Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room

Gone here a long time, and we love the Hapu with Macadamia Nut crust, the shrimp rolls, the sweet potato fries and the fish sandwich. Excellent service: always consistently wonderful staff. Busy bar and long time excellent bar tenders. We don’t try much else on the menu. Used to get the Mongolian beef rice bowl until we discovered the Hapu.

Love the pupus and the ambience. The happy hour prices aren’t that happy, and it is always pretty crowded these days. Definitely not an authentic Hawaiian experience (for that visit Pono Island Grill on the other side of town.)

This restaurant has a cool vibe to it. Very chill and relaxing. Outdoor area is nice but pretty cramped.
We got the Ahi wasabi bowl which was way too spicy and I can tolerate a three chili spicy bowl. It was swimming in the wasabi sauce.
The broke Burger was good. Pineapple and bacon is the perfect combination.
Luau pork plate was ok. The meat had a sauce that was too sweet in my opinion.
The Bahn Mi Sliders were really good and pretty filling.
The Hawaiian ceviche was delicious and perfect.
The house made brown sugar Lemonade was sweet but pretty tasty and refreshing.
The side of Plantains reminded me of the beach on a tropical island.
I would come back next time I visit but I would definitely just stick to appetizers on the happy hour menu.

The atmosphere is cool, the service is great and the food is really tasty, although my coconut fish soup had five udon noodles and one fish filet in a bowl that Shamu could have done flops in. The jerk chicken was chicken covered in a very good but heavy sauce that isn’t very jerk. More like Hawaiian mole. Still the drinks are good, and a big vegetarian and vegan menu is a plus for non carnivore friends and family.

This place is beyond good. I went on a Friday night thinking the wait was gonna be too long but nope, 20 mins at most. The atmosphere is pretty cool and the staff looked pretty excited to be there. I got the pan seared shrimp tacos. If this place were closer to where I live, i’d be there everyday.

Hula’s can be a bit busy but it is worth it, great service, great unfussy cocktails, yummy grub that makes you feel like you’re on vacation, and fun ambiance. I love a good Mai tai, their poke, and the luau pork. Also a good spot to take the kids because it’s nice and loud so no one can hear my munchkin when he screams.

This place is one of my favorite restaurants. Very good customer service. I love the scorpion bowl and the blue Hawaiian or pain killer for drinks with alky :) I usually order Kalbi ribs or mahi pan fried for my entrée and then normally order ahi poke and calamari for appetizer. I also love the ambiance and the noise level of the place is average. Me and my boyfriend loves coming back here :))

After a relaxing Sunday playing in the water and lying on the sand at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, my friends and I decided to stop by Hula’s for dinner and to catch the NBA finals. There were a bunch of people at the bar and some groups sitting around the restaurant, all watching the game or decompressing from a day outside. Hula’s has a kitschy kind of vibe that works only when near a boardwalk, but we liked it.
Service was friendly and kept refilling our waters. My friend and I shared the Spicy Thai Chicken Bowl and Jungle Tofu Bowl. Loved the peanut sauce and avocado in the chicken bowl and the curry sauce in the tofu bowl was on point (though I could’ve used a bit more). The rice was a bit too mushy (then again, I don’t really enjoy rice), and we didn’t need that many beans, but both of the bowls had nice flavors and were super filling. Hula’s isn’t a place I would make a trip out for, but if I happen to be at the beach again and want air conditioning, ice water, and a bar with TVs, I’d come back.

What I find strange is if you scroll past the most recent reviews you’ll find many reviews under 3 stars but somehow the average is 4 stars.
This review is for food only.
ahi wasbi bowl — usually seared ahi tuna is bright red for the raw part, this looked really not fresh as it was a grey-​ish color. the wasabi cream sauce just tasted like wasabi mixed with some cream, nothing really stood out here.
burger — (can’t remember which one) — didn’t really taste that fresh or good.
If you’re looking for good food, skip this place — quality is lacking, as well as taste.

Food was delicious. Waitress and other staff were very friendly and great service. Drinks are good. Atmosphere is very lively! Overall great spot to dine.

I think this place is overhyped and overpriced. I also was really disappointed with the food selection they had because I was under the impression that they were a Hawaiian food place but it’s more of an Asian, American fusion. Don’t plan on coming back for the food but maybe next time for the drinks.

I love this place for drinks, food, friendly servers, chill hangouts, and everything else. The dark and stormys are amaze and you can get tons of awesome cocktails here too. I highly recommend the ahi tuna burger. Literally a huge slab of tuna on a bun with other goodies. Such a treat!

Pretty good place to grab some lunch. I had the steak sandwich and requested to have pesto instead of habanero sauce since I can’t do spicy. Well it came out with habanero sauce but it wasn’t that spicy so I went with it. Server was really nice. Husband had a Mai Tai and said not the worst, but not the best. I like this place though. Will definitely be back when we’re in town.

I am sad to have to lower my rating of this place so drastically. I had my rehearsal dinner at the Monterey location, I really LOVE this place.
Drinks: excellent quality and first drinks came fast, no refills ever came though.
Good: Same excellent quality and flavor as usual.
Service: Started good but dropped offa cliff when a table of 10 was seated next to us.
It’s Mother’s Day, I know, but it’s my celebration too. I never got a second drink, water refill, a straw or to-​go boxes. It was the first time I have tipped less than 20% in a very long time. I will stick with to-​go orders to avoid the service issue in the future.

Surprised this place has such a high rating. Unilocaled some places to eat in Santa Cruz because I came for a concert at The Catalyst. We decided on this place because it’s literally like 10 feet from the venue and we were running a bit low on time.
The one thing I will say about this place is that the service is kinda nice and the food comes pretty fast. However, the food is really nothing special. We ordered the abalone-​style calamari ($ 6) during happy hour because the waitress recommended it. It was not good. The breading was gross and some parts weren’t even fried so it was like chalky and uncooked. Yuck. I also asked her which drink I should get if I hate the taste of alcohol and I’m really lightweight, and she recommended the Mai Tai ($ 6). However, it tasted really strong and was really really strong. I got waaayyy too drunk off of it, and yes, I am a lightweight, but I can usually handle a cocktail pretty well. Anyway, onto the entrees. My boyfriend ordered the Broke the Mouth Burger and that one actually wasn’t too bad. I ordered the Island Poke ($ 10) and it was such a small portion and didn’t come with rice. So I ordered a side of rice for $ 2 and that was also really small, and the rice was mushy. Who messes up rice!!!
Overall, I really would not recommend coming here.

I had a bit of time to kill on my quick one-​night stay in Santa Cruz before seeing a show at the Catalyst. I didn’t do too much research, but decided to just walk around a bit and pop in somewhere that caught my eye. I’ve only been to one other «tiki room,» (in Columbus, OH) and it’s pretty disappointing. I thought this place looked like it might be a nice step up from that.
I sat at the bar and had a beer while I perused the menu. The bartenders were FANTASTIC. I loved chatting with them, getting food, drink, and sightseeing suggestions.
I ended up getting the bahn mi bao sliders and an arugula salad. The sliders were incredibly delicious. The bao were so perfectly steamed. And the arugula salad was humongous for $ 5; I’m talking a mountain of arugula, with just the right amount of dressing.
I was in and out in just the right amount of time, the service was wonderful, and I had a full belly and a nice little beer buzz to tide me over before the show.

When you first walk in the place looks super cool and fun. A place perfect to hang out with some friends over drinks and food.
However I was very disappointed. The scorpion bowl was so strong that we had to ask for some juice to be added. Food was mediocre. We got the calamari burger which the flavors was so off. I didn’t enjoy it at all. Our other friend ordered fish tacos and a side of macaroni salad. Tacos was alright but the macaroni salad was off too. Tasted like vinegar. Only been here once and haven’t been back since. I wouldn’t recommend.

While the place itself is super cool and fun vibing in the atmosphere of the restaurant and there is a lot of fun décor to look at around the restaurant, the drinks were terrible!!! I didn’t drink either of the two I ordered.
Their menu also eludes to really great items, but the burgers we all ordered all had something wrong with them flavor wise, cook wise, or otherwise. I REALLY had high hopes for this restaurant, as there is a Hula’s in Phoenix that was literally my second favorite restaurant in all of Phoenix and this place, was definitely not even close.
My burger was so OVERLY well done, it was like shoe leather (I ordered rare), the french fries were either greasy on one plate or burnt on another plate. My husband ordered without tomatoes and he got tomatoes.
My mai tai drinks were just wretched and sour and tasted «off.»
There is a huge wait list there if you don’t have reservations, but that’s not a problem and we were happy to wait. Just super disappointed in what the wait afforded. Sigh.

This Place Is Awesome!
From When you walk in you are welcomed instantly. A very friendly, warming and cozy environment. I’ve been here 3 times already and every time I come I’m never disappointed! The food is delicious the drinks are tasty definitely will be coming back and getting all my friends to come in as well! I’m a Fan of The Pink Bikini Martini Ceviche is another favorite and I can’t forget about the shrimp tacos! Our host Marisha and server Francisco Were Oh so welcoming, and most importantly our server kept checking up on us (something other restaurants lack) I’m glad I found this place Thank you Hulas For a wonderful experience!

Stopped by on a rainy Saturday afternoon around 2pm for a lunch break on our drive down the coast. There were a few other tables with patrons, but it was relatively quiet and relaxing.
Started off with a couple drinks. I got a Hurricane and my partner got a coconutty drink… I think Dr. Funk. I’m more of a beer or margarita guy, but figured when in the Pacific Islands… wait, that’s not a phrase. You know what I mean. Fruity rum drinks are the thing here, so I obliged, and enjoyed. Didn’t taste that strong, but caught up with me fast. Couldn’t get a second because I had to drive and the buzz was coming on. But definitely tasty enough to want a second.
Both of us got tacos. I got fish, she got the mango habanero chicken. They are NOT messing around with portions here — HUGE! It’s like picking up a brick. Could knock someone out with these tacos if you hit ‘em square in the skull. They deliver on size and taste. They use hapu for the fish tacos, which is not an incredibly flavorful fish, but with the slaw and pesto aioli, it’s a good combo. As per usual, I always find myself scraping out some slaw — too much, make it go away! With rice and beans on the side in addition to the massive main dish, this will be sure to fill you up. My partner enjoyed her chicken tacos as well. She rarely finishes her food but these were quite good and got her to wolf them down.
The ambiance is fun. Island tiki décor with soft, colorful lighting fits the theme. The waitress was helpful with recs and knowledgable when I asked questions.
Overall, not perfect, but grand portions and chill vibe. If you are headed to or from the boardwalk or just passing through, I’d say it’s worth a stop.

The ahi tacos were worth it, the rice and beans went very well. Delicious food in general. The place is hopping late on a Friday and Saturday night, got a seat at the busy bar and ordered there. Service was great, awesome bar staff. The Mai Tai was delicious, split the large and it was worth it. Great place!

We came here on a Saturday night at 6pm with a party of 12. We had reservations and were seated a little after 6.
Atmosphere
Really fun vibe! Decorated like you would expect at an American luau!
Noise
Definitely loud so if you have trouble hearing or want a quiet evening I am not sure this is the place for you
Food/​drink
Dr Funk — 3 stars — solid drink. A little on the sweet side but I like that!
Shrimp rolls — 2.5 stars — ok but not good enough wee I would order them again
Calamari — 2.5 stars — but again would maybe not order again. They he too much sauce on them for my liking.
Jerk chicken — 3.5 stars — I really liked this dish. Sauce was very spicy which I liked. Enjoyed that it was shredded chicken!
Fish soup — 4 stars — really complex flavored! Large portion! Would definitely get this again!
Service — 4 stars — really good service! Friendly and efficient!
Price — 2.5 stars
$ 40 per person
We all had one drink. Split four appetizers and everyone had an entrée. For me it was a bit expensive since there are other Hawaii restaurants were you can get same or better food for lower price.
Parking lot right across the street for $ 1.50 an hour or street parking.
Overall I would give this restaurant 3.5 stars! For me this rating is solid and I would return again!

Loved the coconut shrimp & salad, but why remove the Mongolian beef bowl? That was a really great dish and my fave.
Please put it back.

a tiki bar & restaurant, what could be better?! and i’m not even a fan of most tiki drinks (sweet ones) but i love tiki culture and décor. anyway, i had ahi rice bowl. it was *so* good. i liked the tiki décor and atmosphere, though it was a bit loud, because it’s crowded. service was great and timely. i hope to go back next time i’m in SC.

Ordered the veggie and fish sandwich. The veggie burger is nice, full and flavorful. I would order it again. The fish burger was a bit bland and the fries are not as amazing as everyone claims. Still, overall nice meal

Things were fine and dandy for our dinner on Saturday. My friend had the veggie burger with sweet potato fries and she said she really enjoyed it, and I went with the Ono dinner. Fish was ok, nothing too spectacular. Same with the coleslaw on the side. I also had a glass of the pineapple wine, which was sweet, as most white wines are, and the pineapple is definitely there in the after taste.
We weren’t quite sure on the after dinner plans we had in mind, and this is where it went south. Our server, Jesse, was quick to take our order during the busy dinner time. Plates were cleared quickly as well. However, I think we were still deciding on the movie ten or so minutes after paying the bill. Jesse came to our table in a hurried fashion and said «Do you guys need a dessert menu or something?» This statement and his tone really ticked me off. I tipped well and was very close to asking for my change back, because the manner in which he was asking us to leave came off very rude, in my opinion. I don’t believe it was him personally, but one of the hostesses or someone above him to get us to leave. I understand this is a place of business as a restaurant, but it left a very sour impression on me.

How do I rate this place?! I have to say that I really did not like what I ordered here, but I feel like there must be other menu items that I would enjoy.
I had the abalone style calamari and the coconut shrimp rolls and I did not really like either. The shrimp rolls are very popular, bit I just wasn’t feeling them. My wife ordered some fries and whatever sauce came with them was very good and the fries themselves were good.
The staff here is just so friendly and the environment is new and fresh. This is definitely something different from your average eatery which is why I want to give it higher ratings than the menu items may deserve. I think of I went back a few more times I’d find a couple of options that would just blow me away.
I wasn’t too fond of the seating situation because I felt that the tables were too close to your neighbor. I felt as if the people sitting next to me were up in my business and I really didn’t want to listen to an hour’s worth of 2 immature tween conversation. I think there is something to be said about a full restaurant that still makes you feel like there is no one else around you.
Overall though it was a good experience and I don’t want to rate it based on the two appetizers that I had. Next time I’ll try the fish that looks really good or a steak.

Came here for a couple of drinks with my friend and had a painkiller. Seriously, one of the best drinks I’ve had! Took the pain away and had me smooth sailing for the rest of the night! Just kidding, but it was good! And I love how the bar has hooks for your purse!

Went for happy hour. Drinks are on the sweeter side and shared several appetizers. It’s a fun atmosphere but I wouldn’t go there for amazing eats.

Came here two nights ago for my friends 25^th birthday. We decided to get some drinks here before going out to the bars because we heard they had a famous drink called «the scorpion». I’m not sure what kind of alcohol they put in it, but holy **** be careful with this drink.
First of all I was surprised how good it tasted considering they put like three or four different kinds of liquor in it. They serve it in a bowl (yes a bowl) that has a flaming shot of high percentage alcohol in the middle. You can blow out the flame and sip the shot through your straw which was fun to watch. Me and two other friends shared one bowl and we got pretty damn tipsy.
I didn’t get any other food besides the sweet potato fries as an appetizer, but the fries were delicious. Kudos to the chef. I docked a star because our waiter seemed kind of upset with us for wanting to split the tab three ways. I understand it’s probably a hassle for him, but we spend well over a hundred dollars that night so you’d think he wouldn’t mind too much.
In conclusion, it’s a fun restaurant to have some drinks/​food with friends. Just be careful and please don’t DRINK and DRIVE if you’re ordering the heavy alcohol!

What can be better than a painkiller that makes me forget the cold temps outside and takes me away to the islands?
Umbrella drinks for the kiddies too!!! The magic of umbrellas keeps them quiet and content while we enjoy our happy hour priced drinks (all day on Tuesdays we discovered!) and then a great meal.
We are a vegetarian family and loved all the veg options, even tofu sticks an option on the kids meal! With umbrellas in the food too :-) I also appreciated that the kids meal included some greens with the kids Caesar salad in addition to the delicious sweet potato fries. Would definitely return here on our next visit!

Bueno, bonito y ya. En promedio el costo es lo mismo que casi todos los restaurantes de California, pero te sirven súper abundante; los platillos están ricos, sin ser geniales. Pero esta limpio se agradece

My cousin and I decided to explore Santa Cruz, we stumbled upon this place. It had really good ratings so we decided to give it a try.
Our table ordered the following:
— Ahi Katsu Tacos, overall pretty good, wish the ahi was cut thinner since the chucks were very thick and had to be cut with a knife
— Cubano Pork tacos, these were my favorite since the meat at the most flavor
— Fish Tacos, these were the standard fish tacos

Happy I finally got to check this place out while visiting Santa Cruz. My friends and I were in the mood for some tropical drinks so made our way over here.
The bar was completely full but we were able to get a table quickly. We asked if it was okay to just have drinks at the table, they said generally no but since it was slow it was fine, which was appreciated. We ordered two scorpion bowls for four people and it definitely did the job. They were nicely balanced, not to sweet or strong. The floater of 151 rum in the middle of the flame was a nice addition.
After the scorpion bowls we felt we could eat a little more, and decided finish off the night with a dessert-​banana cream and coconut pie. It wasn’t as flavorful as I was hoping for but we still finished it all. I will definitely be back next time to try the full dinner menu.

So cute ! Great date nite ! I am a Tiki-Bar“collector” … I go to tiki bars every chance I get, as I travel. Love everything about, all the different styles of TIKI
This place is a great combo of having classic vintage décor, but not seeming dusty and faded ! I love this !
If your party can get there early enough to grab one of the comfortable booths, you may even enjoy yourself, when the rest of the restaurant gets push&shove crowded!
Strong drinks — proper «island» style !
A great value at Happy Hour ! HH all day on Tues, but Tues is super crowded ! They have zero outdoor or patio area, unusual and also means they are NOT DOG FRIENDLY. (But Ponos hawiian, is close if you need some aloha spirit with your DoG !)
Happy hour also features a super cheap PuPu (appetizer) menu ! The bbq is our fav but all items are ok at the HH price
So get one of everything and «graze»!

This place is super crowded, so if you have really bad anxiety, I wouldn’t go here.
The drinks were great. I got a Moscow mule and a dark and stormy. The food was alright. I would go back again and try some other things off their menu. I love fish, and they had a ton of fish options, which was awesome.
I would love to check this place out for lunch.

A Chicago native who visited San Fran and ventured down to Santa Cruz. I found this while looking at places to eat from the boardwalk, and figured we should go in town to experience a better dining experience.
Everyone at the table loved the 30oz rum bowl and their food. Everyone was sharing food and we all had a great time. The 30oz bowl of rum is a steal for $ 20… it really does hit you. I love the fire in the middle! They give you extra long straws so you don’t have to put much effort into drinking… touché Hula, touché.
I believe I got the Cajun burger, which was a great choice. If you like something a little spicy and zesty, get anything with their Cajun spices. Their fries were good and others loved their sweet potato fries. My friends congratulated me on picking a good place, so I was happy to see everyone full and a little tipsy!

Love the Tiki theme and a good Mai Tai so Hula’s was worth checking out when we were in town on vacation. Very nice Tiki décor especially in the cave-​like back room. The Mai Tai & the Dr. Funk were very good cocktails and the $ 6 happy hour price was reasonable. The waitress was very helpful, energetic and friendly. The lobster bisque was very flavorful but could have used some more lobster. The Jamican-​Hawaiian pork with jerk sauce was nice especially with the plantains and the Johnny cake. The fish tacos had decent amounts of fish and were tasty.
Overall we’d recommend Hulas!

Passing through Santa Cruz on my way home to Half Moon Bay, I found my way here via a Unilocal search, and glad I did.
We lucked out and came on Tuesday, when they have happy hour all day. So, we got a couple of dollars off our «Tiki drinks.» I had a Mai Tai and my wife the One Eye Pyrat. Mine was served on the rocks and hers up in a martini glass, so these aren’t just thrown together. Both drinks good.
We also had $ 6 appetizers — the ceviche and potstickers. These were OK. The ceviche was supposed to have coconut milk and chili, but the citrus was dominant. Fortunately, it was served with some salty chips, which helped balance the flavor.
The highlight for me was the Hawaiian pork plate. The pork was rich and sweet and served with rice. Even though the rice wasn’t great, it was still rice which makes everything better.
The only downside was our server was TOO efficient. That is, she cleared away our plates without asking if we were done and while we still had some food on them, and then when we were sitting chatting she cleared away our water glasses. She wasn’t ending her shift or trying to turn out table — we had only been there 45 minutes. But that got us going which was OK since there was more to see.
Especially on a Tuesday, I would go back. It has a fun Tiki room vibe which would be good for a group of 4 – 6 friends.