The food was delicious, the service was great and the views from the windows were amazing. We even saw dolphins jumping out of the wate.

BLUF: Consistently exceptional food and service located at a dry dock (dry boat storage) overlooking the water. I love Dry Dock Waterfront Grill and I always visit when I am in the Sarasota area. Dry Dock is always busy so I am also sure to make a reservation in advance using Open Table. Typically we sit inside but I know the back patio is popular too. If your timing and patience is perfect, you can also get a nice a nice window seat in the dining room that has sweeping views of Sarasota Bay. The inside atmosphere is bright and airy and although airy often translates to loud, Dry Dock thoughtfully put noise dampening panels on the ceiling. As far as food, I don't think you can go wrong. I always get something with grouper whether it be an entree, sandwich or tacos. On my most recent visit I got the grouper filet with coconut shrimp because I had originally been eyeing up the coconut shrimp as an appetizer. Ultimately, we decided to get the rock crab claws for an appetizer which were good but more work than I planned even though they were pre-cracked. I felt like a Neanderthal trying to eat those crab claws in such a nice restaurant. No offense to the Neanderthals, of course! I have no idea what my husband had as it disappeared. After entrees, apps and bread, we were too stuffed for dessert. I think our server was Cari and she was awesome! Attentive, friendly, funny and quite possibly a mind reader and magician. She saw the hanger in my eyes and made bread magically appear. I hope I got her name correct because she was superb! Shout out to all of the great staff members at Dry Dock -we've never had a bad experience. I love Dry Dock and it will forever stay in my Sarasota rotation. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Grouper and coconut shrimp - divine! - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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The restaurant sits, literally, at the boat docks. I really could stop there...but I won't. I ordered bacon-wrapped scallops, seafood chowder, and seafood linguine in white wine & garlic sauce - oh, and broccoli. The broccoli was cold. First, would I return, HELL YEAH!. It was windy the day I arrived. The place had heaters to warm the patrons (perfect)! The scallops and chowder was good - not earth-shattering, but really good. The seafood linguine was the star of the show. It had shrimp, lobster chunks, and crab meat. They did not skimp on the meat. I couldn't eat all of the main dish. I was surprised they didn't provide bread to start the service, but not every restaurant does. I would rate this place and 8 of 10. read more

We had a great experience at Dry Dock recently and I need to acknowledge one of the best servers I've ever encountered in a restaurant. We visited Dry Dock on Sunday, Feb. 15th for a very early dinner as reservations at Dry Dock are hard to come by, so we took what we could get. Parking is not easy, lots of tight spots to get in and out of, but you will find a spot if you are patient. We were seated right at our reservation time and smoothed right past a whole bunch of people who were on the wait list, and were seated in the beautifully decorated dining room, with great views. Jorge was our server and right from the start he was fantastic. He took our drink orders, offered us bread, and then took our appetizer orders and made good suggestions. He was so on top of everything that I thought to myself if I ever wanted to open a restaurant, I'd start by hiring a great chef, then I would hire Jorge to show the servers how it's done. From across the room, he noticed one of our drinks looking a little watered down as the ice was melting, and he refreshed it, and all our drinks- we never ran dry. Jorge took care of everything, we had to ask for nothing. Two of us ordered the seafood pasta dish, and he brought shaved parmesan cheese without us needing to ask. Our dinners were outstanding. My wife just had a fried chicken sandwich (not a seafood lover) and she said it was really good, better than the one she had at another good restaurant (Shore). The seafood pastas were terrific- the portions were plenty, with plenty of lobster, crab, shrimp and the sauces were super tasty. My daughter had the bourbon glazed salmon and she loved it, saying she could eat it the next night again if we went back. I was very impressed with the restaurant. The place runs like a well oiled machine and you never see any of the employees looking like they don't have anything to do. This is a vibrant restaurant, with a motivated staff, and in my opinion, Jorge was the best of all of them. Thank you all so much, we'll see you soon and next time, we're coming by boat! read more

We shared a red snapper sandwich. It was very good and quite enough for lunch, with a side of Cole slaw. The sandwich is dressed with a slice of tomato and a piece of lettuce. There is a lovely, tangy dipping sauce on the side. The sauce had a little kick. I ordered my fish blackened. It had a very nice flavor although I did not really notice the blackened seasoning. It was very light. read more

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Dry dock never disappoints. Sitting outside with a view over the bay is great. We shared a Florida red snapper sandwich. It comes broiled or blackened. We choose blackened. It has a nice seasoning, I would have preferred a little bit more. It comes with Cole slaw (fries is the other option). The slaw is very good, not too much mayonnaise and has a nice bite. Also a small container of sauce. It is nice on the fish. It had a familiar taste, but I couldn't pinpoint it. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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My cousins and I were in town for a girls weekend and were told to try dry dock and it did not disappoint! I will say the host was a little off putting when we didn't hear our pager go off he came over while we were waiting at the bar and said "you need to keep your pager where you can see it" we apologized and hoped that didn't set the tone for the rest of our experience. We were fortunate to have Shawn as our server and he was AMAZING! Very knowledgeable about the menu and we took almost all of his recommendations and the food was absolutely to die for. Service was impeccable, he checked on us the perfect amount of times, the drinks, appetizers, and entrees all came out in a timely manner. Definitely would recommend to anyone in the area! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood Linguine shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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Have been going for years! They have Excellent service and great food! It's is served hot every time

1. Great location 2. Amazing outdoor dining right on the water. 3. A lot of food options. 4. Service was good. 5. Food was good dessert was better. 6. Inside is loud outside is better. If in the area definitely check it out. read more

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2nd visit here and it was as good as our first! Staff is very friendly and service very good. We had the Fresh Snapper (blackened) and the pasta with shrimp in white wine a garlic sauce...both excellent! The seafood here is amazing and fresh! read more

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Wow. That is one of many words I would use to describe my experience at Dry Dock. We arrived with no reservation so we had to wait about an hour for a seat, it was very busy, but calm and not too loud. But with this we would recommend a reservation. We had the calamari and bread to start off, and it came extremely fast and was tasty! We then got the fish and chips, Tuscan cream pasta, and the kids marinara sauce pasta. It all was so fantastic and our waiter Tyler was just the BEST and we left with full bellies and happy thoughts! read more

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Food- Excellent, super delicious. They bring you bread and the bread was fluffy. Brought us parmesan cheese for our entree that is fresh sliced. BOTH Wine and garlic sauce super delicious as well as Tuscan cream sauce. Would recommend doing an entree of each to experience both. Service- Server Andrea, unbelievably hospitable, attentive and so sweet. Very friendly too and personable and really added to experience. Very professional all wait staff seemed very nice. The who I assume was manager at the front desk with headset seemed a little stressed and short (we only had to deal with her prior to sitting) but all wait staff was incredibly kind. Ambiance- gorgeous. Water views, nautical decor. Inside or outside is definitely perfect no matter where you sit. We took a walk outside after so just if sitting outside may have more mosquitos so be prepared. Parking-limited BUT had no issues on a Monday night with nearly every table full. They have backup spots in a neighboring lot worst case scenario. There was about 3-4 official spaces when arriving at 730pm and multiple people "unofficial" parking on the grass so that seemed to be an option too. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Upstairs View /Ambience - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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Yes go We didn't have a reservation but they got us a nice table in a reasonable amount of time. Food was tasty and wait staff was very pleasant . read more

We love it here. A regular for us. We always get the fried grouper tacos with rice and beans. The kids burger is so good. Beautiful views, no matter how hot it is we love eating outside there. Excellent desserts- always amazing key lime pie, and this time the caramel cheesecake was amazing. Great food, great service, great views. Make a reservation tho, sometimes it's hard to get a table without waiting. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood chowder - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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Our favorite date night spot when in town! Beautiful view and amazing fresh food! Got the Maine Lobster Tail with fried shrimp with some delicious veggies of the night! Server was amazing and very helpful when it comes to navigating the menu! read more

I seriously crave Dry Dock's lobster rolls. They've mastered the classic--simple, fresh, and absolutely packed with tender lobster. The buttery, toasted split-top bun is perfection, and honestly, this roll doesn't need any fancy extras to shine. The portion? Generous. Two rolls and fries? Game over. The lobster is sweet, briny, and just melts in your mouth. Add in the unbeatable waterfront views (there's no bad seat), and it already feels like a little escape. But what really seals the deal is the service--kind, quick, and full of that warm southern hospitality. It's the kind of spot you keep coming back to!!!! read more

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Celebrated our 25th anniversary here today. Food great as always. Server did a great job taking care of us. I had the salmon and it was so good. Son had the snapper burger and was very pleased with it and my wife had the citrus grouper and it was cooked perfectly. Can't wait to go back on our next visit to Long Boat Key Be warned. It is a bit high and I'm not sure the prices are in line with what you get. 34 dollars for salmon with rice. Not sure. Burgers are more reasonable. read more

The food was delicious and the view was gorgeous! We sat outside. The last 20-30 minutes of our meal was plagued by gnats. If we were to go back, which we definitely would, I'd sit inside. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Citrus Grouper & Coconut Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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The servers were amazing but the wait almost ruined the night. I had 8:15 reservations on the books for about 2 weeks. I checked in at 8 and did not get seated until 8:50. A few other people in the waiting area were also complaining to each other about having a long wait even with a reservation. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the elevator area so just take the stairs. The food was good though. I had the citrus grouper and it was cooked amazingly. It was nice and moist and came out hot. They have a good set of options for the kids menu but my son opted for a full burger instead of the slider on he enjoyed it. Price wise I think everything is priced fairly and when you make it upstairs to the main dinning area, it looks really nice. It felt like we were having dinner on a cruise with all the big windows that overlooked the bay. I would go back but they have to do a better job handling reservations. read more

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Food, service & atmosphere was excellent. Seafood pasta was delicious. Lots of lobster & shrimp. Coconut shrimp were freshly made & the best we've ever had. read more

Our first experience here was so good that we decided to bring our friends to celebrate their 50th anniversary. We were warmly greeted and they told our friends they could celebrate with a free dessert, which was sweet. Our server, right from the start was not friendly. Our first experience was the exact opposite so we were really disappointed. I settled in the bourbon glazed salmon and yellow rice. We waited forever for our food as we watched others who came in after us get served. When food arrived it was barely warm. My husband and I didn't say anything as we didn't want to cause a scene with our friends. Our free dessert wasn't free and again, we didn't want to cause a scene with our friends. The server was oblivious to us, never asked about another drink, etc. If this had been my first visit, we wouldn't have come back. read more

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Best food on the Sarasota coast!! The service is impeccable...Greg was our server and best we have encountered! Ask for him!!!! We sat on the patio...best views ever! See pictures! We actually forgot to take pics of the food! Too enamored with the views!! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Dry Dock patio view - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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This is a nice restaurant with a nice view, the outdoor dock side seating is wonderful. Our waiter was also very friendly and helpful, attentive, and knowledgeable. The food was good, but honestly kind of disappointing, considering all of the great reviews. There was nothing that really stood out, except the prices. read more

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It was a beautiful, Saturday afternoon and I was craving some fresh seafood. After conducting diligent research on Yelp, I came across Dry Dock Waterfront Grill and my family and I set out on a 1+ hour drive to check it out! All I can say is every ounce of premium gasoline used was worth it. The views are immaculate, the service impeccable, and the food was fresh and delicious! We had Grouper bites, citrus grouper and the seafood pasta and the entire family thoroughly enjoyed our meal! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood pasta - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is a good spot to enjoy dinner outside with a water view. There is also seating inside, but if it's a nice evening out, I recommend sitting on the water to capture the best views. We went around sunset and saw the prettiest sky. I love that they give you some bread to snack on before your food arrives as well. I ordered the red snapper blackened and each entree was served with a side salad, vegetable, and starch of choice. The portions were very generous and the food was delicious. My table was celebrating a birthday, and we were brought a complimentary salted caramel cheesecake for everyone to share. I would definitely recommend making a reservation for this spot because wait times may be long without one. read more

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Delicious lobster rolls (they're the cold versions btw), and loved the Aperol spritz! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Lobster Roll Combo - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

We had an enjoyable lunch. Service was outstanding. Timing was perfect. The food was fresh and well prepared. Great idea to have fans that keep you cool and keep the bugs way. read more

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Ambiance here is great, right on the water, and staff could not be more friendly. Our food - scallops for me and the pasta with Tuscan cream sauce and shrimp for my husband - was good. Not great or special, but perfectly good. Salads were nice and fresh and we enjoyed the lobster bisque. Solid choice read more

Unfortunately it's below expectations. We went for a birthday and while the view and service was nice, both food and drinks were extremely underwhelming with the oceanfront pricing.. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Grilled snapper - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

Amazing stone crabs and views! Tyler was amazing as our server. The rose spritz, lobster roll, and oysters are a must! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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We found the Dry Dock several years ago while visiting Sarasota. I've reviewed it before but I wanted to add that over the years, their service has stayed perfect. They are the first place we visit when we get into town (landed at SRQ at 10:40am) and went straight there for lunch at noon. Then, we stopped back on our way out of town. It's seldom to get a reservation but they do take walk ins usually with a modest wait. Parking is the struggle here but I don't see that ever getting better. Food is always amazing. Service is second to none. That's why this is our go to restaurant in Sarasota. Also, you can't beat the view. read more

We came to Dry Dock based on a recommendation. We were recommended to make a reservation, so we did a week in advance. When we arrived, we parked in their designated parking lot, which shares a lot with boat storage. We walked into the restaurant and a host greeted us, we let them know we had a reservation. We chose to sit outside, as they had expansive water views. Our server greeted us, took our drink order. We had time to look over the menu and I'll say, the prices are a bit high. Nothing was really calling out to me, but I decided on a grouper sandwich and at $30 it seemed really high. My husband opted for a chicken sandwich, and my kiddo ordered a grilled cheese. Our server was chatting with other tables, which is totally fine, but we didn't really get checked up on regarding fresh drinks or to see if we needed anything. Our meals came out hot. I will say, for $30 for a grouper sandwich, I was expecting to be a bit wowed. It was a little bland, and I ordered it blackened. All in all, it was fine, just not my cup of tea. read more

Dry Dock was one of the best meals we had on our trip, and it was even better because we could bring our puppy, sit outside, and witness a breathtaking sunset. I recommend making reservations so that you can select outside with the views. The five-star service made us feel like we were in the fanciest restaurant. They gave us a lovely water bowl for a pup. We drink wine all night long. They have an excellent selection of wine. I started with champagne and then moved on to rosé my husband drink Chardonnay all night Our meal started with bread, service, and Caesar salad. I had the seafood linguine sautéed Lobster, shrimp, and crab meat for the main course. There was so much seafood in it. I was thoroughly impressed. My husband had the Florida grouper, which came with vegetables and rice. read more

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Friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating service! Great view over the water. Dockside seating! But a wide variety of other choices inside and options to suit everyone. The salads were great. Garden sales with blue cheese - fresh and crispy. Caesar salad was also excellent- plenty of Parmesan. Red potatoes were great! Tons of very good vegetables- done perfectly! Citrus grouper was very good. Not my wife's favorite, though. She said it tasted different than other grouper she's had. The coconut shrimp and bacon wrapped scallops were excellent! Both were done perfectly. It took a bit to figure out which sauce went best with which, though. The white sauce seemed to be coconut based and worked very well the shrimp while the darker sauce, very sweet, paired better with the bacon scallops. The biggest downside was the entrees showed up way too early after the salads were served. Not the waiter's fault, he even apologized for it - again service was excellent. Everything was pretty cool, temp-wise, before we even had a chance to start on it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was done way earlier and sat inside a bit before they even brought it out. Had to knock a star off for that. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Coconut Shrimp & Bacon Wrapped Scallops - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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fresh delicious grouper sandwich. Host always accommodating however, recommend a reservation. pleasant view waterfront.

Came back for a return visit. While it was enjoyable again, the experience didn't quite live up to my hyped up expectations after my first visit. Ambiance was still great, we got a table by the window again. Service was friendly, but not the perfection we experienced during our previous visit. The main reason I'm not giving a 5 star rating this time is that we weren't as excited about our food this time around. Yes the fish was cooked perfectly, but instead of one single, large piece of fish, my husband and I each received two smaller pieces. And, most entrees follow a set menu in that they come with a choice between 2 salad options, a vegetable (chef's choice) , and then a choice of potato (about 4 different options). So while the food was perfectly delicious, we did feel a bit like "been there, done that". For those who haven't visited before, I still highly recommend Dry Dock. read more

Fabulous in every way. On the water Be prepared to wait. Parking is tricky We go often read more

Host was not very welcoming Our server was ok ! Was expending a better view Food was good Prices decent I could come back but after trying other restaurants in the area read more

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Awesome seafood and good water views. Grilled grouper sandwich and seafood pasta dishes were a hit.

Been dining here for many years and ownership changes and service and food quality always exceeds expectations. The atmosphere is casual but staff is professional and friendly. read more