this is the most family family restaurant i've been to in calabash! i've been to many restaurants and this restaurant is an amazing friendly environment!! i recommend dockside to all my friends, the food is amazing!! read more

Service is always amazing. Be prepared for a long wait, even if you arrive early for dinner. Portions are huge. Love the hushpuppies.

We always visit Dockside when visiting the beach - clam strips are wonderful! Best to come earlier than later, as it gets very crowded

Simple Southern seafood done well. Sweet tea, hushpuppies and fried shrimp were outrageously good. Great service with a large party. Recommended! read more

Quick service by a friendly waitress She brought hush puppies immediately they were average The entrees were good and plentiful The view of the dock while we were eating made it all the better The atmosphere is quite casual Don't expect a gourmet meal and you should have an enjoyable and not too expensive evening read more

Our dinners were delicious and our service was superb thanks to our server Madison. Would definitely recommend this restaurant. Make sure to ask for Madison! read more

This is a must stop if you're in Calabash. Great food that comes out hot and it's fresh just out of the ocean. The service staff is excellent and will take care of you. read more

Dockside Seafood House is the best seafood restaurant I have ever tasted. They always see to it that the seafood they're serving is always fresh. The service is also good. I also love how they designed the interiors. It is very simple but classy. I will definitely share my experience with some of my friends and bring them here. read more

Great southern fried seafood! My wife and I have been a couple of times over the past couple of years when we've been in the Myrtle Beach area. MUCH better than the gluttoness buffets that are abounding in the area. Fried shrimp and flounder are a must. The hushpuppies are amazing! read more

I've been eating at Dockside on summer vacation for 20+ years, and will continue as long as they keep it up. Food is always consistent, and have never had a bad meal. We usually order takeout to avoid the long lines, and the takeout process was much faster this year than ever before. That said, it is what is is - delicious (fried!) Calabash seafood. Don't come expecting a large variety of fresh choices or other upscale options, The hush puppies are usually the winner, and despite another poor review here I enjoy the deviled crab as well. read more

Great calabash food. Prices are average for the area. Hush puppies are phenomenal.

I don't do seafood very much just because once you've had it you don't find to much variation. Huge servings. Service is always friendly, never a letdown there. Enjoy yourself, kickback, relax. Its seafood. read more

Good location. Right on the docks where they catch shrimp and seafood Wife had stuff shrimp. bread stuffing with the smallest shrimp. My son asked for Cheese on his French fries they told us they had none. ( not sure what they would put on there cheese burgers ) Really disappointed with that location it should be great They do not season very good and salad not too good either read more

Have been to Dockside many times. The food is traditional deep fried foods. The seafood platters are very good and the hush puppies & coleslaw are really good. The sweet tea is delicious. The portions are generous for the price. Good service every time we've been. read more

In all my life, I do not think I can recall being more repulsed by any restaurant than I was recently by Dockside. First of all, I am a server at a beach bar and grill in a different part of the state...It is not usually in my nature to write such a review but I truly believe that if one place in this world deserves a terrible review it is this place. The decor is awful. Truly off putting, and it really set the scene for the abomination they call dinner. All the food just looked awful and greasy. When the server was walking around the table serving the wilted salads, he had his thumb fully inside of someone's salad bowl, in the salad. Two people at the table ordered prime rib cooked medium, and parts of it were 100% , entirely, the definition of raw. Not just undercooked. Raw. Several people in our party had to send back their meals for one reason or another. Even after sending the prime rib back, it was still raw. I think it may have just walked itself back to the table. Three of the meals came out with only one side when they were supposed to come with and were ordered with two . The food looked so bad we didn't even bother asking for the missing sides. Nothing was seasoned. As a server I am an easy going customer and I try to find redeeming qualities in restaurants but here there truly are none. The service was unremarkable. It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't good either. This place is a tourist trap. They have no incentive to fix any of many, many problems with their food and dining atmosphere because 97% of their customers are one time diners on vacation. If this is what Calabash sea food is, it should be infamous rather than famous. I recommend starving , or eating McDonalds. Because compared to this, McDonalds is a 5 star restaurant. read more

Arrive with the right expectations & leave satisfied. Arrive with expectations of the world's freshest & best seafood, leave disappointed. Food: Hushpuppies are very good. Came out hot and there was plenty of them. Sweet tea is on point and service was very friendly. Side salad was ordered that had fresher/tastier than expected vegetables with the exception of the lettuce. The lettuce was a throw away. Went in with expectations of ordering a large plate of fried seafood and that's exactly what was served. Fried shrimp were the best, followed by the huge portion of large fried scallops, and 2 pieces of solid fried flounder. Coleslaw was actually pretty good and the baked potato was as expected. Fried clams from another person's plate were overcooked (but edible). Overall, was satisfied with the meal, definitely did not leave hungry, and would recommend it to those who want a large plate of fried seafood. read more

Pretty good place! The person at the table said there was a 20 min wait but we got to our table in 10 min. Hushpuppies are delicious probably the best in southern NC read more

Half our food was extremely over cooked and the other half not enough. Staff not really concerned when they asked how everything was and our response as to fresh fish that was extremely over cooked being served. Would not ever come back read more

Good calabash seafood. With a nice view and outdoor patio seating. They have a nice senior menu with smaller portions.

Nothing short of amazing, we have been several times but this past time it was almost time for closing as we had been late for our supper. Yet, the staff was still extremely friendly and attentive. We had hush puppies and sweet tea for starters - both were wonderful. I ordered a combination plate of fried flounder & boiled shrimp both were succulent and perfectly prepared. My husband ordered clam strips, fried oysters and flounder; he loved every piece of it. The fries are also very good, they give you the choice of baked potato or fries. Our friends got a steak and a combination seafood platter - both of theirs looked amazing, and they said the taste was better than the appearance! You absolutely cannot beat Dockside and their food. Try it, you won't be disappointed. read more

We came to the restaurant somewhat close to closing. The hostess seated us with no problem. The server was fantastic and had a great attitude for the end of the day. Our food came out quickly and was piping hot from the kitchen. Everyone thought their fish, shrimp, and oysters were great! The only negatives would be the hush puppies, as an appetizer, were not hot. And the food, although good to eat, was overpriced for the quantity. Other than that, it was a great place to get some fried seafood. read more

Well we had high hopes after reading reviews. The good: good prices and huge portions. The bad: tasteless institutional food. Ordered oyster stew to start. I actually thought someone made a mistake making it. Just like warm milk and canned oysters. Tasted EXACTLY like warm milk. Absolutely no oyster flavor and no other ingredients. When I mentioned to the waitress she said "well how do you make oyster stew?" Then said "did you try putting salt and Texas Pete" in it?" What a joke. read more

Dockside Seafood House - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

Seems like most of the shrimp they serve here are so tiny they should provide you with a magnifying glass as well. Ordered the stuffed flounder...dry, dry, and unbelievably dry. Been going to this location every time we're in the area and must say it's like 8 or 9 notches BELOW where it used to be. Plenty of other seafood restaurants in the area that we can try. Won't be back to Dockside for a long, long time, if ever. read more

First, the hushpuppies brought to the table were cold and had a peculiar taste as if the oil was old. The server was apologetic and brought a new batch which were hot but not much better. The stuffed flounder was horrible. We are from a coastal area and have eaten a lot of flounder. Didn't think you could actually mess it up. One half had a terrible flavor- I think the fish was just not fresh. Didnt finish it. VERY disappointed at quality of food. We will not return read more

Don't go!!! Food was terrible stuffed flounder was dry and I asked for a baked potato for an extra 1.00 my food came and she said I would have to wait 20 minutes for the potato I said forget it give me fries. Drinks didn't come till after our meal and we didn't get our side of vegetables. The whole experience was horrible. read more

Don't get much better.... damn good food.... and to top it off they leave a pitcher of tea on your table so you don't run out of tea or water would give 12 stars if possible read more

Do you understand what Calabash seafood is, if so, then this is the place for you. And one of the best. The food is 100% Calabash style and has been some of the best around Calabash for years. Generous portions, great fried seafood, alternative selections and grilled options you can ask for, and very reasonable cost. Full bar for those that are interested which not all have, and will work with food allergies which is a must for us. This is the one and only stop for us in Myrtle Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, or Sunset Beach areas read more

Beautiful place, but terrible food. Tasted like the sand from the beach nearby. Tried to order a drink, but the waitress was so slow that I was ready to leave by the time she got to the table. Oh, and the small portion of scallops was $25....... I won't be coming back. read more

Haven't been here in many years. Was very disappointed, not at all what I remembered. Service was bad, took a long time to get drinks. When food came out we didn't have silverware, waitress said she'd be right back and ended up going to get it myself. Scallops, shrimp and oysters all tasted like old bland cooking oil. When paying, the cashier never asked how everything was. All she said was, "Do you wanna add a tip"? The best thing was the slaw and the nice guy hostessing. read more

What once was my favorite place to eat has become a place to which I don't expect to ever return. I have been disappointed the last three visits but my most recent visit last week was horrible. Met family there who had never been before and was embarrassed at the poor service and food. Several commented that the shrimp was quite greasy and flounder not up to par either. Waited 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged we were there. At last a server came to help (not the server assigned to our table). Always a long line to check out due to cashier talking with other people. read more

I had to give this a star (to partake in a review) but honestly it doesn't deserve anything- if I could give it minus 5 stars that would be my choice. I have lived in many places in this country and in recent memory I can't ever recall getting a worse meal. It was a Friday night and the restaurant was somewhat crowded (with what looked like Tourists) however, I'm sure that it had nothing to do with the quality of the meal. BTW, this place isn't cheap a small portion of what they call scallops was $16.95. Other than visually seeing the punching of the Pollock circles I can almost bet my salary it was in fact Pollock being represented as scollops. They even under cooked that, - they were almost raw, seriously DISGUSTING...!!! My son ordered the Rib Eye it was raw, no not under cooked - BUT RAW. Looked like they threw it on the grill turned it as soon as they put it on and tossed it on the plate. As far as the quality of the meat it had the texture of dairy Cow (not that I know what dairy cow looks or taste like, but it didn't look like any Steer I have ever eaten, or seen - and yes I did sample it simply because I couldn't believe my eyes). It was like rubber - if I didn't know any better I would of thought it was synthetic. The salad looked like someone reached into a super market pre-fixed salad mix and threw it on a plate. My wife got (what they called boiled shrimp cocktail appetizer) the shrimp were smaller than my pinky finger- finger nail (looked like they opened a can from the super market). That went right back. The hush puppies (that everyone raves about in other reviews) were oily and tasted like lead pellets. It looks like this place is a tourist trap because honestly I have no idea why anyone would ever, ever, ever, go back. This is must be how they survive as I can't imagine any locals would ever eat here twice. There was one bright spot however, the hostess who could clearly see that we weren't eating anything asked for an honest opinion (which I gladly gave) she then proceed to adjust the bill and all the food which no one had eaten was rightly removed from the bill, and that's a good thing as I didn't feel like getting arrested for non payment of service, because this guy wasn't paying NO MATTER WHAT...!!! I have read the reviews before this one and have to say those reviewers, have to be both blind with no sense of taste, or else they are related to the owner - because simply put, this place should be shuttered at once. I will be calling the Board of Health on them on Monday for serving swill to the general public - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED - EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK...!!! read more

I normally don't review places I don't enjoy, only places that I do enjoy, however, when on vacation in a beach town, I expect better seafood then this. This was by far the worst seafood I've ever had. The boiled shrimp was mushy, the fried shrimp was also mushy with a mushy breaded outside. The service however was quick and pleasant. If you're looking for good seafood, please choice elsewhere or you'll be wasting a night of dinner on your vacation. read more

Once again had a great meal, the oyster were just perfect in the combination seafood platter. The Dockside has become a tradition since first coming to Calabash and Cherry Grove in the middle sixties. Some of the people who write negative reviews are nothing more that spoiled. They don't realize what Calabash really means. The Sweet tea, hush puppies are just plan good. I wish the owner many more year of success. We have ate over the years at almost every Calabash eating place and they all are special in there own way. Sit enjoy the atmosphere and view while sipping some sweet tea. Dave C. read more

I am sorry to even rate this as a one, the food is nasty and u can tell it frozen and is a poor grade of seafood, Management was a joke, everything we order was sent back, cold, no taste at all, greasy cheap seafood, don't waste your time going there, its a joke, read more

Had shrimp and scallops, served room temperature, at $18+ and 1 dollar extra for a baked potato. Enjoyed many dinners here over past 35 years, but never again. read more

We've been going to Dockside for a solid 20 years. The last few years things have gone completely downhill. This year we had our usual wait at 5:30pm, that's fine, as expected. We decided to try one more time as it's a "tradition". After being seated our waitress immediately took our order. We then didn't see her for 20 minutes. At this point we recieved our drinks, but no hush puppies. Another 10 minutes passed and we still had nothing. We flagged her down and asked for 2 straws and our hush puppies. She came back with 2 straws, but no food. At the 45 minute mark she brought me the lemons for my tea, still no hush puppies. Nearly an hour after sitting we got our hush puppies. Another 20 minutes passed, no food, no drink refills, no waitress. If we hadn't had a large party we would have walked out. Finally just after 7pm, yes 7pm!, we recieved our food. We had multiple deviled crabs that were cold, my oysters were cold, and everything else was hit or miss. We didn't get out of the restaurant till after 7:30 ( over 2 hours after arrival). I think we're done with this "tradition". read more

Where to start?!? If there was a way to give 0 stars I would. When we walked in it smelled like poop. Literal poop. I wanted to leave but they sat us so we tried to give it a chance. Took forever to get our drinks. We ordered our food which tasted bland and old. My son got a burger that was full of grease. Portions were unbelievably small and we left $44 later still hungry. The owner asked how our meal was and when we replied that it was ok. She did not even ask what was wrong with it. The worst seafood I have ever had. PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!! read more

Our first time at Dockside. Mahi was amazing, stuffed flounder delicious, my father in law said the scallops were some of the best he'd eaten. Called ahead to be put on the waiting list arrived at 7:30 and weren't seated until 8, but the food was well worth the wait. others that got there around the same time did not get seated until 830. Will be returning. read more

If you like fried seafood, lightly breaded or calabash style, then this is the place off the beaten Rt. 17 path along the state line in NC by an intercostal river with plenty of parking, nice deck and large open inside dining area ... good fresh food (fried flounder, clams, shrimp, oysters, scallops, fries, hushpuppies) at a reasonable area price (pick your platter - $15.99, $18.99) with attentive quick service from friendly knowledgable server staff!; an enjoyable Carolina experience. read more

Food was really good, view was nice. My husband and I shared a deluxe platter, which was enough for the both of us. He got a mixed drink, which was a mistake, as it was awful! Service could've been better, but I was really happy overall with the food. Yum. read more