I am an encouraging person by nature. I'm writing this review to encourage you to go elsewhere for dining in Calabash. As for the Dockside Restaurant- The food lacked flavor and freshness. The service lacked attention and accommodation. The food and beverage selection was limited. The best feature of this restaurant in my opinion is the view. The view of the inlet and boats was marvelous! read more

Really enjoyed our dinner tonight at Dockside. My husband had the dinner salad with grilled salmon and it was beautiful. The salmon was cooked perfectly. I ordered the Sr. Citizens Shrimp 2 ways dinner. Instead of the usual potato and cole slaw I ordered the Collard Greens and Cucumber Salad ($1.00 upcharge). Both were delicious and such a nice change. Our server, Gabby, was excellent. Despite being very busy she kept our glasses full and even brought me drawn butter and hot sauce with no delay. She never seemed too busy to just be nice. Great job Gabby. We will definitely be back. read more

Absolutely terrible, I've had better seafood in Ohio. My sides were brought out but not my soup appetizer nor my main course. By the time I got main course sides were cold. Staff did not even offer to replace. I will not eat here again. read more

We arrived and was seated in a reasonable time. The waitress was very attentive to our needs, but when the food came out, my husband's prime rib was very cold to the touch all the way around. We told the waitress and she brought it back out, after putting in the broiler to heat it up. The steak had no flavor for a $23.00 steak. The green beans had no seasoning on them and my prime rib sandwich was dry to where I didn't even eat half of it. No discount on the food whatsoever. A couple beside us complained as well of having over cooked shrimp and cold deviled crab. Another couple across the way complained as well. Maybe the cook was new or something. I'm not sure, but for the price of the food it should have been spot on. The first time trying and probably our last. read more

Ate their today the food was not good at all. It was delivered cold. First and last visit. Cost high quality very low!

everything on seafood platter was overcooked (shrimp, scallops, flounder, deviled crab, & fried oysters), which is surprising since food was only luke warm when it got to our table. Probable due to sitting in kit hen waiting for someone to order (food was on table in ~5 mins after placing order :-O). Shrimp & scallops were TINY, as was deviled crab (shell was definitely of legal / keeper size). read more

Shrimp had lines still in every piece of shrimp we had ! Scampi was very rough! Very slow and waitresses couldn't care less...

We drove from Myrtle Beach to eat dinner. A few nights ago, we went to a highly recommended seafood restaurant similar to Dockside. My husband and I shared a plate and we got one kid's meal. Tonight, at Dockside, we got two adult plates and one kid's plate. We got way more food per plate, it tasted a 1000 times better, and it cost way less! We also enjoyed walking on the dock behind the restaurant, and seeing the fish come fresh off the boats read more

Dockside Seafood House - The crab-stuffed flounder - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

The deviled crab was particularly bad , and we did not enjoy the seafood we received . The restaurant was good for the mac n cheese and land meats. read more

Seated 10 minutes before anyone approached us (others seated after us were waited on before us) then deeply disappointed when our meals came. Stuffed flounder was dry and stuffed with tons of peppers with no shrimp or crab to be found. Other broiled seafood platter was bland and watery. $50 wasted, won't return. read more

My main course was not good it was not fresh the tomatoes sauce tasted like chef boy, RD. The waiter was amazing. The inter was good too, but the waiter said the lobster ravioli maybe came in a can . read more

A nice restaurant on the water that offers outside dining as well. Service was great as was the food but portions were small for the price: I ordered the broiled flounder (paid more to get it broiled, there is an up charge not to fry). I received 1 small thin piece of flounder with 1/2 cup Mac/cheese and 1/2 cup green beans (just warm). $15 + so not a great value. Restaurant was clean. read more

Got a ribeye steak, and my wife got the marinated chicken. Steak was cooked perfectly, and it was thick with a very good taste. Marinated chicken was also very good. Hushpuppies taste exactly like Captain Nance (beside of Dockside), except Dockside doesn't give you honey butter to dip them in. Great meal. read more

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

We decided to try Dockside when another restaurant was closed. Server was very good. I ordered oysters and scallops. Food came out quickly. It was warm and swimming in grease. Not worth the over inflated prices. Will not be back....EVER!!!! read more

This restaurant in Calabash has not only a well-done appearance but food to match as well. My family visits here at least twice every year on our annual beach trip. I normally get the deviled crab and either the boiled or fried shrimp. The crab is amazing, with just enough spices that the crab isn't overpowered, yet is made better. The shrimp is good, but isn't spectacular. It was merely cool instead of cold. Another thing I must commend is the hushpuppies. Sweet and buttery, yet not too filling. Our waitress, Nicole, was amazing. She is one of the few waitstaff I've been served by that seemed to really be enjoying their job. She was always making sure we had enough of everything without hovering over us, and always had a smile. I would return here in a heartbeat. read more

This is a family tradition location. Took a little longer than normal tonight but worth the wait! Great fried shrimp and scallops. read more

Dockside Seafood House - a table of food and drinks - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

A must when visiting the beach with family. We always make our way down to calabash for some calabash style seafood. Always consistent good! It's my choice of seafood if I had to choose from all the calabash restaurants down there. read more

This is a great spot to get away with the family for a good southern cooked meal. It is simple with a warm atmosphere and great scenic views. The menu has lots of good choices and each meal comes with the best hush puppies. Service is good with a classic southern charm. read more

By far, the best seafood we've had on this trip. A short drive over from Myrtle to Calabash is well worth it. The restaurant is in a great location along with several other restaurants and overlooking the waterfront. I got the seafood platter, which was great as all lightly battered items were just right. Great service and great food! read more

Just a few notes. The service was very friendly, but unfortunately the AC went out, so I think they were struggling with the heat a bit. (Not their fault, of course.) The shrimp tacos were good, however I wouldn't have recommended that wasabi sauce be the main sauce on the tacos. Too spicy it burned my nose hairs. Ha! Maybe a pico de gallo or a white aioli sauce? The fried pickles were delicious, BUT I think I would've preferred chips or spears. The flat long slices were too flimsy and the breading slid off easily. Otherwise, I'd give them another shot! read more

food was bland and not as we expected, service was good, dun dun duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh read more

Peel and eat shrimp were good, fried mahi decent. Other than that just bad. Green beans were definitely straight out of a can, the stuffed flounder, skip it. Pass read more

Calabash is known for its seafood. I feel as if this has been known for many many years now. But what I find unfortunate is that Calabash hasn't done anything to change in that very long time period. The restaurant is still serving the same food and has the same family restaurant feel with good service. Consistency is always good I get that but I would like at least some updates to happen. The menu seems as if it's from twenty years ago and there are basic items on the menu. People's appetites change with what society wants. I ate with a large group of people and there weren't many options for some of the vegetarians or gluten free. I will eat anything off a menu so I had no issue but I did wish for a bit more options then just fried fish and hush puppies. I feel as if some fresh changes can really bring this restaurant around. Update the cash register system. Nobody likes a long line to pay for a meal. You're going to keep customers coming in due to location but do something to brighten up the atmosphere and make it unique. read more

Went for an early dinner one night while visiting the area. Good food, large quantities, & very fast service. There was just two of us & we could have split one entree based on the size of their portions. Waitress was good & we enjoyed our dinner. They have a spacious dining room. If filled, this might be quite a loud venue. However, we went early & enjoyed a quiet dinner with only about 5-6 other filled tables. read more

Very pleased and satisfied. Food was great. Scallops were just slightly over cooked, and the same for the fried oysters. However great service, great food, and a great local. read more

I've eaten here several times before but tonight was not very good. The stuffed flounder was dry and cold and not really "stuffed". I would not order this again. The quality seems to have gone down. My brother ordered a side salad without onions. They just pulled the onions off the lettuce. He could still taste the onions. They made in a replacement. I hope tonight was not the norm now read more

Pros: Quick, efficient, friendly service gets large groups in and out quickly. We were a party of 13, servers were excellent. Leaving a pitcher of ice water and iced tea on the table was a nice touch. There were a couple of errors from the kitchen that were quickly corrected. Cons: Food was really not that good. French fries were better than the fried shrimp. Cocktail sauce has way too much horseradish. Peel & ear shrimp had an odd texture. read more

My family has been going here for years and have raved about it. It was my first time going here and I was not that impressed. The hush puppies were very good and so was the clam chowder. But, I ordered the shrimp plate with the baked potato and green beans. The green beans were very good. I expected the baked potato to have more to it, but overall it was good. Then finally, the shrimp. My shrimp had hair in it. Like a long piece of hair intertwined into multiple pieces of my fried shrimp. I was disappointed. But, my waitress was very nice and took everything I ordered off the bill. So that's the plus. read more

Recommended by our neighbor. Very good food. Very good service. All the fish was fresh and delicious.

Appeared the food was frozen and just heated up. Mine was just okay while my girlfriend wasn't able to eat any of hers.

Beware if you have food allergies! My wife made it very clear to the staff that she had a severe allergy to corn and corn products and even specifically asked about several items. After being assured that everything other than the hush puppies were safe, she had one bite of a deviled crab and went into anaphylaxis. I had to whisk her off to the ER while our friends gathered up our kids. I was shocked to later find out that our meals were not comped after that fiasco. As for the rest of the experience, I knew to expect simple fried seafood, but I found it mediocre at best. I asked what of the seafood was "local" and was simply told "it's all fresh.". After the allergy issue, I'm not sure what "fresh" actually means to them. I can say that we were shown the ingredients list for the deviled crab - from a package of pre-made crabs, so clearly those were not made in house, and we're probably previously frozen. I was also disappointed that they had no beers on tap, and no local/microbrew bottles available. Oh, and I was charged a couple bucks to substitute an iceberg lettuce salad for a baked potato or fries. Geesh! read more

I have been coming to the SB/OIB area for 20+ years and, as long as I can remember, Dockside has been a family tradition on each visit. Each time I've eaten here, we have received good service and great amazing greasy fried clog your arteries type seafood! So, let me comment on the food....yes, it's fried! You are in the south...In Calabash, NC, to be exact...What do you expect?!? Blackened Salmon with Chipotle Squash and Mango Rice?!? NO!!! You are in the home of fried shrimp, sweet tea and hush puppies so just sit back and enjoy the cholesterol while you can. There are many other seafood restaurants in Calabash...Some of them are questionable and others are great; Dockside is one of the great ones! If you are down here looking for charred Mahi-Mahi, take your ass to Red Lobster Sincerely, Ian read more

We have eaten here several times but this will be our last time. (May 2019 vidit). I ordered Scallops, my husband had flounder, my SIL had shrimp and my daughter had coconut shrimp. The coconut shrimp was good, but the scallops tasted strange, and neither the flounder nor shrimp were good. We were also overcharged in our entire party. Several ordered a Senior platter and all were overcharged. My daughter ordered the appetizer coconut shrimp and baked potato and was charged $14.95. We didn't realize it until we got home, some 35 minutes later, and didn't want to waste the gas going back read more

Not my favorite choice for seafood. Staff was amazing and very attentive to our needs. On the positive side our plates were full and impossible to finish. The sad side is the food lacked seasoning. Scallops were soggy and flavorless, as was the flounder. Fried no thanks. The shrimp however was awesome. If one desires to try this place it would be wise to get the shrimp anything else is bland and emerged in the greasy mess of the fryer. A bit of a disclosure it is one's opinion that battered fish should be an option for tourists however once I received the second attempt at my platter the flounder was much better. Still it lacked seasoning but was do-able. read more

Day 2 of NMB #vacay #2K19. Our 1st jaunt of vacay t' Calabash, NC! We typically start at Captain John's, but this year we're tryin' Dockside which's three doors down from Captain John's . The dining room is pretty much the same with big windows in full view of fishing boats at the I.C.W. The menu is fairly seafood standard with the normal seafood fare for the area, clams, oysters, an' fresh fish prepared mostly by being lightly batter fried (Calabash style) an' broiled upon request. There're a variety of appetizer options as well as homemade soups and salads. There're also land options for those that aren't fish-friendly. Actually there're several turf options. They only have 4 side options, which in my mind means they focus more on the seafood. The hush puppies are a basket full deep fried sweet/cornbread deliciousness. I started with the flounder stew. A rich tomato based soup that was slightly sweet with spicy finish an' full of flaky pieces of flounder. It was very good! My stuffed flounder was mellow an' flaky with a wonderful cornbread stuffing. Very good! The service was great even though she missed on a side or two. I'm glad she did, 'cause she brought me coleslaw when I ordered green beans. Man am I glad she did, that homemade coleslaw was fantastic! A great dinner in a tucked away little community north of Myrtle Beach. Always love comin' to Calabash. Rarely disappoints, no matter what local restaurant ya choose. read more

See all

This is about as much of an old fashioned southern fish house as you can find. I find this place to be a jewel and a treasure. We've eaten here a handful of times in the 9 months that we've lived in Sunset Beach. I always order the fried shrimp and flounder combo plate and I'm never let down. The amount of food is that of sharing with 2 people. Yes, it is mostly fried food. We are in the south, not in the burroughs of some northern city. They give you large portions of shrimp and flounder, with fries and cole slaw. That doesn't mean you can't eat with portion control. I usually have a second meal the next day. I am from a small town in the Sandhills of North Carolina and this is what I remember growing up with. Those fish houses that I grew up eating at have long gone but I find myself travelling through time in my Delorean when I come here. The atmosphere wreaks of 70's and 80's and I am completely OK with that. I found our hostess to be with the mostest! She was friendly and kept our drinks filled and supplied us with whatever else we needed. The view is amazing, as it's right on the banks of the Calabash River. After dinner, my wife and I always stroll along the docks and get some good pictures. Even though we live here, the scenery never gets old! So, if you're looking for a suit and tie restaurant, don't come here. If you're looking for a place to take it easy and just enjoy living, laugh and make fellowship while you eat, this is your place. read more

Our favorite restaurant was closed, so we tried Dockside. My husband ordered hamburger steak. The meat was spoiled. It looks like they would smell the meat before they cook it ! I ordered a seafood platter and the flounder was raw. When I told the owner at the cash register, she was very rude. Needless to say, we will never go back ! read more

The food was not great, with so few side selections I was disappointed that there was only butter and sour cream for the potato, my tomato cucumber salad had so much seasoning on it I couldn't eat it, my flounder was ok. The only other person at my table of eight that liked their food was my child that ordered chicken fingers. Restaurant was clean and the waitress was amazing. read more

Great food and huge portions. Compared to everywhere else in the area, the prices are very reasonable too. On a busy Thursday evening during the height of tourist season, our large party of 8 was seated in between 15 to 20 minutes. Excellent! Everything tasted awesome except for the large fish filet I got with my large platter. The deviled crab, shrimp, and clam strips were awesome. I took the piece of fish home to eat the next day. I found the fish bland. Maybe if I had eaten it with vinegar it would've been a lot better? I highly recommend this place and I recommend everything on the menu except for the fish. Maybe with some flavoring such as tartar sauce or vinegar it would've been better, but too much better stuff to order that I know are great. On a side note 3 members of my party ordered steaks and they were huge and very tasty. We will definitely visit this restaurant everyone we're at the beach. read more

Dockside is our family go-to place in calabash for some reason (granddad liked it years ago?). Fried food. Huge portions. Not a ton of flavor. I doubt anything in this area is locally sourced - which I suppose is obvious. This whole region depresses me. I'm not sure if it's the fact that there is obviously much better seafood pretty much everywhere else or if Dockside has been slipping quality wise but the past 3-4 meals here have been progressively more lackluster. I've always gotten the same platter of fried shrimp and deviled crabs and the shrimp seem gummy and cold and the crab is increasingly bread crumbs and very little crab or flavor. (As an aside, I'm struggling to remember why Calabash was a 'thing'. What makes this area unique compared to the rest of the 'grand strand'? I thought they used a different batter or something when they fried the seafood, but it all tastes the same.) The highlights of any visit is a stroll on the dock afterwards while eating those little butter mints and looking at the boats. read more