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 (
). 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.

While visiting the Keys from Phoenix, Arizona, we selected this place based on a description from our motel’s restaurant guide that mentioned the Sunday night jam session that was popular with locals. Because we prefer to avoid the touristy places and because we like open mic nights, we checked it out. I was a little skeptical about the menu but what we had was alright, not great. I had the garlic bread with cheese, which was plentiful, and a bowl of the soup of the day. When I asked our server what the soup of the day was, she said, «Some kind of chicken that I haven’t seen yet. Could be chicken and rice, could be something else.» I gambled and went with it, and it turned out to be chicken and vegetable, which was kind of unique in that it had a lot of broccoli. It went well with the bread.
My companion had the steak and cheese hoagie, which came with fries, and he liked it.
We also had several beers and whiskey sours while we enjoyed the performance. If you’re used to more gentile places, this jam session will not be for you. If you’re into local characters and don’t mind some coarse language, jokes about smoking doobies, and a lot of actual cigarette smoking (the place is outside on a dock, after all), then this place is for you on Sundays. «Brother Randy,» the jam session’s host, is amazingly talented. He played the guitar, violin, and harp all night. Not the best food in the Keys, I’m sure, but I’m not sure you’ll get the same entertainment anywhere else.

This is a funky bar/​restaurant where boaters with dreadlocks meet off the beaten path tourists.
It’s not for everyone, however, we are pretty good at finding good fish places and for us, this is as good as it gets in Marathon. Their fresh fish specials, whether the sandwich for lunch or dinner are delicious. Plus the price — we were just there tonight and for $ 15 we had so much fresh grilled/​blackened grouper I couldn’t finish it, plus 3 tasty blackened shrimp, over rice (or pasta) with a couple steamed veggies on the side, plus a roll.
Earlier in March 2012, we had a late lunch with grilled mahi mahi that was the best we’ve had for awhile — keep in mind, we live on a boat in the Caribbean/​Keys and eat fresh fish frequently.
The prices are more than reasonable compared to the other Marathon eateries. The view of Boot Key Harbor isn’t bad, BUT if you’re adverse to locals with dreadlocks hanging out & chatting, don’t bother, you won’t like it no matter how good the food might be…
As for us, we’ll go back … maybe for happy hour — 11 AM to 6 PM right now, not sure hours the rest of the year — and maybe get to enjoy 25 cent wings that looked and smelled really good too! :)
P. S. Don’t bother dressing up! Part of the charm!

Granted, this is the Keys, where eccentricity and being laid back is the norm, but there are still tourists to serve in the hopes they will return:
THIS REVIEW ONLY COVERS A BREAKFAST MEAL: I had breakfast there on a Saturday morning in early February. Apparently breakfast was a new offering by the restaurant’s new owner. They have nowhere to go but up. There was only one server for a fairly full room, and believe it or not, only one copy the of the «menu» available for the entire dining room! The featured french toast was good, but spoiled by the packaged syrup which is mostly high fructose corn syrup. I’d skip this place for breakfast, even if you are docked nearby, and head to a more established place until the new owner gets his act together.
The location is nice, off the beaten track of Rt 1, and right on the water. Lots of high end watercraft docked around the restaurant. It’s really busy at night, and the music we heard (just passing by) sounded good.