Zombie Hut
273 Smith St
(between Degraw St & Sackett St)
Brooklyn, NY 11231 (718) 875-3433
- Nearest Transit:
Carroll St (F, G)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Music: DJ
- Best Nights: Mon, Tue, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
33 Reviews for Zombie Hut
Me likey Zombie Hut.
After a very shitty dinner at Coco Roco on Smith Street (read my review....the service suuuucked) my friends and I really needed a drink. This was an exquisite place to wander into. Our adorable bartender was so nice and gave us 2 rounds of free shots. The booze was flowing and was quite tropical and delicious. I definitely stumbled home thanks to my trip to Zombie Hut.
The decor was kitchy in a good way and bowls of goldfish crackers were a nice touch.
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Very cool place to hang out. Great Tiki decor that makes you feel you're somewhere more exotic. Nice backyard if you'd rather sit outside and chat or get some night air. Fun drinks like the frozen drinks with the flaming center and the two long straws for two (I know theres a name for this but I forgot). The coolest thing is there collection of classic games to play, everything from connect four, Uno, operation and tinker toys that you remember from your youth to some of the more sophisticated games like trivial pursuit for those of you who don't want to scream out Yatzee. Wouldn't mind a video gaming machine or a dart board or something but all in all a very good bar to check out.
Forgive my friend Dave P., he misspelled fourth as "forth". Just being an asshole Dave, don't worry, still on for sushi right?
Right?
umm...
Anywho, so Zombie Hut. I can honestly say the first couple times I went to Carroll Gardens, I had no idea on my bearings and sufficiently passed this place probably a couple times before realizing that it was indeed right here and that I indeed could go in. A tiki lounge/bar, it definitely fits in with the nabe and I was just happy that as my dollars were leaving to go places and registers during the night I could still sit with a PBR here. The backyard closes early so make sure you get out there, it's a two pronged and well maintained yard with lots of seating but mostly for groups, not couples or what not. Actually, the whole place is kind of a weird set up of a 3 level approach: you have the bar which is long and arduous and not wood so those flaming shots of really not that greatness are lit without you being lit (unless you're high, then you're lit...yeah I'm just dragging that sentence along, yep yep yep). Then you take a step down into their little loungy room which essentially provides a higher ceiling because of the depression and then finally you take a few more steps down after the break to the backyard. And actually, you take another step down to the back back yard. So 4. 4 levels of kitschy fun.
Like I said, the flaming shot was kinda cool obviously for the fire, but the shot was minimal and didn't taste great (the marshmellow added nothing for me) BUT it was strong enough.
The bartender was really friendly and nice, I really like Brooklyn in general for that, BK just has bartenders who don't carry the burden nor the sometimes pretension of Manhattan. I picked up a couple of random conversations yes I did. The weird thing was I totally got up to go use the restroom at the end of the night and definitely was off balanced, and I was like "well I'm done". And with that, I was.
It's dark, it's tacky, it's modestly priced, and the Saturday crowd is really, really drunk, without being kinda macho like Angry Wades.
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The Zombie Hut "Set-Up" = Pabst on ice. Nothing more to be said.
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On our way to Brooklyn Social we passed Zombie Hut and decided to hit it on our way back. I have been wanting to try a Scorpion Bowl forever and knew they'd have them. Mo P and I shared the frozen Zombie for 2-$10 ($20 for 4). The bowl was a ceramic volcano and even had a lit center. The best part about the drink was the long straws you get to drink it with. I'm sure everyone in the bar was annoyed with our sword fights, knighting, spit balls, etc, but we were amused, and that's all that matters.
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I don't know about all these other bad reviews--but i had a great time on a Friday night. It's totally kitschy but at least its not pretentious or overly serious. there's a lot of distractions (tvs, fish tanks, board games) good for hanging out with boring friends! and the bartenders were nice.
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Zombie Huts' frozen zombies are super...sugar rim and 151-filled straw. I also enjoy the Goldfish cracker snack mix and hangy fluorescent drink decor. Drinks are strong and delicious, decor is fun. 2 problems: 1. Once I went there and my friend left the bathroom saying there were cockroaches, went to check and when I turned the light on, about 8 scattered. 2. It is absolutely FULL of guido and guido girlfriends now! I'm sure it's still cool on slower nights though and after a couple of their drinks, you won't be able to focus on the chumps anyway.
There was a tiki bar,
In Brooklyn, not so far,
From the F line--or G (a train that makes me want to put a bullet through my forehead).
And when it was good,
You could drink scorpion bowls and play board games and enjoy the kitchy decor, and it was really really good,
But when it was bad,
It became unbearably crowded with sleazy B+T'ers, took forever to get a drink, played music worse than that Bar Mitzvah I went to in junior high, and it was really really HORRID.
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Good place to go if you want to be outside on a nice day. A little less crowded than some of the nearby options. Plus, you can get a Frozen Zombie.
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I love the cheesy decor of this Tiki bar and the brightly colored island cocktails it serves. Zombie Hut has some of the cheapest drinks I've had - $5 singapore slings, mai tais, sangria, blue hawaii...quintessential girly drinks. The sangria is by far the best drink and it's served in a mason jar. I didn't get a chance to try the $20 Scorpion Bowl or Frozen Zombie but I'll be back to.
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Decor is as corny as you'd expect in a tiki bar and the drink choices are predictable. I always order a blue hawaiian because I am a huge dork. The communal snacks skeeve me out but Goldfish crackers are pretty tasty so I appreciate the gesture, I guess. One bartender there is surly almost to the point of rudeness and needs to get over herself, but the other bartender is really sweet and provides great service, so it's not all frowns and pouts at Zombie Hut.
The crowd is not my scene at all but I didn't expect it to be. Go here with low expectations and a craving for pineapple juice and you'll probably be happily surprised.
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Bleh.
I really wanted to like this place, but I just don't.
I was so excited by the looks of it outside, and the promise of a kitchy tiki bar inside, but it's totally half assed, and the drinks aren't very good. Maybe I expected too much, but I brought one of my best friends who is a tiki bar freak here, and even she didn't like it.
There was a DJ playing god awful early 90s music, and the entire place seemed sort of confused. In theory it's a great idea. Unfortunately, the Zombie Hut falls short.
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As I am part Seattle-ite, and Tiki is no stranger in the Pacific Northwest, I thought Zombie Hut would hit the kitsch nostalgic spot. Not as dive or as tiki as I would have liked (too matchy-matchy almost CB2 style) but it's still a cute neighborhood spot for a drink and some fresh air if you get there early enough (the teeny outdoor nook fits about 12 comfortably.) The clientele early on seems quite local and friendly (the barstool patrons recommended several naughtily named drinks as favorites), as does the staff, which was an unexpected pleasure.
I traveled the safe cocktail road and stayed on the vodka/tonic with cherry garnish ship, which was not so impressive- the tonic was a bit flat and the cherries were the tiny bottled too sweet style. (I know, it's a simple mixed bevvy, but some places have the flair to spice up something basic.)This seems to be, as others have mentioned, the place to order the big drink in a bowl with four straws....
So, if you are a neighbor in the hood, especially with friends or visitors, stop in after dinner for a specialty nightcap and some fun decor.
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What a very nice bar with a very nice garden and a very nice backroom and very nice employees that will make you very nice FLAMING SHOTS. The shots themselves are not aflame at any point, but the point is that you get to roast a marshmallow on a bar that your bartender lights on the bar itself, and a five dollar shot is pretty a-okay at anytime, let alone when there's fire and marshmallows. So while this isn't a neighborhood bar for me and while the inside does become a lot more crowded as the night wears on, I can say that I would absolutely go back to Zombie Hut if the situation called for it. After all, I want to see what else they'll light on fire for me.
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My first visit @ZH allowed me to to encounter Jenny. my wonderful bartendere. I enjoyed flaming Tiki Torch shots and a number of drinkss: Mai-Tai | Frozen Zombie amongst others. Jenny is the best explaining the chemistry behind the drinks and you've got to rry the TTshots! a ring of fire and toasted marshmellows!!! Awesome! Nieghborhood is great and she a list of cabbies so that you don't get caught drunk-driving! Better drunk0dialing!!! I love Jennie!!!!!!!!!!
Peace out B:klyners!!!!
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If frozen mango awesome with alcohol laced straws is in the cards, then Zombie Hut must be on the schedule. These drinks are so easy to inhale, you'll be on your forth before you realize one is enough.
For a nice change of drunken pace, try some Zombie Shots...a double shot sweetened with simple sugar with a lemon slice resting on top. But don't touch because that lemon (and the surrounding bar) will be doused with 151 alcohol and lit on fire. As the towering inferno burns off, be sure to toast your marshmallows.
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When you've got that one friend that hates beer and whiskey and loves mixed drinks and you're almost to the point where you stop making fun of him for it, Zombie Hut can be a kind of fun place.
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cute small kitschy tiki bar.
Hot patrons, cute staff.
mellow and REALLY good drinks.
a tad on the pricey side.
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Who goes to tiki bars? Not me, generally, but when there's a raging ice storm on, why not? A bunch of us went here for happy hour on Friday night and settled in by the fire in the back with our fruity drinks. I had a couple glasses of white wine (not a good choice) before discovering the Frozen Zombie, a delicious mangoey concoction that has the added bonus of the straw being full of tequila. Which by the way they squeeze in there via a rinsed out ketchup bottle, not a funnel. And not pipetting. We asked.
The music was strange: it was mostly oldie radio staples like that "milky twilight" song "Kiss Me," which i couldn't help quietly singing along with. There was a brief moment of up-to-the-minute hipness with an Amy Wine(o)house track, then it was back to the Aerosmith (no complaints here). Strange but fun. I got quite drunk here. Thumbs up!
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I've only been here once, but I was truly impressed. The drinks were inexpensive and tasty. The back patio was huge and nicely outfitted with plenty of places to sit and rest your drinks. I really liked the vibe out there. Inside was a bit too crowded even on a mild night, so I'd hesitate to return to Zombie Hut until the warm weather's back.
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The place was alright. It's definitely not the best bar I've been to. Really bizarre layout- I was on the patio and had to continually pass by this hook-up cove on the way to the restroom. I have to admit that their drinks were great, save the blue coconut shit one my friend had. Overall, it's fine, but tiki themed things just don't cut it for me.
Last night, a bunch of gathered at the Zombie Hut's relatively new location to celebrate C.'s birthday. We sat in the first corner seating area in the garden -- just before the blue cinderblock wall -- and treated ourselves to two Scorpion Bowls.
The Scorpion Bowl is a $20 drink that can serve four people. It comes in one bowl, with a small flame in the very center. You drink out of very long, colorful straws. And you can get it either frozen or not -- like a margarita.
In the past, in the old location, C.'s birthdays were special events. The staff of the Hut would treat her to flaming beverages all night. That practice seems to have stopped, although the gathering was still a hoot and a half.
Two tips: Do get a themed drink; you'll be glad you did. And if you get the Scorpion Bowl, you'll get more for your money if you get the frozen one. With the frozen one, as it melts, you can continue to drink most of it. But with the normal one -- on the rocks -- once the drink is gone, you're left with ice. The melting is less even throughout.
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Get giant drink on fire to share with your friends. Push said friends out of your way and drink bowl of blue liquor by yourself. Watch room spinning, think you're magically transported to a Pacific island, try not to fall on face or on angry local and exit stage left.
Truly inspiring place, this is.
Zombie Hut was the first bar i went to when i moved to brooklyn. I loved it then. Ipod Gong show, fun bartenders, hope for a brighter tomorrow....sigh. Then i went on a friday nite. oh my goodness. Don't go here on the weekend unless you are looking for love in all the wrong places.
this place is at it's best during a warm saturday afternoon, or a sunday nite. now that the garden is complete, the ambiance is at it's best back there. with a few Gilligans in hand and a game in tow, and some friends (we bring our own game: Taboo) you are sure to think that life is beautiful! Even in the winter this place is great to get a drink. The tiki hut atmosphere indoors is very cozy. Just dont go when most normal people go out.
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The decor is festive and the drinks are strong, but the 5th star is about the staff. If you've been, you understand why. If you haven't, discover for yourself.
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Nicely located on Smith St, here you'll find more than just a nice selection of drinks including the Frozen Zombie. The best part about this bar was the bartender. I think she was a mirage or a figment of my imagination! Start off with a Frozen Zombie (and don't forget to pick up your straw and stir it as their is a nice shot of liquor waiting for you on that first sip! When it gets really late, move on to the $2 PBR's.
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my friend tempted me to zombie hut with the promise of board games...possibly clue. but after 2 drinks, i didn't even check to see if clue was a part of their large stack of games in the corner because i was Tipsy! don't let the kitsch or the fruitiness of the drinks fool you, they mix these drinks are strong. my mai tai was made me wish for a beach and a hammock; my zombie-- the bar's signature drink-- was killer. it's frozen and pink and comes with a sugar rim but the first sip nearly knocked me out of my flip flops. also: this bar serves up tiki shots on fire!
i'm not a brooklynite but if i were one, zombie hut would be my go-to neighborhood place. the place packs up on saturday nights but sundays, you can find a seat, play connect four or watch a movie on one of their two tv screens.
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just got back from here - we had two drinks: the frozen zombie and the blue lagoon. frozen zombie was this 3 rum concoction with pre-made frozen fruit drink and the blue lagoon was essentially a blue margarita. both drinks were good. decor is cool and while we were there the tunes were fun - some Lily Allen and some Eryka Badu remix as far as I can recall. anyho, fun place although we didn't venture the back area looks nice - after walking through a narrow bar, there is a L-shaped sofa followed by a step down into another lounggy area with some more couches then the outdoors patio....cool vibe, attractive lighting, overall fun.
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now this is my idea of what a smith street bar should be like: just as much kitsch as many of its neighbors, but the fact that it's in brooklyn is not forgotten. the specialty drinks are very yummy -- we didn't order anything that gets lit on fire, but we tried pretty much everything else and were pleased with them all -- and they're affordable, as drinks should be in brooklyn, which i appreciate. there's also a large garden out back (again, very brooklyn); they did have to usher us inside a few hours before the bar closed, i think because of the residents living above it, but i can understand that.
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It's starting to get a little bridge & tunnel, but I still like the Zombie Hut. Don't let the tiki theme, the bowls of goldfish, and the stack of board games behind the bar distract you -- this place is about getting SLAMMED. Stupid drunk. Bad choices drunk. It's awesome.
Beers are $2, sure. But the real root of the easy-intoxication problem is in the specialty drinks. They're tasty (a lot of frozen drinks and rum punches), they're weird (some come served to you while on fire), and they have way more alcohol than you'd ever expect (try 5 shots alone in the $7 "miserable bastard"). A good place to go with a big group of friends.
It's pretty tight in here, so make sure if you come with people they can handle standing for a little bit, although the folks at the door and the girls behind the bar are pretty friendly. The decor makes it cool, the music is set just about right, and the drinks are pretty wild.
Zombie Hut is actually now located less than a block down the street...don't know if they had a lease problem or what but the bar is still very similar, equally festive, and as far as I can tell, the frozen Zombie is still yummy!
It appears that they too will have a great outdoor patio area when it warms up but right now it's just a concrete slab with some random trash. Looking forward to seeing how it all comes together!
I LOVE IT. This bar is reasonably priced for what you get: interesting, tasty, and sure to give you a buzz drinks. My favorite is the Frozen Zombie. They also have a great outdoor area, fun theme, and board games!
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