Dockside Seafood & Fishing Center
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Hours
Sun
11:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Mon
11:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Tue
11:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Wed
11:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Thu
11:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Fri
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sat
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
Travelers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Food and ambience
Local cuisine, American, Bar, Seafood, Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Is this a seafood restaurant?
Details
About
Dockside Seafood & Fishing Center offers the best fishing charters & Dolphin cruises in VA. We offer half- & full-day trips, which are the perfect day out on the water for friends & family! Give us a call to book today!
CUISINES
American, Bar, Seafood
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night
FEATURES
Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service, Live Music, Waterfront
Contribute
4.0
604 reviews
Excellent
318
Very good
191
Average
45
Poor
25
Terrible
25
Gina H
Mechanicsville19 contributions
Oct 2024 • family
Celebrating our 36th anniversary here with my family and I wasn't disappointed. The food was phenomenal. I had the broiled seafood platter, with the fried shrimp and lumpia as an appetizer. Everything I had was excellent, our waiter Mikai was attentive, and he made sure our food came out hot and everything was what we ordered. Our drinks stayed filled. All around excellent customer service. Will be returning.
Written October 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe V
Virginia Beach1056 contributions
May 2024 • solo
Today I had the Fresh Catch of the Day which offered a choice of striper, flounder, tuna, speckled trout, puppy drum and rock fish. I chose rock cooked blackened. Very good. Katrina was my waitress and she did a great job as usual.
Written May 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Solomon S
Chantilly10 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
Took the 8am charter out to the bay for some fishing. Lines were active and Captain kept the boat moving from location to location to ensure we stayed busy. Took our catch to shore and had it cleaned and prepared in the restaurant. We caught a dozen croakers so ended up with a nice plate of fried fish for our appetizer. The remainder of the menu was delicious. Will do this charter again next year
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andre W
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • couples
We both ordered Cobia, one of the catch of the day choices. The fish was undercooked and uneatable. When sending it back to the kitchen the solution was to cook the same fish longer and serve it again. Terrible experience, they should have offered us a new dish.
No apologies, no discount, no nothing.
Written June 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheCarrs52601
Norfolk765 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
We normally love docking our boat at Dockside and enjoying a nice lunch with friends and family but we were very disappointed on 8/9/23. Our daughter, her boyfriend and dog Josie were visiting from the Midwest and we were looking forward to a relaxing late lunch after fishing & dolphin watching. We docked at Dockside expecting a great meal & drinks like usual after a warm boating day. We’ve seen dogs on the patio (without service vests) previously and since Josie is a very good girl & only 16 pounds we didn’t expect a problem. We sat at a patio table and no serve ever even approached us, my husband went & asked to order and he was then told they only allow service dogs. This came as a surprise but we complied with their rule and our daughter took her dog back to the boat. My husband asked if we could order food to go and he was told yes by the hostess but we must have been invisible because the rest of us sat there waiting for 15 minutes without being approached or acknowledged. I ended up calling The Back Deck to ask if they allow non service dogs and the hostess said they do so we got back in our boat and headed 2 buildings over to The Back Deck where Josie was greeted with a cool refreshing bowl of water before we even entered the deck area. Our reception was night and day compared to being ignored at Dockside.
Written August 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jemlnlx
Bronx5717 contributions
Jun 2022 • none
We were looking into some sit-down eating options in the Virginia Beach area and saw that Dockside had some consistently good reviews.
It was nice to see that they had a fresh market on-site so that everything was caught and prepared fresh.
We entered the parking lot around 5 pm on a Tuesday. The lot was pretty full…not because of the amount of cars…but moreso because the parking spaces were extremely tight…it doesn’t help when almost everyone has an SUV or Pickup truck. So there were lot of vehicles taking up two spaces and everyone was being extra care when maneuvering within the lot.
After we parking safely in a far corner space, we entered the initial marketplace area. They seemed to have a wide variety of everything seafood…fish, shellfish, seasoning, etc… At that time they had started to put some things away…but some seafood was still out in the case.
We made our way to the back and while there was a short wait for outdoor seating…there was no wait for indoor seating. (Outdoor seating is really nice since it is right on the water). Inside was pretty busy with server hustling all over. Our nice server took our drink and food order quickly. Our drinks were brought over immediately and food following soon after. We had a few things…shrimp, fish, scallops, and fries. Everything was really fresh and very good…but what stole the show was the crab cake…it was really some of the best I’ve ever had.
Prices were very reasonable considering how expensive seafood can be. All staff we encountered were nice and helpful.
I highly recommend this place to anyone in the area craving seafood…I would love to return to try some other options and eat outside.
Written June 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danielle in VB
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • family
So many issues here! Used to come here often as a local. Will never be back! Food came out cold, twice, after waiting over an hour! Appetizer came out with the entrees, so overdone, it wasn’t even edible. Server was beyond rude and made excuses about everyone else when we addressed the long wait and food issues. That was only when we could actually find her. Had to repeatedly flag down other servers for assistance. Spoke to a manager that couldn’t care any less. Immediately after, the server came back to my table telling me that what I said to her manager was total BS! And on our way out, she came running out to the parking lot to complain about the tip! Super confrontational and unprofessional. Trash food, service, and management. Too many other good places to eat in the area to deal with any of this.
Written June 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HighPlaneDrifter
Williamsburg79 contributions
Jun 2023 • couples
We took the morning four-hour charter trip to fish for croaker in the South Chesapeake Bay. The croaker were small but we were able to keep them, and will fry and eat them whole. Hope they come out OK. We had lunch afterwards. We chose Sunset Specials. I had flounder, my date had shrimp parmesan. The flounder was the better choice.
Written June 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StephV44
York987 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
Very busy and popular restaurant. The staff was very nice. Good selection of food. It's not a fancy place so no need to be dressy. You walk through a fish market to get to the tables, which are in a laid back area in the back, which has a great view. A little pricey for what they offered. While the baked stuffed shrimp was good, it wasn't worth the price we paid. It was missing that golden crust the menu said it would have. I thought the stuffing was a little bland. Everyone liked the other dishes the same if not more. Still a great place to eat and would go back.
Written August 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
boxshop
Norfolk6289 contributions
Apr 2023 • couples
We had a wonderful dinner with friends after being gone for 4 months. Our server was Hayley O. I had Fried Shrimp and others had fish and scallops. Appetizers was Blackened Tuna bites. Very fresh seafood. Great sunsets.
Written April 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Food4L
10 contributions
May 2021 • couples
My guy and I were there for an early dinner on Sunday. This was our 1st time there. The views are beautiful, the drinks were ok, but the food needed alot of help!
We both ordered the seafood platter (his blackened and mine fried). The food was served luke warm, the blackened flounder was stuck to the metal pan on the plate, and tasted like mush, with a bunch of seasoned salt on top, and not a good flavor. The fried flounder was BLAND- even with hot sauce and tarter sauce, it had no flavor! And the crabcake was not full lump crab and small. We expected way better for the $125 spent ($30 for each platter)! And to make matters worse- we both had stomach issues the next day. AND when I called to complain the next day the manager Brittany was very rude and after much back and forth only offered us a $25 gift card! They may have some dishes they do well, but the fish and the crab cake on the seafood platter are not included! And I am a foodie, that knows good food.
The pictures look way better than the taste.
Written May 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kyla39
London100 contributions
May 2022 • none
My daughter and I stopped at a restaurant called dockside. We ordered steamed shrimps and a side of french fries. Two glasses of Sauvignon blanc. The waitress , Rachel, was charming and very quickly we were served . The shrimps were not overcooked but large and juicy and at our request were served wit h lemon and butter. The French fries were crispy and hot. My daughter knocked over her glass of wine and it was quickly mopped up. I commented that I though they should replace it and a few minutes later Rachel appeared with another glass of wine. I thought this deserved a 5* as the meal and service were 100%. We will be returning next week.
Written May 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shanise B
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • solo
They charged my card twice two days after I paid in the market for a dozen of steamed crabs. I called them to resolve the issue and the owner simply told me they only see the charge once and when I offered to send proof he said he doesn't need it. I then informed him I would be disputing the charge and he said good luck with that lady! The customer service is horrible here I will NEVER spend my money there again! I would advise you all to watch your card when eating here because they are double charging! It came through as a tip on my end and I definitely didn't leave a tip for the same amount of what I paid!
Written June 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ed H
Corona6 contributions
Aug 2021 • family
Conveniently purchased tickets online. Received confirmation and reminder emails with pertinent information. Greeted at dockside by deckhand Triston. Vessel left on time. Triston distributed the provided fishing gear and gave good instruction. We arrived at our first fishing spot in about 40 minutes. Triston gave us our bait and the skipper told us when we were ready to drop our lines. Instant bites and up came the fish; croaker, trout and blue fish. Many were small, but exciting and better than nothing. Triston really hustled, helping anyone who needed it; baiting hooks, fixing line tangles, unhooking fish, etc. This was especially helpful for my grandson. We all had a terrific day and caught many fish. When arriving back at port, someone was available to fillet our fish ($). We went back to camp and cooked them for dinner. Would definitely recommend Dockside.
Written August 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe V
Virginia Beach1056 contributions
Jun 2024 • solo
Today i enjoyed the dockside fish platter of the day. I chose the fried version. The fish was flounder, accompanied by potatoes, hush puppies, shrimp and scallops. My waitress was Beth who did a great job.
Written June 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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