This place has a really tasty chicken pita and the boom boom shrimp is BOMB!!! Great place that has a more low key ambiance, but still a good place for my toddler and of course great views of the water. read more

Donnelly's Dockside is a restaurant at a marina that's only a few minutes away from a friend I was visiting. We both wished we went farther out to get food. The tables were sticky and definitely needed to be wiped down, and it's just a bit unfortunate that you feel like you're eating outdoors when you're indoors since the air conditioner wasn't really working. I ordered a cream of crab soup and the crab caprese salad, something light, and added in a drink. I asked for a recommendation and so I got a Pineapple Crush - absolutely vile. Tasted like diluted dirty water that was used to wash a very overripe fruit. Didn't have more than 3 sips. The food was alright. Nothing amazing though, and probably more expensive than it should be. All in all, I just don't think it's a good value in regards to the food and the atmosphere. Would not recommend. read more

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Bottom Line: Lots of potential with nice views. Donnelly's Dockside, formally Deep Creek Seafood, is a quaint restaurant located in Arnold on the Deep Creek off of the Magothy River. The restaurant offers scenic views of the creek. My husband and I visited on a Saturday night. Since the dining room had several large parties in it we opted for the quieter bar. But once in the bar, we realized the spacing of the tables was odd such that the open standard-height tables were too close together to sit at so we selected a high top table instead. The stools at the high top table were uncomfortable so in hindsight I wish we had sat in the dining room afterall. Since we sat in the bar we were able to keep an eye on college football games and all the other patrons that tried to sit at the awkward tables. For our dinner we had white fish deviled eggs, fish tacos and shrimp salad with upgraded sidewinder fries. Regarding the deviled eggs, the white fish filling was very tasty but the egg white was very weirdly firm. Regarding the tacos, they had very generous chunks of fish on them but there was something making them really spicy. Finally, the shrimp salad was tasty but the sidewinder fries which turned out to be spiral cut potato wedges were not worth the extra $4. I stuck to water but my husband had an iced tea that was very weak and tasted like lemon water. Our server was attentive so that was appreciated. I noticed some of the other servers were wearing very wrinkled t-shirts and dirty jeans which I found to be unappealing. If it was crab picking season I could maybe understand, but its not. Donnelly's Dockside is a local, family owned business and I really want to see them do well. I plan to return to give the restaurant another try. I think we will try Sunday Brunch next. read more

The Only Review You Need To Read In addition to giving my brief review of this restaurant, I'll also provide some insight on information I wasn't able to find online - their Sunday brunch. First things first. I'm not too familiar with the area of the restaurant location, so I was getting rather suspicious driving down this rural two-lane road, wondering what kind of place this could actually turn out to be. Thankfully my concerns were put to rest. Very quaint restaurant with plenty of parking, and it sits right on the waterfront. Beautiful scenery for the outdoor seating when the weather is nice. Two stories with televisions inside and out. The waitstaff was very attentive and friendly. Now, the Sunday brunch (at least when we went) was standard fare - bacon/sausage, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, salmon, mussels, delicious breakfast potatoes, some dish made of ziti pasta, waffles and there was a separate table where they will prepare a custom-made omelette which a couple of people in my party said was really delicious. I'll have to go back for lunch or dinner so I can try something from their extensive menu, then I can go for a leisurely walk by the water afterwards. But my assessment is I was very pleased with my experience. It's great for families, a date or for friends who want a place to get together at their bar area to watch a sporting event, so I highly recommend this place. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - A view from the rear of the restaurant. - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

Food was overpriced for the portion that was given. My 9 year old was given a sliver of salmon for an"adult" and was still hungry. Husband also got the grouper but same thing-extremely small filet. The beer on tap wasn't crisp and was mediocre. You would think for 3 adult entrees, 1 appetizers and over $100 later-you would think that you would be full. Staff seemed overwhelmed and was not as attentive to our table due to a large party coming in. read more

Tucked away in the back of Deep Creek off of the Magothy River this cool little waterfront restaurant always is a good time. Great to meet up with friends or to have a beer after a day on the water. They have a really nice patio with about 8 tables. Inside they have a downstairs bar and an upstairs bar. Food is better than average bar food but is pricey - $30 for a fish sandwich. Not a huge selection of beers or wine but they have a great grapefruit crush. Bathroom situation is rough.... They need an upgrade. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Boat dock - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

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Great food and nice views. The service was a little hectic but still good. I would definitely recommend it especially if you can get a seat by the water. read more

THIS RESTAURANT IS AMAZINGGGGGG!!!! The hostess I think her name was Kenzie was super accommodating. THIS IS A MUST TRY RESTAURANT WHEN YOUR VISITING THE ARNOLD AREA! The view was amazing and the food was perfect, the crab dip just melts in your mouth. Please give this place a try! read more

What a great weekend to check out @donnellysdockside. I don't travel toward Annapolis often and on a hunt to find outdoor seating near the water I stumbled upon this restaurant on @opentable. Tucked deep within a neighborhood emerged this gem! We were quickly seated outside as we requested. The space is perfect, tons of inside and outside options and the service was great. There to grab a quick bite we ordered the snow crab legs, fried oyster po-boy and the fish and chips. Not pictured is the fried pickles. Everything was good! I also had the As You Wish Cocktale which was very refreshing! If you're ever in the area be sure to check them out! read more

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I felt compelled to leave this review. I love Donnelly's. It definitely has that "cheers" style bar feel, everyone is friendly. The food here is amazing, the crabs are great and Vicki the bartender may be the best in the area! Give their beautiful deck a chance or their newly renovated inside. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

Came here with friends & family tonight. It was a large group of us and they were able to accommodate. I didn't have expectations because theirs was my first time here. Everything I had ordered was really good. The .99 happy hour oysters were decent, bowl of Chili and the seafood broil with asparagus and mashed potatoes. The seafood broil was the only thing that wasn't the best. It wasn't bad, but I had much better. Overall it was better than I expected. My "Dad" did not like his Shrimp & Grits. He barely ate any of it . Everyone else enjoyed their meal. The crispy Brussels sprouts that my sister had ordered was really good. Not too raw on the inside like some other restaurants serve. Theirs was cooked just right. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - My seafood broil - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

Cozy bar area. Friendly bar tender. Good food. Reasonable prices. Enjoy their crushes.

Came in on Good Friday to enjoy a meatless meal and started out with a shrimp appetizer and then had Blacked Tuna Tacos paired with a tasty IPA. First time having a Taco of this type and if you follow me, I have enjoyed Tacos around the country for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I plan on having more taco in Miami this week! While I did enjoy the Taco I prefer snapper, mahi mahi, grouper but this was not an option. The meal with two beers and a wine cost about 63 with 20% tip which is more than what I normally spend on lunch. Staff was super Friendly along with the other diners, great view, plenty of social distancing. I will come back again for dinner and update my review. read more

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View is good. Food is expensive but good. Crabcake sandwich and hush puppies were good! Customer service was amazing!!!! Our drinks were never empty and waiter was super friendly! read more

The food is terrific, and the staff is friendly. We sat in the far corner windows next to the fireplace, which the manager turned on for us.

Appetizers especially the fried shrimp is a must. Loved all the seating options. For best experience go early, seating and service runs thin as crowds come. read more

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We have lived in the area for a few years but unfortunately had not made it to Donnelly's Dockside yet. We recently tried it for lunch with our friends last weekend. The location is tucked away and the decor is nice too. I was very happy with this aspect. Although the prices were better than other similar restaurants, we all found the portions to be small. The food was overall good, but did not wow us. I'd also say the service was just good too. read more

I have found this place to be consistently good since changing hands from being Deep Creek Restaurant. I've dined here three or four times and so far so good. The best seats are definitely the window seats so grab one of those if they're available. I'd recommend starting with the Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup and some hush puppies. For entree's I've had the fish and chips sandwich here and it was very good. Crispy and seemingly lightly fried but very delicious. On my most recent visit I had the Blackened Tuna Wrap and that was good as well. Good portion of tuna wrapped in a traditional flour tortilla. Very good flavor. Oh and the fish tacos were good when I tried them also. If you're not looking for a big formal dining room, they have a very decent sized bar area. Something else I learned on my latest visit is that they offer half priced appetizers on the weekdays during happy hour Anyway get here if you haven't been since the remodel and name change. It's a huge improvement(minus the bathrooms which definitely need updating). I hope they stay the course read more

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Was very busy on Wednesday evening. Was seated outside and waited 30min for a waitress to come to the table. Had to get my drinks from the bar. Bartender said she would send someone to the table. Once waited on food came out quickly. Food was hot and good. Atmosphere was very nice. Overall everything was good except for the very very poor service. Not sure I will go back as there are other places who appreciate their customers read more

I just recently moved to the Broadneck area, and wanted to check out some of the local eats! I met my friend here at Donnelly's because she was home from college and we hadn't Seen each other in three years. The road to the place is a little windy but beautiful and covered with trees. Such a lovely location! Once we arrived, we both were excited to get seated and hopefully get a seat on the dock. The hostesses were so kind to offer us the last table available on the dock for that night. The interior of Donnelly's was nautically decorated and definitely worth a visit even in the colder seasons. Windows overlooked the creek all around. Once we were sat it was a lovely atmosphere with string lights everywhere. Service was a little slower but the servers had to walk a bit far to reach us and so we didn't mind at all. The food menu was good and inclusive for vegetarians. My friend ordered a poke bowl which she loved and I had a house salad and a basket of fries to save room for desert. We also tried their crushes and they were amazing - definitely recommend! We finished with a large (VERY large) slice of chocolate cake. I would definitely recommend this place to friends and family! I will be coming back to this cute local spot. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Chocolate Cake - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

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5 of us had lunch there, the waitress was friendly the food was great and prices were good. I am from the West Coast and I have not found seafood like this, it tasted so fresh. My picky child loved the fish plate so that's always a plus. We sat outside and just had an amazing view. read more

we had a great first experience dining here. We sat at the bar and had good conversations with the bartender. Found out later there's a downstairs which is where all the action was. We will go down next visit. The outdoor ambiance was lovely and food was very tasty. We will go again. read more

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Kind of a regular spot for us. Nice view of the water and boats that come in. Service is good. Sometimes the greeters seem a little distracted. The food is always good. read more

Donnelly's is always a solid choice. Growing up in the area, this place can slip your mind due to being tucked back and that's such a bummer. Eating with a water view, having amazing food and great cocktails, and never having bad service- I have no complaints. I recently had the crab imperial with veggies and fries, it was all perfect. I left full and happy. (My non-Marylander boyfriend had his first crab cake sandwich in MD here too and throughly enjoyed it) read more

Best Ahi Tuna salad I've ever had! So fresh and perfectly portioned. Great spot for some margaritas and a view of the water. Major plus-They have a dock for you to wait on your boat and they'll bring the food out to you. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Ahi Tuna Poke Salad (GF) - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

Food is good. Sat outside which was cooler than inside (in July). In the middle of our meal it started to rain but the outside patio is covered...until a server (not ours) came out saying we have to roll up the awning. I asked can you wait till we grab our food so it doesn't get wet. Longer story short she didn't wait and continued to roll back the awning getting our food and kids food wet from the rain and run off from the awning. Rain stopped 5 minutes later... not sure if she thought a hurricane was coming or what... little crazy. We will just go to The Point next time down the river. read more

Low key, neighborhood spot tucked back off college parkway. The downstairs bar is our fave with the big windows that open directly onto a waterfront deck. Drink pours and great and the food is delish! Cauliflower crust crab pizza (I know sounds awful) is really good, boom boom shrimp, Oyster Rockefeller and my favorite blackened salmon sandwich with aioli on a flat bread instead of multigrain bread is a must! Bartenders are friendly and attentive! Skinny grapefruit or orange crush is a must! read more

I wouldn't go here for anything other than a happy hour with discounted appetizers. I went for dinner and the crab cake entree was extremely expensive for what you got. There was virtually no flavor to the crab cake and while it was large, no flavor for something that cost $55 is outrageous in my opinion. The hush puppies were also fried with flavorless corn meal, and the coleslaw was mushy with again- no flavor. The pickle fries and boom boom shrimp were good appetizers, but I would not choose seafood as your main course here as you could go a little further into a nicer restaurant, pay the same amount and get actual seasoning on your food. Drinks were also expensive for a small cup with little liquor. Again I wouldn't recommend. For the prices you could go to an upscale restaurant and receive seasoned seafood read more

Zombie version of Deep Creek. It's like you go back to your grandmothers house, and it looks like a smaller and dated version of your fond memories. It's like the old Deep Creek restaurant, just sadder. Came for lunch not knowing the previous incarnation had closed. My Duke status had been revoked. Any remodel was not readily apparent. The stall in the men's room was rusting badly from the bottom up. Which is fine if you still serve to watermen and not the restless Mothers of the Magothy. Service was well-paced, and Mike did a great job and was tipped accordingly. I'll give it that. Monday lunch had happy hour prices. Starters were half priced The crab stuffed mushroom caps need to be rethought. Imaginative, but the soufflé or frittata base didn't work. Try reinventing them with an escargot presentation? The hush puppies were better than Cantlers. Love 'em. Crab cake was good. Just needs a little more backfin meat Best part? One dollar oysters!! getting a full dozen next time! And the Oliver's IPA on draft is perfect with with everything. . read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Crab Cake! - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

If you're not a local, don't come here. Bartenders are kids that are clueless and would prefer to serve their high school friends while ignoring you. There are too many better run places. Spend your money there read more

If I were only reviewing the food they would have had five stars. The beer was also great. However, we entered through the downstairs bar and it was packed! People were sitting shoulder to shoulder so clearly neither the business nor the patrons were concerned about covid guidelines. We also had to sign a paper with a pen that was not cleaned between customers so I can only imagine the lack of sanitization all around. The service was mediocre as it was not super crowded in the dining room and our server was not very attentive. We will probably eat here again because the food was tasty but that downstairs bar was very concerning. The clientele seemed wealthy, intoxicated, and overall icky which was a bit of a turn off for us and sends a message about company culture. read more

This is the third or fourth time I've ordered the shrimp Bowl. I wish more restaurants would serve bowls like this. Large shrimp cooked perfectly with quinoa, kale, veggies and yum yum sauce. It's tasty. We also ordered the crab dip and fried buttermilk chicken sandwich. The crab dip was a good mix of creamy and had nice pieces of lump crab meat. I like that they serve it with bread and veggies. Bread for the boyfriend and veggies for me. My boyfriend had the chicken sandwich and said the chicken was on point and he enjoyed the slaw. He really enjoyed it. Great meal all around. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Shrimp Bowl - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

Atmosphere & view are great. The salad is good but dressing is bottled. The kids did not eat their meal, fries were cold and pizza was not done. If we go again it will be for drinks only. This place has the potential to be a go to for the area. read more

The rebrand of Deep Creek is just disappointing and confusing. I'm not particular about it not being Deep Creek anymore, but I can't tell what this restaurant is trying to be. Half of the food is served in bright blue plastic baskets (Long John Silvers?) And half is on dinnerware. Decor is nice and I like the renovations a lot, extra loud with the new flooring but we were told the owner is ordering sound dampeners. Food: Crab dip was not very good at all. Was mostly cream cheese and filler and was pretty bland. I got one bite with any noticeable crab. Crab cake on the club sandwich was fine. Nothing special, not a great crab cake for MD standards. Greens under a piece of fish weren't dressed at all. The best parts were the fried seafood. Shrimp and calamari were phenomenal, probably the best calamari I've ever had, an aioli would've been great but that's just personal opinion. Overall, food was fine but definitely not worth the price. It feels like they're trying to compete with the Pointe and I feel like they lack in food, drink, and use of the location/view. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Looooong John Silvers - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

This place is a dump, arrogant staff, piss poor service, frozen food served, portions are miniscule and undercooked, unprofessional staff and the customers who were on the docks were loud and obnoxious as well as some other patrons, nothing was done or said to them. The restaurant should fire its chef and rework their menu to provide FRESH SEAFOOD! DON'T BOTHER EATING HERE read more

Yes this is a hidden little gem... definitely worth the sequestered drive to get here. The staff is great... beers COLD... and food good... I had the Sesame Seed Tuna... unusual cuts but great food!!! The view of the river is relaxing and pretty. Try it.... you will like it!!! read more

Went here a while back when in MD. Was planning on eating by the naval academy but it was super crowded so I am glad we decided to drive and find this wonderful place. We sat outside by the water. The sun set quick so it got a tad chilly. Our waitress was amazing!! I wish I remembered her name. The peanut butter pie was AMAZING. A must have!! The pizza was slightly dry and not our favorite thing. The shrimp primavera was good and the sauce had just the right flavor. The crab cake sandwhich was superb with an ample amount of crab. The hush puppies were dry by still good. The pickle fries were awesome! Nice and crispy!! The soup was really good as well with a lot of crab but it was cold. The calamari was decent as well. I would def come back to this place when I'm in the area again!! Highly recommend eating outside read more

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Cream of crab soup was the best I've had in a long time! Fried oysters were delish as well. Service is friendly and constantly aware of us. Highly recommended!! read more

Donnelly's remains our favorite go-to crab house. The dining room is very nice and has a great view of the Magothy River and docks, outdoor dining and indoor are very nice and comfortable with nice chairs and tables, not folding chairs like so many others. The crabs are always the size they say they are and nice an heavy local crabs. We always get a few crab cakes, fried oysters and slaw. The restaurant is very clean and observant of CDC guidelines, the staff are mostly young kids who are very polite and well trained, they make dining a Donnelly's a delight. We will be back and still highly recommend for dining, special occasions and family and friend gatherings. read more

Donnelly's Dockside - Heaviest crabs - Seafood Near Me - Arnold, Maryland

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I enjoyed such a lovely lunch today at Donnelly's! I was seated on the porch, which had a beautiful view of the marina. My service was perfect timing - I like to enjoy my lunch/view and not feel rushed. I ordered a pound of snow crab legs, a side of asparagus and hush puppies, and enjoyed an appetizer of the crab dip and baguette. It was such a treat... Thank you for the great service and even better food! read more

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