Hula Hut

11/02/2008 Posted by perfectfitwhit

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.

Pros: scenery, great food, good service

Cons: usually long wait for table at dinnertime

07/23/2008 Posted by ohyeahlach

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.

Pros: On the lake w/ a nice view, valet parking

Cons: Food!

07/08/2008 Posted by tweeter44lb

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.

Pros: Fun experience with family co workers or friends

Cons: A little over priced

02/18/2008 Posted by jnbruns

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.

Pros: It's a lakeside location, so it's easier to drown yourself.

Cons: You want to drown yourself.

07/18/2007 Posted by majavita

I used to love Hula Hut. Now I have a toddler and I absolutely hate having to wait a minimum of 1 hour (off-peak) for a table and then sitting my little one in their High Chairs. These chairs are disgusting. I once asked staff to please clean it off for me. He simply passed the stinky towel he had on hand and left a bunch of rice in the creases of the chair. Terrible! I always have to scrub them off with disinfecting wipes and they end up black! So, for me it is only worthwhile if we can sit outside, it is a lovely day and we are not starving. Foodwise, I recommend the Puau Platter. Wonderful Tres Leches dessert.

Pros: Lake View, Happy Crowd, Yummy Platters

Cons: Filthy, Long Wait

06/07/2007 Posted by moubina

I have a coworker that raves about Hula Hut, but after a few experiences there, I have this to say: the food is unimaginative and overly fried (I'd always thought that frying made just about anything taste better, but Hula Hut has proved me wrong here), the stench of cooking oil gone bad (I'm assuming from the kitchen's greasetrap) is unbearable, and, no offense to the younger crowd, but I don't relish spending an evening out with a bunch of high school kids. Given these factors, I cannot fathom why people would wait 2+ hours for a table!

Pros: Lake view

Cons: Odor, mediocre food, high school crowd

04/09/2007 Posted by diana84ut

chips and salsa are great, the burritos are awesome. the service is HORRIBLE.. and just to eat you have to wait 2 hrs and up sometimes on more busy days. Its nice thats its on a lake but its right next to a stinky dam...wtf? SALSA is very hot sometimes...

Pros: CHIPS AND BURRITOS

Cons: WAIT WAIT WAIT AND SERVICE

03/28/2007 Posted by sel1177

As someone who loves and has greatly enjoyed lazy afternoons at HH for the past number of years, I was hugely disappointed by my visit last night. I took my mother (in from Dallas) and we met 3 family friends for dinner on a Tuesday night. The wait was expected, and I never expect to have great service at HH, but we had the WORST experience with a waitress I have ever had at any restaurant, ever. To begin with, she was inattentive and acted entirely put out when one of our guests joined us about 30 minutes late (mind you, but this time there were a number of open tables on the deck so it wasn't like we were loitering and keeping her from getting new customers/tips). The icing on the cake though was when one of my friends raised her hand to get her attention after she had walked by our table without so much as a glance in our direction about three times, and she huffed over to our table and actually got mad at my friend, telling her not to ever wave at her again in a VERY demeaning tone of voice. To be fair, the food was fine, and we still had a great time, but the service was appalling.

Pros: Sun, lake, sunset, people-watching

Cons: Service, parking

02/14/2007 Posted by bradskate

Hula Hut is a unique Mexican - Polynesian restaurant with a beautiful view of the lake. I always take out of town guests to Hula Hut for a fun and very Austin restaurant. My favorite dish is the Hawaiian Fajitas with a Mai Tai. If you live in or are visiting Austin, you don't want to miss a trip to the Hula Hut.

Pros: Great food

Cons: They're always busy and don't take reservations

01/31/2007 Posted by tone1

They tried but giving a good volume of food, the quality missed the mark. If you are under 21, you'll like this place. Not sure if it is the water or the resturant, but the smell is a problem.

Pros: Water, View, Young Women

Cons: Smell, Quality Problems