Dockside Restaurant
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We have been coming to this restaurant for 10 years now and over the years we have noticed a decline in the food quality. A time or two ago, we swore that we would never come back but we always get sucked back in because it's on the water and after a few hours of kayaking we are usually hungry and just want a cold beer and some shrimp. The peel and eat shrimp use to be good but lately they have been just ok. The beer is no longer served in bottles but now is in cans only. They use to have beer on tap but no longer have that either. Today we stopped in after kayaking, knowing that it was going to be hit or miss. Well today was the final straw. We were seated immediately and then waited about 20 minutes before somebody came to take our drink order. It was a female waitress who did not introduce herself and we asked about the beer hoping that maybe something had changed, but no. We don't like beer in cans, so my friend ordered a coke and I ordered a cocktail, a Spicy Paloma which I have had before at other restaurants. We waited another 20 minutes for our drinks to come and mine seemed like it had been sitting a while because the ice was mostly melted and the drink was very watered down. My friends coke was watered down also. We should have sent them back and left at that point. Once I found a straw and stirred my drink it was a little better. However a Paloma is usually a little fizzy and this was not. It was just not good. The Tajin was all over the outside of the plastic "glass" instead of on the rim. We finally placed our food order and waited another 20 minutes until our food came. We both ordered the fiesta bowl. Mine was with chicken and my friends was with shrimp. We had never had this before and will never again. The shrimp were tiny and looked like they had been frozen. My bowl with the chicken was a little better. The bowls were mostly rice and it was very dry. Of course when we realized this our missing in action waitress was nowhere to be seen. We asked another male waiter for ranch dressing and he went and got her. So we asked her for ranch dressing and she brought us 2. This made the bowls a little bit better but just ok. The other food item that we ordered was the homemade potato chips which are always good. When the waitress brought our ranch dressing we went ahead and requested the check because by now we had been there over an hour. Of course she brought the check immediately. I put my credit card with the check to let her know that she could take the check but she never came back. When we waited as long as we were willing to wait, we got up and went to the hostess station like we had seen the couple at the table next to us do. The hostess asked who our waitress was and we told her that we had no idea as she had not introduced herself. The hostess then asked us what she looked like - at this point we were really annoyed and showed her which table we were seated at. She went off to find our waitress and left us standing there waiting. Our waitress finally appeared and took our payment and we left. We were there for 1 hour and 20 minutes....for lunch, not by our choosing. As we walked out we once again said.. ..never again. I'm not sure who is managing the staff but they should be fired. It appears that there is very little training or accountability.
Dawn DykstraDawn Dykstra
00
We ate at this place over the weekend. The food was just ok. The server was a nice young person with a pleasant smile. We ordered the fish tacos. We were asked "how we wanted the fish cooked." I didn't know there was an option so that was a learning experience for me. They use tuna in the fish tacos. I ordered the house made chips as a side. The fish tacos were dripping with the liquid from the veggies and dressing they put in the tacos. The chips were good but served with what appeared to be ranch dressing which was odd. All of It was served in a plastic boat with a wax paper lining. All in all, it was just ok. If I were the manager or owner, I would spend some time cleaning the place up. It appeared kind of grimy. Yes, it is on the water and yes people get out of boats and come right up. But the surfaces seemed like they all needed cleaned and refreshed. It didn't feel clean. Plus, there was no soap at all in the men's bathroom. I did notice the sign that said, "all employees must wash their hands with soap and water." Hard to do when there isn't any soap. That's just plain gross. Especially when everyone has to grab the door handle to get out of the bathroom. The parking lot is across the street and its a mess. Big holes with partially rocked surfaces and partially dirt surfaces. When it rains it has to be bad news. It's not a level surface at all so be careful. I was not impressed with this place. It seems like there are management issues and that no one really cares about making it better. Just ok, nothing special. Our entrees were in the $15 range. We didn't get cocktails.
Max BumgardnerMax Bumgardner
00
The hostess and the waitresses are very friendly and helpful. I ordered the crab corn chowder and the combo with crabcake, fried oysters, fries and cold slaw. The crab and corn chowder was not good. I had to add a little salt and I rarely eat salt or salty food. It tastes a little better with a little salt. The crab was grainy and stringy, not chunks or small pieces of crab. I love corn and it's the only reason why I ate more than I did. I couldn't finish it. I prefer lump crabmeat. The meal was ok. The best part was the fried oysters. To my surprise, they didn't give me any cocktail sauce for my oysters or tartar sauce for my crabcake. Speaking of the crabcake, like the crab and corn chowder, the crabmeat was not obvious. It was not lump crabmeat. The crabmeat appeared to be blended into the breading or something. It was not high quality considering the price I paid, I didn't expect their crabcakes to be like this. The cold slaw was tasteless. If I come back, I would only get the fried oysters, when ch were delicious. It has just the right amount of breading and the size was pretty big. I am disappointed that my food didn't turn out better. Since I'm vacationing in the area and probably won't come back anytime soon. If I live here, I probably won't come back unless I'm craving for fried oysters.
Tilly LoTilly Lo
00
My best friend told me about this restaurant when I took my trip there this weekend. I walked in and there was a little wait. 15 minutes, not too bad. I didn’t even sit down for my wait for 5 minutes and I received the text telling me my table was ready. I get in and I’m looking over the menu and taking in the beautiful view. Emma comes to the table with a water and lemon already in hand when greeting me and she was so nice and efficient with everything. I saw what I had wanted before I got there so I ordered right away. I wasn’t even seated for 10 minutes and my food was already in front of me and I didn’t expect this much to be ok this plate. It was well worth its price too. I appreciate everything about this restaurant and will definitely be going back the next time I’m in Wrightsville. I really did appreciate Emma and the whole atmosphere of this place. If you are ever in the area or visiting, please go visit Dockside. :)
Danielle BlakeDanielle Blake
00
Nearby Attractions Of Dockside Restaurant
Hampton Inn & Suites Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Redix Store
Lumina Commons
Epic Excursions
Wrightsville Beach Farmers' Market
Summer Rest Trail
Harbor Way Gardens
Airlie Moon
Plaza East Shopping Center

Hampton Inn & Suites Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach
4.3
(493)Click for details

Wrightsville Beach, NC
4.6
(365)Click for details

Redix Store
4.2
(253)Click for details

Lumina Commons
4.4
(239)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Dockside Restaurant
Bluewater Waterfront Grill
Poe's Tavern
Fish House Grill
Ceviche's
The Bridge Tender
Platypus & Gnome
Brasserie Du Soleil
Mellow Mushroom Wrightsville Beach
Waterman's Brewing
Motts Channel Seafood

Bluewater Waterfront Grill
4.4
(1.9K)$$
Click for details

Poe's Tavern
4.5
(1.2K)Click for details

Fish House Grill
4.4
(878)Click for details

Ceviche's
4.7
(696)$$
Click for details
Basic Info
Address
1308 Airlie Rd, Wilmington, NC 28403
Map
Phone
(910) 256-2752
Call
Website
thedockside.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.2
(965 reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Casual marina spot with an eclectic, seafood-heavy menu & full bar, with boat docking available.
attractions: Hampton Inn & Suites Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach, Wrightsville Beach, NC, Redix Store, Lumina Commons, Epic Excursions, Wrightsville Beach Farmers' Market, Summer Rest Trail, Harbor Way Gardens, Airlie Moon, Plaza East Shopping Center, restaurants: Bluewater Waterfront Grill, Poe's Tavern, Fish House Grill, Ceviche's, The Bridge Tender, Platypus & Gnome, Brasserie Du Soleil, Mellow Mushroom Wrightsville Beach, Waterman's Brewing, Motts Channel Seafood
