The Dock — Restaurant in Caney City

Made reservations for our anniversary and it was really crowded when we got there. Within a couple of minutes a gentleman (the owner?) came and told us another party had showed up with more people than expected and there would be a 15 minute delay. He invited us to the bar which was full, so he spoke with another patron who graciously moved down to make room for us.

The drink menu and bartenders were instantly impressive and after about 15 minutes we were seated at a booth by the same gentleman. A moment later a waitress checked our drinks and told us our waiter would be with us shortly.

Speaking of the drinks, the martini was probably the best we've ever had.

Our waiter, Zack (Zach?) showed up soon after, was very personable and clearly a seasoned waiter. He was 100% knowledgeable in all the dishes, answered our questions with genuine enthusiasm and didn't miss a beat in terms of attention or service--all while every seat in the place was filled. If you have the pleasure of getting Zack as your waiter, I encourage you to pick his brain before ordering.

As an appetizer we had the Tuna & Avocado which is a very thin tuna sashimi on wonton with Sriracha and Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise. If you like "sushi" especially with a little wasabi in your soy sauce, this is an awesome take with a crunchy twist.

For our entrees, I had the 10oz Waygu heartbrand skirt with a chimichurri and roasted broccolini. My partner had the barbecued creole shrimp with butter beer & cheddar grits.

I almost ordered my steak rare but deferred to Zack's wisdom, went with medium rare, and received a flawless medium rare steak. The chimichurri sauce was an excellent compliment but if you're not into that they also offer an Au Poivre as well. At $30 I was hesitant about the 10oz Waygu but it was worth every penny and I would say the best steak on Cedar Creek Lake for the money.

The barbecued creole shrimp with butter beer & cheddar grits were just beyond excellent. While simple, nothing about a dish like this is easy to perfect and it was truly a perfect entree, while being a bit of an unusual (but delicious) gourmet take on the classic dish. I really appreciate the thought that went into this recipe. Also worth noting, the homemade "French bread" it comes with is unassuming but absolutely delectable.

For dessert we had an apple cinnamon Carmel food cake their pastry chef just added to the menu. It was amazing.

The restaurant itself, and decor are very low key. The atmosphere is relaxed, with plenty of chatter, laughter and carrying on but wasn't too loud when we were there.

Overall, I'd rank The Dock the best restaurant experience on the lake. The food, drinks and service are some of the best you will ever find in any restaurant. It's more expensive than average, but not too expensive or at all overpriced. It's also a great place to go on a date or as a group and I like that they have outdoor seating.

I hope The Dock is as successful as it deserves and I'm certainly going to be back to check out some of the Coming Soon items...

Second time here and the experience was a hard five out of five, again.

We got greeted with a smile by Eddie, seated right away, and were pleased to be met with instant recognition and a handshake from Zach(k), the best waiter in the world and quickly served amazing drinks in a timely manner (which is saying a lot because once again, every seat in the house was filled).

This time we started with the Street Squash with crema and cotija which was wildly delicious, substantial and we'll definitely get again along with a crab cake which was delicious--but not very substantial for the price. Definitely get it once to try it but know they've got more filling apps--which Zach explained in full.

Worth noting, the apps were just a tad slow to arrive but Zach was communicative without us having to ask. Honestly, it was a reasonable amount of time based on how insanely busy they were.

For our main courses we got four meals; the catch of the day, which was flounder flown in from Galveston, so: caught less than 24hrs prior. Market price was $45 along with U10 diver caught scallops/ bok choy/ beef broth at $40, the $40 14oz Wagyu Picahna with chimichurri and the roasted Salmon which was maybe $25.

Every dish had a couple of twists designed for foodies, we all shared/ sampled each other's food... and get this: we had a birthday going on and the staff helped us with a cake and all that jazz--which was very gracious of them. We really appreciated their patience and good sense of humor while we were being nuisances!

You couldn't ask for a better second experience frankly and I'm firm in my opinion The Dock isn't just the best restaurant within 50 square miles, it would be a standout restaurant anywhere for the main menu/ drinks/ pastries.

All that said I've got a message for the boss people. Y'all gotta work on the acoustics... I'm not sure if the hexagon pads on the ceiling are for soundproofing but I would do anything and everything else you can for the noise pollution situation. We love everything but how loud it is in that long...

Where to start? The Dock is an anomaly at Cedar Creek Lake. I’m 36 and I’ve been out at CCL on the weekends my whole life. I’m a Dallas resident who loves fine dining in town and dining at the lake has always been a let down. So much so, that I built an outdoor kitchen and aim to cook 95% of my meals while out there. The toughest part for providing an upscale experience in CCL zip codes is staffing human capital that can live up to the menu/ experience. When you look at the dock menu, you think - wow, based on historical experiences, there’s SO MANY things I am absolutely scared to try. Boy was I wrong and glad I was wrong. Upon sitting down, my wife looks at me and says, “should we the Salmon Crudo?” I thought - “WOOF!” Crudo is something I’d be hesitant to order even at many mid-upscale sushi spots in Dallas. The Dock ABSOLUTELY MURDERED This dish. It was incredible… With that Canape out of the way - I thought, “ok, what else can we order to push the bounds?” Thus, we went for the prawn appetizer - again - BLOWN AWAY. Two for two. Then, we went on to have one thing after another -and ALL OF IT was FANTASTIC. I’m just over the top about this experience. Not only was is as good or better than you’d find in Dallas- but it wasn’t Dallas. we’ll be back time and time again -and will continue to explore the menu. My ONLY complaint if I have one was how loud it is in there. They could use some sound deadening material as the whole place is concrete floor and it’s VERY loud. See you next time, Dock team! Thanks for bringing a culinary experience worth having to the...