Fish Hooks Cafe — Restaurant in Belhaven

To celebrate a special family, milestone, and anniversary, and a well earned retirement, we reeled in our hopes and headed to Fish Hooks. My husband and I noticed this restaurant during the July 4 celebration. The fireworks may have dazzled, but sadly, the flavors didn’t quite spark, the same joy. The prices were fair, and the plates arrived looking presentable. However, it wasn’t about the bait, it was about the bite. Jesus could’ve fed thousands with the two flounder flour drenched fillets. Unfortunately, the miracle stop there. The fish was fried in only flour, tasting bland and fishy. The fries were cold and tasteless. The shrimp wore the same flour-only coat. One lonely, crab-cake, or a small piece of fish, tried to keep the shrimp/seafood combo company. The oysters were chewy and over cooked. The taste was also missing in action. A “large” garden salad arrived on a 5 inch plate featuring bagged lettuce, a couple of tomato and cucumber slices with a sliver of red onion. The chicken was cold and tasteless. Cheese? Absent. Dressing? Two “packets.” It was less “garden fresh” and more “grocery I’ll express.” Seafood meals without hush puppies is like a beach without sand…. just not the same. Our server was a gem, attentive and kind keeping our glasses full . The hostess was gracious and apologetic about the fly situation. Sadly, the cashier who scanned our $200 tab seemed more annoyed than appreciative. Despite the culinary letdown, our family made the most of the evening. Laughter love, and a quick dash to Hardees saved the night. Sometimes the best seasoning is...

Tuesday at 6 p.m. and this is the only restaurant in town that's open. Came in and tried to order their flounder, but they were out. They were also out of shrimp and every other fish dish on the menu. It was definitely no secret to the owner that they were the only restaurant open. You'd think they might have planned ahead. The surroundings and atmosphere were definitely a 1970s throwback. The help and service were super friendly. However, the food was truly terrible. Ordered their grilled chicken and a hamburger steak. The salads came out and the dressing was in a small plastic packet. Not that there was anything wrong with the contents, but it shows little effort. The marinated chicken had pretty good flavor, but it was unbelievably chewy, almost artificial in texture. The hamburger steak was simply a half pound hamburger patty that have been dipped in some sort of a brown gravy. The gravy was so old that it had dried to the burger. There were no mushrooms, onions, - nothing. It was just a dried up piece of meat and dried gravy and there was zero seasoning. The hamburger could not be ordered to temperature because it had been sitting on the stove under a warmer and was completely dried out and cooked to the bone.

Even with the outdated surroundings, if their chef had any kind of creativity or knowledge of seasonings, or the ability to plan ahead and order enough for service, that place could be a real hit because the people that serve you and greet you...

We had our son's rehearsal dinner at Fish Hooks Venue room. The food, as always, was exceptional. This was BY FAR the easiest and smoothest event we have ever given. Vic and Mary Cox and the wait staff made the event completely flawless. Everything you could need for an event was provided. We had 56 place settings for our event but I think a few more could've fit. We've attended more causal affairs in this room with locally inspired nautical decor but it was easily stripped down, set up, and decorated for our formal dinner in a few short hours. While decorating the owners checked with us often to assure we were satisfied and had everything we needed including serving us much needed wine. The staff gave us as much help as we needed and, more importantly, knew when to step aside to allow us to think and plan. The meal items we selected for our guests were prime rib, baked potatoe, salad and a roll. This was absolutely delicious like all food at Fish Hooks. All this and UNDER BUDGET! Check...