The Hook Seafood Broiler in Perrinville is the quintessential neighborhood restaurant.  It’s become an anchor for the strip mall in Perrinville and will be celebrating its 10th year of business in October, 2024. Owners Takis Petropoulos and Trisha Risner, partners in business and in life, have created a lively community place that has something for everyone — for families with kids, sports fans and a place to just hang out with friends.

Be warned this place is loud — very loud.  Televisions with sporting events, a large bar, music and an open floor plan contribute to a high-volume experience. It’s a festive atmosphere! Fair warning for those impacted by noise. Service was fast and the food arrived quickly. The Hook does take reservations, and I recommend that you take advantage of this option — especially on the weekend.

The menu is expansive and not limited to seafood as the name would imply. There is something for everyone and arrive hungry as portions are large. At first glance, the menu reminds me of casual restaurants like TGI Friday, Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday. It includes appetizers, soups, salads, flatbreads, sandwiches, pasta, steaks, burgers and gyros as well as seafood, steak and chicken entrees.  The cocktail, beer and wine offerings are extensive as well. The Happy Hour Menu has an excellent selection and great prices.

We started off with the Hot Crab and Shrimp Dip ($17) accompanied by warm pita wedges along with house-made House Made Scratch margaritas ($11). The drinks were generous as well as delicious, and the appetizer arrived shortly after we were served our drinks. The dip was warm, comforting and included artichokes and parmesan cheese as part of the mix. It came as a generous portion that would easily serve three to four.

There are nightly specials and we chose the BBQ Short Ribs with house-made coleslaw and battered fries ($28.95). The BBQ sauce was on the sweet side but the ribs were well prepared.  While the coleslaw was good, the dressing-to-cabbage ratio leans heavy on the dressing. The “house” fries are well prepared but they come in as a frozen battered product and would be better if prepared fresh.

In general, the Hook seems to use many ready-made products rather than relying on the skill of their line cooks, which is typical of casual restaurants. I wanted to order another special of stuffed sole but when I learned that it came in as a frozen entrée and the server didn’t know what type of crab was inside, I decided to order the Alaskan Cod fish and chips ($22 for two pieces) with coleslaw and fries.  The fish was well prepared and the menu says that it is coated with the Hook’s specialty panko breading — but it tasted more like a product that came in frozen from their vendor. I have heard that the sweet potato fries are very good and wish that I had ordered those instead to have a bit more variety. The portion was more than I could eat in one sitting but I am happy to say that it heated up well for another meal.

We saved room for dessert and chose the Triple Threat Chocolate Cake ($6.95). The Hook sources all of their desserts from Sweet Streets Desserts out of Pennsylvania (again through their food service vendor). The desserts are large, decadent and very sweet. Unfortunately you can tell that they arrive frozen and are mass produced. As a former pastry chef, I would recommend that they talk to their neighbors at the Cottage Bakery and Mel & Mia’s to source their desserts. It would be great to collaborate and have fresh cakes and pies offered. I know that the clientele would enjoy it too.

The service at the Hook was courteous and fast. We felt taken care of by everyone and our server Deb was quick to check in on us to make sure that everything was OK.  Yes, everything was OK — just not out of the park and I wasn’t expecting gourmet. The Hook is a casual restaurant where you can get a good meal at a fair price and satisfy your craving for something salty or sweet. I think the Happy Hour menu offers the best deals and when I return I will try to time it so that I can partake of the HH specials. It’s obviously a well-loved local watering hole. Check it out for lunch or dinner as I am sure that you will find something on their extensive menu that you will enjoy.

The Hook Seafood Broiler

Location:

18521 76th Ave. W. at Olympic View Drive in Lynnwood (Perrinville neighborhood)

Open for dine-in, take-out and outdoor seating (weather permitting).

Hours:

11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
11:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Closed Monday

Call-in number for pickup: 425-673-0551

Happy Hour daily from 3-5 p.m. (dine-in only)

— Story and photos by Deborah Binder

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She loves to cook from scratch using produce from the gardens she created and maintains with her husband. She attended culinary school on the East Coast and focused on desserts, pastries and bread. She’s worked for restaurants and caterers in the front and back of the house (kitchen) on both coasts. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. Deborah loves experimenting and developing new recipes. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including butter.” Deborah can be contacted at jaideborah@yahoo.com.