Dockside Guest Quarters Reviews
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![Isabella]()
Isabella Sent on 09/29/2024Beautiful View, Incredible Staff
When we first began dreaming of our wedding, we knew two things would be key to a successful reception--dancing and food. When we stumbled across the Dockside Restaurant and realized we could book out the entire place, we couldn't believe our luck! Here are our top four reasons you should absolutely choose Dockside for your reception venue:
(1) The Food - Kendra and the team were eager to work with us to craft the perfect wedding menu. We have a lot of allergies as well as foodies in the family, and they balanced the desire for delicious food with perfect signature cocktails with the need to keep shellfish and gluten far away from a few guests. We ended up with about 120 guests, and they did a great job accommodating everything. This included mini-lobster rolls and oyster shooters with gazpacho as appetizers, HUGE portions of price rib, delicious fresh fish, a great vegan option (usually overlooked but not here!), and killer desserts.
(2) The View and Ambience - York Harbor at sunset is magical, and the Dockside is in a perfect spot to enjoy it. Everyone loved the expansive green lawn, the small rocky beach, the cute gazebo, and the long dock that puts you among the sailboats. Our guests enjoyed the grounds so much, some of them almost missed the start of dinner. Dockside itself does their beautiful location justice with large, floor to ceiling windows that let you gaze at the water as the sun went down, and an enclosed porch that meant our guests could take a break from the dance floor without feeling as if they were leaving party. As a bonus, the Dockside's floor plan makes it ideal for a dancing.
(3) The Staff - We worked with two, wonderful event coordinators due to a long engagement. Our first, Heather, helped put us at ease by walking us through rainy day plans, confirming our choice of DJ, and introducing us to the Dockside's expansive menu. Our second event coordinator, Kendra was as enthusiastic as we were about our event! She helped us work out a plan for all the allergies, and coordinated the special touches mentioned below. All our servers were wonderful! They were attentive, fast, and so kind!! It was clear that everyone on the staff wanted us to feel good and for the event to go smoothly.
(4) Special Touches - Kendra helped us plan two signature cocktails and one signature mocktail at no extra cost! The venue was accommodating of our using a school bus to pick up and drop off our guests. And we took the option of extending our night by an hour--and all of our servers stayed through the entire event!
If you are considering the Dockside for your wedding reception then look no further - this is the place!
PS. We had our ceremony at a different location, but we are confident that Kendra and the group would also do a fabulous job hosting that, too. The view of the harbor is gorgeous and they have a comprehensive rainy day plan. So much so that they were actually our rain location despite our ceremony being elsewhere. -
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![Hailey]()
Hailey Sent on 10/01/2022September Wedding
My husband and I got married at Dockside last weekend (September 2022) with blue skies but 30mph winds. We still wanted to have the ceremony outside, and the staff was great at making sure all the decor was set up and not blowing around. Heather (the venue coordinator) was great at answering so many of my questions leading up to the event and set up the tables, desserts, decor, etc. exactly as I had imagined. She was also flexible with timing as the night went on, and was super attentive to our guests with limited mobility. The bartenders were awesome, and out photographer and DJ had worked with Heather many times before so it went seamlessly. The view was unbeatable, and I'm so happy we chose Dockside. -
![Judi]()
Judi Sent on 09/13/2022Stunning Venue
My daughters wedding was absolutely flawless! Dockside Restaurant is a hidden gem. I highly recommend this venue. -
![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 09/13/2021Wonderful!!
We absolutely loved our wedding and experience with Dockside. The grounds were beautiful and the staff was AMAZING. Heather coordinated everything for our event and really made it seamless. We had a few hiccups and she kept me calm and rolled with it all. We stayed in a room onsite as well which was so clean and breakfast was great! We had the BEST time. Honestly what a great venue! 10/10 -
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![Christine]()
Christine Sent on 05/14/2019Everything we imagined!
We couldn't have asked for a better wedding day! Dockside captured everything we were hoping for in a wedding venue; flexible, relaxed, and beautiful. Phil was incredibly personable, professional, and great to work with. What was most important to us was the ability to completely design our menu from top to bottom. (Dockside even accommodated a request to buck Maine tradition and serve a butter-drawn lobster roll.) The food was absolutely delicious, and the servers and bartenders were prompt, friendly, and professional as well. Dockside was also gracious enough to accommodate us a bit earlier in the season due to some time sensitive constraints. My partner and I also live far out of state, and Phil made planning with us a breeze. We look forward to visiting Dockside for many years to come. -
Lisa Sent on 03/23/2018We are excited to celebrate our one year anniversary with dinner at the Dockside. It was such a beautiful location and truly a magical day. The extras sometimes needed in weddings weren’t necessary as the natural beauty of the location was all anyone could ask for. I will forever smile to think of the day and hope to return as a tradition on anniversaries to celebrate.
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Stacey Sent on 12/22/2017Heather was absolutely amazing. She handled every aspect of our small (21 guest) wedding with perfection. The guests are STILL raving about the food, and the service was spot on. We requested appetizers all night instead of sit down meals, and not only was Heather accommodating, but she made game-changing suggestions that we couldn't have thought of ourselves. She worked with us over a period of ten months to fine-tune the details and answer any questions we had. We truly enjoyed our wedding day and had time to take in the moments of the day because we knew Heather had everything under control, from the wedding to the cocktail hour to the seamless transition into the reception. Including a gluten free meal for one of the guests!
Going to the Dockside was hands down the best decision we ever could have made in selecting our wedding and reception venue. Not to mention the gorgeous wedding photos we got from three different locations steps away from each other on the property that made it look like we traveled to three sites! And the water/boat views from the restaurant kept the guests entertained all day and night. Thank you to Heather and her entire team of professionals for giving us, our friends and families an event to remember fondly. -
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Ross Sent on 12/09/2017We had a June wedding at the dockside. All of our guests absolutely loved the venue and the food was fantastic! The dockside has a long list of food options for weddings, but they also let you customize and make special requests. We ate at the dockside restaurant multiple times before the wedding, and the best food we had was the day we got married!
We had our guests stay at the inns owned by the restaurant next door, and we stayed at the closest inn in the bridal suite. It was like getting married on your own little island in New England. Heather, the event coordinator, was very nice, communicative, and professional. Best of all, she was there the day of our wedding to make sure everything went off without a hitch. A wedding venue is a huge investment in more ways than one, but dockside was totally worth every penny. -
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Alex Sent on 11/25/2017We had the most amazing wedding because of the dockside restaurant. Not only was the venue just naturally beautiful but he staff was amazing and the food. They were so flexible with all my needs and ideas. I could never put into words just how wonderful the venue and the people are. Especially Heather. She worked directly with me to get things organized. She was amazing!! I know I sound like a broken record but my dream wedding was possible because of everyone that works there.
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Van Sent on 11/24/2017Our wedding day, the venue, the food, the guest quarters and of course the weather could not have been more perfect! A huge thank you to Heather and the entire Dockside team for everything they did to make our special day magical. We will be back (not for a second wedding but for the food and lodging!).
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Meghan Sent on 09/25/2017If you want the most beautiful wedding venue, this is your place! My daughter was married here this past weekend and it was the most perfect experience. Overlooking both York Harbor and the Atlantic, it is a family run by the Lusty family. The service was A++, the rooms are beautiful and the restaurant is the most unique setting for the reception. The food is out of this world! We ate at the restaurant once to sample the fare, and returned several times after, prior to the wedding, because it is just that good. Phil and his team are great and you will not be disappointed. I don't usually write reviews, but our experience was so outstanding, I had to share. Our guests continue to rave about our fabulous get away wedding weekend at the Dockside!
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User1862501 Sent on 10/14/2014We love the Dockside! It really is a "New England" dream wedding site - and our guests loved the view, the food & the beauty of the wedding. Phil was good to work with & was able to accommodate our food allergies & still provide delicious food.
Because of rain, we had all the events inside the restaurant, which is still a beautiful location ( I would be lying though to say I wasn't disappointed we couldn't use the outdoor space - it's truly spectacular!) Since we were confined to the restaurant, we at times were a bit crowded (136 total attended), but it also felt cozy & intimate.
Phil was great about letting us in early to decorate & then his wonderful staff also helped clean up our decor! Lindsey, one of the staff, took a personal interest in our table & made sure we were well cared for. I have only one complaint....the wait-staff wasn't informed soon enough that the reception was lasting an extra hour & they cleared the tables of wedding cake at 9 pm before a lot of people had a chance to eat it. We were very happy though, to have the reception last until 10 pm & Phil appreciated the lack of any drunken guests at our daughter's wedding.
Patty also worked with us, as we booked most of the rooms for the weekend & everyone loved the Inn/rooms too! The rehearsal dinner went smoothly & was delicious. The whole weekend was a dream come true. Thank you Dockside!!!! -
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User842943 Sent on 06/27/2012We had such a great experience with the Dockside. Though it poured on our wedding day and our ceremony was delayed by about one full hour, the staff at the restaurant gave us their full attention. They even closed the restaurant to concentrate on our wedding when their generator stopped working. That is dedication and I HIGHLY recommend working with them. Also, the scenery was perfect for our wedding and the food was delicious. I had the perfect wedding. -
![Avery's mommy]()
Bobbi Sent on 09/15/2009I would definitely recommend working with the Dockside to anyone. What a beautiful site to have your ceremony and reception! We had planned our ceremony on the front lawn overlooking the ocean but ended up having a hurricane the day of the event and Philip was so great with flexibility and pulling things together. I was bummed that we had to have it inside but it still came out absolutely beautiful. He always responded to my questions/emails quickly.
The staff and food were also excellent!
Thanks again guys!!
Bobbi and Brian -
![Karla]()
Karla Sent on 05/21/2014Food and atmosphere were spectacular! The views cannot be beat! We enjoyed every moment of our special day! I would definitely recommend the Dockside for anyone looking for a stunning wedding venue! Especially one with a great New England feel and not your typical ballroom venue! -
User1434703 Sent on 11/12/2013The Dockside is an amazing venue absolutely breathtaking and well worth it if you want a seaside venue for your event. The food was delicious and the staff polite and very sweet.
However, the responsiveness by the owner was very slow sometimes 2 weeks to get back to us. As for professionalism I can't say it was good. The owner first greeted us with our families during someone elses' preparation for their weeding to discuss floor plan and food. He had said it might be possible to keep us going until 1AM the night of our wedding. At 11:30 party was over which is fine but don't turn the lights on, start flipping your tables, and give no answer as to why its over and start kicking people out like its a night club.
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