Hooked on Hook Gulf Coast Cuisine

Coast Cuisine - February 2025

With a menu featuring seafood so fresh it practically swam there – and much more – Hook Gulf Coast Cuisine brings big flavor to the downtown of Pass Christian.
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- By Lisa Monti

A recent lunch special at Hook: Blackened tripletail with a burre blanc sauce over a bed of sauteed spinach.

Hook Gulf Coast Cuisine on Davis Avenue in Pass Christian made its mark by consistently serving fresh, crave-worthy Gulf Coast seafood. It’s all about creating a complete dining experience with delicious food. For almost 13 years, consistency has been the key to the restaurant’s success.
 

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“We continually strive to put out a product we’re proud of,” said owner Tanya McClellan. “Our employees grind day in and day out. From the dishwasher, to the busser, to the servers, to the cooking staff, they all hustle. They make me proud.”
 

Thai-ger shrimp features fresh Gulf shrimp fried crisp and tossed in a sweet chili sauce with pickled jalapeno.

 
Hook’s menu obviously features mostly fish, shrimp and oysters - fried, grilled, blackened - but there are other tasty options available for added variety.
 
Customer favorites include the rich Oyster Rockefeller po’boy, the generous oyster and shrimp platters, and sumptuous sandwiches like blackened chicken and fried green tomato with Swiss cheese and Creole remoulade, served with your choice of side.
 
Hook proudly sources its seafood from local vendors such as Kimball’s, Shemper Seafood Co., and Quality Seafood. “We also buy from local fishermen fresh off the dock when we can. We love our local seafood vendors,” McClellan said.
 

Fried oyster salad

 
The menu has remained consistent over the years. “Some things come and go, but for the most part, it’s a lot of the same things,” McClellan said, “Because one thing we’ve learned is that if it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it.” Classic popular dishes such as seafood pasta and Parmesan-crusted chicken have been served since the restaurant opened.
 
“Carrying on the Hook tradition is Nick, one of the cooks who has been in the kitchen off and on since it opened, and Ty, who has been with us for two years,” said McClellan. “They know the secret recipes because my previous business partner, Corry Hudson, taught them all very well. Our new cook, Bobby, is learning by the Hook bible, too.” There really is a “recipe bible” that has been put together over the years to maintain consistency. “Everybody who cooks here is trained with those recipes,” she said. That includes all of the sauces and dressings, which are made in-house.
 
Whether you go to Hook for lunch or dinner, every dish arrives at the table prepared and plated with care. “You eat with your eyes first,” McClellan said. “It’s not only in the presentation of the food, but it has to taste good, too.”
 

Hook's special Valentine's Day dinner featured an appetizer course of bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, feta, and a balsamic reduction.

 
I started a recent Thursday lunch order with an old favorite, the Thai-ger shrimp, which are Gulf shrimp fried crisp and tossed in a sweet chili sauce. The portion, jazzed up with slices of pickled jalapeno, is enough to share if you’re so inclined. Another favorite starter is the famous Phares Fries, which are tossed in truffle oil, Parmesan cheese and parsley. McClellan said the gourmet oil used in the dish comes from the nearby Pass Christian Olive Oils and Vinegars shop.
 
The fish special of the day was tripletail, and it was a special treat. The large, blackened filet was served over a nicely sautéed bed of spinach topped with a citrus beurre blanc sauce. The fish was light, flaky, and seasoned and sauced just right.
 
Dinner at Hook is a completely different dining experience from lunch, according to McClellan. Dinner is when customers can get a little creative and build their own dishes. Your tripletail can be blackened, fried, grilled or even Parmesan-encrusted, with your choices for a side dish ranging from angel hair pasta bordelaise, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, sautéed spinach, French fries or sweet potato fries, and you get to choose from a variety of sauces. Also, each dinner entrée is accompanied by a side salad and house bread.
 

A recent dinner special featured grilled chicken with feta and sun-dried tomatoes served over asparagus.

 
If you want to pivot from seafood at dinner, the menu features a tempting ribeye and several chicken items, among other options. There are many gluten-free options that can be prepared for customers. “They just need to inquire on what can be done,” McClellan said.
 
To find out details on the chef’s special served on Friday and Saturday nights, check out Hook’s Facebook page. Some of the previous specials have included blackened tripletail atop angel hair pasta finished with a crab Mornay sauce and Parmesan-crusted tripletail atop flash-fried potatoes and finished with a tomato-basil cream sauce. Drink specials are also offered from the full bar.
 
With spring weather in sight, make plans to take advantage of Hook’s covered outdoor seating. There’s also a small private room off the dining room that is available for groups.
 

A recent lunch special featured this steak sandwich on Gambino French bread with Grilled Onions and Lettuce, Tomato, Swiss Cheese, and Mayo. You can practically taste those onions with your eyes.

 
In the next few months, Hook will be looking at revamping its menu to offer even more choices, but that doesn’t mean any major changes, McClellan promised. “We may tweak the menu and add a few things, but it’s nothing for people to be concerned with. Again, if it’s not broken… We appreciate our people, and we know what they like.”
 
Hook
133 Davis Avenue, Pass Christian | (228) 222-4391
Tues – Sat Lunch 11-2
Tues – Thurs Dinner 5-8
Fri – Sat Dinner 5-8:30
Closed Sun-Mon

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