Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Hula Hut brings TexMex with a Hawaiian twist

I've been to Hula Hut at least a dozen times, mostly for lunch but occasionally on a Saturday afternoon.  They're always busy but the staff keeps everything light and fun so it's great no matter when you go.  They have the typical palm tree, tiki torches, Polynesian god and Gilligan's Island thatched roof theme so give the place some character not to mention they sit right by the dam on Lake Austin so you can drive or boat your way to a full belly.

I was in the mood for Tex Mex so I ordered the steak tubular tacos platter.  It's a big baked burrito stuffed with grilled beef fajita meat, corn and mushrooms, plus a fair amount of cheeses.  The meat has always been tender though I can remember a few times when it was a bit dry.  I just add extra salsa when that happens.  The corn and mushrooms give the dish a different flavor than your traditional Tex Mex but it works well and who doesn't love that gooey cheese surrounding everything in a blanket of creamy goodness.  They sauce it up with a Hatch green chile sauce and serve it to you with the standard rice and refrieds.  It's a pretty big plate so you'll be full but not overly stuffed.  Who wants to take a to go box back to work from lunch anyway.  The frig is always disgusting no matter where you work.

Steph had their Hula Hut burger.  It's a giant 1/2 pound patty and comes on focaccia bread. Steph order it plain and dry but added cheese and bacon.  She's all about the flavor of the meat when she gets a burger.  The burger is char grilled and comes out with that nice smoky flavor like you would find at a backyard barbeque.  I don't remember if they cooked it to order, in which case she would have gotten medium rare, but the burger looked a little more on the medium side.  She didn't complain or say it was dry so I'll assume it was just right.  They serve the burger with a mound of french fries as you would expect.

We had some room for dessert so we ordered some flan.  Steph was a bit embarrassed when I said we'd like some Flan Dresher and proceeded to laugh in that annoying Queens accent of hers.  We later laughed about it and still use the joke on occasion.  Just not in public.  It was a nicely made custard, not too sweet, and finished off he meal with a happy note.

The staff is always helpful and happy at Hula Hut so you don't have to worry about service.  In fact, I can't think of a bad time in my many trips.  Even riding that little tram cart thing from the overflow parking is fun.  Or I'm just easily amused.  Whatever the case I've always had a good time at Hula Hut.

Aloha!


Hula Hut on Urbanspoon

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