Finn's Dockside Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Riverview

Ahoy, fellow foodies! Gather round as I recount the epic lunch saga at Finn's Dockside Bar & Grill, where the waves meet flavor town!

First up, the legendary Painkiller cocktail. As an aficionado of this nautical nectar, I've sipped my fair share from the shores of Jost Van Dyke to the bustling bars of mainland. Finn's version? A treasure chest of flavors! It had me mentally sailing back to the Soggy Dollar Bar, with every sip whispering tales of White Bay's sandy beaches.

Now, let's dive into the deep blue sea of the Caribbean platter. My catch of the day? Blackened mahi. Alas, this fish must've sunbathed a tad too long on deck – a bit on the dry side, mateys! And the rice, well, let's just say it was more 'ship in the night' than 'star of the sea'. The plantains, though? Chunky like treasure hunks, but not the golden bites I was questing for.

Fear not, for not all tales have stormy seas! My first mate (a.k.a. my girlfriend) set sail with a Pina Colada – a tropical tornado that whisked her away to coconutty bliss. Her summer salad with grilled shrimp was like discovering a hidden island – huge, amazing, and full of surprises!

The prelude to our feast? Crab cakes! These little beauties were the siren songs of the sea – calling, tempting, and absolutely delightful.

And what's a lunch at Finn's without some tunes? Live music serenaded us, as if mermaids were crooning in harmony. The atmosphere? Picture-perfect! Dining by the water, we were captains of our own culinary ship, navigating through the sea of flavors and fun.

In the end, while not every dish was a pot of gold, the voyage at Finn's was one for the logbooks. Can't wait to set sail again and explore more of their culinary...

Oysters were extremely disappointing. $30 for a dozen of the smallest oysters I have even seen in my life felt like I was being punked or robbed. The owner needs to take a ride to Lee and Rick’s Oyster Bar in Orlando and do some oyster comparison/research. They sell a bucket of huge oysters for $35. The bucket easily holds 2 dozens plus oysters. Then he needs to ask where they get their oysters and start buying them from that oyster distributor. He would still be making a big profit selling a dozen for $30. People buying them would feel like they actually got something for their hard earned dollar instead of coming away feelings ripped off and their wallet violated. When I left my breath didn’t smell like oysters, it smelled like crackers. One cracker for every little oyster served. The crackers overpowered the oysters. You’d think they could spare an extra packet of crackers but they give you exactly one cracker per oyster, not one packet, one cracker. No oyster forks. The drink cups were little even for iced tea. I go in there after work thirsty and get a little 12 ounce cup that has to be refilled numerous times. It’s annoying. Get larger cups for tea, water and soda. Use the little cups for the alcohol. I realize a place that big has to charge more and give less to make enough money to pay for the location and turn a profit. I get that it’s not a charity nor an I suggesting that it become one. At the same time your customers want to get something for their money. The view of backs of houses on an inland bay of water doesn’t balance with what you’re charging and what I’m getting. On a more positive note, wait staff...

Wednesday, October 08, 2025, my life long friend and I decided to have dinner at Finn's Dockside Restaurant. I was a visitor from the Great State of Maine. We had just ordered an appetizer and beverages. I was trying the frozen mocktail when the frozen slush hit me like a ton of bricks! It was so cold going down my throat; the last thing I remembered saying to my friend was , "call 911". Within seconds, I was waking up on the floor, asking "why am I on the floor?" Leah, an angel, was behind me, with a nice, cold cloth on my neck and forehead, helping me to wake up! Richard, our waiter, was on the floor near me, talking to me also. He and Leah both stayed with me until the First Responders arrived. I told Richard he should tend to his other customers. He went back to work. My Angel Leah, stayed with me, holding my head on her lap, making sure the cold compresses on my forehead and neck were in place the entire time before I started to talk some sense! I will always be grateful to Richard and Leah and the kindness and compassion they showed me for the rest of my life! They took such excellent care of me, a total stranger, and made me realize there ARE angels here on Earth. They even made sure our dinner orders were packed up and ready to take home with us after I released the First Responders and was able to stand and walk on my own! An amazing experience, to say the least. God is good; especially at Finn's...