I dined at Dock’s Oyster House, a 128-year-old seafood restaurant. The $47 seafood tower was worth every dollar.

• I recently dined at Dock’s Oyster House, a 128-year-old seafood restaurant in Atlantic City.
• The atmosphere was bright and nautical-inspired, with an incredible seafood menu to match.
• The $47 seafood tower was an incredible value, and I’ll be back in the near future.

Dock’s Oyster House has quietly anchored Atlantic City’s dining scene for over 125 years.

When Harry “Dock” Dougherty opened its doors in 1897, with a goal of bringing fresh seafood to Atlantic City, the restaurant was modest — just 60 seats and no liquor license — but it quickly became a favorite.

Remarkably, Dock’s has remained in the Dougherty family for four generations, a rare achievement in a city known for its fluctuating tourism that often fuels a restaurant’s success.

Over the years, the restaurant has been renovated, expanded, and modernized, yet it still carries the same charm and sense of history that’s been woven into its walls for more than a century.

Here’s what it was like to dine at Dock’s Oyster House in Atlantic City.

On a cloudy summer day in Atlantic City, I stopped by Dock’s Oyster House, a historic restaurant on Atlantic Avenue.

Dock’s Oyster House is a legendary spot that has been serving seafood by the shore for more than a century.

The Dougherty family is as much an Atlantic City icon as Dock’s itself. Today, brothers Joe and Frank Dougherty — the fourth generation to carry on the legacy — run the landmark restaurant.

Their family’s portfolio of restaurants has since expanded beyond Dock’s to include other local institutions, such as the historic Knife & Fork Inn, Linwood Country Club, and Dougherty’s Steakhouse & Raw Bar inside Resorts Casino in Atlantic City.

The moment I walked in, the energy was warm and inviting.

Despite being a historic restaurant, the interior looked modern and well-preserved, with hints of classic seaside charm.

The dining room buzzed with energy as guests slurped oysters and dug into seafood dishes.

Even though I was dining just after 5 p.m. on a Sunday, the dining room was already busy.

White tablecloths adorned each table, and sharply dressed waiters glided between them, balancing trays stacked with oysters, scallops, and other fresh catches.

Rich wooden floors were balanced out by modern, industrial-looking light fixtures. It was the perfect balance of charm and comfort.

The restaurant also displayed nautical charm, from the décor to the food.

The maritime-themed accents throughout the restaurant were a playful nod to Atlantic City.

By the bar, a pianist played music that echoed throughout the dining room.

I thought this added an elegant touch to the restaurant’s ambience.

I was pleasantly surprised that even in the back of the dining room, where I was seated, I could hear the classical music being played in the other room.

Old family photos lining the walls offered a look into Dock’s long history.

Snapshots of the Dougherty family and the restaurant’s evolution over the past 128 years gave insight into how Dock’s Oyster House has remained an Atlantic City institution.

The photos gave the dining room a personal, nostalgic feel, reminding guests that Dock’s is more than just a historic seafood spot — it’s a family legacy carried through four generations.

Near the entrance of the restaurant was a framed copy of the menu from 1955.

The 1955 menu featured dishes like steak and fish, as well as a crab meat au gratin casserole.

It may be hard to imagine a time when you could get a half dozen oysters for just $0.75, but that was the reality for diners 70 years ago.

The menu has changed slightly over the past 70 years, but featured some familiar dishes.

While the prices may have changed, Dock’s still serves up oysters and classic seafood dishes on its menu.

The menu also featured a selection of “Dock’s Classics,” which have been on the menu since the restaurant first opened in 1897.

I started with a cucumber martini.

The “Original Cucumber Martini” ($15) was made with Alibi gin, muddled cucumber, and lemon. It was very refreshing and went down smoothly.

My server delivered a warm roll to the table to start.

The sesame-seed-covered roll was served with a small pot of creamy butter.

The butter was soft and flavorful, as was the roll.

The bread practically melted in my mouth, and was the perfect start to the meal to satiate my growing appetite.

The star of the meal was the seafood tower for two.

The chilled shellfish sampler for two ($47) included three oysters, three clams, two shrimp, six mussels, shrimp ceviche, crabmeat, and half a chilled lobster.

The shrimp ceviche was fresh and citrusy.

The shrimp ceviche is made with shrimp marinated in citrus, jalapeño, tomato, chopped bell peppers, avocado, cucumber, cilantro, and onion.

The portion was relatively small, but enough for two people to sample the flavors of the ceviche.

It was unbelievably fresh, and the shrimp was juicy. The tomatoes and cilantro added even more flavor, while the tortilla chips provided the perfect vessel to spoon it into my mouth.

I tried raw clams for the first time.

I’ve had stuffed and fried clams before, but never raw clams. The bite tasted similar to some kinds of oysters — briny and fresh from the ocean — but the texture was different.

I enjoyed them, but they weren’t my favorite of the seafood selection.

The mussels were cooked to perfection.

They were decently hearty, and I enjoyed the flavor, though they were served plain instead of part of a broth, like I’m used to ordering.

The presentation was also beautiful and made for a photo op.

They gave us a selection of the day’s oysters.

I didn’t catch what kind of oysters they were or where they were from, but they were perfectly sweet and shucked to perfection.

The shells were extraordinarily clean. The oysters were delicious on their own or with the provided cocktail sauce.

The cooked crabmeat paired well with the mayonnaise provided.

It was fresh and flavorful, and the portion was relatively generous.

I was shocked at how much seafood I received for $47. For the quality of the seafood I was eating, it felt like a fair price.

Next up was the half lobster, which we cracked ourselves.

I was happy I had brought along a friend to share the seafood tower with, as I’m not the most adept at cracking lobster or crab.

When we cracked open the leg, we saw the juicy, succulent lobster meat poking out.

Dunked in the butter, the lobster meat was out of this world.

It was the perfect finale to an already decadent first course. With plenty of lobster meat to share, we both felt like we were getting more than our money’s worth.

To keep the meal going, I ordered a classic Caesar salad.

The Caesar salad ($11.50) was pretty basic, but for such a low price, I wasn’t complaining.

It wasn’t a full meal, but every bite was bright, fresh, and packed with flavor.

It was everything you’d hope for: Crisp romaine leaves tossed in a creamy, tangy dressing with the ideal amount of cheesy flavor, balanced out by a large helping of shredded Parmesan.

Simple and straightforward, it proved why the Caesar salad endures as a staple at seafood joints and steakhouses alike.

I ordered one of the Dock’s Classics for my entrée.

To stick with tradition, I ordered one of the classic menu items that Dock’s Oyster House has been serving for generations: the pan sautéed crab cakes ($38) with jumbo lump crabmeat and a roasted red pepper purée.

The crab cake was packed with flavor.

The crab cake at Dock’s was all about the star ingredient: sweet, hearty lump crabmeat with barely any filler to distract from its flavor.

The outside was crisp and golden, while the inside was tender, flaky, and full of fresh crab flavor.

Paired with the roasted pepper purée, the crab cakes were among the best I’ve ever had.

By the time I left, I felt like I was part of the family.

Between the exceptional service, high-quality seafood, and timeless atmosphere, I was wowed by my experience at Dock’s Oyster House.

With its long legacy, authentic nautical charm, delicious food, and fair prices, I can easily see why Dock’s Oyster House remains an Atlantic City institution more than a century after opening.

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