Hula’s Modern Tiki Scottsdale

Wow! How awesome! Rachel was incredibly helpful with all of our questions about the drinks and the food. She helped us find the perfect drinks (which were amazing!) and food (which was amazing too!!) Try the hula burger and the blood orange martini! The prices are really reasonable for the location and everyone seemed down to earth and not Scottsdale snobby.

**Updating this review, since Dana (the owner was VERY quick to respond and went above and beyond to rectify the situation and assure me that he takes feedback seriously and handles it with grace and kindness **
I’m not sure who our server was (since he didn’t introduce himself, nor did any of us want to ask) but the service last night was really disappointing. We had a large party (15) and we called in advance (two days prior) to make a reservation. This was a going away party for a close friend, that turned in to the entire table feeling as if we were walking on egg shells because server was so condescending and rude to us. It ruined the experience for us. He told us from the time we sat down that he would be assigning seat numbers in order to make it easier to create separate checks. He asked that we «not move» or that he would have to spend «a long time figuring it all out». The only thing was, that we were still waiting on two others to join, and we even told him that they were running late but that we would all like to order drinks. It took another 15 mins or so so flag him down, because he only took the drink order for the person on the end and walked away. After ordering our first round, our additional two guests arrived and sat toward the middle of the table (I think they should be able to sit where they’d like) but the server huffed and made us all feel really badly for «messing up his system». When he finally got around to taking orders, he got to the two in the middle and asked to take their order while he was flipping through his sheets of paper with disdain. The person whose order he was taking felt bad and innocently asked if it would be easier if we gave him our names. He very quickly snapped back at her, «I’m tired, you all moved around. It’s fine… I’ll figure it out» then furiously shuffled more paper. This was the tone, and the attitude he had with us for the remainder of our meal. He made us feel as if we were burdening him the entire time. I work in hospitality, and I believe that when service is great it should be recognized. On the flip side, this server could’ve really done a better job at making us feel welcome. Instead, we were all hesitant to ask for things knowing he would make some sarcastic remark, or give us an uneasy feeling. There were other small things, him leaning in on the back of our chairs, not bringing us all water even after we requested some, and asking us to stack our dishes and pass them to him (which, i would get if they were in hard-​to-​reach places, but they were not). I get that people have bad days, and it’s a bummer that he was tired, but he could’ve made a small easy effort to ensure that things went more smoothly than they did. It’s much easier to throw on a smile than let your bad energy trickle down to everyone else. I also frequent Hulas Downtown, and as always, the food and drinks were great.

I’ve moved away from Az, but this is my «must-​go-​to» spot whenever I’m in town for work! The Lilikoi Margarita, Crunchy Spicy Chicken Tacos and Jawiaan Jerk Pork plate are all excellent!

Great choice for Hawaiian Fusion food in a fun and unique atmosphere! I started out with a fresh and tasty seaweed salad that was large enough for 2 and priced at $ 4. I also had the house salad with a miso vinaigrette that was very good. Hubby had the pork potstickers with Thai peanut sauce that was just yummy and an order of Hawaiian chicken of skewers as well. Mariana was our most gracious server and took very good care of us, even going out of her way to inquire about a boot store for me from another staff. We had the Jamaican Jerk style pork and fresh Hapu fish served with mango salsa, rice and Jamaican

This place is a neat little spot in downtown Scottsdale. The service is good, the food was yummy. We went on a Saturday just missed the lunch menu, but it was happy hour until 7 PM so that was nice. Four dollars for a draft longboard and big wave. Ordered chicken tacos and they were pretty good a little on the dryer side but they were still satisfying. A little pricey for the food portions. It would have been worth itat lunch menu prices though. I like the whole vibe of the place, would not mind going back!

Great atmosphere. Got in early on a weekend and there was no wait. Very good food. Sweet potato fries were the best!

The Dr Funk, a mai-​tai, a punch bowl, and maybe another of their rum drinks are the reasons to go here. The rum drinks are good, fun, & consistent.
The menu may be island inspired, but its simple & boring, on the verge of bland.
Hula’s is a nice place to stop in for a quick drink or as part of a bar crawl thru Scottsdale as there are many other watering holes in walking distance of each other in this area. Service is ok, pricing is on par for what they offer. But the comfort level in this place is a little weird, this isnt the place to have several cocktails & get sloppy. Thats what Pattie’s is for across the street.

I visited Hula’s Modern Tiki today during my lunch break. This was my first visit. Ordered the fish tacos with rice and beans. After a long wait, I was given a fish sandwich with no sides. I told the bartender that it was the wrong order, but decided to take it because I was on my lunch. The bartender said that they would give me some fries on the house.
Five minutes later, the bartender tells ANOTHER customer next to us at the bar that I took his food. This prompted the customer to ask ME why I took his food. I told him that the bartender delivered it incorrectly to me, therefore the bartender gave me the wrong food.
The food was very bland. Fish was over-​seasoned and over-​cooked. My friend’s burger was bland and also over-​seasoned. My lame fish sandwich, free fries and a coke costs my $ 18. I will not be going back here again. We were very disappointed.

Charlie… you rock!
Charlie is a great server, and I have to say that again. You rock! He took care of an ENTIRE large birthday party and still was prompt and attentive to us. The thing that really stood out for me with him was that he was communicative. If more people were communicative in general, I think people would be a lot more understanding and patient.
Anywho, the first thing Charlie said was that he had a large birthday party and he was going to take their orders but he would be right back to us. Understood. When he came back, I told him that was quick and he said that he felt that he took forever. and that well it was just a matter of perception which to me meant that Charlie had his guests in mind.
Okay onward with the food…
Hula’s Modern Tiki is located right in Old Town Scottsdale… and is just what it sounds like. Hawaiian food with a modern twist.
I ordered the Jawaiian Jerk Pulled Pork Entrée, which came with rice, pulled pork, plantain and «Johnny Cakes,»
The entrée came automatically split in two plates, since we were sharing and I appreciated that the kitchen did that, probably at the direction of Charlie, without even asking. Thank you! The plates were also presentable.
The pulled pork was fantastically seasoned and oh boyyyyy a kick of spice! If you don’t like spicy, this WILL NOT be for you. The spice lingers, but is absolutely delicious. The fried plantain was what I expected, and the Johnny Cakes was delicious as well… it was like a corn cake with plantains.
We also ordered a side of Mac Salad and that was also reasonably priced ($ 3) and well worth it. It does come cold, which reminds of the modern mac salad you get from the grocery store rather than the warm ones you get a Hawaiian place, but it was still very tasty and rather light and refreshing.
Enjoyed my experience here!

My friend loves the orange vodka drink on happy hour. I usually drink wine.
Happy hour is the best time to come. Otherwise, it’s a bit overpriced.
The ceviche is the best on the app menu… everything else is less than «meh».
I’ve not had the ahi so I can’t comment. Market price? Whatever.
But, the ceviche is the best in the valley. Totally worth regular price even :).
For dinner, mango chicken caesar salad was yum.
Service is usually decent. Except if you sit at the bar.

Again, Hula’s is the best! For a surprise birthday party for the wife, Hula’s says No Problem.
They accommodated our group of 19, with separate checks, and not one mistake on our orders. The service was impeccable. Drinks always full and food served quickly.
This place always makes us feel welcome whether it’s just the 2 of us or 18 of us.

Interesting menu. Great service. Tried the shrimp rolls with pineapple sauce and hula burger — both really good. My husband loved the ahi tuna sandwich. My favorite was the key lime pie for dessert. Can’t wait to come back and try some of their other unique food and drink items!

I have been to the Central Phoenix Hula’s location many times, but this was my first visit to the Scottsdale outpost. I brought a large group for lunch and everyone enjoyed their meal. I was especially pleased with my black bean burger with mac salad — so tasty! Great atmosphere, great service and great food too!

I still love Hula’s! Came here for a celebration and the food & drinks are still good. This time I had the fish balls, pot sticker & egg roll filled with seafood. They were all delicious! I had hot tea tonight. I liked how they brought over a selection of hot tea for me to choose & also brought over an extra pot of hot water in case I wanted refills.
The atmosphere & wait staff are consistently friendly and warm.
The place was thriving & hopping even with the rain outside & on a Sunday evening.
This is a good sign that it’s a favorite spot for many!

This is a great place in the heart of downtown Scottsdale to get your Happy Hour on! Especially since the HH menu goes till 11pm. The décor is tiki/kitschy/cool…modern tiki vibe. very clean.tvs at the bar if you want to catch a game while enjoying your spirits and local grinds.
On this particular night we had a 2 year old in tow and they couldn’t have been more gracious! (They even had a high chair). I was starving and my friends only a little hungry so they ordered pupus (ceviche and pork tacos) and I had the spicy ahi Caesar salad everyone was pleased with their food. Large portion for a dinner salad. flavors were on point. The specialty drinks are fruity and fun and usually come in a fun glass to compliment what’s being served. I love taking out of town guests here and so far everyone I bring compliments me on my great choice!

My Old Town Scottsdale bar hop was supposed to be over. I was just at my limit and was ready to get back to the hotel but then wait — what is that??? A tiki bar??? Well I am a sucker for a tiki bar so I decided to extended the bar hop to another drink, which turned into many, which turned into too many!!!
From what I remember… it was a very unexpected find in old town. A very strange choice/​location/​interior but I loved it! The drinks were so good, as I said, I many have enjoyed them a bit too much. I really do remember that every one on the menu looked great and each one I ordered was amazing. Would love to go back again some day, this time at the start of a bar hop instead of the end. If you are into tiki bars or looking for something different in old town you should check it out.

My favorite college buddy (actually he’s the only one I still keep in touch with) was coming through town so my husband and I took him to lunch at Hula’s. I’ve been wanting to go since they opened in Old Town.
We reminisced about my first real concert over Hula’s yummy cocktails… reliving the trip from Flagstaff in a car with no windows… in August… to see Metallica. I wasn’t even sure who that was. I only knew he had lined up at Ticketmaster at 4am (before Al Gore invented the internet) to get good seats for his can of crazy girlfriend who refused to go at the last minute anyway. Ah, those were the days. And completely irrelevant to this review.
So for those of you that haven’t turned the channel yet, Hula’s does have some fun cocktails. And while I love some of their appetizers, I thought lunch was just okay. I really liked the Hawaiian ceviche with wonton chips (again, great apps). The mango chicken caesar salad and mac salad, eh, okay. Good, but not great. I was also a little put off that my friend wanted to order from the dinner menu, but couldn’t. We were about 20 minutes early, and understandably, the kitchen could not accommodate, which was fine. However even when we asked our server if we could just have our drinks for 20 minutes, and then order, she still said «no.» I guess she was concerned we would take up the table for an extra 20 minutes? That would have been another round of drinks, but I guess it wasn’t worth her time. It hasn’t been worth mine to go back, although I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.

Addendum: The owner contacted me to let me know this server no longer works at Hula’s, and didn’t represent their standard of service. Based on the owner’s willingness to communicate with me and make amends, I’d be open to returning next time I’m in Scottsdale, and hopefully will be able to update my rating!
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Hi! I’m vegan. I try not to make a fuss when I eat out with friends, but Hula’s made it difficult.
I’ve never met a more exasperated waitress in my entire life. It started off fine enough. «Are your hashbrowns made with butter or oil?» «Butter.» «And they can’t be made with oil?» «No.» «Okay, I’ll have avocado and toast.» I got avocado and a buttered English muffin. Two things — thought it was pretty clear based on our previous conversation that I’m not into butter, but also…“I’m sorry,” I said. «I can’t eat English muffins. Do you have toast, like sourdough or something?» Siiiigh, sure, okay. «Sorry,» I called after her. All of my friends turned towards me. «Why are you apologizing?!» «I don’t know… reflex? She looks annoyed with me?»
Then when she came back and said the toast would be coming up, I clarified that I didn’t want butter on the toast, remembering the English muffin situation. She stopped in her tracks, sighed, and then went to the kitchen, without saying a word to me. Oh… wow.
What I got was Texas toast («no butter!») grilled where they grill buttered Texas toast. Okay, I’m done. I almost ate it anyways, but the smell of butter and the hardness of the avocado stopped me. «It’s not worth it, dude,» I said to myself, nauseated by the smell.
Had I made it clear I was vegan, it might’ve been a different story. I was trying to be easy (avocado and toast are usually so fail-​safe!) but it just didn’t work this time. I have zero complaints about the $ 2 mimosas, and they do have a clearly marked vegan option on their dinner menu. Both the English muffin and Texas toast were removed from my bill, so props to at least being aware that I was unhappy. But the situation was bad enough that none of my friends wanted to go back, even though they all had great food. I have pretty awesome friends.

(Lyrics — Sam Smith — I’m Not The Only One)
Unilocal and me, we made a vow
For better or for worse
I know you wouldn’t let me down
But the proof’s in the way it taste
For months on end I’ve had no doubts
Eating everywhere
I wish I could come over now
But I know that you’ll be there
I say I’m hungry
Cause Scottsdale just around the corner
But when is Happy Hour
I go to Hula’s Modern Tiki!
Hula’s Modern Tiki Scottsdale is a 2^nd location to the popular Tiki off Central in Phoenix. Overall, Hula’s Modern Tiki still the same concept and design; a 50’s style luau with a modern twist in drinks and food.
I came on a late Tuesday night to catch the game and hang with a buddy of mines from Los Angeles. He was flabbergasted by the prices, «They’re so cheap compared to where I’m from», Yes I agreed. Plus, we have water and I’m sure glad I don’t have to over pay for food here in the valley!
Hula has daily Happy Hour specials so check them out, but tonight I shot for a IPA and ordered the Habanero Chicken Tacos while my buddy went for the Loco Moco. My dish was pretty darn spicy and I’m sure they used just a tad bit of habanero, but it worked with marinated shredded chicken while the crunchy cabbage slaw provided some texture. The avocado is always a welcome and the sweet aioli balanced it out pretty well. I didn’t even use my salsa since I thought the dish was well put together. Only thing was I didn’t care for the corn tortilla since it was definitely store bought; I rather have it freshly made and would have made this dish kickass! My buddies dish was a «traditional» Hawaiian meal. To me it was a Salisbury hamburger patty atop a bed of rice and a fried egg over everything. He rather enjoyed it, but I didn’t really care for it.
In the end. Hula’s is still a hot spot for Happy Hour whether in Phoenix or Scottsdale. The food is a fusion of Hawaiian and Southwest with some modern American funk. Service is pretty good and overall and solid spot! — Enjoy!

Great variety of food beautifully prepared and reasonably priced. The fish bites appetizer was a big hit at the table. I did the steak sandwich and Caesar salad. It did not have that much meat, but it was tasty (maybe the bread was too big…). My wife’s Baja fish tacos were almost to pretty to eat. Almost… the fist tacos are defiantly worth trying.
Their are dozens of places competing for business in old town and this place is a winner.