So disappointing that Hoak's has trouble estimating wait time for Friday Fish. Our 30 minute wait time extended to 90 minutes. Hostess said you only waited 28 minutes. Time to leave and farewell to Hoak's. No need for attitude from the Hostesses read more

I came here tonight with a few friends for a fun evening out. We were able to sit on the patio, which had a nice view of the water. It wasn't too hot or too sunny, so it was a perfect spot to hang out and relax, after a long day at work. Based on other Yelp reviews, I decided to order the Buffalo style chicken sandwich. I was so glad that I did. It was a huge piece of fried chicken covered with their buffalo sauce, on a tiny roll. It came with a small side of fries and a pickle. I was so hungry when I got there that I ordered onion rings as an appetizer. It really was unnecessary because my meal was so plentiful. (I usually order too much.) I was happy with how the onion rings tasted. They were too greasy and a bit burnt, but that's how I prefer onion rings. The chicken sandwich was so delicious. It was quite large and thick but cooked perfectly. (I saved almost all of it to eat tomorrow.) I love fries and the side of fries were cooked well too. My drink was coffee with Baileys in it, which hit the spot! The waitress came over just the right amount of times to check on us (not too much, not too little) and didn't mind that we were taking our time chatting after we each had paid. (We came in around 4:45pm and left around 7pm.) She had great customer service skills. I'll try to come back this summer and will keep this place on my radar. I was very happy with my experience here today. read more

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Excellent food and the best view by far. The service was excellent, we waited for the patio and the view was worth it. read more

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I had such a good time sitting on the shores of Lake Erie eating the fish fry with my cousin. I live in Florida and they are rare there. But this was fantastic -the weather was exceptionally nice and I had a great time. read more

Hoak's is the stuff of legends. A multi-generational establishment, this isn't for the trendy. From the views, to the service, to the food, everything is quintessential Buffalo lakeside. Fairly priced and offering a variety of surf, turf, pub food, and salads Hoak's is an excellent choice for somewhere to chill after a round of golf, or in our case a cruise on the Miss Buffalo 2. I ordered a draft of Big Ditch's Hayburner and the fish fry. No German potato salad here but they offer a well rounded house made American potato salad absent of mustard. The coleslaw is simple and crisp, not overly sweet or too heavy handed with mayo, in fact it was hard to tell if there was mayo present. I appreciate all slaw variations so this was not a negative. I really enjoyed my sides! Which brings me to the fish. The main attraction, the fish was light and flaky, could have been eaten without tartar sauce. The breading is corn meal and fries up crispy without being overly greasy. A lot of places offer beer batter, it's delicious too but very heavy and soaks up grease. The cornmeal feels much lighter yet remains satiating. Whether you sit at the bar inside or on the deck overlooking the lake, you'll feel comfortable at Hoak's. So brave the construction, brave the crowded parking lot, and go enjoy yourself! read more

Hoak's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Hamburg, New York

Had lunch at Hoak's yesterday. We sat in a booth which looked out over the lake toward the Canadian shore and Buffalo sky-line. There was an off-shore breeze, so the lake was calm. The restaurant was busy, but not over-crowded. The service was outstanding. The vibe was chill. I am writing mostly because of how much I loved my Chicken Florentine sandwich. I cannot get it out of my mind. I am seriously considering going back today and ordering another, and maybe even ordering one to-go for a friend. It was that good! I'm serious. The sandwich consisted of a perfectly marinated grilled chicken breast, topped with sauteed spinach, mushroom, bacon and provolone all stacked neatly on a fresh brioche roll. It was perfect. How am I ever going to sample the rest of Hoak's menu if I am already hooked on the chicken florentine sandwich? I suppose that is not a bad problem to have. read more

Great food great environment. Chicken sandwich huge and so good. Very crispy. Ruben also huge. Ordered half size side to try potato salad and onion rings. Both very good. read more

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I had the Buffalo chicken sandwich. I split it with someone and it was huge. We were both satisfied and we had two adult beverages at the bar. We enjoyed the views of the Lake. The bar tender wasn't to busy. We were there for lunch. She was super nice and we had a great conversation. read more

Convenient place to get fish fry any day of the week. Nice for casual dining with kids, and for lunch or dinner. A Hamburg staple.

Cool view even in the winter, but I bet it rocks during the summer. We had a table of 11 that was a supposed to 16 people, but due to winter weather we had some out of town people not attempting the drive. I had a beef on weck, the roll was literally toasted. Steak wasn't anything to brag about and the baked potato was cold. Overall the food wasn't anything to go out of the way for, but on the other hand the waitress handled our food mixup very professionally. In the end I would go for drinks and the view, I just wouldn't order food. The price of food is a bit high for the quality. read more

Hoak's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Hamburg, New York

The only thing this place has going for it is the view. It's dirty and dated. The food is huge yes but not that great. The hostess is extremely rude. Overall not a good place. Lucias or Rodney's a much better choice. read more

Not a bad wait on a Friday considering the beautiful lake view! I was disappointed in my fish fry today, breading was perfectly crunchy with flaky fish inside but way too salty! Potato salad and coleslaw are ok but the French fries totally miss the mark, pale and limp- where's the crunch? read more

The employees are not friendly. The hostess took our name and number and told us 30 min wait so when we walked in 40 min later she had no idea who we were and told us we can go in and take a table because they have few available. The water and soft drinks were disgusting! The water was definitely not filtered and smelled and tasted like chlorine. Why can't you invest few hundred dollars in the water filtration system? Lemonade and ice tea tasted the same. I heard other customers complaining about water and soft drinks. The food was just plain definitively nothing special. read more

Not returning for a take-out fish fry anytime soon. Hopefully with time they can redeem themselves. ** Please make an effort to better accommodate take-out orders and train your bartenders. I understand being busy on a Friday, but waiting 50 minutes for a cold & half a** piece of fried food is ridiculous. Would do a 3 but the cleanliness was nonexistent; four squirts of hand sanitizer please! read more

More breading the fish! Not worth the hassle of parking definitely no t worth the effort!

Hoak's has charm. It is an old establishment that is always worth a visit.the service is awesome, and the food is good. The decor is outdated, and the patio needs a tune up to take it to the next level. If you are looking for a super clean, modern restaurant... this might not be the place for you. But it is undoubtably a fabulous spot for some good bar food with friends on the lake. My favorite time to visit is on a sunny day in the warm weather - they do great steamer clams and that paired with a beer on the water makes for a marvelous summer day. read more

Hoak's Restaurant - Steamer clams! - Seafood Near Me - Hamburg, New York

Stopped for a late lunch on a nice sunny day. Only had to wait 15 minutes for a table outside so we got a drink at the bar in the meantime. They call & text when table is ready which is very convenient. We shared the fish sandwich and the Buffalo chicken sandwich and both were absolutely delicious! The chicken sandwich is HUGE!! Very good food and our waitress was great as well. We will definitely be back. read more

Hoak's Restaurant - Buffalo chicken sandwich and fish sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Hamburg, New York

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We stopped in on our way back from traveling across country. We sat at the bar! Excellent food excellent service. Fun group of people! I had the patty melt my husband had the burger. Potato salad was really good and so was the coleslaw read more

The buffalo chicken sandwich was delicious. It was huge, crispy, and had great flavor. Just the right amount of spice. The potato salad was also pretty tasty. read more

This is our spot! We went here on our 1st date and have never had a bad meal and we go almost every weekend. The Hoak family is very warm and friendly and their staff are always very professional and well-prepared with the days specials. We have never had a server that wasn't great. We especially love the seafood platter but all their food is of excellent quality. Highly recommended! read more

I recently revisited this restaurant that I have been to many times in the last 50 years. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. First the table was sticky and dirty feeling. The photos and paneling at the end of our booth were covered with fingerprints and food spatters. A deep cleaning is definitely in order. There were plenty of servers so I'm sure in their down time the staff could wipe and tidy up. I ordered the hot roast beef and gravy sandwich. The fries were hot, crispy and yummy but the sandwich looked like someone vomited on the plate. The gravy was the consistency of curdled pudding and was falling off three sides of the plate. I asked for a bowl to scrape it off into. I almost filled the salad bowl I was given with the gravy. I ate the roast beef that was under the gravy, and that was fine but the dish was definitely a disappointment. Given that a dish like that would even come out of the kitchen and be served to a customer and the cleanliness of the dining room, it will not be on my list to revisit anytime soon. read more

Tried to go for a fish fry last night. They stopped seating a 7:50 PM! Since that is the earliest we can get there due to work schedules, they have lost us as a customers. Off to Rodney's we went and the food was great! read more

Great casual dining Atmosphere... Love sitting by the water ... Serve and food were great read more

This place is a classic. Slightly outdated, but definitely comfy and located practically in the lake. The food came to us within 15 minutes of ordering (no lie) and it was super tasty. We got fish fry dinners, which I highly recommend trying. Our only complaint was that the fish was a bit salty for us. Everything else was amazing!! read more

Hoaks has the best chicken sandwich hands down! It's huge, delicious. Its like a sub /sandwich hybrid . I did also enjoy the king crab dinner. Lots of crab meat. Great class casino. Did not love the stuffed mushrooms . But cant go wrong with the sandwhich ! Yum . And a beautiful view of the lake read more

Hoak's Restaurant - King crab - Seafood Near Me - Hamburg, New York

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First time ever eating here in 35 years of my whole life in Buffalo, lol. Old Irish pub style restaurant, love places like this by the water, big bay windows inside give a great view of the water. Did not get the famous superrr over-sized chicken sandwich. We did have chicken fingers to start which were awesome, then chicken Cordon Bleu and the Fried yellow pike fillet which were kinda just meh, not bad, but not impressed. Staff and server were super attentive and friendly. Good vibes and happy energy in here, good atmosphere. Would definitely come back to give other dinners a try. read more

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Not Good !!! Party of 3 arrived at 2:30 and seated @3:45 even though table was available @ 3:15. Hostess was completely useless. Ordered Manhattan Clam Chowder for appetizer ...salty and cold. Ordered Ruben Sandwich...cheese melted but rest of sandwich was ice cold. Believe me... cold sauerkraut is not tasty. Fries cold too ! By this time the restaurant was not very busy but waitress never came back to table to check on us during the meal. We had to flag her down for check. Only at this point did she asked "how was lunch and then offered to remake the Ruben. Never again for another visit to this restaurant. read more

Arrived and was told 10 minutes for a table. After 25 min and watching others getting seated I said something to the hostess as she walked by.She said she would be right back. 5 min later I approached the hostess and she said I'll get back to you. 5 min later as others were being seated I went back and she said just a minute. Each time I got serious attitude. Don't know if I'll be back...depends on the food read more

So I probably should've paid attention to the one-star reviews before making the decision to come here. If two stars represents "I've had better," that would sum up our dining experience. To start on a positive note, I will say the resrsurant is situated along the water, so there's uninterrupted views of of the lake and Buffalo. Our server was also very sweet and warm. The problem, however, is that the food was prepared in a way I could've done at home without pay $59. Our bread basket -- which only came out after waiting for the food and upon hearing it would be another 10 mins -- was full of non-artisanal slices of bread and dinner rolls that were underwhelming. My grilled chicken salad was a grilled chicken salad. The bacon ranch dressing was nothing unique and had a very commercial and even bland taste to it. (I still have a bad aftertaste in my mouth.) My husband had fish he said was good. The problem, however, is that it came coated in too much salty batter that, in his words, "did a disservice to the fish." On a happier note, whoever made my kids' grilled cheese put some effort into it. We won't be coming back here though it does look like some locals enjoy the food. If I could push the rewind button to stop myself from spending money for the food we got, I would save $30 and go through a drive-thru. read more

Hoak's Restaurant - Overly battered and very salty fish - Seafood Near Me - Hamburg, New York

I do not see what the big deal is about their fish fry. This place would be last on my list for that. Our server was snarky and I'll equipped to handle his section. Not impressed and won't likely be back. read more

I know you've heard about the chicken sandwich - best darn Buffalo chicken delight around Bet you can't eat the whole thing Remodel is great, service great, awesome Buffalo vibe read more

Came in for lunch and we got the last table in the shade. There was a guy who was sat right before us in the shade and after 10 minutes he asked to move and was moved. After ten minutes we realized it was way too windy and cold and we noticed a table in the sun was open and we asked to move and they told us that when we are sat at a table we can't be moved. So we moved on out the door! read more

A pretty good restaurant with a nice view. I had their famous fish sandwich and is was big and on very nice rye bread. I wasn't crazy about their potato salad side, and had mixed feelings about the clam chowder. I tried the new England and it was good and meaty, but had unusual things in it like carrots and herbs. Over all a decent place to eat. read more

We went yesterday for fish. Not good. Tasteless. Cole slaw literally had no dressing on it???? Not sure if we will g again. This is our 2nd time here n a couple weeks. 1st was good..... read more

Enjoy patio lunch meetings and the lake views. Portions are large and always have some leftovers for dinner.

Very overhyped and everything is sticky when walking in. Great views but will take Lucia's, Lago 210, and Rodney's

Updating my review to show the poor service received on this last visit. My order also came out all wrong and it wasn't even that difficult. I did not leave as happy as the last time I was there that's for sure. read more

Great food and great casual atmosphere. We had the fried fish and shrimp and scallops. The fried fish was very good. If the two dishes I'd recommend the fish both were good but fish was over the top. Service was also very good. Great relaxed place read more

Wanted to eat somewhere with a lake view so have Hoak's a try. Glad we did. Friendly place. Had the fish sandwich with fries. It was good - not greasy at all. View was fantastic - very relaxing. read more

Hoak's was a hoax. The one star is for the view and because Yelp won't let me give 0 stars. I'll start with the appetizers. Mozzarella sticks weren't good; they're supposed to be stretchy and it felt like I bit into ricotta cheese (and not in a good way). The stuffed mushrooms were okay for the first two bites, but they're huge and you get sick of the taste and texture. We asked if the fish was fresh and we were told yes, but it was far from the truth. Water spilled out when you bit into the fried scallops, shrimp, and haddock, evidence it was frozen. The fries were stale. The salad had a weird after-taste; it seemed like it was refrigerated uncovered. We ordered the steak medium-well and it was more like medium-rare. In sum, as my dad put it, "I'd call Chef Ramsay, but even he wouldn't bother fixing it, he'd tear it down and turn it into a parking lot." read more