I didn't have high hopes for this place, but I was incredibly wrong. Wow! First of all, very kind and accommodating staff. On time as well. A little slow on the drinks, but then again, there were a lot of them. Incredible evening outdoor atmosphere, with bright colored benches and patio area. You can also play cornhole, or enjoy the outdoors. So wonderful! When it gets later at night, the outdoor lighting is a bit dim. I suggest candles, tikis, or Christmas lights to brighten up the vibe. If they did this, they could maybe move their live music outside and take advantage I that vibe. Lackluster indoor area, sadly, and the air conditioning was blasting a cold and putrid aroma. Eat out on the patio if possible. Note: I don't usually do seafood, but this was spot on! I ordered the flounder stuffed with crab cake. The crab cake is claimed to be famous for a reason: appropriately spiced crab cake with an old bay style mixed with a creamy flavor. The broiled flounder was very fresh, but there was a but too much butter for my taste. My brother lives close by, so I hope I can come back some day. So worth it! read more

Dockside Restaurant - Outdoor seating!!! - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

This is maybe more like a 3.5. We went on a Sunday during Covid times. Didn't have any issues getting to a table and we sat near the beach with no one else around us, so no issues with crowds or anything. Most people seemed to have masks when walking up to the bar, which is where you order your food and drinks, and then you get a take-out container of food when your order is ready. We shared a shrimp and crab leg special. It was good. The shrimp were a little tough to get out of the shells which was weird, but flavor was good. The hush puppies were great. Also the fish tacos were really tasty. Drinks were meh. I was excited about the tiki bar concept, but the concoctions they advertised weren't that appealing. I ended up with a Green Lizard that was drinkable but very sweet. Agree with others about the orange crush, definitely not fresh-squeezed or even something like Simply Orange, tasted like Sunny D. There are limited options in Colonial Beach and this is definitely worth a stop. read more

Very casual restaurant with "tiki" vibes and great water views. The service was very good and our orders came quickly. Extremely reasonably priced and fresh tasting seafood. read more

Great atmosphere-awesome music and drinks, subpar food. Would recommend coming for the vibe not the food. Crab cake sandwich was okay, fish and chips wasn't great and the kitchen was out of a lot, but we did come late. They stop serving food at 10. Location isn't really near anything else, but they had a spectacular view of the fireworks and lots of little tiki areas throughout the bar that were fun. The blueberry bucket was yummy. Cover was 10 bucks because of the band, would recommend coming early to avoid cover charge. read more

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Best bar in Colonial Beach. You ask locals where they go for good service, good food, and a friendly environment and they will tell you Dockside. The management does a great job making sure that amazing talent comes in to play killer music on Sat night and they do their best to make sure customers are always looked after and happy. Definitely try the hand cut mozzarella and then go big or go home and try the Hangover. A beastly burger that sports bacon, egg, and a blue crab cake. Today its Sunday. I'm watching football enjoying their killer wings, cold beer, and watching the game on one of their 5 large flat screens in a screened in tiki bar ON THE BEACH!!! read more

Dockside Restaurant - Hot hot wings! Spicy and meaty. - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

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Loved the waterside location and the island theme. The food was good (burger and fries) and the Margaritas were very tasty. I hate that they use so much plastic - containers, cutlery, cups - with no means of recycling any of it. read more

Absolutely awful. Awful food and awful service. Cool place but it's a typical beach restaurant/bar that cares very little about the quality of their food because they know people will come because of location. I will say others did enjoy the fish tacos read more

Dockside Restaurant - "SHRIMP PO BOI" LOTS of bread and very little shrimp (size and quantity) - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

I'm biased here; I know the staff, and they're amazing people, with personality that this business encourages instead of just being a smiling face. Otherwise, their food is decent, their drinks are delicious, and the bartenders are imaginative with creations that aren't listed. The bands that play every week are hit-or-miss, but even with the misses, I still end up having a good time with friends here, whether I'm drinking or not. read more

If you eat outside, you could get lucky! However If you get seated inside in their back room you will loose your appetite... from the nasty sewer gas. The foods not amazing, and not horrible, but we were a party of 7 and none of us could hardly stand the smell, to order. We did, the owner was wiping down a table next to us while he head me say "It smells really bad like sewer" and gave no response. That didn't sit well with me. The fried food looked like its been fried in 10 year old read more

Love the tiki bar area and the fact that we can walk here from our place. If you don't like seafood, this isn't your place though. Wish they had more un-fried options but the food is decent. Good live music and little beach area/sand pit for the kiddos. read more

We had crabcake sandwiches and sweet potato french fries. Not bad, actually pretty good. But really, the view is so beautiful that it would have been hard to go wrong. We were there on a recent Saturday at about 1 pm. I was glad to see that Colonial Beach wasn't inundated with traffic like you might expect a beach community to be. The restaurant was busy but it didn't feel crowded. We sat outside under an umbrella looking out over the Potomac. Our food was ready within about fifteen minutes. I could taste the crab and the sandwich tasted similar to ones that I'd had before. A little bit of shell and not overly bready. The sandwiches cost about what I expected to pay in a beach town. The fries were just okay, not really crispy. There was some upbeat music playing outside and this was fine. There's another restaurant that we want to try next time, but we had to try this one first. read more

Dockside Restaurant - View from outdoor seating looking northwest, I assume. - Seafood Near Me - Colonial Beach, Virginia

This "locals" establishment was fun and had a beachy atmosphere like you are on vacation in the Keys. My brother who is a "new local" hangs here and recommend the $2 hamburger night. AWESOME! We had excellent service and excellent food and drink. We hung out back after the meal on the beach bar area and finished our drinks while the kids played in the sand and on the fun items out back. read more

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So very inconsistent. One visit you will get great service, delicious meals, and a rewarding experience with good drinks and atmosphere. Other times, we will leave totally pissed, vowing to never return. Time will pass, we'd exhaust all other limited possibilities, and return to a great restaurant. This place is frustrating like that. read more

The hangover burger was delicious. Even on a crowded Saturday night service was great. Only knock is that cocktails are a little steep. Love live music outdoors. read more

Unfortunately a bad experience all around. The hostess was rude and tried to discourage us from waiting for a table. As soon as she told us that - one opened up. We both ordered fried shrimp dinner- $17.99. It came with 4 shrimp. I mean really?? We sat across from the hostess's station outside and saw her rudeness extend to every group that came in. Probably our last visit here. read more

This is by far the very best place to eat in Colonial Beach. All the food is great. The oysters Rockefeller was the very best I ever had. The wings are a little pricey but they are excellent. The view is amazing. read more

Came here around 4:45 with my wife and dog and was nice and shady for us. Orange crushes were good and food was really good. Wife got the chicken sandwich and I got the fried shrimp platter. Only reason I say its 4 stars is because I wish there was less fries (filled the entire bottom portion and then some of the container) and more shrimp and hushpuppies. Other than that, great atmosphere and would definitely come back. read more

So we came here with the expectations of dining in unfortunately we were not able to and told us that we had to order for carry out we had the most wonderful best waitress ever Maddie who took care of me and my family of 6 best customer service ever her and Nicki dida great job!!! they had such a patience they were not upset they were not frustrated with the overflowed of customers and took care of us in the excellent way will be coming back those girls rock read more

Good food great atmosphere. Service is top notch. Nice view of the water. Love the crab cakes!

Great atmosphere with fun boats, cars, and other "beached" items that serve as tables. Definitely can't beat the view either. Po Boy was with a bit too much bread and lacking of enough shrimp, shrimp platter was great, but seriously, go for the grilled chicken sammich (The Godfather). It's a solid marinade on the meat and it's cooked perfectly. Go with the chicken, at least someone in your party. read more

Love it here! Good food, a bit pricey but excellent. Service was phenomenal & the music great.

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

I called for a take out - two Hangovers, calamari, and fish and chips. The person who took the call said that they did not have the Hangover but they could do the burger, put a fried egg on top, and give me a side of crab cake along with a side of the cherry wine sauce. Well, those are the ingredients of the Hangover, right? Anyway, when I went to pick up my order I my tab was for $80 and change when I should have paid no more than $60 and change - $28 for two Hangovers, $10 for the calamari, $19 for the Fish and Chips. So I had to pay $20 more because they decided to not sell me the burger as a Hangover, but they gave me all the ingredients and charged for them separately? Not honest. And I'm sorry to say, the food was average. I'm certainly not going back. read more

Service was ok. The food was overpriced for what it was. Had a fish and chips. The portion was generous but very greasy.

Place is cool, fun atmosphere, good service but not much of a selection on food. Very limited and kinda pricey for what it is. But for hanging and drinking it's awesome read more

First time in this place. Kind of busy for Monday. This place is pet friendly. Two observations 1. Menu doesn't offer a lot of option and this time they run out of three items. 2. Short staff making the order process consuming a lot of time so be ready to wait. The waiter was super nice one of the best! Also; it is a bit of pricy for the amount of food and the quality of it. I will come back but just if I really need it to. Just this time did not work for me. read more

You have to be kidding. The kitchen is closed to ordering food. Period. There are 300 people here and they are overloaded. Band and hula show. How can you not order food. Management should have their head handed to them. Bring in some food trucks or be creative on the food when you have a large crowd. How can you sell beer and alcohol but not food. What would Virginia ABC say? read more

Dockside is my favorite place to eat in Colonial Beach. The staff is very friendly, atmosphere perfect and food delicious. The buffalo oysters are wonderful and the bread pudding is a must. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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