Hooks Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Seaside Heights

Walked in and was welcomed by a burly bouncer masked and at attention who asked me politely to leave my open diet coke 20 oz. Plastic open container outside. I just purchased it at ACME amongst a few other items and that was difficult enuf. I'm conditioned to rush and I needed to I thought as a friend waited to take me to Hook's after dropping off my purchases. An hour after entry or maybe a bit less I saw my friend ask me to "move it along" I thought I lost out and was so silly to think a friend wouldn't wait since they offered to in the 1st place. I spoke with about 10 customers and maybe 1/2 of them worked at ACME. Admittedly chatterbox TV wasn't even airing for the performance (so to speak) as Shakespeare, himself was the 1st one (I heard) to say, "all the world's a stage and " (something like) we are just merely players ". I connoted this phrase after thinking a few that we anyone can play a part in this "production" called "Worldly Life" (that in itself makes me wonder if a few spiritual connotations but I'll let "sleeping dogs lie" on any further chatterboxing. Lol. The sweetest bartender Miss " M", my favorite crew member since first walking in Captain Hook's (Bar, Eatery, and Grill with surround sound music and T. V., Even dusty shuffleboard pucks clicking and clacking behind me wasn't as fun as watching two crew member "POKING FUN" at each other and the amusement took away from the fact that maybe that night wasn't the night to even be there since before even drinking my libation and diet soda with lemon my phone's crashed to a blank screen after being there 10 mins?? What a country!!! I had to go home so my friend could call dutifully as he waited so long at the other store and never made it back to Captain Hook's that night since I literally had to call my phone company and ask for a replacement charger. That my Apt. Office Manager (also dutifully cheerfully and smiling (once again my day was made like I was saying about POKING FUN).... because everything was "Right on time today and the day b4 "Thanks-For giving" I names this past Wednesday I couldn't find AA batteries or Oven Cleaner I checked out a few spots b4 giving that chore an "86". Well over and out dames and dolls and chaps and chapettes. Toodles for now. My overall point is: 10 mins was enuf time to give Captain Hook's a 5-star rating nonetheless. Peace out. Be healthy all reviewing readers in all of ur endeavors be successful in succeeding to achieve your planned and even unplanned "lightbulb on" goals. You are blessed to have any gift treasure in your journey today. Be well easy and fair to yourself. 24 hrs today may not be as short a time as other days. If not wasteful every moment weighs it's true value. My words r just words. My meaning is heartfelt, honest and blase' blase'. In any case CHEERS!! DALLAS RULES!!! SORRY NJ DEVIL . . DALLAS 50 NJ DEVIL -100,000 today. Fact or fiction? I know my answer and today I'm proud to feel confident. Be anxious not friends. Thank...

After working in the bar/hospitality business for over two decades, I have finally experienced something I cannot explain. My wife and I, both professionals in our 40's and LOCAL, went to Hook's to play a few games and have a drink. While there we decided on a late snack. We walked up to the kitchen "window" and waited while the girl behind the counter prepped some ingredients for another order. And waited. And waited. When she came over and handed us a menu, everything was X'd out except quesadillas, apparently someone forgot to stock the kitchen. So we ordered one to share. When the buzzer I was handed went off, I went to pick up the order. Some gruff, angry millennial tossed the plate on the counter and told me it was my quesadilla. It was a piece of pita bread with processed cheese spread they had then toasted. Not the quesadilla on their menu I had ordered. When I mentioned this, a gentleman who was looking to order saw my quesadilla and changed his mind, saying he didn't want to order food from them after seeing this. He then walked away. I asked for a refund. I had paid via card and the person who gave me my order said he refunded my payment. I asked for a receipt. He turned his POS around which showed a refund of my payment for the food, but not the tip. I asked for my tip back, advising I wanted a FULL refund, and he said again that he had refunded the payment. I had to point out the difference in what I paid versus what I was refunded, which was shy the amount of what I had given as a tip. He growled, reached into their tip jar at the kitchen, and handed me the amount of my tip in cash. Ok, situation over, right? Back to games and a drink with my wife? No. I guess he was upset that his poor service and product had cost him another sale, or he didn't like that I had pulled my tip on a product I did not receive. As I am walking back over to my wife, the bouncer, read other Yelp reviews for notes about this winner, steps in front of me and says I have to leave. Seriously? I was sober, spending money, and asked for a refund for a sub par product. I have been to this place a good 20 times in the past year, to have a drink and play a few bar games. Don't have your bouncer threaten a patron for your own inadequacy. In over two decades of working as a bartender, security or entertainment at other bars, I have NEVER experienced such a complete and utter lack of respect for the customer. I would give this place NEGATIVE stars if I could. Do NOT go to Hook's in...

We had a terrible experience at hooks bar and Grill on July 21, 2025. Six of us arrived at 7:10 PM and we're seated after only a few minutes. Everything went downhill from there regarding service.

The restaurant was about halfway full when we arrived. We were seated for over 10 minutes before finally a server came over and took our drink and appetizer orders. Two Waters at a soda then took over 5 minutes to come to the table. Our 3 beers and one mixed drink took over 20 minutes to be delivered. After waiting over 45 minutes for our appetizers come out, I asked to talk to a manager and found out there was no manager working that day. In fact, the server told me that there was no manager working on Sundays or Mondays. We had no one to talk to about our poor customer experience and to expedite our food.

It wasn't until an hour and a half after we entered the restaurant that we finally got our entrees (at 8:40 pm).

While our server, Alena, was very pleasant and very apologetic, she had no power and there was no manager there for her to elicit help.

The food was actually okay, but the horrible, horrible, horrible service will keep us away, and perhaps should keep you away too.

...Still can't believe there was no manager there to help the employees take care of their customers.

PS. - So the restaurant responded and rather than take our observations constructively, they tried to discredit our experience. When we specially asked our server Alena to talk to a manager, she's very clearly said there was no manager on duty. She then further explained that there was no manager working on Sundays or Mondays. The restaurant was not busy when we walked in period as indicated in our photos and previously said, it was more than half empty period.

If the restaurant looks at the video they claimed to have regarding time stamps, then they also could have seen us searching for minutes upon minutes for someone to come over and bring us our drinks and take orders, (not simply look at time stamps on when a server actually finally got to us).

It's a shame when a restaurant in response to a customer's bad experience tries to berate them rather than take the criticism constructively. It is very telling when when a restaurant's response is defensive, rather than apologitic. We had a bad experience at Hook's Bar and Grill that night and the responsibility is on the restaurant, not on...