Hula Hut

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. more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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 more

Hula Hut is definitely an Austin jewel. You can tell by how the wait during peak times can take up 1-2 hours easily, and this place isn't small! One of the greatest things to enjoy at Hula Hut is the atmosphere whether you are sitting inside with the chill ambiance or outside on the pier where you can look over onto Lake Austin. Beware though, during peak times parking can even take up a good portion of your time. Still... All people that like in Austin should come check out this place and enjoy the great food that they serve. I highly recommend this place for anyone to check out when they come to Austin. Pros: Great food, service, and atmosphere Cons: Parking and long long long waits during peak times more

this is a crazy popular place. i don't know how much of that has to do with the food. the fish tacos are good, the pipeline enchiladas are okay. i do like the mango poblano quesadillas but they aren't enough to be a meal. the veggie fajitas are pretty good. this is a place that is way more for margaritas on the lake. one huge grudge i have- they started charging for the jalepeno ranch dip which used to be on a request basis to go with the chips and salsa. Pros: on the lake, specialty drinks Cons: quality declining, prices increasing more

Where else can you go that's in the middle of town, sit on the lake and have terriific mexican / sea food while sipping on a fish bowl full of your favorite rum concoction. this is what life in Austin is all about. I suggest the Mantego Bay Shrimp tacos. more

Working our way through "to-visit lists" giving to me by people who have lived in Austin longer than we have (4 months): went there one week-day evening. The place wasn't busy, but parking was difficult. Because it was dark, and I was alone with my kids, I used the valet parking ($6). Kids menu was good, with a large variety of kid-friendly stuff. Both kids had the hamburger just made to their liking (medium rare) and loved them. I tried the Thai style fajita tacos that were nice and spicy with the usual vegetables and a lovely peanut sauce to soften the "burn". That, and a Corona after nearly 2 hours on MoPac was just what I needed. I took the half portion ($11.99) which was more than enough, I even had enough stuff left to warrant a doggy bag. They were out of mineral water, which in Austin is bad. What's up with the tap water here, anyway? Pros: Great views and the jungle theme is really nicely done. Cons: You have to park across the road or use valet. more

Really cool price-fixed menu with lots of variety. Amazing Toll House Cookie desert. Cool location on dock on the lake. Long waits but worth it. Perfect place to go on a nice night because the lake view is awesome. Unique menu. Pros: Good food, cool location Cons: Long, long waits (hours on popular days) more

The food is great, the drinks are great, the atmosphere is awesome - I love this place! They give you large quantities but allow you to split your plate; my husband and I share a plate and leave full. Their desserts are awesome and their outside bars are fun and relaxing. The only drawback is the long wait - be prepared to wait for a considerable amount of time if you go at lunchtime, dinnertime or on the weekends. But if you don't mind hanging out at the bar, it's not too bad. Pros: Great Atmosphere, Good Food at Good Prices Cons: Long Wait for a Table more

If you plan on going to Hula Hut on the weekend, especially for dinner, be prepared to wait a while. It's worth the wait though! The fishbowl (drink) is a great value and it should last you all night long. The Pipeline Enchiladas are amazing!!!! Pros: Excellent food, great drinks, great view Cons: Long waits, don't accept reservations more

Hula Hut is like the Oasis but with a less "calming" atmosphere to it. You'll generally find it a place with lots of people who're out for the night and ready to drink and hangout. The food is pretty average, and somewhat pricey, but the quantity (burritos) are pretty large. I'd recommend it for groups, drinking after work or on the weekend. My g/f and I had a hard time getting any service from the outside bar staff. We literally waited for 15+ minutes for the bartender to come over to us (the bar was at average capacity) while he watched tv and did almost everything in his power to avoid us. Luckily, another patron pointed this out to a manager who immediately spoke with his bartender (sternly) and righted the wrong. While this could have soured us on the experience, we'll give it another try... Pros: Ambience, View Cons: Crowded more

I think the food here is excellent - I am not a margarita drinker, so I can't speak to that, and it is sometimes a little bit of a wait, but I have always been exceptionally pleased with my meal. Good place for out of town guests, as well. Pros: food, atmosphere, food Cons: sometimes crowded, parking more

We visited Hula Hut on a hot Tuesday afternoon. The hostess was friendly enough, and advised that our needs would be best met at the outdoor bar where we'd be served complimentary chips and salsa, and of course, margaritas. The bartender was cold, and treated us like we were wasting his time. He promptly pulled out 2 plastic cups, which I associate with the dentist to rinse after getting one's teeth cleaned--they were literally 8-ounce plastic cups, filled to the top with ice, then a mix and a splash of tequila. All of this for the grand price of $5.25 each. The margaritas tasted so bad and non-alcoholic that neither of us were willing to order another, even though we had expressly gone to a Tex-Mex restaurant with the intent of drinking. We were nursing those drinks for about an hour, and those promised complimentary chips and salsa never appeared. Cons: bad margaritas, bad music, bad service more

HH is my Thursday night spot. Parking is terrible, so come by water if you can. Great ritas and tubular tacos. Most of the time there is a wait, usually 20 min on avg, but well worth it! Pros: Boat slips, Ritas, atmosphere Cons: Parking more

Hula Hut is not your typical restaurant. While they have great food, (Try the Tubular Tacos) the real draw is the huge waterfront patio and dining room. I can't think of a better way to spend a hot summer night than sipping beers on their deck. more

I love Hula Hut - the chicken quacamole tubular taco is fabulous, especially dipped in queso. And the Grass Skirt is a very delicious drink. However, if you want to get seated quickly don't come on the weekends. It's usually almost a 2hr wait at night. It's not bad waiting though if you're not too hungry. You can wait at one of the two outdoor bars or the inside bar. Chips and salsa are complimentary and very good. Order some queso and a couple of Grass Skirts (It's like a pina colada on ice - just as yummy, but not as filling. Made with Melon Liquer, coconut rum, and pineapple juice) and the time will fly by. Pros: Tubular Tacos, Grass Skirts, Ambiance Cons: , Bad Parking more