Bamboo Hut

Jamie W and I had thought we had exhausted all the options in our various Bay Area tiki bar adventures. So color me embarrassed that we had never ventured to this old-school tiki bar. We were on our way to Chinatown from the waterfront, and some remote part of my subconscious had me look on Google Maps and find it. It was about 6:30PM on a cold Saturday, and the bar was nearly empty. That made us happy.Sammi was the bartender, and we appreciated her industriousness. When more people came in, she never faltered in coming back to us. Very professional. Jamie ordered the $15 Painkiller, an ideal mix of rums, pineapple, coconut, and orange juice with a shake of nutmeg (photo: https://yelp.to/5kRkAWDm1s). Nice kick from two different rums. I saw the slushie machine in motion, so I went for the $13 Strawberry Slushie (photo: https://yelp.to/ePFcen57dJ).It was nicely blended but a tad too bland for a starter cocktail. The second round worked more in my favor. Jamie had the $15 Pretty Fly for a Mai Tai (photo: https://yelp.to/HmN6i-WBWL). Amazing what a couple of aged rums can do together with orgeat and curaçao. Served on the rocks, it had more of a kick than I was expecting. I think I ordered the drink of the evening, the $15 Surfin' Monkey (photo: https://yelp.to/z22tOccF5z).It was a smooth, milkshake-like blend of pineapple and spiced rums, creme de banane, coconut, pineapple, and fresh banana. The place started to fill but not obnoxiously so. At least not yet. The darkly lit decor was not quite at Trader Vic's level, but it had the right spirit. This one is definitely going into our tiki bar universe rotation along with Tiki Sam's and Zombie Village. A civilized alternative to the strip clubs on Broadway.COCKTAILS - 4.5 stars...pretty solid renditions of tiki bar favoritesAMBIANCE - 4 stars...old-school vibeSERVICE - 5 stars...Sammi does her job really wellTOTAL - 5 stars...classic old-school tiki executed wellRELATED - Looking for tiki bars? Here's my collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3SpoS3c

When I first moved to SF in 2016, my cousin who had already been living here took me out to his favorite watering holes. Bamboo Hut was the first one! Did everybody know his name? Absolutely!Were they always glad he came? Definitely!Is it a place to take a break from all your worries? Resounding YESMy homage to Cheers... You're welcome.Now, Bamboo Hut is a small bar located in the North Beach area of SF. Nestled among pizza places and strip clubs! It's known mainly as a Tiki/Tropical themed bar and usually has a DJ mixing absolutely dope beats! Famous for their enormous tropical thirst quenchers like the Pretty Fly for a Mai Tai, Tropic Thunder, and the ultimate... Bamboo Hut Volcano Bowl! It is massive, pricey, but one of those and your liver is set for the night.The place is also available for private parties and they'll even hold a booth, or a whole section for you and your peeps! Drink prices are reasonable and in all the times I've ben there I've never had to do a double take on my bill! Plus, TIP the staff, they work hard to keep us happy!Just the "quick" tip... GO THERE. Get some drinks, have some fun, let loose, and make sure you either eat BEFORE or AFTER. Also use a RIDESHARE if your tiki is tipsy!

Walked in around 1am on a Friday and was pretty lively. There is a DJ in the corner playing trendy tunes with a small floor space for dancing. There's a couple booths and a bunch of seating at the bar tops. I received quick service; there were 2 bartenders and got my drink within a couple of minutes after ordering. The drink I got was super refreshing and tropical!The only con was the booths were left unattended to. There were empty cups and dishes from the previous table that were left around. Overall love the tiki vibes, great for a drinks and fun time!

Bamboo hut is a fun experience it's like walking into an episode of SpongeBob in the best way. The decorations were a vibe (especially the puffer fish). My friends and I got the slushy fish bowls and had a blast drinking from the bendy straws and watching the volcano eruption the bartender creates.

It may be a hit with someone but not the connoisseur of tiki bars. There are many others in the city to sample. The painkiller was mediocre at best. Not to mention it was served in a glass with carvings. Hard pass.

Denied restroom access!! Never been to a bar that did that. It was not even crowded. Would not rec

Stopped by on a Friday night, and really enjoyed the atmosphere at Bamboo Hut... the colors, lighting, and decor were festive and inviting. Everyone we interacted with was awesome, from the guy checking our ID's at the door to the bartenders serving our drinks, they were all so friendly and seemed to be very approachable. I loved the strawberry kiwi cooler, which came in a cute pineapple-shaped glass with a little umbrella on top. The drink itself was yummy, exactly what I would expect at a tiki bar, and a great way to end an awesome night. We stayed until closing time (which was 1am), and the employees didn't rush us out or make us feel uncomfortable in having to finish up and leave. Cool spot :)

Came here around 10pm on Saturday night. It was a very cool vibe! The decor was so vibrant and the DJ was really good. His set was really fun that I wish the place had a dance area. There are lots of seating areas and standing tables. This place is great for groups wanting a chill vibe. We got the regular volcano bowl and chose to mix the strawberry daiquiri and pina colada. It was $45 for the regular and $60 for the large. The presentation was so fun with the fire and cinnamon sparks. The drink was really tasty. My group of 4 wished we got the large. I also tried the bars take on an espresso martini but I forgot the name they had called it. It was really good! Strong and creamy.

Ambiance is nice, but theres no way the volcano bowls are enough alcohol for more than 1 person. If you wanna order it for the novelty + share go ahead but definitely get a personal drink too. Not sure if they were supposed to add more alcohol since it said its supposed to include a floated shot but it tastes bland and our bartender only poured slushy in the bowl.

This bar has cool decor and a good ambiance. The bartenders are cool. Drinks are good too. It's a good place to stop by if you're nearby but I don't think it's worth it if you're out of the way.