Every once in a while we find ourselves in North Beach with maybe some time to kill or looking for a cocktail escape. Such was the case on Saturday after an amazing dumpling and noodle focused dinner at nearby China Live but where I was underwhelmed by the cocktails. So we walked over to Bamboo Hut shortly after opening to see if the cocktail game would get any better.
Bamboo Hut is one of the most unusual tiki bars in San Francisco in that it doesn’t fit in neat boxes. It opened in 1997, so it predates the craft cocktail renaissance, but also doesn’t have the longevity of Trad’r Sam or Tonga Room. The interior has some nice decorative elements, including a large tiki mask that dates from the 1940s, yet also has a lot cheap wall tikis and neon signage that plays up the party bar aspect that’s a focus for the venture. The cocktail program was refreshed in 2019 and there are some craft elements, but the nods of “blow job shots” and frozen drinks again leans in the party vibe. So it is sort of good, sort of not for the average tiki aficionado.
There was no issue with our service though, as the bartender was quite personable and even indulged in a called rum Mai Tai, where I asked for Planteray Xaymaca to replace the Planteray 5 Year that I don’t enjoy. The Mai Tai turned out pretty good, way better than the limey one I had at China Live. Even better was Mrs. Mai Tai’s Who Burnt My Banana Bread, which is a sweet old fashioned style drink with walnut bitters and liqueur, banana liqueur, spiced rum, and served smoked. It was actually really great.
This place has a party vibe later in the evenings including DJs playing anything but tropical, but the island vibes and music during our visit were very nice. All of which means that Bamboo Hut isn’t bad at all and I’d be more than willing to pre-game here anytime.
