Hook Line Sinker - St Thomas

We were the only ones to arrive early, which was nice. The food we ordered was excellent. My son had the shrimp scampi, I had the mussels, and my mother enjoyed the ribs. Everything was delicious. The interior was beautifully designed, though nothing particularly unique. Our server was attentive and made our experience pleasant. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the small marina as it was quite dark outside. The restaurant could probably take better advantage of its location. We did notice some construction work going on while we were there, which was a bit distracting.

Despite having reservations, we had to seat ourselves upon arrival. The tables were not cleaned, and we were greeted by a number of dirty dishes. The waitress seemed forgetful and brought us the wrong drinks. Additionally, the top of the soda can was dirty. As for the food, it was mediocre at best. The lettuce on the burger we ordered was wilted and old, and despite requesting no cheese, it came with cheese. To top it all off, the waitress dropped cutlery and a drink on the floor. Overall, it was a disappointing experience.

The 2 things on the menu that were good were the pasta and mussels. The conch fritters were brown on the outside but mush inside. Same for the lobster cakes. The lobster platter was not worth it. $59 and the food had no flavor. Butter was just butter. Drinks were great. Our server from Brazil was amazing.

This restaurant is permanently closed, although it’s not clear since their website is still up and reservations can be made on OpenTable. We only discovered it was closed upon our arrival. Fortunately, we ended up at the French Quarter Bistro in Frenchtown, and it was amazing!

We’ve enjoyed eating at HLandS over the years, but haven’t been to St Thomas since twin hurricanes and Covid. We were happy to see HLandS is still there! The food was delicious and prepared with care- almond-encrusted swai (especially delicious), and grilled snapper. Homemade key lime pie for dessert. Yum! Pleasant and efficient service, and beautiful setting, eating outside overlooking the water.