We wanted to like it, but sadly it was fair at best. The special margarita wasn't very special. I dont need a killer drink, but you couldnt taste any tequila. The rim was supposed to be a spicy ancho chili and it was regular salt. The chicken egg rolls tasted like it was filled with mashed shredded chicken with no flavor and the insides were cold. The teriyaki stirfry was good, but everything was floating in a sea of sauce. I ordered the blackened salmon with grilled asparagus and roasted corn risotto. The salmon came grilled and not blackened. When I mentioned it, they brought a plastic cup with blackened seasoning to toss on it. The asparagus was burnt and inedible. The risotta was okay, but the corn was frozen and definitely not roasted. I might give it another chance, but not anytime soon. PS...it wasnt even busy at 7pm. It was mostly empty. read more

Came here for dinner. Sat outside for the live entertainment ( great guitarist playing great tunes). Ashle was our server, and she was great; very attentive. I had the steak burger with a side of fries, which was tasty pretty big; took some of it home. Hubby loved his grouper sandwich. No room for dessert. read more

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Out of country friends suggested the Rivera Dunes Dockside and so the humans said yes after a quick look at the menu online! Arrived around 1pm and no wait and sat down right away!! We were seated by Caleb and he got us drinks right away. It turned out to be our lucky day as Caleb was our waiter and he was phenomenal. The humans got the following meals 1) blackened grouper tacos 2) steak burger 3) surf and turf tacos and 4) classic cobb salad with shrimp. The humans loved their meals. Large portions, great price and great taste!! It was rainy so we didn't get to be outside, but the view was still great view. Great first visit and the humans said we will be back. As for me the steak burger was a hit and if it is up to me we will be back soon!! And we will ask for Caleb to wait on us!! #bodhifin read more

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We ate alfresco tonight at Riviera Dunes dockside due to a generous gift from a neighbor that Bill helped! We enjoyed the calamari for an appetizer. Then Bill had the shrimp linguine while I enjoyed the dockside bowl with shrimp! We finished our meals with tiramisu and chocolate mousse cake! Christine was a superb server, the kitchen was fast, and the food was delicious! They had some live music and it was fun to people watch! read more

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Great water views on the patio, the food is pretty good and we usually get good customer service. My wife got her usual "cobb seafood salad" and I just went with the "steak burger" and we added the grouper taco's. The food is always good here and we love sitting outside on the patio. read more

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Do not go there since they took off the coconut shrimp. Needs more wine and beer selections.

Thanks for the great reviews from my Yelp friends Pat M & Dawne F, we decided to try this place for HH. It was windy & cool out so the outside wasn't open but what a great location on the Manatee river in a boat marina! We luckily got 2 seats at the bar & had wonderful service from Cookie. We shared peel & eat shrimp, wings, & sliders & all the food was fantastic. Our drinks were made well & we liked the environment. Definitely will be back for sure. Great menus! Plenty of parking available! read more

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Our waitress alone made the experience incredible! So helpful, quick and attentive. Food was delicious and our server made great recommendations (like get the sauce on the side) and it truly was a good call!! So delicious! Large spot and really nice when you can sit outside. Plenty of options on the menu. read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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Greeted promptly. Our server Caleb was efficient.....helped us celebrate 2 birthdays in our group. Food tasty.

My 2nd time at Rivera Dunes Dockside. I swore I'd never come back after my experience last year, but had a lunch seminar here. I was not expecting much. I came with a friend who ordered the Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos with a side of Coleslaw. She said the flavor of the tacos was good and the spice was mild. The coleslaw was okay. I had the Seafood Chowder and house salad. The chowder appeared to be, and tasted like, a creamy potato and vegetable soup. It had a nice flavor to it, but no discernible seafood. The salad was fresh and the greens crispy. Just a typical salad. I was hoping for the best but left disappointed. Will I come back? Probably not. read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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Great brunch place! Yummy food and prompt service. Outdoor area was scenic with the marina and dog friendly. I had a bowl with chicken, rice, veggies and a yummy cilantro sauce. Hubby had the Buffalo egg rolls ( really good) and some eggs and bacon. Great place to hang out. Unlimited Sangria and mimosas for $20 as well although we didn't have them. read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Chicken bowl - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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Arrived after church service with two older parents and husband . Opted to sit outside since it was a lovely breezy day. Decided to order two mimosas and two non alcohol drinks however seemed both us and the waitress had things confused because a pitcher of champagne was brought out instead of what we thought would be a pitcher of juice. Kindly told the waitress our thoughts in which she continued to inform me what a mimosa was . Mentioned I was fully aware however was misunderstood. She continued to keep going in which I had to just tell her to take it away. She eventually did. When she arrived back she asked if we wanted appetizers which I mentioned no. My mother ordered, second in line was my mother in law. My husband was reviewing the menu for her being she was unsure which seemed to cause the waitress to get upset having to wait and said she would return back. We waited for probably 25-30 minutes until we became frustrated and just opted to go elsewhere. When my husband approached her to pay for the drinks we did have - she was at another table and nonchalantly said he can go. Understand if places are busy however (it wasn't- it was average ) I've had better service in a busy environment the I did. The waitress was the worst and was very impatient. She could have at least returned it a timely fashion just to check in but did not. We even asked for her before we decided to exit and nothing. I wouldn't return nor would i recommend this place - simply put - terrible service. read more

We specifically came for their advertised Wednesday Oysterpalooza and were told they discontinued it weeks ago. We also found that their Happy Hour menu was incorrect; some items were removed and prices incorrect as well. Friendly and attentive service and the food we ordered was good. The sliders were cooked correctly and the bacon jam added to it. The Happy Hour fish and chips was a good size portion for the $14 and crispy. The whole table enjoyed the fries as well. As far as ambiance, it's a bar with an outside patio on the water overlooking the dock - and usually there is live music (supposed to have it on Wednesdays according to the website) but there was not music when we were there. read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Incorrect menu: shrimp is now $9 - no seafood stir-fry, potato bombs, or chicken bites. Addition: egg rolls & teriyaki filet bites. - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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Avoid eating at Dockside Riviera Dunes..... We took my aunt and uncle to this restaurant this evening for a special birthday celebration. After our food arrived, we observed multiple large cockroaches crawling around our table. We immediately reported this to the manager; however, he refused to come out and speak with us. The waitress apologized and offered complimentary desserts, which we declined. One of the waitstaff stepped on a cockroach and left it on the floor next to our table. Due to the unsanitary conditions, we were unable to eat our meals and lost our appetite entirely. Our dinner celebration was effectively ruined. We informed the staff that we no longer wanted the food, yet the manager still required us to pay for it. He told my husband that if we did not pay, he would call the police. To avoid causing a scene, we paid $100 for food we could not eat. Several nearby tables also left the restaurant because of the cockroach issue. The manager, Rob, demonstrated extremely poor customer service. We will be contacting the Department of Health regarding this matter. This establishment is not sanitary, and we strongly advise others to avoid dining here. read more

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Monday 3 pm 11/3/25. Attempted to go for their advertised happy hour. I walked to the back and saw a sign that said to seat yourself and a server would come to you. I sat at a table with my dog. The guy server literally ignored me for 10 minutes and then acted like I was invisible with my dog. No menu. No hello. Just keep looking at me and walking away. After he finally ran a beer to another table he looked at me and asked if I needed something. Literally. Those words. I said I was there for HH and he got annoyed and said I needed to be seated at a high top and he wasn't sure they were offering HH. I said anywhere I can sit with my dog works and maybe some water for her and a menu. Mind you I've been sitting at a table now for almost 10 minutes He and the lady bartender at the inside bar both go back and forth about me wanting happy hour and then both proceed to ignore me for another 5 minutes. I just grabbed my dog and left. What an absolute atrocity of service; the place is dead. There were two other two tops outside and two people at her bar. Since when do you have to sit at a certain table to get happy hour? Or how about a hello from your miserable employees. Zero stars. read more

This for New Year's Eve, 2025... Bar: Excellent. Best I've seen in a while. Resturant: Very good. Excellent waitress. Jambalaya was very good. Person taking reservations over the phone: Needs to consider an alternative career Would definitely go again. read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Nice environment. Particularly if you like boats - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

Service and ambiance was definitely 5 star, I'd have to give the 4 stars for food. The food was good, but not outstanding (except the romaine wedge salad that WAS outstanding!) read more

Had brunch on Sunday, outstanding service, view, food. Great hidden Gem, deviled eggs were awesome. read more

Mothers Day dinner. my wife and I frequent this restaurant, and we've never had a bad meal. Today was no exception however I ordered the seafood stir fry and didn't receive what was listed on the menu. It was supposed to be shrimp, lobster and scallops. I received shrimp and lobster but no scallops. I asked the server why there was no scallops. She went back to the kitchen and asked and was told they were out of scallops and the kitchen gave me extra shrimp. I was disappointed that they failed to inform me before ordering, or soon after ordering that they were out of scallops. I feel they tried to get one over me and wasn't happy. They offered me a free brownie at the end of the meal. This might seem petty but in my opinion they weren't truthful about what was and wasn't available on the menu. we frequent other restaurants in the area and will take a break. read more

We (8 of us) just had a terrific dinner here. The food was excellent: crab cakes , beef stroganoff, sirloin tips on green salad , jambalaya, etc. Portions were generous and all was well-prepared. Our waitress Gigi was attentive and cheerful, especially considering our large party. We would definitely go back for more of the same. read more

Nestled alongside the picturesque waterfront Riviera Dunes Marina...Dockside Grill is a charming, culinary haven for gastronomes known for its locally sourced seafood fare, alluring grilled specialties and captivating craft cocktails. With the cozy courtyard-style outdoor patio, featuring bright yellow umbrella-covered tables and a tranquil lounge furniture nook, guests can savor the sea breeze and watch luxury boats gently sway in the water while indulging in a leisurely lunch. Jetta, our server, was really great and recommended her favorite from the Raw Bar & that's exactly what I ordered...the Tuna Poke Stack-marinated ahi tuna, sweet mango, juicy pineapple, creamy avocado, toasted sesame seeds, tangy wakame and drizzled balsamic glaze atop warm crispy tortilla chips. #whatsupdock read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Bottomless Bloody Mary's. - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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As usual food was first class, presentation & taste. This was our first time at the happy hour and very happy with everything. The Dunes is one of our secret gems, especially during snow bird season Keep up the great food and service, just a side note, the Draft Beer is always perfect. Thanx CHEF and management team for the tremendous attention to detail. read more

Our group of 8 came to see the band. They were great. The views of the yacht club and river are terrific. Our server Nancy, was outstanding. The rest of this was a mess. They get one star for service and one for venue & music. The outdoor table (right side for table service) had cigarette butts and garbage underneath. The wine glass was filthy, looked like it had just come off someone's table after use. Of the nine (9) red wines on the list they were out of seven (7) - so 78% out of stock. Of the nine patio heaters on this coldest evening of 2023, several were out of gas, one was broken, and two had no gas tanks at all. Apparently the bar had no change, so the $7.52 wine BTG and Guinness wound up costing $8 each, with no explanation. The food was greasy (egg rolls and burgers), the calamari was tough as nails and the pretzel cheese sauce was inedible. Only the fries could be rated good. Maybe the holidays are an excuse for the poor planning, the missing equipment and wine and the dirty patio. Maybe not. We'll see the band at other venues. read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Patio bar - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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Sarasota Trip, and went to one of my friends favorite places we had to check it out. Super cute right on the dock, we sat outside and the view is amazing. They ended up having a live band and they were pretty darn good, and was sweet to chat with the guests. Food; we started out with the Oysters that were tasty, it came with all the perfect little sides to add to them. I also ordered the buffalo cauliflower and they were crispy and tasty. Service; Kaylin was great and super friendly. read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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I am new to the area and was hard pressed to find a place for two for a Valentine's Day dinner reservation. I called a well-regarded, chain steakhouse but could not get a table until after 8:30. I remembered a place that I have driven past over a dozen times in the past few months and gave it a shot. We were pleasantly surprised to have the option to dine outdoors and thoroughly enjoyed the live music, perfectly suited to our 70's taste. The subsequent dinner was just as delicious. She had the shrimp pasta while I was treated to a perfectly prepared grouper, Oscar-style. At just over $100, the date was a complete success! We will be sure to bring our future visitors in the coming months. read more

Had the jambalaya. It was awful! Service was terrible; only had two servers. Had the jambalaya. It was awful! Service was terrible; only had two servers. read more

My family and I came here for a birthday dinner over the weekend. We were recommended this location by a couple of friends who said they had a great experience. Unfortunately, it was not the same experience for us. We sat outside on the patio because they have live music on Sundays! When we arrived our server came over and got our drink orders. When she brought the drinks back we ordered some appetizers. We got the calamari, coconut shrimp, volcano shrimp and pretzels. We also ordered 5 cups of the seafood chowder. The seafood chowder was probably the best thing we had throughout the entire night. The chowder came out right away, but the appetizers took about 20 minutes to come out. We ended up ordering another thing of the volcano shrimp and coconut shrimp and added a dozen oysters because we were starving and those also took about another 20 minutes. In between waiting for the second set of appetizers, the server came back to our table and we decided to order dinner. Before we could even start our order they told us they were out of grouper, scallops and French fries....i don't know how that is possible but it was. We decided to still go ahead and order even though a couple of items we wanted were on the not available list. For our entrees we ordered the Mahi mahi, and a mixture of pastas and the seafood pasta dish. To be honest all of our food was pretty eh. They were luke warm as if they have been sitting out for a while waiting to be brought to the table. Overall, we were pretty disappointed because the area is beautiful and the patio is perfect right on the water and you can't beat the live music option they have as well. Hoping to maybe try this place one more time and hope it's better. read more

It was wonderful. Food was excellent and plentiful. Our waitress, Tina, was awesome! Wonderful atmosphere. Will definitely be going back.

We came to this restaurant on a busy Friday night in March. There's a dock outside so we were able to come in by boat. There were no open tables outside, but we had a large table indoors. The drinks and food were very good. I started off with a nice cold Orange Crush. For dinner, I had the crab cakes. There were two large crab cakes which were well prepared and delicious. If you're coming here, I recommend you make a reservation. The service was very good and the prices reasonable. I'd come back again! read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - Crab cakes with asparagus and fresh fruit! - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

Like the water, looking at expensive boats and yachts then this is your place. The interior is large and dark and the patio brite and has great views. The menu has a lot to offer but leans heavy to the seafood side. As we were here on a Tuesday it wasn't crowded as some wrote about weekends. Service was good and the food was very well done. We skipped dessert as we usually do but the meal was very filling. read more

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Food, service and ambiance are great. We keep our boat here and eat or drink here several times per week. Awesome spot. Fun! Nancy and Jordan are great customer friendly servers. They make you feel at home. Well done! read more

For a high end marina...this is the worst food, service you can have. Employees yucking it up and making fun of their customers. service is horrible. understaffed and just bad....we used to go there sometimes years ago and it's just horrible now....wouldn't go ever again. There are way better restaurants close by with better food and service...Peir 22 is better with boat parking...river house is ok but 10 times better than Dockside....avoid this place completely....Horrible read more

Goo service with attentive waitress. It's a nice place for dinner. It is pretty dark in the dining room though. Strange lighting. However the grilled mahi was great along with the roasted corn risotto. Also the teriyaki bowl was excellent with a lot of seafood. read more

Our waitress=Awesome as hell!Gigi! The hostess=poor.Looked /acted bored.Had reservations,she was new,but didn't alert anyone we were there.Thankgod Gigi came after 20+ min. Cocktails=awesome,beer=cold and fresh.Wings=superb, good,fish and chips ok,slaw=icky,seafood chower=damndiggity read more

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At the beginning of November, a reservation was made for our annual ladies Christmas luncheon for Dec. 10, 2025 with the manager. The person in charge of the party called the manager to confirm the reservation a few days ahead with a total of 14 ladies. He was rude to her and stated that she didn't have to confirm this reservation and hung up on her. On Dec 10th at 11:00am, they weren't quite ready for us. Two ladies ordered the crab cake sandwiches. They took a bite and they were cold. Our waiter went to get the manager who rudely stated that's the way we make them if you don't like them, order something else. The ladies stated that they have had them elsewhere and they were not cold. He abruptly stated "oh no, they serve them cold as well". Management at this restaurant has a lack of professionalism and needs to attend a course on customer service. We will not be back. read more

Very slow night. Sat at the bar for dinner and the bartender said it was slow all day. She complained about everything peppered with a lot of cussing. I tried to get her attention several times as she walked three feet away from me and she totally ignored me. Likely couldn't hear me because she was wearing airpods. The drink i ordered was poorly made. I went to wash my hands and the bathroom was in disarray and dirty. read more

Made a reservation for their special Thanksgiving Day Dinner. Made an early reservation for 5:00 for 7 people. They advertised a full traditional turkey Thanksgiving Dinner for $35 or Prime Rib for $42. After we ordered our drinks and dinner, our waitress came back out 10 minutes later to tell us that they were out of Turkey...at 5:00...for a special Thanksgiving Dinner that they advertised. As it was Thanksgiving, we couldn't leave and go somewhere else. We asked if they would do the Prime Rib for the same price and the waitress said she would ask. The manager came over very rudely and said "no, we ain't discounting the Prime Rib for you!". No sorry we ran out of Turkey at 5:00 even though we called to confirm it when we made the reservation. Did not offer any concession after ruining our family Thanksgiving dinner. 10 minutes later they told the table next to us that they ran out of the Prime Rib as well...so both Thanksgiving specials were gone by 5:30. When they did bring ours, it was pieced together ends of the Prime Ribs that were over cooked...not even a full slice. So disappointing for $400. My son and Uncle ordered the Chicken Alfredo since they do not like Prime Rib and it was inedible, watery and flavorless. Felt bad for the waitress who had to deal with the managers incompetence so made sure to tip her well anyway. read more

We double checked that they were open until 10 PM on both Google and yelp. To make absolute sure, we called the restaurant and asked how late they were open and the hostess said they were open until 10 PM. We got here before nine, and the manager told us they were closed with no apologies. He was super rude too, like that we had done something wrong. When I asked him about it, and said that we checked all of the Apps and they said they were open until 10 and that we called ahead and everything, he said "I don't really care, it's not my problem." I said, can you make a recommendation as to someplace we could go around here he said, "no, but we are closed." I said "I understand that but we did call ahead and took two Ubers to get here and I'm just very surprised how you are acting right now. I'm sorry if you had a bad night but we haven't eaten, it's 4th of July and we tried really hard to come patronize your restaurant and you're not even apologetic or anything." I said there's a nice way to say things. He said "yeah that's not my problem either." I've literally never been treated with such disdain in my entire life and someone I've never even met don't know and did nothing to. I would never come here. The family behind us was practically in tears and said it was the worst night ever. They were celebrating a birthday and said the food, service, and manager were the worst ever, and that we should be glad we couldn't get in ‍ read more

Riviera Dunes Dockside - They lie about their hours. They close when the manager has a temper tantrum, apparently. - Seafood Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

We stopped for dinner, and it was a beautiful evening. Our server, Summer, was quick to bring water and take our drink order. This was our first time here for dinner in quite a while. The menu has a variety of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Our drinks arrived, and my wine pour was great. So tired of ordering wine and having it be 1/8 of the glass. This was what a pour should be. I ordered the bruschetta chicken for my entree. This is a bow tie pasta, with mozzarella pearls, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Our food came quickly and presentation was very nice. For me, my entree was bland, and it was barely warm. I really wanted to like this entree as all the ingredients are things I like. Others got the crab cakes, the jambalaya and the shrimp and grits. They enjoyed their meals, although the cheesy grits weren't really cheesy. Maybe I just got the wrong thing this time. The experience was good, with the exception of my entree. read more

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this was an extremely disappointing visit despite we did have a fun time and a beautiful view. The duo Northstar was amazing and we danced and had fun. When we arrived our greeting, we were told that they were out of grouper, pork chops, french fries and something else I don't recall . Which Love us with very little we were in the mood for on the menu. I ordered the house wine. She came back to tell me they were out of that too.. how are you out of house wine and french fries?! poor inventory made me wonder if they were actually going out of business or struggling. Went to dance. I had my takeout box on the table, half of my steak, my purse, and my drink when I came back. the table was cleared and everything gone!! what the heck??? clearly the waitress was not keeping an eye on our table and communicating with the buzzer. I don't work with our servers name. She was friendly, but really not doing a very good job. I will look for other places to go to for good music.This place has gone downhill re food! read more