This place was yummy. Nice casual dining area, servers are attentive even when its busy. We ordered the lobster roll, clam chowder, ceviche, and halibut. The lobster on the lobster roll was buttery and it was a pretty sizeable roll with tons of meat, the chowder was nice and creamy, the halibut had a really great sear to it, and the ceviche was on point. Overall was a great experience, everything was a hit. It is a teeny bit expensive but not super unreasonable relative to everything else in the area. read more

The restaurant itself had clean and modern decor and ambiance- nautical themed and cute. The service was incredible. Our server Remi and other staff were quick to clean plates and trash, filling up water and bringing out food/drinks promptly. The food was delicious- mocktail (10/10), ceviche (8.8/10), clam chowder (10/10), fish tacos (9/10), Newport salad (7/10) and bread pudding (11/10) all delicious. Generous portions and very affordable! Bill was just over 100.00 for all items. My husband and I definitely coming back. read more

Hook & Anchor - Bread pudding - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

Food is outstanding service is great! Atmosphere is romantic, a bit high end with a beautiful location. read more

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What a wonderful experience. The manager Hayden recommended great wine! Solid service from the wait staff and was a great night out. Thank you! read more

Truly one of our favorites in town The staff is amazing and very friendly Great job!! read more

Hook & Anchor - Last night's Special - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Food outstanding!! Service on point!! Happy hour is wonderful!! Our servers were Corina and Joe!! Couldn't have been better!! Over and above. We ordered the seafood tower it was delicious. Also had the award winning clam chowder soup. Best ever. Drinks on point. We will definitely make this our new favorite spot to go to. It's a great place. read more

I was so surprised at how good this place was. From the moment the cute hostesses greet you and seat you, you are made to feel special. Our waiter was so attentive and personable and our order took no time. The food (and drinks) were so yummy! The clam chowder was insane, the fish and chips and seafood risotto fresh and just delicious. Both my husband and I were stunned! We will definitely be back. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Never went to the Newport Beach location but always wanted to. My fiancée mentioned there was one in Dana Point so we decided to give it a go. Menu was fairly extensive but we both decided on the 6oz lobster rolls. They were outstanding . Both sandwiches had an ample amount of lobster meat. French fries were really good too. Also tried the ceviche and crab cakes. Ceviche was very good, crab cakes were average. Rolls were definitely pricey but they were very good. If you are looking for a good lobster roll in California i would definitely recommend this place, but one caveat be ready to pay a premium price for it. read more

Hook & Anchor - Lobster roll Chefs style with the siracha aioli - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

I went to the recently opened Dana Pt location with my sister and my BF on a Monday night. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday there are specials that are only served on the patio and at the bar. They are not advertised on the menu or at the tables so you need to ask about them. We all ordered the Fish and Chips special. We chose to sit on the patio, which is dog friendly, because we brought our dog. Seating in the patio is limited so you may want to make reservation. There was plenty of parking because the restaurant is located in a shopping center. The fish and chips are Mahi Mahi, deep fried with a tempura batter. The fish was moist and tasty but my BF found his to be greasy. The two piece fish and chips special is $17 and you can get a bowl of clam chowder for an additional $2. My BF got the clam chowder and we all tasted it and liked it, however it was really lacking the amount of clams in it....he said that it was more like a potato chowder. We ordered our fries extra crispy and they were cooked perfectly. My sister ordered a side salad and it was ok but it was $7, which is high considering it was small and consisted of lettuce, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. My sister and I each ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc which was just ok and was $16 a glass. Our total bill was just under $100. We enjoyed the ambiance with all of the Christmas decorations in the shopping center. The food was decent but the prices are a bit high considering what we ordered. read more

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We Were Hooked -- Until This Meal Sank the Ship We had been coming here at least twice a month because I considered their Fish & Chips--my favorite dish--to be the best within 20 miles of my home in Mission Viejo. After this visit, however, I think our relationship with this restaurant has reached the end of the pier. We ordered the Fish & Chips, sautéed vegetables, and a seared mushroom medley. What arrived was so disappointing that I wondered whether the kitchen had been taken over by a completely different crew. The fish was hidden beneath enormous, dark-brown slabs of batter--so thick that finding the fish became an archaeological exercise. The batter was greasy and apparently fried well beyond the point of reason. Inside was a small, mushy, brown piece of fish that bore little resemblance to the Mahi-Mahi we expected, or to the flaky white fish such as sea bass or cod that we had previously enjoyed. The batter was so thick, the fish seemed to be merely a rumor. The fried "fingerling" potatoes were another masterpiece of misinterpretation: thin, hard sticks that appeared better suited to stirring a cocktail than accompanying dinner. The sautéed vegetables were practically raw, with several pieces featuring impressively burned tips. The mushrooms were thinly sliced and so devoid of flavor that I began to suspect that garlic, herbs, salt, and seasoning had all been asked to leave the premises. Calling them a "seared mushroom medley" was rather generous. Calling them flavorful would have been fiction. And then came the soundtrack. We were seated outside next to a barbecue restaurant that apparently believes dinner should be accompanied by a live rock concert. The music was so deafening that having a conversation required something approaching naval signaling. Which brings me to the most disappointing part: we know this restaurant can do much better. We had been regular customers and had genuinely considered their Fish & Chips the best around. That is why this meal was not merely mediocre--it was astonishingly bad by comparison. Perhaps the chef was having a very bad day. Unfortunately, we were the ones who had to eat it. We came for Fish & Chips. We got batter, sticks, raw vegetables, flavorless mushrooms, and a concert we didn't ask for. So, after many enjoyable visits, this one has finally sunk the ship. We were hooked. But we won't be dropping anchor here again. read more

I had heard through social media and reviews that this place has the best lobster roll in Orange County and once again I find all the hype to be inaccurate. The menu looks great, offering what looks to be delicious seafood. And I imagine that they offer great seafood. , just not in the form of a lobster roll. I was born and raised in New England and I know what a Maine style lobster roll is. What they offer here is nothing like a Maine style lobster roll and honestly, it tasted gross.. The iconic Maine lobster roll is made from simple ingredients, It is the perfect combination of mounds of lobster , mayonnaise, and lemon juice maybe a little salt.. served chilled in a toasted bun. Sometimes you get minced celery . What was served to me at Hook and Anchor was a lobster roll served in a brioche bun, and when I looked at it, it looked like it had hot cheese on top of it. But that wasn't cheese.. That was hot garlic mayonnaise, or aoili. I had to eat it with a knife of fork, and the overwhelming flavor is garlic. That's too bad because lobster has a delicate flavor and overpowering it with hot garlic, mayonnaise , it just was not very good It was bad. Again a lobster roll is served cold and that it was hot made it worse. If this is what you serve please don't say it's a Maine style lobster because it absolutely is not. However, we did split a clam chowder and that was delicious so my guess is that they have items on the menu that are good and I probably will go back to try their other entrees But please don't tell people that this is a Maine style lobster roll. And lastly, there is another classic style of lobster., I think that's considered New York, and that is warm a lobster with melted butter, drizzled all through it that I think does have minced celery . This style of lobster roll is decadent and delicious. And I don't understand how people who review lobster rolls on TikTok and Instagram somehow in Orange County don't know what a classic Maine lobster roll is read more

I updated my review! This was our second time here. Less noise! Deviled eggs were delicious as well as Oyster Rockefeller. I opted for halibut special. It was good and delicious veggies. House salad just ok mainly lettuce with just a few tomatoes and cucumbers. My husband had lobster tails which he preferred over the rolls we had last time. Our other friend had lobster roll but he also thought roll was a bit much. Their one dessert is fabulous Had a slight problem at the start and had to ask for a waitress after waiting a while. They apologized and the service was great after that. read more

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Cozy Fancy Vibes + Lobster Goals Okayy this spot?? Obsessed. Started off strong with a cute lil outdoor fire pit and 10+ seater area that screams post-beach chill or lowkey date night. Bonus: extra patio seating if you're tryna people-watch with a drink in hand. Inside? LOTS of dining space and like 5 cozy booths if you're tryna tuck away. Bar's got TVs for the sports ppl and purse hooks under the counter ..which, honestly, every place should have. Normalize purse hooks 2025! Now onto the GOODS: * Happy hour drinks 3-5pm * Happy hour food 4-5pm (bar only but totally worth grabbing a seat) Beer selection? Insane. So much variety I blacked out halfway through reading the list (in the best way). Fries? BABY. The chef's seasoning??? I gasped. Like fries-sent-from-above kinda vibe. And the lobster roll... don't even get me started. Full buttery chunks of heaven with actual melted butter on the side. Melted in my mouth and my soul left my body. I got the smaller one and it was def enough! Shoutout to Scott the bartender is super friendly and legit on his A-game. Will I be back? Try and stop me. read more

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We have said it before. Since hook and anchor opened in Dana Point we have become regulars, and the staff and the menu and the execution is all perfect. Try it all! read more

Great day of celebration at Hook and Anchor in Dana Point on March 7. They won the People Choice and the Mayor's Choice awards for their Clam Chowder. But our favorite is their 6oz Lobster Roll. Service is always fantastic and the atmosphere is fun. You have to take a spin down and get an awesome meal. read more

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What a great addition to the Dana Point food scene! Great casual elegance vibe, friendly and attentive staff, creative cocktails and amazing food. Started with the lobster Mac and cheese which had a little Cajun seasoning kick with lobster claw meat. Fantastic. Also had the fried green tomatoes that were outstanding. Had to get the lobster roll after reading the reviews and seeing photos. They have a 4oz or 6 oz version. Went with the 6 oz and glad I did. Savored every bite. Cant believe we had room but we had to try the one dessert they have which was bread pudding with ice cream and berries. Nice wine selection and top shelf cocktails. Will certainly be back. Katie was our server who didn't rush us, gave us suggestions and was attentive without hovering. Place was full and every table taken when we got there at 6:30 but we only had to wait 15 min for a party of 2. Will make reservations next time since I think the word will spread quickly about how great this place is. They have happy hour every night from 9-10 and an outdoor patio with a fire pit and lots of seating. read more

Hook & Anchor - Bread pudding - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Wife and I were staying at the Laguna cliffs hotel and wanted to try some seafood and this seamed like the best place to try and it was great. Great service and great food. I got the Connecticut lobster roll with cauliflower and both were amazing. Wife got a daily fish special and she also really enjoyed it . We also got oysters for appetizers read more

We ordered the Halibut, Scallops, Crab Cake, and Bread Pudding, and everything was superb. the service and vibe was excellent (thanks, Renny!) read more

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Traveling for work and found this gem!! Food excellent, service excellent. For being a new spot definitely recommend and would go back when in area again read more

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Had dinner last night with our neighbors and first of many future visits. Taylor, our waitress was off the chart and the sea food was fantastic. I am doing a shout out from my radio station, Beach City Waves, for this great gem in Dana Point, CA read more

First time visiting this establishment, very casual decided to go during happy hour. I got two fish tacos that came with a Modelo. Also, we got the burger with fries. Everything was great service was impeccable. Kendall was our waitress, and Hayden made sure that our heating lamp never went out great experience great food definitely will return friendly helpful staff read more

Hook & Anchor - Fish tacos, and the classic burger with fries - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

Hook and Anchor opened a new location in our neck of the woods and we couldn't be happier about it. Wife and I went to the original location in Costa Mesa a couple of times and loved the food and ambience. I have had most everything on the menu and have never been disappointed. Love the lobster roll and seafood risotto! Try to always start off with their delicious clam chowder. Our most recent server, Tanya, was outstanding. So friendly and made us feel like we were old friends. Will be back often and will request to be seated in Tanya's section! Cheers read more

Hook & Anchor - Lobster roll - Chef's way (Saucy) - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

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My boyfriend and I had dinner here over the weekend and are already counting down the days until we can go back. From start to finish, everything was exceptional. We started with half a dozen "mixed" oysters, which were incredibly fresh. My boyfriend ordered a cup of clam chowder and said it was one of the best he's ever had (he's from New England, so that's saying a lot) But the real standout for him was the cioppino. He's still dreaming about it. Rich, flavorful, and packed with lots of fresh seafood--it was perfection. I opted for the lobster roll, and now I understand why they told us it was voted the #1 lobster roll in California. It was everything you want in a lobster roll: buttery, tender, and perfectly seasoned. Plus it comes with seasoned fries! The ambiance is relaxed yet refined--coastal, clean, and comfortable. The staff made us feel so welcome from the moment we checked in to the moment we left. We will definitely be back! read more

Great customer service at Hook & Anchor! Food was great - especially the lobster roll! Absolutely delicious with a lot of lobster meat! Will definitely return. read more

Food, service and ambiance were all great ! Waiter Ernie was great as well! We look forward to returning. read more

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Keeps getting better. As much as we LOVED Kendall as our server and we did, Arianna matched her awesomeness. Get over here now. Lobstah role with buttttah!! YUM x 100! read more

Hook & Anchor - Lobster role and potato wedges. - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

We ended up having an amazing time at Hook & Anchor! We came at 4 PM on Sunday and was told ~10-15 min wait. We were seated about ~15 min later. It took a bit after our server initially greeted us until she came back to take our orders - she was super apologetic, friendly, and helpful though - the host had also checked in us while we were waiting to make sure our server had greeted us, which was appreciated. We had intended to do happy hour but missed seeing that it was only at bar or patio until after we were seated at a regular table and opened the menu - we asked our server about it and she kindly explained to us that it is 3-5PM daily only at bar or patio - it ended up being irrelevant anyhow cause she said they were out of oysters. We got the ahi poke for appetizer. Tasty poke - loved the crispy wonton chips. I ordered the 6oz lobster roll - market price was $50 (you could also get 4oz - not sure on the price difference). The lobster roll featured a ton of delicious, fresh lobster meat. We also got halibut with fingerling potatoes and salad - halibut was fresh, deliciously seasoned. They had athletic brewing light and IPA as NA options. read more

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First time and not the last time! I love this place the food is amazing and the people are so amazing. A huge shout out to Katrina our server and to Philp who made sure we had a great time, must visit read more

Hook & Anchor - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

After seeing pictures of their lobster rolls on Instagram, and with an old friend's recommendation, we made our FIRST (of what we'll now expect to become MANY) visits to Hook & Anchor. We started with a few of their signature cocktails, went with their lobster deviled eggs appetizer, my wife got the lobster roll she'd seen on Instagram while I had their New York steak with mushrooms. In one word: Outstanding! Outstanding service by their entire staff. Our waitress Kate was awesome, the general manager checked on us frequently & the co-owner spent some time with us. The food was excellent & we're already looking forward to our next visit. 10 out of 10. read more

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Tonight we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary with the good folks at Hook and Anchor in Dana Point. We heard about the place from our daughter and the video she sent looked fantastic. The video did not lie. The restaurant has been opened for about one month and the team is already working extremely well together. We were warmly greeted by our host and handed over to the care of Renny J. and his team who made us feel welcome and genuinely glad we came. Pride of place and a heart to serve was obvious and very much appreciated. The atmosphere is elegantly casual with a contemporary feel and airy style. The menu is straight forward and indicative of a chef who wants to serve routinely delicious dishes without feeling the need to be all things to all people. We ordered calamari fries ( panko encrusted calamari steaks) which were served with house made tartar sauce (delicious!) followed by cioppino and the seafood risotto as our entrees. Of course, we had to fit in the lobster roll which we'd been told they are famous for. We immediately understood why. Amazing. Manager Phil stopped by the table to wish us a happy anniversary and made sure all was to our liking. Later, Renny brought us a delicious bread pudding dessert with ice cream and a fresh berry compote. I also tried the Salt-N-Sea margarita and could not have been happier with such a delicious cocktail. The atmosphere, food and team were outstanding and we are looking forward to our next visit. If you're looking for a wonderful seafood experience, you need to stop reading this and get to Hook and Anchor right now. What are you waiting for? Go. Go now. read more

Hook & Anchor - Bread pudding!! - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

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The food and service is beyond reproach. My husband land I both had the lobster rolls, his was the 6 ounce mine before. We also shared the baby gem salad, which was out of this world. Service was great. The martini was delightful, as was my husband's Manhattan thoroughly enjoyed our meal. It was, for our 48th anniversary, the chefs kiss! read more

We had an amazing and memorable dinner at Hook and Anchor! The atmosphere was comfortable, the service was friendly and the food was outstanding. I can highly recommend! You will truly enjoy the entire experience and love your meal. read more

Delicious food! Great service! Very accommodating towards the vegetarians in our party, offered an off menu mushroom risotto and it tasted great. The seafood tower had an impressive amount of seafood, delicious lobster, shrimp, mussels, ceviche and tuna poke. The rockfish plate was great too! For appetizers we had the cauliflower steak and deviled lobster eggs, yummy! This was our first time at Hook & Anchor, we will come back! Special shout out to our server Renny who was fantastic. read more

First time here and we were totally impressed. The staff is friendly and took the initiative to welcome us. We sat at the bar during their happy hour. With many restaurants, you sit at the bar and the bartenders ignore you because they're too busy making drinks. We ordered clam chowder, lobster deviled eggs, a cocktail, a beer, and a Sazerac. First off, the clam chowder was excellent; reminds me of the one at Legal Seafood in Boston but in some ways better because it wasn't too buttery creamy. The deviled eggs was equally excellent. The bartender (a woman) was fantastic...she made the Sazerac EXACTLY like it should be made; we knew because we've had it at the Sazerac house in New Orleans and we were taught how to make one there. The fact that the restaurant had Sazerac rye whiskey and the bartender knew what the drink was and made it EXACTLY. The restaurant was so professional, clean, and attention to detail -- most restaurants are just not like this. The staff were all dressed, acted, and consistently first class. Just watching the staff cleaning and polishing wine glasses was evidence of the culture and atmosphere of the restaurant. read more

We had a very nice meal. It's great to sit outside they have a nice patio. Our server, Renny was excellent. He came over quickly and we had our cocktails lightning quick. He made some suggestions and we ended up with the Ciopinno, salad and Shrimp cocktail. It was all delicious. We ended up with an excellent dessert of bread pudding that was scrumptious. We are happy there's a good seafood restaurant nearby. Oh, shout out to Vicente bc he did an awesome job of cleaning up! Thank you read more

2/7/2026 16:30. From the moment we arrived, the experience was a 10/10. They were so welcoming and let my puppy hang out with us on their dog-friendly patio, which instantly won us over. The service was amazing. attentive, friendly, and genuinely cared about making sure we had a great time. The food came out fresh and hot, exactly how it should be, and everything tasted so good. Plus, the martini we ordered was ice cold and discounted thanks to happy hour, which made it even better. Will definitely be back. read more

Hook & Anchor - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

Had an amazing dinner at Hook and Anchor this week. we made a reservation for a Thursday night which was helpful because the restaurant isn't very big. we have been to just about every place that has occupied that space and I really hope this one stays because it is so good. Our server Taylor was great and the owner stopped by to say hello. We started with oysters and chowder and while the risotto was hugely recommended the fish of the day was Halibut so opted for that, and it did not disappoint. The fish was fresh and cooked perfectly, served with mushrooms and fingerling potatoes, I could have eaten an entire plate of the mushrooms. We also had the lobster roll which at market price was $49 for the 6oz portion, it was worth it! Overall great experience, we will definitely be back! read more

Hook & Anchor - oysters and dirty martini - Seafood Near Me - Dana Point, California

Food is good, but for the price I'd like to have been able to enjoy it more. We had an early dinner (5:30 pm). We ordered drinks and multiple courses (chowder, salad, entree). The servers brought everything out at once. The salads were clearly pre-packed in bowls and they just brought a container of our chosen dressing. Our table was tiny and wobbly and we were in the middle of the restaurant with soup salad entrees and drinks all at once. It was like they threw it at us so we'd leave quickly. Our entrees were good, but for the price the experience should have been better. read more

Unfortunately, the service was extremely disappointing. I'm writing this as we're still waiting for our check at the table. We were seated promptly, but it took over 15 minutes just to get water. Our server was training someone, which might have contributed to the delays, but it doesn't excuse the long wait with no communication. When our server finally came by, he apologized and mentioned an issue with the system as the reason our drinks hadn't arrived yet. Still, there's no reason it should've taken that long to offer us water. What made it worse was seeing the table next to us, seated after us and with a different server, already enjoying their drinks and appetizers. On a positive note, the food was great. We had the lobster carbonara and fish and chips, both of which were delicious. The drinks were also very good. Overall, though, the service was the worst I've experienced in Orange County, and it really overshadowed the quality of the food. read more

My wife and I live in the area, but this if the first time we've had the good fortune of eating here. We were with a party of 8 and all of us raved about the food, service and setting. I had the blackened Halibut and it was delicious. My wife had a lobster roll (small) but she claimed it was still to much to finish. Anyway, we are planning another visit soon and highly recommend Hook & Anchor for a wonderful dinner night out! read more