New Mimosa Competition Hoping to Bubble to the Top

Since reopening in 2019, The Hut has held the position as the go-to bar for the Bronco community, building its appeal through consistent offerings that meet the demand for the Santa Clara bar scene. 

Design by Diego Acevedo

The Hut’s main claim to fame is weekly bottomless mimosas–which draw in herds of Broncos every Saturday for an hour-and-a-half of prosecco, OJ and good times. 

Other than the occasional darty, few events have been able to compete with The Hut’s popularity on Saturday mornings. The newest installment to the rotating strip of shops, cafes and restaurants on the Alameda, however, is looking to mix up this monopoly. 

Cali-Mex Cafe Bar and Grill opened in November of last year, inheriting the volatile location of the former El Amigo Cafe, Alameda BBQ and the beloved Asadero. Outside of a lengthy menu of Mexican and American cuisine, Cali-Mex Cafe Bar and Grill offers bottomless mimosas on both Saturdays and Sundays as well as Happy Hours throughout the week.

Although it’s tough to compete with the numbers The Hut draws from their two-round system, with great food, a rooftop patio and a friendly staff, Cali-Mex provides a new option for Broncos looking to celebrate the weekend. 

While having a line out the door like The Hut would certainly be good for business, the more low-key vibe of Cali-Mex as newcomers has its own perks, appealing to students who might not want to worry about queueing up outside of The Hut or are looking to switch things up. 

Accommodating fewer people also allows them to be a bit more lenient with their operations, not limiting customers to a set amount of time and even occasionally letting students take over the speakers on the patio. 

Cali-Mex’s location, despite being historically difficult to build and maintain success, also has some pros. Located on the opposite side of campus from The Hut, Cali-Mex offers many students the chance to skip the trek through campus in search of the Saturday morning tradition. 

A key difference in Cali-Mex’s approach is the requirement of an entree purchase to get access to bottomless mimosas, gearing it more towards a full brunch experience rather than the bargain provided by The Hut of all-you-can-drink for 90 minutes. 

Students who have tried both still seem to prefer The Hut due to their more spacious layout and stronger drinks.

“I think it’s cool that they let you play your own music, but it’s definitely a lot smaller, the drinks had a lot more OJ and weren’t as good, and you can’t really walk around and socialize on the patio since it's just one big table,” said senior Gabi Wisnovsky. 

While Cali-Mex might not have a significant impact on The Hut’s position as go-to off-campus bar, it shows potential to gain traction in the Santa Clara social scene and achieve some longevity in their challenging location.