Hula's Island Grill is a tropical, tiki-inspired restaurant in Santa Cruz, CA, serving Hawaiian food with an American twist, handcrafted drinks, and local specialty dishes in a casual, cozy, and trendy setting.
Located at 221 Cathcart St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, this popular Santa Cruz restaurant is known for fast service, great beer selection, great cocktails, happy-hour drinks, happy-hour food, and a welcoming bar on site.
Guests can enjoy lunch, dinner, dessert, solo dining, dine-in, takeaway, delivery, and outdoor seating, along with table service and a comfortable atmosphere for casual meals and reservations. Accessibility features include a wheelchair-accessible car park, entrance, seating, and toilet.
To experience one of the top-rated Hawaiian restaurants in Santa Cruz, CA, visit Hula's Island Grill or call +1 831-426-4852 for dinner reservations and dining details.
Popular Items
Frequently ordered and highly recommended items at Hula's Island Grill
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Pineapple-horseradish dipping sauce
fresh white fish, cooked in citrus, with coconut milk, chili, cilantro, garlic
with wasabi-ginger cream sauce
raw ahi, soy sauce, sesame oil, avocado, onion, sesame seeds
classic dish with a spicy serrano kick
tofu, kimcheed cabbage, rice noodles, carrots, basil, peanuts
with lime-ginger cream sauce and soy glaze
coconut, lime, cilantro, curry sauce
asian vinaigrette
either sweet potato or house-cut russet
boneless chicken breast, Thai sauce, avocado, fried plantains
Fried organic non-gmo tofu, plantains, jungle curry sauce, peanuts
seared ahi tuna, wasabi cream sauce
Raw ahi tuna, ginger peanuts, avocado, rice, cabbage mix, cilantro, wasabi-soy-lime sauce
fresh yellowfin tuna
flakey, white SPECIAL CATCH - ask your server
exotic, lime-ginger-cream sauce, rice, slaw
zesty, fresh garlic- herb sauce, rice, slaw
Spicy (we’re not kidding) jerk sauce, rice, slaw, plantains, Johnny cake
with mango-papaya sauce, rice, slaw
with mashed potatoes, wasabi cream sauce, and arugula salad
grilled white fish, taco slaw, sundried tomato pesto aioli
seared panko encrusted ahi steak, taco slaw, sundried tomato pesto aioli
slow roasted pork, habanero aioli, taco slaw, cilantro
pan seared seasoned organic non-gmo tofu, taco slaw, sundried tomato pesto aioli
slow roasted pulled pork, with soy glaze, pineapple, rice, slaw
pulled pork, spicy (we’re not kidding) jerk sauce, fried plantains, rice, slaw, Johnny cake
marinated 10 ounce steak, mashed potatoes, seasonal veg
Korean style beef ribs, macaroni salad, rice
spicy (we’re not kidding) jerk sauce, roasted chicken thighs, fried plantains, slaw, rice, johnny cake
blackened chicken breast, fresh mango, romaine, Hula’s caesar dressing, crispy wonton chips
cajun style ahi steak, fresh mango, romaine, hula’s caesar dressing, crispy wonton chips
coconut ginger lemongrass broth, white fish, shrimp, udon noodles
Dungeness crab meat, grilled white fish, yellow curry, rice, veggies, a house favorite, spicy!
Hear from our valued guests
It was finally a beautiful day in Santa Cruz CA so after walking on the wharf we went downtown to our favorite restaurant, Hula's Island Grille. Amazing decore, and the food is fresh and oh so tasty. We had their famous burger with avocado, bacon, pineapple and jack cheese slathered with their special sauce. You will want more secret sauce for dipping...their hand cut fries are crunchy on the outside and cream on the inside. The tofu salad was a nice choice for those picky eaters, as is the wonderful Caesar salad with chicken or shrimp. Everything that came to the table was beautifully plated and we could not wait to dig in. Put this on your list the next time you are in the Santa Cruz CA area.
One of the best restaurants in the greater Bay Area. I came here after reading excellent recommendations from online articles and I was absolutely impressed. This Hawaiian/Island themed restaurant serves a variety of high quality plates, appetizers, and cocktails. Some of the best food we’ve had and the original Mai Tai was unlike any I’ve ever had. We were especially impressed with the ambiance of the entire place. It’s laid out in a consistent island theme. There is indoor seating, outdoor seating, and hybrid window covered seating which was really nice. The food came out very quickly and was delicious. Everything tastes like they put a ton of care into it. The service was also excellent. Everyone was friendly to me and kindly explained to me their best items which I eventually ordered. This place is worth driving from the Bay Area to visit, or definitely come here after a day on the beach. You will not regret it.
This place is incredible! I got some coffee and the Hawaiian fish soup. One of my favorite things about coffee is getting to mix in the cream and sugar, and they had the cutest little tray for it. The soup was delicious, it was sweet and creamy, and the noodles were perfect. The server was so nice, and regularly checked in with our table. I completely recommend!
What a treat! Hands down our favorite Santa Cruz restaurant. We love a great Polynesian/Tiki restaurant, but this is tied for best overall, anywhere, in our opinion. This restaurant delivers on location, atmosphere, music, menu, quality of food and it's in the Surf Capitol of the USA. Every dish was perfectly prepared. The menu and nightly features were so interesting, we made hard choices. If this restaurant were nearby, I'd return daily until I tried the whole menu. Seriously, it's probably a great thing for us that this place is over 1000 miles away, and yet we can't wait to try it again.
Absolutely amazing. We were during the happy hour, ordered chicken wings and Hawaiian ceviche. Inexpensive and tastes so good. The drinks were great. And we had the Kings crab curry, it was fantastic! Highly recommend. I'm visiting, but if I lived here, I would eat here everyday!
Hands down, one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had! My friends and I originally stopped in for a quick bite and a drink before heading out on the town, but ended up ordering way more than planned. Everything looked too good to pass up!! The menu is massive, and everything we tried was delicious. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the great options, I highly recommend the ahi tuna tacos (or the burger!), the sticky & sweet Kona chicken wings, or the Thai curry bowl! Huge shoutout to our server, Madison, who was an absolute gem. Even though the place was buzzing with activity, she stayed incredibly attentive, warm, and knowledgeable. She gave us amazing recommendations and made the whole experience feel relaxed and fun. Also, the hostess we met that night—didn’t catch her name, was super friendly and welcoming. Wishing her all the best in school and beyond! This place is officially my go-to spot anytime I’m in Santa Cruz. Can’t wait to come back!
I was in Santa Cruz with my friends and we were looking for some place to eat with food and drinks. HULA ranked on the top list with excellent recommendations from google and yelp so we decided to give it a try. Oh girl, I was absolutely impressed; this Hawaiian Island themed restaurant serves a variety of high quality vegan/vegetarian, gluten free appetizers, entree and their cocktails. Some of the best food we have ever had! Since I am vegetarian and most of the time I struggle with good food but this place surpassed my expectations and tasted like heaven. This place has good indoor ambiance. unfortunately we could not get experience it! We saw one beautiful Hawaiian themed room next to their bar section with mind blowing decor and so asked host if they could accommodate us inside but they couldn’t. I still wonder why would not they want to serve us there :( Anyways, our host sat our table in their outdoor dining area.The drinks and food came out quickly and tasted so great. I am sucker of good cocktails and every single one of them were delicious and well balanced with right mixology and the best of presentation. The service was also excellent . Server was sweet and friendly, she suggested everything to my taste bud . This place stand out if you looking for some top notch hand crafted cocktails with very best vegetarian bites. A great place to hangout with your families and friends if you in Santa Cruz .The entire crew is friendly. They could have made our dining experience more enjoyable if they had served us inside the themed dining room. Parking is convenient to get since there is one paid parking spot across the street and also parking is available on the street.
Everything was excellent but I would like to caution diners that there are paintings that depict some partial nudity. For a place that caters also to children, I feel that this must be appropriately addressed, as my young son was intently staring at one such piece of art. Otherwise, the food, drinks, and service were excellent! We were well attended, and food both arrived quickly and cooked very well! I am a little confused by the Johnny Cakes, though - they are advertised as Jamaican but look nothing like any I've ever seen.
Really good happy hour drink and food specials every day! There was a slight wait on a Tuesday (all day happy hour), but the service, vibe, and prices were definitely worth it!
I celebrated my birthday here with my partner and it was our first time at Hula’s. We had such a wonderful experience, largely thanks to our server, Sarah H! Sarah was absolutely lovely and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. She walked us through several options and gave thoughtful recommendations for both drinks and food. Everything she suggested was fantastic…(in fact, the items she recommended ended up being our favorites of the night!). She was also extremely attentive and detail oriented. At one point she noticed that my partner’s salad was missing the pumpkin seeds that were supposed to come with it. It was such a small detail that easily could have been overlooked (we ourselves didn’t notice!), but she caught it right away and fixed it. That level of care really stood out. She made our first visit feel special and memorable. Thank you for making my birthday dinner such a great experience! <3
Common questions about Hula's Island Grill
Hula's Island Grill is located at 221 Cathcart St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States, Santa Cruz, CA, United States.
You can reach Hula's Island Grill by calling +1 831-426-4852.
Hula's Island Grill has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 based on 2607 customer reviews.
Hula's Island Grill features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.
Hula's Island Grill features the following service options: Outdoor seating, Delivery, On-site services, Takeaway, Dine-in.
Hula's Island Grill features the following highlights: Fast service, Great beer selection, Great cocktails, Serves local specialty.
Hula's Island Grill features the following popular for: Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
Hula's Island Grill features the following offerings: Alcohol, Beer, Cocktails, Coffee, Comfort food, Happy-hour drinks, Happy-hour food, Healthy options, Late-night food, Quick bite, Small plates, Spirits, Vegan options, Vegetarian options, Wine.
Hula's Island Grill features the following dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
Hula's Island Grill features the following amenities: Bar on site, Restroom.
Hula's Island Grill features the following atmosphere: Casual, Cozy, Trendy.
Hula's Island Grill features the following crowd: Family friendly, Groups, Tourists, University students.
Hula's Island Grill features the following planning: Dinner reservations recommended, Accepts reservations, Usually a wait.
Hula's Island Grill features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
Hula's Island Grill features the following children: Good for kids, High chairs, Kids' menu.
Hula's Island Grill features the following parking: Free street parking, Paid parking lot, Paid street parking.
Hula's Island Grill features the following pets: Dogs allowed outside.
Business Features
We look forward to welcoming you. Make a reservation or stop by - walk-ins welcome!
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