The Hut — Restaurant in Santa Clara

Oh, The Hut, I wish I could enjoy you more. I'm both an alumnus and a current graduate student at the University. Occasionally, it's convenient to drop by before or after night classes for some drinks and food. Or stop in before a home game. However, I've observed a rather peculiar pattern at The Hut – it can be almost empty with just a few customers in one moment. Then, suddenly, it becomes overwhelmingly crowded in a matter of minutes. Be prepared and give yourself extra time when visiting.

While their small menu makes it suitable for snacking, none of the food items truly stand out. It’s honestly food that one could find at the Giants or Niners game. The food prices are surprisingly high for what they offer in terms of quality, portion, and customer experience. I don’t usually complain about cost because when we pay even higher prices, we have excellent service, which is rarely the case at the Hut. And a much nicer surrounding beyond wooden benches and uncomfortable stools. The vibe is low-key and best suited for a quick hangout. The drink prices are average and competitive with other bars, which we appreciate.

Unfortunately, their service is consistently slow after you order and pay. The staff's demeanor varies; sometimes, they are super friendly, while other times, they seem miserable working there. It's disheartening to enter a place and see frowning faces. I’m unsure what is happening on the backend, but management should better support team members who sometimes seem overwhelmed.

Although I'd love to give The Hut five stars, my numerous experiences over the years prevent me from doing so. My cohorts and I have had a couple of memorable nights there that were fun, so that’s positive! Since I’m part of the university community, I’ll be kind enough to give the Hut four stars and continue to support...

This place is located right outside The Alameda (north) at Franklin entrance to Santa Clara University. The name is well-known from its previous life as a dive bar. Now it's an outstanding place to get barbecue. I can only speak to the burgers (the best you will find within more than a few miles) and their baby back ribs, which are the best I've had in the Bay Area. The fries and slaw are both recommended sides.

There is a bar with a really nice selection of beers, both bottled and on tap, and wine. You can also dine outdoors. Open on Saturdays for brunch.

The prices are commensurate with the quality of the food and ingredients.

Currently, ample, free parking on the Alameda and Franklin, but that may change when the pandemic is over and most especially when the huge 575 Benton Mixed Use Project (The Alameda and Benton), a block away, opens in 2022.

I will update this review when I have tried other items on the menu.

Update: Pulled pork...

This place has a cool little vibe. They have an outside patio, which gets relatively crowded. We went on a week night and at first it was pretty empty and then all of a sudden it got crowded. The food you order at the front and they bring the food to your table. The portion sizes were pretty average. The flavor was nice. The reason I didn’t give it more stars was because we ordered another round of drinks and the same drink did not taste the same. the ribs and the chicken wings both had a nice smoky flavor. You self serve the sauces.. truffles fries had good truffle flavor just needed a little more crispness. Would probably go back for a weekday night to hang out...