Hook Fish & Chicken
 Youngstown, Ohio        Date of Visit  04/23/16            Facebook Page

Noticed this little storefront in Y-Town and thought the name sounded interesting. Looked it up online, small outfit out of Pittsburgh, seems as though they fry everything. One day I get a text with a picture of their fish, Mother Dear is scouting ahead and it comes highly recommended. There is nowhere to sit, so we planned on a picnic but weather had us headed for the indoor variety. Didn’t matter.
 

We called ahead and ordered zucchini, three combos (Perch and Wings/Cod and Shrimp/Cat Fish Fillet and Chicken Tenders) and three desserts (Cheesecake [they were out of peach cobbler]/Banana Pudding/Carrot Cake).

We arrived just as the solo employee was stuffing containers so full of friediocity he already had rubber bands ready to hold them somewhere in the vicinity of closed. The food poking out of the sides was so screaming hot and fresh, it was making the Styrofoam writhe in protest. He was really personable and nice.

He asked if we wanted seasoning…told him to do what he normally does…he pulled out a shaker and showered all of the brown goodness with granules of salt and whatever else…. Here’s a hint, don’t pass on the sprinkle, it is the same stuff Tinkerbell used and it seems to spark applause and bring everything to life.
 

The combos all come with stupendously coated fries, grease wicking slices of white bread, and a vinegary sharp and sweet cabbage slaw. All very nice. How everything stayed so hot and crisp throughout the drive and the indoor picnic is the first mystery and testament to their skill level. The appropriate variety of coatings on each ingredient and the outstanding seasoning bring it all home. Everything was hot, crisp and delicious. The shrimp, still tender, had a textural bit of cornmeal bite. The wings were juicy and steaming. All three fishies (wildly different in thickness) were flaky and tender too. Bravo!
 

...Cod &...
 

Good Chicken Tenders &...
 

The desserts were good, but didn’t have the same wow factor. The carrot cake was more reminiscent of a spice cake mix with some veggies strewn throughout. Not bad at all but Primo’s would crush them.

The cheesecake was smooth and sweet with a little cream cheese tang, nothing wrong with that. I actually preferred the more humble nanner puddin’ with the traditional nilla wafers atop. There was clear nanner flavor but there were also fair notes of vanilla in the pudding itself, which made it a little more interesting.

All in all, we were served spectacularly fried staples by a dude who seems to have the warm sense of hospitality that is part and parcel to where much of that food comes from, whether he’s from there or not. Again, Bravo. And definitely Encore! Encore!