us down to make sure we got them back. That level of care is rare these days. Overall, great food, excellent service, and an experience that exceeded expectations. Huge shoutout to Jocelyn--20/10 service!

    Being a "tourist" town and a place on the "beach", you should expect what you get here. Our…read morewaitress was friendly and attentive, Fabi did wonderful with constantly ensuring we didn't need anything additional. Food was alright, burgers were cooked perfectly medium well.. could use a bit more seasoning but they gave a good portion of toppings and condiments on side to make it your own way! They have indoor and outdoor seating and a very large bar. They have a stage for live music. Don't come here expecting a high quality seafood place, that is not what this place is. Pick options that you'd enjoy everywhere and I think you'd be fine! Plus take in the views while here and just sit and enjoy.

    Photos
    High Tides on the Potomac - Great river view!

    Great river view!

    High Tides on the Potomac
    High Tides on the Potomac - Sea view at resteraunt outdoor seating

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    Sea view at resteraunt outdoor seating

    Drift Seafood and Bar Colonial Beach

    Drift Seafood and Bar Colonial Beach

    3.0(43 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    GREAT food! So many choices that sounded great. I picked shrimp tacos and it did not disappoint…read more The only complaint was very slow service and we waited a long time between drinks then apps and then main course but waitress apologized and said only two people were working in the kitchen that night but the food came out hot and fresh so I can understand short staffing and it didn't affect food quality. Also with the garage doors open there was a beautiful view and wonderful environment but man o man--there were tons of flies all around. Not the fault of the restaurant more of nature but swatting 4-5 flies all night wasn't fun. Of that really bothers you I'd steer away from sitting inside--maybe outside they're not as annoying since there is open environment???

    Worst meal out all year. Went with the wife for a nice evening by the water. The food was…read moreexceptionally poor. Her roasted potatoes were crunchy, not crispy. Half cooked at best. Same with the roasted Brussels. Rock hard and legitimately cold on the inside. While it seemed like decent quality ingredients they were prepared so poorly it makes me question the quality control throughout. Two stars because our waitress handled it well and was very nice. She exhibited the appropriate amount of shame for what her kitchen produced that one would expect. We will not be returning. At least until next year when some new owner will likely take over. We were really excited to try this place and just wish it was half as good as it pretends to be.

    Photos
    Drift Seafood and Bar Colonial Beach - Cool bar interior.  Windows open on nice days.

    Cool bar interior. Windows open on nice days.

    Drift Seafood and Bar Colonial Beach - She crab soup

    She crab soup

    Drift Seafood and Bar Colonial Beach - Beautiful views of the water

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    Beautiful views of the water

    Captain John's Crabhouse

    Captain John's Crabhouse

    3.1(174 reviews)
    6.7 mi
    $$

    We drove to southern Maryland to pick crabs. Captain John's has in the past been dependably good…read more This time the food did not disappoint but the service was very rough. We ordered a dozen crabs, a pound of jumbo shrimp, a bowl of cream of crab soup, an order of hush puppies and an order of fried pickles. The soup had plenty of lumps of crab meat and a nice flavor, and the portion was ample. The crabs were described as jumbo but were closer to large. At $115 for the crabs, a dozen was enough. (Side note: when the market price is that high you really should disclose it on a specials sheet or chalkboard or something. The first mention of it was on the final bill.) The crabs were steamed well and did not taste muddy at all. The shrimp likewise was perfectly cooked. The pickles and puppies were delicious. Total bill before tip came to $200. On the high side versus expectations but not alarming. Service was worse than spotty. At times it was clear that the server had tables in multiple areas of the restaurant and needed roller skates to keep up. And there were times that she was sitting talking to other employees or with her regulars. Several things we had to ask for multiple times (melted butter for crab, drink refills, a few crackers) some of which we finally gave up on ever getting and went to the bar to request. Things like silverware had to be requested. Getting the bill took longer than necessary. All in all, service was 2 to 3 stars. Setting: Worn chairs and tables. Many televisions, all set to Maryland Lottery channels for fake horse races and keno that ran nonstop. Large lottery machine near the bar that did a steady business. This was distracting and not conducive to pleasant dining. Overall the food made the trip worth it. Will go back but not for the atmosphere or the service.

    Down home feel with nice customer service. Very casual but gets to businesses for core seafood…read moreitems. I had a nice seafood platter with haddock, oysters, scallops, shrimp and a crab cake. The hush puppies are the best I've had since Chesapeake Seafood House. Pretty good potato salad and a large salad are side options. The coconut cake was good, moist, flavorful and large. The drinks were not a strength maybe beer is more of a safe bet. It's on the water eith indoor and outdoor seating in a very casual environment.

    Photos
    Captain John's Crabhouse - Captain John's bar

    Captain John's bar

    Captain John's Crabhouse - Ready for deconstruction

    Ready for deconstruction

    Captain John's Crabhouse - Exterior

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    Exterior

    Dockside Restaurant - seafood - Updated August 2026

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