Bamboo Hut in San Francisco, CA

When Bamboo Hut opened in 1999, it was at the very front of the wave of modern bars inspired by the resurgence in interest in Polynesian Pop. It's more of a nightclub than a bar, with DJed '80s pop music setting the soundtrack, but it's full of spot-on details. There is lots of bamboo and thatch, pufferfish lamps and glass floats, and an outrigger canoe hung from the ceiling. The lighting is appropriately dim and moody. Drinks are served in tiki mugs and bowls, but are on the sickly-sweet side.

Near the entrance is a dramatic waterfall feature, topped by a massive tiki head. The tiki started life as a road sign for the Coral Reef Restaurant

history

Coral Reef

Sacramento, CA

Bar & Restaurant

in Sacramento, and the Bamboo Hut website says it dates from 1947.

Comments

KevinCrossman

KevinCrossman has visited Bamboo Hut.

October 19, 2019, 10:03 AM

The Bamboo Hut is back!

Closed for more than year, this North Beach dive bar with tiki leanings has finally reopened. The decor has been refreshed with clean lines, with less of a �neon beer sign� vibe and with a more upscale cocktail menu. No more �parrot head� decor either. Only two bras hanging from the bar, a departure from their earlier aesthetic. I first visited years ago when they opened in the late 1990s, but even after the refresh it does feel more like that sort of tiki place rather than the craft-inspired and high-art tiki bars of recent vintage in the Bay Area. But the place was packed on a Friday night so let�s give it a try.

Something was off, way off, with my Mai Tai. I saw them pour in the Plantation 5 year and Real McCoy rums. I saw them pour in the Ferrand Dry Curacao. These are high quality ingredients that normally make for a good Mai Tai. But there was a very funny taste. So it was either the lime juice or more likely the Orgeat. Very disappointing.

The Business with Pleasure cocktail made with Gin, Pineapple, and Lemon was also a mixed bag. One in our party thought it was bland, whereas I thought it was light and refreshing. The Manhattan that was ordered was deemed �fine,� which is about what you�d expect in a tiki leaning dive bar.

Their tiki head remains a focal point and a feature worth visiting for

KevinCrossman

KevinCrossman has visited Bamboo Hut.

September 3, 2017, 12:11 PM

We visited on a Saturday night and overall liked the experience. For sure this is not a "pure" tiki bar, with a large beer menu and a dive/sports bar vibe. Music was all over the place but a mix of rock, pop, and hip-hop.

My Mai Tai was made island-style, and my friends Painkiller came blended. So, again, not pure tiki. The drinks were pretty good though, and I did enjoy their coconut daiquiri.

The decor here is a mix of tiki, hawaiian, and "parrot head". The large tiki just inside the entrance is a great feature. Service was friendly and fast.

The funniest part of our experience was the two young ladies who for certain were dancers at one of the nearby strip clubs. They were talking to the bartender and then some other guy came up and tried to talk them up. It was a festive atmosphere inside. The music is a killer here, though. When "Enter Sandman" started playing, we knew it was time to leave.

Overall Bamboo Hut could be a fun place to spend some time with friends when in North Beach.

Atomic Tiki Punk

Atomic Tiki Punk has visited Bamboo Hut.

December 28, 2016, 2:25 PM

Visited here with friends around 2000, it was more on the cheesy side, but we had a great time, it was during the Swing scene period in San Francisco, the music was more Rockabilly, Swing, 80s etc.

It has a dive bar mood & nothing wrong with that, don't know what is like now.

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