Lauren and Lisa Cassity, owners of the Hook & Plow, learned what it takes to run a successful restaurant first-hand. They began their restaurant industry careers as teenagers bartending, serving and cleaning bathrooms.

“It’s always been our wheelhouse and our passion,” Lauren said.

The twin sisters were born and raised on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and grew up visiting Bend as children.

In 2014, the Cassitys founded the first location of the Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach and worked as the core staff to get the restaurant up and running. Now, there are three Hook & Plow restaurants in California, with the fourth and most recent addition in Bend’s Westside Yard.

Local and organic

All of the Hook & Plow restaurants carry a similar style of food, with a focus on sourcing local and organic ingredients. At the Bend restaurant, ingredients are sourced from farms across Central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, with bread from Sparrow Bakery, grass-fed beef from Painted Hills Natural Beef and hazelnuts from Oregon Orchard.

“We’re just trying to bring the flavors of a place to life,” Lauren said.

A less-is-more approach was taken with the design of the menu, which features appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees and a raw section.

The Hook & Plow’s signature dishes include the ahi poke ($16), (a nod to the Cassity’s Hawaiian upbringing), the furikake french fries ($10), a seafood chowder made with chunks of fish, the Hook & Plow burger ($22) and the peach and burrata salad ($16).

First impressions

From start to finish, a visit to the Hook & Plow was a memorable experience. The meal began with an offer of a complimentary cucumber or lemon water.

I selected a painkiller cocktail ($14) off the drink list. The banana-yellow beverage was served in a Ball mason jar with a paper straw, an orange slice, a cherry and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Bright notes from the orange and pineapple juice shone through the creaminess of the coconut cream.

My dining partner and I began our meal with the ahi poke, one of four options on the raw section of the menu. The sushi-grade tuna was dressed in a house poke sauce and had been pressed into a ring mold, forming a circular shape next to the tortilla chips. In addition to the beautiful presentation, it was mouthwatering.

The burger was served with an organic grilled salad and was impressively tall, revealing the layers of ingredients inside. The burger, composed of grass-fed beef, was accompanied by gorgonzola cream, butter lettuce and a heaping of fried onions held together by a Sparrow Bakery brioche bun.

My partner said the burger tasted fresh and light. It was obvious that the meat was of high quality and the crispy onions added a nice detail.

The scallop risotto ($36) was a phenomenal main course. The scallops were sourced from British Columbia, Canada, each one juicy and sweet with a textured, crispy outside. The dish was served in a cast-iron skillet with pea and shallot puree mixed into the risotto, turning it a light green color. A garnish of finely grated parmesan cheese and microgreens amplified the flavors.

The interior decor is minimalist with a neutral color palette, lending a sense of comfort to the ambiance. Ropes hung from the ceiling at the front door, separating the entryway from the dining area, while keeping the space open. On warmer days, the roll-up garage doors will allow for indoor and outdoor dining to merge. For now, the doors allow ample natural light to fill the light and airy space.

More Coverage

Downtown Bend’s Latin fusion restaurant reintroduces itself as a cocktail bar

Cornerstones of the business

The leading guiding principle of the Cassity’s business plan is hiring the right staff, followed by serving high-quality food and fostering a welcoming environment.

“The Hook and Plow, in our eyes, is a place for the community,” Lauren said.

The Cassitys are hands-on in their management style and can often be seen on the floor of the restaurant with General Manager Hayden Huntoon, filling in whenever needed and interacting with customers.

When customers complained online about the cost of the bread and butter, originally listed on the menu at $12, the Cassitys took the feedback to heart and made a quick pivot. They discussed it with Executive Chef Ryan Ohmert, evaluated the food cost and changed the cost of the appetizer to $8 the following day.

“Another thing that’s really cool about being a family-run restaurant and not a chain restaurant is that we can make changes really quickly,” Lauren said.

Happy hour arrives on the menu this week with drink specials and small bites. Soon to come will be daily lunch options and brunch served on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

More Coverage

Dear Irene opens in downtown Bend with a top-notch fine dining experience