this is life in austin & aspen

Hula Hut is an Austin institution, sitting pretty on the shores of Lake Austin next to Mansfield Dam, a place central but tucked into a neighborhood, accessible by boat, car, and for the adventurous, foot. It has succeeded while restaurant after restaurant next door failed. Is it because Hula Hut already has the market on lock? Why don’t those people with the 2-hour wait for a table just go over to the other restaurant?

Because Hula Hut is just good. Their salsa is fresh and delicious (even if their chips sometimes aren’t), and you can serve yourself while you wait. Their drinks are not the best, but not the worst, and again, it’s something to do while you wait. There’s an enormous patio and outside bar for waiting. The culture surrounding the Hawaiian-infused Mexican joint (owned by Chuy’s) is one of island relaxation, where there’s no need to rush. How did they create that?!

Part of the secret is that they make you wait at the right time. You arrive, you know you’re going to have to wait. You grab the aforementioned chips and salsa and drinks, and you chill out. You people-watch. Your buzzer finally goes off and you get seated … then everything goes into rapid-fire mode. The waitstaff is almost always professional, attentive, and quick as lightning. Your food comes out just minutes after you order. Your waiter is constantly (but not annoyingly) stopping by to check on you, so you can get extra sauce/napkins/more drinks/the check/whatever you need right when you need it.

This is the secret. You chill out, then you eat, and leave, stuffed full of homemade tortillas (you can watch them make the floury confections through the window) and fresh salsa. Some choose to linger, and as soon as the waitstaff realizes that, they’re cool with it. So this is why people hang out here: because other people hang out here. Pretty people, people who own boats, people who boat in, people who love being on the water, people who love being outside on a pretty day or night.

So even if Hula Hut is sometimes maligned by the locals for its 2-hour wait for a table on weekends, or its not-cheap drinks that aren’t that good anyway and never a drink special, that’s not the only reason you’re there. The food is consistent (I say great!); the atmosphere can’t be beat.