Saturday, July 20, 2013

Docks Restaurant...another old timer in Midtown

Dock's Oyster Bar and Seafood Grill is one of those places I pass all the time and while I wonder what it is like I suspect it is somewhat on the high priced side although probably a great place to take people from out of town who love seafood...

Well, let's see what Yelp says..yeah, again some sour apples...one man says something in a later review (they have tons for this place) as it being all decor and just for "the silver haired set" who can't appreciate really good food anyway or something!

Docks Oyster Bar and Seafood and Grill

3.5 star rating
187 reviews Rating Details
Categories: Seafood, Bars
633 3rd Ave
(between 40th St & 41st St)
New York, NY 10017
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 986-8080
Make a Reservation
Nearest Transit Station:
Grand Central - 42 St (7, 7X)
Grand Central - 42 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Grand Central - 42 St (S)
Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 11 pm
Good for Kids:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Price Range:
$$$
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Good For:
Dinner
Happy Hour:
Yes
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Smoking:
No
Coat Check:
Yes
Noise Level:
Average
Good For Dancing:
No
Ambience:
Classy
Has TV:
Yes
Caters:
No
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "They have a great happy hour and an even better key lime pie." In 46 reviews
  • "The oysters and clams are so fresh." In 33 reviews
  • "...salad lightly dressed and a beautiful basket of fresh bread basket." In 9 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
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187 reviews in English

  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    6/7/2013
    Stopped in last night for dinner with a friend after deciding that Park Avenue Tavern was not worth a 90-minute wait. We made the right choice. Though Docks was busy, we were immediately seated. A waiter arrived right away and took our drink order. Service remained equally attended throughout the meal.

    My friend and I split an order of Rhode Island style calamari ($14). The peppers used were hotter than what is served in Little Rhodey and Massachusetts (the seeds should have been removed), but the squid was tender and sweet, and the batter was light and crispy. I enjoyed the marinara on the side. We each had the coriander encrusted tuna steak - very rare ($29). It was the best tuna I have had in a long time. The beer selection was OK. I would like to have seen more local draft offerings beside the Brooklyn Lager. And the pours were 10 oz. - I believe; maybe 12 oz. At $8 a glass, that's expensive.
  • Review from

    3.0 star rating
    5/7/2013 1 check-in here
    Since the oyster bar at Grand Central Station lost our reservation, we headed here instead.

    The bar area was packed but the dining area was only half full on a Friday night at 8 pm.

    Most of my group ended up getting the prix fixe menu which for $34 got you an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I went with mussels for the app and the seafood gumbo. I like my seafood gumbo Cajun/Creole style so I thought it was just okay and would have been pricey for the $27 regular menu price.

    As far as oysters go, they were fresh and decent-sized but pricey. 12 for $34 for the oyster sampler.

    Everybody else raved about the key lime pie which I skipped because I hate key lime and think its super weird with oysters.

    I'll stick with the bar specials here from now on.
  • Review from

    • 152 friends
    • 97 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    3/23/2013 1 check-in here
    came here on a friday night for some of their happy hour specials--- you can only receive the happy hour specials if you sit by the bar. Man was this place packed at like 5:45, but it was friday and this is midtown, so everyone is thirsty.

    Anyway, after surveying around the bar scene a couple of times, my friend and I managed to snag a far back corner near the bar, where we are still allowed to indulge in the happy hour specials:

    the happy hour specials are as followed:
    1 dollar oysters,  2 dollar burger sliders,  50cent little clams,  3 dollar tuna sushi rolls, and 3 dollar buffalo calamari.

    although this place is called Docks OYSTER bar, the dozen oysters we ordered were not really that good.  Luckily they were only a dollar, so it wasn't a total miss.

    The buffalo calamari was an interesting concept-- it was almost like eating chicken wings with the  buffalo flavor, but the result was a chewy and rubbery  texture from the calamari.

    the best things here were ironically, the burger sliders.  Wow, they were really good, I could not stop ordering them and eating them. The buns were so so soft and buttery, the burgers were a nice medium rare and there were caramelized onions on top.  

    We didn't get a chance to order the tuna sushi, but we saw one person ordering them and it looked pretty decent.

    and by the way, there is only one bartender serving about 30 people or more, their  drinks and food- but he was pretty efficient and good with faces, but nonetheless still very hard to get your oder in.
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/16/2013 1 check-in here
    This is my uncle's favorite spot, and of the hundred meals we've had together in the last couple of years, over half have been at Docks. The matronly server with a penchant for mozzarella in salads knows him by name, and while he pretends to not love it, he totally does. He always gets the appletini and their baked fish special, and I rotate between the linguini with clams in white wine sauce, the lobster roll, or the rainbow trout. Their little bread basket is nice with good butter, their little jazz trio is pleasant without drowning out the conversation, and it's as spacious a spot as you'll ever find in Manhattan.
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/8/2013 1 check-in here
    I went to Docks Oyster Bar years ago for dinner and wasn't impressed, so I never voluntarily returned.  But thanks to a friend, I recently discovered the awesome happy hour they have--$1 oysters and clams, $2 sliders, $4 tap beers, and a flurry of other discounted goodies like their house wines or calamari appetizer.  For a Friday happy hour, this place wasn't too packed (the bar is pretty big).  We were also able to get a large corner of the bar area that fit about 15 ppl very comfortably.  I am definitely bound to return!
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    7/18/2013 Seated via OpenTable
    Wonderful seafood restaurant.  Loud for lunch but fun.  Only one staff person knowledgeable about the celery root slaw, the rest had no idea.  Other than that, pricey but worth the money for sure.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 9 reviews
    2.0 star rating
    6/8/2013 4 photos
    Small portion of food for expensive price .
    Need I say more ?
  • Review from

    • 47 friends
    • 13 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    6/14/2013 1 check-in here
    The male bartender was very rude to the gentleman sitting next to me and doesn't want to be bothered; "There are other people I need to tend to other than you".
  • Review from

    • 25 friends
    • 34 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    5/28/2013
    Solid happy hour special before 7pm.  I  managed to get out of work early one night and went there with a friend for drinks and early dinner.  We ordered 2 platters of raw oysters along with some sushi bites along with drinks of course!  Food quality was awesome and the atmosphere was not stuffy or crowded.  Highly recommend it if you get to sneak out of work a bit early!
 

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