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 outdoor patio seating with bay views when weather permits, plus comfortable indoor seating, live music, and community-focused service. Menus are chef-driven and rotate with daily and weekly features, from tacos and seafood to comfort classics, with occasional event-driven closures for staff and guest safety during poor air quality. The team highlights relaxed, social dining and regular summer specials suited to patio season.
🕰️ Organization Hours:
Last updated on Feb 1st, 2026
Recent Activity
Chicken Cordon Bleu over Fettuccine
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring Chicken Cordon Bleu over Fettuccine tonight, a plate of crispy breaded chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese on fettuccine in a tangy cream sauce. Patio seating will depend on storms, but comfortable indoor seating with a great view is available.
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Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Tacos
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Tacos for Taco & Tequila Tuesday, piled with buttermilk crispy chicken in hot honey and topped with guacamole, citrus slaw, mango salsa, and candied jalapeños. Stop by for this lunch feature and enjoy the view while Chef Jake serves a sweet and spicy combination of flavors.
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Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is highlighting a Buffalo Cauliflower Salad featuring roasted cauliflower in buffalo sauce over mixed greens with guacamole and blue cheese, available for lunch starting 2026-07-20. You can add chicken, steak, shrimp, or salmon, then sit on the Dockside patio and enjoy the summer weather by the water.
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Dockside invitation social post
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside posted a playful invitation on July 19, 2026 asking followers to come to Dockside. The message is a casual, friendly nudge to stop by for a relaxed visit at the cafe and dockside space.
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Live music with Peyton Huard
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is open for brunch at 9:00 AM on Sunday, July 19, and hosts live music with Peyton Huard at 2:00 PM. Drop by for a relaxed Sunday meal and stay for an afternoon set in the cafe's dockside setting.
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Closure notice
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside closed early on the evening of July 18, 2026 after a north wind brought wildfire smoke over the waterfront and air quality worsened. The team closed for the rest of the night to protect staff and guests, and they expect to share updates about reopening tomorrow.
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Reopening announcement after wildfire smoke closure
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside announced they reopened on July 18, 2026 after closing for two and a half days because of wildfire smoke. The owner thanked customers for support, noted that air quality has improved and views across the bay have returned, and invited neighbors to stop by even though a thunderstorm may come later.
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Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside Saturday Opening
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside posted a same day update announcing they open at 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2026. If you are nearby and looking for morning coffee or a quick bite, the cafe will be serving starting at 9:00 AM.
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Temporary closure due to poor air quality
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is closed today, July 17, 2026, because of poor air quality; the team says they will post updates as conditions improve. The announcement stresses staff and guest safety and thanks patrons for their patience and support.
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Saturday on the Patio
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside posts about Saturday on the Patio, a casual patio gathering with a hope that the space will be smoke free. It is a low key invitation to stop by, enjoy outdoor seating, and connect with neighbors at the café and dockside venue.
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Temporary closure notice
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside announced they will remain closed on 2026-07-16 because wildfire smoke has created hazardous air quality. The team is monitoring conditions and hopes to welcome guests back on Friday, advising patrons to limit time outdoors and stay safe.
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Evening closure due to smoke
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside posted on July 15 that they are closed for the night because it is smoky, with staff sent home and a promise to reevaluate in the morning. The patio is closed until further notice, so check the cafe's official updates before heading over.
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Lunch & Cocktail Summer Features
Alternate Grounds Café and Dockside is highlighting summer features with a Tuscan Chicken Sandwich and a Dockside White Wine Spritzer, posted July 15, 2026. The sandwich pairs crispy fried chicken with brie and pesto aioli, while the spritzer is a light white wine and soda cocktail finished with lemon, perfect for hot, humid days.
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Garlic & Pepper Crispy Shrimp
Chef Andrew is serving Garlic and Pepper Crispy Shrimp at Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside as part of Wednesday dinner, plated over ginger soy noodles with green beans, roasted peppers, bean sprouts, and fresh spinach. The summer special is available while it lasts, and the post invites you to grab a seat by the water and skip cooking tonight.
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Blackened Flat Iron Steak Salad
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring a Blackened Flat Iron Steak Salad on 2026-07-13, a summer friendly dish with blackened steak, house made herb vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, red onions, roasted red peppers, feta, and a crostini. The cafe suggests enjoying it on the patio to catch the breeze off the water for an easy, satisfying evening meal.
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Crispy Falafel Sandwich
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring a Crispy Falafel Sandwich as Today’s Lunch Feature for Meatless Martini Monday, piled with spinach, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, hummus, and tahini. Enjoy it on the patio with a Lemon Drop Martini while the bay breeze keeps things cool. Add tzatziki for dipping to make it extra satisfying.
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Lemon Drop Martinis
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring Lemon Drop Martinis all day for Meatless Martini Monday on 2026-07-13, paired perfectly with a Crispy Falafel Sandwich. Stop by Dockside for a refreshing cocktail on the patio and enjoy the bay view while you eat.
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Meatless Martini Monday
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is celebrating Meatless Martini Monday with a Crispy Falafel Sandwich and Lemon Drop Martinis featured all day on 2026-07-13. The sandwich comes with creamy hummus, tahini, fresh vegetables, and an optional tzatziki side, served on the patio with a bay breeze and a great view.
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Nashville Chicken Mac & Cheese
Tonight at Dockside Chef Andrew is featuring Nashville Chicken Mac & Cheese, a plate of house made buttermilk crispy chicken tenders in homemade Nashville hot sauce atop creamy bacon and pickle mac and cheese. The menu item is promoted for a summer evening by the water, and quantities are limited so plan to arrive early.
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Panko-Crusted Chicken Katsu
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is serving a limited nightly feature, Panko-Crusted Chicken Katsu, with rice, cabbage, miso soup, tonkatsu sauce, and a pickled cucumber salad. The cafe made only a very limited number tonight, so head to the waterfront patio in Sarnia early to enjoy the view and the dish before it sells out.
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Friday lunch feature — Crispy Buffalo Shrimp Hoagie
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is running a Friday lunch feature, the Crispy Buffalo Shrimp Hoagie, with shrimp tossed in locally made Thanks Hot Sauce, dill pickle slaw, sweet corn salsa, and a cool ranch drizzle. Served with a choice of side, this sandwich is promoted as a messy in the best way patio lunch with waterfront views.
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Dockside offerings
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside posted that Dockside supplies what you need for a sunny waterfront visit, using cocktail and taco imagery to highlight drinks and casual fare. The playful note suggests stop by Dockside for beverage service and a relaxed summer vibe on or after July 9 2026.
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Pan fried salmon and potato rosti
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring pan fried salmon and potato rosti, a composed plate with seared salmon, garlic braised spinach, caramelized onions, hollandaise, and corn salsa. The cafe shared this menu highlight on social channels to invite diners to try the savory and bright combination.
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chicken parm sandwich
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring a chicken parm sandwich built with crispy chicken, vodka tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and a garlic and Parmesan toasted bun. The cafe promoted the item on social channels on July 9 2026, positioning it as a comfort food pick that is both satisfying and photo friendly.
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House-made Honey Gochujang Chicken Balls
Alternate Grounds Café & Dockside is featuring House-made Honey Gochujang Chicken Balls as a Tuesday dinner special, crispy tempura-style chicken tossed in a sweet-and-spicy honey gochujang sauce and served with kimchi fried rice and garlic green beans. Limited quantities are available, and the café notes the patio and waterfront view as ideal for enjoying this item.
