Hula's Modern Tiki in Phoenix, AZ

. The concept here is a bit different�while the Monterey and Santa Cruz locations have more of a surf-meets-tiki feel, the aesthetic here is a mix of midcentury modern and tiki.

The dominant feature of the space is a massive, hexagonal window that looks straight out of a '70s sci-fi film set (the building actually dates to 1965). The interiors are all sleek, but executed with a variety of organic materials to bring a sort of barely-primitive feel. The indoor area features a large bar, and there is outdoor dining.

There is at least one large Tiki tOny tiki. Tiki mugs, especially from Munktiki, fill cases around the restaurant. Volcano bowl drinks are available, and drinks are served in glassware with the Hula's tiki logo. Like the other Hula's locations, it has won raves for its food.

Comments

TikiJoe

TikiJoe has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

April 2, 2019, 9:34 PM

Overall very pleasant experience. Service was friendly and excellent. Food fantastic and drinks good. I prefer more traditional tiki decor and atmosphere than this place offers. Much more contemporary vibe and very light inside. However, it�s hard to fault the place for this as the name of the establishment is Hula�s MODERN Tiki. In the end what it all comes down to for me is would I go again? The answer? A resounding YES!!

cmanen

March 20, 2019, 10:30 AM

Looks like it still open but it relocated (5114 N 7th St.) due to losing their old lease because the building owners wanted to redevelop.

khaos2012
khaos2012 has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

February 10, 2019, 4:27 AM

This location is closed

View all 16 comments

Comments about Hula's Modern Tiki

TikiJoe
TikiJoe has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

April 2, 2019, 9:34 PM

Overall very pleasant experience. Service was friendly and excellent. Food fantastic and drinks good. I prefer more traditional tiki decor and atmosphere than this place offers. Much more contemporary vibe and very light inside. However, it�s hard to fault the place for this as the name of the establishment is Hula�s MODERN Tiki. In the end what it all comes down to for me is would I go again? The answer? A resounding YES!!

cmanen

March 20, 2019, 10:30 AM

Looks like it still open but it relocated (5114 N 7th St.) due to losing their old lease because the building owners wanted to redevelop.

khaos2012
khaos2012 has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

February 10, 2019, 4:27 AM

This location is closed

Monster A GoGo
Monster A GoGo has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

January 31, 2019, 11:39 PM

Back in November, I visited Phoenix. I knew about 5 different locations to visit...but ended up visiting SIX instead. What was the sixth? It was the "speakeasy", The Captain's Table right next to Hula's Modern tiki-Phoenix.

Hula's actually owns and operates The Captain's Cabin, a tiny nautical-themed tiki bar. I was thrilled to get to experience it, but the experience was just sort of ...eh. The drink menu was limited and the cocktails I tried were too nouveau--not the traditional tiki taste at all. But the place is new. Maybe it just needs a little more time to get its "sea legs"?

Hula's Modern Tiki-Phoenix itself was okay. The drinks were good, but I was no fan of the "modern" aspect of the place. Heck, half (or more) of the fun of going to a tiki bar is the imaginative decor. There were some wall art tikis and a few tikis outside the place....but it was very sterile. And you could almost feel the place wanting to be a sports bar (big screen TVs at the bar were all tuned to sports stations.) The one saving grace, besides the drinks, was the small, token tiki room almost hidden off to the side. For photos and a full look at HULA'S MODERN TIKI-PHOENIX and THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN (and other tiki haunts in the Phoenix area), feel free to visit my blog here:

https://monsterago-go.blogspot.com/2019/01/im-freaky-for-tiki-18-by-time-i-get-to.html

CHEERS!

JP
JP has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

December 12, 2018, 11:06 AM

Important note: The location in Phoenix moved to a new location earlier this year... the new address is near 7th Street and Camelback Road - 5114 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014

For a modern slanted tiki place, Hula's was pretty nice! It's very sleek and modern (I mean, it's in the name!) - the staff was incredibly friendly, the food was very tasty and my drinks were pretty great!

Inside Hula's, I had a Mai Tai. It's more of the Hawaii / Oahu style (if you use the Total Tiki app, it's very close to the 1971 Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai) - now, I have friends who stick their noses up at this style of Mai Tai, but it's my personal favorite one (is it better than what you can get on Oahu? No. But, honestly, what is?)

Next door, there's an unmarked door which is Hula's hidden speakeasy called The Captain's Cabin, which has a smaller menu, but is definitely tiki heavy. I only found my way in there because a bunch of Hawaiian shirt clad folks were heading in there! In fact, I followed them in, and they bought me a drink (Turns out, I was crashing their company's holiday party...Phoenix people are nice!)

I had the Pele's Punch, which is white rum, dark rum, falernum, x-rated fusion liqueur, pineapple juice, firewater bitters... very good! It tasted even better because it was free!

I would suggest you check this place out. It's not a hardcore hole in the wall like some tiki places, it's not "authentic," but the atmosphere, drinks and food make for a nice place to start your evening.

Satellite
Satellite has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

May 30, 2018, 5:11 PM

We visited Hula's in Phoenix for Sunday brunch. Drinks were very satisfying, but the brunch items we ordered were worth another trip to AZ just for that. Great service as well. Would love to see the mod decor at night, next time, too!

Oidarnam
Oidarnam has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

April 11, 2018, 10:46 AM

We had a wonderful Sunday brunch with exotic cocktails at the bright & airy N Central location, while visiting the Phoenix area in January.

Hula's has a sleek, 'tiki modern' decor (mid-century pop/surfer vibe with tiki overtones) and great food & service. Although not a classic tiki ambience, they've done a good job tikifying the contemporary, streamlined decor trend and retro pop fad.

Their drinks are a big step up from the overly sweet, artificial concoctions many places call a 'tiki' cocktail, but it was their food that really wowed me. Can't wait to go back and try more things and visit the other location sometime.

JimNeumayer
JimNeumayer has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

April 19, 2017, 10:16 AM

While not a classic tiki bar, Hula's Modern Tiki is a nice
place to join with friends and fellow tikiphiles. Not a large
selection of drinks, but they do have some creative selections and combinations you do not see everyday.
Overall if you enjoy the tiki revolution, you should try the
place out!

arcadiandj
arcadiandj is a semi-regular at Hula's Modern Tiki.

December 10, 2016, 10:03 AM

I really enjoy both Hula's locations. The one is Scottsdale is beautiful and polished while the one next to central is more like a California surfer's bar. They have a totally legit tiki vibe with food and drinks to go with it. The reason for my low rating has to do with the quality of their drinks and music. Their drinks are fine and certainly tiki and they are not as bad as say Joe's Crab shack, but they are what I would call "gringoized." Meaning, they are meant for the masses and not true lovers of tiki drinks. E.g., I was talking to a bar tender about their rum collection and he didn't know what demerara rum is.

KevinCrossman
KevinCrossman has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

March 20, 2016, 11:53 AM

The place was crowded on a Saturday night but they got us seated quickly. We enjoyed the food and the service was good. The drinks were tasty but felt watered down. The Hawaii 5-0 that I had at the Santa Cruz Hula's a couple weeks earlier tasted much better. Mai Tai has juice, so, yeah.

JenTiki
JenTiki has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

August 15, 2014, 12:00 PM

Definitely more Modern than Tiki. Even a large percentage of the tiki mugs displayed were the more modern sleek-lined Munktiki mugs, rather than classic/vintage mugs. On the plus side: the food was great and plentiful; the tv in the bar was showing a Frankie & Annette surf movie; service was quick and friendly. I was there on a Tuesday night and it was definitely not busy. There were a few tables of people in the dining room and the patio was about half full.

I do prefer my tiki bars to be darker and more cluttered, but I would certainly go back for good food a really good prices if I were in the neighborhood. Not sure it's worth the cab fare from downtown Phoenix though for a return trip. But definitely worth going at least once if you haven't been.

darcsylver
darcsylver has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

March 12, 2013, 9:07 PM

I really like this place. I thought the drinks were great, though Happy Hour is busy and the bartenders take awhile to return. They offer a few collectibles... the Dr. Funk standard from China and the signature glasses in two colors. I got these and really like them in my collection! I'll be back!

Honest Abe
Honest Abe is a semi-regular at Hula's Modern Tiki.

November 18, 2012, 3:59 PM

Trendy, but great mid-century tiki spirit. Very good service, very good happy hour (all night on a couple nights a week), and solid drinks.

When my only gripe with a place is that the Mai Tai has pineapple juice, the place must be pretty good.

Worth a visit if you're ever in Phoenix!

ridric
ridric is a regular at Hula's Modern Tiki, and is usually there happy hour.

September 12, 2012, 12:14 PM

My oasis in Phoenix. Hula's has a very cool vibe with a pronounce tiki flair. The cocktails are amazing (try the Juan Ho for something completely different & delicious) and the food quality and selection is great too. Service is literally the best, from the bus staff up to the owner, who is frequently around. One of the best Happy Hours in all of Phoenix/Scottsdale!

AZ Fluteguy
AZ Fluteguy is a regular at Hula's Modern Tiki, and is usually there weekends.

December 30, 2011, 3:50 PM

Hula's is just wonderful. The food, drinks and service are all top-notch.
Our board members first experienced Hula's a few months ago. Now it's a favorite with many, many members of Desert Overture.

My personal favorite drink: Dr. Funk!

Right_D
Right_D has visited Hula's Modern Tiki.

November 18, 2011, 7:40 PM

Hula's Modern Tiki is just that - Modern. It is kind of a slick, urban twist on traditional Tiki. Overall it seems to work pretty well. Food selection and quality is great. Drink selection and quality is great. A decent place to hang out, but overall more "modern" than "Tiki".

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