The Hook

Ok. It has a great patio but the food was just ok. We came on a night when someone rented the place out so we were asked to leave. A high end Captain Ds. Cute bar area but not very large.

Loved it! We all got something different, and it was all delicious. Great décor, friendly staff, we’ll definitely be back soon. Be sure to try the crab Rangoon dip, yum.

Fun times! Great outdoor seating and corn hole. Great drinks and great bar menu. Definitely recommend.

I give this place 4 stars for the food. The 5^th star is for the service and ambience. Cool vibe with seafood and music intertwined. Tuna poke and shrimp tacos were good.
Again service is amazing and very clean establishment.

«The Hook» has that bright millennial aesthetic currently trending in certain artisanal grilled cheese diners and pizza co-​ops. The colors — bright, the food — light, the font — sans serif, all contribute to elements of material design that make this little cabin stand out from other music-​inspired eateries in the area. Portraits of famous musicians returning from a day spent fishing line the walls to the bathroom while string instruments spray-​painted white hang from the walls like dried shells and sand dollars might adorn the walls of a more traditional mid-​Atlantic clam shack.
Try the corn-shrimp-(crawfish?) fritters with thick yellow kernels, try the fish tacos neatly arranged with a tuft of crunchy pink cabbage. Nothing I ate was particularly unique but the meal and patio sunshine provided a brief respite during my cross-​Tennessee road trip.

Honestly. For a casual fish house, the place should be called «off the hook». Guessing there was a corporate reason, not a food reason.
I will go back, this was a last minute idea with two small children in tow. The Jerk Salmon with pineapple chutney was amazing. The kids’ dishes were perfect. Not your run of the mill chicken «nuggets» or fish sticks.
The spicy Jamaican stew on the menu today was excellent. I cannot say enough about the fish tacos. If you are a fan, go for it. Inside and outside dining. Plus, the deliver to my house. Yes!
We went at an off hour, so had no trouble parking. they have their own lot and a spillover lot, but it is small and spaces are narrow. The only thing I would change.

Driving through Mel Rose trying to find somewhere to enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon. While driving around town trying to find somewhere we stumbled upon The Hook, and what a wonderful stumble it was. When you first park (small-​ish lot) you feel as if you’ve been transported to the beach. The open concept is breezy and just wonderful. The dining area, patio, and even lawn are filled with picnic table seating. You’ll be seating yourself after you order. At first glance of the menu, there were so many choices. After a morning hike at Radnor I was ready!
I went with the Tuna Poké, which was served with homemade fried wonton chips… super greasy, diet restricted me from them, so I quickly put them aside. Honestly, if you’ve had traditional Poké it’s raw and refreshing, never to be served along side anything. I would highly recommend eating it plain. Poké was tossed in a spicy soy sauce with tiny chunks of avocado and sesame seeds.
Sticking with my healthy side I decided on the Garden salad with seasonal veggies. Never in my life would I have thought roasted broccoli and cauliflower would be delectable chilled on top of bib lettuce and shredded carrots, alongside house made ranch that was light and refreshing (wasn’t filled with mayo, more sour cream based). Man o man was I surprised by the chilled roasted veggies.
(Tip, remove croutons. again, the carb takes away from the beautiful fresh taste). **take a look at my picture on this one**
My husband got the Po Mi– creole shrimp (fried) and lump crap (salad), mirin aioli, cucumber, radishes, jalapeño on a crispy French roll. MOVE OVER LOBSTER ROLL, there is a new guy in town. You have to try this! I was only allowed one bite my husband loved it so much.
Seriously the most refreshing meal while sitting in the sun out on the patio, which over looked the lawn and 8^th Ave. (I was imagining a beach, but whatevs) and beer thirty peeps playing corn hole. They have 3 – 4 sets I believe.
I hope that everyone in Nashville will get to enjoy this hidden gem. I selfishly don’t want to tell anyone one but the Sinema team is doing something right again!
The Hook, was marketed as a fast and casual restaurant, but what I experienced after ordering our food which was in fact fast, was the opposite. My husband and I truly enjoyed our food slowly, bite by bite. We sipped our drinks slowly, sip by sip. We felt like we were sitting on our back porch at home for a good hour (at the same table we picked out after placing our food order). We didn’t want to leave and no one, absolutely no one asked us to leave or even made us uncomfortable for wanting to just hang and enjoy. This was truly refreshing to find in the Nashville area on a beautiful day. Maybe, just maybe one day we’ll overstay our welcome… I doubt it! Thank you to the whole staff for making our dining afternoon out truly enjoyable!
**Chef Vasisht Ramasubramanian at the Hook can be recognized bc he was formally at Chauhan House and Masala.**

As with all my reviews, I will try to relate my experience and mention the quality of the food and experience. I have seen this place from the street and it really drew me in with its fresh paint colours and design. I finally got a chance to try it out on Friday. The parking lot is indeed small and completely filled. It was a Friday evening at about 19h30. I lucked out and someone was pulling out of a parking space as I pulled in. The parking spots are small compared to most parking spots but I have a compact (normal size) car and got in without trouble. The problem lies in gigantic SUV’s and trucks as is common for people to drive lately. There were signs for overflow parking also.
The interior is nicely decorated. Really impressed with the photos and atmosphere. You place your order at the counter and then take a number — in a similar manner you would at Edley’s. I wished I could’ve eaten outside but it was completely full.
I opted for the ‘Crispy Catch’ as I was in the mood for fish and chips. My chief complaint was the meal in itself was $ 14.20 for only the fish and chips and nothing else. I had water to drink. As I sat there waiting at the table, with my order number displayed, I had the doubtful thought, that this order of fish and chips better be $ 14.20 worth of fish and chips.
It arrived quickly and was steaming hot and fresh. The chips were absolutely delicious. Probably the best I’ve had outside of England. The fish appeared good as well. As I was eating the fish, I noticed a very sharp, pungent, and offensive odour coming from the fish. It smelled like ammonia. I at first thought it was nothing and ate a bit more of it and then noticed the taste –it seemed off as well. I’ve never tasted ammonia before but whatever I was tasting, it was that ammonia smell. Out of fear of ingesting ammonia, I brought the fish back to the counter and told them about it. They smelled it also, and offered to cook me a different fish (haddock instead of cod) and so I took my seat again. They brought me the new fish and I smelled it. There was no ammonia smell. They didn’t give me any chips with the new fish and I had previously only eaten about 5 of them before turning the old one in. I told them I needed chips also and they brought some quickly. These new chips were sadly not as good as the ones that came out with the ammonia fish. Huge huge huge disappointment. So sad.
They did replace the fish, the new fish was good, however I don’t think it was worth $ 14.20 at all. It may have been had they not had ammonia smelling fish, because that first set of chips was absolutely delicious!
They had loads of other things on the menu and I’m not going to completely dismiss this place outright but my initial visit has left a bad taste in my mouth –pardon the pun.

Fish tacos are great… Po Mi sandwiches are pretty darn good… The place is a bit noisy and pricey but overall a smart place to try.

I LOVED this place.
I visited Nashville just over a week ago and wish I could get back sooner than is likely to happen because I am still dreaming of their fish sandwich.
I am a seafood aficionado. I have eaten quite a few fried fish sandwiches in my day and this was the absolute best I’ve ever had! It wasn’t very hot (spicy) and I don’t care if it’s not authentic a la «hot chicken.» This fillet was amazingly crispy on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. It was a sizable piece of fish – the fish itself was clearly the star of the show: the balance of flavors considering the sauces and accoutrements was spot-​on. I hate when the bun overshadows the fish due to proportions of the components, but this was not even close to being an issue at The Hook. I also take issue with a fish sandwich that deteriorates and gets mushy – NOT a problem at The Hook! The breading remained crispy and intact until it had been completely demolished.
We tried the Po Mi as well and while interesting and tasty, it isn’t something I’d come back for. Chips and fries are top notch though, and I’d also order the slushy Pimms over and over.
Loved the ambience. Loved the cocktails. Loved the fried fish.

No more fried food needed in Nashville! A Low Country boil with fried shrimp just doesn’t cut it. Nashville has enough fried food.
Also, beer in a bottle is preferable over beer in a can.

Ok I love French Fries, the only thing that would have made the fries here better was if they had been served hotter, they were only warm when they came to my table. They where not greasy and they had a great crunch and taste.
I was here with some one who doesn’t eat fish LOL. She ordered the Char-​burger w/​fries, the hot pickles where delicious. She also liked her burger because it had a good farm cheddar cheese.
My other lunch companion had the Creole shrimp, which I sampled. The shrimp had a good taste and was cooked to perfection. Most fried shrimp is way over cooked and rubbery.
My lunch was the crispy catch, which was two fillets of battered cod, again cooked perfectly. The tater sauce that accompanied my fish was also a pleasant surprise. It was a very good blend of taste and texture. The pickled cabbage that came as the slaw was also good.
All in all the only real reason I didn’t give this place a fifth star was the prices. You will see from my pictures that the serving size for the fish and fries was good but for the burger and shrimp you really should have gotten a larger burger and at least three more shrimp, also $ 7 for 6 hush puppies is far too much. For $ 7 could by enough ingredients to make 3 dozen hush puppies. While I wouldn’t eat here everyday, but if I was in the area and wanted seafood I would defiantly suggest it as an option for the group.

It seems like a fun step above a Captain D’s with a more exciting menu. I wasn’t overly impressed with the food, but it was OK. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is great. Real fun and creative décor.
The wife and I weren’t satisfied with one of our dishes and the manager was kind enough to replace it without question.

***Update: I would like to commend the management team and staff at The Hook for their quick response to our neighborhood’s concerns and look forward to having many good meals and cocktails around the corner from our house.***
I’ve been to The Hook several times since it opened a few weeks ago. We were very excited for it to open as we live around the corner and consider The Hook our neighbor. As a fellow Chicagoan I appreciate the Chitown love and Dale’s imagination.
Highlights from the menu:
1. Poke Tuna — damn good. Now if they added some spicy mayo, Venice Beach-​style, it would be off the charts. This is definitely something I’m going back for. It’s light, tangy and tasty.
2. Crab Rangoon Dip — What’s the best part of crab rangoon? The filling. That’s what this dip is. Delicious.
3. Pickle’s Chicken Sandwich — My wife had this and was impressed with the juiciness of the chicken. Pretty healthy and light option.
4. Drinks — beer is beer (they have a very good local selection on draft) but I stick to their frozen drinks. Why? Because they’re damn good and I can’t wait for nicer weather so I can enjoy them on the deck.

We stopped by for an early dinner.
Every item we had was excellent. Service was quick. I plan to come again.

Atmosphere:
Parking is a big thing for me. If this place is busy — like on a Saturday night — you’re better off finding street parking. The tiny parking lot is a pain. The interior of the building itself is themed very nicely with it’s painted guitars and the abundant amount of lighting… real abundant.
Food:
This is where the restaurant did nothing for me. I typically go into seafood restaurants in Tennessee with the understanding that it’s in a landlocked state.
I ordered the low country boil originally and was told it was sold out. My heart sank but I mustered up the strength to order the creole shrimp, hot, with a side of fries. When it arrived I was a bit disappointed that for $ 14.50 I was only given 5 –6 pieces of shrimp but oh well. Presentation wise it looked delicious. Taste wise it was better than your typical Captain D’s but not significantly. I actually really like the hot sauce on this but I think I’ll try and order it on the side next time because it made some of the fried shrimp soggy. I can honestly say I filled up moreso on the fries than shrimp. The fries tasted like something out of the frozen aisle at your grocery store.
My girlfriend ordered the Italian Beef sandwich because she hates seafood. Surprisingly enough if you have someone who feels the same way then I would definitely recommend this. The sandwich was really good considering it was being served somewhere you would imagine the seafood is the highlight. It came with a side of chips that weren’t all that special.
Service:
You walk-​up to order and they bring it out to you… pretty much it.
Overall:
I plan on giving this place another shot. We went opening weekend so I understood there would be kinks to work out (example — running out of items, etc)
As far now the big turn-​offs are value and parking.

The food was decent, the service was fine and the ambiance is nice. However, prices are pretty steep for what we ordered.
Low country boil was lacking in flavor and it was pretty small for $ 15. Two pieces of shrimp, a few pieces of sausage and some potatoes with a scattering of lump crab meat.
Overall it’s a decent quick place to eat, but I wasn’t satisfied paying $ 50 for two average meals and two beers and I was hungry again in an hour.

Melrose is such a hot area and this hot, new, colorful restaurant fits right in! The Hook is a causal seafood establishment that is very blue and has bright yellow writing on the front façade. This restaurant is owned by the same people that own the lovely Sinema restaurant that is a couple of blocks down the street.
First off, the parking spaces are super narrow. At least they have a few! Luckily, we were in a compact car, but we still had to get the baby out of the car before pulling into the space. There are about 10 – 15 spots total. I think there is street parking nearby.
Once in the restaurant, there is a line where you order your meal from a cashier. We arrived at 6pm and the line was already long. It moved quickly and I was able to order some yummy food! The restaurant was already crowded, but we were able to snag a corner table.
We ordered the Low Country Boil with mashed potatoes, an order of the corn meal hush puppies with honey Sriracha sauce, and cornmeal encrusted shrimp with curly fries. Everything was delicious and not greasy at all! I tasted my husband’s Low Country Boil and it was the best Low Country Boil I have ever had. The sauce was light and flavorful. Just delicious!!!
I can’t wait to introduce my friends and family to this new establishment. I’m hooked on The Hook!

The Hook is a keeper. I ordered the hot chicken which was unlike any hot chicken I’ve had in Nashville. I think the standard «pickled» chicken breast (it’s $ 1.50 extra to make it «hot») contributes to the unique taste. The slice of white bread and pickles brought a familiar taste to the dish, and the ranch complimented the chicken very well.
The Hook’s take on hot chicken is definitely not «bring-​a-​sweat-​rag» hot that you find at traditional hot chicken eateries, but it has enough of a kick to rationalize the up charge. It holds its own very well.
The hush puppies were also great, although they came out with the entrees instead of before as appetizers typically do. But this is understandable as the restaurant has only been open for a few days — it may take a week or two to work out the kinks. The seasoned waffle fries were excellent. The menu listed curly fries, so I’m not sure if the waffle style is here to stay, but I’d be fine if that was the case.
The somewhat cramped space inside and limited parking out back aren’t ideal, but given the small plot of land, I think the crew did the best they could to benefit diners and drivers. Regardless, I’m glad to welcome such a great restaurant to the neighborhood.

Nashville, get ready for one of your new fav spots in the 8^th Avenue, Melrose spot. The Hook is a new place that recently opened up from the owners of Sinema down the street. This place is more of a causal restaurant to eat at, but the quality of the food is still on point. The building is built brand new, this used to be the location of Global Motorsports if you’re familiar with the area.
There is a parking lot in the back of the building, albeit a small parking lot. You enter the building and are greeted by the staff at the counter. They’ve got the menu on the back wall for you to look over. The menu is pretty straight forward, shrimp, chicken, fish, and different sides. We picked the creole shrimp with the hot option ($ 14.50) and I picked the curly fries as my side. We also got the Po Mi which consists of ‘Creole Shrimp & Lump Crab Banh Mi, Mirin Aioli, Herbs, Cucumber, Radishes, Jalapeño, Pickled Vegetables on Crispy Roll’ and then an order of the Chicken Curry Egg Rolls.
This location also has a great bar. They’ve got a large selection of different drinks, including some frozen drinks on tap. You can pick the Pimm’s cup or The Ward on 8^th. The Pimm’s cup is a very refreshing, gingerish cocktail. The Ward on 8^th is a peachish slush drink with bourbon. Both of them are pretty strong cocktails, well worth their money. I also tried one of their smashed cocktails, the lime berries and rye, delicious. I was really impressed with the different cocktails available at a place that is kind of considered fast food in the regard that you order at the counter and then wait for the food to be delivered to you at the table.
The food came quickly to the table. The staff is very friendly and helpful here. I was a little surprised with the size of the order on the creole shrimp. Five shrimp for $ 13 (or $ 14.50 with the hot like I got) is pretty small. The shrimp were large, granted, but for the price, I’d say you should at eat get 7 – 8 shrimp. The hot option on the creole shrimp was yummy, it was too hot, and I love hot things. The fries were your average curly fries, I actually enjoyed the homemade potato chips more than the curly fries. The chicken curry egg rolls were good, I liked to dip the egg roll in the sauce that came with the shrimp entrée.
The dining area has some table tops and booth seats. There is also a patio area that will be nice once it is spring/​summer. I think this place is going to be an easy option for a quick lunch or dinner. I will be back again to try other things on the menu.