We went here after a boat day for a few drinks and apps. We sat under a huge tiki hut on the water at the bar and it was really laid back and enjoyable stop. I had a lower calorie margarita but it was a little sweet for my liking and tasted like a lot of sour mix. They took it off the check as they could tell I didn't enjoy it since I only had one sip, and took it off without me having to say anything to them which was great customer service. We shared the guacamole appetizer and stuffed avocado. The guac was nothing to write home about but the stuffed avocado was AMAZING and so unique. It's a deep fried avocado stuffed with cheese and shredded chicken and surrounded by some delicious sauces. Get this - don't think twice. This is a perfect spot for a casual meal on the water. read more

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Hula Hut has a nice tropical vacation vibe with a great view. The bartender was not busy, yet still not attentive. I asked to see a menu and she pointed to a scan on the bar and walked off ( photo attached). It was not easy to get her attention to order,which seemed odd when the bar was not busy. The salad arrived quickly and the server who brought the food was polite. There were no utensils ready and she flagged down the bartender to get utensils. The salad was average and the service from the bartender was below average, but I do recommend Hula Hut mainly for the tropical atmosphere. read more

Hula Hut - Bar scan menu - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The best thing about this place is the view and the booze. The menu seems cool but it all tastes like microwaved watered down Tex mex. The best thing on the menu are the baby back ribs. Your safest options are anything that comes from the grill like a burger or a sandwich. Everything else is underwhelming. The food isn't work the wait but the view and drinks are a vibe. read more

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The service was awesome. Great place to hang out with friends. Our waitress made it enjoyable read more

Hula Hut - Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Dinner - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

If you are looking for a great view of Lake Austin and a nice cocktail, definitely check out Hula Hut! I came on a Thursday evening and luckily found seating in the bar patio right on the water. It was still happy hour when we got there so my boyfriend and I shared the hula-la fishbowl drink for $8. It was really delicious and refreshing on a hot evening! When you sit at the bar you have to get your own chips and salsa, but they are complimentary so it's awesome! I ordered the chicken and guacamole tubular taco (their version of a burrito). It came with rice and refried beans. Everything tasted really good and was piping hot. The portion was huge and I had enough leftover for another meal. My boyfriend got the pork burrito and it was really juicy and flavorful. Overall, the food was good! I gave Hula Hut 4 stars because the service in the bar area was kinda slow, but understandable, and the food was good, but nothing spectacular. I will definitely come back and want to try more items on their menu. This is a great location to bring visitors! Dont forget to check out their souvenir shop before you leave! read more

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Being right by the lake is a plus and the decor inside is neat, but there's nothing too special about Hula Hut. The food is pretty subpar while being pretty expensive. Portions are a decent size though, so you could likely share a plate. read more

My go to Friday meeting lunch spot. Great to sit out on the deck looking out onto the water. My go to is the chicken quesadilla with a Pacifico read more

This place was.... okay. The salsa and queso both tasted and looked watered down. Not impressive. The coconut shrimp and fajita tubular taco were both pretty good. I ordered two Blue Hawaii drinks. The first one was perfect. Second one looked and tasted totally different. Lacking consistency. The place is great for views of the lake. read more

Hula Hut - Coconut shrimp and steak tubular taco - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food is good, not great. The location is so top notch though, and they have a beautiful patio that's massive right on the water. Frozen cocktails are also amazing. It's a busy spot so there's usually a wait, especially on the weekends. Fun spot!! read more

Unique and eclectic are the only words that come to mind when describing the Hula Hut. An interesting combo of Tex-Mex and Hawaiian food. I have a severe allergy to tomatoes. Let the server know that right away, so if I order something that has tomatoes they can steer me away. We ordered queso, which came with tomatoes. At our servers suggestion ordered a different -tomato free- queso but as it hit the table she remembered it did have them after all. Our first entree hit the table then she told us the sauce has tomatoes in it. Luckily I didn't eat any of these. We searched the menu for a different entree and landed on the Hawaiian Fajitas. It was different but had a good flavor. When it came time for the check our server asked if it was separate checks. My wife and I got s good laugh out of that... read more

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We actually ate at the restaurant and we felt very COVID safe. Wait staff and hostess were all in masks (but still cheerful) and tables and guests were properly spaced. This is our first dinner out since March, as we were so pleased with how good we felt. And FOOD WAS EXCELLENT. From the salsa and chips on the table to the variety of food our table ordered, everything was delicious and fresh tasting. read more

I love sitting in the bar area at the end of the pier. Whenever I do, I make sure to chum the water with handfulls of tortilla chips. When you do this, huge fish appear from the deep to eat the chips, and I immensely enjoy watching them gulp them down. I know there are signs now-a-days there telling me not to do this, but I ignore those signs. No one here has ever scolded me for feeding the fish with tortilla chips, but the time I showed up here with my fishing pole and some live bait, they immediately informed me that fishing was not allowed inside the restaurant and made me store my fishing gear in my car before returning. I also love piña coladas. In Austin, a decent piña colada is hard to come by. But you can usually get a fairly good piña colada at Hula Hut. Sometimes I forget to tell them not to put shaved coconut in my piña colada - I hate shaved coconut. I know that's crazy - after all, piña colada is a coconut drink. I love the taste and flavor of coconut, I just can't stand actual coconut meat. I think it's the texture I don't like. In any case, leave the solid coconut shit out of my piña colada! I've been a Hula Hut patron going on for twenty-someodd years now. After all this time being a frequenter here, this is what I can say: Sometimes the service rocks, sometimes it doesn't. The majority of the time the food is great, but every once in a while it isn't. On most occasions the piña colada is delicious, but occasionally it tastes like a 7-11 Slurpee with nasty coconut meat sprinkled in it. read more

Service was pretty slow and overall seemed unsanitary out on the pier bar. Something that really grabbed my attention is when I saw two employees standing up against the bar. One passed another a baggy containing a white substance!!! Employees vaping while serving and customers grabbing their own limes off of the bar top. 10/10 don't recommend, will never be back! read more

Great vibes. Until new management can fix the service, only worth the occasional stop for a beer on the water. Horrible service and staff is what is holding this place back. read more

I went to eat with a friend here, and we both had quesadillas; she had chicken, and I had shrimp. She enjoyed her meal, as did I. My favorite part of the shrimp quesadilla is the mango-pineapple salsa that comes with it. The meal was filling, and the sides were good. My only reason for marking it as a four is that the quesadilla did seem a little soggy; the flavor did make up for that, though. I'm still willing to try another meal from them despite this. read more

The food here was okay, nothing to really rave about. I wish my sandwich had more vegetables, the coleslaw seemed kinda dead under the fish. It was okay though! I think the main hype about this place is that it's located on the river. Really pretty views and the restaurant is decorated to give you island vibes. read more

Hula Hut - Beef Enchiladas and Fish Sandwich - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Doesn't look like much when you walk past,but definitely worth the try. We are in town from Dallas, TX for the Lonestar Classic Volleyball Tournament and I surprised my daughter. She loved it and was so excited!! It was a beautiful sunny afternoon we ate on the patio by the water... HEAVEN in our book!! She ordered the half rack of ribs and devoured them!! I got the pork tacos & the Texas Tini, YUM!! Definitely worth a try, go see for yourself!! read more

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I'm giving this place 5 stars based on the fact that every aspect of my experience was positive. Everything from the service, food and scenery was amazing. First off, having a nice lunch or dinner on this dock overlooking the lake and taking in the summer day is so nice. They are accommodating to COVID regulations and understandings. The service was so sweet and made sure we always had everything we needed. I asked the server for recommendations and he didn't bs us just gave honest opinions and I ended up really enjoying the Mahi salad I got (highly recommend if you want a hefty salad). Even though our waiter was running around, busy and burnin up in the heat he was always coming back to us and I find that to be one of the most important experiences while dining out. Will definitely be returning! read more

Fun atmosphere with very tasty food. We started with their chips, salsa and some jalapeño ranch, and knew we were in for a treat. Our table of 12 had no complaints with their wide variety of meal choices. Plus, the staff was friendly and quick to take care of our big party. Definitely coming back here again the next time we are in Austin. read more

We liked the chips and queso, not the salsa which is self-served outside. We liked the platter which serves like four. We like the pina colada and cucumber mule. The one who parks the cars did not know how to drive manua! Parking is small but theres parking across the street. read more

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If you're looking for good frozen drinks while being on the water, then this is the go-to spot. The frozen margs, creamy jalapeño sauce with chips, & chicken flautas are my favorite things on the menu. Can't go wrong with those. During COVID, they now serve frozen margs to-go!! Perfect for any lake day. They have boat side service if you park at their dock, great & convenient. read more

Great ambiance & great margaritas. I was pleasantly surprised that every margarita was great, sometimes margaritas can be a little off. Not here. Jay was a great server and we loved her. I enjoyed the the atmosphere and the chips and salsa were good! So were the shrimp tacos and the beef fajitas read more

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This is THE Place for your party. The Palapa is the perfect atmosphere for a fun Austin on the lake party. Hire a DJ. Your guests will love it. Great TexMex; wonderful view of Lake Austin; friendly, attentive staff. You cannot do better. Valets will take care of parking. Makes a party easy. Just show up and give them a credit card! Oh yes, FRESH TORTILLAS! read more

The food here is consistently reasonable but nothing particularly extraordinary. We had a group of 5, 3 adults and 2 kids. The kids and everybody enjoyed their meals which were served promptly. The only snafu of the evening was I ordered half a rack of ribs and a side salad along with ranch dressing. When the meals were served I got my half rack and the dressing but no salad. This salad was served in a small bowl the size of something you would put an individual serving of coleslaw in. I was nearly done with my half rack of ribs before the salad came I think that was an extraordinary long time for a very small item. Other than the salad issue the food was fine they allowed us to linger a bit to chat since I had not seen this family for a year. I'm sure it would have been much more enjoyable had the temperature been 20ﾟ warmer and we could have sat outside. read more

I loved the surrounding and the view. We sat outside and had the most magnificent view to the beautiful sunset over the lake. Not as far as the food is concerned I was a little confused from the beginning. Why was I being off with Mexicany type of food in a Hawaiian themed and named restaurant. I think they had one Hawaiian sounding dish. However, notwithstanding the fact that I was expecting Hawaiian food, I was served with fairly decent Mexican food. I'm not so sure that it was the best Mexican food around but it was OK. This is not a restaurant I would seek out for the food but more for where it is situated and the view and the fact that I can sit outside and have a few cocktails and enjoy great company. The food is good but not amazing read more

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Mediocre food and service. Great views. If you want to just eat and socialize and don't care if the food is good, this is an acceptable spot. If food quality is your priority, pick somewhere else. They are also not the cleanest restaurant. read more

Definitely a place more for the lake and atmosphere and less for the food. Service was good and it wasn't too crowded. Extra parking across the street! Advice to management: Take your BBW chicken taco, nix the BBQ, use teriyaki sauce and add your diced pineapple bits on top! It will be your best seller! read more

Was so happy our Austin friend could drive us out to Hula Hut on our visit there! Got a table outside for drinks overlooking Lake Austin and had a perfect night for drinking Mai Tais, Tecates, and their fish bowl "Hulala"! Their salsa was absolutely fresh and downright spicy! Ordered the Queso too. That's where the Five Stars for Hula Hut ends. We were all super excited for the food and when it came out even more excited to dig in! I got the chicken fajitas with pineapples and plum sauce and couldn't wait! Except our server had forgotten our silverware. Things just went downhill from there. We got her attention and 5 minutes later, still no silverware. My fajitas that were fired in the bowels of Hades, were now cold. Food portions are incredibly huge, so that's a plus if you can take a doggy bag home. The ribs were very good. As I was trying my friend's rib platter, two of us were still obviously eating, our server brought the bills and had split them up; (*yay) but then proceeded to rush us for payment when she sped by. Umm...I can't reach into my wallet with Sticky Fingers sister! Altogether a glorious night with a poor server. read more

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I hate to be so hard on Hula Hut and I keep thinking I'm going to be able to update this review and give them an amazing review and move them up to four stars. Unfortunately the wait to get a table always takes a million years.. and then the quality of your table has everything to do with your experience... You can end up with a nice view or you can end up with a horrible view its all a matter of a chance. Last time we came here my girlfriend ended up with a bread twistie tie in her Nachos... they were super nice about it and gave her free food but I cant help but feel like they could do a better job and make sure this type of stuff doesn't happen. I posted photo's of the bread twistie tie so if you browse the photo's here you will see them. read more

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Good food, great view and service. It was a hot day and the beer went down easy and the enchilada was really good. The decor is a little kitschy and has great views of the lake! read more

Waited 145 minutes to try this spot... & I will say got dang it, it was WORTH IT!!! Super organized staff. Fast service. Beautiful view!!! Amazing FOOODDDD!!! I will definitely be going again! But maybe in the day time next time read more

Hula Hut - Shrimp Pipeline Enchilada - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

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DON'T COME HERE Wrote this as I ate here bc it's terrible. It's incredibly dirty and I think the management must be gone... I know it's not the server's fault bc it's just super busy and they can only do so much. But be prepared for the volume, bad management, no, piss poor management. Won't be back. Get better everyrthing at another touristy place, like Chuy's. read more

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Enjoyed our meal and atmosphere. Food was great! Next door to Mozart coffee where we saw light show.

As good as it gets! This restaurant is right on the water and the outside decks span the entire restaurant. The place was packed and we still got our food within a reasonable amount of time. Let me start by saying that the chips and salsa are both homemade. They are absolutely fabulous and the salsa really has a kick, plus a little bit of sweetness which I think is from pineapple. They make their own tortillas! And they're fabulous. My bf has the Steak Tubular Taco. This is no taco! It's a massive burrito with steak, mushrooms, peppers, and two kinds of cheese. It all blends perfectly for a taste that's incredible. The retried beans and rice are great as well. I had the salad combo with the Seasar (how they spell it) and chicken tacquitos. The salad is not a traditional Caesar; it has corn, almonds and tortilla strips that add great flavor. It's not the usual dressing as well, but quite good. The chicken tacquitos were good, not overly fried. Speaking of fried, they have a fried ice cream that's supposed to be amazing. I'll be back for that! read more

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beautiful scenery! but my wife and i had to force ourselves to purge the food which we could not even finish! we are not bulimic. we are quite round and love a gourmand experience. but this meal was one to remember. The drinks were fantastic. Not a single person in our group ate more than a smackerel of their dinner, the flavors were horrendous! Cheers! read more

This was recommended to us as we were in town for a long weekend get away. This place was great and food was fantastic. Sat at a new bar over looking the water. If ever back in Austin, we will stop by again. read more

Went here for the view and was prepared for just okay tex mex. Ordered margaritas - after drinking them, it became clear that one of the glasses had DRIED BIRD POOP stuck to the inside. Maybe it was dried sour cream with black bits?? Either way it was incredibly disgusting and only visible after drinking half of it. So so gross. It would have been super obvious when they were making the drink - why not just use another glass? Waitress whisked it away and we couldn't take a picture, but I'm never coming back here. read more

Hula Hut is probably one of my favorite - if not most favorite - restaurants in Austin. I'm a creature of habit. When I find something I like, I stick with it. And I LOVE the Chicken & Guacamole Tubular taco. I get it every time. These last 3 birthdays I've gone here to celebrate. They give you a fun birthday dessert to top off your special day as well. They're owned by Chuy's and while I love Chuy's Jalapeno Ranch dip, I do not recommend it here. They use too much ranch. I always get the Pina Colada even though it really never seems like there is any alcohol in it. The skinny ritas are also very tasty. It gets really hot out on the deck so be prepared to sweat or sit inside. read more

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Service is great! HOWEVER! Whoever is messing with the menu needs to stop making changes... I.e. the queso you are serving now sucks and tastes like a fast food queso instead of the Hula Hut queso that everyone loves... STOP messing with a menu that has definitely stood the test of time. read more

I enjoy this place on the water. I like eating outside either at the bar or the covered area. They have good drinks and I like the coconut shrimp appetizer. This place can get super busy, parking isn't the greatest here either. Service can be slow at times. But it's a great place to come to on a beautiful mild day and to get drinks and appetizers. read more