Reviewing on behalf of a meat eater. "This is the second time I went to this restaurant. First time was last Sunday. I paid for a mix of crab and prawns with heads, which cost more than prawns without heads. When I got home, I realized they gave me the prawns without heads. I called and told them they messed up. The person on the phone said ze would write my name down for 25% of for my next order. Fine, I can forgive that. So I order again today. The person I talked to said no one wrote my name down, and the most they can give is 20% off. Fine, but the lack of inter-business communication is evident. I pick-up the food on-time, looking forward to a steamy bag of seafood like last time. Well, they didn't put the seafood in a bag this time, only an aluminum box. The seafood was lukewarm this time around. Compared to the hot bag of yummies from last week, this was a major disappointment. They didn't mess the order up, so there's that. But eating the food at room-temp made me realize that it's all frozen. The shrimp are really mealy, but I like shrimp too much to let that stop me. But geez, this didn't happen at all last time. Maybe because I ordered around 7, they used seafood that was just sitting around for a while? That would explain the texture and lack of steam bag. This's all fine, it's what's I expected at the price, availability, and new-ness of the place, but that may not be true for everyone. TLDR; inconsistent service and frozen seafood may be a turn off, but while I wouldn't say this place is fantastic, I still think you should try this place out. " read more

Wife and I went there,they have been open for 3 days. Staff was very good and attentive. My wife had the calamari with mild garlic sauce and she said it was great. I got the snow crab 1/2 lb. with the house sauce med spicy, Ok when it came out it was a surprise it looked good and in a clear bag they tossed the food while in the bag then opened it up,and the smell was heaven. I was confused when they gave me plastic gloves and a bib. Because the sauce was all over the crab legs. But with a lot of fun eating it the food was great. And the help was great. We will definitely go back again. read more

The food here was excellent but I'm really writing to pay a compliment to our waitress Brigitt! She was super friendly and extremely attentive. Some of the best service I've received recently. Definitely will be coming back again! read more

Really good food, enjoyed the experience and the service from everyone was great. Looking forward to going back again. Thank you! read more

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Great food , great servers . Everything was hot & ready , me and my 9yr old son split the $49 special it was more than enough for the two of us read more

First timer for our family of 4 and we all enjoyed a great Cajun seafood experience. We all enjoyed the "boils" and clam chowder. The service was excellent!! Food was amazing and service was fast. Figured I would share this gem with everyone. Service and food like this is one of a kind especially these days.... read more

Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar - Dinner served - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Orange, Connecticut

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best sauces for the crabs and the chicken wings were amazing, and we had a waiter that was very kind. and the food came out pretty fast

New chain restaurant. It is a big, lively space. I think it will really work for large parties too. The wait time was 10-15 min for a table. There was music playing in the background but it didnt drown out conversation. The food was great! We had the catfish sliders and the Hook & Reel sauce on our seafood 'bag'. This was more than enough so of course there were plenty of leftovers. Only recommendation- although the staff was friendly; this place needs 2 experienced bar tenders working Thursday thru Sunday nights. One to get drinks prepared for the tables and one for the bar area. It was so busy and they need to know what drink to make with ease. The wait time would decrease as well. read more

Food is cold. Service slow. Weird menu. Owner is trying. Staff not attentive. Ok experience.

My brother & I just had lunch at here & it was great. We both ordered the boiled clams & crawfish which also came with corn on the cob & boiled potatoes. He had the Cajun sauce with his & I had garlic butter on mine. It was really good & the service was beyond great! read more

First time for dinner last night. Service ok, not out of the ordinary . Food... oysters, shrimp etc mostly fried from frozen, lacked freshness . There are much better places that offer better seafood close by... read more

First time customer, got delivery, a great option because the Cajun Boil can be messy and is literally dripping with sauce. On the plus side, the sauce is absolutely amazing, highly recommended . I'd also recommend steamed oysters and hush puppies and some extra corn because one is not enough. read more

First time to try and we fell in love with all of those seafood dipped in spicy special blend sauce. Oysters are fresh, New Zealand mussels are so good, huge shrimps and scallops nomnom. Our server, Sweetie , is super nice, gives good service and funny! Overall...it scored high on our list, definitely a repeat customer soon! read more

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I came here last night (11.27.19) for my birthday and I was very satisfied! I honestly can't see how or why anyone would give this place any less than 5 stars. Katelynn was our server and she was very sweet and accommodating. The service was great and our food came out quick and piping hot. We had the calamari appetizer and I had the create your own seafood boil (lobster tail, snow crab legs & shrimp with head off). Everything was very well seasoned. A REALLY AWESOME touch is that they provide the birthday person with not only a song but a free slice of cheesecake complete with a sparkler! You'll be hard pressed to find a quality restaurant nowadays that'll provide a complimentary birthday dessert. Dinner was worth every penny! The interior was soo clean and the decor was very cozy! Overall we had a great time and I'll definitely be back soon! read more

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My husband and I had dinner here Tuesday night. It seems like it could potentially be a good restaurant, the decor is fun and the menu is very different from anything in the area. Hopefully my comments will help them get better. We walked in and sat at the bar and were greeted a few minutes later. The bartender took my husband's drink order and walked away, this was the beginning of a theme. She came back with his drink and I ordered an iced tea which took a few minutes to receive. We placed an appetizer order, a bowl of clam chowder and a small order of cajun wings, unbreaded. The soup came out within a few minutes, but in a takeaway container? With today's focus on recycling and waste, I don't know why they aren't using bowls. I waited about 30 minutes for the wings, she said they "took longer." I enjoyed the wings once they got there. The bartender spent a lot of time chatting with another couple. We finally got her attention and ordered entrees. I ordered the shrimp in a bag thing and asked to substitute the boiled potatoes for sweet potato fries. Instead of putting in the order, she went back to chatting with her friends and after a few minutes put the order in. After some time, my husband's entree appeared along with a side order of sweet potato fries but no shrimp entree. I didn't eat the fries because they tasted like they were cooked in old oil. Meanwhile, the bartender was still gabbing with her friends. She finally noticed that I hadn't received my entree and went back and forth between the kitchen and the computer, feigning shock and dismay. After an additional 30-40 minutes, I was getting ready to leave and my entree finally showed up. I wasn't even hungry at that point. I had to get her attention again to get silverware and yet again to get a knife. Bartender apologized and comped a glass of wine for my husband. In my opinion, the bartender wasn't ready to handle the bar alone. She didn't seem to know how to place food orders. There were just two other couples at the bar, one of them had a food mix-up as well. The restaurant wasn't busy, shrimp cooks really fast, it never should have taken so long. I don't know why she gave my husband a free glass of wine when I was the one sitting there with no food for such a long time. If anything was to be comped, it should have been my meal. Overall, a pretty crummy experience. read more

I sat at the bar with Jennifer, she was awesome. The food was hot, although I could taste the freezer. It's worth trying out if you are a fan of steamed seafood. All I have to say is to serve "hot butter" because room temperature butter is awful. read more

I found this place just by chance. What a great decision I made. The staff was super friendly, not that they had to talk to us, but they wanted to, very nice staff members. The food.........geez was the food delicious. I had the Cajun boil, so mouth watering and loaded with favor. Nice big potions where they didn't skimp on the seafood. I will definitely going back very soon. I highly recommend Hook and Reel if you want good shellfish read more

I visited Hook & Reel on 9/8/21 with my daughter and two friends, although I don't eat shelled fish [allergic] The service was OUTSTANDING! David greeted me and attempted to put me in a booth, I felt it to tight and he had no problem seating me at a large table. Our Server Bridgitt was AMAZING, Friendly, Personable and Attentive with a great spirit. She conversed with us and was so helpful while training Precious, who was also very professional and personable. I will be back for sure and will bring a few more people with me to get the experience that we received! Thank you STAFF - you deserve 5 stars! read more

For my meal, I had spaghetti, pasta with mussel and shrimp. It was subpar but the issue wasn't the food. The issue is the seriously neglected men's room. I wish I could post the photos that I took, if you could see them it would make you think twice about eating at this place. read more

Excellent seafood boils and tasty cocktails! Definitely try the shrimp and dungennes crab with seasoned garlic butter sauce. Friendly and attentive staff. A must try for seafood lovers! read more

Amazing . I got the snow crab legs and shrimp combo and made love to it in the car . I bought some mussels for the trip home to my family . Just go you know you want to read more

The food was delicious it's brand new so I think they are figuring it out. Alex the bartender was awesome and as sweet as can be. My husband and I shared a seafood boil for two 49 bucks hefty lunch since it was my time to treat. My complaint would be the shit plastic spork or whatever it is to crack the crab legs when you are already covered in old bay and now have to try and maneuver this useless utensil to get the crab meat out not a fan of the instrument but definitely will give it a whirl again . Not to mention this plastic piece of crap shoots your crab everywhere so it's wastes meat. Maybe a Po Boy next time while at the bar read more

Was in the area. My wife and I live in Stamford. Being native to New Orleans I was Hesitant to try this place but I was impressed. I had the crawfish and clams seasoned with the lemon butter pepper and spicy flavoring with potatoes corn and sausage. The spiciness was on cue and the flavor was very exceptional and I felt like I was back at home in Louisiana. Even their chicken was flavored very well and so much better than Popeyes. Please give these people a shot they will not disappoint. read more

So we were invited for a soft opening. Official open is tomorrow. We had a limited menu and my family and I really enjoyed the experience. Gina was a great wait person. The food is simple and fresh. Lots of fried apps but they were quite good. My wife and I got the crawfish and claim entrée. I had the hook and reel seasoning and she had Cajun. I wore gloves and a bin provided by the restaurant. I recommend them. We really like the prawn chips that they give you for the table. All in all a cool experience. The entrees come in a huge plastic bag that they were boiled in. Cool! I'll go back when they open. No desserts on the menu tonight. read more

Great lunch!! Great concept!! Our server guided us thru the menu(Monet), the seafood and sauce was beyond expectations. Lots to eat, definetly will be back and often! read more

Husband and I went there last week. He is VERY fussy and will totally rewrite a menu and I feel sorry for the waitress. He only asked for one small change every thing came perfect. The bartender really knows her stuff. Plan on frequenting here often. Thank You!!!!! Prices are great!!! read more

I ate at Hook and Reel for the second time last night. The service was great, food was delicious and everything was wonderful! I don't have any complaints and I would certainly either again. The leftovers were even better the second day! read more

Excellent service! Ordered The Perfect storm. The Hook Reel special blend sauce was really good.

really great food and great service ! Taylor is the best waitress. also good prices. def would reccomend to try

I will say this, our waitress was very nice and tried her best to give good service. That's pretty much the only good thing I have to say. If you're an actual seafood lover and have had fresh, well prepared seafood you're going to be disappointed. This isn't fresh. It doesn't taste "bad" it just is bland, and rubbery, and completely unmemorable. My husband got a cocktail "the mule" something ... immediately from looking at it I knew it was gonna be gross... and it was. Lastly, if comfort is important to you, keep in mind that the booths are TINY. Like hardly any space between the table and seats. They crammed as many booths into this place as possible and you can tell.. there are table with regular chairs, but if you like sitting in booths. Keep that in mind read more

The food was amazing as we're the drinks. The service was right up there as well. Wear your bib as it is messy but obviously expected with what you're eating. read more

We drove past a billboard advertising a new restaurant in Orange and had to try it. Hook & Reel is an experience as soon as you walk in the room! The restaurant is beautifully decorated. The menu is pretty standard for a Cajun boil type place, but our waitress was really helpful in helping us choose how much food to order. The food is prepared very quickly and tasted delicious! When we realized we hadn't ordered enough food, we had a second order in less than 10 minutes. In addition to the food being great, the prices are as well! Our waitress was welcoming to everyone and talked to you as if you were a life-long friend. We will happily be back! read more

This place is a literal 0. I got there at 9 pm and they tell me "we stopped seating" how are you going to have a restaurant that you have posted everywhere you close at 10pm when in reality you stop seating an hour before you close? Completely unprofessional would never waste my money here read more

Went tonight and wasn't anything that I thought. The wait was short which was great the time to get a waitress TO DAMN LONG. The boil was over cooked that the shell on the crab leg wouldn't bend or crack it was like rubber. The corn was mushy which meant over cooked and the margaritas were juice. Waste of money for a 200$ bill I'll stick to mr krabs read more

First time I've tried seafood boil and it's pretty good. BUT...I only wish they put more corn and potatoes in the bag. The atmosphere is chill. It's supposed to be a family place right? Well when I was here with some friends they were playing "Drop it like it's hot". Nobody wants to hear twerk music while eating with their 5 year old. Just saying. But the food is good. read more

We dined at Hook & Reel for the first time on a bustling Saturday night. We enjoyed our 25 minute wait at the bar: the drinks were perfect and the bartender helpful in explaining the menu. Once seated in the dining room, we ordered a combo of snow crab, shrimp, and crawfish for sharing and an order of fried shrimp and fries. The combo was the star with perfectly cooked seafood and the Hook & Reel spicy sauce. It is definitely worth a trip back. The fried shrimp and fries were just okay... the fries were not even worth eating (soggy and barely warm), and we passed on taking home the leftover fried shrimp. Just meh. Overall: good service and good Cajun seafood boil. Avoid the fried dishes. read more

Small portion, long wait time to order, relatively okay time to be served the food. Overall, it was okay though. The food was so good although I did not get to feel full. read more

My husband and I finally stopped in for dinner last weekend and we're pleasantly surprised! The staff was polite and helpful and the food was amazing! I really hope this place does well because it's very unique for the area and we loved it!! read more

This place is cutely decorated and seating was comfortable and well spaced out. I got a shared meal with my husband and it was plentiful. I probably would not recommend getting the lobster as it gets overcooked in this method in my opinion and maybe not the crawdads as they are kind of gross but that is just an opinion. The food was overall good and unique. Bar drinks were average, not great but I am picky so I would recommend sticking to beer or well drinks in this place. They need better and more napkins at the table. We must have had the same waitress as others as she mentioned not liking seafood which is kind of off putting although I don't think she meant it that way. If I were here reading this, maybe just collect some trusted opinions from co workers and not share that bit unless pressed. Anyway, we might come back but not often for the boil. read more

Service pretty good, the sauces are delicious! ...........,...,...,.,,,...,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,mmmmmmmm