Hook & Reel Brings Cajun-Style Seafood To Hicksville

HICKSVILLE, NY—Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar held its soft opening in Hicksville on Wednesday.

The opening officially marked the New Orleans Cajun-styled franchise's foray into Long Island. It serves a wide variety of seafood coated in different seasonings as well as a few non-seafood options.

Customers are greeted by a pirate dual-wielding a gun and sword (don't worry, he's fake) at the entrance. A blue and white life preserver reading "Hook & Reel" rests to the right of the pirate on a rope backdrop. Lights styled into anchors and ship steering wheels hang over the tables. Sculpted fish hang from the ceilings. More rope with fake crabs and starfish attached are laid throughout the restaurant's walls to complete the nautical theme.

David Darity, the store's general manager, said Hook & Reel provides Long Islanders a unique seafood experience unlike what most are used to courtesy of the Cajun flavor.

"[Hook & Reel] is different than places I've seen," Darity, 56, told Patch. "[Other places] are just steaming or boiling food, whatever they do, put it in butter and that's it. That's gotten to be old.This brings a different flavor. It brings a Cajun New Orleans flavor."

The most prominent feature of the menu is a combo meal referred to as "Today's Catch." Customers start by picking their base, with options such as clams, craw fish, black mussels, New Zealand mussels, shrimp, snow crab, Dungeness crab, lobster tail, lobster, king crab, blue crab or scallops.

Then they choose their sauce: plain, original Cajun, garlic butter, dry Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, or the Hook Reel Special Blend, which combines all of the above. Mild, spicy and fire are the levels of heat. Customers finally get a choice of side, such as corn, potatoes, sausage, fries or eggs.

Darity said orders come tossed in a big bubble bag with as much food as you want, going by quarter of a pound.

"Everybody who came for our opening yesterday just couldn’t believe the taste of the food," Darity said. "Everybody was very happy. We got four five-star reviews on Yelp, so we’re very happy with that."

Appetizers include items like wings, hush puppies, paella, fried calamari and steamed oysters. Baskets that include an entree and fries are an option, as well as sandwiches, sliders, soups and salads.

For the non-seafood eaters in the family, chicken tenders, wings, chicken burger sliders and a chicken po boy sandwich are some options.

While the grand opening is roughly two weeks away, the public is welcome to head over to the store for a meal. While anyone and everyone is welcome, Darity said the launch day yielded more of a middle-aged crowd as opposed to younger.

"This is not a place where the bar is going to be overly packed with people watching sports," he said. "Or a place where you come to get $2.99 margaritas or $2.99 iced teas. We're just not that place. We want to attract people who want to have good cuisine for an affordable price."

Hook & Reel has plans to continue its expansion in New York. Bay Shore is next on the docket. Locations at Valley Stream, Jamaica, the Bronx and Brooklyn are also in the works. While Hicksville is the restaurant's Long Island coming-out party, Staten Island marked the first New York location. The first Hook & Reel opened in Maryland in 2013.

Darity, who has been in the restaurant business for 22 years, said his exposure to Hook & Reel came when his fiancee recommended he eat at the Staten Island location. He saw a "coming soon" sign for Hook & Reel while at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream and reached out to express his interest in a job to the business's corporate regional manager, who invited him to Staten Island.

"We talked. He said, ‘I want you to eat,’" Darity said. "And I was hooked. And here I am."

The Hicksville location can be found at 363 Broadway Mall.