Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is a seasonal waterfront cafe and dockside restaurant in Sarnia-Lambton offering coffee, brunch, lunch, dinner and a curated cocktail program. The venue emphasizes patio and water-top seating when weather permits and features chef-driven daily and limited-time seasonal menu items, including popular chicken tenders, seafood features, and brunch favorites. It hosts live music and weekend events during its season, and posts regular updates about hours, menu features and special seasonal programming. Customers are encouraged to check current hours and featured items, as menus can change as the season winds down.
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Last updated on Feb 1st, 2026
Recent Activity
Last Sunday of the Season
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is open today from 11:00 AM to 19:30 PM for the last Sunday of the season, inviting you to enjoy lunch, dinner, drinks, and one final Dockside visit. The post notes a five day countdown for the season, so stop by for a relaxed waterfront meal before the season closes.
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Last Sangria Saturday
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is hosting its final Sangria Saturday of the year on Saturday, 2026-09-18, with patio service from 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM. The cafe announced a six day countdown, so stop by to enjoy the seasonal sangria while it is still available.
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Last day of Dockside season announcement
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is down to its final Saturday on the dock, opening at 11 AM for lunch and dinner with Saturday hours 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM as they wind down Season 15. Brunch has ended for the season, and inventory is limited, so grab any favorite menu items before they are gone; the season closes Friday, September 18, 2026.
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Back-to-School Mimosa Brunch
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is hosting a Back to School Mimosa Brunch on Tuesday from 9 AM to 2 PM on the patio, with mimosas and Dockside breakfast favourites. The cafe shifts to 11 AM to 7:30 PM starting Wednesday and will remain open through its final season day on 2026-09-18.
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Labour Day Brunch
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is open for Labour Day brunch on Monday, September 7, from 9 AM to 2 PM with patio seating, mimosas, and last chances to order favourites like Huevos Rancheros and Latke Bennie. Swing by early to catch these seasonal brunch items while they last.
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Labour Day brunch
Dockside at Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside will be open for Labour Day brunch on Monday, 2026-09-07, serving from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM with patio seating and mimosas encouraged. The cafe will close Monday night after the brunch service, making this a convenient waterside stop for one more long weekend meal.
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Last Sunday Brunch of the Season
Dockside at Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is wrapping its Sunday brunch service for the season with final brunch seatings at 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM across the coming Sunday, Labour Day Monday, and Back-to-School Tuesday. Doors open at 9, with Caesars, mimosas, Huevos, and Shucker Daddy oysters arriving at 2:00 PM, and the season culminates in a Blowout day on September 18.
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Dockside Chicken Tender
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring the Dockside Chicken Tender for a limited time, with availability running through 2026-09-18. The cafe announced a 14 day countdown on September 4, so swing by before the final day to try this seasonal offering.
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Labour Day weekend & end-of-season schedule
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside in Sarnia keeps Labour Day weekend lively with Weezy Acoustic on Saturday, dockside oyster shucking on Sunday, and brunch hours 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Labour Day Monday. The cafe will remain open every day through September 18 as Season 15 winds down, and the menu will shrink as items sell out.
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Weezy Acoustic & shucker_daddy live events
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is marking Labour Day weekend with Weezy Acoustic on the patio Saturday, shucker_daddy shucking oysters on the dock Sunday, and a Labour Day Monday brunch open 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The waterfront spot will remain open every day through September 18 as it winds down Season 15.
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Season closing and Labour Day hours notice
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside says Season 15 wraps up on Friday, Sept 18, and they will be open early with lots going on over Labour Day weekend. Check the cafe's channels for specific hours and holiday weekend activity updates.
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Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps today, a refreshing lunch of crispy buttermilk chicken tenders in spicy sweet Thai chili with citrus slaw, peanuts, and green onions. The patio opens at 11:00 AM, and the cafe suggests stopping by early because the feature is available while supplies last.
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Tuesday dinner feature - Cajun Pan-Fried Haddock & Dirty Rice
Tonight at Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside Chef Jake is offering a Cajun Pan-Fried Haddock with Creole-style dirty rice, corn salsa, guacamole, cilantro-lime slaw and remoulade. The limited Tuesday dinner feature is available tonight while it lasts, bringing spicy and smoky flavors to the waterfront menu.
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Season 15 — Final Weeks & Labour Day Weekend at Dockside
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is packing its final weeks of Season 15 with Labour Day Weekend programming: Saturday live music with Weezy, Sunday oysters with Shucker Daddy, and a Tuesday Mimosa Brunch that marks the last breakfast service of the season. The kitchen is bringing back Chicken Tenders and Freezer Meals, and the season closes with a blow out party on September 18, the last day of Season 15.
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Steak & Lobster Enchiladas
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring Steak and Lobster Enchiladas as a Friday dinner special, combining lobster and pico de gallo wrapped in tortillas and topped with pan seared steak, corn salsa, roasted red peppers, lime crema, and jalapeños. The kitchen warns this one will likely sell out early, so plan to come on Friday evening or call the cafe to check availability.
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Chicken Florentine Sandwich
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring a Chicken Florentine Sandwich today, a baked garlic hoagie filled with roasted chicken, sautéed spinach, caramelized onions, creamy Alfredo and Swiss cheese, served with a side. The cafe is closing its season in three weeks on 2026-09-18, so now is a great time to grab this summer lunch on the patio by the water.
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Crispy Chicken Caesar Hoagie
Alternate Grounds Caffe & Dockside is offering the Crispy Chicken Caesar Hoagie for lunch today, a staff favorite featuring Panko-Parmesan fried chicken on a garlic-toasted hoagie with a full Caesar salad tucked inside. The sandwich was promoted as a longrunning crew request and is available while it lasts, making it a timely pick for a savory lunchtime treat.
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Tuesday Night Feature: Blackened Steak Linguine Alfredo
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring a Blackened Steak Linguine Alfredo for Tuesday night, combining blackened flat iron steak with creamy linguine Alfredo, garlic green beans, fresh herbs, and crostini. The dish is promoted as available tonight while it lasts at Dockside, making it a timely pick for dinner plans.
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Taco Tuesday — Hot Honey Shrimp Tacos
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is serving Hot Honey Shrimp Tacos for Taco Tuesday, featuring crispy shrimp in hot honey with guacamole, citrus slaw, and fresh mango salsa. The patio is open and tacos are available while they last, with a pick your own tequila drink lineup to pair with the meal.
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Hot Mat Pilates team class
CTRL// — Control. Shift. in Sarnia hosted a morning Hot Mat Pilates team class led by Andrea, where the Dockside crew tried a group wellness session. The boutique studio offers spin, yoga, hot and warm mat Pilates, and strength classes, with 27 classes every week, making it easy to book a spot for team building or solo practice.
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Dockside Staff Appreciation Party notice
Alternate Grounds Café and Dockside will be open for lunch only on Monday, serving from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM, then closed that evening for the annual Dockside Staff Appreciation Party. The notice explains the crew are heading back to school soon, and the cafe will continue with a slightly smaller team through September 18, 2026.
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Sunday brisket hash brunch feature
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is serving a limited time 19 hour smoked brisket hash for Sunday brunch on August 23, featuring shredded potatoes, sautéed vegetables, cheese, two over easy eggs, and toast, plus mimosas with many juice options. The cafe notes only three Sunday brunches remain in the season, so come early to enjoy the water top patio in Sarnia and secure a plate.
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Friday dinner special — 18-hour smoked brisket pie
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring an 18-hour smoked brisket pie as a Friday dinner special, served with creamy mashed potatoes, sautéed veg, and caramelized onion gravy. Chef Andrew prepared the brisket with extreme care and the post warns the pie is in very limited supply, so arrive early at Dockside to try it.
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Matt vs. the bees teaser post
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside posted a playful teaser called Matt vs the bees on August 21 inviting patrons to place their bets with a bee and ping pong emoji. The brief post seems designed to start conversation and hint at a future in venue activity, so check the cafe's social channels for updates or ask staff for details.
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Salmon Wellington
Chef Andrew has rolled out a one night only Salmon Wellington at Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside on 2026-08-20, a puff pastry wrapped salmon served over mashed potatoes, sautéed vegetables, and an herbed hollandaise. This is available tonight only while it lasts, so come hungry and expect a rich, freshly baked plate from the chef's dinner special.
