The Hook & Plow

Oh, what a big disappointment! The first time I ate here it was quite pleasant so I went back on Father’s Day with my husband and daughter. This restaurant is NOT equipped to handle a lunch crowd during a special occasion. We had a reservation for 11:30 and they were already out of Chicken and Waffles! Really? On Father’s Day? At 11:30? Chicken and Waffles? Very poor management. The waitress had an «F you» attitude also. She didn’t apologize or offer any concessions. She was a bad waitress all around and we waited over ½ hour for our food. So sad. Food is good but service was bad enough that we won’t be going back.

I wanted to give zero stars however it wasnt an option. By far the worst dining experience Ive had in a while! The kitchen staff isnt properly trainied to handle the crowd in between lunch and dinner. It took 40 minutes for appetizers to come out. We were 1 of 3 tables and ordered oysters; oysters as we all know are raw! Beyond unacceptable! Our fries came out cold! After an hour of waiting we got up and left and had them cancel our main courses (burger/​sandwich). the staff never acknowledged the wait, which was a mistake. If they were able to set proper expectations the 1hr wait wouldnt have been as bad. I’m a local and will never visit this unorganized establishment ever again #neveragain

More money goes into renting this property versus adequately training the staff
1) sat down at 4:00
1a) 1 of three tables. Only 7 people in the restaurant
2) 4:05 ordered 1 glass Chardonnay, 1 draft beer, oysters, fish tacos, fries, chicken club sandwich and burger
3) 4:20 ordered another round of drinks
4) 4:30 cold fries came out
5) 4:40 fish taco and raw oyster came out… side note these are appetizers! One is fried the other is raw, shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to create
6) 4:50 our burger and chicken club still haven’t come, making it almost one hour since we sat down
7) wait staff failed to acknowledge the absurd wait in the «dead» restaurant
Please close during hours when your kitchen isn’t adequately staffed. If there are going to be delays such as today, please communicate such delays with your patrons.

Easily one of our favorite places to eat in the Hermosa area. The wait staff is so nice and the food is delicious! The smoked salmon frittata is epic and I highly recommend the breakfast sandwich. Can’t go wrong at Hook & Plow!

Ok. So we went here for a brunch on a weekend and nobody was there. Strange. We ordered and the menu seemed great. I had the smoked salmon frittata. The cutting boards were pretty but none functional. It was really had to cut and not spill all over the table. The frittata was good but the smoked salmon was salty, a sign of not so great smoked salmon. Michael’s Chicken and Waffles were dry and greasy. The waffles were fine but he always compares it to the Wiffle’s Waffle joint in Santa Monica. Apparently, this place didn’t cut it. Nice people who run it but not super great on any account. Decent food for the prices but nothing to write home about I’m afraid. Mean while, there’s a huge crowd across the street for a crêpe place?

Oh man, this is one of those places where I would try every item on the menu if I had a bottomless budget and metabolism. What I did try (the ahi poke and crab cake sandwich) were perfect – fresh, beautifully plated, light and refreshing yet filling somehow. The price point, while not cheap, reflected the quality of the products and ingredients they use. The effort they put into their dishes really shows through. It’s hard to make seafood so consistently delicious, and I’ve been to plenty of beach-​side restaurants that failed to do so, often over-​saucing or over frying their products. Not this place. They manage to complement the seafood flavors perfectly.
The set up and interior/​exterior design were also beautiful, and the service was immaculate. My drink was very refreshing (champagne and a scoop of sorbet). Overall this meal was a perfect end to a glorious day at the beach.

My friend and I stopped in here for a quick happy hour drink to kill some time before Abigaile opened, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a smaller space, but very inviting and friendly. I was a little disappointed that they only offered beer and wine, and it was a tad bit cold there, but those were the only things I could complain about.
The food is legit! I tried the happy hour pork belly sliders (delicious) as well as the grilled shishito peppers (which I always find delicious, but these had a nice yuzu ponzu sauce to amplify the deliciousness). In fact, I was so smitten with my food choices that I began fantasizing about future meals here while reading over the menu. Short rib dip??? Uh, yes, please. I’ll be seeing you in my not-​so-​distant-​future.
Quick notes:
–Happy hour runs Mon — Fri 3pm — 6pm
–Beer & wine only, though they do have wine-​based vodka that they can make cocktails with
–Not the cheapest, but solidly good and worthwhile
–It’s an open space (as many places in the area are) so bring a sweater if you run cold like me

We enjoyed this intimate, conveniently located restaurant. Their local beers were great. I had a blood orange ale which had a strong sweet undertone. All the entrees we had were fabulous: Mary’s organic chicken, the skirt steak, pear salad with scallops & 2 others. We had 2 desserts: cheesecake & mixed berry cobbler: both great. We had a fabulous hostess who communicated with us while we were trying to get a table. Our waiter was good. Only complaint: water was room temperature & no ice cubes. Very small space!

I was telling someone I knew of no good places to eat in Hermosa Beach, and they told me about Hook & Plow. H & P offers farm to table (inc seafood), and is located near the water at Pier & Cypress in Hermosa.
I started off with the lemonade of the day ($ 5 — Carrot & thyme). For lunch, I had the furikake fries ($ 7) and fresh catch of the day ($ 14 — barramundi sandwich).
First of all, the lemonade was OK. It would have been better with a stronger carrot taste, and a lower price. The price was near the cost of a beer: 3 Stars. On the other hand, the fries were very good. The combination with the furikake is a good one, and the portion was decent for the price. The only room for improvement would be larger fries. I’m not a big fan of skinny fries: 4 Stars. Lastly, the sandwich was just OK. The bun was a tad dry, and the barramundi could have been seasoned better. Additionally, the price was high without a side like a salad: 3 Stars.
H & P is rustic, riding along the farm to table theme. It is open air and has a small bar area: 4 Stars. Likewise, the service from BreAnn the bartender was very good. She and the waiter were super friendly, and she was helpful with the menu: 4 Stars.
Unfortunately, after H & P, I still don’t know where the really good food is in Hermosa. I would come back if I was in the area to have a drink and some oysters. However, the prices are high here, and the food (based upon the fish sandwich) is just OK to me.

***BRUNCH Review Only***
+Décor and Ambiance. Really cute al fresco dining next to Hermosa Beach. Everything has a cute rustic feel
+Parking: Plenty of meter parking nearby
Food: The menu was your typical menu of French toast, breakfast sandwiches, chicken and waffles, etc.
+Chicken and Waffles: First of all I do want to say it was flavorful and tasted good. I liked the pumpkin spice waffle but it was a little soft, I like my waffles crispy and with more texture. But the chicken was two tiny pieces of chicken. For $ 25 to have two tiny pieces of chicken and a waffle seems really steep. We were expecting to see a big half chicken at this price.
–Breakfast Sandwich: Nothing out of the ordinary here. Brioche toast and bacon and eggs. It was a bit on the heavy side because of the brioche so I could only eat half. I’m glad they served this with salad to help cut down the heaviness.
Drinks:
+Sangria: Worth it. Tasted like apple pie spices and red wine, really refreshing and tasty.
–Lemon Peel: Not worth it. They brought over a half filled champagne glass and it tasted okay but did they forget the other half? For $ 8 that was too much.
–Price: I found this to be really pricey. I understand they use quality ingredients, farm to table type place but it was almost $ 80 for two.

Love that everything is as organic as possible. The food taste great and the staff is super friendly. Great atmosphere and music (country). I would definitely come back.
I had the short rib hash. I was really good! It was not salty like most places. Thumbs up! Next time I’ll try taking a picture. This time I was too hungry.

Food was pretty good. I ordered the steak & potatoes, and while I did enjoy it, I do find the steak to be pretty fatty and oily. My friends seem to be okay with their food, although one of them did complain that he was still hungry after his mahi mahi sandwich and another didn’t finish her salad because she finds it a little too acidic.
Service was pretty friendly, although when we asked if we could split the check at the beginning (we are a group of 8), the guy said we could do it at the end, but when the bill came at the end of our meal, he didn’t try to help us split it. And we ended up having to do it ourselves.
Good ambience, nonetheless. The steak and the half-​assed service was kinda why I took off a star.

Passed by a couple of times, we decided to go for lunch. Nice outdoor seating, nice for a date or casual farm-​to-​table meal. One of those «can-seem-like-you’re-being-healthy-but-order-a-short-rib-sandwich» places. Which is exactly what we did, sup.
The service was attentive. I thought that the food was pretty solid though not particularly imaginative. We had a salad and a really good short rib sandwich. Pretty good portions!

Walked into a fairly empty restaurant last night around 6 PM and despite not having a reservation I was seated at a small table for two while I waited for a friend who had planned on meeting me at six.
I ordered a drink, The nightly lemonade special… Berries and thyme… and just about at that time received a text to say she was going to be about 30 minutes late. When Matt returned with my drink I let him know she was going to be late and he seemed a bit concerned at first, commented that he would check the reservation list and came back shortly thereafter to report I could stay as long as I liked.
That comment turned out to be the beginning of a wonderful evening spent at this trendy farm to table restaurant with a nautical but simple theme. Candle light and small bouquets of fresh babies breath added an air of simplicity to a culinarily complicated menu of earthly delights.
I started off with the Panko crusted avocado which came out warm and creamy with a delightfully crunchy crust in a superb lime cilantro sauce. This was a small appetizer but packed a powerful punch on the taste buds The mixed radish julienned salad was also quite tasty with a lovely light dressing that complemented the crunch of the vegetables beautifully.
Around seven my guest arrived and we ordered the burata and pear salad that was extraordinary. Creamy delicious Burata topped with hazelnuts paired with a perfectly cooked pear half. We should’ve stopped here as it was a very generous portion but we both ordered the pulled pork sandwich which was enormous!!! Come here hungry! You will not be disappointed. I felt bad leaving most of my pretzel bun on the plate but there was just so much food! I would’ve almost prefer this as a slider; the meat was moist and very tasty with just the perfect amount of sauce. The slaw on top was excellent; very crunchy, a perfect accent. Overall… A delicious meal.
But what really made this experience work for me was the laid-​back nature of bartender Matt and his fellow servers. Maybe they are the owners as well I am not sure but they all acted like this was their place and they were proud to work there.
I certainly appreciate them letting me stay; the decibel level here gets very very loud which is a general reflection I think of the mood of the diners who are purely ecstatic with good food joy!
If you’re looking for a healthy option after a day at the beach or simply a place to meet friends after work, the Hook and Plow satisfies all of those desires and more!

Casual Farm to table
concept on upper Pier Ave
in Hermosa
I thought I already Unilocaled about the Hook & Plow, but since I didn’t, here I go.
Located on upper Pier Ave, across the street from the Rockefeller, is the Hook and Plow, which is a cozy little, distressed wood, cape cod themed restaurant that brings you farm/​fisherman/​ranch to table cuisine made famous by Chef Alice Waters at Chez Panisse decades ago, so farm to table is not a new concept and The Hook & Plow really isn’t reinventing the wheel, with items such as furikake fries and the such. Although it is nice to get fresh and seasonal ingredients at an affordable price, whereas before the only place in the South Bay that had farm to table was Depot under Chef Shafer.
I have eaten dinner there and enjoy the eclectic mix of local craft brews and specials, but recently I have been eating brekkie on the weekends at TH&P. This most recent weekend their lunch specials were a lobster eggs Benedict and a «Man Hash» which was a generous serving of home fries, shredded beef, topped with a sunny side up fried egg. Since it was 9:30AM in the morning. I opted not to get a craft brew (not judging morning drinkers) but had a cuppa.
In addition to a small indoor dining room there is a small patio for al fresco dining on those warm Sunny Winter evenings and cold Summer nights. The patio is a nice place to tie up your doggies or park your strollers. There is a chill vibe here due to the locals that frequent this place vs the «i’m so awesome» millinnial vibe across the street.
Service has always been great from the greeters to the servers who are always very informed about the menu.
I am looking forward to my next visit.

Love the farm to table and organic concept.
PEAR BURRATA SALAD: the dressing is hazelnut based but it tasted like peanuts. Regardless, each ingredient was fresh and delicious.
SHORT RIBS: solid dish. The carrots were perfectly cooked and the short ribs had great flavor.
PULLED PORK SANDWICH: I liked that the coleslaw was not mayonnaise based. The mango chutney goes well with the pork but the bun was slightly dry (although perfectly grilled).

I passed by it the first time on accident. The signage isn’t the most obvious, and my gps was telling me to go around the back for some stupid reason.
Once inside, the place was totally cute. We sat in the patio section, but a clear window tarp was rolled down and heaters kept out the cold.
We were given dinner menus to look at for over fifteen minutes. In that time period, each of us chose what we wanted. When we were going to order, we were told that there had been a mistake and dinner didn’t start for another half an hour. We were then given a lunch menu instead, and this was missing most of the things we were initially planning on getting.
My friend and I split an apple sangria, we all split the furikake fries, and I ordered the burger (medium) with a cup of seafood chowder.
The chowder was great. It was creamy and filling, and it was chock full of clams and other, rather large, pieces of seafood. I would have another cup — heck, another bowl — of this in a heartbeat. Sadly enough, I can’t say the same for the burger.
We were told that the burger was one of the best in the South Bay, so I was fairly excited to try it. It looks delicious — tall and piled high with fried onion strings. First off, it’s a big too large. I had a hard time fitting the thing into my mouth (and, believe me, I don’t say that too often… lol). Second, although it was a beautiful sight, the flavor was missing. I tasted almost nothing. It wasn’t salty. It wasn’t savory. It wasn’t acidic or sweet. It was just a bunch of stuff that was indistinguishable in flavor, all smashed in a dry, unappetizing bun. The cheese was a bit tart, but someone dropped the ball with the seasoning. Come on. It was covered in fried onions! And nothing. I finished it, but that’s because I don’t want to waste food. If I had my druthers, and didn’t care about waste, I would have chucked it before I was halfway through. :(
The fries, on the other hand, were stupendous. They were a perfect mix between parmesean truffle fries and furikake. I was worried that the seaweed seasoning would overpower everything else, but it was well done. It was a hit all around.
My friend loved her chicken sandwich. Oh, and my apple sangria wasn’t reminiscent (to me) of sangria in any form, so that was also a disappointment.

Finally had a chance to come here. I met some friends for Sunday brunch. It was pretty desolate with many tables open, which was nice because the place is small, so I can imagine in can get loud. Our server was awesome (didn’t catch her name), and the menu looked good in theory. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as the descriptions sounded. Flavor was lacking in each dish that I tried.
I tried the parmesan truffle fries and the fried avocado appetizers. The truffle flavor was non-​existent in the batch I got. For $ 7.50, it should be permeating with truffle. In addition, it was the SMALLEST portion of shoestring fries ever. I forgot to get a picture, but it was such a rip off. The sauces they came with were unusual as well. As for the fried avocado, the bread on the outside was bland. It would be so good with some kind of seasoning (like curry, for instance). It came with pickles onions and pepper and some tasteless sauce. Not a fan. Presentation was on point though. By all appearances, everything looked like it should taste savory, but it wasn’t.
For my main, I had the breakfast burrito. Again, flavor and ingredients were lacking that something special. For $ 24, that burrito should blow my mind. Kudos for the eggs being organic
I suppose I need to come back for dinner. Until then, this place only deserves 3 stars, which are for service, location and being farm to table.

Bottom line up front: love the interior décor and the ambiance of this little restaurant. All food items were delicious, service is excellent, and drinks were superb. The items are on the pricier side but as long as you go in with that assumption you’re good. Dogs aren’t allowed in the restaurant but they can hang outside right in front of the lanai.
The first thing i noticed was the interior and ambiance of this restaurant. It gives you the feels and makes you want to stay and chat with a friend (or alone). Very homey.
We ordered coffee, the onion burger, cup of clam chowder and the Tuna poke.
Coffee was great. We got the large to share between the two of us. Funny story: my hubs coffee handle broke off so the coffee spilled all over our table and floor. Not really the servers fault… just a faulty mug. But the server was such a sweetheart – she was so apologetic and gave us a new coffee pot to share. Shows you how much they care about their customers – excellent service:)
The clam chowder was delicious. It’s so hard to come by good, fresh tasting clam chowder. Hook and plow does it right. It went perfectly with my poke. Poke is fresh raw tuna fish that is marinated in a type of light soy sauce. Really light but filling at the same time. I’m a big poke fan so I have to say it wasn’t the best poke I’ve ever had… but pretty good for South Bay. I also wished they had bigger portions.
My hubs got the onion burger which was pretty delicious. Good size. I don’t have too much to add here cause I was excited about my dish but he said it was «pretty good».

3.5 stars rounding up to a 4. I came here for dinner with a friend on a Friday. I guess they used to not take reservations but they do now! I made reservations easily over the phone. The place was pretty packed when we came in. It’s a cozy and cute space, casual and rustic.
DRINK: I got the Galaxy Defender which is a Belgian blond ale from Monkish Brewery in Torrance. This type of beer is right up my alley so I enjoyed it.
FOOD (my friend and I shared the following):
— SEAFOOD CHOWDER: It comes in a cup or bowl. I got a cup and it was creamy and tasty. It was mild and not as amazing as I thought it’d be based on all the raving reviews but it was pretty good.
— MAHI MAHI SANDWICH: It sounded so good on the menu with the jicama green papaya slaw but I didn’t really enjoy this sandwich. It was pretty dry and one-​note. Not something I would order again.
— THE BURGER: Compared to all the burgers I’ve ever had, this was not that great… but compared to the Mahi Mahi sandwich, this was really good. The presentation is pretty impressive. It comes with crispy onions, gorgonzola, tomato jam, and lettuce stacked tall on a brioche bun. l It was flavorful but the meat was pretty dry and at $ 14, I expected a little more. The burger and the sandwich both came with market greens but we didn’t really like the dressing it came with… it was too acidic without an enjoyable flavor to it.
— FURIKAKE FRIES: I was so excited about this but I was let down. First of all, they forgot to bring this out. After we reminded our server, it came out later. I liked that I could taste the truffle oil but I wished there was more furikake seasoning. The texture of the fries were also just meh, not crispy or soft. just a weird in between…
Service was pretty good. Our server was really nice and didn’t charge us for the fries because they initially forgot to bring it out. I really appreciate service like this – makes me more willing to come back, hence the rounded up rating.
Parking: street/​meter