Don's Dock?

Commuring to work from Lincoln Square to here in the suburbs (Des Plaines), the options for a quick (decent) lunch are few. One place that rather intriques me is Don's Dock on Northwest Highway just past downtown. Now, I'm not expecting anything mind boggling...but has anyone tried this, and is it at least edible...and if so, what is good?

Don's Dock
1220 Northwest Hwy, Des Plaines, IL 60016
Menu: donsdockseafood.com
Phone: (847) 827-1817

I ate there earlier this week, in fact.

They sell fresh seafood, as well as fried or broiled items. The fried stuff comes by the pound, or as a "dinner" with fries and slaw (an upcharge of 60 cents gets hush puppies instead of fries, well worth it).

I've had the fish, shrimp and clams there on separate occasions (most recently the clams). It's all very good and fresh, although I prefer Captain Porky's shrimp (but Zion isn't nearly as convenient). The dinner includes choice of sauce (tartar, or mild or spicy cocktail). and they have a wide array of hot sauces to supplement (which they also sell).

The place is themed around Door County, with maps, photos and adverts for vacation stuff.

It's going to cost you more than a fast food fix: the dinners run about $5.50 and up, but if you feel like you deserve better than a Filet-O-Fish or a tuna Subway 6" (and everyone does), give them a try.

ParkLaBrea wrote:Commuring to work from Lincoln Square to here in the suburbs (Des Plaines), the options for a quick (decent) lunch are few. One place that rather ?

I have seen Don's Dock, but never tried it. However...

thought you might want to know,t he options arent *that* thin in the area IIRC. The
now-famous Paradise Pup isnt far away, for a quite excellent burger, one of the
best in town IMHO. Around the corner from there (and also quite close) is
El Ranchito Hispano, for freshly prepared pupusas and other specialities
from El Salvador (along with reasonable Mexican food). A very nice
little spot, that is.

There is a place called L&L Snack Shop nearby, of which Ive heard quite excellent things (but also havent yet gotten to).

Or else you could drive 5 minutes further up towards Morton Grove, and try a couple of places for home-made-style Filipino food

c8w

Tried Don's Dock 20+ years ago when we first moved into D.P. Good but unimpressive.

Expanding on c8w's post, is there a reason you're fixed on Don's? Because I can give you a plethora of suggestions for this area ranging from good burgers and dogs to a variety of Mexican; both high and low end.

If all you're interested in is seafood, I'll mind my own business, but if you want a complete list, let me know.

Buddy

Hi,

Steve Drucker used to visit L&L as well as Paradise Pup when he used to regularly travel here on business.

Regards,

My one experience with Don's Dock wasn't pleasant. I didn't find the fried fish as fresh as others did. The fried clams were alright. Maybe I just caught them on an off day.

There are various options in Des Plaines for a quick lunch. As you go north on River Road after you pass the Metra station, you will find Potbelly's, Panerra, and Cheeseburger Heaven(?) in the Shop n Save mall. A few blocks north on the nearby Lee Street is Las Asadas which serves a decent steak burrito.
Paradis Pup is indeed a worthy choice but has a long line during lunch time. Try the three way fries for an artery clogging treat.
Maria's Mexican Restaurant is on Ellinsworth in the library square It's more expensive but the snapper I had was good. Not sure of their hours. Des Plaines has many good Mexican food choices from cheap mom & pop to local chain (El Famous Burrito) to higher end.

Las Asadas
356 Lee St

Paradise Pup
1724 S River Road

Potbelly Sandwich Works
1506 Market St.
(Intersection of NW Highway and River)
Open Sunday through Thursday 11am to 9pm, Friday & Saturday 11am to 10pm.

El Famous Burrito
1165 Lee St

Maria's Mexican Restaurant
1535 Ellinwood Ave

Thanks all.....mixed reviews on Don's, but wasn't expecting anything stupendous...definitely will give it a try though

Have been to Paradise Pup (damn fine..just can't justify the fat content...trying soooo hard to be good)...and L&L is really great too (nice owners)..

Buddy R...definitely would be interested in your recommendations..

I'll add another thumbs down on Don's. Very thick breading on the fried food.

Another option in the area is Charcoal Delights, where they grill over real coals.

Charcoal Delights
847/803-2777
1090 Oakton St., Des Plaines

Just wanted to add. Elmhurst Road which borders both Mount Prospect and Des Plaines also has numerous restaurants. Just 2 out of the many choices that come to mind are: 1)Won Ton Gourmet. Good won ton soup with various options like BBQ pork, roast duck, etc. that you can add as well as other Cantonese fare. 2) Avanti Cafe. A little expensive but offers sandwiches, paninis, and other Italian American fare. Less greasy options.

Won Ton Gourmet
1405 Elmhurst Road
Des Plaines, IL

Avanti Cafe
1900 S. Elmhurst Road
Mount Prospect, IL

This is a thread over at Roadfood.com where a guy was having the same lunchtime dilemma as you. There are many good suggestions from myself and other folks who live and work in the area.

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.as ... es,Plaines

Good luck in your quest.

Buddy

Drove by Don's today. Had a big "Today Fish Boil" sigh. Jut an FYI.

I have not eaten there in a few years but I do recall the fish sandwich being very good. One of the better fish sandwiches I have had in the area, I might add.

Fried fish filet (maybe cod?) served on a really nice roll.

My grandmother, who lived in Mt. Prospect, swore by the seafood at Don's. Our family Christmas tradition has always been jumbo shrimp cocktail for appetizers. She absolutely insisted that the shrimp come from Don's every year.

And granted, it was good shrimp. But a few years ago, we pulled a "Folgers crystals" switch on the family...we subbed in shrimp from Costco and waited for someone to notice.

No one ever did. We've been getting them from Costco (much cheaper) ever since. It was hard to keep a straight face when she exclaimed how those shrimp from Don's were unlike anywhere else.

Couldn't help but YET again think about this place, when I passed by here yesterday for the first time in a good while. I've noticed this place for forever it seems whenever I'm out in the Des Plaines vicinity(and've passed by countless times), how does this compare to Fish Keg on the Chicago side of the Chicago/Evanston border? (my current favorite seafood place in the Chicago area) It seems a lot of the online reviews I pulled up this morning say the hush puppy recipe could be better here, but I'd still be willing to give this place a try despite that fact(and even if they don't live up to the delicious ones Fish Keg serves). Why is it I always forget about Don's Dock, whenver I'm in the Des Plaines area? It must be the slightly west of downtown Des Plaines location, that makes me forget it's there.

Hope it's okay I resurrect this thread, btw.

It is a local favorite and worth a visit if you're in the area. Very friendly owners and staff. Breading on the shrimp is thick - shrimp are a good size. Fish chips are a popular choice too. I hadn't ordered the hush puppies in several years because they seemed like hard, pre-formed balls. Ordered them recently and they were more flavorful and free form in style. I would order them again based on the new style.

of all the fried fish/shrimp places in Chicago, Don's is pretty bad IMO. Seeing as it is in my backyard, I give it a try now and then, and never have I been pleased.

breading too thick, clams strips seemed like they had been sitting the freezer for years, just never a wow to me personally.

I've been pleased w/my meals at Dung Gia (Vietnamese) http://www.dunggiarestaurant.com

Was just yesterday to Paradise Pup and my burger was VERY overcooked first time I've had a bad experience at the Pup.

This place is super unassuming. We kept passing it by and gave it a try on a whim. Wow! Such great fresh seafood. This will be a staple for us. As a comparison, I love The Fish Keg, and Boston Fish Market. But this one holds its own. Don't pass it by on the bend!

Chitown B wrote:Wow! Such great fresh seafood.

what did you enjoy?

Sweet Willie wrote:

Chitown B wrote:Wow! Such great fresh seafood.

what did you enjoy?

My father in law said the lobster roll was to die for. I've had a big mix of friend fish and shrimp items, which were all great. I think I'd skip the hush puppies, but otherwise I enjoyed everything. I'd have to go again soon to make a list.

I think Don's Dock is terrific!

I can't believe I never noticed it before, since it's been around since before I was born. (It opened in 1951.) I found a reference to it last week, and went there today for lunch.

It's a fairly small place, with ample parking.

They offer fresh seafood to take home to prepare, as well as cooked seafood to eat on the premises (or for carryout). You place your order at the counter, pay for it, they give you a number, and they call your number when it's ready. Here's the counter.

They have about eight tables seating 2-4 people each, and spacing is a bit tight. Today at lunchtime (a gorgeous day) most of the tables were occupied but nobody was waiting to sit down the entire time I was there (roughly 11:30-1:15).

I had the fried scallops with hush puppies (I knew you could get the hush puppies substituted for the fries thanks to this thread - thanks JoelF!).

The scallops (on the left) were very fresh, very juicy, very hot temperature, with a delightful, crisp, fairly thick breading. Oh so good! The hush puppies (on the right) were very good as well.

My companion had an oyster po-boy, which I didn't try since I'm not a fan of oysters.

(There was an additional oyster and scallop which we ate before I remembered to take the above photos.)

The food was great, and the prices were extremely reasonable. I was impressed, and look forward to returning again soon!

I've passed it countless time visiting by brother/sister-in-law but Boston Fish Market has always won out because it's closer and has a much broader menu.

spinynorman99 wrote:I've passed it countless time visiting by brother/sister-in-law but Boston Fish Market has always won out because it's closer and has a much broader menu.

I've been to BFM, but avoided it this time because I have found it often slammed at lunchtime, even though it's a bigger place. Also, the menu at Don's Dock is every bit as broad as at BFM, with plentiful choices including fried fish, grilled fish, sandwiches, specials (they had soft-shell crabs today), desserts, and much much more. Try it and see for yourself!