Tognazzini’s Dockside Too

We always eat here at least once each visit to Morro Bay. Freshest seafood, the help is eager to please, and local entertainment. What’s not to like? Very laid back and dog friendly.

There are three locations, owned by the same owner. We ate at the one where you dine inside. For a family of 5 we spent $ 93. I thought the prices were a little on the expensive side. We had decided to eat inside cause we wanted refills on our drinks. The 1^st waiter we had, had no patience, the 2^nd didn’t know the meaning of a refill and the 3 rd waiter was awesome. Yes, we had two waiters switch on us. I would like to try their other places but I won’t be back to this one

Since this place was on our way to NorCal, we stopped by for an early dinner. Parking was easy for a Saturday. We walked up to the counter and looked at the menu, but I had already decided to get the BBQ oysters and my husband was going to share his fish and chips with me. We got a table next to the water were we saw a sea otter and seals during our meal. Don’t stray too far so that you can hear your name when your food is ready. I enjoyed the food but the random guy playing the guitar and singing to an iPod was a little strange for me. Overall, I would come back here.

Great location with nice outdoor seating with live music. I ordered the raw oysters which were very fresh I just wish they would have cleaned it a little better but it was still very good. Had the Bbq oysters which were ok but I prefer them raw with all the fixings. Enjoyed the calamari and the fish and chips. Portions are pretty decent. I will definitely go back for the oysters and I will make sure they clean it extra good :)

Our new favorite place to eat in Morro Bay. My bbq’ed oyster was the SIZE of a HANDBALL! Patio dining, super dog friendly, live music (not too loud), local and super fresh. Shout Out to ‘Mark’ and all the guys behind the counter. Dont leave without a can of smoked tuna.

This place is just dreadful. What a disappointment after reading good reviews. It’s very confusing which restaurant is being reviewed since there are more than one with similar name… We were at sit down restaurant that seemed full of locals, which is so weird. Is a very touristy level type of place with below average food.
The bbq oysters were not bbq’d. Hot butter flavored with garlic was poured over them. They were drowning in it. Ugh
The appetizer was brought with our entrée and the waiter said they were too busy to get it right.
The food is bland institution type food, like a chain restaurant.
I had the fish of the day grilled and it was so dry and flavorless.
We fortunately had an awesome time driving there from big sur and hiking six miles at Limekiln and then stopping to see all the elephant seals.

Ok so — 5 star ambiance (hello old dudes on electric guitars singing Mambo No. 5), 5 star location — directly on the water with an open patio which not all restaurants in the area have but YUCK to the BBQ’d oysters!
We were super excited to get them based off the respected opinion of other Unilocalers but ew. Sure, they might have been tasty if they were normal sized but they were SO enormous that you had to cut them into pieces to eat them. I don’t know about you but I like to slurp my oysters down before I can think about their insides and all the bits I’m eating. This was all just too weird for me. We ended up getting through 1 and leaving the other 5 to the seagulls. I wish they would have indicated on their menu that these were monster oyster or had an example on ice — I would have seriously reconsidered my order.

My husband and I stopped here when we found out they had fish tacos for less than $ 3 each. We ordered 4 tacos, squid salad, fries, a soda and an 805 on tap. It took a bit to receive our order but it was BUSY! They had live entertainment which kept us occupied while we waited.
The squid salad was amazing! It had lots of Asian inspired flavors (think sesame, ginger, water chestnuts, etc). Definitely worth the price! We ordered our tacos with fried cod. The cod was perfect and had a good balance of toppings (onion, cilantro and cabbage). Overall, definitely a good taco.
Fries were nothing special. They were fried well but lacked much seasoning.
We used to go to Rosa’s for our fish tacos but the last few times we went, the service was terrible and the prices were crazy for not great quality anymore. We’ll definitely be making the Dockside Too our new tradition when hitting Morro Bay.

I seriously LOVE Dockside Too!!! Since my introduction last August (that’s August 2015), I’ve been as often as possible. I really want to go to the other Docksides, but I don’t know how I’ll get in with the incredible views at Dockside Too always pulling me back.
Every time I go, I get the fish and chips. I tried the fish tacos and shrimp tacos once before and they were both delicious. However, the fish and chips take the cake! You get two or three pieces of fresh fish battered and fried to perfection and served with, you guessed it, fries. Splash a little vinegar and lemon on and you’re good to go. However, I’d also suggest asking for the shrimp taco sauce (it’s red, but not the marinara). It adds a level of amazingness to the fish and chips that’s just great.
I love sitting by the water whenever there’s an open table. Every time I’ve been in, there’s a line and seating appears to be full, but I’ve never actually had to look for a table for long. The service is great here, too.

This is one of my favorite places to go to when I am in Morro Bay. They are super dog friendly and the food is tasty, reasonably priced and the dogs love watching the sea gulls from the deck. If you are looking for a place to dine out with your dog, this is a must stop the next time you go to Morro Bay.
The owners/​management are also really welcoming to large groups of people with dogs if you give them advanced notice of a date/​time that your group is coming.

This restaurant was recommended to us from a friend that comes to Morro Bay often. It was Excellent. We arrived on a Friday evening about 5PM and got a seat right by the water. We had the BBQ Oysters (which were the best we had the entire weekend) and Halibut (very fresh) with French Fries.

Best BBQ oysters with garlic butter EVER. Omg! I’d definitely come back for more!
If you’re ever driving up the 1 freeway, stop by this place. You won’t regret it. My friend recommended the place and since we were driving back to LA from big sur, we decided to try. Good thing we did!
It’s all outdoor seating but they have umbrellas so it’s not too hot. You order your food and they take it to you. It’s also nice because you have a view of the bay. You also get to see Morro Rock. It’s this huge rock surrounded by water.
They also have a little live music going. Nothing too crazy. It was really cool!
We went on a Friday at around 11 – 11:30am so it wasn’t too busy but I can imagine the plane getting busy. It’s also not that big.
But try the oysters! You won’t regret it!
It’s also pet friendly. Lots of guests had their cute dogs with them.

We walked out mainly due to customer service at the counter and OLD LOCAL Fish. There was a line and the kid did NOT acknowledge any of us. I asked him when the «Local» cod came in. He replied 4 days. I replied back, Fish are like houseguests, after 3 days you throw it out.
We walked out. I just did not get the vibes even though I knew the fish on the menu was fresh frozen Alaskan Cod for fish and chips.

We must be spoiled by Malibu Seafood Patio Café Restaurant in Malibu, CA.
Cuz’ no fish and chips and/​or clam chowder place in Morro Bay lived up to the hype! Shame on you supposedly highest rated fish and chips and clam chowder places like Tognazinni’s and House of Ju Ju… if I were to take a blind challenge to see which is the best, you both would fail to make the top ten.
Btw, Tognazinni’s dockside too, I had to send both the bread bowl clam chowder and the fries back, cuz’ they were luke warm… Booo on you!
Here is what I would recommend at Tognazinni, get the BBQ oysters, YUM! Skip the clam chowder and the fish n chips. Grab a couple of brewski’s and listen to the live music on the weekend.
If you’re lucky and the sun is up, life can’t get much better!
I’m giving it a 3 generous stars. Only for the BBQ oysters, plus the outside seating area where we saw, a sea lion, a sea otter, and a pelican.
Just keepin’ Morro Bay restaurants on check!
The Real Foodie

I’ve been here a few times and never disappointed. Just a 20 min drive from SLO, this place has good seafood. Certainly not the best fish I’ve ever had but okay for the price and experience.
I love that it is very dog friendly. The patio has built in dog leashes so your pets can dine with you. I really enjoy the live entertainment. It’s a one man show, so you can listen to music in the background while you are eating and enjoying the view.
Service could use a little work. It wouldn’t hurt to smile more. 3 stars is for the cod.

We go here for the BBQ oysters! It’s a must to stop by here everytime we take a roadtrip along highway one!
BEST BBQ OYSTERS I’VE EVER HAD! They’re really fresh and big! The garlicy sauce is really good too!
Btw, this is the outdoor Tognazzini restaurant. You go up to the counter and order what you (usually a dozen of oysters!) and they’ll call your name once it’s ready. It has a really nice chill vibe with live music playing in the patio. I’ve seen some dogs here so I’m assuming they’re dog friendly. You are by the pier and have an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean and the giant Morro Rock. Last time we were here, I saw a sea otter just floating around and it’s soo cute.
Although I really love coming back here, I’m only giving it 4 stars cuz they don’t have their own restroom. You will need to go out and use the public restroom outside and the toilet is really filthy. Maybe just skip it and go use the restroom elsewhere.

Tastiest oysters on the central coast, best grilled fish tacos an all around amazing place. I recommend these oysters over anyone else’s guaranteed fresh from the bay to the table. There grilled fish tacos are somthing special it comes with a cilantro lime sauce that im still craving.
Also a bonus is the LIVE Music! If the amazing view wasn’t inviting enough the friendly staff and awesome musicians seals the deal. Oh yeah dog friendly too.

BBQ’d oysters are now $ 1.95 but I don’t care because these are the tastiest, freshest cooked oysters i’ve ever had! They cook these oysters just enough so they aren’t chewy and still soft and steaming hot when you get them. Enjoy with a nice cold beer either on tap or in a bottle.
Also, get a table by the water and watch the seals swim around. Great place to enjoy an afternoon snack on a sunny day.

Dockside al fresco dining with live music just can’t get any better. Oh but wait, they also sell fresh and cooked seafood at a reasonable cost. Now, that’s a winner in my book.
It’s $ 2 a pop for their BBQ OYSTERS which was served drowning in all that garlic butter goodness. I, however, prefer to eat these babies raw. We bought 2 dozens of the fresh ones to-​go ($ 1 ea.) and I can’t tell you enough how sweet and succulent these were. Bring a cooler if you’re going to be on the road for a while. It’s totally worth it.
Their CLAM CHOWDER ($ 5.95 L bowl) is something you shouldn’t miss. Not only will it warm you up as the sea breeze blows your way but this hearty bowl is scrumptiously creamy and loaded with large pieces of fresh clams. The whole fam loved this.
Nicely battered cod FISH AND CHIPS (2 pcs $ 9.95) is another delightful item that was popular with our group but I personally prefer their OYSTERS AND CHIPS ($ 12.95) by a mile. These deep fried aphrodisiacs were fantastic especially with the dipping sauce it came with. And it doesn’t hurt when they know how to make some mean french fries, too.
The SEAFOOD QUESADILLA ($ 17.95) is huuuuuge! Shrimp, scallops, and fish, all very fresh, are sandwiched with melted cheese between two perfectly thin tortillas. Our group raves of this dish and for good reason. I highly recommend.
You probably won’t go wrong with any of the Tognazzini’s establishments here. There are three of them but for a more casual feel, this self-​service-​order-​from-​the-​market-​counter location with outdoor seating has an almost arm’s-reach-view of the Morro Rock, not to mention photo-​worthy shots as the sun sets on the horizon. We came here twice on our trip and would love to come back the next time we visit.

Took a detour, drove down PCH, and ended up having an early dinner in Morro Bay.
Come here for their BBQ oysters which are BBQ’ed and drizzled with garlic butter. Delicious. The oysters are bbq-​ed to where it is still slightly chewy with a hint of brine, slightly charred, and drizzled with a generous pour of garlic butter. Not too much, not too little. Spritz the oysters with a dose of lemon juice and they are divine.
As for the rest of the food here, not so much. I tried the following items:
burger: should have known better not to order one since we were at a seafood restaurant. Burger patty was bland, but on the upside, the fries were delicious.
halibut and steak taco: both the fish and meat are smoked so it left a nice smokey flavor to both proteins. It worked better with the halibut because smoking the fish really brought out the flavors– the steak was okay. Not great, but okay.
½ dozen oysters on half shelf: these were nice and briny– $ 10.95 for half a dozen.
I know Tognazzini’s has a regular sit down, wait service restaurant a few steps down, but the prices are slightly higher by $ 2 – 3 bucks. This place is a no fuss, order at the counter restaurant for those who want a quick meal.