Dockside Dave's in Madeira Beach - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great place with great service with friendly atmosphere.

Great service and amazing food! Definitely going back!

Have come here multiples and am always head over heels for the Grouper sandwich. If I’m starving I can eat the whole thing but some times I have to take it home. It’s seriously so big. The onion rings are dangerously good. The lobster bisque will be one of the best soups you’ve ever had. And it’s pink! Always a pleasure coming here.

I came here for a birthday celebration. I had fried fish, scallops and shrimp and ordered a side of fried clam strips. I was raised in Cape Cod, MA, so fried shellfish is a thing for me. The overall atmosphere and service was good I have no room for complaint. But the food... You can tell that they don't allow a bit of time for the grease to drip off of the food before putting onto the plate. The breading on the scallops and fried clam strips became soggy when I finished my fish and shrimp because of it. The flavor of it all was really good. I would say a close contender to up north... Minus the grease.

Absolutely great fish. Fish sandwich is a must. Onion rings were fabulous.

My wife and I dined at Dave's Dockside. I know neither how spacious the interior is nor about the atmosphere of the interior, as we walked past the bar and went directly outside to eat. My wife ordered the Grouper Sandwich and I ordered the cup of Dave's Famous Seafood Bisque (purple in color from the Burgundy cream base) and the Shrimp PoBay sandwich. The soup was nice, but the main dishes were the stars here. Dave's knows how to prepare Grouper and Shrimp PoBoy and serves generous portions. The Grouper Sandwich was juicy and flavorful and the PoBoy was very tasty. For a good seafood dinner, I reviled the food at Dave's Dockside.

Very good food, very good drinks. The staff was amazing. I will be adding this to my list of go to places when I’m in town.

Delicious food, great location and great service

My dad and I ate there yesterday after an exhausting day of fishing, it was just what we needed, excellent service, excellent food, we’re from Tampa but we will definitely make a special trip just to eat here again.

Was very pleased. Sadie was very helpful and polite as always have know her for awhile and always enjoy her waiting on me. The Best.

The grouper bites and the crab cakes are the best! They are even better when they are served by my favorite bartender Sadie S...

Absolutely the best meal we had this last trip..mine may have been the best I have eaten in Florida this year(4th trip). My wife got the crab cakes and there were 3 to an order..very nice portion size and fried.(we prefer ours broiled, but also like them fried) Well for under $11 for 3 crab cakes, they were amazingly fresh and light for being fried..not too much filler,either. My son got the grouper bites and beer battered fries..excellent batter and not over cooked. I ordered the Captain's Platter(Market Price-was around $38) of fresh grouper(5-6oz), scallops(u10) and shrimp(u12) all lightly and perfectly blackened..it was served with fresh sauteed veggies and rice pilaf..I added a house salad for $5. The croutons are house made(if I'm wrong I need to know where to get them..lol) and the dressing was fantastic..It also happened to be $5 Bloody Mary special, so I had a couple with my meal...spicy and delicious) Highly recommend this establishment, as I always prefer to eat locally and avoid chains. My only regret is we didn't have time to go eat again before we flew out the next day.

Don't go here thinking you are going to a 5 star dining establishment. Many have said hole in the wall and I think I concur. However, there is a lot to be said for some of these smaller venues! The building looked like a bar but the food was very good! I had dinner based on the buffalo shrimp and my wife's fries! She had fried oysters - great portion and very tasty!

Sunday Lunch, busy inside. Sat outside, Had gator bites, little salty, but good. Fried oyster basket with 2 sides. Oysters were tasty, great batter. Sides fries and veg. Veggies good but to much oil. Had a couple margheritas, they were okay, didn't really have much flavor. Service attentive. Laid back atmosphere, will definitely go back.

Best experience very friendly and accommodating food was amazing seafood bisque was amazing. Hogfish is also very good. I had the sandwich. The wife had the dinner.bartender was amazing. Her name was Kelsey.

My family’s favorite place to get onion rings & gator bites!

Great service. Good spot if you’re near by

Best onion rings I have ever had. We ordered the large onion rings and our waitress told us it was REALLY large. Challenge accepted. You can have the shrimp cooked several ways and it was perfect. Try the battered shrimp. We are sad we discovered this place on the last day.

Service was okay, friendly enough. Food definitely not worth the price. Sautéed veg, watery. Gator bites, chewy. Drinks, mid, kinda watered down. The only thing that was kinda tasty, smoked fish spread. I love my food melanated, but these "krab" cakes..we cook make them dark to be sure they're cook through, come on now😆.. an $82 dollar dud of a meal..skip Dave's.

Amazing food! The atmosphere and the staff are incredible. The ownership is first class. Dustin is the main chef and has a lot of experience. Delicious. I’ll be back! Definitely go check out this gem!

One of if not the best Grouper sandwich I've ever had ... the chicken tenders are really good to , definitely a stop for the wife and I every year ** 8/11/24 I'm not going to change my review , BUT I've ate here multiple times over the years we've been coming here ,and while you can see above I stated how great the grouped was, WAS is the key word, it was the WORST grouper I've EVER had. I hope to return and find it was just an off day !

Always eat here when visiting. Best seafood as far as I know!

Always so fresh and consistent. Best restaurant on the Gulf coast I will stand by that!

Excellent Grouper sandwich!!! Excellent Service!!!

This was a hole in the wall restaurant with a bar The food comes in large portions, fresh, and pipping hot. If you are looking for a fancy evening out this is not what you are looking for. However, if you are looking for something fun and upbeat then this is a must try. The restaurant even plays old hits such as by Aaron Carter. The clam chowder is some of the best around.

First time trying it as everyone said this is the best place for grouper. Upon walking in, the place was a bit claustrophobic. The atmosphere was extremely lacking with any kind of ambiance that made you feel comfortable. The saving grace was the grouper! The grouper sandwich was perfectly grilled and fresh. The grouper bites were also amazing. The cole slaw tasted like cabbage with a mound of mayo. I asked to swap it out for their vegetables and those were much better. So if you're looking for great fish that's a little bit of a hole in the wall, give them a try. Parking is behind the building. The grouper bites were $20 and the grouper sandwich was $25.

Amazing food and super friendly top notch service. Local resident approved. Fresh grouper and sweet tea. We will be back. Thank you!

The food and atmosphere was great! Prices were fair and service couldn't have been better.

This was SO GOOD!! Try the famous grouper sandwich, it will not disappoint! And the gator bites with boom boom sauce, yuummmm!! Very friendly waitress too!

WONDERFUL!! We got the onion rings & grouper sandwich, which were both fantastic. Great service & cute little spot.

Holy onion rings. I crave them everyday!

Bri was the BEST server i have ever had in my entire life, She was extremely kind, attentive and had a beautiful attitude. We will be coming back EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND to dine with her!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ask for bri if you want not only an amazing meal but amazing service.

This is a must if you are in the area. The food was amazing and the onion rings, OMG, we are on those for two days!!!

So for me it may have been what I ordered that I didn't like. I ordered the pasta dish with scallops I can't remember what it's called. It was very underwhelming. Other people at our table got grouper and stuff in all seem to like their food I think. Can't remember what my husband got but I think he said it was kind of just mid. The hostess that set us did kind of get a little rude when she said us and argued with my husband's cousin about putting us in this tiny corner. So that wasn't great. The atmosphere is like any other beach seafood place.

The best most fresh grouper sandwich in the Bay area period.

We go to this place every year on vacation. The grouper sandwich and the onion rings are fantastic.

BEST DAMN GROUPER ON THE PLANET!

Love everything about Dockside Dave's

Best grouper sandwich in the area. I’ve come here since I was a kid & it’s always been consistent. I like it blackened but it’s great country fried, too.

There was a wait to get in but well worth it. Friendly servers, food was delicious and there were 6 of us. Everyone was happy.

This was by far the best restaurant we ate at in the st.pete and surrounding area!!! The service was the best in any restaurant I have ever seen!!! And the food was absolutely fantastic!!!

Had the Grouper sandwich. It was awesome and huge portions.

Love this place, great food and staff. Grouper was delicious 😋

Want the best grouper sandwich you've ever had? Check this place out. Seriously excellent. Also the gator tail, fish spread and grouper bites were all awesome.

All I can say is wow…Order the blacked grouper sandwich…it is breath takingly good!! The servers were soooooooo nice. Like really really nice! I’ve never seen such nice service. This was the best meal of our vacation to St. Pete beach. Also, the fries were so good…I could not stop eating them.

Dockside Dave’s Restaurant offers a fairly good dining experience. The grouper, a favorite, was delicious. Although I spent more than I would have liked, the excellent customer service and fun atmosphere made it worth it. The staff was great, and perhaps I just opted for the more expensive grouper option. Overall, it was an enjoyable visit and I would recommend it.

The food looks good, but it doesn't taste pleasant, at least for me.

Excellent onion rings! Fun atmosphere and welcoming staff. A must if you are in Madeira Beach.

Great food,very noisy.Like eating in a Gymnasium.

Great local dive. Staff are friendly and efficient. My wife had the grouper sandwich and I had shrimp Po boy. Ordered the rings and fish spread. To me the appetizers were better than the sandwiches.

I had an amazing dining experience at Dockside Daves, thanks to our server, Noah. He was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, making excellent recommendations and ensuring we had everything we needed. The seafood was delicious, and Noah made our evening memorable. Highly recommend!

Grouper is delicious. Good friendly service.

Five star food, the place is nice but the waiters take too long to come and take the order.

Dockside is a little hole in the wall with spectacular food. Don’t go there expecting a high class, fancy dining experience. Go there expecting awesome food and friendly staff! Give it a chance! Go in your comfy clothes, and enjoy the food and drinks. We shared the fried mushrooms, which were delicious, along with the shrimp and scallops alfredo. Both shrimp and scallops were perfectly cooked and had amazing flavor. The Alfredo was a little different than most with having a very peppery flavor, but was still good. The portion size was huge and could easily be split between the two of us. We didn’t have the onion rings but took a picture of a to go order as they looked amazing and were huge!! Definitively would recommend you give it a try!

Cool beachy scene restaurant near the beach with good food and service.

I would give our server, Lini, 5 stars she was wonderful! The country fried grouper Sandwich was amazing! The reason for the 3 stars is do to the fact, they have no manager, and our buffalo Shrimp appetizer was NOT as expected because they were not the Wahoo Shrimp. NOAH, the Acting Manager ( who is really just a server, not a good one) was rude and non customer service focused. He didn't want to listen to our concerns. My friend who lives in the area has been here multiple times which is why she brought me. I was told by multiple people the buffalo shrimp were sizeable larger, about 3inches, not what you would buy at the grocery store, which ours clearly were, despite NOAH'S argument. Owners need to re-evaluate Noah's performance, and question if he is truly an assest to Doc Side Dave's. If he had been server, he would not want to jeopardize his tip. We did tip our Server, Lini well as she, again went above and beyond because of NOAH'S actions. The hostess was vert nice, hospitable, pleasure to deal with.

Best grouper bites and delicious tartar sauce. My friend ordered the grouper sandwich and said it was the best he’s ever had. Definitely going back!

Food was extra greasy and the waitress was super rude to my nephew with autism.

Best French onion soup I've had so far!

The best grouper sandwich around. Sadie behind the bar provided excellent service! Will definitely go back again and again.

My absolute favorite place to eat while I’m in Florida. We make it a point to go here no matter what. The best calamari and scallops around. Can’t go wrong eating here.

A little rough around the edges, but the food makes up for it. We had the grouper, Fantastic.

Everyone was so nice! The grouper sandwich was the best I've had & huge! Will definitely be back.

No frills seafood bar. We ordered the blackened grouper sandwich and the shrimp po boy sandwich. The shrimp sandwich was just ok (wouldn’t order it again) but the blackened grouper sandwich was amazing! Hands down one of the best fish sandwiches I’ve ever had. We got fries and sautéed veggies as sides and both were exceptional.

We had delicious food and drinks from a wonderful server. It was a really busy night, but everyone kept up! The atmosphere is fun and laid back. If I could rate this place higher than 5 stars, I would!

Best grouper sandwich deal in the area! It was a busy Friday night so service was a little slower than normal and we had to eat outside. It’s a little too hot for that in June but everyone loved their food!

Jumbo U peel em shrimp are excellent.

I called ahead and ordered to go. When I arrived the staff was too busy with their outside food to acknowledge me. When the barmaid did come over I said I was picking up a to go order. She looked confused and asked, you called it in? And, I said Yes. That's the last word she spoke. I paid, she bagged and I said thank you very much. No reply! I Live 5 minutes away and when I got home the fish in the fish and chips was still very hot however the chips were cold. The grouper sandwich looked very nice but the grouper was unseasoned and cold. Needless to say I won't be ordering to go from this place.

Dining in can be a bit of a wait. They are a small place. But the food is delicious, so it’s worth the wait. The onion rings are omg. And their onion ring sauce….so good! A must if you like onion rings. I don’t do seafood. I order the chicken sandwich, lightly blackened. It’s so fresh. The flavor is great and the portion is more than enough. Dockside Dave’s is a must when we visit Madeira Beach! We also had a very cute little server. So friendly. I think her name was Saylor. If you’re on the fence about going here, go. My family loves the grouper.

Delicious food, pretty quick wait time, very friendly staff, nice seaside atmosphere inside the building. Compliments to our kind server, Sarah.

Food has gone downhill since last time we ate there. Crab cakes looked/tasted like burnt hockey pucks. Grouper sandwiches just ok. Got a side salad that had yellow lettuce and not appetizing. Waitress was great though and attentive. We won't be back though. Too expensive to have sub par food.

I love trying new venues. Dockside did not disappoint! The food was fresh, hot, and prompt!! The grouper sandwich was large enough for two people. Highly recommend the onion rings - large portion with the small order. My waitress was bubbly and attentive. Highly recommend!

probably best grouper sandwich anywher

The blue cheese burger is amazing 😋😋😋

Food was not good as anticipated. Server didnt say a word. Grouper and onion rings were a soggy ball of grease.

This spot is friendly, welcoming and fantastic food!

Food was great. Server was on top of things. Onion rings were the best.

Grouper was wonderful but small portion and pricey.

I diabetic. As soon as our food arrived I realized my sugar was dropping rapidly. My daughter got our server (Talon) quickly she got me a glass of Pepsi then came by a couple of times checking on me. It was still too low, she ended up bringing a piece of lemon meringue pie. She was so considerate in a time when I was very uncomfortable. But the food was excellent. The prices are great. The grouper was fantastic!!

We always stop here when in Mederia Beach. One of our favorite places to eat, best Grouper Sandwich (get it blackened) I've ever had, Great Gator Bites, Huge Onion Rings, and a you have to try the boom boom sauce! Outstanding service, great food. Love it!

Absolutely fantastic in all ways possible! My father and I were seated immediately and our orders were out within no more than 10 minutes. The food was absolutely to. die. for. and wasn’t even greasy. If I lived closer I would be absolutely fat and broke!

The grouper was definitely fresh! So good and chill environment!

Ordered blackened grouper. The fish was bland with zero seasoning. I went there two years ago and it used to be good.

Over priced. Food okay at best. Service was good but the whole restaurant could use a good scrub especially the bathrooms.

Visited on an early evening and we were seated pretty quickly on the front patio, but it was extremely hot with little coverage and no fans. Drinks were not kept filled or cold and we weren’t visited much by the staff. I ordered a grouper sandwich blackened that wasn’t anything special. Quality was average for a $20 sandwich. Fries were just ok. Wasn't impressed overall based on prior reviews, seems to just be a tourist trap.

BEST GROUPER SANDWICH in Tampa Bay!

Go to the place where the locals go for seafood. Every meal is terrific and I can’t recommend them highly enough…and if they have hogfish that day…definitely get the hogfish

Normally I NEVER leave a bad review, however, I ordered the shrimp and oysters. WAY over priced. The rice taste like minute rice and the fried oysters had giant shells in it. Almost cracked a tooth grinding. My son tried a piece, thank God his didn't have any in it. When addressed, they offered me a piece of key lime pie as a consultation. Hard pass

Typical florida, Beach restaurant. We heard that the grouper was amazing. It was okay. Wouldn't go out of my way to go there, again.

Best grouper I’ve ever eaten. Onion rings are huge and very tasty

Best grouper sandwich on the beach!!! If you're visiting Madeira Beach, make time for Dockside Daves. Service was stellar, and the food was even better.

They have the best Grouper sandwich and also the chicken sandwich was delicious also

I have gone here several times over the years and it never disappoints! The staff are friendly and efficient. I never had to ask for a thing because they were always there with water, more tea, extra napkins, side plates, to go boxes or whatever was needed. The food is exceptional! I had 5 different grouper sandwiches at five different restaurants along Gulf Blvd and without question the blackened grouper sandwich here was the best! Other items to note were the onion rings, amazing, and the fresh tomatoes. Love this place and will be back again! A+ food and service.

Perfect place to go for fresh fish and chips when visiting Madeira Beach. Service is top notch, portions are generous. ample parking and vibrant atmosphere 🤩

Dock Side Dave's offers a unique dive bar experience with a laid-back atmosphere that's slightly dingy but adds to its charm. The food was decent, meeting expectations without being exceptional. However, our server seemed quite unhappy, which affected the overall experience. Despite this, Dock Side Dave's is a good spot if you're looking for a casual place to grab a bite and enjoy a relaxed evening. Four stars for its character and potential.

I don’t get the appeal. Overpriced food that you can get anywhere else with the exception of the place feeling like a dirty old woman’s house. Also, why is the soup pink? If you are able to eat the whole bowl of soup, I applaud you.

Heard about a grouper sandwich, well reckon that I heard right. 1/2 lb cut cooked perfectly. Also had the fish and chips, delicious.

Our waitress was fantastic. She made sure the food was prepared to our liking. We've been coming here for years and they never disappoint. The food was delicious and we enjoyed our family time. Thank You so very much as Always ❤️

I kept reading amazing reviews about the food but to be honest- it wasn’t that great. The server was great but paper menus, pricey for what it was and just not that good. I would skip it and go for the next option.

Outstanding. Gotta get the grouper.