We hadn't been to Hooks in sometime, but recently decided to go for lunch on a Friday. The old Florida view is easily the best feature at Hooks. We sat on the porch with a view of the inlet - priceless. Beer was cold and the grouper sandwiches were good. Grouper has gotten expensive, but I still enjoy it. Next time I will pick something other than the so-so fries as a side. We will be back soon to enjoy the view and food. read more

Had a wonderful lunch Thursday. Fish & Chips delicious! The fries were crisp, the fish was so fresh it was amazing. And the beer extra cold! Cannot finish without mentioning the staff. They were both friendly and very attentive. read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Service is painfully slow. Food is pricey for what the items are. But taste is good. Outdoor deck seating is pleasant and there is usually a breeze with shade if you prefer. We tried once before to eat here and the service was so slow we walked out. I suppose it's a good option if you just want to have a few drinks and admire the view. read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Shrimp BLT - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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This is a nice little place on the water in Ruskin. I decided to come here during lunch on a weekday. There's plenty of seating outside and very limited seating inside. I ordered the fresh fish sandwich. The sandwich was very fresh and hot but it could've used some more seasoning. My server was very nice and made good drinks lol. Overall, I had a good experience and I do plan on returning to try more items on the menu. read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Fresh Fried Fish Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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Good food, nice place, nice waitress. They have tables outside in the sun (umbrellas available), some tables under a roof with fans, and I think a bar inside but we didn't go inside. read more

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Casual, on the water, one server during our visit on a weekday lunch - good service. Most fried food - I don't go to bars ... and they don't have crab cake that day . We ordered the big plate of fried seafood - calamari shrimp - they're good. I've chips and tails (?) ... more fried food - they taste good but I always feel unsettling afterward. Oh well, the view is great They don't have deck hand - park on your own. The water level is low, (global warming?) so makes it in and out of boat a bit more difficult. Women's bathroom - you need to pull the door knob really hard to open it. read more

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Not bad, not great. I will say that it's very cool of them to take the fish you caught (cleaned and filleted already) and cook it for you. We got ours fried and it was good. Tasted kind of plain but that could 100% be because most of our fish were grunts. But the fries were lacking salt so I'm not sure if they just don't season aggressively or if it was a one off and it was the fish. Our waitress was great though. And the view is great with it being right in the water. read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Hooks Famous Fish and Chips - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

We went for dinner on a Thursday evening. There appeared to be only one server waiting and bussing all of the guests and tables. It took two hours to get our food. I felt badly for the server who dropped the tray of food as she was serving it. She expedited the orders that were dropped. My order was totally incorrect and I was not about to send it back after waiting so long. The remainder of my party had finished eating before the dropped orders were replaced. I ordered a chicken Philly and was served a hamburger with everything. I do not care for beef. I tasted my grandson's chicken tenders which were excellent. The alligator bites were subpar. The iced tea was so weak it had no flavor. No discount was offered for the poor experience. I have eaten here before and had enjoyable experiences. Tonight was enough to make me think twice about coming here for dinner. read more

Well, we wanted to try a new place we could access by boat. Went with a larger party on Sunday. Location was nice, as was the view. Decor and condition of restaurant was pretty much what you would expect, ok, but a bit rough. Service was better than expected based on reviews. Food was ok for river food. Everything was ok. I wouldnt rush to go back, but if it was a last minute option in the future, would be an automatic no. read more

Food was outstanding we had the burgers and wings . Service was outstanding, we were blessed with a beautiful day and ate outside.

There's a local dolphin there we love sitting outside, watching the dolphins and the charters come in too see what what they caught

Ate there once and it was good! Had the Grouper and enjoyed it very much. Will definitely go back again

What a charming spot Hooks is! Hooks is everything you want from a waterfront shack style seafood joint, alongside the lovely chill of a neighborhood restaurant. This California girl loved this quiet dose of tasty Southern hospitality. Sitting outside on their patio on a lovely warm day looking out on the still water flowing by, the yummy smells of the nearby kitchen teasing what was to come - my goodness, I was happy. It just wouldn't have been a Southern seafood feast without kicking it with some gator bites! Generously served, and oh so tender and flavorful, with nice spice and a tasty dunking sauce. Online pics of the fish & chips ensured it would be my order, and it was yummy! The fries were yummy and had a very satisfying texture, though better while warm. The fish was huge and tasty, with the same batter/coating as the gator. It could have been a little juicier but still very satisfying, with an addictive homemade tartar sauce for dipping! To wrap things up we all shared a slice of key lime pie, and its tartness hit the spot - great way to end a meal of fried delights. A meal by the water, with fun tunes playing overhead, enjoying the afternoon with family on a gorgeous day - Hooks and their kind crew treated us to a lovely afternoon meal. I would happily return! read more

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This place was so good! We came while spending the night in the area on the drive home from Tampa. My 3 year old nephew loved walking along the water and the food was incredible. read more

Meh Service was good $10 Margarita was not. Grouper was good too, but no need for half a raw red onion on a partially stale bun. The local cat laying on the table was enough to kill my interest in giving it a second shot. read more

Great little place, sits on the water with a great view. It was quite and quaint with a really nice breeze. The food was not bad, I started off with the cheesesteak which was just okay. I've lived in Philly so it's a hard comparison. The burger on the other hand was delicious and I'm not much of a french fry guy but theirs were great. My Wife had the shrimp po-boy and she really enjoyed that. But most of all the customer service was outstanding, we are both big on that so we will definitely return. read more

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On the Saturday before DD (Darling Daughter) would be returning to California, we took her for a late lunch at Hooks. This was the first time here for us all. The restaurant is our style, kind of a dive, nothing fancy, but on the water which is a plus. Seating is primarily outdoors, with a very small amount indoors if you prefer, but we chose outdoors in a porch type area so DD and I wouldn't melt away from the sun. Fans kept us cool and we really enjoyed it. We started by sharing an order of Gator bites. As far as I know they don't live in California so thought this would be something great for DD to try, since hubby and I had already tried them. The batter was thick and tasty and although fried, they were not greasy at all. The gator was a little chewy with a very mild flavor. We devoured them. DD and I both ordered the fish and chips (they use Basa, a type of Asian local catfish) and it came with tartar sauce and a spoonful of coleslaw (could be a larger serving). It had the same batter as the gator bites, which is good, but not like the fish I can get home in New England. But I enjoyed it, despite I didn't think the fries were that great. Hubby had the grouper sandwich, blackened. For $20 he got a very small piece of fish on his bun, with fries and lettuce, tomato and onion. I know he was a bit disappointed, definitely not worth the cost, but he said it tasted good. I gave him some of my fish! We ended by sharing a piece of key lime pie. It was small, but just enough for the three of us to have a few bites and it cleansed our palate perfectly. Nothing special for drinks, diet cokes all around. Our server was excellent. No complaints there at all. Very attentive, didn't have to ask for drink refills, and so so nice. Never felt rushed. I think we will return here and try something different. All in all it was a wonderful way to spend our Saturday afternoon. read more

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Atmosphere - decent. this is very rustic, informal restaurant that sits on an inlet next to a modest resort swimming pool. We had lunch outside on the wooden patio near the inlet. Certainly nothing special, but we enjoyed the setting Food - I had an iced tea, a cheeseburger and French Fries. The bun was stale and the burger pretty dry. The food came rather quickly and I am assuming that the burger was pre-cooked and warmed up. The fries were pretty good. Service- very good. Our server was attentive and pleasant. Overall - eh. My wife had the nachos appetizer (which was also disappointing) and an iced tea. The bill came to $29.50 before tax and gratuity! WOW! I certainly we not return and would not recommend the restaurant to friends. read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Fish sandwich was hot and delicious. Fries are plentiful for the the price. Good service and great atmosphere. Very relaxing. Go sit outside on the deck around 3p.m. - the dolphins in the bay put on a show.. read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Dolphins in the bay@Hooks - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

This place is all about location and being by the water. Super casual - pull up in your boat, wear your bathing suit - it's all good. Menu has a nice variety like what you'd expect from a little water-side hut-style restaurant. The food is good. We had fried shrimp and crab cakes, both good. Fair amount of beverages available. Service was prompt and friendly. This isn't a five start restaurant and they're not trying to be. Come here for the view and relaxing atmosphere. Forgot to take pics of the food, we were hungry. We'll be back - by boat :) read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Not the best pic - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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This place is a mixed bag for me. I went to a Christmas party there and the food was great and a wide variety. When I've been on the regular menu, they didn't seem to have many choices and the food wasn't that good. read more

Slow on the service and I mean SLOW, the view and atmosphere is amazing. The music softly plays while you enjoy the nice weather by the water. They didn't have an actual drink menu unfortunately. Just a full bar, so I guess if you can think it, they can make it. While waiting for our food me and my wife noticed almost every person that came in after us and ordered were already eating while we still waiting on our party of 2 to get our food. A good hour and a half wait. Now I'm not one to usually complain but to see multiple tables come and leave while we are still waiting for our meal was ridiculous. I hate to do it but gotta give this rating smh. We just ended up leaving before we got our meal read more

This is a pretty good place. The food was good It's nice that it's on the water Pricing is as expected read more

Great food and awesome service! The blackened grouper (sandwich and on salad) are amazing! They will also prepare your catch from the various charters along with two sides for a great price :). And we can often see Manatees or Dolphins from Hooks. We LOVE it here! read more

The staff is super friendly and the food is pretty good. The feel and environment is very relaxing and enjoyable!

We are staying in the resort and decided to try Hooks.. good bar food and convenient being inside the resort for lunch or dinner. Good staff! Go early if you want pizza because they run out of dough early... overall good experience and I'd return read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Stella - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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We stayed a town home in this development and ate here twice. Both times we got the shrimp flatbread that was amazing. We also got the blue cheese chips which were yummy too. read more

A very friendly and relaxing place with great food and drinks. A beautiful view of the water and sun set. Our waitress, Diedre, greeted us like we were old friends. Can't wait to go back there read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Shrimp Flatbread - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Tried this little place tucked back in the water today . Food was excellent ! We had the fish and chips and the blue cheese chips . One of the best fried fish I have had . We sat at the bar and had the best service from the manager . She was super sweet ! read more

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Disgraceful! My wife and I stopped in to Hooks tonight for a drink while on a waitlist next door at the Sunset Grill. I figured we would give the place some business since it was pretty empty on a Saturday night. At the bartenders suggestion we had two Hooks Punches. I watched as the bartender measured a mere one ounce of well brand Rum into each plastic cup and filled the rest with ice and juice. She then said, that will be $27.00. We are from Boston so we are used to expensive drinks, so I paid and tipped 25%. After one sip I went back to the bartender and asked if she can add some rum to the drinks. She added another measured ounce to each and asked for another $18 dollars. I asked to speak to the manager. Asked if she was Ok charging us over $45 for two drinks with a total of 4 ounces of well brand rum in them. She tried to justify it by saying "they are even more expensive next door". My reply...that doesn't make it right. I asked if she would pay over $50 for those two drinks and she said "No, sorry, I don't set the prices." I paid, feeling sorry for her that she worked under such shameful conditions. I used to be a bartender so I wasn't going to argue with them, but The management at Hooks should be ashamed of themselves and should change the name to CROOKS to be more accurate. PS: The drinks next door at Sunset Grill were less expensive, tasted much better and actually DID have a fair amount of alcohol in them. Shame on you CROOKS. Now I understand why you were nearly empty at 6:30 on a Saturday night while the restaurant next store had an hour+ wait. It's because you rob those foolish enough to go there. Shame on you Crooks. Avoid this tourist trap and stay next store at the Sunset Grill. Hooks a rip off. read more

Best lunch place south of Tampa. Great food great people. The burgers and cold beer; better than y any.

Great service. Good food. It's a local place so usually it's the tourists that complain.

Great food and it should be taking all sunset grill customers since they do not charge for parking and are still on the water. Its a place where locals can still feel welcome unlike sunset grill where they make locals feel unwelcome by jacking up beer and food prices and having paid parking like its a tourist trap now. read more

I am so disappointed that I didn't like this place more. The setting is very nice, overlooking the water and service was decent. We went for lunch and there is a fairly small menu. I opted for the nacho appetizer. At $10.99 I expected more than a paper boat with a handful of nachos, topped with some tomatoes and onions and cheddar cheese. The cheese wasn't melted and the whole thing was crazy for that price. I asked for salsa, sour cream and jalapeños on the side. Totally disappointed. My husband had a burger and fries and we both had iced tea. Our bill was $32, and for what we had it's ridiculous. Wish I could like it more, but there are way too many better choices in the area where I could get a good meal at the same price. read more

Good food great views. Fried shrimp were fresh and delicious. Summer salad was light and so flavorful. Fast friendly service and reasonable prices. We watched pelicans and a dolphin from our table on the deck read more

Hooks Waterfront Bar and Grill - Summer salad - Bars Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Had lunch with family on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The setting was perfect, on the water, the temp was perfect, mid 80's, and we sat in a kind of indoor/outdoor porch. staff was awesome, very friendly and eager to help. We started with Gator bites just for the fun and novelty but all were pleasantly surprised....delicious. The coating was crunchy, the gator chewy and very mild. We all loved them. I ordered the blackened grouper sandwich that came with fries. Wife and daughter both had the fish and chips. Nice mild white fish in that great batter. My sandwich was very good, not the best I've ever had but very good. The fries were excellent, cooked perfectly. The fish and chips were even better than my grouper. We ended with a shared slice of Key Lime Pie which closed the meal perfectly. Hooks is a little pricey but I didn't feel cheated, we will definitely return. Give it a try, you just might be "hooked" too. read more

Had the fish & chips. Nice portion of fish but the fries were soggy. The wings were quite good. Wait staff was quite friendly. Was a bit pricey. read more

The ambience is the best thing with great views and wildlife. The servers are very friendly and accommodating! The food is fair and my only big complaint is everything is on disposable dishes, cups and silverware. None of it gets recycled and often blows down to the ground or dock and into the water. I try to pack out at least the cups (every drink refill they bring another cup and straw) . Just a few tweaks would help them be kinder to the earth. read more

The waitress was terrible. They expect you to still eat your food with no complaints if a bird lands on it before it is delivered to your table. They have no standards. read more

Considering we don't have many options for restaurants on the water I have been giving this place several opportunities to impress me. Today, was my 3rd attempt. Nope! The setting is beautiful considering you can watch dolphins along the inlet. However, the chairs are super uncomfortable and you sink into them. The tables are old and just gross. I tried to ignore it considering it's outdoor furniture, but add the bad food and it just gets worse. The seafood platter is absolutely tasteless. Not one dash of seasoning. The burger was decent, but the fries were terrible. How hard is it to make good food? Priced doesn't even go with the plastic utensils. It's a shame the owner doesn't take great pride on this great location. Ditch the furniture, find a new chef and try again. We would love for you to be our go to place. read more