Richard F.
Yelp
We have been wanting to try Doc's on past visits, but were finally successful today. We arrived around 4:30 and the lot was full. Checked in with the hostess and was given a pager to let us know when an inside table was ready. The place was very crowded and busy, but our table (booth - SCORE!) was ready in just a very few minutes. Our waitress, Shandra, brought menus right away and asked for drink orders. We both ordered iced tea (unsweet). She asked if we needed lemons and I told her we would and that we would need a lot with dinner. She came back with two glasses of tea, a bowl if lemons and an entire pitcher of tea! The tea was outstanding and was an indicator of what was to come. We ordered onion rings at that time to start as we were still looking at the menu. After a few minutes, we gave our orders...fried shrimp dinner for me and grilled fish dinner for my better half. The onion rings arrived within 5 minutes. They were piping hot (burned the roof of my mouth) and absolutely delicious. You know those rings that are all breading and thin strips of onions? Well, these are not those. When you bite one, you are actually getting a substantial bite of onion, very thick and tender along with the wonderful breading. Came with two containers of ranch. These are the best o-rings I have ever had, followed by Clear Springs Restaurant in New Braunfels, Texas (if you know, you know) as a close second. Our entrees arrived shortly along with a lot of lemons, as requested, and a large squeeze bottle of very good tartar sauce. I have to explain that I have eaten a lot of fried Gulf shrimp in Texas and consider myself a fried shrimp junkie...a very discerning one, but a shrimp junkie nonetheless. I have never had jumbo fried shrimp that were completely peeled, including the tail, allowing you to eat the whole thing, much like popcorn shrimp. These shrimp were delicious shrimp, glorious shrimp, piping hot like the o-rings. That being said, I cannot agree that they are "the best shrimp in the known universe". I like butterflied shrimp with tails and a breading that is a little more restrained. Doc's were good, very good, but if the batter was a little less heavy, then I think they would move up the rankings. As far as my wife's fish went, she thought it was way under seasoned. Shandra checked on us a number of times, so all in all a great dining experience. Here is how I would rate things:
STAFF- 10/10, all very friendly and nice, with a big shout out to Shandra (top flight waitress).
AMBIANCE- 10/10, not a fine dining place, but a busy seafood joint in a beach town. They know how to run things and is the perfect spot when you are in shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops and hungry. Paper towel rolls on the table...you will need them.
TEA- 10/10, best iced tea ever, especially having our own pitcher on the table.
ONION RINGS- 10/10, 5-star, whatever superlative you want to attach to these beauties. I will be dreaming about these.
SHRIMP- 9/10, very good, but not the best ever (see comments above).
GRILLED FISH- 5/10, lacking seasoning...chef forgot to salt??? Same issue with the new potatoes, lack of seasoning.
OVERALL- 9.5/10, we will be back and highly recommend this place.