Sweet! I enjoyed finding this place for craft cocktails, fresh seafood and top notch service. Kate was great - knowledgeable about the drink and food - definitely an eye and attention to the craft! That made it even more enjoyable. Some basics. Parking was a struggle to get the parking app to work, so just I finally gave up and went to the nearby lot. But that's not H&Ls issue. Just a heads up. Sat at the bar and enjoyed how the place was set up. Drinks. Walnut Ave was a superb old fashioned with one of the best maraschino cherries. 100 Mistakes was using an Italian aromatic that I forget now, but another fine drink. Good food. The oysters were sumptuous. I had Buckley Bay, Hood Canal and the constant Miyagi's on their menu. Ceviche of local halibut, sweet potato (thought it was weird until I tasted it), avocado and lèche de Tigre was phenomenal. I even got a suggestion for another different but awesome spot to try. I'll definitely be back. Enjoy!! read more

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10 out of 10 experience! The staff is super attentive and friendly. A shoutout to Billy for the food presentation and Jake for table service. The ambiance was perfect for a date night for two, although a party of 5 were happy at the bar as well! It was lively and yet felt quite intimate all at once. The food. Incredible flavors and a wide variety of fresh ingredients in every dish. Go during their happy hour! The food and drink options on the HH menu were perfect to start off our dining experience. We cannot wait to return to partake in the dessert options, as we were too happy and full for anything else. Really amazing NA drink options and mocktails read more

Hook & Line - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Came back after a year for a birthday dinner and sat at the bar with my partner. Had a great glass of chilled wine, super fresh salad, and delicious risotto. Service was way better than my last experience and food was just as delicious. Hope to be back again (before a year passes) and have another good experience. Keep up the good service and great food! read more

Solid recent family dinner at Hook and Line. Started with oysters which were great with a nice.Mingonette . We had green salad and sardines on the toasted bread, but I will definitely be ordering again a bit spicy for grandma.. I had the rockfish most others had the black cod both of which were solid. The french fries Are the best in Santa Cruz.. read more

I have to share our extraordinary dinner experience at Hook & Line, hands down the Best restaurant for seafood and steak in Santa Cruz county! Our son took us to celebrate his father's birthday at Hook & Line until now I hadn't heard of this place. If you're looking for an Extraordinary dining experience, I encourage you to try this gem of a restaurant. The service is first class, the food is Amazing and the ambiance checks all the boxes. We spent an incredible evening, eating drinking and celebrating. it's located on one of the downtown side streets, easily missed but it is the best fresh seafood in the Bay Area, seriously! Take an evening to enjoy their incredible menu and amazing staff. You will love it!! read more

Too good! Simple as that. The service was wonderful. Thankful for the chef's and the servers. Their hot sauce was wonderful read more

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It was a beautiful day in Santa Cruz about 78 when we got to there at 6 and sat in the main dining room. First time there. The salad we shared and both entrees were really excellent. We had O2T sea bass and rock cod, again excellent. The downside was. The water and glass of wine they served were just too warm. Ice fixed the water but our server said all the wines just sit on the counter. The temperature in the room was fine to start but having warm drinks didn't help. By the time the entrees arrived the room was too warm. No AC and dining area is shared with the kitchen. I sent the wine back. The bread ($5) was cooler than the wine. Service was fine. Overall $126 plus tip for one salad and two fish. The ambience killed the experience. We won't be going back. read more

The food was great as always and the ambiance never disappoints at this spot! Our server jake was great and was constantly checking in on us at the right times. Recommend getting a table with him if you can! read more

I have been craving Oysters for moths now. i finally found the place and location. So i didn't hesitate to make the reservation to come and try them. We came by during Happy Hour which made them $2!! We had their Miyagi Oysters with their house lemon sauce and fresno chili sauce. We tried them 3 different ways and loved them every time. Also had their Pink Margaritas and their local Rock Fish fish n chips. Service and attentiveness was excellent and they did not hesitate to answer any of my questions especially about why the Oysters were called Miyagi. I will be back if I am ever in the area. read more

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The food was all really fresh and delicious but somehow we ended up spending over $150 for two even though most of what we ordered was on the happy hour menu! $2 oysters!! And num num. Great market salad, creative and delicious cocktails, nice selection of wines, and a scrumptious dessert. Service was attentive without being pushy. The only downside is that depending where you're seated it can be noisy. read more

Happened upon Hook and Line for dinner for the first time on a Monday night, and it turns out it's happy hour all night?! Jackpot. First off, unlike some places, the happy hour menu is actually quite happy - solid discounts on good food and drinks. Overall, this is a great place to grab a really tasty cocktail and some fresh seafood. I have high hopes once they iron out the kinks from their recent reopening, and will definitely be back next time I'm in Santa Cruz. ***** The only big con: * Not sure if it was an off night because the restaurant just recently reopened, but it took me around an hour to get my main course (sea bass). The staff was very friendly and apologetic though, so no worries I get it. Luckily I was on vacation anyway, so that just meant I could spend more time with my cocktails and appetizers! ***** Food: * Halibut ceviche: This must be Hook and Line's calling card? Some of the best halibut ceviche I've ever had. The fish was super fresh, the cuts were all very high quality without any stringiness, and there was a lot of it (considering it was a happy hour portion). The marinade was complex and flavorful without being just a sour-punch-in-the-mouth like some lower tier ceviches. And not to mention the heaps of avocado you get too. * Oysters: Happy hour oysters are $2 and they're the standard Miyagis. All the accompanying sauces are very tasty, especially the chili sauce! * Seared sea bass (I think? This was back in August): The done-ness of the fish itself was a bit of a miss here. Slightly overcooked, maybe because of the delay. Everything else in this dish was great though, from the puree sauce (sweet potato?) to the grilled caramelized leeks, and the chimichurri on top. ***** Cocktails: * Had some time to kill, so I had one of each cocktail on the happy hour menu. All super tasty! Very well executed. ***** Service: * I sat at the bar, so I mostly interacted with the bartenders, but they were super friendly and attentive! We had great chats about growing up in the Bay Area and how they liked Santa Cruz, and they were just generally a pleasure to hang out with. read more

Overall a great place! Service was excellent. Oysters were tasty but the burger was the surprise and really really good. Only thing is the oyster shucker needs to shucking shuck better. Lovely spot with a great bar space. One of the few places in Santa Cruz that are actually worth returning to. read more

Hook & Line - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Definitely good food. I would say all our dishes were quite tasty. Portions were on the small side but that's what I was expecting. Loved the burrata (but when have I ever not loved burrata?) We got a small seafood platter - the ceviche was particularly good. I got the scallops, which were very fresh and tender, and the sauce went well - not overpowering, but as always with scallops - oh so sad that there were only 3. My husband got the whole fried rockfish which was quite a dish! The presentation on this one was really fun. And it was a much hearty meal than the scallops. It was very well fried - nice and crispy. He said the fried rice that came with it was rather spicy. The cocktail menu was overwhelming. So many words I didn't understand. I ended up getting the spritz, which was decent. My husband told our waitress that he's a fan of Mule's and she recommend a different spritz which wasn't on the menu (but is maybe one of their specials?) and it was very good. The waitress did seem very knowledgable about all the words I didn't understand. The service was a bit slow - and maybe this was by design? As in, they first brought the seafood platter first, and then brought the burrata a little while after we finished the seafood platter, and then brought our mains a little after we finished that. Like maybe they were trying to create a relaxed atmosphere? We certainly didn't feel rushed. But it did take 50 minutes for the seafood platter to come from when we arrived - and we ordered pretty quickly after arrival. Having said that our waitress was very attentive and other staff also checked in on us. Nice open space, but it did fill up on a Saturday night and got pretty loud. read more

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Good food ruined by untenable service. Can someone please instill some basic service skills. Why Santa Cruz? Why?

Tried the seafood chowder (lacked flavor), chunks of fish had skin intact (laziness?). The lemongrass broth for the mussels burst with flavor. Oysters were delicious but the server could not explain which were briney or not. Her attitude was cold and lacked attention to details (no offer of water when I sat). We were ignored for stretches of time, requested basics like another bottle of sparkling water, cracked pepper, and the manresa bread slices were late to the table. Overall food was good but the service was subpar. Off night? read more

Great food, great service! Beautiful space! Went for the happy hour. Deviled eggs are 10/10! Been on a mission to try all the deviled eggs in Santa Cruz and these tied for 1st. Boyfriend loved the fried whole anchovies! And we both loved the fish & chips and cheeseburger! The dozen oysters were fresh and were served with a delicious Minette and House made hot sauce! We almost pocketed the hot sauce it was so good lol! read more

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3.5 is probably best. The best thing here was the smoked halibut on top of the tapioca cracker thing. That was on point. The beet salad was pretty weak. Add some spinach or whipped herb ricotta or something other than a pile of beets. I love beets but this was boring. My halibut main was ok. Sauces were interesting but a little disjointed. Service was perfect! I'll give them another try and update. read more

Cute modern restaurant. The food is good but definitely on the standard side of taste. It's also on the pricy side. Presentation of food was on par but I think my mussels and bouillabaisse dish was missing something since the broth didn't wow me. I would definitely come back again to check out the oysters next time. read more

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I really enjoyed my first visit at Hook & Line. First off, the interior design and aesthetic is really pleasing. They nailed it. Secondly, I appreciated and noticed how friendly and warm each of the staff members were. Beautiful hospitality. And lastly, the food was delicious! My guest and I did not have a main entree as we came in specifically for happy hour oysters ($2/ea) and we ended up ordering four dishes to share. The oysters were perfection, seriously. The deviled eggs were like a little flavor explosion in your mouth. Yum. The ceviche was really fresh and buttery (texture wise) and refreshing. Overall, it was a lovely experience and I would recommend. I'd like to go back one day and try one of their dinner entrees. read more

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This was an amazing anniversary date experience. Everything was fantastic, from the drinks to the oysters, to our sweet server who took our picture. I can't wait to come back! read more

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Wow, just wow. Every dish was so beautifully crafted and delicious. By far, the food here is the most memorable I've had in forever. My wife ordered the sea bass and I ordered the risotto with black cod and they were both delicately and perfectly prepared and we're still talking about it the next day after! I can't wait to go back it's that good read more

Food was fantastic, definitely my favorite seafood restaurant. Deviled Eggs aren't something I typically order especially at a seafood restaurant but I tried theirs and it was like no other devil egg I've had and we order them every time now. Love the trout and halibut. Shellfish is highest quality. Great staff and service. Highly recommend! read more

Keep your receipt!!! They over charged me by $201.26 (which was the total pre-tip amount). I, of course, didn't see this until I got my credit card statement. I called, explained the situation to the person answering the phone, and she said the manager would get back to me. No word for 5 days until I received a text and a voicemail from the manager saying they had refunded $200 to my CC. I still feel the food and most of the folks there are 5 star. The management, not so much.... read more

For an upscale restaurant that has been open for a while, Hook and Line was a major disappointment. From my dinner being served, but my dining partner's delayed for 20 minutes, to the check being brought before asking if we wanted dessert, to lame apologies about how busy they were.....You'd think they had done this before. The food was tasty. But extremely small portions and I am a light eater. Checked off the list but won't return. read more

Very nice dining room with a bar! Super busy for a Monday. Been hearing great things-- the menu changes daily so what we saw posted on yelp was not accurate but we tried a couple apps cocktails and fish dish. I would say they are still working out the kinks but will definitely be back when the menu suits our taste buds. read more

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The ambiance is amazing. We had a date night & the place was a great sexy vibe. Food was wonderful. I loved the fries & mussels! The service was on point. read more

Hook & Line - Mussels - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great spot. The happy hour menu is very affordable and has great choices. Typically restaurants put the not so great beverage and food choices on a menu but not here. The oysters are excellent. The hush puppies were ok and would not order them again. The crab cakes are delicious and different. The dessert is good. The staff are one of the best in Santa Cruz. Maybe better than mentone or Oswald's. I'm skeptical of food here as a local. Santa Cruz does not have the big city food scene I crave. But hook and line is a solid choice. read more

Torn between wanting to love this place and feeling like it was just missing those finishing touches to make it worth their price point. The calamari was lightly breaded and the taste was incredible but I ate it on my own with ease and if I was with a group I'd either order something that would be better for splitting or set the expectations I'd be small portions. For my main I did the grilled oysters. The butter herb sauce was a bit too decadent so I had the bartender get me a few lemons to brighten it up. The bread served with it was awful. Very burnt and just overall not great bread. Maybe it was an off day but the bread brought the dish down. Last, I finished off with a chocolate tarte and coffee. The person who brought me the coffee forgot a mug which was remedied pretty fast. The coffee mug though looked like it needed a good scrubbing with a sponge and since I was already feeling like a bother asking for a mug I just moved on to paying. I sat at the bar and although there was always 4-6 people orbiting in the area service was slow and more preoccupied with stocking things for the dinner rush, probably a problem with coming in at 5pm. I didn't feel a definitive atmosphere one way or another while there but seems best for work dinners or dates. I will most likely come again but just for a few raw oysters and drinks. Maybe a chocolate tarte to go, it was the best part of the meal. read more

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Best new spot in SC. We had fantastic service. The atmosphere was amazing and the food was incredible. Love a good oyster bar. And a good martini. read more

Tried this place out for the first time for my fiancee's birthday and my belated birthday with some friends of ours. We were all pleasantly impressed with everything we had from the salads and appys to the burger, halibut, petrale sole, and amazing seafood chowder! One of the surprising highlights though was our amazing server Bridgette B who impressed us who collectively have over 40 years of restaurant and customer service experience. She has a bright future in whatever she chooses to do and hopefully the management and her coworkers recognize her exceptional character! Thanks for helping to make it an awesome night! read more

The people were very nice, however everything I ordered was way too salty. I might order the salad again if I specified "no salt" and they were able to make it that way. I had the seafood chowder which was served with at least 6 empty shells that I fished for the contents, but never did find them. I thought it was overpriced for what it was. The only course that I thought was worth it was the desserts. We order two extra scoops of ice cream to go with it and it was very satisfying. They need to have sort of bread on the menu or diners risk still being hungry afterward. Our waiter was very nice and other staff solicitous of our group as well. Get rid of the salt shaker in the kitchen and we might return. read more

Wow! Great service, kitchen knows what they are doing. Smiling competent front of house. The bread, well worth the money. Interior is a little minimalist could use some art. And please, opening a restaurant near the ocean in California and having an amazing kitchen but not able to brew ice tea..... read more

Cocktails were Legit-4/5, Apps were legit Also 4-4.4/5, Seared Scallops 4.65/5, Service was Above average and speed was above average for Sat Night 4.75/5. Ambiance for SC was above4.5/5. Pricing was "OK" not a deal, not a Steal but Decent 3.8/5. Would def recommend... read more

Drinks were conceptualized and executed perfectly. Mussels and fries were incredible - creamy texture and bold broth and amazing spice. Burger was delicious, usually hate brioche bun but this worked. Generous side of fries. Smoke halibut was well balanced, tho the presentation made it difficult to eat, especially since we were sharing. Interior was quiet - so rare and appreciated. Clean and classy design. The server was a total sweetie, very attentive and accommodating. read more

Food was amazing. We ordered 4 small dishes and dessert. Service was spot on. And the whole experience was memorable. Such a pleasant surprise. We will definitely be back. read more

I have been to this new restaurant 3x now and each time my experience has been delectable, classy, and really fun. The fresh fish option on the menu (Im not sure what that other reviewer meant - there is always a daily main fish option) is typically caught that day or the day before. What is fascinating to me is that, with the tapenade and the purées, depending on how you put your bite together on your fork - the same dish can taste completely different. I have never experienced this taste sensation with a dish before! I appreciate that the nonalcoholic drinks are carefully crafted. The beet nonABV tequila drink comes with a gorgeous presentation, delicate glass, stainless steel pick with a sugared cherry on it and I feel like I stepped out of the 1920s with this in my hand. Starters I have tried - -Fried Calamari - perfectly battered and crisped fried calamari (maybe they can make them gluten free one day) -Salad - there have been a few rotations but I keep coming back to the one with shredded crisped potatoes on top! Super fun -Cabbage - this steamed cabbage has a reduction with it that lends a complexity in my mouth that I crave. Who would have thought? -Oysters & Mussel toasts - be transported to Bodega Bay -There are also tinned fish! They come on a wooden board with pickled veggies and Manresa bread. Its like Im sitting on the Adriatic shore. -Tahini with Carrots and Broccolini - simple and flavorful Mains -Fresh fish of the day as described above is the way to go for your first time -Crab risotto - my daughters favorite, large dish -Mussels with spicy lemongrass broth over skinny French fries - superb -Vegan option, eggplant - I heard great things The service is all hands on deck. Sitting at the bar give a lively Birds Eye view into the restaurant, while sitting in the dining area affords you privacy and to be part of the action. The ambiance is classy and sophisticated. Also there seem to be a few areas - like by the bar or in the old tasting room - where you could easily host a gettogether, or meet up before a show - which is a rare find in this town. The waitstaff staff is friendly, you can see the whole kitchen from the dining room and they seem focused with smiles. Please note that this is a brand new restaurant and the menu and pacing is super fresh and being improved every day - this is the same for every restaurant that opens, particularly in this town. Enjoy! read more

Usually places with great, creative cocktails are pretentious, but not hook and line. Shizo in a gin cocktail is brilliant! Delicious food. Great service. You should definitely go. read more

As I write this, I'm highly conscious that this is a new restaurant in SC that we were so excited about, but I also do want to write an honest review that the food...confused us. First of all, I found it odd that this is purportedly a seafood restaurant, but there wasn't a single piece of fresh, focused fish on the menu? Two types of mussels, some tuna tartar on toast, and a fried fish option, but the waiter recommended the duck and the risotto for mains. We had the tartar toast (the highlight), oysters, salad, the mussels, and the calamari. We found the food wanting and overpriced. I had the beet non ABV cocktail and my partner had an IPA (both were quite one note and the cocktail wasn't cold). The salad was a few very very large pieces of lettuce with some radishes and two dollops of cheese. The calamari was fine, but the sauce was watery and the dish was salty. The broth with the mussels had little flavor. The mussels seemed big and fresh though! For me, the highlight was the tartar toast. All that said, the ambiance inside was nice. I wish them the best...just not for us unfortunately. (Also, this is small, but the host stand is located in an entrance that smells quite strongly of urine, which was a rough way to start the evening at such a spendy spot). read more

Hook & Line - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Had dinner at Hook and Line for the first time last night. It's got a very stylish look to it. The hostess was delightful. The server was at our table quickly and asked about drinks, but we hadn't had a chance to look at the drink menu. I recommend that the server greet us, bring us water and then give us a few minutes to select our drinks. We ordered 1/2 dozen oysters, which were great, to have with our drinks. Downside was they were understaffed at the bar and the oysters were long gone before the drinks go to our table. The person bringing our drinks was very apologetic about the wait, which I appreciated. It took the server quite a while to take our order and the food was slow coming out. My husband ordered the halibut, which he said was great. My experience was quite different. I had the Kauai prawns with grits and an egg. I was quite surprised to see the prawns were still in their shells. They were borderline impossible to extract from their shells and there is no way I was going to eat them. It was actually embarrassing to try to get any edible pieces of prawn. The egg was WAY over salted and grits were meh. I got up to wash my hands that were coated in prawn shell residue and saw others who were having the same dish going through the same struggle. For the love all that is good and decent, REMOVE THE SHELLS FROM THE PRAWNS and lay off the salt on the egg. I was quite disappointed with the entire experience and my husband was upset that my dish was such a hot mess. I know you all can do better. read more

For starters our bar tender definitely knew his drinks and made us some tasty ones! The Calamari dish with rice was out of this world!! I would encourage that dish over the halibut for sure. But overall the ambience was perfect for our night out! read more

Hook & Line - Our appetizer was scrumptious but small... hence the name petite oysters - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California