Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

We are big-time fans of this waterfront restaurant. It is consistently excellent. We prefer to sit down waterside when the weather permits. They have an excellent selection of cocktails. My wife prefers the maple infused old-fashion. Starting off with warm bread and butter is a treat then we had coconut shrimp appetizer. Four large very flavorful shrimp with a generous amount of pina colada dipping sauce. My wife and I both opted for our favorite dish on the island, the seafood pasta with red sauce. It is full of chunks of lobster and shrimp absolutely delectable and I asked for additional sauce since it is so luscious! Sean is a professional. He was attentive without disrupting us and at no time did he rush our dinner which we really appreciate. He suggested the Carmel cheesecake which is a fitting finale. We look forward to returning soon.

🤤 o m g. Delish! Amazing vibe, delicious food, and phenomenal service. The entrees are very generous portions with a delicious salad. I got the blackened grouper and my partner got the bacon wrapped scallops and coconut shrimp. I did not have a bad bite of food all night. We had an amazing sunset to complement dinner time too! They had a ton of fans running outside to keep the air moving to prevent overheating. Our server was even kind enough to take a cute picture of me and my boo at sunset :) worth the splurge!

A pretty unique dine- in restaurant, as the name states, it’s right next to an actual dry dock. The food was well portioned and yummy, but slightly more pricey (comparatively to other restaurants within the proximity). It has a wide range of alcohol selection so it’s definitely a good spot for an afternoon sit down & drink type of spot. While the restaurant is labeled as “dog friendly”, it does have some weird thing with small dogs needing to be on the ground. We didn’t catch the reason clearly from our server but something to do with town regulations (?). Parking is also a bit challenging as the place is pretty packed and parking spots are quite limited given the location.

One of our all time favorite Sarasota area restaurants. Beautiful waterfront seating. The food is well designed and always seems made from quality ingredients. Always great service.

Pros: Fantastic waterfront restaurant with outdoor seating right on the water. We always stop here on our trips. The grouper is excellent every time. Cons: Parking can be tricky, and it’s best to plan ahead since tables fill up quickly.

My first time here, it was excellent! Haddock fish and chips was crispy, thick and not greasy! Dani waited on me, sweet girl. Great food, atmosphere and service. Place for boats to dock! Beautiful view upstairs or outside on first floor. Give it a try!

Exceptional food and service! AND the view of the water was amazing! Our server Sylvia was amazing and so knowledgeable and patient as it was our 1st time there but definitely not our last! Red snapper was so delish as we're the crab cakes and crab claws! Upscale restaurant but doesn't make you feel out of place!! Loved it

Grouper bites were good. Tasted fresh. Wasn’t a fan of the Asian chili sauce though. Places I have gotten it from before didn’t taste like a creamy dressing. Comes with 5 pieces ( at least what I ordered did not sure if it’s based on weight or it’s just a set amount ) not impressed with their drink menu options.

We have lived in the area for a long time, and I've always been meaning to go here. Now that we have, we will be regular customers! The citrus grouper was one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. It certainly makes my top five. The grouper was perfectly cooked well seasoned and fresh beyond belief. The sauce is a nice blend of citrus and just slightly sweet, which enhanced the side dish of garlic, mashed potatoes. I was pleasantly surprised that all entrées come with a starch and a salad. I chose the Caesar - fresh and delicious and not overly dressed. I'm not sure you can beat the patio experience, especially when dolphins show up as they did on Sunday. I might worry about taking small kids out to the patio, as there are no guard rails, going to the water. We didn't have a reservation, and after first thinking we would sit in the bar (which offers a full service menu) but then looking out to the patio, we decided to wait for a table outside. It was about a half hour wait. We'll work the it. The bar offers a good selection of drinks, beer and wine as expected for a restaurant in this category. The service outside was fantastic. Very timely without being rushed. Our servers recommendations to go along with our chosen entrées were spot on. Definitely will return!

Dry Dock was one of the best meals we had on our trip, and it was even better because we could bring our puppy, sit outside, and witness a breathtaking sunset. I recommend making reservations so that you can select outside with the views. The five-star service made us feel like we were in the fanciest restaurant. They gave us a lovely water bowl for a pup. We drink wine all night long. They have an excellent selection of wine. I started with champagne and then moved on to rosé my husband drink Chardonnay all night Our meal started with bread, service, and Caesar salad. I had the seafood linguine sautéed Lobster, shrimp, and crab meat for the main course. There was so much seafood in it. I was thoroughly impressed. My husband had the Florida grouper, which came with vegetables and rice.

Friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating service! Great view over the water. Dockside seating! But a wide variety of other choices inside and options to suit everyone. The salads were great. Garden sales with blue cheese - fresh and crispy. Caesar salad was also excellent- plenty of Parmesan. Red potatoes were great! Tons of very good vegetables- done perfectly! Citrus grouper was very good. Not my wife's favorite, though. She said it tasted different than other grouper she's had. The coconut shrimp and bacon wrapped scallops were excellent! Both were done perfectly. It took a bit to figure out which sauce went best with which, though. The white sauce seemed to be coconut based and worked very well the shrimp while the darker sauce, very sweet, paired better with the bacon scallops. The biggest downside was the entrees showed up way too early after the salads were served. Not the waiter's fault, he even apologized for it - again service was excellent. Everything was pretty cool, temp-wise, before we even had a chance to start on it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was done way earlier and sat inside a bit before they even brought it out. Had to knock a star off for that.

Great place to have dinner or simply drinks and a light bite! Try to get on patio to watch the water, boats and birds. Location is a bit hidden behind the boat marina. Reservations are ideal during season as this is a popular place but don't let that sway you if you want to grab a spot at the bar while you wait. We recently waited at the bar before a table on the patio became available and bar staff were friendly and attentive. Ultimately we got a table in less time than they stated. We love the muscles & calamari as appetizers! Food is wonderful, staff great and location amazing!

Decent but expensive restaurant. The snapper I had was delicious. They have a separate gluten free menu but the menu is pretty limited. It is a nice place to sit and eat when the weather is cooperating. Inside is quite small, though we didn't go to the third floor. The service was good but slow and we waited 45 minutes despite there being empty tables. All in all a good experience but expect to pay for the view.

Dined here for Lunch with my wife and Sister-in-law. We arrived around 1pm and were told it would be about 35 minutes before we could be seated. I think it took only 5 minutes before our table was ready. We had chosen "first available" and were seated upstairs at a four person table in the center of the room. From there you could get 180 degree views of the Bay and Sarasota coast line. I ordered the Seafood Soup, which was really like New England Clam Chowder with the addition of Grouper. It was probably the best NECC soup I've ever had. The sour dough bread that was served with my soup was excellent for getting up every last drop. My wife split a double lobster roll plate with her sister. They both said it was excellent. Service here was superb and we will be returning for dinner.

Came back for a return visit. While it was enjoyable again, the experience didn't quite live up to my hyped up expectations after my first visit. Ambiance was still great, we got a table by the window again. Service was friendly, but not the perfection we experienced during our previous visit. The main reason I'm not giving a 5 star rating this time is that we weren't as excited about our food this time around. Yes the fish was cooked perfectly, but instead of one single, large piece of fish, my husband and I each received two smaller pieces. And, most entrees follow a set menu in that they come with a choice between 2 salad options, a vegetable (chef's choice) , and then a choice of potato (about 4 different options). So while the food was perfectly delicious, we did feel a bit like "been there, done that". For those who haven't visited before, I still highly recommend Dry Dock.

Great food and great service. I think my grouper was swimming 30 minutes before it was cooked! It was so fresh. Plus the view from the outdoor patio is beautiful.

Awesome service. Our server attentive and knowledgeable. We asked to switch tables after being sat to be next to the window and they were more than happy to do so. The view from the restaurant is gorgeous. The chicken pasta was delicious as well as the seafood linguine. The sea bass was just alright but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt that maybe it was out of season. I've had it from here in the past and it was one of the best Chilean sea bass I've ever had.

Blown away by the view, the service, but most importantly the food! Wow what a great place for fresh food! Jordan was our server, and he went above and beyond to make our experience the best one yet! We had a late reservation, but Jordan still welcomed us with so much energy and love. He gave us the run down or all the must try dishes, along with his favorites. He really guided us tho a piece of heaven! The mussels were one of the best mussels we've ever had! Surprisingly the pastas were out of this world, filled with flavor and creaminess! We loved the shrimp pasta, the chicken one was good but if you're torn, get the shrimp! You can't go wrong with anything on this menu! We truly can't wait to go back. This is a must if your in the area!

Hidden little place on the bay serving fresh fish . Oysters were fresh, grouper bites were excellent. I had red snapper filet which was good with beans and rice on the side. Girlfriend had grouper tacos which were good as well. Service is great very friendly and appreciated . Will return

We have not been here in a while but we have lots of great memories from late afternoons spent on the deck just relaxing and enjoying the weather. They used to have very decent employees hope they still do.

My wife and I were staying in Sarasota the week before Labor Day and saw Dry Dock on Yelp. It was one of my favorite restaurants this trip. We sat right on the water and I ordered a local IPA. Great view and I ordered a grouper sandwich and a Caesar salad. The beer was hoppy and happy and the sandwich came out pretty quick. It was a nice hunk of fish and I liked how it seemed like an actually filet of grouper. A lot of times the fish is a little to square. "Is this really fresh?" Kind of sits in the back of my mind. The Caesar was perfect and good sized and fresh. I ordered another IPA and enjoyed the conversation and view with my wife. Good service and great view and amazing food gets five stars.

We came here twice this trip and it was delicious both times. I got my favorite cocktail...Rose All Day. I loved the fresh bread they brought out. I don't remember getting bread on our past visits. My husband got the grouper sandwich both times and it was perfectly cooked. I got the cup of lobster bisque and lobster roll the first time and the appetizer bacon wrapped scallops with a side salad the second time. We went on my birthday the first time and they gave me a delicious piece of key lime pie. I had the order one the second time, too! Everything was delicious, but my husband and I both agreed the scallops were the best thing ever!

This is one of the few places I have ever been that if I could give more than 5 stars I would. From the minute we walked into the bar until the minute we left, I felt like a valued patron. First, our bartenders were wonderful. I had a pomegranate martini which was great. There were other good choices on the menu as well. We had a reservation and had the ability to sit in the outside covered area, which looked really nice,or inside. Since it was storming, we chose inside. The room is bright and airy and I LOVE that the tables aren't on top of one another. Was it the class of people or the acoustics that made the noise level just perfect? Our server was super nice and helpful. The menu has lots of good choices, and I love that the entrees come with a salad. I had a 9 oz pour of a Sauvignon blanc that was very good. Before ordering, they brought hot bread to our table, which was very good. I started with the lobster bisque, which was a bit different than I have had other places. The lobster flavor wasn't strong, but there were pieces of lobster and the flavor was fantastic. My entree was the jumbo lump crab cakes and I chose mashed potatoes. The Caesar salad was the perfect size and very flavorful. The crab cakes were definitely lump crab cakes and the accompanying sauce was super. Although I am not a big vegetable fan, the green beans and carrots were practically the star of the plate. They were cooked perfectly and had tons of flavor. My only shortfall may be the potatoes as I thought they were too buttery, but butter is not my favorite thing, so it could work well for others. Our server was spot on the entire evening and the four of us truly had a wonderful evening. I will definitely return even though it was an hour drive for us.

Review is for a party of four adults, One 4 year-old child and one toddler. Dinner was about 5:00 PM weekday. We've been here many times previously so we knew what to expect. Reviews and photos already posted here provide lots of useful information, so this review will focus on topics especially useful to our situation. Accessibility: The main entrance and restrooms are upstairs. With the elevator unavailable, mobility challenged guests should verify this situation in advance. Also, there is no guard rail along the waterfront or docks. Thus, the water view is clear of such structures, yet there is no physical barrier preventing children (for example) from accidently going in. Sure, parents are expected to watch their kids - so if you bring them, please make sure you do. Environment: Expect a water view with an authentic seawater aroma, aquatic birds on dock posts, fans providing a breeze which might have helped prevent flying insects buzzing about, and plenty of shade for outside dining. Without the hustle and noise of a full house of guests, it was possible to relax a bit. Food - Was generally very good. Some notes: The grouper bite appetizer is the same fish as in the grouper tacos. The appetizer portion appeared to offer more fish. So, unless you only want fried grouper, selecting one of these two would be sufficient IMO. The linguini with clams portion is very generous as is the lobster roll plate. Half of both dishes were taken home. Service - Responsive and professional. We were among the only guests so our experience might not mirror that of a busier time. Note: Our kids made a mess of our table and floor below. We picked up what we easily could yet felt badly about the space needing a better clean-up. Consequently, we provided a super-generous tip for waitstaff and busboy. So sorry about the mess but thank you! With tip, overall price was over $200.00. No dessert nor drinks.

Atmosphere - Great! Located on the inlet, the restaurant has nice views of the water and the Sarasota skyline. There is a casual elegance to the restaurant. There is plenty of seating with two levels with indoor, as well as screened in patio dining. Service - Excellent! Both the bartenders (we had a cocktail at the bar) and or server were very friendly and attentive. In fact, the two bartenders were great and our server was one of the best that I have had in a long time. Food - Excellent. I started with the Seafood Chowder, which was a New England clam chowder type soup that included pieces of grouper. It was delicious. There was lots of substance and it tasted great. As an entree, I ordered the Maine Lobster Tail & Crab Cake combo. The lobster was tender and delicious. The crab cake had lots of meat and just enough filling to hold it together. It tasted great and was one of the best that I have ever had. Overall Value - Excellent. The food is great, service excellent and the portions generous. All and all, this restaurant offers a great value and an excellent dining experience.

This spot was amazing to accomodate our large party. We had great views and plenty of space. We had the opportunity to try many things on the menu since we were such a large party, and absolutely everyone was pleased with their meals! I went with a coconut shrimp salad which had a dressing that paired so perfectly with it and was very fresh and delicious. The lobster roll was *chefs kiss* and to wrap it up they had espresso with a biscoff cookie. The drinks are wonderful as well and they have so many seating options where you can go and find some seating at the bar as well if you're a smaller party, or even solo. Super cool spot to visit and eat when in the area!

Excellent experience at this restaurant. Good food and great view. Seafood was cooked perfectly. Service was good. My expectations were exceeded based on the 4.2 rating. I think it deserved more.

This restaurant is a must if you love seafood! They have outdoor, water view seating, I highly recommend reservations; which I had, but I overheard a walk in being told that the wait time would be at least an hour. The main floor has a big, full bar, and the seating upstairs has beautiful water views. They had a great selection of meal options and drinks. I ordered the seafood linguine, which was a huge portion, with lots of seafood, I had leftovers for the next day. My fiancé had the red snapper. We shared a cheesecake for dessert.

I used to eat there all of the time until i ordered the ceasar salad with lobster. Small portion compared to what it was and more expensive. Not a friendly staff. They are in a rush to get you in and out. And i work in fine dining. After all of the years going i will NEVER go back. Male manager bery rude

A great location with water views that go on for miles. Well laid out with upstairs dining, downstairs outdoor seating and great interior designs. Service is handled well with friendly servers who are mostly very attentive even when busy. The drink selection should keep you happy as well as the menu selection. Fresh fish is the standard and it shows.

DELICIOUS!!! The grouper bites, Lobster rolls, and Seafood pasta Tuscan style was phenomenal! The Lemon drop was also very very good. The service was friendly and prompt. The atmosphere was delightful. Hidden gem.

Parking was a bit of a pain, but the food and view were incredible. it's definitely not cheap, but if your not in a rush and you want delicious food with a great view of the ocean this is the place to go. i think it's a perfect spot to bring a special date.

Great service! Great views! Delicious food! We tried this place on our last day in Sarasota. What a nice gem. Our server was so nice and helpful. All our food was so good!

Came here on Saturday with the wifey and the food did not disappoint! I got the red snapper with fries and the veggie of the day which was asparagus while my wife got the scallops pasta. Both were amazing! The fish was very tender, super juicy and they give you a large portion. Make sure to ask for hot sauce and extra lemons because it will enhance the flavor of the fish and make it taste even better. Service was great too. Our server was very pleasant, even though she forgot to ask us if we wanted bread lol and the ambiance was 10/10. The views of this restaurant were amazing. We sat next to the windows on the second floor and had a lovely view of the gulf.

Great food and beautiful location with a stellar view! Lobster rolls were incredible! Salads were fresh and yummy! Everything exceeded our expectations!

Great ambiance, nice waterfront view! Food was very good. We had a variety of seafood dishes and each was cooked to perfection and extremely fresh! Our server was amazing, so attentive! Highly recommend this great restaurant!

AMAZING all around! Beautiful views, fantastic service and food was fabulous! MUST STOP! We always bring family here that are visiting out of town. Wonderful perspective on what Florida has to offer. We ordered grilled chicken and pasta, shrimp tacos and bourbon salmon. We all loved it!

Oh my my a beautiful restaurant on the water and it doesn't end there, the food was amazing too! So good in fact we bought 2 containers of their sauces to take home lol they sell them for $3 each. I had the grilled chicken with sundried tomato cream sauce, mashed potatoes and veggies. It was well seasoned and delicious. My bf got the basil garlic tomato sauce on pasta with grilled chicken and he raved about his sauce too! Some entrees come with a salad too and def try the Caesar one, tastes like they make their own dressing! Service was excellent and friendly. Overall great for a romantic date night or to celebrate a birthday or like we did, just for the heck of it!

We went here for lunch yesterday had the oysters Rockefeller others had the clam chowder everything was good

A beautiful view of the water, friendly staff, and incredible food, this place was the best meal to start off our trip! Will be making this our new go-to spot once we arrive in Sarasota ( only 15 minutes from the airport). Also a huge shoutout to our incredible waitress Leticia - she was so kind, joyful, and made our whole experience 5 star worthy!!

Wow, this place is seriously amazing! So, we had a bit of a wait, like 45 minutes, but trust me, it was so worth it. While we waited, we hit up the bar for some drink specials - totally took the edge off the wait. We snagged a cozy spot by the fireplace and let me tell you, the ambiance was next level. Now, onto the food - they brought out this complimentary sourdough bread with salted whipped butter that's basically a flavor explosion. Best. Bread. Ever. For the main event, I went for the Grilled Red Snapper, Garden Salad with ranch, Mashed potatoes, and fresh veggies. My husband got a ribeye, mashed and veg. He ordered the temp medium, came out medium well - so not perfect but still tasty. We didn't let a little something impact our overall experience. From the very first bite of that heavenly bread to the last forkful of our entrees, it was like a journey into foodie paradise. Service was on point - attentive but not overbearing. And oh, the views! Gorgeous doesn't even begin to cover it. Highly recommend this spot for a memorable dining experience.

Great restaurant and selection. Ambiance very relaxed and family oriented with even an outside seated area. Service from hostess to waiter was stellar. Everything was delicious the Oysters, Sea Bass, grouper bites and Grouper filet meal. Enjoyed my meal and would recommend.

Excellent lunch here. Grouper sandwich and grouper tacos were excellent. Outside sitting was full but upstairs provided a nice view. Service was excellent. Only drawback was traffic getting there was horrible (45 minutes to go 9 miles) and parking is not for the faint of heart

The ambiance and the view are amazing! We split the lobster rolls when we got in town and had to come back before we left and each got our own order. So good. Service was attentive. If we are ever in the area again we will definitely stop here first!

Came here for a casual lunch with friends. We sat outside by the water, super pretty! The views of the water never get old, we even saw dolphins We got the lobster bites, which were good. I got the citrus grouper, friend got the Tuscan cream pasta, and other friend got coconut shrimp salad. Everything was really good! Their drinks were also very yummy, can't remember what I had Great spot to come for a meal overlooking the water!

Wow just wow. Superb dinner, from the atmosphere to the food. We had a fantastic server who was efficient in timing out the appetizers, salad and soup, and entrees perfectly. We had the lobster bisque and grouper bites which were delicious but the star of the show was the lobster roll dinner. Come hungry or share the entree because these are two FULL sized and stuffed lobster rolls with the freshest and most tender lobster meat I have had. Can't recommend this place enough

Crazy about this restaurant, I want MORE! First of all you feast whilst looking out at the sea, proceless. whether you're indoors or outdoors, it's a magnificent experience. The food was delectable, my shrimp jambalaya was unbelievably delicious (not too spicy) the service was perfect. The restaurant, bathrooms and surrounding areas, impeccable. Highly recommend for the freshest, expertly prepared seafood with a view.

This is my friend's favorite restaurant in Sarasota and I can certainly see why. She says Dry Dock has the freshest grouper around and she's not wrong. I had a delicious Caesar salad with blackened grouper and it was Wow Delicious. The grouper was fresh and light, enhanced by the subtle spicy blackening seasoning. The salad was perfect, crispy and cold and the Parmesan tasted freshly grated. Hubby's meal was not as delicious, which is why I knocked off a star. He had the grilled grouper sandwich. Although the grouper was delicious, the bun was a standard bun, nothing special and not even grilled. The sauce was mediocre. The fries were not piping hot and a little flimsy. Definitely not a 20.00 sandwich. Atmosphere is great and the service is above average.

The food is super fresh and tasty. We got the Stone cold crab as an appetizer. We ordered a bottle of wine and had the lobster bisque, grouper tacos, shrimp and scallop entrée and Keylime pie. All of it was delicious. Service was fantastic and the decor was very cool. There were a bunch of wooden canoes hanging from the ceiling, along with fish and other nautical things. We sat upstairs. Parking was not a problem. They often have a line but if you come at 8 PM or later it's easy to get in.

Amazing food. Great staff Can't wait to go back again. Must plan to go ahead of the day you want dinner cause they book up quick

Food and service were fantastic!!! Beautiful views of the ocean out of the big windows!! Will definitely go back anytime I'm in the area!!!

We loved this place so much, we made this our first stop on our latest trip to Sarasota. They have an expansive patio seating area...and like last time, we sat near the dock again, overlooking the sea. Not only the sea, but it's a great place to check out the many seagulls, storks, you name it! We arrived around 1 pm for lunch, and ordered the following for 3 of us...Grouper Bites, Fish 'n Chips, Red Snapper Sandwich, and Lobster Rolls...all with Fries. As anticipated, we loved everything we ordered. My Lobster Rolls were just SO decadent...so generously stuffed!! Just as before, the service was on point...and the waterfront view was simply awesome! All I can say is that this place is a keeper...and I hope to revisit yet again!

Second time here specifically chosen by my husband for his birthday. Did not disappoint...again. We both got the fried grouper. Absolutely wonderful. It was lightly fried and breaded. I got fries with mine. Nice portion. Augusto our server was attentive. My hubby ordered one scallop with his dinner which they forgot but all still well. Delicious virgin piña colada. We sat outside and near the grass and got eaten alive. Ambiance was lovely though.

The food was AMAZING!!!! Everything we had was very delicious!! The inside seemed clean and very nice!! The ONLY reason I gave this place four stars is for the service, otherwise I would've given five! The gentleman we had as our waiter was nice and attentive. The lady that seated us was very rude and seemed like she had other things to do besides seat us; and the hostess was almost as bad as the one that seated us!! But all in all this is a good place to eat some really great seafood.

Best Lobster rolls we have had in a longtime. Definitely go here. And Shrimp tacos were great too. Servers are friendly and atmosphere is great- see pics. My wife and I are from Ct/Mass originally and we have missed a great buttered split roll and tons of lobster meat on the roll. Thanks Dry Dock!!

Just opened after Helene and Milton. Lovely outside area and delicious food. When I'm passing through Long Boat Keys we will be back

Great views! The food and service was great! The lobster bites was one of my favorite appetizers!! The seafood pasta was also delicious and tasted fresh! Good cocktails as well.