Perhaps the best grouper sandwich I've had while in Florida. The food was uniformly outstanding. The drinks were mediocre and it is a question why you have to go upstairs (stairs or elevator) to then go down to the dining area. Service was attentive. A very nice, pleasant dockside dinner. Prices were normal or maybe slightly lower for similar read more

This was our first time at Dry Dock. The shrimp tacos were amazing. The flavors of the shrimp and slaw were fantastic, as the shrimp had the perfect cook. The side was rice and beans, which were delicious. The decor is appropriately themed, with nautical items tastefully displayed throughout. The server, Kari, was personable, funny and professional. She made our first visit really stand out. We can't wait to return, when visiting again. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seasoned Shrimp Tacos Rice and Beans - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

Dry Dock Grill is a highly recommended local restaurant in Longboat Key, and it truly lives up to its reputation. The atmosphere is relaxed, the service is friendly, and the food is excellent. Because it's so popular, I strongly recommend making a reservation. Even with a reservation, we still waited about 15 minutes for our table to be ready, which seems to be common given how busy the place gets. Still, once seated, everything was great. The food is the highlight. The coconut shrimp is delicious -- crispy, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. The blackened snapper is another excellent choice, fresh and well‑seasoned. Overall, Dry Dock Grill is an excellent spot for seafood lovers and definitely worth a visit when in Longboat Key. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Dry Dock coaster - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

What an amazing lunch spot! It's situated right on the water at a dry dock for boats. There's a bar on the second floor with a few tables as well that overlooks the patio and the water outside. There's also a restaurant up on the 3rd floor. I had the Florida Grouper for lunch, blackened, which came with a choice of salad and starch. I chose the Caesar salad and red skin potatoes. It also came with their vegetable of the day, which was tiny asparagus (my favorite). It also had a citrus butter sauce on the side, which was amazing! It honestly was just an overall awesome entree! The bartender, Jen, has such a great attitude and is the sole bartender for the entire restaurant. She worked effortlessly despite being absolutely slammed! She was amazing and made our experience great! We would definitely return if in the area again! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Florida Grouper - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

YES! Must stop! Beautiful location. We've eaten here many times and never had a bad meal! We ordered the coconut shrimp and spicy kickin grouper. YUM! Service was great! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Grilled chicken w/ garlic wine sauced pasta - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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We were able to snag a last min resy so ended up here for a late lunch. We sat outside and even though it was warm, they had fans going and umbrellas to help keep it cool. Started off with some chili shrimp (category 5) for an appetizer. They were good but I was definitely thinking they were going to be chilled rather than fried. I did the citrus grouper and was really happy with it and the citrus sauce. BF got the red snapper and was also happy. We had 2 great drinks as well - Hugo spritz (which I know is the drink of the summer but theirs was a really nice light taste but the right amount of flavor) and this kind of banana colada with some spice on it. It was so good we talked about making it at home. Service was great and our waitress was attentive for how many tables she had. read more

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Started with fried calamari some the best we have any where. Light batter cooked to golden brown but not over cooked. 2 sauces for dipping. Wife ordered blacken shrimp tacos and I ordered a Red Snapper sandwich. We both fruit as the side. Everything was great. Service from Cortney was fantastic. Not cheap, but very highly recommended. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Calamar - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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Dry Dock is one of the most popular restaurants on the island for a reason. Located on Sarasota bay, the restaurant is upscale casual with excellent food and views. The only negative can be parking when it's busy. We ate on the upper level- service was very nice and the food was excellent- my crab cake dinner was all crab- 2 four oz cakes with potatoes and vegetables. Others chose scallops and shrimp. Dry Dock remains one if not the best restaurant on the key read more

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First time here.... This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I had the seafood pasta and it was outstanding. The location and setting is great , on the water. Service is outstanding. Will def be back here. read more

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BLUF: Consistently exceptional food and service located at a dry dock (dry boat storage) overlooking the water. I love Dry Dock Waterfront Grill and I always visit when I am in the Sarasota area. Dry Dock is always busy so I am also sure to make a reservation in advance using Open Table. Typically we sit inside but I know the back patio is popular too. If your timing and patience is perfect, you can also get a nice a nice window seat in the dining room that has sweeping views of Sarasota Bay. The inside atmosphere is bright and airy and although airy often translates to loud, Dry Dock thoughtfully put noise dampening panels on the ceiling. As far as food, I don't think you can go wrong. I always get something with grouper whether it be an entree, sandwich or tacos. On my most recent visit I got the grouper filet with coconut shrimp because I had originally been eyeing up the coconut shrimp as an appetizer. Ultimately, we decided to get the rock crab claws for an appetizer which were good but more work than I planned even though they were pre-cracked. I felt like a Neanderthal trying to eat those crab claws in such a nice restaurant. No offense to the Neanderthals, of course! I have no idea what my husband had as it disappeared. After entrees, apps and bread, we were too stuffed for dessert. I think our server was Cari and she was awesome! Attentive, friendly, funny and quite possibly a mind reader and magician. She saw the hanger in my eyes and made bread magically appear. I hope I got her name correct because she was superb! Shout out to all of the great staff members at Dry Dock -we've never had a bad experience. I love Dry Dock and it will forever stay in my Sarasota rotation. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Grouper and coconut shrimp - divine! - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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Good servers Caesar salad dressing watery Crab cake delicious Bacon wrapped scallops seemed previously frozen ? read more

What else do you give a restaurant that provides excellent service, and ridiculously fresh seafood. 5 stars it is

We shared a red snapper sandwich. It was very good and quite enough for lunch, with a side of Cole slaw. The sandwich is dressed with a slice of tomato and a piece of lettuce. There is a lovely, tangy dipping sauce on the side. The sauce had a little kick. I ordered my fish blackened. It had a very nice flavor although I did not really notice the blackened seasoning. It was very light. read more

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I'm very disappointed with our recent dining experience at Dry Dock Waterfront Grill. While the food was good, the service was not. Our waiter repeatedly gave incorrect information instead of checking when asked simple questions, including an incorrect claim about a side substitution upcharge. The most serious issue was my daughter's meal, which was ordered without meat due to dietary preference but arrived covered in chopped meat. When we brought it up, the response felt dismissive and unprofessional, and the meal was still charged even though it was barely touched. Service overall was also uncomfortable, with the waiter being rude, repeatedly reaching across the table, and bumping into guests during service. The experience did not reflect the level of hospitality expected from a restaurant of this caliber. read more

Dry dock never disappoints. Sitting outside with a view over the bay is great. We shared a Florida red snapper sandwich. It comes broiled or blackened. We choose blackened. It has a nice seasoning, I would have preferred a little bit more. It comes with Cole slaw (fries is the other option). The slaw is very good, not too much mayonnaise and has a nice bite. Also a small container of sauce. It is nice on the fish. It had a familiar taste, but I couldn't pinpoint it. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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Food was great, the upstairs is super cute and really great views. Our waitress was also very sweet and nice and helpful. I had the lobster pasta which was so tasty. My husband had the citrus grouper which was good and a good portion. We got a side of bacon wrapped scallops as well that melted in your mouth. The Cesar that comes with fish was really good. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Lobster Pasta - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

1. Great location 2. Amazing outdoor dining right on the water. 3. A lot of food options. 4. Service was good. 5. Food was good dessert was better. 6. Inside is loud outside is better. If in the area definitely check it out. read more

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Early dinner, Food was good. Service was good but slow. Price was a bit higher than the rest of the island. Parking can be rough when they are busy. Sat on the patio, we ordered lobster rolls and fries, snapper sandwich blackened with seafood chowder. All the food was excellent. It did take some time to get our food. which the server was upfront about. Our server seemed to be busy as qe had long periods of not checking in and our drink went empty more than once. read more

We tried Dry Dock for the first time on our visit to Longboat Key and absolutely loved it. The atmosphere was so fun. We sat outside by the water. The food was fantastic. We visited twice while we were on our trip. Would definitely recommend and can't wait to come back! read more

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Great location and views. Arrived for our reservation and received a pager - to wait for our table. Drunk,man eating his dinner at the bar - was a deterrent to ordering a drink there Really average food: grouper poppers were way over breaded. Salads came - lettuce a cherry tomato and a slice of cucumber with a plastic cup of your dressing. The red snapper was overcooked Just boring food. Served was excellent. Very good service. Disappointed - not- read more

Food- Excellent, super delicious. They bring you bread and the bread was fluffy. Brought us parmesan cheese for our entree that is fresh sliced. BOTH Wine and garlic sauce super delicious as well as Tuscan cream sauce. Would recommend doing an entree of each to experience both. Service- Server Andrea, unbelievably hospitable, attentive and so sweet. Very friendly too and personable and really added to experience. Very professional all wait staff seemed very nice. The who I assume was manager at the front desk with headset seemed a little stressed and short (we only had to deal with her prior to sitting) but all wait staff was incredibly kind. Ambiance- gorgeous. Water views, nautical decor. Inside or outside is definitely perfect no matter where you sit. We took a walk outside after so just if sitting outside may have more mosquitos so be prepared. Parking-limited BUT had no issues on a Monday night with nearly every table full. They have backup spots in a neighboring lot worst case scenario. There was about 3-4 official spaces when arriving at 730pm and multiple people "unofficial" parking on the grass so that seemed to be an option too. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Upstairs View /Ambience - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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2nd visit here and it was as good as our first! Staff is very friendly and service very good. We had the Fresh Snapper (blackened) and the pasta with shrimp in white wine a garlic sauce...both excellent! The seafood here is amazing and fresh! read more

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Beautiful setting, lovely views, and great service. My husband ordered the scallops and crab cake combo and absolutely loved it. The portions were generous and everything was flavorful. I had the snapper. It was fresh and not fishy at all, but unfortunately a little overcooked and slightly dry. I always wonder why restaurants tend to overcook fish because it can be so amazing when done just right. We finished with key lime pie for dessert, which was delicious, although the slice was on the smaller side. Overall, we enjoyed our experience. The prices felt a bit high, but honestly, that seems to be the norm at many restaurants these days. read more

Excellent service. Food was delicious. Had a kids menu. Wish they had a vegetarian entree. Amazing views

We love it here. A regular for us. We always get the fried grouper tacos with rice and beans. The kids burger is so good. Beautiful views, no matter how hot it is we love eating outside there. Excellent desserts- always amazing key lime pie, and this time the caramel cheesecake was amazing. Great food, great service, great views. Make a reservation tho, sometimes it's hard to get a table without waiting. read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood chowder - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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The restaurant sits, literally, at the boat docks. I really could stop there...but I won't. I ordered bacon-wrapped scallops, seafood chowder, and seafood linguine in white wine & garlic sauce - oh, and broccoli. The broccoli was cold. First, would I return, HELL YEAH!. It was windy the day I arrived. The place had heaters to warm the patrons (perfect)! The scallops and chowder was good - not earth-shattering, but really good. The seafood linguine was the star of the show. It had shrimp, lobster chunks, and crab meat. They did not skimp on the meat. I couldn't eat all of the main dish. I was surprised they didn't provide bread to start the service, but not every restaurant does. I would rate this place and 8 of 10. read more

Very interesting place, beautifully decorated, I got a cheeseburger and it was very good, however, the star of the show was the fish, there is dock access right next to the outside seating area, with catfish and sheepshead. If you throw any food in, the catfish attack it, it is very cool, a kid threw a whole salad which was cool to see. Good place read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - More catfish - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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The ambiance was very nice and cozy. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The views were amazing. The food was excellent. Everything looked and tasted very good. The customer service was great. I would definitely advice anyone in the area to go to this restaurant. read more

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Celebrated our 25th anniversary here today. Food great as always. Server did a great job taking care of us. I had the salmon and it was so good. Son had the snapper burger and was very pleased with it and my wife had the citrus grouper and it was cooked perfectly. Can't wait to go back on our next visit to Long Boat Key Be warned. It is a bit high and I'm not sure the prices are in line with what you get. 34 dollars for salmon with rice. Not sure. Burgers are more reasonable. read more

The reviews are not a lie. This was the best dinner my husband and I have had EVER. we started with the hurricane five or something shrimp then he got a grouper dinner and I got the fried grouper sandwich. BEST of my life. we had a great table inside overlooking over the water...the service was incredible. I will ALWAYS go here when I am in town. read more

The servers were amazing but the wait almost ruined the night. I had 8:15 reservations on the books for about 2 weeks. I checked in at 8 and did not get seated until 8:50. A few other people in the waiting area were also complaining to each other about having a long wait even with a reservation. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the elevator area so just take the stairs. The food was good though. I had the citrus grouper and it was cooked amazingly. It was nice and moist and came out hot. They have a good set of options for the kids menu but my son opted for a full burger instead of the slider on he enjoyed it. Price wise I think everything is priced fairly and when you make it upstairs to the main dinning area, it looks really nice. It felt like we were having dinner on a cruise with all the big windows that overlooked the bay. I would go back but they have to do a better job handling reservations. read more

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Wow. That is one of many words I would use to describe my experience at Dry Dock. We arrived with no reservation so we had to wait about an hour for a seat, it was very busy, but calm and not too loud. But with this we would recommend a reservation. We had the calamari and bread to start off, and it came extremely fast and was tasty! We then got the fish and chips, Tuscan cream pasta, and the kids marinara sauce pasta. It all was so fantastic and our waiter Tyler was just the BEST and we left with full bellies and happy thoughts! read more

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Our first experience here was so good that we decided to bring our friends to celebrate their 50th anniversary. We were warmly greeted and they told our friends they could celebrate with a free dessert, which was sweet. Our server, right from the start was not friendly. Our first experience was the exact opposite so we were really disappointed. I settled in the bourbon glazed salmon and yellow rice. We waited forever for our food as we watched others who came in after us get served. When food arrived it was barely warm. My husband and I didn't say anything as we didn't want to cause a scene with our friends. Our free dessert wasn't free and again, we didn't want to cause a scene with our friends. The server was oblivious to us, never asked about another drink, etc. If this had been my first visit, we wouldn't have come back. read more

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Yes go We didn't have a reservation but they got us a nice table in a reasonable amount of time. Food was tasty and wait staff was very pleasant . read more

My cousins and I were in town for a girls weekend and were told to try dry dock and it did not disappoint! I will say the host was a little off putting when we didn't hear our pager go off he came over while we were waiting at the bar and said "you need to keep your pager where you can see it" we apologized and hoped that didn't set the tone for the rest of our experience. We were fortunate to have Shawn as our server and he was AMAZING! Very knowledgeable about the menu and we took almost all of his recommendations and the food was absolutely to die for. Service was impeccable, he checked on us the perfect amount of times, the drinks, appetizers, and entrees all came out in a timely manner. Definitely would recommend to anyone in the area! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Seafood Linguine shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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We had last gone to Dry Dock on a visit to Longboat Key probably 30 years ago and for some reason we had not returned even through we visit the island one or twice a year. This time we decide to go again and we were glad that we did. The restaurant is way back behind some industrial buildings and located in a dry dock facility. The largest and most sought-after table location is at water level looking out at the docks, despite our not having a reservation. The place was packed at 1:00 on the afternoon on a weekday, so I highly recommend reservations any time of day. We began with two good drinks; a Shark Lady and an Aperol Spritz. We split a side salad and then each had tacos, shrimp and fish. The salad was ordinary; the tacos were excellent. For dinner rather than lunch we would delve into some of the more creative offerings. Now, about the prices - they are very proud of their tacos at 20 and 30 dollars an order. They were good, but it is obvious we are being charged for location a bit more than food. The same goes for service, which was spotty at best. Took too long to be greeted, too long for drinks and for food. That all leads to my final review rating. Since there are very few restaurants on Longboat Key, it would not re responsible if I didn't compare Dry Dock to the other bay side restaurant on the island. At these prices, I have to say that I would always drive further up island to go to Shore which has more variety in terms of food, much better service, a far superior location and water view, and pretty much the same prices. So, all alone with nothing to compare to, Dry Dock could be a 5. But in comparison to competition, I have to give a 4, because I can't give a 3.5, which is what service and prices deserve. read more

Best food on the Sarasota coast!! The service is impeccable...Greg was our server and best we have encountered! Ask for him!!!! We sat on the patio...best views ever! See pictures! We actually forgot to take pics of the food! Too enamored with the views!! read more

Dry Dock Waterfront Grill - Dry Dock patio view - Seafood Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

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This is a nice restaurant with a nice view, the outdoor dock side seating is wonderful. Our waiter was also very friendly and helpful, attentive, and knowledgeable. The food was good, but honestly kind of disappointing, considering all of the great reviews. There was nothing that really stood out, except the prices. read more

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Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is a good spot to enjoy dinner outside with a water view. There is also seating inside, but if it's a nice evening out, I recommend sitting on the water to capture the best views. We went around sunset and saw the prettiest sky. I love that they give you some bread to snack on before your food arrives as well. I ordered the red snapper blackened and each entree was served with a side salad, vegetable, and starch of choice. The portions were very generous and the food was delicious. My table was celebrating a birthday, and we were brought a complimentary salted caramel cheesecake for everyone to share. I would definitely recommend making a reservation for this spot because wait times may be long without one. read more

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We had a great experience at Dry Dock recently and I need to acknowledge one of the best servers I've ever encountered in a restaurant. We visited Dry Dock on Sunday, Feb. 15th for a very early dinner as reservations at Dry Dock are hard to come by, so we took what we could get. Parking is not easy, lots of tight spots to get in and out of, but you will find a spot if you are patient. We were seated right at our reservation time and smoothed right past a whole bunch of people who were on the wait list, and were seated in the beautifully decorated dining room, with great views. Jorge was our server and right from the start he was fantastic. He took our drink orders, offered us bread, and then took our appetizer orders and made good suggestions. He was so on top of everything that I thought to myself if I ever wanted to open a restaurant, I'd start by hiring a great chef, then I would hire Jorge to show the servers how it's done. From across the room, he noticed one of our drinks looking a little watered down as the ice was melting, and he refreshed it, and all our drinks- we never ran dry. Jorge took care of everything, we had to ask for nothing. Two of us ordered the seafood pasta dish, and he brought shaved parmesan cheese without us needing to ask. Our dinners were outstanding. My wife just had a fried chicken sandwich (not a seafood lover) and she said it was really good, better than the one she had at another good restaurant (Shore). The seafood pastas were terrific- the portions were plenty, with plenty of lobster, crab, shrimp and the sauces were super tasty. My daughter had the bourbon glazed salmon and she loved it, saying she could eat it the next night again if we went back. I was very impressed with the restaurant. The place runs like a well oiled machine and you never see any of the employees looking like they don't have anything to do. This is a vibrant restaurant, with a motivated staff, and in my opinion, Jorge was the best of all of them. Thank you all so much, we'll see you soon and next time, we're coming by boat! read more