Dockside Seafood — Restaurant in Savannah

Came to Savannah last minute just to get away for the holiday weekend 5/25/24. Arrived into town late (8:30pm), checked in to the Marriott and went for a quick stroll to find a bite to eat. Dockside is right down from our hotel so, I figured it would be an easy walk back and forth. When we approached the place, there were two young ladies standing outside whom I took for “hostesses”. One (long blonde hair) looked less than thrilled to be there and the other was very kind and inviting when we spoke. There were patrons ahead of us inquiring about a table and I over heard the kind girl say “you can sit at the bar but we are no longer seating anyone”. Once those patrons left I stepped up and inquired if they knew of anywhere else that we could walk to grab a bite to eat as I knew it was super late, it’s a holiday weekend (packed), and dining places were closing down. They recommend a second location further down (Fiddlers) or the bar seating. Totally fine with me. I then asked if I could order something from the bar, to go. The grumpy girl didn’t even look at me and said “they don’t really do that”. She acted annoyed that I bothered to even ask. I went inside to check out the bar seating and as I approached the bar, a very welcoming, short haired, older waitress asked if she could help me. I said “well, I know you aren’t seating anyone else so I was going to see if I can get food at the bar or even see about getting it to go”. She promptly asked us to sit (at an open booth) took our TO GO order, seated us at a high top to wait on it, grabbed us drinks and chatted with us for a second. It was a delightful experience to be “served” by her ! She makes me want to return (if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t ever come back) !!!! Even though she didn’t really have to “serve” us, I tipped her 25% of our bill since she didn’t have to help us, but took the time to do so…. Never forget that you’re in a service industry, and it doesn’t hurt to be willing to serve. Sometimes it even PAYS. Now, to the food. I ordered the shrimp and grits, a black and blue burger, and key lime pie. I decided on the shrimp and grits after seeing another review that claimed they were the “best I’ve ever had in my life”- well, I figured either that person was right or they hadn’t ever eaten good food. Either way, I was willing to chance it ! It was a good choice ! Thanks fellow reviewer person your recommendation was a decent one ! My husband also enjoyed his burger. The fries were SO good and the key lime pie as well. I read that they make the key lime pie fresh. So that’s always a nice touch. Anyway, over all it wasn’t the best but wasn’t the worst. It was a somewhat decent experience once I got past the hostess station and into the restaurant where a nice person ran into us. The only other “remark” that I can make about this place is that while we were seated at the high top near the bar, we had a very open view of the wait staff walking back and forth…. They were all getting drinks from the bar tender and openly drinking while on shift. Not sure how the management feels about that kind of behavior but my husband and I were somewhat appalled. Over all, not impressed with the staff either (with the exception of ONE person there). But, our food was decent once we got back to the room. So, if you’re into mild to poor experiences with half way decent food, this place is a great option for you ! If you prefer a more well rounded experience with sober wait staff…. Avoid this place...

If you like unprofessional management and waiting 2 hours for mediocre food then this is the place for you! Came here with a party of 5 was sat eminently, ordered a drink and it came out fast as well! However, after ordering our appetizer and meal when at the same time, we sat and waited for an appetizer that took 50 minutes to come out! We tried to cancel it. At about 40 minutes our server still brought it and said it was on the house and also told us the food would be out in 10 minutes. Which we thought was fine! 10 minutes no food. At this point we have been waiting an hour, still not a single manager came out to apologize for the delay or even to update up on what was happening! Another 10 minutes go by now at an hour ten and we ask to speak with a manager it takes another 10 minutes for a manager to even come speak with us! Now at and hour twenty! She vaguely apologizes and said the kitchens printer went out and says they are working on the meal now and it will be 10 more minutes! The food finally comes out at about an hour forty! The manager comes back and we ask before we even start eating if she was going to do anything for us because of how long we had to wait she told us that she would take care of it! So we began to eat and it was not worth how long we waited! The scallops where over cooked and chewy, the shrimp were fried to hell and the Italian chicken sandwich was so tough it was almost inedible! 10 minutes later the manager comes back with checks she says that she discounted 20 minutes the bill 50% which was OK if we had waited only 50 minutes to an hour for food but we had been there for almost 2 hours at this point and I was not pleased with the quality of the food that we had waited so long for! we told the manager we do not feel we should have to pay for the food she said well she gave us a 50% discount and that’s all that she could do for us at that point I said I wasn’t going to pay for this terrible experience and she threaten to called the authority’s and I told her to call them; she then told us to have a nice day. Highly not...

HIDDEN GEM ALERT!! 💎

As out-of-towners visiting Savannah, the number of places to eat, drink, and cool off near the river can be totally overwhelming. But let me tell you—Dockside completely stole our hearts and became our absolute favorite spot in the city.

On our first day, we stopped in for their happy hour special, and that one visit turned into the highlight of our trip. We were greeted by Mac, the bartender, who was incredibly kind, welcoming, and genuinely felt like a friend by the time we finished our first drink. His energy and hospitality left such an impression that we knew we’d be back.

The very next day, we were exploring the river district with our senior service pup and decided it was time to find somewhere to chill and escape the heat. We immediately thought of Dockside—and once again, they went absolutely above and beyond. Although Mac wasn’t working, Nat was behind the bar and she was just as amazing: attentive, kind, and full of warmth. We ended up spending hours talking with the staff and even some locals. Thank you for your wonderful drinks and hospitality Nat!

A special shoutout to Christine Hanson, who managed to take excellent care of everyone while still finding time to chat and share the sweetest stories about her own dog. Her charisma and kindness made us feel like regulars in a place we had only just discovered. The team went out of their way to make our pup, Niko feel like he was welcomed and appreciated.

What truly sets Dockside apart is the authenticity. This isn’t some cookie-cutter tourist stop—it’s one of the last true mom-and-pop spots in the city. You can feel the difference. After visiting places like The Olde Pink House (which, let’s be honest, didn’t live up to the hype for us personally), Dockside felt like a breath of fresh air—real people, real charm, and a real sense of community.

If you’re heading to Savannah and looking to grab a drink somewhere that captures the soul of the city—go to Dockside. Support local, support genuine, and don’t be surprised if you end up making a few new friends while...