The Hut — Restaurant in Tucson

Sunday August 14th. We like this bar have been going here for years but by no means am I a regular. It’s my friends 🎂 celebration. We went to the inside bar of The Hut @ 1:30 a.m to order a drink. Next to me there is a woman who was speaking to someone who identified himself as the owner. I ordered a Michelob Ultra from the owner and overheard the woman excitingly expressing herself to the owner about vaping being worst for you than cigarettes. To which the owner replied, I don't like them. I chimed in and said “that doesn’t sound right, hard to believe vapes are worse than cigarettes” to the woman (Bad move). This woman then gets in my face and just goes in on me belligerently, about how she has read so many articles and I’m an idiot for saying that and blah blah blah. All while the owner is directly across the bar ringing me up for my drink. Owner says nothing almost entertain what is going on. My receipt comes, woman still ranting, standing in my personal space. I Asked the woman to move over a bit so I can sign my check. Her words in total Karen fashion “I DON’T HAVE TO MOVE OVER; I DON’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. THEY ALL KNOW ME HERE. I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HERE, I HAVE MORE OF A RIGHT TO BE HERE THAN YOU”. I Didn’t sign my check and walked away. I feel like being the owner of the bar. He could have easily deescalated this odd situation. A simple “hey ease off” would have made all the difference. 10 mins later its almost check out time. Standing near the entrance saying my goodbyes to the group of friends that I was with. Forgetting the situation that happened 10 mins prior. I look up and noticed the same woman standing in the entrance looking in my direction and pointing at me while talking to a security guard that goes by the name of "Boots" (some irony there for sure). By the way Boots is known for siding with women in 100 of any issue. At this point we all notice what is going on, annoyed I flipped her off (ofc I could have reacted better. However, this woman went out of her way to cause a scene with me) Boots comes over and says hey you gotta go. Fine we were leaving anyways.

Book II Friday August 20th. A causal night out. A couple of my buddies and I walk up to the entrance of The Hut. Boots is working the door. Sees me and immediately says you are not welcome here. Asked why not? Answer: you cause trouble. (So apparently regulars and friends who Instigate and verbally abuse paying customer are not troublemakers, but customer who are not receptive to this kind of behavior are). So, I asked to speak to the manager. Boots responds, "I am the manger". My response "no you are not, can you please bring the manager out". Boots responds, "the manager doesn't want to see you". I asked the other 2 guys that were working there "hey can you just get the manger?". They pay me no mind. Boots then says, "YOU ARE FING PISSING ME OFF, GET THE F OUT OF HERE." Frustrated I say I’m going to complain. Boots then mocks me as if in a mentally challenged tone "HAHA YOU’RE GOING TO COMPLAIN? WHATS THAT GOING TO DO, WE DON'T FING CARE". I give in, about to leave. He then leans over to his coworker and says can you get the cops? The co-worker takes off running down the street to wave down a police cruiser who has their lights on to direct traffic. I say fine I'll stay here to speak to them. 3 officers show up. I tell them I was just asking for the manger. The officer says you know they reserve the right to decline service. Me: Okay got it thanks. The officer then leans and says but seriously would you want to spend your money at a place like this? 1 million percent right. Of course not, and why should you spend your dollar at an establishment like this whose cultural awareness is clearly lopsided. I initially was not going to even write this, but hey "what’s complaining going to do" right! Banned or not I will not be attending this bar any longer and will strongly advise anyone doing so until the course of action is met.

Course of action: a formal apology...

I was turned away from The Hut because I have a visible neck tattoo. No issues, not drunk, no attitude—just told I couldn’t come in because of this policy. The bouncer, to his credit, was apologetic and said he thought the rule was stupid. This review isn’t about him—it’s about a policy that feels completely out of step with the times and the venue’s own theme, especially for 4th Ave, where you can see five tattoo parlors from the front door.

I get wanting to keep out bad attitudes or actual troublemakers—that’s just good business. But applying that logic to everyone with a visible tattoo? That’s not safety, that’s profiling. Tattoos don’t make someone dangerous or lesser. If David Beckham or Justin Bieber walked in with neck tattoos, they wouldn’t be turned away. So why me? As I was crossing the street, stunned, I saw a hot girl with a neck tattoo walk right in—no issue. I’m a 47-year-old working professional who embraces tattoos, not Tuco from Breaking Bad—if anything, my tattoos are pretty and colorful, not dangerous, scary or indicative that I'm a criminal.

And here’s the kicker: The Hut is a Polynesian-style tiki bar. There’s a giant Moai statue out front, tropical drinks named after islands they’ve likely never visited—and yet they’re turning people away for tattoos? In Polynesian culture, tattoos are sacred. They tell stories, mark milestones, and carry identity. To borrow that aesthetic while rejecting tattooed guests is more than ironic—it’s tone-deaf.

4th Ave should stand for creativity, inclusion, and self-expression. If you want a good drink without being judged for how you look, just keep walking. Tucson has...

The hut use to be a relaxed place to visit regularly on the weekends, I enjoyed the out door pool tables next to the live bands, however employee's inability to create a safe and fun space has been quite a damper on my last few visits. Infact, on this most recent encounter the "door lady" Savannah or Sam made it so apparently obvious that my pure existence in the bar was too intimidating for her ❤. I was asked to leave before I could even finish ordering a drink. The two male security guards who were to escort me out COULD NOT TELL ME WHY I WAS BEING TOLD TO LEAVE. Ive never been kicked out of a public space in my life, to my shock i asked who had the problem with me? What I did to cause a disruption? the first man said he was completly oblivious and would "find out at a laster time". Even then I complied gracefully and was winked at and waved at by the employees. Ive tried contacting the hut...