Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar — Restaurant in Gaithersburg

Let me start off by saying that I have been to this restaurant plenty of times since they opened and I have never had this kind of experience before. My sisters and I went in at 12p to get lunch during my lunch break from work. We walked in and we're standing at the front waiting for the hostess to seat us. She was on the phone taking an order so that was no issue. We get seated and the hostess is telling us that our server will be right with us. At that time, we didn't realize that it was only one server available and it was the man that was setting up the tables right next to us. He looked at us and continued doing what he was doing never to introduce himself or say "Hi I'm going to be your server. I'll be right with you just give me a few minutes to finish setting these tables." Just walked past us and continued what he was doing. Four minutes go by and still no one has come to greet us. So, I go to the hostess because I have some questions and go back to the table and still no one has greeted us. Finally, about 2-3 minutes later he comes to the table and says, "Hi what can I get for you all?" No name, how are you all doing today, have you been here before, would you like me to explain the menu .. just "Hi what can I get for you. I had to look at his name badge to figure out his name which I shouldn't have to do. Then as we're asking questions about the 'All you can eat' menu I asked to see the other menu because I didn't want anything from the 'all you can eat' menu. We were informed by the hostess about two to three times that we all had to order from the 'All you can eat' menu if we wanted to sit together. One that makes no sense, but it's not my restaurant so it is what it is. I said okay and continued on looking at the regular menu. The server proceeded to take my two sisters order and asked me what I wanted, and I said "I don't think I'm going to order from the 'All you can eat' menu so he can go ahead. I will just place a to go order at the front so he can put in their order." He said okay and walked away. He then came back about a minute later after going to talk to the hostess and told me that if I wanted to order to go I wouldn't be able to sit with them AGAIN. I said "Okay. I don't plan on staying I am going to place my to go order at the front and leave once I get my order. He said ok and walked away again. He then proceeds to come back again and tells us that he can't put in their order until I get up from the table. Mind you they have not received any food as of yet. I said I will get up once I have decided what I wanted to order and go place my to go order. I again am not staying. He said yes, he understands, but that's what he was told. So, my sister says okay can she just sit in one of the chairs across from us. He said ok and I pulled up another chair and sat there and he went and put in their order. Now I understand they probably don't want people ordering from the 'All you can eat' menu and sharing with people who don't order from that menu, but to tell us that they won't put in their order because I'm sitting there when NOTHING has been put in or even brough out yet is beyond unprofessional. So, you mean to tell me that if I wanted to order from the regular menu I can't sit with my sisters, I would have to sit at a completely different table by myself even though we we're the only people in the restaurant and we obviously came in together. I obviously didn't end up ordering anything and just left because I didn't want to cause an issue knowing my sisters really wanted to eat there. This was my worse experience I've ever had here and won't be back because of it. I do understand that losing just one person as a customer doesn't mean much to you, but please do better. To tell someone they can't sit together or that you aren't putting in their order until they get up...

We visited this location for an early Mother’s Day celebration, drawn by its unique all-you-can-eat (AYCE) seafood boil menu. Overall, the experience was enjoyable and promising, with a few areas for improvement. We had the opportunity to speak with one of the managers, Meti, who was friendly and open to feedback, which gives me hope that some thoughtful adjustments will be made. I look forward to returning once updates are implemented. Here’s a breakdown of our experience:

Food: We chose the AYCE option featuring snow crab at $39.99 and were pleasantly surprised to find Korean BBQ (KBBQ) options included as well. All the food—from appetizers to BBQ and seafood—was well-seasoned and nicely prepared. In the DMV area, many AYCE spots offer sushi, KBBQ, or hotpot at this price point, but this is the only place I know of offering a seafood boil-style AYCE, which makes it stand out.

Service: Our server, Yalanka, was excellent—attentive and efficient. We were quickly brought beverages and appetizers, followed by our seafood boil orders. Service throughout was smooth and courteous.

Policy & Dining Experience: There are a few policy-related details that impacted our visit and could benefit from more transparency:

Time Limit: There is a 90-minute limit for the AYCE experience, which was not mentioned in the Facebook advertisement that originally caught my attention, nor was it communicated upon seating. We only discovered it toward the end of our meal, as it’s printed in fine print on the menu. Thankfully, the restaurant was not busy, and the staff kindly allowed us extra time to enjoy our meal and even approved a second round of food past the official limit. That flexibility was very much appreciated. That said, with limited time, I recommend skipping appetizers and KBBQ if your main focus is the seafood boil to get the most out of your experience. We did feel that if we were given only 90 minutes, we would have spent more time picking crab meat than actually eating.

Food Waste Policy: Near the end of our extended time, we were informed of a $15.99 per-pound charge for unfinished food. While we understand and respect the intent behind this policy, the sudden pressure to finish quickly created a rushed and slightly stressful ending. Seafood boil—especially when snow crab is involved—is time-intensive, as extracting the meat can be slow and meticulous. We felt like we spent more time picking out crab meat than actually eating, which made it hard to fully enjoy the meal under time constraints. We did manage to finish everything, but the final stretch felt more like a race than a relaxed dining experience.

Value: Given the 90-minute limit, there’s only enough time to enjoy appetizers and one round of seafood boil, which makes the AYCE offering feel somewhat constrained. In that case, it may make more sense to order a la carte. While the inclusion of both KBBQ and seafood is a nice touch, the time restriction makes it difficult to truly enjoy both, and the value becomes questionable when compared to other AYCE spots in the area with more generous time policies.

Overall: If you’re looking for an AYCE seafood boil experience and are less concerned about maximizing value, this is a great spot with delicious food and friendly service. If I were to return under the current policies, I’d skip the appetizers and KBBQ to focus entirely on the seafood boil, especially the snow crab. Also, plan ahead and leave ample time for crab meat picking. With a few adjustments, this place could become a real gem...

Food was awesome as I was with my family of three(3). My daughter requested to eat here as a result of her doing good in school. She absolutely loves the Seafood boil bags. We had not one complaint about the food. The atmosphere was an issue, because it was just a bit to dark. It was kinda difficult to see the menu and I had to use the light from my phone. Limited light at an all you can eat…, and seafood at that is usually not a good mix. The service… the service was “ok”. And being the second guest in the establishment when it opens, the service should be on par. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. With GRATUITY already added… I expected top notch service, especially during a slow period during the opening hours. No one was in the “Weeds”, so I didn’t expect to track a waitress down for soda, gloves, more “All you can eat” food. I’ll admit that is is my second time eating at this place and again the food was never a disappointment, it was receiving my check and realizing that gratuity was already added for a party of three (3). The waitress never advised me or is of the added gratuity, nor did we see it posted anywhere. The hostess didn’t advise of this either, and she was very friendly as well. So hypothetically…, a waiter/waitress can totally drop the ball and you still expect me to pay 18% gratuities? Maybe that’s why I had to track down the waitress several times…. Because the tip was already in the “jar”! I’m not sure what the county rules/laws/customer awareness/advertisement of such practices are, but I’m working on that now. Would I have tipped 18% for that service…, No! I will say that if i am aware of the prices for the “All you can eat” and the different items on the menu, and if a food item wasn’t satisfying, I’d send it back or refuse it…. You get my point!! I’m not sure if I will return here again, and that’s solely for the “added gratuity” situation. I advise to either verbally make the customer aware or have it posted where someone elderly or who misses the added gratuity and pays way more than...