Rocos Dockside Bar And Grill

OK, so let's start with the few positive-ish points about this place.  The location is nice, overlooks the water and can watch boat traffic going by.  Happy hour beers were only $2 ($4 after HH).

I am a local, so I have been to Dockside in the past.  The food was horrible then and it has not changed.  One look at the menu and I knew that everthing was frozen.  I chose the fried shrimp basket and my husband opted for the mahi fish & chips.  We were hoping that being in the Florida Keys that at least the seafood would be fresh.  Nope.  The mahi was not mahi, it was frozen halibut, just like you can get in a McFish sandwich.  The shrimp was some of the worst I've ever eaten, rubbery with mushy breaded coating.  Even the cocktail sauce was frozen in it's little cup.  Our friends got the nachos, not great, just chips with some melted cheese and ground beef.

The noise level in this place is ridiculous, very loud for an open air establishment.  Conversation was nearly impossible, then the live band started up and was impossible.

I am in agreement with my husband and friends on this one, we'll pass on Roco's Dockside.

The Dockside is just one of those places you MUST stop at during your drive to or from Key West.  Off the beaten path of US1, this unpretentious watering hole offers up some seriously cheap drinks and some of the best chicken wings I've ever had.  You can always find nice locals here willing to belly up to the bar and do a Jello shot with you.  Everytime I've been here, they've had live music - one of my favorites being Eric Stone (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.islanderic.com&s=f79d3b80635cd994968eb2a28f209da60bfd2cc5f930ba029b4807a94a3845d5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.islanderic.com</a>).  I'm not a big fan of martinis in general, but one of the locals convinced me to try a chocolate martini (not sure if they were messing with me but wow was I impressed).  The Dockside has killer views of the crystal blue water of the Keys.  You can bird watch and probably cast out a fishing line while drinking your brew (I would ask about that first haha).  I love how people just kayak over, tie up and have a drink in hand within seconds.  Don't expect anything fancy here - just a lazy, easy going attitude and ice cold drinks.

The Dockside is more about the people watching than the food. Large servings of food, much of it fried is the norm. The clientele range from the occasional tourist to locals many of whom live on boats in the harbor.  Kick back, have a beer and enjoy the pirate watching.