Hook Hall — Attraction in Washington

My experience was extremely underwhelming, especially for the overpriced cabana, basic food and beverage passed off as a high-quality experience. While the atmosphere was ok the service from Lilly was the best part. She went above and beyond to try to make the experience better. Had it not been for her the rating would be much lower.

Food "Drug through the garden pizza" was literally drug so fast and far through the garden that the veggies fell off. Cooked too fast so the bottom was nearly burnt and the dough was barely done under the sparse sprinkling of toppings and sauce.

Wings: must have been frozen then flash fried because they were hars with an awkward taste that was attempted to be covered in the harisa honey sauce. Other than that, they lacked flavor and had a tough bite.

Dipping platter: The best offering. It's kind of hard to go wrong with pre made Mediterranean spreads like babaganoush, olive tapenade and hummus. The carrot and cucumber veggies were fresh and crisp. The pita tasted slightly undercooked.

Lamb Kefteh: very mushy like paté inside but crisped well on the outside with good flavor. The couscous was bland, very soggy with some clumps from being overcooked then stuck together.

Chicken sandwich: I'll spare the description and just say they should have bought them from Popeyes or Chick-fil-a.

Beverages: the alcohol is not spared but the mixes are meh.

Atmosphere: nice indoor and outdoor venue, best if renting the space for a private event. The music sounded like a random streaming mix not a curated playlist or dj. That would definitely bring the vibes up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The posh adult-like chuck-e-cheeze vibes with games were cool ranging from yard size jenga, checkers, chess, cornhole, ski ball, etc.

Overall Hook Hall can stand an overhall. It is a glorified yard party space that would best serve the purpose of being just that. Not a crossover of posh/swanky vibes just a chill backyard/beer garden. Drop the poorly prepared ill tasting Mediterranean food for typical back yard and bar finger foods with an adult flare (wings, flat breads, pretzels, sliders, sausage rolls, add a veggie option, etc). Get a better mixologist. Procure a dj or curate cool playlists that carry the vibes and get a good sound system...or drop the music altogether. Redecorate, swapping the Mediterranean vibes for a cool cityscape or backyard feel. The cabanas should come with more than just the basic champagne/rosé. Offering at least 2 food options for that price point with better attentive service would make that price worth paying. I have had better private service for less in more upscale venues. The rustic look suits the space well. Have the hostess also work on her attitude. She was extremely rude, thanks to Lilly the night didn't go completely down hill. HH has the potential to be much greater and packed with patrons with some nice changes. Otherwise it's just a gentrified establishment missing the mark to appeal to both the neighborhood and good crowd. Sadly, there are plenty of establishments within a 3 block radius that appear to cover all the bases as...

July 2020

Such good vibes, service, drink, and bites!

This was my first outdoor bar during #rona. From beginning to end I felt safe and taken care of.

A host brings you to your cabana or table. No bar service. And you can reserve both online in advance or walk up and see if they have space. And there are servers that can help ya place all drink and food orders. There are also some seats inside, if the heat is too much. Lots of shade and fans all over the place.

Can we take a moment to Talk about the decor.... each cabana has its own cute feel, lots of being colors, flowers, swing chairs, plants, flowing fabrics, seating, bean bags. "The oasis" is fabulous. You feel like you're being transformed off Georgia Avenue to an island.

They have really pumped up their menu since the trucks. The menu has appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and entrees. We had tots and a ice cream sandwich and I cannot wait to try some of the other offerings.

Dranks. We got beers, glass of rose, shots of tequila, grapefruit crush, summer smoke, and the winner... the margaritas. Super strong and tasty! Cocktails were flavorful and refreshing, love the presentation too.

When you rent a cabana you get a bottle of champagne, and when we entered we got water for the table. It's really secluded and cozy. Feels great for those not wanting anyone near you and easy social distancing and hand sanitizer on tables too.

Shoutout to John who helped us. He was friendly and super attentive(and we were annoying). All servers were wearing masks and able to help all tables and cabanas.

This was jam before #rona and will now be my preferred #rona spot. Check it out!

June 2019 Best decision I made all weekend. The vibe is super chill, but fancy at the same time.

The staff was personable, quick service at the bar, and helpful.

There is cornhole, jumbo jenga, and jumbo connect 4.

Music was solid. 90/2000 top hits! (Don’t go chasing waterfalls). And the lighting is great for selfies!

Lots of space to watch a game, meet up for a date, talk with friends, or throw a lil or large party. Honestly, the space can prob hold 400+ for a fancy event(wedding, engagement party , work meeting, baby/bridal shower, reunion, etc)

They have rotating food trucks, which was super tasty.

And... the outdoor space is everything. Cabanas, more games and a crazy nice bar.

I will definitely be back and so excited to call this...

Update: they refunded the booking fee. Still waiting for amex to fight the food fee. I recommend clarifying the inclement weather policy if you are booking an event.

USE EXTREME CAUTION BEFORE BOOKING AN EVENT HERE! I paid over $600 to book 2 cabanas and food for my birthday party. I chose the location because of the beautiful outdoor garden with the option to move inside in the event of inclement weather. They had me sign a contract which contained no information about weather or food orders. The night before the event, I received a call from a woman stating that the weather was not looking good and the inside was not available because it had been booked out for a private event. I asked whether the cabanas were covered/weatherproof and her response was “they do have a roof and curtains, but there are cracks and holes so you will likely get wet if it rains.” I explained that I had guests traveling from out of town and that rescheduling the event was not an option. Her next best solution was to offer me a spot at their sister location which is a glorified pickleball court—not really the vibe I was going for on my 30th birthday. After receiving this phone call, I frantically called various other venues to try to find another solution. When I called her back a couple of hours later to let her know that I would like to cancel with a full refund, she stated that she would refund the booking fee, but would not refund the food since it was already “prepped.” I ordered wings, nachos, pretzels, and pizzas. Not sure how those items require such advanced prepping. I explained that I was extremely frustrated because they should have called me as soon as they knew that there would not be an alternate option for inclement weather. I would have never booked if I knew that it had the potential to be completely rained out. This was such a stressful and mortifying situation. I will be calling daily until a more acceptable solution is reached. I have also opened a dispute case with my credit card company. Very unprofessional way to treat guests who have prepaid large sums of money. On another note, if you are looking to host an event, I highly recommend reaching out to Allie at the Liberty Tavern and Dre at Hyde Social. They were absolutely incredible and offered to waive all fees for me after hearing about what Hook...