The Loading Dock

The cottage we rented through this establishment was delightful. It was right behind the bar and restaurant, yet the music could not be heard indoors. The manager was super nice, and we enjoyed drinks and live music at The Loading Dock on two separate evenings. The menus elsewhere in town are superior, but the riverfront setting, ease of seating, and quality bands could not be beat.

Come here for the view of the river. That is about it.
A dozen people in our group ordered food and drinks.
The place was not crowded and service was fairly fast.
Servers were professional but not overly friendly.
Food was mediocre and overpriced.
Drinks were okay, again overpriced.
I rate it two stars rather than one because of the pleasant view of the river.

Don’t come here for the food. I can see why people would enjoy coming here for the drinks and the cool atmosphere, but when you’re paying $ 8 for a glorified McDonalds burger with stale fries it just doesn’t cut it for me. I came for a good meal to go WITH the nice atmosphere. The food was awful.

Visited the Loading Dock after taking kids to see the Nina and Pinta. The place was slammed and we understood the serving time would be a bit longer.
The five of us waited over an hour and people all around us were getting their food. When we inquired about our food and the long wait time, our server started crying. Almost immediately the order was delivered to the table and it was cold. Obviously, the food was in the kitchen waiting to be picked up.
A manager came over and asked what the problem was. She picked up the tab and gave us tee shirts and asked if we would come back again. She made it right and we will consider another trip to the Loading Dock even though this one was not pleasant.
PS. My daughter-​in-​law left a tip for the server.

The Loading Dock is one of my all time favorite places to go when the weather is nice.
Located right on the Mississippi/​Illinois river the view is great and you feel like you are on vacation.
The food here is also very good, considering you are at a bar. I really love their pulled pork nachos and their fish tacos!
This place gets crowded, and finding a seat can be a pain, however I am not going to fault the business for being so popular. The service can be a bit slow at times, however I again think this is because the place is so crowded.
I really wish they had a dock I could tie my boat up to. I would be here so much more often if they had one.

Extremely large bar with many outside patio areas. Whether there are two of you or 22 the Loading Dock can accommodate! All kinds of people, young and old and right on the water for a great view of the river rolling by! Super casual.
Table-​service for drinks and food delivery but you do need to go up to the counter to order. Very standard fare… chicken wings, nachos, burgers etc. they did have a spinach artichoke dip as a special, that we really liked and I would also suggest the Asian wings sauce. Huge beer selection, however I’m not a beer drinker. Wished they would of had a «good» hard cider or a better wine offering.
They had a great band in the late afternoon but even before that played a fantastic selection of classic rock!
We took the ferry from St. Charles which added to the adventure!

Came here to get away from the hotel. It’s a wonderful location with an incredible atmosphere and bar. That alone is good enough for me.
My better half and I did have the Macho Nachos. They are white cheese nachos with all the fixings. We ordered the pulled pork version, and let me tell you, they were incredible. I didn’t get anything else as we were too full from the nachos (which is why I can’t give 5 stars)
The only weird part was the food you can’t order from the wait staff minus the nachos. All other food you have to leave the table and order outside. A little odd.
There is also a flea market on the weekends which is pretty cool. Very communal feeling.
Would come again if I was in town.

YUM!
One of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have had anywhere!
Plus it came with fries that reminded me of Steak and Shake.
The only problem was that I got my food and ate it before my mom and aunt got their food.
Apparently getting any of the wraps means waiting forever!
We were informed that they only have 2 «wrap people» and that they get slammed.
Come for the food, stay for the amazing drinks (frozen dock lemonade) and the view!

This could be such a great place. It has huge potential. The view… the ice rink, the vibe. But it just can’t get there. Not without some changes.
Came with wife and kids for an afternoon of skating and dinner. The kids had a blast. $ 10.50 pp = $ 42 for ice (without skate rental). When it came time for food and drinks, I was told that all draft beers were sold out. The only bottles available were local domestics (i.e. Bud, Coors, MGD, etc.). Nope, I just cant choke it down sorry. Okay, no beer then. I order a few things on the menu, and was later told that those too were sold out. Hey, I’m glad that you’re busy, but tell me these things when you hand me the menu, not when I’m ordering. I settled on a few other items, most of which were mediocre at best (cold wet cheese mixed into salsa? Really?). The food was marginal, the beer was, well, all gone, but the skating was fun.
What I realized later was that the main restaurant next door had a full menu. Dang, I should’ve gone over there instead.
Owners: great concept, but please… please, take an honest look at the menu and food. I would make the 45 min drive more often if it was better.

If you’re looking for a casual, laid-​back atmosphere this is the place. Majority of the seating is decks with a view of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Live music and good cheeseburgers. What was normally a summer only destination has become year round from the addition of ice-​skating from November through March. Give it a try, you’ll like it.

Great view of the river from large dock side patio with umbrella tables. Go for the view and have a drink or two. Service is indifferent even during slow times. As for the food I’ve had much better. Go for the view skip the food.

great place to hang out and watch the river over price for the beers.

This place was bad ass. The bartenders know how to make great drinks and the service is top notch. There was a flea market going on when we were there in the building next door. They have live music, bags and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. We will be back on our next trip!

Usually come here @ least a couple times a year just to have some Macho Nachos with chilly & a few beers. My mom likes the white fish.
It’s an open air type place & river front property.

It’s all about the location here. The outdoor patio overlooks the Mississippi and there is really no place better (even in any of the surrounding areas) to take in the local geography. The Dock Salsa is a staple (a little pricey but worth it) and the beer selection is solid.

Expensive beer and mediocre food. This was my second trip to the loading dock. We went on Saturday evening to eat dinner and listen to some band with family. The band never showed up and we were there until after 7p. I was pretty sure the website said 6p for the band. The draft beer was $ 5 and tasted pretty warm. The food was not that good — except the pork nachos, they were pretty good. Also we tried the fish tacos, olive dip, catfish and hotdog. Te atmosphere was a Mix of families and bachelorette parties which is a little weird. I didn’t use the bathrooms but this is the kind of place you assume they are gross. The service is pretty terrible and they are overpriced. Their view and location is what gives them an edge.

Expected a good view and mediocre food. Turned out to be great food, great service, and a spectacular view. Would recommend to anyone. Buffalo chicken wrap and macho nachos were both great. Very reasonably priced!

The Landing Dock has a beautiful view and a huge lovely outdoor area. The Landing Dock was hard to find — look for a huge old building with a red roof at the foot of Brown St. & it is on the river side of it. Just east of the red & white «lighthouse».
My family group of 5 really enjoyed being outside surrounded by the river, the artwork, flowers, and pretty wind sculptures. The seating was self served, which was great to sit where we wanted. However, after we seated ourselves in the shade of an empty table’s umbrella (our table didn’t have one) the waitress later removed the umbrella because it was «broken» and the sun was in our eyes! However when we asked her to replace the umbrella she did so.
The food was OK, bar food, just average, but the atmosphere outside made up for it.

Great place to visit. It has the feel of the Lake of the Ozarks, yet, much closer. Great people and music. Go there for the flea market, then have lunch and a beverage by the river!

This place is amazing. I’ve been here several times and they have great food and drinks. They are not overpriced and the view is great. Try the famous chips and salsa you can’t go wrong. Great live bands too. They also have video poker machines and free wifi. Great place.

We always love going to the loading dock.
The servers are always very nice. The view is fantastice.
My favorite menu optioins are the fish tacos, oinion rings, & cole slaw.
I wish they had ice cream or dessert.
If it is a sunny day, make sure to bring a hat and sunglasses in case you are not lucky to find a table with an umbrella.

This is Grafton atmosphere 101 at its finest. Probably the best bar for people watching. Wide open and airy, no walls to the outside. It’s not usually packed to the gills with this great floor plan. They have gas log Bön fire pits and a band on in the evenings. Huge bar and outstanding rum based slushies. The bartenders are always awesome to joke with. A++ service!

Awesome place to hangout by the Mississippi River! Gorgeous view and great good! Go for the BBQ pulled pork and fries!!!

Awesome place for food and drinks. Friendly servers, prompt service, good food, pretty setting. Love going here. Lots of reunions & receptions held here too. Popular place in Grafton.

My first visit was yesterday. After passing it a few times I was excited to try it out. The atmosphere is definitely outdoor summer based. Grafton is a river town so that didn’t surprise me. The view is outstanding!!! There is a covered portion of an outdoor dining room and a patio portion with tables that have umbrellas. Lots of motorcyclists and bicyclists can be found here.
After a long day of bicycling. We stopped here for lunch on our way home. The drink service is separate from meal service. You can order drinks from your server and choose to pay cash as you order or start a tab by handing them your credit cards. I’m guessing people used to run out on their bill for one reason or another with those kind of rules.
The server gave us menus and explained the ordering process. Go outside and stand in line to place your order and then you get a number where they bring your food to your table. We chose cheeseburgers and fries as well as a side of onion rings. It took about 10 min to stand through the lines to order. Not too bad. The prices seemed a bit high for the portion sizes.
The food came in about 15 –20 min later. Again not too bad. The burgers were decent. Very cheesy and had decent flavor. The fries were good. The onion rings were awesome!!! Very thick breading. Crunchy and the onions were done perfectly.
I can see how this place is a great place to go and hang out with your friends after a day of boating on the river or just hanging out in Grafton.
I debated on giving 4 or 3 stars. I chose the three bec of the prices /​manual effort into getting your order.
Would I go back? That’s a maybe.

It Is a great place with beautiful views of the river. Great mixed drinks. Nightly music. The drive here is pretty or take the ferry from St. Charles. I come here a few times a year. Great day trip with kids. The food here is good and inexpensive.

I have been to the Loading Dock on more than one occasion over the last few years. I love Grafton and the small town, BIG atmosphere is really lovely. The Concept of the establishment is amazing. Genius actually. What kind of place can you go to that is right on the water, literally, and have multiple levels of seating on the deck. Open up all of the walls to river air and sunshine and have great bar service?
The last time I was there the bartenders were all wearing different colored matching sunglasses and they were honestly just fun and friendly people to be around. They were busy but still had time to chat with people.
The summertime is the best time to be here! I have only drank here, I never ordered food. *That’s my disclaimer.
But I can tell you that it is on my list for any and all subsequent returns to Grafton.
Plan a little weekend day road trip down the Great River Road and this is one of the first spots on the way into town — add it to your list!

I was here on a Sunday afternoon and had no idea what to expect. My nonexistent expectations were not exceeded. I had the whitefish sandwich which arrived on stale white bread with limp fries. My daughters cheeseburger was well done, dry and flavorless. The only highlight was the attractive blonde waitress we had.
The avg age for this visit was about 55 and we left asap. I’ll give this place one more chance during the height of summer, hopefully it’ll impress with outdoor seating and skimpy bikinis.

We stayed out in these cute little river cabins for a night last weekend. So cute and comfy. There was five of us and we were not in top of each other at all. Great space with a nice little kitchen and big dining table great for gathering around and playing games. There is a TV with basic Dishnetwork. And a radio or DVD player. And they are Fido friendly so the for legged family gets to join in the fun. We loved that we were in right Downtown Grafton so we could walk to get what ever we wanted, hello fudge! We will be coming back soon.