Hula Hut Island Food & Cake Shop

Hula Hut has been closed for a couple months now. They have built a new restaurant called Cabana at it’s location. Not sure if it’s the same owners.

This review is from a visit my mom and I made to the restaurant several months ago and it’s quite long because I have a lot to say. It was pretty much the lunch from HELL… we left the restaurant in complete disbelief of our experience. Just as a side note… I wouldn’t say my family and I are regulars here, but we do dine here often enough to know the food. It’s one of our restaurants on «rotation» for our weekly Sunday lunch after church. Prior to this visit, we hadn’t been here in a while… but being a few months pregnant, I was craving for some pinakbet and pork bbq and this place made it good from previous visits… or so I thought.
So as we approach the door, there’s a sign on it saying «they only accept cash». The server (some young guy) said that their debit card/​credit card machine was broken due to some electrical failure? Ohhhkay whatever. We had enough cash so we didn’t mind, but later on I wondered if that was just some bogus tactic of theirs. I wouldn’t be surprised.
Next we sat down and started ordering. He asked us what we wanted to drink… I love their Lilikoi iced tea or just plain Lilikoi juice… he said they had everything that day except for Lilikoi! Whaaat the!!! I was pretty annoyed, but said okay and asked for water instead. They my mom orders the Pancit Bihon/​Canton and they usually serve the 2 types of noodles mixed together. The server didn’t seem to know what we were talking about and said that they only serve the noodles either or? It took us several minutes to explain to him what we wanted and finally said, «We’re out of the Canton (thicker noodles)…we only have the Bihon noodles.» Umm… I guess they didn’t shop and prepare well for the weekend b/​c they seemed to be out of everything! Frustrated, we said okay we’ll take it with just the Bihon then. We proceeded to order the rest of our food and here’s what happened next…
Pinakbet — Very bland! Even the color was pale… not at all like the pinakbet that we usually have there. It was very disappointing since I was craving for it.
Pork BBQ — It was undercooked and had traces of blood still in the middle of the meat! Good thing I checked since that’s a definite no-​no for a pregnant woman… or anyone else for that matter! Plus, it didn’t seem to be seasoned at all… had no taste whatsoever!
Pancit — He brought it to us and it was all the Canton noodles and no Bihon. We said, «we thought you said that you don’t have the Canton noodles»…and the server said, «We did, this is the Bihon noodles». What the heck? A server who doesn’t even know the food that they serve there!!! My mom and I were starting to get really annoyed! To top it off, we asked for some calamansi or lemon to squeeze over our pancit… the guy came back with what he said was «calamansi juice» in a small saucer. When my mom and I tasted it prior to pouring it on our pancit (thank goodness we did), we found it to be sweet! It was calamansi juice syrup/concentrate…the kind that you would mix with water to drink!!! We couldn’t believe it!
In addition, he came back to us in the midst of all this and handed me a Lilikoi juice saying «We do have it after all… I found it in the back.» I was glad he found it, but by that point the whole experience was just putting a really bad taste in my mouth. My mom and I complained about the food… told him the pork was undercooked and bloody and told him that he gave us wrong info on the noodles! I normally wouldn’t do this, but I was pretty upset and couldn’t help myself. I asked him if they had changed cooks recently because the food was completely different from what we’ve had before and we go there pretty often. The server said, «Oh umm Cheryl’s the one cooking in the back now.» Okay, I had no clue who Cheryl was… until she came out later to help him serve… and found out that she was the hostess/​server before! They have a hostess doing the cooking in the back??? No offense, but I think she should’ve kept her server/​hostess job instead!
Lastly, we got our bill and found that it was $ 15 over what we expected. We called the server over again and told him about this… he went to the back… and adjusted our bill saying that they had made some kind of mistake. Good thing we double-​checked! That was the last straw… we couldn’t get outta there any faster! Before I would’ve gave this restaurant 3 stars… but 1 star is even too good for the experience we had. The food was TERRIBLE… and so was the service. We will never go back!

Friday night karaōke (could be a positive or negative depending on who is singing…) it might be worth it if you come from a big filipino family and are used to such background noise at family parties. I tend to be VERY picky about filipino food because I grew up eating my Lola’s (grandmother in tagalog) cooking :(so point is I hate paying for mediocre food which leads me not to frequent Filipino restaurants unless it’s been approved by family and friends… SO when my mom said we had to eat at Hula Hut Island I knew I was going to get my grub on! I had kare kare (ox tails in peanut sauce — favorite) and my mom had the oven roasted stuffed fish. Everything was good. The best part was each meal included dessert which was an ube (purple taro) cake with macapuno (young coconut) frosting — so delicious! Now I know where to go to get a taste of the islands…

I really enjoyed my meal. The service was very good. My main dish wasn’t the best, but everything else was very good. I was trying something new for my main dish so I didn’t really have a point of comparison. I will surely go back.

I have frequently visited this place because I loved the sisig here. I give it two stars because of the pros and cons below:
PROs:
— Friendly service
— Clean restaurant
— Food hits the spot when craving Filipino or Hawaiian dishes
CONs:
— Overpriced
— Portions are small for what you pay
— Food quality is inconsistent, sort of like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates

I have to say I was very disappointed with this establishment which services both Hawaiian and Filipino food. I went here with a large party of 10 and we all were disappointed which should tell you something. The food was below par in many areas.
Here is the feedback from the group.
* Sisig had minimal flavor and is way overpriced
* Chicken Katsu had more breading then meat,
* Barbecue pork sticks were not cooked throughly and had a lot of fat where they should be more meet.
* Mahi Fish was super thin that you could almost see through it
* Can’t remember the soup that was ordered but it had a weird cheese flavor to it
Some in the group had been here previously and liked the food and raved about the Sisig and they are not sure this time why it was not that good.
The reason I am giving 2 stars instead of one is because everyone gets free cake at the end of the meal for dessert and their cakes are good. There were Ube cakes, Chocolate Cake and Red Velvet.

A bit on the pricey side for ‘okay’ hawaiian and filipino food. You’re basically paying for the décor in the restaurant.
If you want hawaiian food, I suggest you go to L&L BBQ instead. We ordered the chicken katsu and they were skimpy on the chicken. I also ordered the sisig. This was the best sisig I’ve ever had, but to my understanding, it said the cost of this entrée was $ 15.99. When I got the bill, the waitress added an extra $ 3.00 on top of the $ 15.99! What for?! Since when did sisig come with hidden fees?
All in all, I’ll probably give this spot one more chance. The only reason why I gave this place 2 stars was because of the ube cake and sisig. But WOW, that was some really expensive sisig! $ 18.99? Psh!

Love their CAKEs: Ube’s my ultimate fave. Guava is also hella good. Ooh and the chocolate and mocha one too As a matter of fact, loved them so much, they made my wedding cupcakes in those exact same flavors. Also love how you get a slice after your meal. Another fave is their halo-​halo. It’s huge!
FOOD: The Hawaiian food is good (esp the pupus/​apps, chicken long rice, kahlua pig) but I think we go there more for their Filipino food (daing, beef stew, sisig and lechon kawali). A little pricey but def worth more than Max’s.

I am a big fan of small lil spots, but this spot was disappointing. Note: I did not eat at the restaurant — we ordered our food to go. We ordered the Katsu chicken, bbq beef, and a side of fries.
Katsu chicken dish: Just okay. too much fat on our chicken!
BBQ beef dish: bleh and forget full.
Side of fries: C’mon they charged us $ 2.00 for a side of one dollar/​bag french fries. I swear they bought the fries at the one-​dollar store! Our fries were soggy, skinny, and under cooked. Plus, I think we got a total of 15 fries in our entire box!
The macaroni salad was gross. Who puts spaghetti noddles in that?! Gross. Salad and rice were the best things on our plate.
This place is way overpriced. A peanut butter sandwich for kids is $ 7.00! Ridiculous. I probably won’t ever go here again.

Lets just start with the Ube cake — Soo good as are all the slices that have ever been given…
As for the food I have only eaten the tempura vegetables, which I like and get everytime. The dipping sauce on the side is delish! Doesnt seem like you get all that much food, maybe it is supposed to be an appetizer, but when ordering as a meal they should put a little more on…
The décor is ugly, too much print and the pictures that once lit up, moved and made sounds are all over-​not working. The wicker chairs are old and grungy, the place needs a make-​over.
Staff are nice an attentive

Fairly good Hawaiian and Filipino food. Much too pricey for what you get though.
Décor is cool but kinda cheesy.
Dessert is included with your meal when you eat there.
My personal choice is the ultimate hula combo for a little taste of what they have.
Although I like the food, it isn’t something to rave about. A solid 3 out of 5 stars.

Like every die hard 49ers fan, every time the Niners loose I just mope around the house until I forget what happened. So after being so dejected from the 49ers lost this past Sunday, I had to get out of the house, so my wife took me to Hula Hut Island in Benicia.
As we got to the restaurant flashes of the game was still hunting me. My inner self kept saying «that darn fumble, we had the game won!» As we sat down and looked at the menu I began to calm down. My wife then ordered the Hukilau Seafood Feast, the Chicken Katsu, and the Island Barbecue Short Ribs. As soon as the food came I was relax, like I was in a Hawaiian luau, surrounded by all the tropical décor.
The Hukilau Seafood Feast consists of grilled salmon, BBQ pork on a stick, and coconut shrimp. OH SO GOOD! The salmon was perfectly grilled, a little bit burnt around the edges which is exactly the way I like them. The BBQ pork was OUTSTANDING (I love everything BBQ on a stick), and the shrimps were delicious (I wish it was an all you can eat shrimp). The Island BBQ Short Ribs were fantastic, but the Chicken Katsu was a little too crispy and bland.
Then just as we were deciding whether we were going to order dessert or not our server brings us each a piece of cake on the house. Red Velvet and Ube cake and they were as good as it gets. Then my inner self started saying «when the Niners loose we’re definitely coming here.» I guess we’re going to be eating in Hula Hut a lot this season.

The past two times I’ve gone here, my entrée either had too much meat or too little meat. The first time, I got the hawaiian bbq pork combo, which was some pork cooked all juicy and tender in a clear tasty broth… but then there was this random stick of barbecue pork on the side? it would’ve been fine without the extra barbecued meat.
then, the next time, i had this beef curry stew… with only 4 tiny pieces of meat… it was mostly potatoes and sauce. whaaaaaat.
i’ve been here other times because my dad is in love with this place. i would say it’s a little over-​priced, but you usually get a lot with your meal: two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, regular salad, and a desert (their cake is probably the best thing about this place). a lot of the time i want to order the spam, rice and eggs combo, but i don’t want to pay 7.50 for it!

WORST RESTAURANT EVER!!! Please do not eat here, this place is HORRIBLE. I would rather eat from the hula huts in a side street in a province in the Philippines.
I ordered a Loco Moco. and I kid you not… they used a frozen hamburger (probably from Costco). i was SHOCKED! At least L&L uses fresh meat on their loco moco.
Then I ordered a seafood platter, and I wasn’t expecting fresh seafood knowing where we were, but I swear they used the same fish you can buy from the freezer section in Costco.
Lastly, I went here w/​friend and had their sisig (a filipino food). The sisig here was chunky, I thought sisig was suppose to be finely chopped… the chef must’ve been lazy.
Something needs to be done to this place, such as re-​evalutating their menu and getting fresher ingredients. Otherwise, this is officially worst restaurant in the area. OUCH!!!

I’m not sure why some people think that we’re unfairly criticizing this place by giving it three or less. It’s pretty clear that’s all this place deserves. The simplest way to summarize my thoughts on Hula Hut: decent Hawaiian, but below average Filipino… and, overall, overpriced.
To be fair, I don’t agree with some comments comparing the quality of their Hawaiian to L&L. Clearly Hula Hut is much better, but not my much, and only because L & L has too much of a mass produced fare.
The Filipino food, on the other hand, barely passes for regular price. And when they charge $ 9 — $ 15 for some dishes (I think almost $ 7 for halo-​halo) and give you less than you would get from nearby places like Andrea’s…that’s just wrong.
What you’re paying for is their large space and a cozier, quieter feel compared to other spots in Vallejo. You don’t have to stand in a chaotic line like in Andrea’s and Goldilocks, and it’s cozier than Max’s (and without the heartburn). Considering that, I’m not that bitter for the higher prices, since I agree that they add to the overall dining experience. I hope they just improve their meals a little and give more generous portions.

Over priced hawaiian and filipino food! Not worth the money. I’d rather go to L&L or Ono’s for hawaiian food, regarding bbq beef, chicken, shortribs etc, at least it’s cheaper and still tastes good!
Hula Hut’s menu items cost over $ 10 and their filipino food can go up to $ 15! The food I had was nothing special and not worth coming back to try other items. Sorry.
I do like how some entrees will come with macaroni, rice, salad, and even a small slice of a cake!
Now onto their cakes, I sampled a few of their cakes and the only ones I find unique and tasty are the Ube and Pandan. I plan on ordering a cake in one of those flavors in the future! The red velvet was nothing special, by the way. Their cakes seem average tho, like something you could bake at home and slab some filling in it. But, I love the Ube and Pandan so much and I don’t know where else to get it that’s delicious!
Unfortunately, I will not recommend this place for hawaiian or filipino food, but will recommend for the Ube and Pandan cake!

Met my cousin here for lunch yesterday. The restaurant looked cool with your usual luau décor. Didn’t care too much for the electric picture frames they had all over the place, most of which weren’t on.
We sat at our table which had linen on it but it didn’t look like it was replaced from the people that just ate there, yikes! But I just flicked the crumbs to the floor with my napkin and we were good. The menu looked decent, your usual Hawaiian BBQ and Filipino food, although the Filipino food offerings weren’t too extensive, it was pretty tempting. We ordered their «Da Hula Hut Ultimate Pupus» to start… our server couldn’t quite remember what was included so he disappeared for a minute to check. Hmm, most not be a popular item to order! Cousin ordered the «Daing na Bangus» (Don’t make me explain it… it’s fish, I don’t eat it!) and I ordered their «Da Island BBQ Feast Combo.»
The Pupus came out and it had Lumpia Shanghai, Fried Siumai, Portuguese Sausage, Chicken Wings and something else which I don’t remember. The Lumpia and Siumai were good, what fried food isn’t good? Ha! The sausage however was borderline cold but I still ate it.
Our entrees came out and my cousin’s Daing was pretty big! Eventhough I don’t eat it, I almost wanted to taste it. She liked it! My BBQ Feast Combo came out and it had macaroni salad, two scoops of rice, Chicken, Pork Stick, Beef and Spam. Spam? Didn’t know Spam could be considered BBQ! First off, their Macaroni Salad was WAY DELISH! It wasn’t anything like the mayo-​overload tasting macaroni you get at L&L, Ohana, HDI, etc. Not to mention it’s kinda sweet and they don’t use elbow macaroni, they use a different type of noodle, not sure what it is. Their BBQ was okay, a little overcooked, more like, over burnt and the Spam was borderline cold. What’s up with all this borderline cold food they’re serving?
I didn’t realize that dessert was included, in this case a slice of cake. We were served this chocolate cake, it was ehh… tasted like cake from the grocery store. I wonder who celebrated their birthday party there last night! Oooh… jk!
Anyhow, total check came out to $ 39.00 which included my soda and her Lilikoi drink.
Ehh…I have majorly mixed feelings about this place. $ 39.00 for a sit down restaurant that serves Hawaiian BBQ? I can just get my fix on at L&L, Ohana, HDI or the rash of Hawaiian BBQ places that are popping up around the Bay! I’d say I’d go back to at least try their Filipino food but I’m not around this area often enough. Maybe I’ll remember to stop by on a future run to Cache Creek.
JUST KIDDING! :D
(That was for my cousin! Stop rolling your eyes at me! Thanks again for lunch!)

This is the place to go for Hawaiian and Filipino food, or chicken or steak. This is a real restaurant, with two dining rooms, a small bar and even a gift shop selling things from Hawai’i. Go there and you are shown to your seat and given a menu. Your food is brought to you on real china plates and in glass glasses. Good quality food, plenty of it, and meals come with a slice of cake for dessert. Yet for all of that, the prices are about the same as the places where annoyed teenagers dump everything into a styrofoam box and shove it across the counter on a plastic tray.
This is a place that you can take a date to, or a business client.

2.5
I’ve had better hawaiian /​filipino food and it’s such a disgrace for us to actually cross the bridge for this place.
We ordered kare kare and bbq chicken — bad bad choice. It was so mediocre. I, MeeSha, am not a cook, can cook better Kare Kare than you. So Boo!
I do have to admit, the cake is pretty damn delish — better than your regular goldilocks /​red ribbon

I keep hoping that they will make the kuhlua pork correctly. Their way is too salty and dry. L&L makes better kuhlua pork 4 out of 5 times. Hula hut makes bad kuhlua pork 2 out of 2 times. I will try them one more time, I hope they get the message.
I will return one more time. Hey they say the third time is a charm. I know now to avoid ordering the Kuhlua pork.
The best Kuhlua pork is the stuff made at home. I have made this simple dish at home.
One more thing do not get the poke at L&L.
Oops did I mention that the lua lua was still partially frozen. Rerating from 2 to 1. Over cooked pork and under steamed Lua Lua whats next?
Desert and service was good.