Sierra R.

Tonga hut is a real deal tiki bar, by far my favorite we visited on our Palm Springs trip. The food is so good and authentic, the atmosphere is fun and casual, a great place to bring friends, and the drinks are phenomenal. But the staff probably made the experience for me, Murph is great and runs a solid ship, but Nikole was the best, i trusted her with my drinks and I would trust her with my life. We loved this place so much we came back twice in one day and here I am still singing their praises days later. Will absolutely be back again, try the Kraken the Dole Whip if you’re craving something sweet!

+6

Jose Jordan

Our waiter Daniel was terrific. Great service, great food. Great drinks. If we're in the Palm Springs area, we'll stop by again.

+12

Leif Satermo

You must scan a QR code to view the menu. The place is pretty cool, props on the atmosphere. The food is good, although the portions are a little small. Pictured is the PuPu platter and Kahlua pork sliders. The cocktails are strong and the food is grilled to perfection. The atmosphere is great, again. Nailed the tropical island vibes.

+9

Carmen Izquierdo-Oliva

Absolutely amazing! Me and my husband are locals at the Tonga Hut in LA so we were excited to check this location out for my birthday weekend. I can’t emphasize what a great experience we had—from the food (which LA doesn’t have), to the drinks, and the fantastic service—I’d give it a 10/10. The LA location definitely has a lot to learn from their Palm Springs sister location! Daniel was our server and he was super fun and awesome all around. Our food and drinks always came out super quick, which we were very impressed by. We will definitely be coming back!

+1

This place is fun!!! Daniel and his stylish pink lenses are a Vibe and so is this tiki bar! Especially for anyone staying at the Hyatt, it’s right across the street! The restaurant is upstairs so you receive outside views to people watch and sip your vacay cocktails and for me that is everything you want in a tiki bar. And….happy hour!!! Enjoy the MaiTais and the Vibes!

On the pricey side, view is great if you get outdoor seating. Food is also very good

Elka

The drinks and personality seemed to be the highlight of the place. Could the Pupu Platter food have been hotter? Yes. Was it fun to have a mini grill to heat things on? Yes! There is one m/f bathroom. It got quite loud in the booth area.

+2

Todd Sweeney

Went here on NYE and thought this is great tiki bar! Our waitress helped one of our party with a custom drink and was very attentive. The vibe was so good we went back the next day. Big mistake. The host was a bit gruff, but our waiter was awful. He was so rude we almost walked out, and I kind of wish we had.

Eric S

We stopped in for a couple of drinks 60 minutes before a dinner reservation one block away. In that 60 min, we had time for one cocktail. It took more than 20 minutes for a server to even acknowledge us and come over to our table. It then took another 10 minutes for our cocktails to arrive. That was 30 minutes before we even had a drink in our hand. I'm not one to complain and usually never do (see reviews), but this was a ridiculously long time to wait for a cocktail when there were at least 5 different servers working. In the end, the cocktails were very tasty, and had it been a reasonable amount of time for them to show up, this would be a much higher rating. A simple "Hey there, we'll be right with you." by anyone, goes a long way, even if we're not seated in your section.

M

I visited this nicely tucked 2nd-story venue in May of '25 after a very high-temperature afternoon. I arrived at 16:47 on a Friday and chose to dine in the restaurant section. I was looking forward to an early dinner and a couple of tiki-themed concoctions, but was first exceedingly thirsty from outdoor activities. I asked for a menu and a glass of ice water while reviewing the menu. The server refused the water request and advised water would be served only after I completed my order. This is the first time in memory ever having been refused water at an establishment before placing the order. This certainly inhibited a full review of the complete menu in my need to expeditiously secure that glass of water. I ordered something I thought would be swift prep for the kitchen staff and an as-yet uncraved Mai Tai in order to hurry receipt of that water; and fortunately was served at 17:04. I had to hydrate a few more minutes before even feeling up to tasting the Mai Tai, unattended thirst delaying my intended cocktail kick-off time by at least 15 minutes. Ideally, I'd have been slaked and receiving the first cocktail before the meal. So, behind schedule, and due to water refill concerns on a black-flag afternoon, I felt it prudent to cap it at the one Mai Tai; although, I really would have preferred to make this a sampling event. The atmosphere was good... not as in-depth as some other tiki venues such as Frankie's or Hugman's. The food was fine, nothing pretentious, very appropriately priced; and I ordered a dessert as well, but only after thirst was slaked. I tipped the server 20% as a minimum social convention only; I would like to believe they were dealing with outside private stresses. I have read other Tonga Hut reviews both pro and con, and perhaps will try this venue one more time if convenient to see if my next experience differs.

Jaqueline Osuna

As a local growing up in Palm Springs I always was curious about this place but left disappointed. After ten minutes or more no one acknowledge us or came to ask what we would like to drink. When leaving they said "sorry" or "busy night" which didn't seem sincere like a (whatever) body language and tone of voice. The server did acknowledge the table next to us and asked if they need anything but didn't look at us or say I'll be right with you.

Ashley Torres

We arrived as a party of 4 and were told the wait would be 45+ minutes, which we accepted at first. However, immediately after telling us this, the host winked at another group who appeared to be accommodated differently. The interaction left us feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome. Whether intentional or not, the behavior came across as dismissive and made us question whether we were being treated fairly. Hospitality should feel inclusive and respectful to all guests. Unfortunately, that wasn’t our experience and because of that we chose not to stay.

KAREN RAY

I requested to sit on the balcony and the man at the door took me right in but they went down hill after that. There were 2 ladies sitting next to me when I arrived drinking water so I asked if they had ordered drinks and they said yes but hadn't got them yet. I noticed a man and a woman waiting on tables but neither acknowledged me. No "Ill be right with you" or bring me water. There were only 3 other tables with people. After.about 10 minutes the ladies next to me got their drinks and the waitress left again without a word. I waited a couple more minutes and then left telling the man at the door "What a disappointment." With all the great restaurants and bars downtown, I am shocked.this place is still in business!