Dockside Restaurant on York Harbor

easy to work with and was extremely accommodating, honest, and fair throughout the whole process, giving us everything we wanted and more. Despite having a rainy day and needing to move our entire 160+ person event indoors, they were flexible in allowing us to make the call last minute and were still able to deliver a seamless ceremony and reception. Guests raved about all the food (from the appetizers, to the entrees, to the late night pizzas) and were reportedly very impressed with the speed of the bar throughout the night. All of my requests were honored and I am so impressed with Dockside as a whole- highly recommend staying with family/friends at Dockside Guest Quarters for an entire weekend of nothing but the friendliest staff and prettiest views!

t is exactly what happened. We originally booked our venue with high hopes that we had selected a veteran venue who could help our wedding day go smoothly. When we originally signed our contract we were told the venue had a wedding coordinator on staff that was to, you know.., coordinate the wedding. Leading up to the wedding should have been our sign to hire an external coordinator. Response times to questions ranged from multiple days to weeks, often with additional emails or texts needing to be sent in order to get a response. While frustrating, we assumed this was because they were busy planning weddings that were closer and we gave them grace. However, the day of our rehearsal and the day of our wedding, it became apparent that this was not the case. The day of the rehearsal our wedding coordinator had little interest in helping us rehearse. I (the bride) was responsible for setting everyone up. The following day we had agreed to meet up at 9AM to set up the venue. Originally, when we had our first meeting and tour of the venue, we were told the staff would be setting up. We only needed to explain how we wanted it to be set up. When we met that morning only the coordinator was there to meet us and it was the responsibility of the bridal party to set up the venue while the majority of the time the coordinator was on her computer. While we were setting up two other couples showed up for their venue tours. I couldn’t believe a venue tour was scheduled at the same time that they were supposedly to set up the venue. Once the venue was set up, neither the bride nor the groom was checked in on once all day unless we specifically went in search of the coordinator because she was delayed in responding to texts. It wasn’t until 10 minutes before the start of the ceremony that we realized on our own we would need to get into places and coordinate everyone ourselves in order to start on time. The groom almost saw the bride trying to get into position as there was NO help getting into places. The wedding started before the groomsmen and groom were in place because they were under the impression they were going to be cued to walk over. It wasn’t until people started coming down the aisle that the groom rushed to get into place with his groomsmen. Overall the day was made x100 more stressful as all of the planning and coordination fell on us, the bride and groom. This venue had a great location and food, but overall I wouldn’t recommend hosting your wedding here unless you plan on having an external wedding coordinator to rely on. It is most definitely an inn and restaurant first, wedding venue second and it shows in their lack of attention, attitude, and efforts.

20 guests. Our guests complimented the food and drink throughout the evening. Heather answered all of our questions leading up to our wedding, and come the day-of everything ran so smoothly — we were guided through the day, got everything we’d asked for, and didn’t have to worry about a thing.

day went so smoothly, everyone was so friendly, and the views and peacefulness around the marina are just unbeatable! We loved working with Heather. She was always flexible, honest, and helpful in every little detail question I had for her. Heather often responded to any emails within a few days, and if she did not, she would always say to email her again and she would get right back to you. There were a few times where we had to reach out again to get a response, but she was always so sweet and helpful if she missed our email! She has such a calm demeanor and her ease allowed for me to feel stress-free throughout the weekend. Our bridal party and family members stayed at the Dockside Guest Quarters for the weekend, and we had all of our bridal party stay within the Main House, and it was perfect having everyone together! We highly recommend extending your stay one extra day after the wedding. We got married on Saturday and stayed through Monday, and I swear most of Sunday we spent just sitting on the front porch looking at the view and taking in everything that happened the day prior. Thank you Heather and all of the Dockside team for a perfect day- we would not change a thing!

went perfectly and Heather was incredible to work with. She made the entire process easy, stress free, and was sure to support us in making the day truly whatever we wanted. The staff the day of were so kind and sweet. The staff were very personable and Heather was incredibly flexible from day 1 to us going to pick up our stuff the day after the wedding. If we had to do it all over again, we wouldn’t change a thing!

get married local, good food, and on the water. That's exactly what we got at the Dockside and more. it was so convenient to stay at the Inn and we had the rehearsal dinner here too. Like a local destination wedding for us on Harris Island.

find a venue on the water that allowed the natural beauty to be the backdrop to our “ I Do’s.” We looked at other venues in York, but we fell in love with the tucked away feeling the Dockside gave us. It felt like our own little world. The owner Phil stuck by our side in the midst of a very challenging set of circumstances as we all navigated through the Covid Pandemic. He was understanding and compassionate with all my concerns. I appreciate his calm demeanor. Heather, the event coordinator was absolutely fantastic! She made our day go so smoothmy. She and the staff executed all our decorations perfectly. They both were very accommodating! The food was perfect! We heard nothing but fantastic reviews on the food from our guests. We are so glad that we not only chose the Dockside for our wedding, but continued as planned even in the midst of this pandemic.

y, and the location and views can't be beaten. As for the food, it was hands down the best tasting and creative food I've ever had at a wedding (and even in general). We chose the seafood trio and prime rib, and the portion sizes were generous and everyone I talked to had a perfectly cooked meal. Preceding the meal, we had hors d'oeuvres which were outstanding. As the bride and groom, we made sure to take a break from photos to eat a plate, and I'm glad we did. Overall, the Dockside was extremely easy to work with, friendly, and the venue and food were everything I dreamed of for my oceanside wedding.

rful to work with. He is most agreeable and made us so comfortable with our requests. Our guests were so impressed with the venue. We received so many compliments and we have wonderful memories of our special day.I highly recommend the Dockside for your wedding venue.

service or the venue.

pful and the location was perfect. The ceremony and reception were perfect and we've had many guests compliment the food! It was a bit pricey and my only complaint is that there wasn't a whole lot of direction as to how the ceremony and reception would go, but I could have asked more questions as the owner was pretty fast in responding to emails or phone calls. Overall I would recommend this venue to any bride who values food and an outdoor view!

e were taking pictures during our cocktail hour. Phil (the owner) was extremely easygoing during our initial meeting. However, Patty (the wedding coordinator) was difficult to keep in touch with and does not come across well in e-mails. If we hadn't had our meeting with Phil, we might not have booked this place. The location is beautiful and set-up and breakdown went very smoothly. Would definitely recommend, just keep in mind that your best bet is probably to call if you need anything while planning.

tty was extremely helpful from Day 1 and made everything really easy for us. The food was what most of our guests commented on. We had chicken marsala and a seafood triangle dish that was unbelievable. The appetizers that were passed around for the cocktail hour were talked about for days about how good they were! One of the owners, Phil, was kind enough to drive us around the harbor in his boat for our wedding send off. We could not have more good things to say about this venue and our experience with everyone at the Dockside. I would strongly recommend this venue to anyone looking for the full York, ME wedding experience!

ly grateful for their efforts from start to finish. It all started back in January of 2014 when we met with Phil Lusty and later Patty Banfield (who became our main contact for the planning) to book the venue and we were blown away by the beauty of the place and its location, even with several feet of snow around... During the rest of our time until the wedding we met with Patty in May on the groom arriving from the UK (where he’s from, the bride is from the local area) where we discussed more details and then again a few days before the wedding itself. Patty could not have been more helpful when we met with her, and always answered our very frequent emails, definitely helping us deal with the stress of organising a wedding across two continents with helping us understand what would work! Even a few days before the wedding when we visited for food and drinks at the bar, the barman was extremely helpful in letting us taste a number of wines so we could make a decision on what to serve at the wedding. Finally the big day itself... the staff could not have done more to help keep things running smoothly and were so accommodating to us and our guests for the day! They were very helpful with last moment requests and in serving the amazing food and wine that we had (the shrimp stuffed haddock was awesome, as was the hunter’s chicken!). Further to our wedding itself, we can also add the accommodation is beautiful as well, especially the rooms in the Maine house, though the waterfront cottages were very good to. Those of our wedding guests from the UK all commented to us on the beauty of the hotel and its location, as well as the grounds, food and how great our wedding was, all thanks to The Dockside! Thank you from us both, we will always be grateful for everything the staff at The Dockside did to make our day so special, we’ll certainly be looking to stay again in the future for our anniversaries! Tom and Alex

ctly. The food is absolutely delicious and our guests couldn't stop raving about it! Overall, our wedding day was perfect and we owe a huge thank you to The Dockside and their staff!

was clean & spacious. The only complaint we had was the clawfoot tub. Although adorable, we felt as if we were enclosed in a tomb. We had to stand sideways to avoid getting the shower curtain stuck to us. It felt disgusting to think that it had stuck to so many other people before us. The breakfast served was basic, nothing to write home about. At our rehearsal, my husband asked Phil Lusty (co-owner) about using the outdoor extension cord Patty (employee) had promised us for our ceremony music. Phil appeared intoxicated and was rude to my husband, acting put out while stating they didn't have one. My sister’s boyfriend had to return to Portsmouth that evening to retrieve an extension cord. During set up of our wedding, I noticed that my flowers were not on tall white columns that Patty had also promised me via email (we had seen these columns at a wedding in progress when we visited). When we inquired about them, the person behind the counter had no idea what we were talking about, and said there was no such thing, that “people bring their own" if they want them. My wedding flowers had to remain on the ground as there was nothing to put them on. Had I known that they weren't available, I would've accepted the florist's offer to rent them. Before the wedding, we paid for all non-alcoholic drinks for our guests to enjoy. As soon as the bar opened, the bartender started charging our guest for these drinks. We know this because my step-children approached us asking for money as they were told to pay. We immediately told the bartender that this was previously arranged & paid for. We know some of our guests ended up paying which was embarrassing for us. Once seated inside the restaurant, no one came to serve us drinks for 15 minutes. We had to ask the waiter to serve us. Because no one was coming, some of our guests went to the bar where Phil & 2 of his employees were seated. They wouldn't look at my guests nor acknowledge them until my brother asked if he could buy a drink, to which Phil laughed. I later found out that we were supposed to go to the bar to get drinks, but we were never informed of this by Patty. So, while my guests ended up going to the bar to get their drinks (as they unknowingly did what was expected) they were not attended to until several minutes passed & had to ask for service. After the wedding, we asked our waiters if we could order and bring drinks to our room, to which they said yes. When my sister & her boyfriend went to the bar to get us drinks for our room, they was treated rudely by the bartender & said our tab was closed. When we checked out the morning after our wedding, & paid a large sum of money for the weekend, we weren't thanked once for choosing the Dockside for our special day nor for the sum we paid. The man who checked us out and took our money was Eric Lusty, Phil’s brother and co-owner. If we were treated kindly & with even a small amount of appreciation by the owners, we would've walked away feeling as if our day was almost perfect. We could've brushed off some of the things that went wrong. Instead we felt these people really don’t care about their patrons at all. All they appear to care about is the money coming in. And as long as they have the land and view, they can continue to be arrogant and rude towards customers.

was off season) to inquire about using the site and the restaurant for our wedding, he was most gracious and welcoming. Upon arrival on our wedding day, picture the most flawless diamond... that is how I can describe The Dockside on York Harbor. The location is perfect - amidst the trees where we parked and upon walking onto the premises, it was postcard PERFECT! Although it was low tide, the harbor was still breath-taking and our wedding, in the gazebo, could not have been more perfect. The grounds are kept flawlessly, every detail attended to with grace and care. We had our small reception at the restaurant. Again, service was outstanding, and the food was delicious. Our waitress was very attentive and gracious. Altogether, the Dockside on York Harbor provides the full package for those discerning brides or grooms that are looking for that special place to celebrate their union. We intend on returning to Maine and will certainly make a point to either stay at their Bed & Breakfast and/or eat at The Dockside for a few meals..... Outstanding place indeed!

a rain backup for the ceremony). Food and service were excellent, all was done classily. All told, a great place for a wedding and a good value. A little slow to respond to emails and phone calls (during high season), but not to the point of causing real problems. They were flexible in taking care of all our needs, and had good advice at all turns.

The service was also very good during the reception the only thing is the way the way the owner put an end to our party it was more like kicking us out very unappreciated I would absolutely recommend this venue but just make sure everything is cleared out first plus be very patient they would often not get back to us before a week or two.

anted a lobster bake for my guests, and he gave me 2 choices - lobster, mussels and clams, with great New England Clam Chowder for an appetizer, and steak with potatoes and a tomato bisque for another option. People said they really liked the food, and the hor's deurves on the porch. They also served blueberry cobbler for dessert! And cut my groomscake for me, and gave my gluten free bridesmaid a dessert for her! The only complaint - there was sand in the mussels, but I guess that's to be expected, and why they give you the dish of broth. Also, I was running around trying to get all the gifts together and wasn't able to truly enjoy it, so it wasn't as nice for me personally at it was for my guests.

though we didn't end up going with their restaurant due to location, I would recommend them!

owing right in the same place. Our DJ - Lori Dee -played on the lawn for the ceremony, cocktail hour and then moved inside for the wedding. Cake came from the Beach Pea in Kittery, flowers were by Jardiniere in Portsmouth and all in all it was the best time ever. All our friends and relatives still rave about what an awesome time they had - oh, and our photog was Shane, at wedding photography by Shane in York Maine. All the vendors were recommended by Dockside - and Phil Lusty (owner) is soooo easy to work with. Highly recommend it!