Popular Seafood Shack (Not Near Water) Closes In Hudson County

JERSEY CITY, NJ — It was a hip seafood shack, but it wasn't on the water. Hooked JC — located on a street corner in the Bergen-Lafayette area of Jersey City — gained a steady following of customers over its five years.

The restaurant offered up a "fresh catch," scallops, peel-and-eat shrimp, po' boys, lobster rolls and fried oysters.

But last week, two weeks after celebrating a fifth anniversary, the owners announced they were closing the place.

"When one door closes another opens!" they wrote. "We’ve decided to consolidate our resources and move our full attention to Cafe Alyce. Hooked JC will forever have a special place in our hearts and we are excited about what’s ahead for our new venture."

Cafe Alyce is a breakfast and lunch spot at 641 Montgomery St., the Bergen Hill neighborhood of the West Side — about three quarters of a mile from Hooked JC. See photos of their dishes here.

The story of the shack had restaurant lovers hooked: Two childhood friends from Florida reconnected up north, wanted to start a restaurant, and decided there weren't enough seafood joints in the area (even though Jersey City has been called a top foodie town in America).

According to Jersey Digs, the pair made connections to reel in fresh fish. Patrons were delighted.

The owners wrote, "Thank you to all our friends, families, neighbors and guests who have made Hooked JC such a success! We hope you’ll come see us this week to celebrate an amazing 5 our years and visit us soon at @cafe_alyce !!" .

"Thank you for 5 awesome years," wrote a customer on Instagram. "The crab mac and cheese was divine and the hush puppies worthy of rooftop-shouting."

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