Located in Ormond Beach, Florida, Hull's is fast and inexpensive. Many menu items are local too: owner Jim Hull actually catches a few.
When I saw the back of Hull's menu, with the lines from John Masefield's "Sea Fever" ("I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life,/ To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife"), I knew I'd have to order something.
Outside, nets decorate the doorway off Ridge Avenue. Inside, Hull's kitchen does not look like much except for the constantly refilled bin of large, crisp- and tasty-looking fries, but you always get to watch your fish cooked. And if that's not reasssuring, WNDB Radio voted Hull's the area's "best seafood restaurant" in 2009.
Owned by "Captain" Jimmy Hull, who catches some of his own fish, and has his own fish market next door, service is fast, and the staff, mostly but not all young, are friendly. I had my order broiled, with boiled new potatoes, which were quite good and not at all overcooked.
Local Fish
Mahi and ahi (yellowfin tuna) are almost always available but the less expensive albacore tuna is rarely available. The one day albacore was available it was very fresh, although obviously, if I like albacore, I'm no tuna connoisseur. In the absence of albacore tuna, the "fish of the day" on the menu is usually North Carolina flounder. It's generally tasty and fresh but not quite local. All the same, Hull's is not without variety. Some days either Wahoo (fresh-tasting, though perhaps a bit dry if broiled) and Amberjack, both local, are offered as alternatives to the flounder.
Except for the flounder, as noted from North Carolina, and the lobster which is of course from Maine, most fish varieties are local. Fish can be ordered broiled, pan-blackened (which is spicey, I'm told), or fried, except with fish and chips, where the fish is always fried. The menu is nicely printed, with offerings under "Lil' Mates" (one fish item, oysters, scallops, shrimp, a crab cake, or the fish of the day, plus one side) priced between $6.00 and $10.00, but the best place to look for specials and see what's available is the board! You can eat out on the patio, or in the dining room, or take home with you.
Other Menu Items
Besides fish cooked to order, Hull's serves a "spicey" fish stew, crab cakes, and an inexpensive seafood dip. Other than the constantly refreshed french fries, side dishes include the delicious red potatoes I tried, wild rice, black bean soup, and more traditional southern fare such as okra.
For beverages, Hull's offers a number of different beers at $3.50 to $4.50 U.S. a bottle, while wine is around $3.50 a glass. There's also of course soda. Dessert options, which I did not try, include key lime pie, made by a bakery, plus several different kinds of cake. Larger party platters (including really large ones such as the "Northern Waters" platter, with lobster of course, and "Southern Waters," with oysters) are available for take out.
When and Where?
Hull's is open from 10:30 a.m. till 9 p.m. seven days (but closes for some Holidays). It's on the corner of North Ridgewood Avenue and West Granada Boulevard (U.S. Highway 40) in downtown Ormond Beach, just a few blocks west of the waterway. The address is 111 West Granada. There's parking off of Highway 40 and more parking off North Ridgewood.
Copyright Catherine E Whitehead