Dock's Oyster House — Restaurant in Atlantic City

This "was"our favorite place to eat every year while here on vacation. Food is great, but the service this visit was atrocious. In fact, we've never had such a horrible experience at a restaurant. We go on 3-4 vacations a year and spend more money on fine dining than anything else. However, we look forward to the "experience" even more. We'd rather have subpar food than horrible service. Your staff was the worst I've ever experienced in a nice restaurant. They and the manager should all be retrained on customer service. It was horrible all the way around! We had reservations for 5. I arrived 445 and told the front desk I just received a text from 1 couple saying they couldn't make it, that theres 4 of us now. So they sat us right away. But then a few minutes later, my cousin called me saying she's coming by herself if it was okay? Ofcourse, I said then immediately went to the desk requesting to add a chair. I was told they couldn't help us, that they "gave" our table away ( we hadn't even order our appetizers yet) went on to say that we'd have to wait for 1 1/2 hours for a table now. I was stunned and reminded of last year's visit. We had a reservation for 630 and waited for 1 1/2 hours for table. Wow I thought,you can't add a chair or move us?? I was pussed but didnt say anything because everyone was looking forward to the experience. They did sit 2 of us at the 2 top next to our 4 top. So we thought okay that works. I put the 4 of them together and ate alone, which I honestly didn't mind at all. I was right next to my husband and we all enjoyed the food etc... However, upon leaving, we realized that they never even used the 3 tables next to use. They could have easily put us together. This whole experience was beyond insulting. We will never return. Also as a side note, our server was terrible! I asked for bread and was told we cant serve it until "after" we order our meals. WOW! That alone...

I had high hopes for Dock’s Oyster House, but unfortunately our experience fell short on several fronts.

The location does not lend itself to the fine dining experience the restaurant projects. The area was unsafe for strolling (particularly if you're dressed up for a special occasion) which made “arrive by car, leave by car” a necessity rather than a choice.

We had to wait about an hour to be seated despite having reservations. The front desk staff were noticeably unhelpful and indifferent to any questions. Their lack of professionalism suggests a deficit in training. Our waiter greeted us by telling us he didn't want to come into work that night but was forced, which also set a less than welcoming tone...

The food itself was inconsistent. One dish (the flounder and crabmeat) stood out as enjoyable, but the others lacked flavor. Considering eating here can easily total $200, the overall execution was disappointing.

The atmosphere also felt exclusionary. In a packed dining room, we were the only people of color present. Adding to the sense of being unwelcome, the restaurant refused to acknowledge my birthday unless we purchased dessert on top of what we had already ordered. For a place positioning itself at a high tier, withholding a small gesture like a birthday cupcake (or whatever it was) was unnecessarily rigid.

It was difficult to get any server's attention when we were ready to pay, and we witnessed a waiter pressuring the couple next to us to leave, despite them not lingering for an unusual amount of time. Even they were taken aback.

The experience lacked the warmth, hospitality, and culinary quality anyone would expect from a fine dining establishment. While Dock’s Oyster House may have a long standing name, we would not go again. There are much better fine dining options in Atlantic City that are more welcoming and attentive, so we plan to frequent...

My grandmother and I visited Doc’s Oyster House on a Saturday evening, and the atmosphere was lively and bustling. The place was packed, and the host let us know they were fully booked for the evening. She mentioned that seating at the bar was first-come, first-served, but didn’t tell us there was a second-floor bar as well. I suspect she assumed we’d been there before—but it was actually our first visit.

We initially found one open seat at the first-floor bar. My grandmother sat down while I stood, hoping for another seat to open up. Luckily, the bartender downstairs mentioned that there was also a bar on the second floor where we might find seating with no wait. We went upstairs, and to our surprise, the second-floor bar was completely empty—perfect for us to sit together.

Upstairs, we were served by Harry, an attentive, kind, and knowledgeable young bartender. He made me a beautiful mocktail (wish I remembered the name!) and took great care of us throughout the evening. My grandmother enjoyed a Moscato di Asti, followed by the Red Snapper, which she found a little spicy but still delicious. I ordered the Branzino. While the fish was cooked well, it was on the dry side, and the quinoa could have used more of the white sauce it came with—but once I asked for extra sauce, it was much better.

The second-floor atmosphere was noticeably calmer than the bustling first floor, which made for a more relaxed dining experience. Overall, despite the initial seating mix-up, we had a very good evening. Harry’s service was a highlight, and we both agreed we would definitely return to Doc’s Oyster...