The positives were the service and staff. The food was also tasty but the price to portion sizes were a disappointment. Left hungry.

How exciting! What a beautiful new restaurant we got here in SC. Service was fantastic and friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Food was fresh and reasonably priced for a nicer restaurant in town as well as portion sizes were good. I wish the oysters had some more flair or topping to add. Fun and new ambiance. We will definitely come back and recommend to friends. read more

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Nice place, with cheap, good oysters at happy hour. Seafood chowder was ok. Oysters were Miyagi, quite fresh and nicely presented.

Hook & Line * Lovely hostess and outstanding servers (attentive, kind) * Great wine list (hi Birichino Vermentino) Food not worth mentioning. We were not impressed or super jazzed about: $43 plate of 3 baby scallops + smear of some kind of paste $29 ceviche that was extremely citrus lemon and did not have any other crunch or textures or flavors. Just a smattering of fish cubes covered in lemon juice * Stopped looking at prices because I was very hungry by this point * Risotto was basically a clump of glue with a handful of snap peas on top. It was a confusing dish. We felt that it could have just needed to cook a bit longer and come with a mushroom or a shave of Parmesan or something. Thank Goodness the wine was good! read more

Great happy hour. Loved their cocktails and wine choices. Oysters, mussels, deviled eggs are a must. Great kids menu too

Blown away by the incredible great food and drinks. Recommend it 1000% The ambience is fantastic and the service was great. read more

Great service, outstanding food, very cozy environment. Maya was our server, she was amazing and kept checking in on us. I will definitely be back when in Santa Cruz! read more

Hook & Line - Bass with curry and rice. - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We went as a double date to experience this new restaurant and it was a wonderful night. My partner and I are alcohol free and were so happy their mocktail and NA options were well crafted and delicious. The mussels and fries with chili crunch was the best flavor combination, spicy with umami goodness. I tried my friends scallops and it was very fresh and lively. One of the best restaurant experiences I've had in Santa Cruz! I can't wait to go back! read more

The failure of this restaurant was multileveled. First, don't pay attention to the menu online. I looked at the menu online and was interested in two items, the hanger steak or the cod. Neither of which were available. We were also sat at the table in front of the door (it's December and cold). Every time the door opened a cold breeze. That not being enough, the owner decided for the comfort of their other guests to prop the front door open for a period of time, freezing me out. Finally because they were out of the two items I was interested in, the only thing left for me to order was the burger and a salad. The burger was supposed to be medium but it arrived rare. I sent it back but by the time it arrived my party was done eating. I got it to go and gave it to a homeless person on the way to car. A very disappointing experience. read more

Nice place. Friendly, great food and fun environment. A nice place for dinner. Service was at a nice pace with drinks, appetizers and meal. read more

I reached out to Hook and Line about a month ago inquiring about hosting a large birthday party. From the moment I connected with Anya (General Manager) to the main event last night - I experienced nothing but amazing customer service. She was responsive, super helpful and accommodating. With a group of 18 we arrived at Hook and Line and were able to decorate their private room. And they provided beautiful custom menus. The service was spot on, the food was bountiful and delicious and everyone raved about our experience. I highly recommend Hook and Line and can't wait to go back! Thank you to Anya, Paige our server, Lejla one of the owners, Santos head chef (formerly of Discretion), great bar tenders and the rest of the crew! You made my kiddos night so special! read more

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

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Popped in to visit my son at UCSC and craved oysters after obsessively watching the "By The Water" channel of a Chesapeake Bay fellow who's "just a guy eating what he likes and sharing what he likes" (by the way, a welcome contrast to the obscene, over-filtered/over made up Korean girls mukbanging oysters for clicks) and stumbled upon Hook & Line. Because my son also is a deckhand on sport fishing boats in the summer, we eat quite a bit of fresh seafood and fish restaurants are often hit or miss. Hook & Line is an emphatic hit. First-as ever for me- the oysters (skookum, miyagi, and capital gems) were fantastic with us ordering two more of the skookum and Mr miyagi's. Then the kanpachi was one of the best I ever had; the halibut was perfectly cooked. Who is this chef Santos Majano -- I would like to be his friend. Finally, the service from Enzo and everyone in the staff was attentive and thoughtful. When my son was 8, I asked Jonathan Gold in a Wednesday lunchtime chat where to take him for lunch and he and I have been eating good food together since. You should take someone you have loved a long time here too. read more

Phenomenal experience, delicious food. Cole, our waiter, provided exemplary service. He was attentive, spaced everything perfectly, and predicted our needs to the tee. Will be back! read more

I popped into hook & line for Monday happy hour and had such a great time! delicious drinks and beautiful ambience. Our bartender Kate was amazing the whole time from service to skill to conversations she really was the cherry on top. we need more places like this in town! read more

Went on a Saturday night. Busy but not packed. Horrible. Horrible Horrible. We waited an hour for them to bring three dinky deviled eggs. Then 30 more minutes for some soupy gloppy mashed potato meeeeh that they were calling risotto. After 90 minutes we cut our losses and decided to go get burritos down the street. Never again. read more

Third visit and we experienced smoother service and the food quality and selections remain very good. Seafood chowder was excellent, as was the smoked trout toast and market salad. Sound is better now the left side of the entrance; the right side seems more echo-y with hard surfaces. read more

I would give this place more stars if I could. My friend and I came here for a birthday dinner and it was our first time dining here. The staff was SO NICE and so accommodating. We're both gluten free and they provided excellent recommendations and were able to change some menu items for our dietary restrictions. Enzo helped us and I just have to give him the biggest shoutout. He was so helpful and friendly and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. Enzo deserves a raise and a bonus. We had oysters, sashimi, caviar, and split the risotto with added fish which he was able to make gluten free for us. Everything was fresh, beautifully presented and DELICIOUS. The drinks were fantastic as well. The atmosphere in the restaurant was also phenomenal. Hints of oceanic, coastal vibes throughout and very cozy and intimate. Very thoughtfully designed. I will be coming here often and recommending this place to all seafood lovers!! read more

The food was pretty tasty. However, my date ordered a Manhattan with Woodford Reserve, which is not by any stretch of the imagination a top shelf whiskey. When we got the bill, the cost for the one cocktail was $27. When I inquired why the price was so high the waitress said it was correct and that they didn't have Woodford Reserve but she had substituted it for a top-shelf whiskey (can't remember which one she mentioned). I was going to let it go and pay the bill, but then I overheard the table next to us complaining that their liquor had also been substituted and charged a very high price. This seemed to be a pattern, which disturbed me, so a requested to speak to the manager. Instead of apologizing and reducing the price of our drink to a standard Manhattan, she insisted on defending the position that we had been substituted a very nice and expensive brand of whiskey. She knocked a few dollars off but still charged us $22 for the drink. This felt insulting to me and not the way you should treat your customers. I guess they assume everyone who comes here is rich and won't notice or care if you substitute your requested alcohol brand and then charge you an outrageous price for it. read more

Beautiful food, tasteful decor, excellent service. Can't wait to try the happy hour they just announced! read more

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Long overdue! Probably been there a dozen times. First I must complement the employees. Professional and helpful with a great attitude. The food is amazing including Fish and Chips, Halibut, Seafood Chowder, Calamari, Oysters etc! Easy parking on lot across the street. A great find read more

5 Stars!! Finally a restaurant in Santa Cruz that is as great as my favorite restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I was excited about this opening after reading about it in Edible Monterey Bay magazine, because the Chef apparently also ran the Kitchen inside the Discretion Brewery before the Pandemic... (That used to be the best food in SC!) Calamari and the scallops main were the best calamari and scallops I've ever had in my life. Scallops were totally multidimensional tasting (not just "tender or buttery"). We got a bunch of drinks that were really great too. The Pink Margarita and Walnut Ave were my favorites. Location is great... just far enough from Pacific Ave to feel a little lively but not in the middle of street performers or anything. The easy parking at the garage right across the street is a plus too. I usually care mostly about the food, but the service was really good too. Get reservations; it was busier than I was expecting it to be. read more

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The food is super good. I think it is a little bit pricey for some items that don't even have seafood, but overall the quality is great.. The drinks are good as well, but I think they need to work on who they hire as servers because ours literally only talk to us when she sat us down and then when she gave us the check read more

service is okay.. they don't course stuff properly and drinks came very late even though they were ordered first. they also brought the wrong drink but we didn't say anything. oysters were mediocre mussels were well executed cocktails were good burrata was good both entrees were awful. seabass was overcooked and the shrimp was inedible. didn't eat an entire entree and nothing was comped even after they asked why. won't be coming back! read more

We ate here for the first time yesterday. The food was delicious. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated. Service was good. My husband ordered the fried whole rock fish but could not finish it because the portion was huge. He told our server that he was looking forward to finishing it off at home. However, he was disappointed that only the few nuggets were packed and not the entire fish. We paid for the entire fish and expected the whole fish to be packed. The server should have told the bus boy to pack the entire fish. We sort of feel ripped off. I would have given 5 stars if not for this mishap. read more

We went a couple weeks ago and had a great meal until the end. As I was getting cash out to pay our check our server informed me that they don't accept cash! Without asking he offered the reason why. He told us the owner is a petite woman and didn't want to do night drops. I can think of many alternatives to this scenario but ok. My wife checked the website and it does say no cash but at the very, very bottom. I think it is stupid to alienate a percentage of the population who use cash.. I won't be back. read more

Loved it! Food, service, ambience! We had the oysters, duck, shrimp and grits, with a bottle of Macon Village Chardonnay. Food was exquisitely prepared. Everything was yummy. Thank you for opening a wonderful new restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz. We will be back! read more

My wife and I visited Hook & Line for the first time since it opened a few months ago (space previously was occupied by Soif). The restaurant was packed and the overall vibe was really good. Service and food were also both very good. Menu is highly oriented towards seafood so if that's not your thing then you might be disappointed with the food options. Overall we had a very good experience. We definitely will be going back. read more

We had an excellent experience at Hook & Line as first time visitors last night, and definitely plan on returning. The restaurant is modern with nice, natural lighting and an upscale look, yet the vibe was casual and friendly. We had reservations for a table, but we walked in and the bar looked so spacious and pleasant, we decided to change our plans. The service was absolutely outstanding - our bartender/server, Rain, was professional, friendly and super attentive. We'd love to have her as our server again! Everything was delicious, from the appetizers which consisted of the deviled eggs and oysters, to our main dishes that included the chowder and mussels. There was a unique spin on everything, with new flavors that we hadn't experienced before. Hats off to the chef and the rest of the cooking staff. It appears that reviews were mixed early on, but the restaurant was new. Everything we experienced was last night was wonderful! By the way, we got there upon opening, but the restaurant filled up very quickly on a Friday evening. I'd recommend reservations. read more

The food was immaculate. Unique without being to conseptual. The vibes were lovely, maybe a bit louder than I prefer, but that's really just a symptom of the well deserved popularity. The bar staff were incredibly knowledgeable and quick, and the servers kind. I was especially impressed with the orange haired cook answering a few of my menu questions and Kate's drinks recommendations. read more

This place is a disgrace, The staff are inattentive, inefficient and insolent. The food is overpriced, unimaginative and meagre. A $ 42 main entree consisted of three diminutive scallops, a tablespoon of tasteless cauliflower puree and a slice of grilled eggplant. We left the place feeling robbed, disrespected and undernourished . read more

10/10 service and food, a must try! We sat at the bar and service was so amazing, the staff were friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. read more

Hook & Line - Mussels w/ chili garlic fries - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Rock shrimp toast was small but delicious! Trout conserva was delicious! Halibut ceviche needs more chips but was delicious! The bouillabaisse and the shrimp and grits were delicious too! The biggest letdown was the halibut, seriously lacking seasoning and salt. read more

Hook & Line - X-Macchia cocktail. Wasn't expecting green olives but it paired really well! Delicious! - Seafood Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great food and great service. Server, Lauren, super nice and knowledgeable about the menu.

I really love the ambiance of this new spot. The portions are a bit on the small side but everything we got was really tasty. We've been a few times now and enjoyed ourselves but haven't been blown away quite yet. The service was a bit slow and you could see the employees just standing around chatting. read more

Superb food, great selection of beverage, and even better service. The happy hour menu is such a deal. All items are tasty, especially the fried calamari (best I've ever had). I had the seafood chowder and oyster, all were amazing. Get there early or make a reservation ASAP. read more

I love good seafood and it's fairly rare to find a place that does it right. Thank goodness places like this still exist. We'll be back!

This place is the best addition to the Santa Cruz food scene. Chef Majano doesn't disappoint! His food is always packed with subtle flavors. Cocktails and wine list are also on point! read more

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Hard seats, coldish atmosphere and small portions given the price would steer me to a different experience downtown. This is a place where you should sit at the bar . read more

Five stars in EVERY department! So lovely to have such a spectacular seafood restaurant in our beautiful downtown. Bravo Santos!! xx ** A classic prawn cocktail would be a lovely addition to the menu xx read more

I had made a reservation but for the wrong day. The hostess sat us anyway but she wasn't really that friendly...we walked thru the dining room which had a great vibe and straight out of that dining room to the back room with no vibe. We had a waiter and a waitress (confusing for them as well) so we got asked the same questions twice all night. We ordered smoked halibut which was really good but not really shareable. It's on one cracker that we had to cut thru to share . But it was really good. My friend ordered halibut entree which she loved and I ordered the steak (medium) and it came out pretty rare. I did not send it back. Overall the steak was basic. Our drinks were really good. Pricey but the product was quality. read more