Dockside Dave's — Restaurant in Madeira Beach

We wanted to love this place and picked it because of the great reviews, but it was easily the WORST seafood we’ve had since we moved to this part of Florida 😞. After reading some of the bad reviews, I definitely feel vindicated. The same things that we struggled with about our meal were repeated over and over in the other reviews - problems with the lack of seasoning and flavor, texture, quality and amount vs price.

Our order: We ordered the Clam Strip dinner that only comes with waffle fries and coleslaw and the fried grouper dinner (husband picked rice and steamed veggies). The Clam Strip dinner is only “dusted” in flour versus a regular crispy batter and it was the dusting that we ruined the texture. Unlike traditional fried clams, these had no crunch to them and the steam from them being piled up on top of each other made any “crispy” texture turn soggy. The waffle fries tasted like they were frozen - nothing exemplary about them and they had no salt or seasoning. The coleslaw was under seasoned - soupy and bland. My husband enjoyed the heavy batter on his grouper (he was allowed to choose his cooking type), but the rice tasted/looked like something out of a 5 min instant rice box and the steamed veggies had textures that were inconsistent. Some veggies had more chew while some thinner smaller pieces of veggies were overcooked and mushy. They lacked consistency in texture, seasoning and needed a fat like butter or oil. Even a wedge of fresh lemon served on the side would’ve gone a long way to keep it from tasting like baby food. We did enjoy their horseradish sauce, but that not enough to make up for everything else.

Our waitress was good and our drinks were filled in a timely manner, although she charged my husband for a pitcher of beer vs the glass of beer he ordered - a $20 mistake we were happy we caught. Always check your bills! We have no complaints about the nostalgic decor or atmosphere and we did enjoy the 80’s playlist. We unfortunately do not plan on returning. After reading some of their other reviews, it seems as though this place is under new ownership and many things have since changed.

The parking was tight! We had people following us to our parking spot because there was nowhere to park when we were leaving, so plan to arrive early. The place is always busy with people drinking on the patio, so we had very high hopes that unfortunately we’re not met. We wish them...

I won't wax grandiloquent for this review, but I can proviso more puissantly purple prose upon request.

First—for a Sunday, it was very relaxed, which is rare for a beachside restaurant, and that presented a solid opportunity to take it in without my anxiety going nuts (after 7pm on Sundays, maybe Mondays, for those who share that concern). The patio seating was comfortable - I recommend enjoying that while we're transitioning from Spring to Summer. Indoor seating is sparse by comparison,

The food is very nicely prepared, and very affordable to boot—I definitely enjoyed the Cod & Chips (about 1lb. battered, fried cod and waffle fries), and would certainly try I again. I wanted to try the Grouper Bites and Onion Rings, but they were unavailable given the hour. Grouper items are very first come, first served when they're out of season anywhere, so missing out happens from time to time—a friend of mine got the last one for the evening, I highly recommend it. I don't think they airfry their dishes, but golly, they're neither too greasy nor too dry, which is very impressive. The menu's not too crowded, but there's an entrée for most patrons who are without any delicate dietary needs on this menu (I'm intolerant to gluten myself, c'est complicated)—most of the food items include some key allergens (wheat, milk, fish), but that's the hard biz.

Centrally located, walking distance from the shoreline (Beach access is right across the street), decent selection of beer, wine, cider, and spirits that's pretty pleasing to the palate (key lime apple cider by 3 Sisters is a personal favorite, major kudos on that seasonal selection). Nothing betrays the overall dockside theme, as there's no pretense there to speak of. It feels nice eating there, and the waiting staff are all very friendly & affable - it's easy to become a regular here.

I've lived here my entire life, but I can't say I've seen everything. Dockside Dave's is definitely not a one-time only establishment, newcomers are sure to want to return for anything from planned family outings to breezy, beach lunches when spontaneity meets that craving for your favorite Golden Tile sandwich (and maybe a cold brew to...

Went here specifically for Grouper! It was a busy week in town due to spring break, we too were on spring break so we get how hard it is to get in anywhere. The hostess was prompt to acknowledge us but not too friendly or welcoming. We didnt mind as we got a table pretty quick, which was nice. Our server was definitely over stacked with tables. It took a while for him to get to us just to take drink orders. After waiting 15 mins we opted to go to the bar and get them ourselves. Drinks were not bad for $3 margaritas. After another 15ish mins we finally got our order in. The server brought out a loaf of their house bread. It was okay, nothing to set it apart from other breads. I think its suppose to be a macadamia nut type with a coconut butter but it just tasted like bread. We ordered a crab cake to split for an appotizer, it was quite good. I pride myself on knowing a great crab cake and it wasnt the best of the best but a good flavorful cake...no complaints. Onto dinner.. I had planned on grouper but read a Key West Shrimp with mago salsa option that sounded good....I was wrong. It was okay but nothing exciting. I had buyers remorse immediately. Flavor okay, shrimp not seared or grilled looking. Sauce was not flavorful other than sweet. It was bland and just not what I hoped it was going to be. The black beans and rice side however was very good I preferred that over my entree. Beans and rice both well seasoned and tender.. My brother on the other hand ordered blackened grouper as planned and that was absolutely delicious! I completely regret not getting it. He reminded me the rest of the evening. Siblings, SMH!

All in all the restaurant was clean, bathrooms orderly, we sat inside for quicker table but the outside seating looked nice. Price was comparable to others in the area for what your getting. Service could be friendlier, like theyre happy youre there but during spring break and the craziness of it Im sure theyre not happy youre there. Lol.

Would definitely recommend. Just stick to the grouper plan and dont deviate as the...