Hooks Grille - 26 Lakeshore Rd E, Mississauga

This restaurant is located in my neighbourhood about two minutes from my house. My family and I have always wanted to go but have never gotten around to it. So last Sunday we decided to go and have dinner there. It is located in Lakeshore, east of Mississauga Rd, and faces the Lake and harbour (Port Credit Harbour). They try to pull off a Lousiana-New Orleans type of style.

Service - This is a small restaurant, and thus it has two chefs and one waitress. There are only about 10 tables max in there, and with a small kitchen, she can handle it. However, it still was not good enough. She was nice enough and I have no beef with her except because she is only one person, tables do not get all the attention they may need. However, I understand it is a small restaurant, and one thing that does impress me is that they do cater to people in the area. I saw three people walk in and they had reservations. They sat down and the waitress automatically brought over a bottle of wine for them and got them settled with a drink. The good thing about small restaurants in small towns is the likeliood of remembering repeat customers and knowing what they like. That's a good thing. 0.75/1.0

Environment - This place looks nice, but does not follow one theme. On their walls they have Venetian Masks, fishing cages, African instruments, and a whole bunch of other different cultural goods. It does not follow one them which is odd, but they try their best to make it work. It's a small restaurant that did not seem to cramped so all in all, 0.65/1.0

Food

Appetizer - Jazz Bread, $8.00 - Thought this was like their bruschetta, and it was similar. It had tomatoes, feta cheese, and some peppers I think. It was good though, soft bread, cheese is not too strong, and the tomatoes tasted fresh. Was a good appetizer.

Appetizer - Caesar Salad with bacon, $8.00 - This was a very good caesar salad. The dressing was not too strong, in fact the lettuce came out stronger than the caesar. The bacon was very good, they cooked real bacon just fried like your breakfast, and the lettuce was fresh as well. Also a good appetizer

Entree - Rack of Lamb, $28.00 - I had this dish, came with some veggies and potatoes. Had about four pieces two bones each. I enjoyed this one, the flavour was strong, a little bit burnt but I know it is the way they make it. Was very tasty with not too much of a lamb taste. I enjoyed it, but was not as good as the lamb at JWs.

Entree - Jambalaya, $26.00 - This was a massive dinner. It had half rice, and tons of seasood. We are talking a huge bucket of mussels, shrimp, big scallops, and fish. This was one mother meal and good for sharing. The rice was a bit undercooked for my flavour. I think they use basmati rice, and although I don't mind basmati, just feel they need to cook it longer.

Entree - Maple Trout, $17.00 - My mom had this and another good dish, again the rice was the same, but white this time. But the trout was very good. It had the fresh flavour and the maple was just the right sweetness to change the taste. It provided a little kick to and otherwise boring piece of fish.

Coffee - This one failed, don't bother with it. Tasted horrible.

Overall - Food - I enjoyed this place. Although the lamb and jambalaya are over $20, all other dishes are less than $20. So it's a good deal, good food, good location for views. Yes they can improve I think, but it was above average.0.7/1.0

Presentation - I enjoyed their presentation of food. Each one was displayed differently but organized. Did not look like a slab of food on one plate, but rather hearty meals made to impress.0.75/1.0

Price - This is one thing that was good. Like I said before, almost all entrees under $20. So it's a good deal with lots of things to eat. They don't skimp on the portions either, which happens more in small restaurants, so their prices were worth it. 0.8/1.0

Overall - Overall I was impressed with this place. They also have ample parking. The street is usually not full and is free after 5PM. Also the library next to it has a huge parking lot, so I will go back. It was not exceptionally spectacular, but above average for a lot of things. 3.65/5.0