British Crescent Beach Lunch Restaurant Reviews Seafood

Hooked Fish Bar – Beachfront Patio Review

By
on
September 16, 2021
Hooked Fish Bar exterior

Craig, Kreezus, and I set out to enjoy some of the last of the setting September sun at Hooked Fish Bar. Known for its fish and chips, I had fond summer memories of an oyster po’ boy here many moons ago (Hooked has been around for a decade as of this writing) and when Craig suggested it Kreezus and I jumped at the invite.

View of Crescent Beach from Hooked Fish Bar's patio
Crescent Beach view from Hooked Fish Bar

I won’t even bother with an interior shot because the patio is where it’s at. Hooked has one of the best beach views out of the patios dotting the landscape at the end of Beecher Street since it is directly at the prime beach access point. Great for people-watching, dog-spotting, bird-stalking, and gorgeous unobstructed views of Boundary Bay and the mountains beyond the sea. Plus the smell of the ocean is a perfect pairing for the food on offer.

Small Fried Oysters (4) in a bowl with tartar sauce and a lemon wedge from Hooked Fish Bar
Small Fried Oysters

Kreezus and I decided to split a few Fried Oysters (small (4), $14) to get the juices flowing for the main event, but sadly these didn’t live up to my memories. Slightly undercooked and small in size. For the other dishes we found the price justified given the location and view, just not this particular one. Their tartar sauce is a winner though!

2 pieces of cod with sweet potato fries and chipotle mayo from Hooked Fish Bar
Cod & Chips

When they trotted out the dish we had come for, Hooked Fish Bar’s famous Cod & Chips ($20.95 for a 2-piece plus $2.50 upgrade to Yam Fries), Kreezus wept at their glory. Thick hunks of buttery, flaky fish glistening in a light, puffy batter fried to a golden brown that shone in the patio sunlight like a precious pearl. We all took a few moments (and bites) to savour the ocean’s bounty being served up mere meters from her shores. It doesn’t get any fresher than this, folks.

The sweet potato fries were incredibly long in size and on flavour, and the chipotle mayo was as good as any (well, except maybe White Spot’s). And speaking of White Spot, the creamy coleslaw that came with was almost a dead ringer for White Spot’s classic version, albeit missing a certain je ne sais qois. Closest I’ve had to that personal favourite though, right down to the sunflower seeds, which gives Hooked extra bonus points in my books.

We overheard the table behind us commenting how this was the best fish and chips they had ever had and I’d have to agree that it really doesn’t get much better than Hooked.

A 6 oz. Hand-made Butcher Burger with fries from Hooked Fish Bar
6oz Hand-made Butcher Burger

Craig learned an important lesson that day with Hooked Fish Bar’s 6oz. Hand-made Butcher Burger ($17.95): never order turf at a surfside joint. The menu description was tempting, the patty house-made, but alas it was dry and overcooked. What little barbecue sauce was on there remained undetectable but at least the aged cheddar ($1.75 add-on) added some slight moisture and flavour. Oh, there’s an onion ring too. Stick with the fish.

Chip Butty with Mushy Peas and salad from Hooked Fish Bar
Chip Butty with mushy peas and salad

Ever the adventurer, my eyes landed on the infamous Chip Butty ($8.95) when scanning the menu options. I’d heard tell of this grotesquery from travelers to the UK, and the menu description of “carbs and gluten” is a smashing piss-take on anyone foolhardy enough to order based on the brutally honest description alone. Really it’s just a toasted white-bread sandwich with french fries as the filling. Honestly, it’s better than it sounds…

  • Chip Butty from Hooked Fish Bar
  • Hooked Fish Bar's Chip Butty with Mushy Peas
  • Half-eaten Chip Butty with lots of mushy peas at Hooked Fish Bar

Especially when you take that side of mushy peas and smush ’em right into your sandwich. If you like grossing out your dates and mates (as I most certainly do!) this, my friends, is the way to go. After forcing down a couple of bites, Kreezus swore if she ate any more that this would be her last supper. It was so filling and carb-loaded even the bottomless pit that is I could not get down the last couple bites. I swear it’s pretty darn good though, maybe share with a buddy if you try this one. Believe it or not, it comes with a side of fries as well for the truly gluttonous, but thankfully you can also opt to try Hooked’s creamy coleslaw or go with the garden salad above, which was quite a generous portion and very fresh to boot.

Afterwards, Kreezus walked with me on a tour of Blackie Spit and the Dunsmuir Community Gardens, a short stroll along the beach from Hooked Fish Bar and a great way to burn off those excess calories so you don’t end up with a Chip Butty butt. Conveniently there’s a map on the back of the menus at Hooked and you will find the trails in this area labeled as Crescent Beach Walk. Happy Hooking!

  • A path along the Crescent Beach Walk at Blackie Spit with a small red structure in the background
  • Close-up of a bee on a flower
  • A view of some marshland at Blackie Spit bird sanctuary
  • A heron standing in the marsh at Blackie Spit bird sanctuary
  • Red flowers at Dunsmuir Community Garden
  • Ducks in a stream
  • The view from Crescent Beach Point
  • Two herons at Blackie Spit
  • A sandpiper standing in shallow water
  • A trail through the bushes at Blackie Spit
  • Three sunflowers shot in close-up at Dunsmuir Community Gardens
  • The shadows of Matt and Kreezus on a path
Matt
Author: Matt

Prior to joining the Surrey Eats crew, Matt's love of all things edible and passion for writing led him to long-running food blog Eat 'n About where he penned articles under the nom de plume Hitman Howdy for several years. Matt's also been published in various local magazines, and is an extremely adventurous eater who has dined on things that would make Anthony Bourdain blush. Matt enjoys the melting pot of international cuisine on offer in Surrey and hopes to help put his beloved stomping grounds on the map as a smorgasbord for food-lovers of all ethnicities. SURREY WHAT!!

TAGS
RELATED POSTS

LEAVE A COMMENT

CRAIG T
Surrey, BC

Hi my name is Craig and welcome to my food blog! Join me and my crew as we eat our way around Surrey BC's local dining scene reviewing the hottest restaurants, covering all the latest food events and news, and uncovering plenty of hidden gems along the way. This site aims to be your one-stop shop for everything you need to navigate Surrey's cuisine like a foodie boss! While you're here why not follow us on social and get access to all sorts of deals, steals and giveaways: