JB Hook's Restaurant

JB Hook’s  is your favorite restaurant at the Lake of the Ozarks . You love the long happy hours, delicious steak & seafood, 14-mile panoramic views of the lake, live music during the week, and so much more! But, do you know the full history of our incredible restaurant? Keep reading to learn all about how we got started and how we got where we are today.  Ownership The JB Hook’s location was originally owned by Dave and Phillis Marose in 1978 under the name "Captain Hook’s". For a time, Dwayne and Donna Steele owned the location under the name "Krazo’s". Then in 1995 John Lafata and Bruce Elliott opened the beloved JB Hook’s, combining their initials and hearkening back to the location’s roots. That year in February, the legend of JB Hook’s began! Persevering Through Adversity Three months after opening, all seemed to be going well when disaster struck… Fire. The blaze burned through JB Hook’s, destroying most of the building. Even though it would have been ea...

With the best steaks and seafood at the Lake of the Ozarks , JB Hook’s is an award-winning institution and a crowd favorite. It wasn’t always an easy road getting to where we are today.  By adapting to change and persevering through crisis, owners John Lafata and Bruce Elliott created the JB Hook’s you know and love today. Our history is rich and inspiring, and we are grateful to be able to share our story with you. Ownership The JB Hook’s location was originally owned by Dave and Phillis Marose in 1978 under the name Captain Hook’s. Then Dwayne and Donna Steele owned the location under the name Krazo’s for a time. In 1995 John Lafata and Bruce Elliott opened the beloved JB Hook’s, combining their initials and hearkening back to the location’s roots. That year in February, the legend of JB Hook’s began.   Persevering Through Adversity Three months after opening, all seemed to be going well when disaster struck… Fire. The blaze burned through JB Hook’s, dest...

January is a time to look ahead to a brand new year full of possibilities. It's also a wonderful time to take a look back at the things that have happened to get you where you are right now. We are very excited about the coming months for our Lake of the Ozarks steak and seafood restaurant , and we decided to take a look back of our own. JB Hook's has a very interesting history.  Name Changes The JB Hook's that you know today has seen quite a few changes happen all around the lake area, and we've also gone through many changes of our own. When this restaurant opened, it was originally called Captain Hook's. Later, that named was changed to Krazo's.  John LaFata and Bruce Elliott reopened the restaurant under its current name of JB Hook's in February of 1995. Next month we'll be celebrating our 23rd year in business, nearly a quarter of a century!   A Tragic Fire It was a very exciting time, but unfortunately a few months in, there was a huge ...

The JB Hook's of today has been through some big changes over the past 25 years.  The Lake of the Ozarks best seafood restaurant has survived name changes, Lake area construction, and a destructive fire.   The restaurant was originally called called Captain Hook's two and a half decades ago, and then later changed to Krazo's.  John LaFata and Bruce Elliot opened it as JB Hook's in February of 1995. Tragically, that only lasted for 3 months before a fire blazed through the restaurant destroying much of the building.  An entire Lake of the Ozarks Summer season had to be missed during the rebuilding before the restaurant opened it's doors back up in September of 1995. The new version of the building has undergone several architectural changes and additions since then.  The lower kitchen and Sunset Room were added to offer a lunch menu.  It is enclosed within three walls of glass, offering an uninterrupted and truly breathtaking view of the Lake.  ...