Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille specializes in seafood in marina setting | Grub Scout

Every summer, I try to visit at least one or two regional waterfront eateries I’ve never dined at before. Each year, my options grow fewer, but last week, The Grub Spouse and I were finally able to knock one out — Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille, overlooking Cherokee Reservoir at Black Oak Marina in Jefferson City.

We were periodically pelted by rainstorms en route, but the sky cleared up somewhat in time for our arrival. The host on duty didn’t even ask us if we wanted to sit in the main interior dining room; he presumed that we would want to sit on the enclosed, climate-controlled porch overlooking the lake. He was not wrong.

The fried green tomatoes at Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille are served with a house-made remoulade for dipping.

Since Off the Hook is lakeside dining, it came as no surprise to me that seafood accounts for a fair amount of the menu. Appetizers include fried calamari, fried shrimp, peel-and-eat shrimp, crab cakes and raw oysters. I always love a raw oyster, and I was also compelled by the fried Oysters Rocky Top, but I’m generally wary of landlocked oysters at restaurants that don’t specifically specialize in that item.

We settled instead for the fried green tomatoes ($11.99), which were served with a house-made remoulade for dipping. I expected to see the standard configuration of breaded tomato slices, but instead, our order featured small, cut-up pieces of slices that were thoroughly coated in a fine crust before being deep-fried. They were a little heavy on the seasoning, but that signature green-tomato flavor we were looking for still powered through.

Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille overlooks Cherokee Reservoir at Black Oak Marina in Jefferson City.

The menu offers wraps, burgers and tacos (we passed on $2.99 chicken tacos for Taco Tuesday), but The Spouse did order one of their limited number of sandwiches: The shrimp po’ boy ($15.99) features breaded shrimp that are flash-fried and tossed in that same house remoulade then served on a brioche bun with lettuce and tomato. Sandwiches are typically served with fries, but The Spouse upgraded to onion rings for $2. Other sandwiches selections include grouper, a BLT and a chicken bacon ranch.

I ordered from the entrée section, which offers grilled salmon, snow crab legs, fried shrimp and several steak choices, including a filet mignon with lobster tail. Ambitious diners might try the Seafood Tower — a feast of crab legs, fried lobster tail, shrimp and oysters for a whopping $70. I don’t usually go for fried seafood dishes, but on that evening, I was lured in by the Southern-fried catfish dinner ($17.99). It’s one of their hand-breaded house specialties, and I chose potato salad as my side over the likes of mixed vegetables, fries, cole slaw or a baked potato.

For the most part, I had no major complaints about either of our orders. My catfish plate featured several smaller breaded fillet tenders instead of deboned fish halves, but the flavor was respectable. The potato salad was the stronger component, however, delivering a pleasing mayo-based experience.

The shrimp po’ boy at Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille features breaded shrimp that are flash-fried and tossed in house-made remoulade then served on a brioche bun with lettuce and tomato. You can upgrade the standard side of fries to onion rings.

I was less enthralled by The Spouse’s po’ boy. First, I think po’ boys should be served on a traditional hoagie roll rather than a brioche bun, but at least the bread itself was fresh. The shrimp were tasty, but they were way underrepresented, dwarfed by the outer roll-tomato-lettuce layers. There simply wasn’t enough shrimp present — especially for a $15.99 price tag — to make this sandwich worth it. On the plus side, the battered onion rings were pure deep-fried goodness. Also, the young lady taking care of us that evening did a great job. She was very personable, prompt and conscientious about keeping our drinks filled and plates cleared.

Despite the fact that none of the desserts were homemade, we forged ahead and split a slice of key lime pie for $8.99. This was another instance where the portion and quality didn’t quite justify the price point, in my opinion, but the sweet-and-tangy filling did the job, and I appreciated the raspberry drizzle on the plate — something one doesn’t often find with a key lime pie.

The key lime pie at Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille has an unexpected, tasty raspberry drizzle on the plate.

For anyone enjoying time on the lake, Off the Hook is certainly a convenient spot to drop anchor and enjoy some seafood (though much of it is fried) and perhaps an adult beverage (they also offer trivia and karaoke nights during the week). Even residents of nearby Jefferson City could consider it a worthy seafood destination, but if you have to travel a good distance to try it out (as I did) this restaurant may not float your boat.

Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille

Food: 3.75

Service: 4

Atmosphere: 3.75

Overall: 3.75

Address: 2513 Black Oak Road, Jefferson City

Phone: 865-350-2408

Full bar service

Kids’ menu

Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Sundays; 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays; noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays

Bottom line: This marina-based restaurant on Cherokee Reservoir serves a diverse pub-grub menu, specializing in both fried and non-fried seafood dishes.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Off the Hook Lakeside Bar and Grille specializes in seafood in marina setting | Grub Scout