Docks

I hadn't been to Docs in a while so decided to treat myself. The service was absolutely impeccable. A+ but the food was average. I got a $29 lobster roll and have it better for about ten bucks from a place in manhattan. It wasn't terrible but there were a couple of "fishy" bites. Plus I bit down on a piece of shell. Just not the kind of food that you'd expect from Docks. A little dissapointed, won't be gong back.

Just had brunch there, invited by clients. There were four of us. Three of us had Eggs Benedict. Every dish was cold, the eggs were hard cooked, not runny, the English muffin was hard. Of the cups of coffee I had, only the second refill was hot. This restaurant is past its prime. Don't waste your time and money, there are much better places in midtown.

The martini I ordered while awaiting my friend was cool, not cold and quickly became room temperature. When my friend arrived, I ordered New England clam chowder as a starter. It was cold. I sent it back and was reserved cold. I sent it back again and it finally was slightly hot. The entree, while hot was served with cold mashed potatoes. My friend's meal came with cold French fries. All through the meal. our waitperson was out of sight and other staff were simply unavailable. For $75 each, including tip, what used to be a good seafood restaurant is not so good anymore.

Went to Docks for a friend's birthday the other night. First, our reservation was not in the computer so had to make it on the spot. Ordered the baked clams appetizer. 6 of the smallest clams I've ever seen. We also ordered two caesar salads for the table. They were served in bowls the size of a cowboy hat which made them even smaller than they actually were. The fried calamari was good, but again, a small portion. I ordered the fried shrimp entree and they came out overcooked. For my portion of the bill, $80, I would rather have gone to a nice steakhouse.

We have been eating at Docks for over 20 years and have had many fine meals there. Today was a surprisingly bad exception. We arrived at approximately 2:45 anticipating a late brunch and were seated in a nice corner booth with view of 3rd and 40th. It was downhill from there. My wife excused herself for a moment and the hostess gave us the brunch menu; a few minutes later, she came back and announced that we had the wrong menus. The brunch menu clearly stated availability until 3 pm and she gave us a 3 pm to 4 pm menu in exchange. When I questioned this and noted that it was in fact only 2:53, she gave a shrug and walked away. The different menu was with considerably higher prices - for a time when the place was substantially empty. The waiter came and was obviously new to the restaurant, although his age and protestation suggested he had years of experience as a waiter. He was not familiar with the menu or the featured items and beers. He did offer a taste of a particular kind of beer and my wife agreed it was good and asked for a full serving while ordering the Mussels Provencal, along with a serving of the chowder. I excused myself to use facilities and while returning, I heard the waiter order from the bar a different beer than my wife ordered along with my order. When I arrived at the table, the bread was that which is normally served with brunch, not the great selection offered for dinners - but remember we couldn't have brunch. The beers arrived and in fact it wasn't what my wife had ordered, but she decided not to make an issue of it - we should have, for when the mussels arrived, it was Mariniere, not Provencal - we questioned it (there were obviously no tomatoes or pepper flakes as advertised). We questioned that and were assured it was what we ordered but he promised to check for us - if he did, he never came back to tell us. My wife orders Mussels frequently and we know the difference. When the bill arrived, it clearly stated the incorrect beer, but not the incorrect Mussels. After the fact, we know we should have questioned each slight more fully and if were not so tired (having just played golf on a 90 degree day), probably would have left immediately when the brunch menu was retracted. So, is Docks slipping? In my mind, the mark of a good service establishment is when they give good service and value even in the slack times; when they are full we can forgive inconsistency, when they are not - no excuses.

Docks still has terrific food; but the last couple of times I've been there for lunch, the service was slow and so unorganized it was truly unprofessional. I really hope this doesn't continue; it's making me think twice about going back.

We love this place. Great selection of seafood, beverages and fantastic service make this place a perfect spot for dinner, drinks or light fare. Bravo!