Hookin’ Ain’t Easy Seafood Company in St Petersburg

Published on 01/31/24: Hookin’ Ain’t Easy!

Colt and I finally had a chance to check out this St Pete hidden gem. It checks off the boxes with a fresh seafood market, tiki bar, sandy area with games, live music, delicious food, and picnic tables for casual dining with family and friends.

Captain Matthew and Veronica Neumann Own Hookin’ Ain’t Easy

Plus, you’re supporting a local family-owned business! Captain Matthew and Veronica Neumann started HAE initially as a seafood market, though expanded not too long ago to include a bar and outdoor dining area with food truck, sand, shells, toys, and games.

Address: 3660 22nd Ave S, St Petersburg

Google Reviews: 4.7/5 with 330+ reviews

Community Driven – Hookin’ Ain’t Easy

Stepping into the seafood market area, my son quickly said “hey, it’s Weber!!” Amongst an array of decor, was a small photo of a local kids baseball team, sponsored by the business. In that picture was Colt’s longtime buddy, a player on the team. I have *no idea* how he saw Weber, given everything else going on in the market. Ha. Point being, you can also check off the “community” checkbox for Hookin’ Ain’t Easy.

Captain Matthew and Veronica are the hard-working local owners. I didn’t get the scoop on Veronica, but I know Matthew has lived in St Pete his entire life. He’s a commercial fisherman who catches much of the seafood himself, together with his commercial buddies. Exception of course is ie snow crab. I get a kick out of following their accounts, as one day Matthew is out catching stone crabs and the next he’s tending bar.

Great Customer Service

During our visit, every 10-15 minutes or so, Capt Matthew stepped out from behind the bar to check on customers at the picnic tables. While servers deliver the food, a nice touch to have the owner checking in on things. I overheard ie “How was your meal?” “Are you all good? Can I get you anything?” “Hope you enjoyed”.

Capt Matthew at Hookin’ Ain’t Easy

Matching the atmosphere, you’ll notice Captain Matthew’s flip flops and beard in the pics. All certainly on brand with the atmosphere. As I took a pic with him, Crocodile Dundee flashed through my head saying, “that’s not a beard, THIS is a beard”. Ha. In all seriousness, you can tell he’s living his best life, doing what he loves. He’s putting his friendly personality and fishing/crabbing skills to their best combined use. I unfortunately didn’t have a chance to meet Veronica, but I imagine the same applies to her.

Hours:

Weekdays 10:30am-7pm

Saturday: 9am – 7pm

Sunday: 11am – 5pm

Outdoor cafe is open Wednesday-Sunday.

Photo Credit #1 and #7 to Hookin’ Ain’t Easy Seafood

Mike Braswell is a Tampa Bay Real Estate Agent, with over 43K people following his St Petersburg Activity Guide on social media! Mike’s past includes developing a vacation rental advertising business that he ran for more than a decade, then sold to HomeAway/VRBO. He would love to help you buy or sell a Tampa Bay Area property! simply contact Mike