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    Hooked Cafe

    4.4 (126 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Order Hooked Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    HOOKED CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Hooked Cafe

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    Open sign on at 6:30am, says they open at 6. Very clearly not open. All the stools are up and no one answering the phone.
    April N.

    I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what is going on with this restaurant. I was at the beach watching the sunrise and it was too cold so I decided I needed something to warm me up. Used Yelp to find restaurants near by "open now". First to come up was Hooked. I used to love this place so I was excited to visit again. Now, Yelp has them listed as opening at 6am. Google says 7am. The door of the restaurant says 6am. Their website hookedcafe.com is down. I called, no answer (there was no recording or voicemail, just the generic default robot so I can't be 100% that it was even the correct phone number for this business). They have not one, but two Instagram accounts, neither of which have been posted to since 2020. However, one post from December said they opened at 8am. So, I don't know what the story is. I pulled up at 6:30 and the "Open" and "Coffee" signs were on but the parking lot was empty and all the stools inside were up and there were no lights on or people inside. If this business is still open, they need to do better because I shouldn't have to spend 20 minutes just trying to figure out if you're open or not. Please get it together, I used to love your restaurant!

    Diana M.

    Came here for breakfast today with my girlfriends and we all loved the food. We sat outside and they have these cute little tiki tables. Service was quick and friendly. 3 of us got the egg, cheese, pork roll, rigged (hashbrown), and avocado on a roll.. It was amazing! The bread was nice and soft and all the flavors just came together to make a bangin' sandwich. It hit the spot. The iced coffee was average and the inside of the place is nothing special. However, I recommend coming here and sitting outside on a nice day. There is parking right in the plaza. Its located near the family dollar.

    Gerald S.

    This small cafe along the tracks in Belmar serves a very good breakfast with strong java and friendly service. Our french toast, corned beef hash and 3 egg omelet were all superior plates beyond the expectation of what is a closet size kitchen with a single grill. Large portions. We took part of the egg dish home. Special mention for the hash side dish which was about the best I've had the pleasure of eating. A light crunch and rich flavors, especially when dosed with a run of the table syrup. A little sweetness to mix with the salt and peppery chunks of meat, potato and onion. Great suggestion! Outside dining under dark blue umbrellas for a warmer morn beckon.

    Fish taco with gross old avocado.

    Stopped by for fish tacos based on the photos and great reviews. Unfortunately, they were old reviews. The fish is now battered and fried. The itself was pretty good but the taco shells were a flour tortilla that was cut into a triangle and put on the flat top. They were hard and dry and small. Worst part was they were served with old, bad avocado. My wife asked if they had any fresher avocado and the "chef" came out and said the avocado was fine. She argued it was just the brown part near the stem. Didn't offer to do anything.

    Kiichi R.

    Visiting the infamous Jersey Shore, girlfriend happens to choose here. What an excellent choice! I am a huge supporter of local eateries and boy does this place shine bright like a diamond. Not an overly large place, with room for 20 inside and another 20 outside. Menu has a variety of typical breakfast items as well as specialty sandwiches with an emphasis on seafood. We had the fish tacos and fried clam sandwich - all of which were SUPERB! I am already "hooked" on this place to come back. Also, you MUST have the homemade Key Lime Pie - to dieeeeee for! Additionally, Peggy, who is the co-owner with her husband, was a darling of a server/conversationalist. She seems to be the hub of all the locals as she seemed to know everyone that walked through the door. Have any questions about the town? She can guide you in the right direction! The Shore is a winner! And foodies, make it a point to check it out!

    Taylor Ham and cheese with home fries
    Gina C.

    Amazing Breakfast Spot! Taylor Ham and cheese was crisp and the roll was delicious!!! Corned beef hash was the best I've ever had and my friends enjoyed the hash brown and home fries.

    French Toast!
    Melinda M.

    Always fresh and delicious! Great friendly service! Open early for breakfast, Hooked is a great spot to enjoy breakfast or brunch!

    the outside of the restaurant
    Sue T.

    Had a wonderful breakfast here with my daughter. It is located at the train station in Belmar. The place is small with 4 picnic tables outside under umbrellas. I looked inside & received a very warm greeting from the gentlemen behind the counter. I noted a few stools at a counter with several editions of the Daily Times sitting on the counter, presumably for patrons to read. It was a glorious day so we opted to sit outside. We were greeted by a very personable young woman almost immediately who took our drink orders. She came out several times to take our orders but we were taking our time & just enjoying the company. She was not pushy in the least & had no problem with our procrastinating. I finally decided on pork roll, egg & cheese on a roll with hash browns (my guilty pleasure). The sandwich came out quickly & hot & was quite tasty. My only negative was that the hash browns came out on the sandwich, which I did not expect. I would have preferred them on the side. My daughter however loved the hash browns on her sandwich. I will definitely return to this little breakfast nook.

    Short stack with egg and bacon
    Linda M.

    Great breakfast spot in Belmar plaza. Right of the train tracks. I had the buttermilk pancakes with an egg and bacon. Bacon was crisped up nice and pancakes were fluffy with a distinct buttermilk flavor. Coffee was average. Best seating is outside.

    Egg cheese pork roll hash brown sandwich
    Janelle L.

    Came for breakfast with my girlfriends after going out for our one friends bachelorette get-together. My one friend created her own sandwich and I got the same. It was egg, cheese, pork roll, hash brown, and avocado. It was sooooo good and I was so stuffed after eating the whole sandwich, but I could have done without the hash brown. Hash browns have that greasy taste too it and. bait of an after taste for me....but the sandwich was still delicious. The atmosphere was very cute with hut umbrellas on the outside seating. Downfall is the inside. If you need to use the bathroom you have to go to the back of their kitchen area and it smelled so bad walking through that area. They also use the bathroom as storage of soda and such on shelves close to the ceiling. I have watched out particles float through the air when you flush so I found this to be not so clean to store items in here. Other than the bathroom this place is a must try. We all enjoyed our dishes!!

    Seafood chowder

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    9 years ago

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    Photo of Peggy R.

    Peggy R.

    Carole, your smiling faces were a delight to serve!!

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    8 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    Peggy R.

    Thank you Ernest!!

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    8 years ago

    30 minutes for a pork roll, egg and cheese? I think I'll take my business to a more efficient "to go" spot. Food was mediocre at best.

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    Peggy R.

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    8 years ago

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    Peggy R.

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    Peggy R.

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    7 years ago

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    Peggy R.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Hours said they were open but they weren't wasn't able to have lunch here because of that no sign up to say there were closed.

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Awesome little cafe. Waffles were ama-zingggg!!! Totally loved the staff and the beach-y feel. Would totally visit again!!

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Delicious chicken quesadilla - excellent prices. Great coffee - new owner is doing a great job!

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    9 years ago

    Stopped in today and tried the Corn Beef Hash with eggs over easy and toast. Wow - it was delicious! Great food and fun people!

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    9 years ago

    Great fresh food. We had the Lenny sandwhich and the shrimp and avocado omelette. Highly recommend both!!!

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    6 years ago

    Great place , love the Breakfast hang , small but not too small , nice owners , more room outside too, call in to go orders too , Peace

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    10 years ago

    I love this place! The owners are super nice, the food is great, service is great and it's a very intimate atmosphere.

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    9 years ago

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    Page 2 of 4

    Ask the Community - Hooked Cafe

    I know this use to be called the Express Station a few years ago. Are there new owners or is this just a new name?

    Hi Kirsten. We purchased the Express Station from our friend, Richard, 3 years ago when he was ready to retire.

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    Mr Shrimp - Lobster dinner

    Mr Shrimp

    3.6(399 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    We don't get to Mr Shrimp that often but when we do it's always a fine meal. This visit was more…read moreenjoyable then most as we caught them on a night they were not packed with people. They were barely half full and the noise was not extremely loud. I had the New England clam chowder and as usual it was a great start to the meal. Plenty of clams and potatos in a creamy white sauce. To start the meal they also provided bread sticks with sesame seeds which is a real nice alternative to dinner rolls. With the sticks they also providing a dipping sauce that really tasted great. This the only place I can remember having breadsticks during dinner and loved it. For dinner I had stuffed flounder with rice and vegetables. The fish was prepared real well and came with plenty of crabmeat and stuffing. Inside it was real moist and tasted great. Along with that was rice and mixed vegetables. In the restaraunt the vegetables were a bit harder then I would prefer but when I reheated the meal at home they were perfect. But if you you are an al dente vegetable they would be fine for you. My wife picked something off the specials of the day. Shrimp, Mahi, broccoli, mushrooms, pine nuts all over rice. She felt this was a great meal and would definitely get it again. It was a nice blend of a bunch of tastes and textures, and the pine nuts are always a great addition to a meal. With less people to deal with the service was right on point, with several returns to our table to make sure everything was well. I feel you will always have a great meal here. But at times there will be a wait to get a table and it will be a bit loud... But in my mind you will always walk out smiling

    Local spot that caters to older local crowd. Hold tables for special customers vs new customers…read more Food is good but service seems overwhelmed when busy. Reservations don't always matter.

    Photos
    Mr Shrimp
    Mr Shrimp - Oysters

    Oysters

    Mr Shrimp - Inside

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    Inside

    Klein's Fish Market and Waterside Cafe - Crab cake sandwich with SUPER HARD waffle fries. Only 2 pieces worth eating; the rest are garbage. $25

    Klein's Fish Market and Waterside Cafe

    3.0(673 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    My husband and I had lunch here while visiting the area, and it was a positive experience overall…read more We ordered oysters, tuna tartar, grilled sea bass, and a steamed lobster. The tuna tartar tasted fresh, and I liked that the tuna was in chunks rather than minced. It came on a bed of rice and avocado and was served with fried wonton skins. There was also a sweet sauce drizzled over it (like eel sauce), which I didn't really think was necessary, but it was okay. I enjoyed my lobster very much, although I was surprised to see that there was roe in it (which I thought was forbidden from an eco standpoint). My husband liked his sea bass, but he struggled with the oysters since none of them were properly shucked (he had to take a knife to them to properly remove them from their shells). That was pretty disappointing for a seafood restaurant. Our server was very attentive and friendly. Overall not a bad experience but there is definitely some room for improvement.

    Klein's Fish Market sits on the water in Belmar, a place that wants to be charming. The view is…read morepleasant enough, tour boats transiting through the inlet, gulls doing whatever gulls do when they have no better ideas. It is not a scene that stirs the soul or quiets the mind, but it is fine for staring at when there is nothing else to do. I came for lunch on a weekend, early enough to avoid the mob that usually descends later in the day. Getting a table was easy. Finding a parking space was not. It is always the same story there, a little game of musical bumper cars. When I made it inside, I found the tables to be sticky in the way that suggests they had been wiped down but not really cleaned. The servers moved with the slow grace of people who had already given up on the afternoon. They were not rude, just absent in spirit. I ordered the fried oysters because it seemed like something they ought to do well. They were fine, in the way that lukewarm applause is fine. Not offensive, not memorable. The breading was heavy, the flavor lost somewhere between the fryer and the plate. For the price, one expects a little magic, or at least a spark of care. Neither arrived. Klein's feels like a place living off its own legend, a faded postcard from better days. People go because they have always gone. The fish is there, the view is there, but the heart of it seems to have gone missing. It is not terrible, but it is not worth the time or the money either. Three stars, mostly for nostalgia.

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    Klein's Fish Market and Waterside Cafe - Bar

    Bar

    Klein's Fish Market and Waterside Cafe - Crab Cake Sandwich

    Crab Cake Sandwich

    Klein's Fish Market and Waterside Cafe - Outside views

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    Outside views

    Spring Lake Seafood

    Spring Lake Seafood

    4.0(131 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    This was hands down one of the best meals I've had all year! Firstly, I really like knowing that…read moreeverything is sourced from local farmers and fisherman to make sure all of their ingredients are fresh and clean. Everything here is intentional. They use olive oil over seed oils for example, and ingredients that actually make you feel good after you eat. We started off with the raw bar--fresh clams that tasted like the ocean in the best way. Then we had to try the famous tuna pizza, and wow! I get the hype now. It was the perfect combo of crunchy, creamy, and salty and I'll be dreaming about it for days to come! The garlic shrimp was delicious and had a savory juice, something you'd find in a Spanish tapas restaurant which was perfect for bread dipping. The spaghetti with clams was a classic but elevated dish and came with a generous portion. We tried the ahi tuna lo mein from their specials and that was a fun addition. It doesn't taste greasy so don't expect takeout quality. Their sushi was seriously impressive and some of the best I've had in NJ. We got the kamikaze roll, ninja roll, and chef's nigiri. Totally fresh and easy to eat. Even the mocktails were next level. We tried the Heat Wave and Chicha Sour. Both so unique and had us feeling refreshed after, not sluggish. Of course we ended with dessert. The banana bread pudding made in-house was a huge treat. So delectable and moist. The lemon sorbet was a great way to cleanse our palate and was very refreshing. This place is where high-quality meets creative! Even the ambiance reflects their sustainable beliefs. They have a beautiful coastal inspired design in a minimalist way, using lots of natural textures in the designs. The service was fantastic and attentive. I will be recommending this to all my family and friends!

    I remember when this location was a little luncheonette. They made a killer grilled cheese. Last…read moreyear was the first time we went as Spring Lake Seafood and the food was really good. This year it was not really good...it was great! We started with grilled calamari and scallops that were resting on a creamy lobster sauce with a small amount of caviar garnishing the top of the scallops. Both dishes left us wanting more. Fortunately the entrees that followed were equally beautiful dishes that tasted amazing. My wife had a salmon special that was served with broccoli rabe. She was raving and so was the gentleman at the next table...like a chorus of praise! I had the fjord trout, served on a bed of perfectly cooked lentils. I have had, and very much enjoyed, trout in the past but this was my first fjord trout. It was so good. One of those meals you close your eyes and smile reminiscing about. We capped the meal with tres leches cake...one of my favorites. It was done perfectly moist but not mushy...sweet but not too much. Our waitress was a sweetheart! It's kind of a small place so it was a little noisy but not in an overbearing way. Quite frankly the food was so good Slayer could have been playing a set in the middle of the room and it wouldn't have distracted from the meal one iota. Spring Lake Seafood is a gem. Well...well worth the trip.

    Photos
    Spring Lake Seafood
    Spring Lake Seafood - 1/2 Lobster Roll

    1/2 Lobster Roll

    Spring Lake Seafood - East Coast Oysters

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    East Coast Oysters

    SeaGrass - Whipped Ricotta

    SeaGrass

    3.9(555 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    What a pleasant surprise to find this gem in Ocean Grove. I was there for a late afternoon event…read morefor the Lt. Governor and became mesmerized by this little hamlet next to the ocean. As I was leaving, I saw Seagrass! Linda was exceptionally nice as she had people sitting outside to get in! I was a party of one and sort of in a hurry! Well, well, well....I ordered the clam chowder and it was exceptional! The arugula calamari salad was next level as well. The catcher was that meals were by one get one so why not. I ordered the halibut and scallops with corn and tomato risotto! It was amazing! Worth the trip and the experience! My actual server was one of the best ever! Kudos to Seagrass!

    SeaGrass does not take reservations. It is a BYOB. Last evening, we dined here early, arriving…read morearound 5 pm when the place was only about 1/4 full. It filled up during the next hour which created a NOISY ambiance. By the time we left (around 615 pm), there were more than 15 people waiting for tables. Lauren was our server. OK, nothing special. We started sharing a special melon salad that was tasty. For entrees, we had Asian Sea Bass $29 from regular menu and a Snapper special $38. Both were very good. So, SeaGrass is good for Ocean Grove where there are few dining options, but not great (not worth going out of your way to dine here).

    Photos
    SeaGrass - Indoor dining at Sea Grass

    Indoor dining at Sea Grass

    SeaGrass - Lobster on a brioche roll w/house fries | #intenselypassionatephotography

    Lobster on a brioche roll w/house fries | #intenselypassionatephotography

    SeaGrass - Scallop salad

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    Scallop salad

    Xina - Sushi

    Xina

    4.6(39 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Xina was a a lot of fun, I am glad I was able to secure a reservation for a group of 6…read moreBYOB, parking can be challenging. The employees are terrific, great personalities and you can tell they love working there. Modern setup with an open kitchen and sushi bar. The food is excellent, portion sizes are on the larger side. Fantastic opportunity to over order and share with a group. My favorite items included: the 20oz lobster tail special with Walnut Shrimp. Fried perfectly and sauced nicely. The pork chops are a can't miss, fork tender! The Bacon Egg and Cheese fried rice was as good as I thought it would be, just get it. The sushi dinner plate was tremendous, the fish is sliced perfectly and extremely fresh. I will come back for another visit before summer.

    This one was a bit of a surprise to me. I had gone to Xina's original location in Toms River a few…read moreyears ago and was left underwhelmed, but decided to give Xina another try at their new location in Bradley Beach. This new venue is definitely smaller than the original, but maintains a clean minimalist aesthetic. The server could not have been more helpful or accommodating and had a very intimate knowledge of seemingly every item on the menu, including the extensive list of specials. We began with dumplings, calamari salad, and some tuna sushi rolls. The dumplings were perfectly satisfactory and hit the spot just right for when you're craving a dumpling. Dipping sauce complimented them well. Additionally, the sushi rolls had incredibly flavorful and fresh tasting tuna. Lastly, the calamari salad, being the most unique of the bunch, was definitely the star. It had a mild flavor, that was brought out and paired perfectly with their wonderful in-house sauce. My entree was the xo fat noodles and they were nothing short of fantastic. It had wonderful flavor, a good assortment of veggies and proteins, in a very generously sized portion. This may be my new go-to, as I will certainly be making a return visit.

    Photos
    Xina - Interior

    Interior

    Xina - Scallop and Shrimp Toast

    Scallop and Shrimp Toast

    Xina - Spice is Riight Roll

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    Spice is Riight Roll

    Hooked Cafe - cafes - Updated May 2026

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