Off the Hook

Smaller venue but we did not have to wait more than 5 mins for a table. Everything was perfect! The oysters and calamari were great starters. We had the scallops and steak, both were made to perfection and paired nicely with veggies. We ended dinner with key lime pie and the chocolate terrine both were just as good as the meal. I ate way too much but it was worth it. We had been to heir location in Ocean City (Hooked) this was just as good. We passed Hooked Up their ale house and raw bar on the way out of town, definitely top of our list next time we go to Bethany Beach.

Myself, my husband and our two young daughters dined here after finding it on Unilocal.Great choice! We will be back every year! Very small place but our food was fantastic!

Came here on a Sunday at lunch time. There were only a few other people and the ambience was clean and quiet. Service was quick.
I got the fish tacos and my boyfriend got the crab cake sandwich. We were both delighted at how fresh all the ingredients and flavors were. My boyfriend even noted that the toppings on his crab cake were all in-​season vegetables, which is great.
The portions were a little small, but our meals tasted so good and the prices were surprisingly low ($ 9 and $ 15) so I didn’t feel like we got ripped off at all. Would definitely go back.

Good food. Definitely will go back. Only issue was that the waitresses tried to clear plates before we were done.

Really pleasantly surprised with this restaurant after not finding many tasty, nicer sit down places along the boardwalk. It’s a short, 5 minute drive from the boardwalk and is located in a strip mall with an alcohol store, and across the street from another strip mall with other small restaurants.
There’s some seating outside with not much of a view, but it’s nice if you can’t get a seat indoors — the place seats about 10ish tables. Luckily, we were here in the middle of the week, so we were immediately seated at 6pm.
We tried the crab bisque and beet salad to start. The crab bisque was really creamy and rich, with a few big chunks of crab on top. I would have loved even more heat from the jalapeño, but that’s a minor preference. The beet salad is also a large enough salad to split between two people. It’s not what you would usually picture as a beet salad; they slice the beets thin rather than in typical cubes which was nice to go along with all the other greens and carrot shavings. It was perfectly dressed and had all the right textures to it.
Entrees: My husband got the cioppino, which came in a large steaming bowl. So much goodness in it: white wine broth, sausage, giant mussels and clams, assorted fish, silky soft scallops. We loved it. Tip: add a side of Thai rice if you want to balance it with something of a plain flavor. I ordered the crab cakes, and was shocked when it came out with two of them! The watermelon salad on top was surprising… It was pickled and tasted like kimchee which was a nice balance to a classic. The crab cake did not have much filler so I got to eat a lot of lumpy goodness. The zucchini tater tots also really went well with the dish.
Service was very friendly, and food came out very quickly. We hardly had to wait between the bread, appetizers and entrees and I was thoroughly impressed by how fast they were banging out entrees all around the restaurant. Portions are really generous and it was nice to get a break from the boardwalk food and eat some more creative flavors! Will definitely be back here for a date night the next time I’m in Bethany.

Off the hook is off the hook awesome! Wonderful, excellent, fresh food. Great long island ice teas. I wish I could go back again and again.

Looks like a small strip mall joint. Five star plus food!
Try the grilled salmon, tender, moist, melted in my mouth. Asparagus, with bacon, onions, mushrooms, lions, tigers and bears, oh my!!!
Try the crab bisque, too. It has huge lump crab meat with creamy base, and has jalapeño peppers in it, not too much, just right! Think of Goldilocks, lol.

Excellent sea food. We had fish and cioppino. They were ALL very very good. Well with the wait

I think my boyfriend and I had a foodgasm here. The bread they serve is sweet and when dipped in olive oil… oh mah gawd. We ordered Bloody Mary oysters. So good. We got scallops which were cooked in I don’t even know what (bacon grease) and sautéed spinach. I had the seafood bowl which has shrimp, scallops, fish, mussels… The tomato based sauce perfect for dipping my bread in. The flavors danced together and exploded in my mouth. We will be back.

This is a regular on our visits to Bethany beach. Off the beaten path, located in an unsuspecting strip mall, it’s anything but «chain.» All local goodness delivering consistently awesome food & service. The Thai mussels are amazing, cocktail & burger specials are creative, & weeknight specials are great bargains! Kids fish & chips is a good deal (mac is just Kraft). Kids can color on paper on the tables. Our family loves this place. (If going with kids, it’s less fancy & less expensive for lunch.)

Stopped in just before 2pm on a Sunday. Six tables with patrons, 6 other tables which had not been bussed/​left with dirty dishes from prior patrons. We waited nearly 10 minutes to get water. In that time we had our order ready and placed it once the water arrived. Needless to say we did not order anything overly complicated. I had the fish and chips. Good enough.
It seems they weren’t expecting the clientele they did and thus left unprepared with an all in staff of 3 – 4 people. Even one more person would have made a difference.
Will we go back our next visit to BB… Maybe, but not on a Sunday!

Worst customer service and management I have ever experienced. Will never return and tell anyone who will listen not to waste their time or money at this establishment.
If I could give a zero or negative score I would.

This was the most horrific experience I’ve had in a restaurant. We arrived at 4:30pm with 7 adults and one child. They told us they didn’t open for 30 minutes but to be sure to come back then — we assured them we would just be next door. We showed back up at 5pm (!!) only to be told by the manager that they were fully committed for the evening — the restaurant was empty but for one table. I have never encountered such pretension even in my 14 years of being a New Yorker. We own in Bethany and dine out frequently — we will NEVER go here again. And plan to deter any friends from this place as well.

This place is off the hook! Been looking for a place like this around the beaches since I moved here a year and a half ago. Nice but affordable and personal. And delicious! Love!

The place was really busy. We waited an hour to be seated.
Our negative experience really started when the waiter informed us they no longer had bread. We then ordered two appetizers.
The crab dip (which isn’t a dip, as it comes prepared on flat bread). The crab dip appetizer was mostly cheese, with very little crab. We complained about the dip. The second appetizer was the fried calamari. This was OK.
Four of us ordered, two tuna plates, two surf and turf plates. The tuna plates were ordered rare and medium. These were mixed up when they dropped them off. We just swapped the plates. The two surf and turf plates were ordered rare and medium. They arrived well done and medium well. We kept the medium well done plate and sent the other back for a rare steak.
The manager gave us a generous discount after we complained and offered us free dessert.
The service and attention was good, especially after we complained. The staff was friendly. The food tasted good, but we thought slightly overpriced.

Off the Hook serves up seafood of a quality that is simply unmatched in the Bethany Beach area. If you’re looking a nice meal to close out your beach week trip or just a great dinner out, Off the Hook is a great choice.
There’s something to be said for the ambiance of this place. Cozy, intimate, inviting, all those adjectives work well to describe the setting here. We loved the white tablecloths and candles at all the tables. Paintings-​softer kinds of paintings-​line the walls and contribute even further to the mood of the establishment.
Start with the buttermilk calamari. Fried in the leanest sense of the word, this dish is creamy, tender, and just a little spicy.
The table ordered a few different entrées-​I went with the crab cake. Expectations weren’t through the roof, often the crab cakes on the shore are at least a third Old Bay seasoning, and far too salty as a result. Much to my surprise, this dish relied on the crab and breading alone for the flavor. It was excellent, and I wish more restaurants would do their crab cakes in such a way.
Table entrees included the fish and chips, (solid if not special) fried scallops, (technically perfect with a taste to match) and seared tuna (prepared well, but I’m not a sushi grade guy). I feel safe in recommending anything on the menu here.
No dessert or drinks for us, but they have a small offering of desserts and a larger and more unique drink list if you’re so inclined. A note on the service-​I love seeing a waiter/​waitress that actually knows a thing or two about the menu. Our waiter offered us great suggestions, brought out our food quickly, and was all around great.
Off the Hook offers serves up the kind of seafood you wish you could find at the beach. Highly, highly recommended.

Tired of the boardwalk food? Looking for a little finer selection of entrees to chose from? How does house made paella sound to you or maybe you are a shrimp and grits person? Off the Hook has the perfect bait to snag your taste buds. We started off our dinner with the mussels and also the crab dip appetizers. The creamy crab dip was served on top of pizza style triangles of bread. It was so good I devoured two pieces in 3 minutes. The mussels were not a favorite. They were too small and the broth was peppery. Then we ordered shrimp and grits with andouille sausage. The grits were smooth and creamy. The shrimp were large and perfectly cooked. It was delicious. I would like to return and try the paella and pan fried scallops. Our server was terrific and helped us get in and out in a hurry. If you are in Bethany Beach, Delaware I am sure you will be satisfied with a great meal.

Reel It In
+ Short rib grill cheese
+ Ruben
+ fries
+ kids burger (just as big as adult)
+ good service
Throw It Back
— kids Mac & cheese (straight from the box!)
— wings
— crab cakes
— slaw

Wonderful food in Bethany. Service was quick even though it was packed. So nice to get something fresh and healthy in the world of pizza, soft serve, and taffy! The kale caesar really hit the spot and my fiancé loved his scallops on risotto. Great cocktails, great service, and their oil-​soaked bread is to die for.
I recommend going on the earlier side to avoid a wait!

We were only in town for one night so I of course had to find some fresh seafood. I was really craving fresh crab but most places were closed since I came during the off season on a Tuesday. So thankful that this place was open!
We enjoyed some calamari, lobster mac, and pesto fries. Everything was so fresh! Some of the best calamari I have had. I will say I was disappointed with the small amount of lobster mac that we paid $ 24 for, however there was quite a bit of lobster meat in it so I guess it evens out. And the pesto fries are a strange taste when you first take a bite, but then you realize they are just delicious! I recommend everything we had.
Also I love that they serve drinks in cute little mason jars!
I would give them 4.5 stars if I could do halves!