Kapu Hut

As a hybrid of a tiki bar/brewpub, it is a small piece of civility in a town that seems to have no reason to have a Tiki Bar. Relaxing atmosphere - excellent service and what few tiki drinks they offer at the place were not bad - overall it's pretty good. It was just the respite I needed after a long hard day trying to do a football game for fox TV.

Wonderful theme cohesiveness on entrance, kind of breaks down once you are sitting for a while. Good amount of non-tiki remains from previous theme.

Drinks-pleasantly surprised by drinks on first visit. Mai Tai and Jungle Bird completely on-point. They need a couple more strong drinks on their list; for $9 a drink, I want to feel the booze. Garnish was lovely, with luxardo cherries on bamboo picks providing the finishing touches. I was impressed enough that I came back within a couple weeks with other friends.

On second visit, the Jungle Bird was the stand-out. Mai Tai just wasn't what it should have been. And garnish was completely absent. Boo. I want my cherries, dang it! Bartender recommended something off-menu, called the black pearl, a berry Long Island. Not yummy, but at least it was strong. Pina colada was solid, for those who like sweeter drinks this is a great choice.

Food-Pad Prik green bean sauce was amazing, and beans were cooked to perfection.

I'm thrilled we have a solid tiki option here in Eugene, and I certainly hope that it's a work in progress. Consistency needs work, and the tiki drinks menu needs expanding.
My recommendation: Add a Nui Nui and maybe a Zombie too. Prices should come down or presentation should come up.

My review Kapu Hut review for the Eugene Weekly, our local alternative newspaper: http://www.eugeneweekly.com/20141113/food/spirit-aloha.

This may be a tiki bar in the process of *becoming* a tiki bar. It's trying. As of summer 2015, it wasn't quite there yet.