How Encino’s ‘Off The Hook’ Seafood Grille Keeps Prices Down

As catchy names go for Encino restaurants— especially seafood restaurants—it’s hard to beat “Off The Hook.” And when the eatery happens to be the successor to “Hooked on Fish,” the name surely has a special appeal to those who enjoy a little play on words or like to keep tabs on the community’s ever-changing foodie scene.

It’s hard to miss Off The Hook while visiting the Encino Town Center on Ventura Boulevard. The “fresh fish grille,” as the restaurant describes itself, overlooks the main street (as opposed to being tucked away in the courtyard) and it’s tempting to walk in if you’re looking for a bite to eat.

Featured on the Food channel and on Rachael Ray Show, the restaurant is located at 17200 Ventura Blvd. (suite 226). It supplanted the former Hooked on Fish in July 2011 with a simple goal, in the words of owner Jeff Corum: “Serve fresh food quickly without waiting for a server and without spending too much.”

Corum, who was district manager for Pasta Pomodoro’s restaurants across Southern California before he bought out Hooked on Fish and opened Off The Hook, knows a thing or two about running successful restaurants. Affordability is an important factor, and a key reason why Off The Hook's prices are low is because Corum is also the restaurant’s chef, busboy, dishwasher, cashier and bookkeeper, not to mention plumber and electrician. (“I do whatever needs to be done—you name it,” he says.)

You can have Ahi Tuna or Trout at Off The Hook for $10.50 and a filet of Branzino costs just $11 (two for $18). Corum uses high-HDL canola oil or olive oil and says he only serves sustainable seafood that comes in compostable containers. “We want you to live a healthier life and leave the world and its oceans as awe-inspiring as they were given to us,” says a line on the restaurant’s take-out menu.