The service was good but the food eh. I ordered shrimp and grits. The shrimp was slightly overlooked and the grits SALTY! The shrimp and grits were swimming in a sea of butter. Way overpriced. The cauliflower and Brussels sprouts were good but again in a pool of oil and salty. My table also ordered the crab cake which was good and light. My kids veggies were carrots roasted which tasted good but again sitting in a pool of oil. We should have taken the bread and olive oil as a complimentary starter as a clue of what was to come. For $100 and 4.5 stars I expected a lot more. read more

Meals came out over an hour after we sat down, all we heard was excuses to why but no action. Once the bill finally came there was no compensation for us. Awful experience would not go back. read more

Love this place in the off season... always too long a wait in season. The food was great as usual. Had the mahi pan fried and it was delicious. The Brussels sprouts were great too. read more

We chose Hooked for the last dinner of our vacation. With rave reviews, we were expecting a great meal. We headed over at around 6:30 pm on a Thursday and it was busy. We happily took this as a sign of a good meal to come and accepted the 25 minute wait. There's plenty of waiting around outside the restaurant so we sat down with one of whatever those waiting buzzer things are called. It was maybe 10-15 minutes before ours went off. We were quickly seated upstairs near the bar. It was loud-ish but not so loud we couldn't hear each other. Our server was pleasant and relatively prompt. We ordered the corn and jalapeño crab bisque, the Nashville hot chicken, and the shrimp and grits. The server informed us that the bisque would be out quickly and he was not kidding! It was at our table 5 minutes later. It was delicious. I would be hard pressed to identify the corn and jalapeño and would have preferred more heat but we would definitely order this again- if we ever planned on returning (hint: we don't). Our meals also came out very quickly. When we tucked into our main courses, we were less than impressed. My shrimp and grits was swimming in an almost flavorless broth. The grits started to float away as I dug in the inch of broth to find the pieces of shrimp and chorizo I'd cut to eat. It was fine, but unexciting. My partner's hot chicken was also bland and not entirely what we were expecting. It was a very lightly fried half chicken that had no flavor or spice at all, accompanied by some bland, boxlike Mac and cheese. He had swapped the peas out for fries, which were good. He ended up slathering his meal in the hot sauce provided at the table and stole some of my broth to pair with his bland chicken. We left full, but wanting. It wasn't the most expensive meal of our trip, thankfully, but the meal didn't warrant the price we paid. We have been very pleased with our dining experiences in OC but agreed we'd not recommend Hooked to anyone visiting the area. We far preferred Shark on the Harbor for a similarly priced meal. Perhaps we hit them on an off day or have a different palette than others, considering the multitude of good reviews and the other clearly happy customers, but this was pass for us. Tom, please don't @ me. read more

We just arrived at the beach and we wanted to go back to Hooked as we were there last year and it was excellent. There were a few tables taken, not bad for a Tuesday night off season. After we asked for a booth we were taken to the very pretty upstairs. There is a complete bar along with quite a few tables and booths up there. The lighting is nice, artwork beautiful, and the atmosphere was quiet and intimate with a lit candle on every table. Our waiter arrived very shortly after we were seated and proceeded to bring us a water. He was very personable and attentive. He immediately took our drink order and left so we could peruse the menu. We were both extremely hungry and ordered the pork belly corn dog as an appetizer to enjoy while me made our decisions. We waiting a bit and then placed our order. A very long time elapsed and we were getting hungrier and hungrier. Finally a very toasty looking corn dog was placed before us. It looked too well done and the waiter whisked it away in the blink of an eye. We waited again for what seemed like forever and corn dog number two made it's appearance and not a moment too soon. This one had a nice tan and golden appearance. We dug in to find a flavorful, juicy, succulent, lightly crispy sweet outer shell and what was inside was simply amazing. Tender pork belly dripping with a slow cooked smooth mild flavor. It melted in the mouth and each bite was better than the last. It disappeared all to quickly and then the wait continued and continued. At one point I had to call the waiter over and asked if our order had been forgotten. He assured me that it was being plated by this time. I beieve I scared him a little bit as by now my eye was twitching and my stomach was growling so loud the people two booths down could here it. A man came by at this point and kneeled next to our table. He was older attractive with a kind face and thick gray hair and a twinkle in his eye. Had his belly been bigger I may have mistaken him for Santa. He explained how the cook was injured just as our order was put in. He had dropped a wine glass and it caused a major cut to his forearm. Off he went to the hospital and so did our order. The manager told us our meal was on the house and we were super excited to here thatl Luckily we reminded the waiter what we ordered and he put it in when we did. Well just as I had began to gnaw on my left arm it came. I have never been so happy to see food in my life. I was too weak to smile at the waiter and dug in. The five fat scallops were nice and delicate with a warm toasted flavor and sightly crispy outer layer. The mound of hot cheesy grits topped with corn where the base. A cheddar cheese theme was exactly the perfect compliment to the toasty scallops. My buddy had a juicy hamburger smothered with leaks, bacon and gruyere cheese all gooey and melted and messy. This meal was well work the long, long wait. We are certainly going to return sooner rather than later. The service and food were both wonderful. You can certainly tell this is a small family run business. That's so very refreshing in these days of the same old chains on every corner. Don't know about you but I'm terribly bored with TGIFridays and Applebees. This just proves that the little guy goes above and beyond and sill creative and kind as can be. Kudos to Hooked. Thank you and I am absolutely Hooked!!!! read more

Our first visit. Food is great. This was a Wednesday night: Fish & Chips special for $10 pleased my companion, a fried fish veteran from Boston. Lovely fish cooked to perfection & good fries as well. My meal was herbed chicken breast served over collards cooked with bacon and a slice of polenta. Chicken anything but bland, lovely & moist. Collards to die for. Polenta? Not my favorite, but it was fine. Dissonant note: odd spongy bread served in chunks with (good) herbed olive oil poured over it. Strange texture. I yearned for a good slice of leathery artisan sourdough to go with the olive oil. Apart from an odd problem with my beer - I asked for it to arrive with my food, and then the food came without any sign of the beer - the service was good. We were on the early side of the evening so the place was relatively quiet, a plus since my companion wears two hearing aids. Altogether a good experience. We will go back. read more

If you are in Ocean City, MD and enjoy Seafood, you have to try this place out. Great place, great food and awesome Strawberry Margaritas. Check it out. read more

Found this place based on yelp reviews, thank god! We got there on a Saturday (just my husband & I) at around 6ish, and they seated us right away on the upstairs deck on the back. We got the orange crush drinks to start which were really good, the calamari (to die for), and for entrees I got the Tuna with wasabi beans (not hot one bit) sooooo good, and my husband got the Surf and Turf also verryyyy good. The potatoes and shrimp so yummy. We ended up splitting half and half because we loved it all equally. For desert I got the Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake ... Enough said. I was amazed at how fresh everything tasted and it's all made in house apparently , they even reserve a spot on their menu to thank the farms they receive from, very cool. We come to OCMD every year and this is hands down our new spot. Price wise, same price we paid every wise else except we walked away stuffed and not trying to find fast food. MUST TRY! read more

Amazing food at Hooked. We started with some Asian Tuna Lettuce wraps and finishes with a seafood stew.

VERY pleased with this place. Food healthy and great service. Excellent fish and shrimp tacos! This will be a regular stop for us while in OC! read more

We went based on the Yelp reviews and were completely disappointed. The crab dip had no crab and the crab cakes were at least half biscuit dough with absolutely no flavor and were so dry we didn't finish them. We would give a lower rating if we could. Don't waste your money. read more

Great food and happy hour! Chowder was awesome could use a slice of bread or crackers with it. Crab dip, bang bang shrimp and dessert was all really good read more

My husband and I stopped into Hooked last night for a late dinner. Overall, we had a nice time and enjoyed the food. I am glad to see an upscale dining restaurant that is serving responsibly sourced food in OC. That being said, I was not overwhelmed by their food. I'm probably spoiled by the DC dining scene and the abundance of excellent restaurants. I would definitely say Hooked is good, but wouldn't call them great. However, given that they're in OC, they're pretty good given the lack of other upscale dining options. In DC, I'd probably only have given them 2 stars. But, this place is definitely a step above most OC restaurants. We arrived at 8:30 on a Saturday night, hoping to miss the crowds (Hooked doesn't take reservations... bummer.) We were told by a very friendly hostess that we had three two person tables ahead of us in the list, and our wait would be about 30 minutes. Almost to the dot, our pager buzzed 30 minutes later. I love restaurants that don't BS you with inaccurately short waiting times, so a big bonus there. We were seated upstairs. I was a little bummed about this because I am very visibly pregnant, and there is no bathroom upstairs. I had to go up and down the stairs twice while we had our meal. Not a huge deal to most, but when your balance is all off because of a huge bump, waddling up and down stairs is no fun. The upstairs is decorated very nicely - beautiful canvases of ocean photography, and a homey, rustic, almost picnic basket like decor. I love restaurants that are more minimal/farmhouse style in their decor, so I found the room very relaxing and well decorated. Our waitress, whose name I cannot remember, greeted us almost immediately and was extremely friendly and sweet. She told us about the specials, took our drink order, and answered questions about the menu that we had. I was glad to see really friendly service, we've definitely been to a few restaurants down here where the service is abrupt and dismissive, especially on crowded nights. One thing I will note about Hooked was that the dining room (at least upstairs) was very loud. We were seated near two very large parties who were being so loud that, at times, I couldn't hear what my husband was saying. Also, there was a younger guy bussing tables that was banging glasses around near the bar very loudly. At one time he kicked (intentionally, which was weird), a carton full of used plates and cups that were getting ready to go on the lift down to the kitchen. It made a really loud noise. He apologized and looked surprised at how loud the noise had been, which was nice, but I would think he would know to be a little more professional. Also, it would be really nice if they figured out a way to separate their large tables from their small tables. I understand lots of people come to OC in groups and want to have a fun dinner. But my husband and I would also like to hear each other speak when we're out at dinner, and there should be a way to accommodate both types of diners. So onto the food. We both got crab cakes because we both love them so much. I know... lame for going out to dinner and getting the same thing. There were a lot of positives to the crab cakes. They were large (neither of us were able to finish ours), and had a beautiful golden crisp on the outside. I loved the pea tendril and corn salad on top, it was so fresh and light. I do wish there had been a little more corn, though, and that it had maybe been on the side instead of on top of the crab cakes - it just made eating it messier. On the side with a little olive oil and lime or lemon juice on it would have been just delicious. The remoulade underneath the crab cakes was delicious - a little spicy and perfect to go with the crab. We both thought the asparagus was severely overcooked. It didn't have any bite left in it and was very limp. The crab cakes were OK, but had too much filler. I will say, they're some of the better crab cakes I've had in OC, but definitely not on my list of top 5 crab cakes I've ever eaten. So, overall, good, and I would be happy to have them again, but they're not something that I'll come to OC every year saying I have to have. I would have preferred ones that were slightly smaller with more lump meat and less filler - and would happily have paid a few dollars more for that. Also, their cocktail list looked delicious, as did their appetizers. I just can't eat big meals now being pregnant, so we didn't get anything other than an entree. But, they had a melon salad and a crab soup that both sounded delicious. And I would definitely come back next summer to have some cocktails - they looked fantastic! read more

I have just eaten the best meal I've ever had in all my visits to Ocean City. Everything was DELICIOUS! Service was friendly, fast and well timed. We had the lobster chorizo queso, the caesar salad, the blackened fish tacos and the shortrib stroganoff (major comfort food!!!!). Great value. The prices were great for what we got. We will be returning. read more

This place was great! The atmosphere was wonderful. There are three bars in the restaurant and the bartenders were awesome. The food was also amazing. I had the jumbo shrimp and grits and the corn and bisque. The shrimp and grits were made with artichokes and were excellent! But the bisque was even better!! Our waiter could have been a littler friendlier, but overall this place was great and I'd visit again! read more

Too trendy. I love pure seafood menus, this is just somewhat limited menu coupled with slightly small portions and pricey menu for the offering - is a pass. This isn't bad, but isn't above average either. This is average and with all the options nearby, there must be a better choice. Still just searching read more

I read several reviews and expected more from Hooked. The calamari got rave reviews from others but I found that it was over-battered and greasy. They tossed it in the aioli rather than serving it on the side , which didn't help their cause. The menu was very limited and we ended up ordering a wedge salad (very good), crab cake and jerk chicken wings (meh). With so many other restaurants in the area, I doubt we will be back here again. read more

Depending on the visit, I would give this one star to five but last few times were closer to five so I'll go with four. Great daily happy hour. Excellent bartender Ryan. Excellent scallops with sweet corn and bacon risotto. I'd go back for sure and the recent excellent food and service cancels out (almost) the first few times (when the hostess told us, verbatim, that they were out of food, for example). :) in a different city it wouldn't hold up to super fine dining or higher prices but in Oc, def a gem. read more

Great service and friendly staff. The food was really good- the kids had hot dogs and mac/cheese. We had scallops and fish tacos. I would recommend all of it! Very kid-friendly also! read more

If you're looking for an alternative feel to a typical restaurant in OC this would be the place. Somewhat hipster to what I'm used to here. However, it's very clean and was pleased with the drinks we had at the bar. If you do go here, it's a must you try the key lime pie. Absolutely fantastic, the best I've had since I was in Key West! Give it a try you won't be disappointed. read more

Really terrible service. Hostesses and bartenders are typical unapologetically inexperienced kids serving in jobs they shouldn't be while gouging the patrons for over priced fare. The food was average and not worth the hype they espouse for: fresh local honest. Don't come here, not worth the wait or bad experiences. waitress was the only good service/experience. Oysters were very small for a dozen at $28. Total rip off. read more

service is horrible and it is considered a fine dining restaurant. starting from the hostess to the servers. Food was ok, but for the money we paid could have been much better. a waste of money and time. you better of going to Fagers or Sunset Grill or even Seacrets. We decided to try something new, bad idea. read more

I go here every time I'm in town. Outstanding food. A great place to go order a couple appetizers and grab a beer. Bar tenders are really nice and polite also read more

Very good. Been here several times, this time for lunch. Our party had the shrimp and grits, fish and chips, crab cake. Fish and chips came with cauliflower which was very good. Crab cake was fine but small and while I like old bay the fries had way too much old bay. Service very good. read more

We were really looking forward to our dinner at Hooked this weekend in OC. What a disappointment! While the service was wonderful and upbeat the food was sub par. First off, the menu has changed dramatically and the choices were not appealing to us. We have eaten here many times and often with friends and have seen seen or tasted most of the old menu. We loved the scallops with cheesy grits from the old menu which we last enjoyed with friends on New Year's Eve. Forced to get something else, one of us got the new scallop dish served on curried butternut squash purée and our other choice was to substitute scallops for shrimp on the cajun shrimp dish. Two thumbs down on both dishes- one came cold and the other barely tepid with lumps of tasteless grits rather than the usual creamy foil for a savory dish. When you get 3 scallops for $25 you should get a fabulous flavor experience. But we did not- one was bland and the other could almost be called bad. We called our friends today to wave them off of Hooked so they wouldn't go there expecting the taste sensations of our dinner together. Sadly we are saying good bye to Hooked! read more

We went on a Wednesday night @ 6 with a party of 6. The wait wasn't too bad...20 minutes. We were shown upstairs and that is when things began to go downhill. There is no bathroom upstairs and is not convenient to run downstairs when needed. We were unfortunately seated by the dumbwaiter and service area, loud and crowded. Our server was serving three tables and he was also the bartender for the upstairs bar. Therefore, he was not attentive in the least. In fact, he forgot to ask 2 of the 6 of us their drink order. In the booth behind us a large (lightweight) painting fell off the wall onto a woman holding a baby. Baby was screaming and we watched two employees walk right past this and they did nothing to assist. One of our party jumped up to hold up the picture and help. We observed the hostess who seated us confront the situation, pause and then walk away, as did another server. Unbelievable! Fortunately, the baby was not hurt, just frightened. I was steaming mad and very sorry I did not confront the manager who was schmoozng with a large party/table who were buying LOTS of wine. (In addition two 14-15 year old teenagers who were members of this same party were snorting coke or meth in the men's room). We ordered mussels and crab dip which were both delicious. 5 in our party got the scallops which were very good. One got the cioppino which was unremarkable, at best. I have been to two of the other "hooked" locations and enjoyed great meals with a professional staff but I would NOT recommend this location. The staff was terrible. There are lots of great restaurants in Ocean City and this is not one of them. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. read more

A group of my friends and I recently came to ocean city for a fun get away. We came to hooked, looking for a cool spot to get drinks with dinner. They had a lot to offer with drinks and we even got amazing appetizers. Everything was going really good and then the restraint got busy and our service got worse (could be other reasons as well) Our meals came out within 5 minutes of our appetizers so we felt like we couldn't relax and enjoy them. I ordered the halibut and was extremely disappointed since it was a special of the day and there was no flavor. Three people at my table got the fish and chips and said it was subpar. At the beginning of the meal we told the waitress that we wanted separate checks and she told us to remind her at the end (OK?) and when it was time for the checks she only split two people off of the check. When we told her we needed it to be all split again she rolled her eyes and said it would take her a while because she can't remember things... I was confused. So we waited patiently for her to split the rest of our checks and noticed it was taking too long because she was flirting with someone at the table next to us. At the point we just wanted to leave. To top it off, she put all of our credit cards at the end of the table and left. No thanks for coming or anything! At the end of the day, I recommend sitting at the bar and getting apps. read more

We were greeted and sat at table but had to wait an excessive amount of time before having a server come. We had to ask if we had a server. Food is good but small portions for price point. We would not recommend. Too bad because the food is good. Perhaps new management would help. At least four staff standing around talking while we were waiting such a long time. read more

We absolutely loved Hooked. This place was great, no wonder is tagged as one of the best places to eat in Ocean city. We ordered for starters the Crab dip which was delicious along with some old bay chicken wings and melon salad. For the mains, definitely try out the pan seared scallops which were very well prepared. It's not easy to cook scallops perfectly, but they did! We also had the jumbo crab cake which was served with a corn purée, roasted garlic mini potatoes and snap peas. A perfect match! Great job to the chef and staff as well as on the decor! read more

My family and I have been coming to ocean city for 15 years now and we don't usually branch out from the usual favorites and obligatory seafood restaurants in OC i.e - Harpoon Hannahs, Phillips, Hoopers, etc. Very basic but very good seafood places. We decided to try Hooked this year and we couldn't have been more satisfied with the food, atmosphere and Service. The restaurant is brand new being only 5 years old and and the waiter told us it was just renovated. It was gorgeous in there. Our waiter Grant was very attentive and nice. Our order came out in a timely matter. The food was way above the bar that is set for Ocean city dining. It was not just a seafood platter with either broiled or fried seafood like most restaurants in OC. Each entree and appetizer we ordered was carefully put together and well thought out by the chef and the ingredients were very fresh and each of our meals was fantastic. Hooked is how food is supposed to be. It was easily the best meal we've had in ocean city. It was so good that we are coming back this week again. This place is absolutely worth it if you want to go somewhere new if you are tired of the same old. You are seriously missing out if you do not try out Hooked. Update: we went to Hooked again and it was absolutely delicious the second time as well read more

Wait was a little long for both food and seating, but it was worth it. I got the clam chowder and it was hands down the best ever! You cannot go here and not try it. People I was with said their fish was bland, but the calamari and fish tacos were outstanding! read more

Five star lunch at Hooked last Sunday. The fried oysters were the best I ever ate. Caramelized pear and fig salad was excellent. Bacon gruyere mornay topped french fries were a real treat. But best of all was the surf and turf sandwich with melt in your mouth shortribs and lobster macaroni & cheese. Oh, and I can't forget the key lime pie. Can't wait to go back. read more

From appetizer to dessert, the food was great. Very fresh, great flavor. Service was very nice. Somewhat packed, but not too loud. Good for a nice night out. We will be back. read more

Hooked is my family's new favorite restaurant. Too bad we live 4 hours away. We happened to find it while on a mini-vacation. I was amazed that they served fiddle head ferns. I haven't had those in years. Steak, tuna, salmon and scallops were all fresh and perfectly cooked. Small but excellent beer selection. They ran out of their paella special and apologized profusely. The Host checked out table a few times. It is nice when a restaurant appreciates it's customers. read more

The quality to price ratio was perfect. In summary, the food was great and very reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend. The ambiance was nice (not amazing). Service was very good. I had scallops, and my husband had pig and oysters.... Both very good. Best place I've eaten in ocean city. read more

Been to Hooked twice this week. Great menu, sea scallops, calamari and flatbread was amazing. Bartenders and waiters/waitresses are all professional. Great meal, great time! read more

Went to Ocean City for vacation, and had lunch in this restaurant based on the great reviews here, was I disappointed.... Where to start. The service, very slow, looks only two wait staff total, waited more than 15 minutes for my drink, even the appetizers came out before my drink. I ordered an orange crush, was ok, not great, just average, the drinks didn't have price on the menu, so later when we got the check, we just found out that thing is $9. Anyway, we also ordered fried calamari, fried oysters, ahi tuna wrap and fish tacos based on the great reviews here. The fried calamari was pretty good, but the oysters taste like they weren't fried completely and I could taste the uncooked batter in my mouth, yikes! The fish tacos were tasteless, one tiny piece of fish in each taco. You get two tacos. I hope high hopes for the ahi tuna wrap, but again tiny piece of tuna underneath all that unnecessary veges, and tasteless wasabi sauce. If they had pair it with the sauce from the calamari it would have tasted better. Throughout the hour, there's this waiter who stops by every table and ask if they need refill to their drinks, but he never bother stopping by our table, not sure why.... Our drinks were empty when he purposely ignores us. I can tell some of the guests were regulars so they pay more attention to them I guess. Overall, the price was ok, food was average, the service was below average. And no view of the ocean or bay. Will never return to this restaurant again! read more

Great place for great food in OC. They have a nice atmosphere and a very unique menu, especially for Ocean City. They deviate greatly from the normal run of the mill grub you can get at just about every establishment up and down Coastal Highway. They do not take reservations, which some may not like but it's no big deal. Just go and enjoy the experience. Brian the Chef is a master of his trade. The plate presentations are among the best in all of OC. Give it a shot if you want a decent place to eat while in OC. You will not be disappointed. read more

Fantastic; fresh and local food. Had the carmalized scallops with cheese grits. Amazing. Asparagus salad and oysters were fresh and outstanding! Waitress, Alexis was fantastic! Thank you Hooked! read more

If you are ever in the OC area this restaurant is a must if your a foodie. The seafood is amazingly fresh. It was completely worth the hour plus wait for a table. We had the fried Calamari at the bar while waiting. It was lite and seasoned well. The calamari melted like butter. For our entree I had the Scallops with braised bacon, roasted corn and cheese grits. It all worked perfectly together. I couldn't stop eating it. My husband had the Chioppino. The pesto made the whole dish marry well together. We took a moment after dinner to appreciate what we just ate. Btw the service was also great and friendly. read more