Eating My Way Through University City: Hooked Seafood Bar

When we heard that the owners of , one of our favorite University City restaurants to date, were opening a new restaurant in the same strip on Olive Boulevard, we were thrilled. The restaurant, Hooked Seafood Bar, opened last month, and my husband Ryan and I headed there on a recent Thursday for an early dinner.

The restaurant was empty, which came as no surprise between the early dinner hour and their recent opening. The dining room is set up similarly to Pho Long, there is a counter and barstools facing the street, a handful of tables (artfully decoupaged with magazine and newspaper clippings—a fun touch!), and a counter bar at the back near the kitchen.

Upon sitting, we were immediately brought steaming bowls of clam chowder, “homemade every day,” the owner proudly mentioned several times. Having just returned from a trip to the East Coast where fresh seafood was a delight, I didn’t expect this version to measure up. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with the chowder—creamy but light and filled with a generous number of clams.

Unfortunately, our meal started off on a high note, and the rest of the food didn’t quite measure up. The menu itself was rather limited, with a handful of seafood platters (shrimp, scallops, and salmon) along with a few sandwiches. Whether there are plans to add items as the restaurant grows, I don’t know, but there were still enough choices to satisfy us. I opted for the salmon special which came with steamed rice and vegetables. Ryan debated between shrimp and scallops, but ended up with scallops, fried rice and vegetables.

At the price point we paid ($12/plate), the amount of food was adequate, but it sadly didn’t impress us. My salmon was a tad overbaked and lacked any real flavor. The steamed broccoli and sweetened carrots that accompanied the dish were good, with the carrots easily passing as dessert, but they weren’t enough to make up for the lackluster seafood. Ryan’s sentiments echoed mine—no real flavor in his dish. The fried rice beat my steamed rice, but is nothing like the fried rice you’d typically expect in Asian cuisine.

Despite our underwhelming experience, I’m not ready to write off Hooked Seafood Bar. It does, after all, have an incredibly delicious sister restaurant. Given that they just recently opened, I assume the restaurant needs a few weeks to work out its kinks. The owner’s comment, “It’ll be better next time you come!” proves they know they have a few things to work on. Wait a few weeks, stop in at Pho Long for now, and then give Hooked Seafood a try. With healthy options and an excellent bowl of clam chowder, I’m confident it has better days ahead!