Hula Hut

Doesn't Recommend

badfoodgoodfood

Joined 4 years ago

Another austin eatery that rides only on its reputation.. If 7-11 Were to make a restaurant based on there frozen food section they might as well call it Chuys Hula Hut. First off the salsa was inedible, which made us order the queso, maybe that is there evil plan because the very small queso was 5 bucks. Second, i ordered a burrito and it seriously tasted like i just went to the grocery store and bought the 100 burrito package for 99 cents and poured sauce on it. Everyone was cramped onto that tiny deck, i dunno how the waiters were able to move around. I cannot portray my anger enough for the salsa. DISGUSTING. I left Broke as heel with a stomach ache. I hope a flood takes that place with it.

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pinkgwen

Joined 4 years ago

thumbsup. nice , fun atmosphere.

Recommends

LoneStrGal

Joined 4 years ago

Great all around. We went there for my 50th birthday on a Saturday at 1:00 p.m. It was already crowded and we probably had about an hour wait; which is the norm from what I had read on other reviews. We had a party of 20 and they crammed us all together to where we were bumping elbows but we made it work by spreading out around the ends of the tables so it wasn't too bad. The waitress was EXTREMELY nice. I believe her name was Anna (she was pregnant). She was awesome and very friendly. The food...I had their chicken chile relleno and OMG it was delicious!! My daughter had the tubular steak taco which was good as well. The atmosphere was great. Very relaxed. It's well worth the wait once you get seated.

Doesn't Recommend

CSMobileUser

Joined 5 years ago

Deceptive Wait Times. Been to Hula Hut 4 times now and each visit has been more dissapointing than the last. First and second time were decent enough with service being lackluster on the second visit. Service and wait illusion were less acceptable on my third visit. Upon my final visit, tonight, wait was quoted as 15 to 25 minutes and after 35 we asked where we were on the list. Were told we were next on the list so we sat by the front counter. While there we watched two other identical parties seat indoor (our request based on shorter wait times) during the next 15 minutes. There were also four adequate tables within easy view open during most of the 15 minutes we spent sitting at the counter. Also witnessed a member of a party of four come to the counter who said they'd been waiting for 90 minutes (I don't doubt this as they were sitting near us at the bar). While the food is good for the price, the atmosphere is fun and the location can't be beat the deceptive wait time ruins it for me. If you've got two or three hours at your disposal for dinner then Hila Hut is great!

Doesn't Recommend

heathercade

Joined 4 years ago

ONE WAITRESS CAN RUIN IT. My family has moved to Austin - I live in Dallas. We try to go to Hula Hut when I visit.

I was recently there & we really didn't have a problem w/ the wait because we felt that it was worth it. We sat at the outside bar for awhile, no one came to the table so my friend ordered at the bar, but remained at the table.

A waitress named Lauren - just came over & glared at us when she saw that we had ordered at the bar & not from her. The irony is, it is the customers, that should be mad. We just found it funny that she walked to every table but ours to ask if they needed anything. When we got the table- I did tell her THANKS FOR THE SERVICE.

The waiter at the table was much better, but we were already irritated by that point. I hope she is not still working there when I get back to Austin.

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dizfactor

Joined 4 years ago

Great Way to Spend an Evening on the Lake.. This is truly one of my top 5 restaurants in any city I have been in. The food is spectacular, the location is awesome, the drinks are fantastic and the atmosphere is fun. Plus its a good place to buy a "Keep Austin Weird" t-shirt. You really can't go wrong with the food here, every dish I have had is good. If you are a fajita person, then you can't go wrong here, and they have several different kinds that are unique. The drinks are excellent, and I would recommend the Texas Martini. Where this restaurant shines though is its deck that extends over Lake Austin. Its great for lunch when you can see the full lake, but its even better at night when you can watch the sun go down, and see the lights across the lake at night. It makes for an ideal setting for a meal. The deck is heated so it is good year round and you don't have to worry about getting cold while you are on it. Parking is a little tricky, but there is a large lot up the hill and across the street. There is a little shuttle that is available for those that fear they can't take the hill. If you are visiting Austin then you would be best served adding this restaurant to your list of stops.

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perfectfitwhit

Joined 5 years ago

perfect sunset. This was the first place I ate at when I moved to Austin and I keep going back for more! The scenery is beautiful and the service is great. I'm never disappointed with the food- the Shiner fajitas are excellent! I'm also very picky about my salsa but I have no complaints there. Even if you're just looking for a place to have a few drinks, it's great to just go sit on the dock, have a beer, eat some of the free chips and salsa and relax.

Recommends

ohyeahlach

Joined 7 years ago

Best family friendly place? Are you kidding me?. This place is like the Oasis, you go for the view and the atmosphere but the food. We had the appetizer platter and not one thing was good. We're shocked that chuy's owns this place! The queso was like water it was so runny.. service mediocre at best.

Not sure why this place was voted best family friendly place. There were overserved patrons everywhere (duh it''s on the lake). Didn't seem clean either so I'm dumbfounded on how it ended up voted high for families. The view is pretty though so I can see some of it's appeal. Next time I will go for drinks only.

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tweeter44lb

Joined 5 years ago

Great experience. I think jnbruns just got cut when he tried to get in a frat and now he's angry with the world. But Hula Hut is a great location with food I'd rate 7.5 out of 10. It's good, a little pricey but it's a good experience and fun to go with a group.

Doesn't Recommend

jnbruns

Joined 5 years ago

Worst Dining Experience of my Life. Bomb this location. The food was terrible, and it was so loud from all the little frat-boy-rich-kids yelling at each other, I couldn't hear myself chew. I hardly ever got a refill, and it took 45 minutes to get a seat. This is where Austin's Bourgeoisie go to feel quaint amongst the commons; euthanize yourself before eating here.