Hook & Anchor

A seafood joint hailing from Newport Beach's Lido Marina has joined the Rodeo 39 Public Market family. I was pleased to find it here since I've been having a hankering for some fish and chips for a while now. After browsing the menu though, Lobster Carbonara was screaming "order me" and I couldn't pass up on it either. So what does a hungry girl do? Order both, of course.

If you eat in the common areas of a food hall, we all know your food gets packed in a to-go box and particularly for my fish and chips, that wasn't ideal. Some of the fries were soggy and so was the exterior batter of that red snapper. Now, why the 4 stars? I decided to take it home instead so I can pop 'em in the air fryer and yep, it goes without saying, they came out golden. The Lobster Carbonara was also a treat. Perfectly cooked spaghetti with bacon pieces and huge chunks of fresh lobster in a creamy sauce and then topped with fried egg that was waiting to be poked - the pleasure was all mine devouring that dish.

Lobster Roll, you're next on my "To Try" list here.

Hook& Anchor is one of the establishments located inside Rodeo 39. They have their own seating area but I was eating other food, so I elected to place a to go order.

I went for their 4oz lobster roll with a side salad and a drink of unsweetened tea. I left my phone number with them and they said they would call me back when it was ready. After about 15mins or so, they gave me a call and it was ready!

So after unboxing it, I ended up eating the salad (which yay was a nice stark difference to the lobster roll) and all the greens tasted fresh. For their lobster roll was soft and buttery and I was able to cut through it easily. They had some sauces in there that I elected to mix with the lobster that worked out for the best but I definitely enjoyed the pieces of meat that was included in there - I think my piece ended up having the claw piece on here. Fresh lobster!

I kinda wish they had the oysters cuz I was gonna give that a try but they didn't have any at the time. Welps.

Give it a try if you're in Rodeo 39!

I'm a fan! I've been to the Newport location many times and I must say I'm going to start coming here. Located between Garden Grove and Stanton at Rodeo39, it is so much easier to park and there's a lot of dining space from indoors to outdoor patio.

I highly recommend the lobster roll. I usually get a 4 oz but have had the 6 oz too, you can't go wrong either way. They give a lot of lobster meat as well as claw meat. I love it! I get it regular style buttered but add chefs sauce on the side. It's like a creamy Mayo. You can also choose a side. I've had their Cajun fries but when I want to go light I opt for their side salad. So yum with the dressing.

The oysters are super tasty! I love the calamari here, their cocktail sauce does it as well as the tartar sauce. I recently had the tacos and wow do they give you a hefty piece of fish for a not so hefty piece.

Overall, I'd recommend hook n anchor! The service is always great and the seating is spaced out. Be back soon!

Very impressed by not just the taste, but also the amount of lobster that comes in the roll. The bread was just the right amount to allow you to get lobster with every bite. The lobster was cooked perfectly and was so tender and juicy. For sure it's worth the $22 price.

In my opinion it's the closest to Boston lobster rolls that I've had on the west coast thus far. Can't wait to eat another one!

This is one of many eateries located inside Rodeo 39 Public Market, specializing in lobster and other seafood dishes. Most popular item seems to be the Lobster Roll, which is butter poached Maine lobster served on a toasted brioche bun. It's a very simple item with no special sauce or anything else that I was able to taste. At first, I felt underwhelmed by how simple it was, but that all changed after I took a bite of it. The lobster was slightly sweet, buttery, and fresh. I noticed some reviewers mentioning how oily/greasy this item is, but mine was fairly light and just right for my taste. It comes with salad or fries, and is available in 4 oz. and 6 oz. There was an option to get this on a squid ink bun, but I didn't see that option anymore.

I also tried Fish & Chips, Lobster Mac & Cheese, and Newports Finest Salad, all of which were good. Fish was crispy and flaky, and tasted fresh. Only complaint is they forgot to give me malt vinegar with my order. Lobster Mac & Cheese was excellent, although a bit too salty for my preference. It had decent amount of lobster pieces, more than what I expected. Newports Finest Salad was very fresh, and came with grilled shrimps, crab, lobster, tomato, cucumber, and mixed greens.

Price seemed reasonable on most items except for the Lobster Roll.

Went here on a Sunday with my best friend to have some girl time. We really enjoyed the location. We walked the Rodeo 39 and ended here because they serve breakfast until 2 and we wanted Mimosas!

We walked up, checked out the menu and told the hostess we were going to look around a bit, but may be back. When we arrived back, she immediately seated us.

The lobster really caught my eye when we first I passed my. We ended up ordering and sharing Lobster fries! They were delicious and the lobster pieces were a good size.

For my meal, I had the Poke Stack as I am huge fan of poke! It was average priced and perfect with the Lobster fries to fill me up. My best friend had the Crab Cake Benedict, which she thought was really good as well.

We both had Mimosas. They have a deal, where you can get bottomless Mimosas for $16.

We sat inside, but they do have a cute little patio off the backside that you can dine in too. The inside is close enough to hear the games playing in the main area with the bar that is part of Rodeo 39. It wasn't too loud, there was a soccer game on, but we didn't have trouble hearing each other. They do have their own quaint bar to grab a drink.

Our waitress was attentive, she let us know that if we needed any adjustments to what we ordered to let her know. She was very sweet and accommodating.

Overall, this place was good and we would definitely eat there again!

Hook & Anchor is another eatery located in the back of Rodeo 39, near Bearded Tang Brewing.
I have to wholeheartedly agree with Kimberly D.'s review! I too ordered the lobster carbonara, which is priced at $27. I wanted to love it because I don't eat lobster all the time, nor do I indulge in a lot of pasta these days. I was hoping to be wowed by a dish that is normally loved by most, however, it was just not meant to be.

First of all, the portion was ridiculous! It was basically a kid size serving, no joke! A grown man could probably eat the whole thing in maybe 4 bites. Second, the flavor was just alright. It didn't blow me away, that's for sure. It was a bit bland. My suggestion would be to maybe sprinkle it with a bit more parmesan/asiago, and maybe a squeeze of lemon to give it some zing. I will say that there were okay sizes of lobster and pancetta in it, but that was probably the highlight of it. Lastly, the pasta seemed just short of al dente, so it threw me off a bit. About the only thing this dish had going for it was the presentation. It did look nice, but sadly the taste didn't match. Maybe I came when they weren't having a good day, but I probably won't ever get this dish again. I might have been better off with one of the lobster rolls, as that's what a majority of yelpers seem to order.

I can't say I highly recommend Hook & Anchor, but I will suggest trying their other menu items. The pricing for the lobster carbonara is mind boggling for what it is, but the other items seem reasonably priced. I guess I'll find out if those prices are worth it should I decide to give this place another chance. Wishing you better luck!

3/27/21

Second time at Hook & Anchor at Rodeo 39 in Stanton.

Ordered the Hook Plate, which was fish of your choice and 2 sides. Ordered over the phone (found their direct number on Google). This was for take out. Everything was ready by the time I got there to pick up my food.

I ordered the halibut with the 2 sides of the cauliflower purée. The purée tasted funky, like something gone bad. It didn't have that light clean flavor that I know and have tasted before at other restaurants. Also, their cauliflower purée was super gummy and just nasty. I had to toss that aside and throw it in the trash.

The halibut was fine and has not gone bad or anything. It wasn't overcooked. But it wasn't mindblowingly delicious nor cooked perfectly.
The only thing that saved this whole thing was the Lemon Caper Buerre Blanc that was the sauce for the halibut. So unhappy with the food. Will not be back.

I first witnessed Hook & Anchor's lobster roll on IG and knew I had to make the trip out to Rodeo 39 to try it. They're located along the back right corner of Rodeo 39 - next to Beared Tang Brewery.

I ordered the 4 ounce lobster roll for $22. They also offer a 6 ounce option for $32. Both options include fries or a house salad. Since I was at Rodeo 39 and basically trying 80% of the food vendors there, I had to opt for the 4oz. I thought $22 and $32 were both pretty steep, but it is lobster.

The lobster roll is served on a toasted brioche bun and we ordered our fries cajun style. A side of butter was also included, but I didn't end up using it. The lobster came buttered up already and it was so juicy already. Each bite was oozing with lobster goodness and I was definitely sad when it was over. I devoured the entire roll in exactly 4 bites. The taste is definitely a 10/10 and I would eat it more often it was slightly cheaper.

There is an outdoor patio at Rodeo 39 for you to enjoy your food and drinks! The employees were all wearing masks and following COVID protocols.

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Sending you some lobster noods on Seafood Saturday because I wanna make you drool (cue evil laughs ). ⁣
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down for some lobster carbonara ? You can get some takeouts from Hook & Anchor, located in Newport Beach or inside Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton. Don't let the lockdown stop you from eating delicious food. We love takeouts and eat at home next to our pups & watch Kdrama. Soon we'll dine again but for now, let's stay safe, order takeouts & eat at home with our loved ones . ⁣
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What we recommend:
Lobster Carbonara ⁣
Seafood Cioppino ⁣