Hard Dock Cafe

Great food, and entertainment too. The best place to hang out on the river and have a cold beer and good food.

Decent river food. Avoid the oysters. Full of crap. Crab cakes have cheese. But taste good. Cold beer. Good service. Huge portions.

Really good simple food and cold drinks with a good happy hour. By the way it’s located in The Riverwalk Marina so you don’t miss it like I did…

Love the hard dock! Dining on the deck with a spectacular view of the river is my favorite thing. The food is good, the service is excellent, and every time I have been there has been some pretty good entertainment!

It’s not fancy but it’s quaint with a nice view of the river. Had the Hard Dock burger and a beer. Enjoyable location.

The Hard Dock Café is a hidden gem in the Riverwalk Marina that has a deck overlooking the river. This is definitely one of my very favorite restaurants in Decatur! Their food is surprisingly delicious and the atmosphere can’t be beat. I didn’t expect much from them because it seems like a local bar/​hangout type place and is basically just a little shack with a big screened porch and outdoor deck. They have a stage and host live music frequently. I figured the atmosphere and location alone would be enough to keep people coming, so I really didn’t expect the food to be anything special.
I have tried the fried catfish, fish tacos, and the «Cajun shrimp throwdown». Everything has been really great, but my favorite was the «throwdown». It is a combo of shrimp and sausage with corn and potatoes served over rice. I expected a shrimp boil type flavor, but was pleasantly surprised by the sweeter sauce that the shrimp and sausage were tossed in. It was a great flavor combination and I will definitely get it again. I have tried some of my husband’s food also and the buffalo shrimp and crab cakes are good too. One of my friends has eaten there with us and got the tuna fillet, which was cooked perfectly and had a great flavor. The Hard Dock also has an appetizer that I am hooked on: the crab balls. Imagine an extra creamy crab cake in hush puppy form. These little things are full of cream cheese, shredded cheese, spices, and crab meat They are fantastic!
The best part of this great little restaurant is the location on the river. The deck outside has a great view and it is very relaxing to sit outside and watch the boats go by while you enjoy some delicious food.

Worst service ever. My friend ordered oysters in the half shell and he received his order with a metal nut in it. He politely returned it. An hour later he still hadn’t received his new order. He asked to speak with the manager and the manager had an attitude with him. He stated that my friend «sounded like one of those white nig@&s and he would receive his replacement order when I serve the rest of my slaves. «There was a rather large party of our Army buddies who all walked out.
Umm we won’t be dining here again! #southernhospitality