West Chester Dish

Went to Doc's last night had a great time w/ my wife and parents. Service was great and food even better. Started off w/ buck a shuck Oysters a dollar a piece on Mondays what a deal. My parents had the Thai Tuna for dinner it was outstanding. The wife had Crab Cakes that were nothing but crab they bearly held together with all the crab. I had the Fish & Chips which I couldn't finish. It was a great time and Melissa our server was outstanding. We'll be back for sure...

Have been to Docs Many times, always the service is friendly and attentive. The food is much improved with more classic seafood dishes and great week day food specials. There is always something going on at night if you want to stick around. Keep an eye out for the Catch of the Month, last month was Striped Bass that was one of the best pieces of fish I ever had!

Would like to be able to review this place, however; never been waited on in 3 times and 2 1/2 hours wasted. They may hit a home run in their food department but I will never know for their customer service is completely lacking. I go to the riverstone in exton instead. They never dissapoint.

My girlfriend and I tried to eat at this place , we went early and the place was 1/2 empty so we figured we would have no problems. We waited 15 minutes for anyone to come by at all to ask us anything ..we ended up flagging down someone and asked for menus and water ......10 minutes later when nobody returned we walked out .....we were however cordially thanked for dining with them on our way out the door..........

I have been to Doc's a number of times and like the food even though several of my friends do not.
The only problem is that I hear through our waitress that they switched the menu into a "higher" caliber of food from just typical bar food, but the switch hasn't been great at all. My once Crabby Cheese Fries that were unbelievable were now served to me almost like a soup, they put waaaaayyy to much cheese on the fries. And the fries I had with my sandwhich were cold.
I like this place and the atmosphere and will go back, but the food seems to be going down hill, if it stays this way I will just have to go to one of West Chester's 20 other restaurants.

Friday August 29, 2008. This was my 63rd birthday. I was taken to Docs by my daughter. What a great experience we had. The waiter was great and very friendly and helpful in chosing our meal. We had oysters that were marvelous and the rest of our meal was great. Soup, shrimp and scallops in a white sauce with linguine and fried seafood combo. I told all my dinner buddies about Docs and we will be coming within the next month.

Recently ate at Doc's after a local recommended the place. My wife and I were accompanied by two small children which the wait staff was attentive of.

We started with the fries covered in a cheesy cream sauce, marketed as containing seafood. Not only was there hardly a remnant of seafood, but the sauce was bland and truly disappointing. It tasted as if it was a blend of cream, paprika and fish stock for the seafood flavor.

We also ordered the shrimp in garlic and old bay. Unlike any shrimp I have ever eaten in my life, the shells stuck to the meat and were impossible to peel without rendering the shrimp a disfigured lump of flesh. It is my belief that either the shrimp where extremely overcooked or old, as I have never experienced this before when using fresh shrimp properly cooked. When brought to the waitresses attention, she was understanding and curteous and offered an alternative, i.e. a shrimp cocktail which was very good. However, unbeknownst to us, this item wound up on our bill. In an attempt to further redeem the sticky shrimp problem, a "fresh" order was made, with the problem being somewhat less noticeable, but still present. Neither of us finished the shrimp.

Fortunately the main courses were much better. I had seared scallops while my wife had fish, which she enjoyed. The service was unremarkable, but comments that resonate here were also experienced by us. Lack of attentiveness, lengthy delays to get drinks refilled, wait staff hovering to remove plates as you finished your last bite.

Although I would eat here again just for the oysters, I will be more selective in what I order and temper my expectations.

This place just can't seem to put it all together. I've had a good sandwich, but then the fries that come with it are cold and hard. The kitchen will prepare a nice piece of fish, and put it on a plate with bland white rice and flavorless droopy veggies. The oysters are very good and the service is decent, not great. There are better options in WC, but it is nice that Doc's is smoke-free.

If you want to binge drink at Ye Olde Boston Oyster House, this place is for you.

The food here is very good. For that alone it should get an A. Very good Beer selection and great atmosphere. Skip Red Lobster and come here ladies and gents. Yes it can be a little on the pricey side but it's no more than what you expect from a good seafood restaurant. So expect to spend a few bucks here. Bring your lady friend. Have a good time. Highlights:Try the calamari, it is pretty good here. Overall an A+.

We went for a relaxed family dinner and found the Doc's needs a lot of work. THe service was terrible, although our waitress tried hard to service all of the customers she was assigned. Also, she has not been trained well by management. She served food twice without asking about our empty glasses, which we wanted refilled. The food was mediocre at best, the teenagers didn't even finish their burgers. Only the oysters were good. I would not recommend the restaurant at all.

Service is good (sitting at the bar). Food is questionable at best. Beer is cheap. Fellow patrons can be annoying (poser hipsters out "to be seen"). Soooo many better option in the WC.

dear chef911,

the concept of a review is to review........... the good, the bad, and the ugly.

my experience at doc's was reviewed as experienced - if management decided that my review was not just a one time bad moment and released an employee then more must be going on than a bad review.....

and yes, i have worked in the restaurant world and know how overwhelming that world can be.... but service is king!!!

and that is what brings people back to a bar..... the same coors light you sell is the same coors light the next bar sells..... what brings people to your bar is service!!

Dear chef911,

Should you be the one who lost a job due to a website review, may I gently suggest you use your newly found spare time and attend a grammar and spelling class.

Dear Lazy mom,
You should know that your cruel and unjust words you printed the other day cost a person there job. This web site is great in some ways and bad in others. Giveing the people the right to name drop is bad, bad for buisness and bad for the people it effects.
If you want perfect service, perfect food, perfect decor, maybe you should shell out the money and open your own restaurant. People have a detached thought process when it comes to restaurants. Use your brain and think before you write.

No one is perfect including me, I would like to you behind a bar for a shift and then you might figure out its not that easy.

Dear Lazymom 05

I had dinner last night at Doc's the restaurant was quite crowded for a Tuesday night. My date and I ordered some oysters on the half shell along with a glass of wine each. Lauren was quite knowledgeable able the wines we had and even recommended the white wine we chose. The oysters were fantastic. We were given the specials and I chose the Seafood Medley and my date chose the Chilean Seabass topped with Jumbo Lump crabmeat and lobster cream sauce. Both of us throughly enjoyed our meals and the portions were hearty as well. For dessert we chose to share a piece of raspberry chesecake. So overall I would have to say the waitresses I had was nice and knowledgeable and the service was timely. Thanks for a great night Doc's.

Happy Hour.............

Its the advertising that bars/restaurants should count on the most. So why is it so hard to find a happy hour that does what it is suppose to do - 'advertise the restaurant'. It really isnt that difficult - approach the customer with excitement, share the H-H specials, and make sure we are having a good time.

Tonite we found out that Doc's needs to work on this concept..... had a experience that left me this impression - Doc's doesnt need my company........

Bad service at bar. Didnt know or share the H-H specials, drinks left empty, never asked any questions, etc....

oh well, there must be another restaurant/bar that caters to the H-H patron.....

Doc's is back!!!

After having a horrendous time the last time (late summer) we went to Dave Magrogan's Oyster House. My wife, some close friends and I had a jonesing for high doses of protein and went back on Friday night.

The place was packed and the attmosphere electric. Professionals and recent students alike conversing and imbibing at the bar, and it looked as if every seat was full in the restaurant as well.

The polite and gracious host asked us to wait a few moments while he found us a wonderful table just past the bar in the back of the restaurant. We were quite comfortable on the soft backed booth. I was a little concerned about the proximity to the server area at the bar, as waiters bustled past us in haste, obviously very busy. But unlike the usual complaining and sophmoric banter, it sounded as if they genuinely we helping each other.

Once settled our waiter (George... like the President, until he has to change his name to Hillary) promptly appeared. He gave our guests a quick history of the building and gave us an entertaining description of the evening's specials and oyster list. Taking our drink order, he ran down what seemed an unending list of draft beers. I chose a local Victory beer while my male guest had a concotion that he called a "Black & Brown" (Guiness and Newcastle Brown Ale) On George's suggestion my wife and her friend had 2 glasses of a Sauvignon/Semillion meritage.

We started with a 1/2 of a "Collosal Cold Appetizer" which was plenty of food for the 4 of us to share. A sumptious selection of Raw oysters, clams, a beautiful Shrimp martini, and fresh jumbo lump crab.

Hillary... as I was calling our server now... told us that the chef hand picked all of the "fresh catch fish" himself every morning, so decided to have the Mahi Mahi.."The fish so nice they named it twice" said Hillary. It was fantastic with just a simple herb butter that allowed the flavors of the sea to really shine.

My wife had crabmeat stuffed shrimp that she let me sample. They were quite good, but I was expecting something totally different from what was described.

My wife's friend had a seafood stew with saffron and rice that she raved about, and my male conterpart had a "petit surf & turf" special a small filet and Alaskan King crab leg... (later on the bill a fantastic deal at only $21)

Some great Irish coffees and a decent cheesecake for dessert.

When we got the bill I was astonished at how reasonable it was. A meal like that in Philly or on the Main Line would have cost me twice as much.

Overall a great experience. The food quite good, the service was outstanding. George was professional and courteous, yet also engaging and entertaining. Our water and drinks never ran dry, and any time it seemed we needed something...poof there he was. The decor is quite rustic and very cool... George suggested an after dinner drink in their "upstairs bar" a neat little nook with comfy looking couches along the wall with tables and a quaint little bar.

Can't wait to go back and eat up there!
-Chuck
P.S. Nice comeback Doc!

Iv'e been to Doc's approximately 6-7 times now. In my experiences, the food was great and our service was great. Our server (which I believe was Adam the last time there) did an excellent job in greeting our table and taking care of my family and myself. The food, which was Sesame Tuna was amazing. It was prepared perfectly. My family and I have no problem with going back there any time soon!

My Experiences at Doc's have always been pleasant with great service, beautiful decor and the best fresh seafood in town hands down. I recommend stopping by Doc's and trying the Jumbo Shrimp & grabbing a pint!

I have frequented Doc's a few times since it has opened and have always enjoyed the experience. I have seen a bit of an evolution there, and it seems they have changed managers/management style as the staff seems very in tune with the guest as of late. I am excited that there is an establishment like this right in West Chester!

I dined there today for an early dinner, and had an excellent meal. We ordered the Buffalo Popcorn Shrimp as an App and it was tasty and crispy. The Bartender, I believe he introduced himself as Casey, was attentive yet not overbearing. Our main courses then arrived, she ordered Clams Linguini and I chose the Swordfish on the Fresh Catch portion of the menu. I decided to top it with the corn salsa. Both dishes were delicious and we cleaned our plates!

I am looking forward to eating there many times this winter!

We had dinner at Doc Magrogan's last night and it was a wonderful, fun experience. The service was attentive and efficient, and the food was delicious. We had oysters on the half shell, crabby fries, quesadillas, linguini and clams and the Wednesday night special - snow crab legs.
We look forward to returning.

Our family of 6 had dinner at Doc's on Thursday, December 27th - it was a first trip for us and we were aware of previous reviews that cited poor service and uneven food quality.

Unfortunately as of this date nothing has changed. Our waitress, Ashley May was unattentative after taking our order and we had to repeatedly ask other servers where our orders were. Even after asking for our check Ashley disappeared for 10 minutes before returning and asking us if we wanted desert.

The fresh seafood was great. Our oysters were fresh and clean. The family tried the half sized fresh seafood platter and were greeted with a clam that one could smell as bad as soon as it was delivered. It was replaced with a good one. The rest of the dish was excellent.

The crabmeat appetitizer was excellent, the pasta dishes were good but not outstanding. Fish and chips were good and the lobster was large and flavorful as well as the fresh corn.

We were irritated with the automatic 20% charge for 6 given the very poor service.

Docs gets an A for fresh seafood, a B for cooked dishes and an F for service.

Next time we will sit at the bar.

I just got finished at Doc's tonight and must say I had a wonderful experience. From beginning to end the staff was professional and curteous, efficient and enthusiastic. The bar was fun and our appetizers and entrees were excellent. They have a couple rooms off to the side that offer quieter, more intimate dining and we enjoyed it. There was music that was fun and decent quality.
PS- The crabby fries were fantastic!

food quality-eh...service- horrrible...atmoshere-okay

Finally made it to Doc's after the long awaited trip to see what the rave this summer was all about...

Thinking it was still the big hit that it was, we got reservations that we probably did not need as they were sitting anyone that came in the door at our time of arrival(unlike the expected 1 hour waits from summer.

Once seated, we couldn't help but think that the seating they gave us was not worth making reservations for. As we were seated near the rear entrance to Doc's and recieved a cool reminder of the temperature outside everytime someone came in from the back patio.

Our service was a 4 out of 10 for the price of the meal with minor items missing from our meals and the lack there of refills. Management picked up on the empty glasses quick and had the wait staff refill accordingly.

Throughout dinner it was noticeable that there were perhaps to many employees on for the shift - alot of open tables towards the back of the restuarant. This leaving waitstaff time for conversation and graba$$ing near our table. The conversations should not have been had of other customers in front of us as customers.

Everyone was pleased with the taste, the way the food was presented and the portion size. The price is still a bit high on many of the entree's and what ever happened to the chicken sandwich for those non-seafood eaters?

Respectfully commented on.

BO

My husband and I dined here for the first time over the weekend and we had a wonderful experience. Our service was very good, very attentive and helpful. The food was so delicious and the menu is extremely extensive. We were very impressed. We are already planning our next trip back there!

I am not sure what happened to Doc's, since we were last their in July it has gone down hill. We were very disappointed , slow service,upleasent atmosphere lots of new faces .What happened to the Fish Market guy ? He always took care of us. Who ever let him go wasn't thinking . We waited so long for our food we just left our table and went to the bar. I don't think anyone noticed or cared . We won't be back.

Carol from Chadds Ford

I finally had a chance to check out Doc's Oyster house over the weekend. Very impressive decor, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable and the food "WOW". The oyster selection is out of hand, snapper soup was the best I've ever had. We shared entrees-the pan seared scallops just melt in your mouth and the sesame tuna. Next time we will save room for dessert.

Like Kildare's, they threw deep on decor and are milking the pockets of the indifferent.

The place IS run by youngsters who do not understand service and think "perkiness" is a substitute.

An Oyster house? Not by a long shot. The oyster menu is limited and largely for amateurs.

But hey, if you spend enough money on decor and image, there appear to be plenty of like-minded customers to pay your bills. You have to hand it to them for the succeeding twice with the same formula, albeit with different themes...what's next, "Heinrich's Hammerfest" with St. Pauli Girl waitresses?

Belon Alert!

Doc Magrogan's has belon oysters available on their raw bar! The real deal, Gordon is bringing in these big and juicy mollusks from Washington state.

Wow me and my wife just ate at Davids newest downfall(Grady Davids). I have to give it to the guy he sure can bulid a nice looking restaurant. To bad I can't say the same for the food. Grady Davids is a complete rip off, does your chef know how to use salt, cook ribs, or hit a temprature? We ordered a dozen SummerSet oysters, they looked like Helen Keller shucked them with a weed wacker. F.Y.I. Dave they were horrible.
They were not even detached from the abductor muscle. Rookie mistake? I think not. You would think a restaurant pro such as Dave would have this under control. Okay on with the rest of the meal...my RibEye was over cooked, mashed potatoes were flavorless and lacked salt. The onion rings had enough salt to kill a horse. Our slow smoked B.B.Q. ribs were tough and needed a knife to handle the proclaimed tender ribs. Our bill was well over 100.00 for 1 dozen (have a lot to be desired)oysters, 3 drinks, tuna app, and two over priced entrees. Im not a Dave hater, but we do know good food done right. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW PLACE.

I've eaten at Doc's several times and have never been disappointed. Their Old Bay Burger is very good and a nice change. The Crabby Cheese Fries--fries covered with a cheesy sauce loaded with chunks of crab, shrimp, and scallops--are the ultimate comfort food. I recently had a surf 'n' turf special that was possibly the best steak and lobster I've ever had.

I have heard people tell stories of bad experiences, but I find that they generally happened some time ago. Whether that means they have gotten better since then or their food is hit or miss is open for discussion. It does get very crowded when school is in.

I went to Doc's on 08/27/07 with a friend for dinner for Monday night $1 oysters. Great deal, right? The oysters are excellent and the crab bruscetta was pretty good. I also ordered the Boston Combo (scallops, fried shrimp, clams casino, and Boston Cod). It also comes with fries and cole slaw. The food was good, but the service was terrible! Our waitress was nice, but it took 1 hour, repeat 1 hour to even get our appetizers (cold oysters??? hmmm). I guess they were really busy that night, but we didn't get all of our food until 8:30 and we sat down at 7:00! I will return because I love the oysters, but the entree's are overpriced for the quality.

This place seems to be run by youngsters. Not a bad thing I guess but grown ups might find it hard to take. The food is OK but not exceptional but it is priced as if it were. I had a bad experience at the bar one night trying in vain to get someone...anyone's attention.

This place is really great, a welcome addition to West Chester. The menu is like you are down the shore, with tons of tasty seafood options + steaks. Everytime I go I get the broiled seafood combo with clams casino, stuffed shrimp, scallops and cod and it's excellent. The fried oysters are also delicious and the soups very tasty. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who loves oysters, as I've seen diners order plate after plate of them and there is a large selection. Service is usually good as well...

I've been 4 or 5 times now and have never had a negative experience. The oysters are great, the food fresh, and the service friendly. We usually go earlier in the evening (around 5:30 or 6) and never have trouble getting a table. Doc's has quickly become one of my favorite places in the WC.

Six of us were at docs last night fot the 2d time. The oyster selection is great with a good variety, from small sweets to the larger salty oyster. The appetizers (Cheesy crab frys, Crab bruchetta, raviolli, ect.) have been consistanly a hit....however....the entree's are week. Being a graduate of the CIA, I find the entree's are not cooked to perfection & they have lack of flavor.

The service has been excellent each time we have been to Docs... once we were seated, but I wonder about their resevation policies claiming that they book only 1/2 the restaurant & save the other half for walk-ins, yet would have parties waiting with open tables?

Went to Doc's last night. I had the lobster ravioli as an appetizer - like another reviewer said it was very good, but not hot enough. I had the Twix's salmon for dinner and enjoyed it very much. My husband and the couple we went with all liked their meals. My husband especially liked the oysters. We try to go to dinner in West Chester during the summer because once WCU is in session it gets very crowded. I'm looking forward to their new restaurant that will be opening in Honeybrook.

I'd say forget it. I've only been once, but for a place that advertises itself as an OYSTER house, they don't know how to serve oysters. They were tilted in the ice so all of the liquid had run out. The rest of the food was undistinguished and over-priced. I loved the look of the place, and it had a happenin' vibe, but if you want FOOD, fuggidaboudit.

Visited Doc's for the first time in late spring with friends. I was drawn to the Lobster roll which I've heard about but never had. It was not what I had heard it should be. It should be a soft hot-dog like roll with GOOD lobster salad.
This came on a hard hoagie type roll with lots of lettuce and tomato and about 2 tablespoons of mediocre lobster salad (and for $13.00) Our friend ordered the crab soup and pushed his spoon around to find tomatos, celery and very little crab. Very disappointing- should I go back for something else or forget it?

I have been to Doc's many times and I must say it is hit or miss. Sometimes the wait staff is friendly other times it appears as though the customers are an inconvenience. The food is great sometimes and not so great other times. The bartenders would prefer to watch the tv to taking drink orders. I have not given up yet - here's hoping Doc's management read these reviews and focus on consistency. I like the cool vibe of the place and would hang out there more if I was assured that I would always receive great food w/ a smile!

Appetizers and drinks are good...one of the few places with Framboise on tap...there are much better dinner entrees other places in West Chester though.

I've eaten at Doc Magrogan's twice, once for lunch with my husband, and once with three other couples. I ordered the Black Lobster Ravioli both time - it was delicious, but just tepid in temperature both time, which was a bit disappointing. My husband truly enjoyed his oysters on the half shell. The Dessert Tower was wonderful!!

I just had brunch at Doc's with two buddies of mine. It was The Sunday Blues Brunch to be exact - I didn't know anyone could sing so well at 11:00am - Deb Callahan has an amazing seasoned sound. Speaking of seasonings I had the Lobster Eggs Benedict - I liked it loved the fact I got to shake all the extra OL'Bay seasoning i wanted onto it. Everyone at my table agreed the home fries were really tasty was it the onions cooked just right with them or is there some sort of special thing going on. The prices seemed right we even had raw oysters to start off with and man were they fresh - excellent. Oh and I saw some pound cake french toast go by that looked and smelled decadent.
Our server was super friendly,very knowledgable and every other person who worked there that caught my eye either smiled or said Hello or something nice - Hey maybe Doc's could train TECA's servers on being courteous & friendly.
A great start to Sunday especially loved the easy breezy vibe the music was making.

The setting was beautiful..the apps were great but the dinners were alittle pricey for the amt/quality. Dessert and drinks was very disappointing.

Hmmm ... Clementine can write that comment about every place in West Chester ... need to be a bit more informative.

Doc's is smoke free as other restaurants should be. That aside, as the name says, you can get a pretty good selection of oysters at reasonable prices here. Normally 9 types of oysters ranging from $1.70/oyster up to around $3.00.

The decor seems English with a dark wood and leather feel to me. Regular Live music ranging from acoustic sets on off nights to full bands on the weekend. The place gets packed when you want it lively and quiet on the nights you want just a nice dinner.

A smoke free Kildares....whoop-de-do. As if one over priced, over crowded, over hyped bar in West Chester wasn't enough.

Doc's is proving to be a worthy challenger to Kildares as the place to be seen on Fri/Sat nights. As undeniable proof of Doc's new hipness Bam Margera gave Doc's his golden stamp of approval by throwing his engagement party here and then featuring it on his new show. With expensive cover charges, overpriced drinks, and super crowded bar let's hope that Doc's coolness lasts longer then a celebrity marriage.

$1.00 oysters on Monday night! Sooooo good.