The Hook Catfish Restaurant — Restaurant in Jacksonville

April 3, 2024

Bad Group Dining Experience (12)

Reservation: Called on the same day, assured accommodation would not be a problem.

Experience: Upon arrival, the restaurant was not busy, not prepared for our group, nor happy to see a group. Despite the availability of space, the manager (I think), a blonde(ish) woman handling the checkout, was not willing to seat us at tables that could have easily accommodated us. She was dismissive and again, seemed a bit mad we were even there. Loudly arguing with my elderly mom when she said we called ahead. I am easy to please and didn’t even realize at first that she had been so dismissive to my parents when they went in first or that there was a problem (I had unloaded them and wheelchair and parked car while group went inside). I was blissfully unaware that she had started off rudely. I quickly caught up. We were informed that a two-day advance call was required for such arrangements, which contradicted the information given earlier that day. We waited for half an hour only to see more and more tables become available. A few sweet patrons at other tables were even commenting on how odd it was that they didn’t seat us. The manager’s demeanor was unwelcoming and lacked the professional courtesy expected. This attitude not only affected our experience but also reflected poorly on the establishment as a whole. It was disheartening to see the wait staff, who appeared ready and eager to serve us, miss out on the opportunity for a gratuity due to the manager’s decision.

The restaurant was never more than half full but she had some rule about only pushing certain tables together. This is not a fine dining establishment. Nor is that what we expected - easy place to scoot tables together. Or it was in the past. We know they used to be more accomodating. Once we left a few family members told me they didn’t like their food anymore anyhow and just didn’t want to say anything. Ha. I had no idea. . The experience left us feeling undervalued as customers and we all decided to leave. It’s unfortunate when management does not align with the hospitality spirit of their team, potentially affecting the business and staff morale.

We decided on BBQ and called Suttle’s Road Hog as we were leaving. And guess what…when we got there they had our table ready and were so so great! And food was awesome and...

Walking in to a clean and friendly atmosphere is important to me, because I want to enjoy what I want in a pleasant way. With that being said, from the moment my friend and me walked in, we were greeted with kindness, courteous, and up beat demeanor. I felt like we were on a fishing adventure with fish surrounding us with visuals of other and their fishing trips and best catches, like the one on my plate.

After being sat at the booth, we received our menus, and began to look over the many items that could possibly bring our taste buds out of the water. Get it. Hahaha. After a few suggestions by the servers, we decided to go with our gut and order the fried green tomatoes for our appetizer. With Photos already shared, you'll see the plate out, and how our sauce even had a fish shape on the inside of the lid, purely accidental or was it? Either way, they were damn good! I would highly recommend them on your next outing.

After moments pass, we order. I put the request in for grilled seasoned chicken, macaroni and cheese with mashed potatoes, and a side corn bread muffin. When my order came out, I couldn't believe how wonderful everything looked, smelled, and then tasted. Nothing was left on my plate but the bones and extra BBQ sauce I requested.

Then after our soulful meal, we made room for dessert, though I was so full, I heard the house made white chocolate cheesecake was the best around. So, we agreed to the delectable dessert choice, though I'll get the lemon cake next go round. Boy, let me tell you, I can't spoil the appeal, but I can tell you that cheesecake should definitely be on your table, fork, and in your mouth.

All in all, I had a really great time at The Hook Catfish Restaurant. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, delicious food, and great place to enjoy a meal, conversation, and hunger crave every person feels around lunch or dinner time. I give this wonderful experience 5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟.

This is Chancen Romancin Hansen and #ibeforkinit. Life's a buffet, and I'm going to fill my plate. Follow me on YouTube: @Chance the Raisin and Instagram:...

After nearly 30yrs of being a patron of this establishment (Back when it was called "Crooked Hook"), I am incredibly disappointed by my recent experience.

My family has always been a big fan of this establishment and decided to cater for a large party. The catfish was wonderful as always, but our large order of chicken was burnt, inedible and undesired by us and our guests. After our event, we returned to the establishment with nearly 70% of the chicken where the very nice young lady (whom we generously tipped on pick up) acknowledged the chicken was "Burnt Burnt" (her words) and that it doesn't typically look the way it did. We were offered a replacement of the chicken but any potential refund for the inedible portion of our order was quickly dismissed. While a replacement works in some circumstances, it didnt for us since the event was over and we had no need for 40+ Chicken strips. We were advised to follow-up with the manager several days later to work towards a solution.

In our follow-up call, we spoke with Scott (who is apparently the owner). This person was incredibly dismissive of our concerns, offered no apology and simply reiterated the store's no refund policy. He also expressed that he disagreed with the description of the food's quality. (His employee acknowledged the condition and advised us that she would place the food in their refrigerator for management to see) The rudeness of this individual cannot be overstated. He hung up the telephone in face! While I can understand a no refund policy for in-dining orders, I would expect a large catering order to be met with more understanding. He went as far as suggesting that we could have done something to the food to degrade its quality. We served all of the food directly from the restaurant’s containers!

I'm quite disappointed that an establishment I have raved about for decades would so callously dismiss the concerns of a long time patron. They should reflect on their business practices to ensure customer satisfaction is prioritized...