Dockside Seafood Restaurant Dauphin Island

Best Outdoor Dining on Dauphin Island

Dockside Seafood Restaurant offers the best outside dining options on Dauphin Island. Located below the Pelican Pub, it overlooks the Aloe Bay Channel of the Gulf between the island and the mainland. Formerly known as JT’s Sunset Grill, the current owners began operations in March of 2021 and have garnered several favorable reviews on Google.

dockside dining dauphin island Alabama — Overlooking Mobile Bay, the Dockside Seafood Restaurant offers both inside and outside dining

Depending on the weather and your preference, you can get a picnic table out in the Sun or find one in the shade . . . or for that matter eat inside at one of their dining tables. Outside dining is more picnic style with plastic eating utensils; inside offers more regular place settings. We were looking for outside dining and at the time of our visit Dockside Seafood is one of the few seafood restaurants on the Island that offer outside dining. So that would also make it one of the best!

The dockside setting offers nice breezes off the water, a view of the bay and some entertaining sea birds hoping for a handout. In the evening you have a chance to catch a picture perfect sunset over the water.

Dockside Dining Dauphin Island — A couple of seabirds hoping we will drop some food

Service is deli-style. You place your order at the counter, leave your name and seating location; the wait staff will bring your order to your table when it is ready. If you’d rather dine in the Pelican Pub upstairs, they’ll bring your order up there as well. We wanted to eat downstairs on the deck so we got two Bloody Marys from the Pelican and brought them down to our picnic table.

Dockside Dining Menu

The menu offers a collection of sandwiches and seafood: burgers, steamed shrimp, po-boys, fish tacos, and fish and shrimp baskets.

Dockside Seafood Restaurant Menu — The Dockside Restaurant offers Burgers, Chicken, Shrimp and Fish Baskets

We elected the Seafood Basket with Hush Puppies and Fries. The fish fillets were Cobia, a fish we hadn’t tried before. We chose to have it grilled and blackened. Cobia is a white fish like Cod. Its flesh is firm and it has a clean and mild taste. Our basket came with several small golden brown Cobia fillets and was served hot and tasty, with a hint of seasoning, perhaps Cajun. The fries were on the meaty side, not overly fried. Not a large serving of fries, but an adequate amount. The two Hush Puppies were fine, moist and also not overly fried.

Dockside Seafood Restaurant Fish Basket — Cobia Fillet fish basket with Bloody Marys

Service was prompt. We didn’t have to wait long for our meal and it arrived hot.

Review Summary Dockside Seafood Restaurant

Overall a decent meal, tasty, adequate portions, fast service, and attractive dockside setting. We give Dockside 4 stars. We’d definitely go back, but Jo would select grilled fish w/o the Cajun seasoning. Me, I love a hint of “hot” in my fish seasoning.

More Dining Options on Dauphin Island

The classiest place to eat or have a brew on the island is the Pirate’s Bar & Grill overlooking the gulf near the mid-island public beach. We had their Mahi-Mahi dinner and it measured up to the best we’ve had along the gulf.