The Dry Dock Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Chocolay Township

I usually do not post reviews like this because I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but last night was really unfortunate; given the intensity of it I feel it warrants posting a constructive review like this.

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I've been to Dry Dock several times since moving here 2-3 years ago and always enjoyed the food/atmosphere/experience. Last night, however, was completely different.

The background is that I have a bad milk allergy, but for whatever reason my stomach accepts creme (maybe it's related to me having multiple sclerosis / gut bacteria-related stuff I've been working with my neurologist on since I was 30 - not sure?).

Anyway, when three buddies and I popped in last night (to an otherwise fun evening with a great band and laughter all around), I asked a waitress/bartender about the soup list; I was very hungry and trying to confirm if any options didn't have milk specifically, when a different, shorter, dark-haired, medium build, middle-aged female waitress/bartender came up from the other direction and started belittling me and insinuating I was harassing the waitress(es) I was asking about the soup list. As a happily married man, I was embarrassed in front of my buddies, the bartenders and other patrons. I politely explained I was not trying to be disrespectful in any way, or a nuisance, but that I have a pretty bad allergy that can get me running to the bathroom in 10 minutes if I’m not careful.

Menu in hand, I turned away from the belligerent bartender to avoid calling her out for being rude. Thinking things through a few seconds, I realized I wasn't welcome at Dry Dock and there's no way I could enjoy the atmosphere given several other patrons saw it all happen; so I quietly turned and put the menu back on the bar and asked my three friends if we could go somewhere else.

Realizing her mistake (after several people helped her understand she was presumptuous and wrong), a few moments later she attempted to dig herself out of the unsolicited ridiculous hole she just dug.

She approached me from behind the bar and I caught myself trying to explain that I didn't realize it is out-of-line to ask for clarification on Milk or Creme in the Lobster Bisque. Like the bully she was, the rude bartender then started belittling me / telling me to toughen up. I wanted to remind her we’re not at a construction site or locker room and that I’m a customer. Keeping my composure, I simply explained that I don't feel that I need to explain any dietary restrictions / medical conditions to her and I apologized for asking the questions I did.

My buddies were kind enough to finish their beer as soon as possible and met me in the truck as I waited for them (I was the designated driver), and we were on our way out the door less than 5 minutes after we entered.

The boys and I went to Crossroads and were treated like royalty by Baz and his crew, as usual.

To their credit, the other bartenders that were originally helping us apologized profusely to my buddies as they headed out the door to join me in the truck.

In conclusion - when I go to a good local establishment, I go there with the intentions to fill up on good food and good company. Not cortisol levels. That woman doesn’t belong in a customer-facing role.

Unfortunately, I won't be patronizing Dry Dock anytime soon, be for a quick lunch with my wife, cold beer with the boys or a business...

BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!! I attended the Dry Dock Tavern with friends for a mid-afternoon lunch at a place that I have frequented in the past. However, on this day things were quite different. The food was good as it normally is but on this day the service was atrocious. I normally do not leave reviews but this time I am making an exception. Upon entering the building I noticed the floor under several tables was littered with food fallen from tables (I would have taken photos but forgot my phone at home) and I don't mean crumbs. At any rate, we seated ourselves and were given menu's to look at and ordered beverages, after a few minutes the waitress returned with beverages and we placed our order. I ordered a wrap with a side of seasoned fries (Tasty) and a bowl of soup at which time I was told they only have one size, at which point I said one size it is then. I received my soup (Chicken and Dumplings) in advance of the main course ...... to my dismay there were only VERY small pieces of chicken and I got a whooping 3 dumplings and the rest was simply broth..... no vegetables either, almost as if that was done on purpose!! As our visit progressed my friend ran out of soda and the waitress came by and asked if he wanted a refill, he said yes and she disappeared to the bar with what we thought was an intent to get him a refill. NOPE! About 15 min later our food comes to the table and she says sets it down and says enjoy and my friend says excuse me...... and she replies "oh I forgot your drink" he said "yes you did" and she went to retrieve it. Upon bringing that back she never returned to check if everything was okay or if anyone needed anything. Then we finished our meal and waited for our bills, and waited, and waited, and waited..... and the restaurant was about 1/3 full at this point so it was not excessively busy. Finally, one of my friends went to the bar and requested our checks and the "TO GO" container I needed. So yes the service was absolutely atrocious!! The best part however is that my BOWL (which is nothing more than a Ramekin) of soup was $8.00!!! So BUYER BEWARE about the soup, it's a ripoff!! To top it all off I ordered water to drink and was charged for a soda. So up to the bar I go and I ask is that little Ramekin of soup really $8.00? To which I received a very snotty response of "We don't make the prices sir"!!! Correct you don't ....... but you also DO NOT advertise them either and had I known that 6oz of soup (Broth with 3 Dumplings) was $8.00 I would have never ordered it. Long and short of it is I don't go somewhere to eat and pay almost $30 for a wrap with fries and 6oz of hot liquid to receive attitude from a waitstaff that can't even return to the table after they drop off the food. It'll be a LONG while before I return there!! And no I didn't leave one red cent for a tip..... and I NEVER do that!!!! It's usually 20% minimum as I worked as a waiter years ago so I KNOW what it's...

Dear God, do I love this place. I had a bbq bacon burger and it was simply sublime. The next day I went back and had the pretzel thingies with cheese- I can’t even begin to describe just how well this food was prepared. Amazing. And the service. I was made to feel welcome IMMEDIATELY! Bonnie looked like she was running a marathon multitasking and making sure nobody was waiting for long, even for special requests. Courtney, the short one with the sassy attitude, made everyone smile and enjoy their experience. I’m just so happy to have been in the area for a couple days and enjoy this place. GO HERE…. Just don’t be a jerk and show up 3 minutes before closing and say “still open?” Don’t be that guy- these servers bust their butts all night and deserve to close on time. BUT, they’ll still serve right up til midnight because that’s how professional they are.

Update: had the chance to swing by one last time and I had the patty melt. A-MA-ZING. I’m from Tennessee and we just don’t have places like this. I...