Hookin' Ain't Easy... and neither is deciding what to order! This hidden gem is proof that great seafood doesn't need fancy table service. You order at the food truck, grab a picnic table under the trees, and wait while everything is cooked fresh. The sign says, "Be patient. Be kind." Trust me, it's worth both. The smoked wahoo dip disappeared embarrassingly fast. Creamy, smoky, and packed with flavor. The blackened grouper sandwich was the star of the show. Perfectly seasoned, flaky, moist, and piled high on toasted bread with fresh toppings. The soft shell crab sandwich was crispy, sweet, and one of those meals that requires extra napkins and zero shame. Even the roasted broccoli was charred just right. Come for the seafood. Stay for the quirky atmosphere. Leave wondering why you've waited so long to eat here. read more

See all

Casual! Whole fried snapper! Fried Wahoo! Local fish! Full menu, full bar. Hookin' Aint Easy Seafood Company is a cool house converted into a fish market and patio with a food truck and a bar with chairs with backs. There's plenty of umbrellaed tables and picnic tables. They have a full menu of apps, seafood, and burgers. Their whole fried snapper is one of our favorite fish, and Hookin' serves a generous serving, perfectly tender and sweet, in a light crispy layer of coating, on a regular soft bun, with lettuce, tomato, and red onion. Their Fried Wahoo is also well-prepared. We got fried, and it was tender and fresh. Both fish came with a heaping serving of hot crispy fries. You could also get either fish blackened, and you could add various veggies as sides. We ordered our food and also picked it up ourselves at the bar. Hookin' can get crowded, especially when they have a live musician, and parking can get pretty tight. It's just off I-275 at 22nd St, in St. Pete Fl east of Gulfport. They keep their social media pretty up-to-date, but we didn't track down a "regular" webpage. read more

I looked forward to my meal at Hookin' for months. I have never eaten blue crabs from the shell, and I love whole lobster, so I thought that deconstructing another type of crustacean would be fun. I got off the bus and walked across the street and into the parking lot. It was fairly busy, and I made my way to the patio area, because outside seating only. There was a kind of tiki bar with a line where you go up and get your own alcoholic beverage any time you want. You can eat at the bar or at any of the picnic tables that you pass on the way to a kind of food truck with a window where you order your food and buy bottles of soda and iced tea from a vat full of ice. I loved the vibes right away. I got in line at the "truck". Then it was my turn to order. Well, whaddaya know, they just ran out of blue crabs! And no soft-shell crabs were available as the water they live in is not warm enough yet. But they did have one of my favorite seafood delicacies, stone crab claws, so I ordered those instead, and asked for the mustard sauce instead of melted butter. I also ordered French fries and cole slaw for my sides. And then I ordered one-half dozen raw oysters, because. I was given a little wire stand with a card inserted into the top with my order number on it, to be placed on my table. Then I sauntered over to the bar and ordered an IPA from the busy, bearded and well-tattooed bartender. If you are wearing shades you will be admonished to remove them before paying, and I saw why, as the display on the... pay thingy has excessive polarization. Next I found a good spot in the shade and sipped my beer and checked the place out. Was there music? I think so, but I can't remember! Just all kinds of folks having a good time. Two preschoolers were busily playing in the sand by the main walkway to the food line, and took up most of the path most of the time, but nobody seemed to mind. If you aren't into playing with little trucks in the sand I think there is also corn hole off in one corner. If you don't know what that is, I dare you to look it up. After not too long some plates of food showed up, and I took some pictures and then got busy. First I tried the fries, because they are best when fresh and hot, but the fries were limp and sad. I just let their little ol' hand-cut selves alone. The oysters were served on the half shell on ice, and came with nice hot grated horseradish and cocktail sauce, plenty of lemon wedges, and saltine crackers. They were excellent! Then I turned my attention to the claws, glorious stone crab claws. I noticed that I was given butter instead of mustard sauce. That didn't stop me. But what did slow me down was the lack of a claw-cracker. The claws were pre-cracked a bit, but not in a way that was helpful to get at the meat. And I need leverage to rip the joints apart as my fingers don't work like they used to, so I asked for, and received quickly, a cracker. Some of the claws were on the small side, and the meat in some of the claws was a bit soft-feeling, but it was all pretty tasty. However, they fell short of my previous experiences elsewhere, including when I cooked some at home a few years ago. The cole slaw was very good. The young guy who brought my food and cracker tool was friendly, and quite funny. The woman who took my order was also nice. The bartender was just to busy to be anything but awesome. So all in all, the food was a bit of a letdown. I will try to go back for the crabs, and I saw hush puppies in a photo, that would be better than the fries. read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Raw oysters on the half-shell - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

See all

Just an amazing cool spot with the freshest fish in town. Prices are a little high but you get more fresh fish and amazing sides so well worth it. It's very Bohemian in nature with live music almost every day. Service at the bar was awesome (owner served us) but the rest of the place is "belly up to the bar" and get your food and drink. read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - The bar - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

See all

Hookin' Ain't Easy is one of those places that becomes a tradition, not just a restaurant. My mom is from NYC and I'm not exaggerating when I say every single time she comes to town, this is a mandatory stop. Like... bags barely down, straight to seafood. The food is consistently amazing -- fresh, flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and always hits the spot. Whether it's crab, shrimp, or a full boil, it never disappoints. You can tell they care about what they're serving. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and the vibe is relaxed and fun -- exactly what you want when you're cracking shells and getting messy. It feels like a local gem that people who know, know. If someone from NYC is insisting on coming back every visit, that tells you everything. Highly recommend, and we'll absolutely keep coming back read more

See all

Great atmosphere and delicious food! We ordered our sandwiches at the food truck and sat at the bar, listening to music. It was a beautiful night. Everyone was super friendly and the grouper sandwiches were delicious. Next time we're going to try their fish market. I've heard great things about how fresh and delicious everything is so I need to try it for myself. read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Blackened grouper sandwich - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

Date of visit: June 6th It was a Friday afternoon and I had company down for the weekend, Metalica and Limpbizket in town, decided to take my friend out for lunch before we head to Tamps to the show. Not been there yet but my wife and her friends have and they really enjoyed their selves. I wanted to see what it's all about. First of all be patient with the parking, and smart. I did see some creative parking technics. And pretty much everything is outside, all seating. They do have quite a bit of shade in the area. We sat at the bar. Looked over the menu and knew I wanted some kind of sea food, the wife had a burger and she really liked it. We both ordered the blacken red fish with fries and for my beverage I noticed they carried Pacifico and that's what I had. On this afternoon we had some live music. It was just right, not all loud that you couldn't talk but really mellow to chill to. I can see stopping here again and relaxing to some tunes. Sandwiches arrived and looked great, however it was at this point I noticed it wasn't really blacken as blacken should be. Seared on both sides with season, not just seasoned. This is something I have noticed at other places, it's okay I just know to get it fried next time. Moving on, it was cooked beautifully as it was. The other thing I would change is the way the sandwich was assembled, LTO all on top. The fish was so juicy it needs to be put on top of the lettuce at least to give the bun a chance. Then put the onion and tomato on top. As it was, the bottom bun barely made it to the end. Looking forward to my next visit and try the burger my wife had. Pay this place a visit. Peace. read more

See all

Great shrimp! It was really hot outside but we enjoyed it! We would come back! Unfortunately the market could not sell seafood with ice to pack it in. read more

I've been wanting to try out this spot for awhile but their opening hours always make it difficult as I usually like to eat out a bit later. Luckily the kitchen itself closes at 7pm but as long as you've ordered you can stay later, we stayed until about 8:30pm. I had their chicken wings as a starter, the portions are extremely generous as I was hoping they would be due to the prices. The soft shell crab sandwich was also to die for! I really enjoyed this spot, it's especially pretty at night with all the lights! I'll be back, to try some of their other fresh, delicious seafood but mainly for the kickin' wings! read more

See all

We've been in the area for 11 days, and this was hands down the best meal we've had. We came with a group of nine, and every single person loved their food. The blackened grouper and snapper were perfectly seasoned and flaky. The shrimp was crisp and fresh. The lobster tail was tender and sweet. The hush puppies and fried okra were hot and delicious. Even the sides, broccoli (so so so good), slaw, and onion rings, were done right. You can tell this is real Florida seafood. The handwritten menu, the fresh seafood market inside, the casual outdoor seating with string lights ...it feels authentic, not touristy. But the best part? The owner, Matthew. He was welcoming, kind, and clearly passionate about the restaurant he and his wife have built. After the hurricanes, they've lost many repeat local customers, and businesses like this need visitors to show up. If you want fresh seafood, generous portions, fair prices, and a true local experience in the Treasure Island area, this is the place. We'll absolutely be back, and we're telling everyone we know. Support local. Support family-owned. They deserve to thrive. read more

See all

Great food, great service, and great atmosphere. Freshest seafood in town and their beer is cold. Be warned it is outside seating only but they do a good job with fans in the summer. One of our top st Pete spots read more

Nice ambiance, friendly but extremely slow service (food is cooked to order, and they're busy), very fresh and well prepared fish, but overly salty (and I like salt). read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy is an absolute must-visit in St. Pete! We had the blackened grouper and the ribs, and both were unbelievably delicious, perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and clearly made with care. Every bite was outstanding. What really made the experience even better was Matthew, the bar owner. He's incredibly friendly, welcoming, and genuinely personable. You can tell he truly cares about his guests and the atmosphere he's creating. Amazing food, great vibes, and even better people. We'll definitely be back... highly recommend! read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

I love seafood and this is one of the best places to get excellent seafood. It is a food truck turned into a outdoor restaurant attached to a fish market. The seating is all outdoors, so be mindful of the heat and rain. Place your order at the truck and have a seat at a picnic table. Grab a drink from the bar or even sit at the bar if you can find a spot. I always order the fish dip. It is in my top 3 fish dips I have ever eaten. My favorite is in the Keys, so not a true competitor. My other favorite is at Ted Peters. Highly recommend it. I usually always get a blackened fish sandwich of some kind. Fish is always a LARGE portion and sides are all excellent. Service has always been helpful. They bring the food to your table and if you ever need anything, you can either go up and ask at the truck or they come by and check on you occasionally. Everyone in my family loves it here and I would bring anyone visiting the area and looking for good seafood here. No need to drive out to the beach- it is here, in the heart of South St. Pete. read more

The fish store is great and next to it is this food truck, Bar and scattered outdoor tables. Nothing fancy but quite a selection of food. The fish sandwich is a killer and the bar selection of beer too. The slaw and fires were good but not the best place to order soft shell crab sandwiches. read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Outside eating area. - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

What an awesome easygoing family friendly place. Amazing seafood. Definitely get oysters on the half shell and fried okra. Service was relaxed and great. Go to the truck to order and the bring your food to your picnic table. You get your drinks at the bar. read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Our pile of seafood! - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

We visited the seafood market side. They have reasonable prices for their fresh and frozen seafood. I came in to get live crawfish to boil at home. It's small but they offer a wide selection of fresh and frozen seafood. Which is totally fine with me. The service was amazing. The nice lady that answered the phone also took my order and handled the crawfish. I was able to get the seasonings that I'm use to seeing in Texas and Louisiana. It definitely felt like home. I with definitely recommend. They also have a bar and food truck on the outside which are great additions. I'll be back! read more

Stopped here for grouper sandwiches on the way to the beach. We sat at the outdoor bar which was full within thirty minutes. There's no inside seating so be prepared with bug spray. The food is prepared in a food truck on site. It's a relaxed tiki island vibe so dress casual. The food was phenomenal. Only gave it four stars because cleanliness standards of bathrooms and drinking glasses. read more

See all

Definitely my favorite thing I ate in St Pete. This spot is super casual, order at the truck and find a seat. The grouper sandwich was amazing. We got it blackened with a side of perfectly seasoned fries. Seriously so so good. Not pictured is a shrimp basket which was also flavorful and delicious. This place is amazing-10/10 would return next time I'm in town read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Grouper sandwich - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

What a great lunch! And the name made me laugh. We decided to try it because of all the great reviews. Outdoor eating in a little oasis with some picnic tables nestled in the sand. There is a food truck at one end where you order and the other end has a shaded tiki bar with libations. Love that it's such an extensive menu and friendly staff. We were shopping hungry, so we got the trio of appetizers with the onion rings, jalapeño poppers, and for healthiness the fried zucchini;) Great batter, quality, and everything was so crispy. Way too much for two people, but we brought the rest home. I couldn't decide between the ribs or the blackened shrimp so I went with the combination. Hands-down, they are the best blackened shrimp I've ever had and the broccoli side was excellent. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. The ribs were tender, but a little dry that day in my opinion. Good sauce though. My husband had the blackened grouper sandwich and loved it. It was served with its own side and a nice remoulade. Great quality fish! It's obvious that seafood is the star here hence the pun with hooking. Wish we lived closer, but we'll definitely be back to try more of the menu. Thank you for a wonderful lunch read more

See all

THE BEST GROUPER SANDWICH IN ST. PETE. You can thank me later. This staple has been around for a while for a reason. My good friend, Pepper owed me dinner and took me here. I have passed this place countless times and glad I finally got to try it. I will be back. The whole place is outside in a courtyard. Super fun ambiance. Grouper sandwich: 9.9 Scale system 10/10 would be what I want for my last meal 9.9-9.3 driving out of my way to get this 9.2-8.0 like the place and would go back 7.9-7.0 I would come here again if it were presented and don't have anything bad to say 6.9 and below - thanks but no thanks after trying once read more

I had the blackened snapper and it was great. Fun casual spot with live music. Would go back.

I've been coming here for years because the seafood is easily the best value in town, whether you're buying it raw or cooked. But I'm officially telling you to stay away. I'm being selfish. It used to be a quiet gem, and now it's a crowd of people standing between me and my dinner. If you appreciate a great deal, do us both a favor and go to a chain restaurant. Don't come here. I'm trying to eat in peace read more

Great taste and fresh grouper. Owner will crack you and up and keep your drinks flowing. Fun little outside space but great food!

A true St. Pete gem in an unassuming location. Hookin' Ain't Easy is an awesome experience. There's a market to buy fresh seafood and in the back there is a food truck and a bar. If you eat at the food truck/bar seating is outside on picnic tables. You order your food from the truck, drinks from the bar. On my two visits, I tried stone crab (the best prepared prices that I've seen) and the clam strips with coleslaw. Both meals were fantastic. My wife, who's a picky eater, loves their blackened shrimp and broccoli. Seriously, don't skip the broccoli. It's cooked with tons of flavor and may be my favorite broccoli I've eaten. Also, a must try is their fried biscuits. Sinfully delicious and worth the calories. I took my brother here, who's from out of town, and he really enjoyed his grouper nuggets. The prices for the prepared meals is very fair and the staff has always been accommodating. Recommend. read more

Fresh hot seafood cooked to go outdoor seating first time having a soft shell crab as a pescatarian won't be the last very delicious and fry oysters good music faces I recommend it! read more

See all

Ahhhhh, delicious, first stone crabs of the season! I think these may have been the best ones yet...I've heard the cold temp this season has made for sweet meat! read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - 1lb Large stone crabs - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

Not what I expected! The food was pretty good but how hard would it be to clean the place up a bit. It looked like I was in a homeless persons back yard. There were dead leaves all over the sand, unkept foliage and dirty picnic tables. And.. if I'm paying high prices for my seafood, I don't like eating on paper plates with plastic silverware. They also don't have liquor (which he didn't tell us), so I'm not sure what he gave us for a rum/coke and vodka/soda but it was not even close! And it was small and expensive .. won't be back! read more

Wow! This former nursery, plant store has fabulously been taken over by this great seafront store. We came here based on word of mouth and they did not disappoint. We picked up two thick filets of red snapper as well as 2 dozen oysters. Best oysters I have ever had in Florida. They were off the charts delicious. The filets were think and fresh. We pan roasted them and they were perfect. We plan to have this as our favorite fish store from now on. We understand they have a restaurant out back & cannot wait to try it. Service at the store was outstanding- friendly & helpful. Love the laid back Florida casual charm. They have a lot to choose from with from fish to seafood. We are excited they are near by us! We highly recommend read more

See all

4.5 really. We enjoyed the vibe! The bartender was great. The food was good, we got raw oysters, fried oysters, peel and eat shrimp, and fried okra. All was good and came very fast. Kid friendly but not kid focused, we really liked that. The bathrooms were the only issue, they were dirty. Despite that, it would definitely be a place I'd belly up to the bar and kill a few hours on a hot day again. read more

Very good food...had the blackened grouper sandwich with the okra..... was so good i came back the day after for the same thing again..... a little bit on the pricey side but overall 10/10 experience. read more

Not sure why it's taken me so long to make it here as it's the closest restaurant to me but I definitely regret not coming earlier. The backyard key west/beach vibe is apparent before you even walk in. You order from a food truck at the far end of the patio and they bring it out to you. I ordered the fried snapper with fries and coleslaw while my partner ordered the ribs. Both portions were large and tasted great. The fish is clearly fresh, the coleslaw was perfect - creamy but not mayo-y with a slight sweetness, the season on the fries paired well with the fish. We sat at the bar which gives a locals vibe as a one man band played. The staff were friendly and the food was fast. I was skeptical about the location next to a busy street but once you step inside the traffic is unnoticeable. Can't wait to go back, I have a feeling this will be one of my regular spots. read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Ribs with broccoli - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

See all

This place is so damn good I lowkey don't even want to review it and keep it a secret for myself lol. But I'm not gonna gatekeep and share the best damn seafood and bbq in the Tampa area!!! Their menu is sort of a hot mess but you cannot go wrong with anything you order. I got the bbq and seafood plate (inshore slam $26) which had both ribs, shrimp and fish cooked YOUR way! I picked blackened and it was AMAZING. The broccoli as a side (recommended by the cashier) is also to DIE for. It's SO GOOD. Ambiance is low key, great vibes, outdoor, food truck, live music, a little eccentric and I LOVE IT! This is definitely a must go in the Tampa area! read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Fried mullet (fish and chips) - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

See all

Purchased one pound of grouper to take home and cook. It was amazing. Better than any grouper I have had in the restaurants. I pan seared it in olive oil with some Creole seasoning and finished off with a tablespoon of butter. Delish! read more

You can smell the deliciousness before you even see the truck! Stone crab special? Chef's kiss. Hubby went for the smoked mullet--spicy, smoky, and full of flavor. Snow crabs? Sweet, tender, melt-in-your-mouth magic. Flip flops, tank tops, and good vibes only. This hidden gem in a quiet neighborhood between St. Pete & Gulfport is the real deal. No street noise, just good eats. Line moves fast, and the food hits even faster. read more

See all

Good food. Self Service food truck. Cute bar. All outdoor seating. Live music some nights. Super casual picnic table eating.

This place is a local gem. Matt, Veronica, and the hookin' staff are the best of the best and this place is one of the locals favorite. You will find the freshest seafood here and definitely the best stone crab around! If seafood isn't your thing, they also have delicious BBQ and wings. Laid back atmosphere, dog friendly, outdoor seating with both sun and shade, and live music. There's a fish market on premises, so you can even take home some fresh, local seafood to cook later. If you want to support local and find the best food for the best price around, go to Hookin' Aint Easy! read more

My husband and tried Hookin' Ain't Easy for the first time at lunch yesterday. After making our selection from the dry erase board at the food truck and getting drinks at the bar, we sat down at one of the shaded picnic tables. All the tables were shaded and about half had large fans so the outdoor seating was pleasant (even for Aug. at mid-day). The outdoor area was part sand & part shells and had some games like bean bag toss - it was really large & the tables spaced far apart so you had privacy everywhere you sat (also seating at the bar). My husband ordered the blackened snapper sandwich since we never see this on a menu anywhere. His sandwich came with a large piece of fish and tasty roumelade sauce. It was fresh, cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious!! I ordered the buffalo shrimp salad, which came with 8-10 pieces of ver large, lightly battered shrimp on a good salad. The hot sauce on the shrimp was waaaay too hot for me so I was sweating buckets when finished eating it. I like a lot of spicy foods and handle heat well so if something is too hot for me, it's REALLY spicy! I would eat this again if it had half the heat on the sauce, because it was a really good salad and was loaded with shrimp. This restaurant does not have full service... you order at the food truck and they bring your food to you. You order drinks at the bar and take them back to your table. Our food came quickly so we were happy with their system. Additional parking is right across the street at the white & green church. We're looking forward to coming back again soon. Note: Don't forget to go inside to their fish market, which had a great selection of well priced seafood, including snapper, mullet, grouper, Key West pinks, conch, other shellfish, gator, etc. Today's menu had a great variety and also a soft-shelled crab sandwich read more

See all

We decided to ride our bike from Treasure Island...whew! But, the food was amazing. I ordered the grouper bites and side salad and loved the bites with their special sauce on the side. My husband said his grouper sandwich was the best all week...and believe me we have had a lot of seafood this week! Worth the trip. It might seem a little out of the way, but walking up to the food truck to order and playing corn hole and enjoying a like margarita was so much fun! read more

Hookin' Ain't Easy Seafood - Blackened Grouper Bites - Seafood Near Me - St Petersburg, Florida

See all

Super casual food spot. Outdoor tiki bar with live music . Order your own food from the food truck and they bring it to your picnic table. The snapper was definitely fresh and tasty. read more