- Liza
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 4
- Reviews
Editor Pick
Hula Hut (The)
- April 22, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
notso62 from Boston, Massachusetts
The Hula Hut is about a mile away from the Sixth Street restaurant drag, but the lively atmosphere and fun environment might make customers of this restaurant feel like they are in the middle of all the action. I only discovered the Hula Hut because it was across the street from the convention center where they were holding the State Energy Conservation Office meeting I was attending. This was really the only sit-down restaurant option that was within walking distance to this center.
The Hula Hut looks like a Hawaiian Style tiki hut with palm frond decorations and exposed palm beam construction. The chairs, tables and paper placemats keep with the theme and the waiters and waitresses dress in Hawaiian shirts to complete the look. The back of the restaurant is actually built on stilts over the lake, adding to the beach-side ambiance.
Important to note so that your enjoyment of the Hula Hut is not impeded is that the back of the restaurant is completely open-air. Times to avoid this area would be during days with a lot of mosquitoes (given the close proximity to water) or when the birds are abundant. During one lunch dining occasion in the back of this restaurant, a crow landed a plate away from me and started chowing down on my neighbor’s French fries. Nothing spoils an appetite faster than seeing that.
The Hula Hut’s menu reminded me of many other Mexican Restaurant menus I had seen, only with a Hawaiian twist. Enchiladas, Fajitas, Burgers, and Quesadillas were all accounted for. I tried the Mango quesadillas during one of our lunches and I must say that adding mango to the typical cheese and pepper combination of the quesadilla was an excellent idea. Highly recommended by the waitstaff (but not tried by me since I don’t eat fish) were the fish tacos. One of my dining companions tried these and said they were excellent- especially when taking into consideration the price.
At another lunch, I ordered a veggie burger which came (to my surprise) with a full plate of vegetables and French fries. I could hardly eat half of it, especially after filling up on the crispy chips and salsa that they bring to your table before your meal arrives. Considering that my entire meal was under $10 and I could have split it into three meals, there certainly is something to be said for the value of one’s dollar at this restaurant.
The service here was very friendly and obliged our request to be seated either inside or out (whatever we happened to be feeling that day). Table wait times for our group of 8 for lunch varied between 1 minute and 15 minutes- all-in-all quite reasonable. The Hula Hut also takes reservations for lunch and dinner, for those days that you don’t want to leave it to chance.
From journal A Girl from Boston Goes to Austin
Hula Hut
- July 1, 2005
- Rated 5 of 5 by
dbmaury from Portsmouth, Virginia
I just love this place. It is on Lake Austin and is a mix of Polynesian and Mexican cuisine. It is run by the same people who gave us Chuy's. You can't beat it for the mix of atmosphere and food.
From journal Austin Trip
Hula Hut
- July 23, 2004
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Discin Gil from Austin, Texas
Come here for a tropical feel, added with beautiful views of Lake Austin. A large patio deck with two bars makes a great spot for happy hour. The food is better than expected. The appetizers and dinner portions are quite large. Overall, it is a great laid-back spot anytime of day or night.
From journal Why Leave Austin?
Editor Pick
Hula Hut
- April 25, 2001
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Liza from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
This is definitely my favorite restaurant in all of Austin! Why? The food is always mouth watering, the staff is always happy, the atmosphere is laid back but, lively and the scenery is pleasing.
As the name hints, the Hula-Hut is a Polynesian tropical-style paradise. I think I enjoy this place so much because it reminds me of my recent days past when I was living in the Virgin Islands. It's complete with tiki torches, bamboo walls, multi-colored lights and grass-thatched bars. But don't worry it's done in a tasteful way and not cheesy.
It's located on the banks of Lake Austin, actually one of the dining areas and two of the bars are on a pier over the water. (The furthest bar and eating area in the back are the best!) It's a great place to sit when the weather is warm and sip on frozen Mango Margaritas while munching on the complimentary warm tortilla chips and freshly made chunky salsa that you serve yourself. The Hula Hut is very popular in the summertime on weekend afternoons and it's great for people watching as boaters come and go. It's also a fun place to be for a late evening sunset over the hills. The Hula Hut is a very lively, friendly, laid-back and all around good-time-happy-place to be.
The food is great as well. It's referred to as "Mexonesian Cuisine" because it's a unique mix of Mexican and Polynesian foods. It's inexpensive and you are served very large portions. My favorites are the Mango Poldano Chile Quesadillas (fresh mango, poblano chiles, cream cheese and grilled chicken), Coconut Shrimp (coconut encrusted shrimp with a spicy orange dipping sauce) and Shiner Bock Grilled Fajitas (Shiner beer marinated and charbroiled beef or chicken tossed with grilled onion, green chiles and bell peppers). You can see the cooks pouring the fresh flour tortilla batter on a hot grill while you are walking inside the restaurant. Yum. Whenever I have a friend in town visiting for the first time, I take them to see the Capital, Mt. Bonnell, 6th Street, the bats and the Hula Hut! Seriously, it's right up there and a Polynesian-style paradise not to be missed!
From journal Edible Austin