After visiting the San Bernard National Wildlife Reserve we saw a signs for Freeport and Surfside. We turned right and were soon surrounded by petro chemical plants. Eventually we found our way to Surfside and--based on six yelp reviews--chose Dorado's. We are very glad we did. The food, ambience, and service were excellent. We had ceviche, stone crabs, and shrimp. All were good. Dorado's clientele is mainly local. Follow your GPS and prepare for a few circuitous twists and turns. Indoor and outdoor dining overlooking a ship channel is available. The new manager is quite friendly and talkative. Aside from lacking signs, Dorado's was excellent. Once there, it's easy to recognize. It's on stilts and you have to climb a flight of stairs. It's next to a large boat storage facility. read more

Dorado's - Seafood Near Me - Surfside Beach, Texas

See all

Our food was amazing and our waitress was very accommodating. We plan to go again while on vacation! We loved the atmosphere.

Very friendly staff, nice views and good shrimp and fish tacos .Best fried pickles ever!!!!

Get food. Great drinks. Beautiful surroundings. Ate grilled oysters & fish tacos & we drank hurricanes. Our waiter, young man, I cannot remember his name, was wondetful. He answered our questions & had great recommendations. Lots of fun. Will be back. read more

Great food!! Highly recommend the shrimp jammers. Other great items on the menu are ceviche or the cheeseburger. Great service downstairs, and a full bar! read more

Giving you guys 5 stars because your seafood is so fresh and the view is so nice. However, we did have one in our all adult party of four that ordered a Mac and Cheese side. Very disappointing to see what seemed to be a Kraft box of Mac and cheese served in a little paper bowl. Really wouldnt be hard to boil your own pasta, mix with velveta and serve in a nice bowl. Little things matter! read more

I went to this restaurant along with some of my family and a family friend. It was our first time eating at this place, and I'm sure it was our last. First and foremost, they seemed to be severely understaffed. The place was full of people, but only 3 employees were waiting tables. One girl was waiting all the tables inside, while the other was waiting all the tables outside. The bartender was helping out both waitresses as much as he could, but they were all still getting overwhelmed. When we ordered our drinks, we got 3 out of 8 drinks first, and the rest of the drinks took an additional 15 minutes to arrive. There were a quite a few times in which we had to remind our waitress of all of the drinks we had ordered ... and for other things too. However, I don't blame her completely because like I mentioned previously, they were severely understaffed. For the food on the other hand, all of our orders were correct, and the wait time was reasonable for a group of eight people I would say. However, I ordered the fried catfish, which I expected to be a full basket of food. Well, I was wrong. For 18 dollars, I received a small and slightly overcooked catfish filet with some of their homemade potato chips. I finished my food within about 5-8 minutes, and I was still hungry. I believe that if I am paying that much for food, then I should definitely feel full after eating it. When I got home, I ordered a pizza and wrote this review with my hunger satisfied. Ultimately, if you're looking to eat at a seafood restaurant with great service and great food for reasonable prices, this is not the place to go to; I'm sorry. read more

Awesome service ! Food was delicious and everyone was so friendly. Location is good and the outdoor seating is nice and relaxing.

Had eaten here last summer and loved it, so called to make a reservation for my 30th birthday dinner.. man was I disappointed. They must be under different ownership because the menu was completely different. I wish they would have told me when I called that they were out of half the menu... We ordered chip & salsa and fried pickles.. salsa tasted like tomato paste and water.. no flavor at all. Fried pickles seemed like they barely had a pickle in them. AND SOOOOO SALTY!! Practically inedible. They didn't have any grilled fish and she said they were going to likely discontinue it from the menu... okay?? So our options were either fried food or grilled shrimp tacos... Went with the shrimp tacos and they were without a doubt the worst shrimp tacos I've ever had.. They were $15 and you got 2 tiny little shrimp per taco. Definitely will not be going back which is a shame because it's such a cute restaurant with a nice, relaxing view.. read more

We rented a house down the street from the restaurant, and saw the full parking lot, so we decided to disregard the less than 5-star rating and give the place a try. Great atmosphere! Beautiful weather, so our party of 6 sat outside. Server- who said she had been here a month- was very nice, but inattentive. She didn't refill our drinks until she brought our food. Unfortunately, the food came out cold and undercooked. And the portions were tiny- the fish & shrimp platter came out with one piece of catfish (maybe 5 ounces) and 3 pieces of small shrimp. The shrimp tacos- bigger portion- but cold, including the side of street corn. Don't be fooled by the full parking lot- it's a boat storage place. Quite a few boats came in while we were eating. One last suggestion - maybe a dress code for the servers? read more

So 2 Nd visit , both times we have had amazing seafood! Saw the oysters being delivered, that's fresh!!! The staff is very fabulous lieutenant Dan aka Seth ask for him! Have had fresh oysters, seafood platter both grilled and fried both worth it! Not understanding the 3 star but we are happy with 5 star we gave A must weekend visit! read more

Great spot fir a drink or a meal. The Well, the bar downstairs was really cool. They let people fish off the patio and I caught several different fish. Staff was very friendly and taught us a lot about the area. Going back today for some fishing and a drink or 2! read more

Nice clean cool bar with the best burgers and fried seafood you can find in the area. I felt compelled to shout out the fabulous service by Dan a very savey young man who is aimed to please and provide good service. I ordered the Butterfled shrimp large and perfectly fried.....delicious with home made potato chips. The Dive Burger is the best burgers we had in a long time it is a juicy double patty black Angus patty with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, cheese, mayo, yellow mustard with Hawaiian buns with French Fries, absolutely to die for. The view is scenic and great to watch the barge go by while grabbing lunch or dinner. If you are vacationing I highly recommend Dorodo's Dive Bar it will be a favorite of mine. I really want to come in the evening to listen the live music which I have planned for my future visit. The shrimp is fresh right off the boat so how can you miss this neat bar. The bar drinks is fantastic the bartender has it right on how to perfect cocktails. Blood and Sand with scotch sweet vermouth April and orange a must try bar drink, see for yourself. Not hard to find but if your lost you can find it right away on Shark lane. Highly recommend if you in this area of town. Safe travels to all my special yelpers out there. read more

See all

We visited 3 weeks ago while in Galveston and Freeport. Nice atmosphere, clean, friendly staff, outside seating. That was the good. Service was SLOW. I even asked if someone didnt show up for work and was reassured that no, everyone was there, we did see multiple staff come through our area, not sure why service so slow. Can't really mess up bottled beer, so we are good for beverages. I really wanted to try the pickled shrimp other yelpers wrote about, however it is no longer available. Okay. Shrimp roll it is. Well not exactly. Watery mayonnaise saturated bun with more celery than small diced shrimp pieces (and dill) so loose that the bun fell apart the moment I picked it up. Not worth the price tag. Fresh oysters on the half shell were good, no complaints on that aspect nor on my husband's fried shrimp dinner. Worst item on the menu? The SALSA!!!!. Bland, open a can of crushed tomatoes, add some diced onions and serve to unsuspecting customers. Don't bother adding any seasonings or spices and for even more of a let down use the same unappetizing bland concoction for the shrimp ceviche. Just add approximately 3 small shrimp diced and take the fool who unsuspectingly ordered what could be a great dish money. In Texas? For shame! read more

Great little hideaway with a good view, good food and good drinks. Pet friendly also!

So we looked at their menu on line -- which is not their current menu in any way shape or form. It looks like a nice elegant fancy dish restaurant -- it's not loud, drunk patrons w no shoes from the beach. Wait staff could not answer one menu question. In order to get any service we had to go interrupt her selfie sessions. Cooked food came out raw. Very loud they are bang on the oyster right next to the customers -- Many folks came dressed up thinking they were getting a elegant dinner and u could see their disappointment -- read more

Slow service. And they weren't busy. The appetizer was reported as scratch made boudin balls...they were small and bland. Food was sub par for the price. read more

We really enjoyed the Bloody Marys! They came with an appetizer meal on top of the cocktail. Everything tasted really good! I had the Grilled Shrimp salad and it was enough for 2 people Easy. Great service!!! read more

Dorado's - Spicy Bloody Mary with shrimp, fried oyster, bacon, asparagus, carrot, pickled okra, and olives! A drink with appetizers all in one. - Seafood Near Me - Surfside Beach, Texas

See all

This place is terrible. We had a group of 24 year olds and they chose not to accept one of our IDs and wouldn't give an explanation why. Maybe they didn't like that he was wearing a shirt that said Utah on it? When asked for an explication the staff was very rude. The band was also so loud you couldn't think strait. We know one place we definitely will not be going again! read more

Been here a few times, and it went downhill each time. Had oysters that were terrible. I called and talked to a manager hopefully to give them a second chance. She said to come back to get a complimentary meal, and took my name. When I went the next time, there was no record of the agreement. They only offered a 10% discount to which I agreed. When finished, the current manager did not approve that discount having us wait 30 minutes before I decided to leave. read more

Lovely food! They have excellent fresh live oysters. Wife & I enjoyed everything we put in our mouth. We both had fried fish, raw oysters, and fried oysters. We shall be returning! read more

See all

WE DID NOT eat here. That's why I'm not really rating their food. This is a little biased as I was very disappointed that they did not stay open the hours posted. We arrived with half an hour to spare but, kitchen was closed. It was recommended by a local person so, we had been looking forward to it. Side note; it seems common that the area restaurants don't really honor their posted hours. read more

Been to this place everytime I've been in town, great food, great cocktails, and great service. I was in town for a fishing trip last week and we ate there twice, the appetizers are good and nobody in our party didn't love what they ordered, great environment right on the intercoastal. 10/10 recommend, by far the best in Surfside if you want something fast or looking for a good bar. Our waitress Sara was phenomenal, we look forward to coming back. read more

House made chips were amazing with the queso!! Also, their burger was delicious! Great cocktails and even better service!!!

We have been hearing great and not so great reviews of Dorado's for a while and decided it was time to see for ourselves. We went late on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. The place was about half full. We were quickly and kindly greeted by the hostess/waitress who said we could sit wherever we chose and then patiently followed us while we changed our mind three times. We ordered Mexican Mules as we sat to check out the menu. The mules were cold in nice, frosty copper mugs and were perfectly made. We ended up ordering a dozen raw oysters and fried pickles. The oysters were very fresh, huge and delicious! The condiments and crackers were fresh and tasty. Although we intended to split a sandwich, we ended up ordering another dozen oysters! Our hostess/bartender/waitress was Trish who was more than attentive, kind and helpful without being intrusive. Our food was beyond fantastic! I'm hoping this is the norm and not a fluke. If our next visit is this good, it's safe to say we've found a new favorite dining spot. Five stars for food, service and atmosphere! read more

My husband and I decided to drive down to Surfside to getaway from Houston and enjoy a beautiful afternoon. This place had great reviews so we decided to give it a try. I'm glad we did because it was delicious and a great experience! We had the elotes, hush puppies, pulled pork tacos, fried catfish, the blonde brownie dessert, and the Kentucky mule. I'm looking forward to coming again and bringing some friends! read more

Dorado's has been on my radar since they released pictures of their food and cocktails on Facebook. The dishes are ambitious and creative, and the seafood is as fresh as you could hope for. The bar selection is solid and the cocktails are nicely crafted. Even the presentation of the dishes is above average, but as nice as all of this sounds, we left mildly unimpressed with the food. We started with the snapper aguachile. It had cucumber, tomatillo, Serrano, cilantro, avocado, snapper and lime which sounds like a one way trip to flavor town, but the dish was surprisingly bland and the chips seemed a little stale. Bring the heat or at least up some salt and lime. Next dish we had was the grilled shrimp marinated in adobo and lime with a "corn salsa". The shrimp were large and charred to perfection but canned corn with queso fresco and creme fraiche is not my idea of a "corn salsa". This was especially frustrating because my wife is not a fan of creme fraiche and other dishes had it listed on the description. Furthermore, how is a fish dish going to have cheese without it being clearly stated? The last dish we had was the grilled grouper. Again, fresh as can be and grilled to perfection, but also under-seasoned and with the same "corn salsa". I will say that the cauliflower on this dish was outstanding. This review may come off as overly critical but a menu and restaurant this ambitious deserves an honest review. 3.5 stars read more

The fried shrimp were huge and to die for (SUPER TASTY as they were fresh out of the water) - the drinks were great - the atmosphere was absolutely beautiful at sunset. As for the negative, the worst I can say is that they were a little bit disorganized and service was slow but if you are reasonable you know these things are to be expected at even the best places from time to time. Prices were reasonable as well and we left happy and full with a smile on our faces. read more

Dorado's - Cheers! - Seafood Near Me - Surfside Beach, Texas

See all

We ate here for dinner on a Thursday night and the first thing we noticed when we entered was the clean, fresh decor. There was a lovely bar with a large tank to the side filled with ice, displaying the fresh oysters. It was very lively inside, with only a couple of empty tables. The place isn't huge, but they did have a large party that they were able to accommodate without trouble. We started out with the Snapper Aguachile ceviche, which was flavorful and refreshing, and the catfish tacos, which had a great balance of flavors and perfectly fried fillets of catfish. One of my dining companions had a mojito, which she said was very good. We also had some hush puppies which had a great texture, but one of the other members of my party wished they had some finely diced jalapeño or red pepper for color and a little zest. For our entrees, I had the grilled shrimp, which came with a "corn salsa" that is actually exactly the same as their elotes, available as an a la carte side. I think they should be consistent so that people don't get confused. Anyway, my shrimp were very fresh, maybe slightly overcooked, and the elotes were tasty, although some lime wedges for garnish would have been a nice addition. Many of the entrees are served a la carte, so you might want to order some extra sides. My dining companions both had burgers, which they said were fine, but not life changing in any way. They also got the toppings wrong (one person asked for no tomato and got a completely dry burger, the other asked for no condiments, but their burger came with a small amount of mayo), but this was fairly minor. We also had a side of the Texas dirty rice, which was flavorful with a small amount of heat. I liked the addition of brisket. I think their soda fountain was hooked up incorrectly because I kept receiving regular coke instead of diet, even though the waitress confirmed my order each time I needed a refill. I didn't say anything about it at the time, so I wouldn't ding them for it. The service was a little bit slow, but it seemed like they maybe just needed an extra person or two to help out with the dinner rush. We had a small child with us and we'd say although the place will accommodate kids, as there's a children's menu, they don't have any activity sheets/crayons or a changing table in the restroom, so this might be a better place for older kids and adults. You can see this as a pro or a con depending on the dining experience you're looking for. This seems to be a great spot for people wanting to hang out with some friends after work for drinks and some appetizers. All in all I'd say this restaurant is a nice addition to the area and with just a few tweaks could become a long lived local favorite. read more

See all

We really enjoyed this place! We ordered the seafood platter and the catfish platter. Everything came out and it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Shrimp were well seasoned and so was the catfish! Nice and flaky as well. One star deducted because of the wait-- 40 minute wait with a one year in tow is a loonnnng time. We didn't know the kitchen was backed up until we asked about our food. I think we will be back at some point, but hopefully the wait won't be! read more

This place will never see me again. I ordered shrimp jammers and they were $9 for 6 little bites. They tasted pretty good, but the size was very small. I then ordered 12 jumbo shrimp plate. The shrimp were 22-25 count. No way they could be confused with jumbo. The people seemed nice enough, it's just to spend over $30 and still be hungry is an insult. I learned my lesson. read more

The food was good and the service is good. The pop tastes a little watered down. We had breakfast there once, lunch once. Biscuits and gravy, fried pickles, spicy chicken sandwich, and dorado's grilled shrimp. All was very good and fresh. read more

When they first opened the service was way less than stellar. I literally went twice and walked out twice due to nobody asking for even my drink order. I let the place work out it's kinks and tried it again. Menu is amazing, service is better (not perfect), and the new bar downstairs is legit. Love taking the boat out with my family and making a stop here for lunch. My husband went recently and wasn't impressed with the Bloody Mary but I believe that can be corrected easily. read more

I'd read the Facebook and Yelp reviews on this place and was very excited to try it. We visited on Saturday, March 25 at around 7:30. We didn't wait long to be seating and the restaurant was quite full. We immediately got a bad feeling because out of all the tables seated, only 2 actually had any food in front of them. It took a while for our server to come greet us and take our drink order. When he finally did, we waited probably 15 minutes only to be told they were out of olives when two people in our party had ordered Grey Goose Martinis. They changed their orders to Grey Goose and tonic and a Grey Goose Cape Cod. 10 minutes later, we were told they had no Grey Goose. They both switched to Tito's and waited 10 more minutes to get drinks. After being there about 30 minutes, we were starving and wanted to order some appetizers and dinner. We knew better than to order things separately or try to stagger our meal because everyone around us was also waiting for food and getting peeved. When we asked our server if we could place our order, he said he was holding us off for a bit because their kitchen was very backed up. (I worked in the restaurant business for years in my teens and 20s and I have NEVER heard of something like this being said to a customer). We couldn't believe what we'd heard. We were finally allowed to order and our food took at least 45 minutes to hit our table. However, about 30 minutes after we ordered, one friend was told they were out of shrimp rolls and that she needed to choose something else. She chose grilled shrimp and later, as a joke, the waiter came over to tell us that they were out of shrimp. He was trying to make light of the situation, but we were furious at his unapologetic attitude. Getting a tea refill was next to impossible. Food was lukewarm and portion sizes were different than tables next to us because they'd run out of normal sized dishes. We saw one couple get their entire meal comped and another table get comped too. The manager apologetically visited many tables that night. But not ours. We had a party of 5 and spent no less than $200. We didn't get offered any comps. In fact, since we required separate checks, one person at our table wrote down every persons name and what they had to try and help the waiter separate the checks. He said something to the effect of "I love you. Thank you for doing my job for me." We couldn't believe how clueless this guy was. All in all, the food was ok, but the dining experience was atrocious and we will never go back there again...which is unfortunate because Surfside needs a place like this. The owners need to hire staff that gives a shit and a manager that knows how to run a restaurant and get it together. Hopefully they will. We ordered: Half dozen oysters: YUM! 9 stone crab claws: Perfection! Shrimp Scampi: Meh, and lose the parchment paper bag, binder clip and tomato. Grilled Shrimp: Just ok. Make sure the corn underneath is actually hot. Fried Fish: The person that ordered it, liked it. Elotes: Ok. Served too cold. Dirty Rice: Interesting. Pretty good. read more

Had the fried shrimp Pickled shrimp And shrimp roll. Food was great Great atmosphere. Watched the boats go past on the intercoastal read more

Water was brown and the margarita was 80% sweet and sour, haven't even gotten the food but would not recommend

Nothing quite like having an ice cold beer and some oysters after a great day of fishing! Right on the water and live music, couldn't ask for more from a dive bar!!! Can't wait to go back for more. Service was excellent and staff were very friendly as well. read more

My husband and I stopped in for the first time here. Restaurant was clean and our server was fantastic, but, I ordered the fried fish and shrimp dinner. Disappointed with only getting 3 shrimp & 1 fish filet. Price was a bit high $18 for just 3 shrimp. My husband ordered fried shrimp and oysters dinner. He had 6 large shrimp and 6 oysters for the same price. Why is there more shrimp on this dish. I really think they should have the same amount on all shrimp combos. Might return but I will have to say something to the manager if I do. Thanks read more

Came here a few weeks ago and bought our fresh fish catch with us. I'd called ahead and confirmed they still did this (the previous restaurant here did so wanted to check). We found the cost and cooking options to be reasonable and decent. The cost of $10 per pound included 1 side. We just ordered all fries and fish cooked 2 ways, blackened and fried. Good beer selection and nice atmosphere for the location. Last weekend we saw they're building something like a screened room so will be interesting to see what actually is done when finished. A screened room will be helpful as the mosquitos can be vicious down here if your outside trying to eat or drink. We'll be back for sure. Great option for us locals who like to bring our fresh fish here at the end of a long fishing day! read more

I'm from Surfside area originally and I'm telling you, there has NEVER been a place this good in Surfside EVER! Hand dipped fried pickles, spicy shrimp fresh shrimp. Ignore the bad reviews! read more

Dorado's - Seafood Near Me - Surfside Beach, Texas

See all