Tiki North of Los Angeles: A Visit to TIKI NO, KAHUNA TIKI and TONGA HUT

A while back, I headed to Los Angeles for a quick trip to see friends and have some adventures. The night I arrived, however, I would be alone. Since the rest of my trip would be booked up, what better chance did I have to hit some tiki bars near where I was staying? I jumped on my Lyft app and, before you knew it, I was pulling up at Tiki No, the first of three tiki bars in the northern part of LA that (gasp! shock!) I had never been to before.

TIKI NO:

Tiki No (“No,” as in North Hollywood) was nice. It was a little smaller than I thought it would be though. I was a little uncomfortable as I was alone. Usually I always have someone with me (or am meeting someone) when I travel. This night would be strictly solo, which was just so odd.

The bar area was nicely done. There was cool lighting, the obligatory puffer fish lamps, and plenty o’ alcohol. Ha!

I really dug the booths with their bamboo poles, interesting lamps, and thatched, grass hut-like roofs. I was alone though, so I sat at the bar.

Although I had just arrived at the bar, I still had two other tiki bars to hit that evening and I didn’t want to be out very late. I wanted to be “home” early so I could get an early start on my full schedule the next day. It was happy hour though, so I tried a Coconut Mojito.

I didn’t see the Lychee Luau until after I’d ordered. Darn it. Oh well. I can have that another time…

My experience at Tiki No was brief. I didn’t see any souvenir mugs available for sale. I didn’t really talk to anyone. It was just a sit, drink, pay, leave-kind of thing, with a few photos taken here and there. I’d love to go back–with friends–but for now I was just glad I got to see it, however briefly.

The only negative to Tiki No that I could see was the large TVs showing sports. Tiki bars are not sports bars. Fortunately the TVs are located in an indoor patio area that is separated from the main bar (but open to the elements as there is no window facing the street).

Check out Tiki No’s website HERE and its Critiki page HERE.

Tiki No
4657 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 766-0116

KAHUNA TIKI:

Kahuna Tiki isn’t your typical tiki bar. It’s a tiki sushi bar…and it’s outside. Huh? Exactly! I had no idea what to expect when I walked up to the entrance (not a door, but an entrance) to the great exterior wall of Kahuna Tiki.

Sure, I had read about it on Critiki (HERE), but that didn’t really prepare me for this fun and very different tiki treat. Except for a very small building that houses the sushi bar, kitchen, restrooms and a few tables, Kahuna Tiki is basically a vacant lot with al fresco dining under umbrellas or open-air cabanas. There are waterfalls, trees, tiki decorations and cool lighting, but the whole place is virtually outside.

There is even one table in a small cave-like alcove. Zowie!

I got there just as it was starting to get dark. The tiki torches were already lit. No one else was there–yet–so I sat at the bar, ordered and got up to wander around and take pictures.

What a cool place. And what an ingenious use of outdoor space in the big city.

I wish I had seen this sign before ordering. Both the Macadamia Nut Madness and the Banana-Rama sound yummy.

This is the small building on the lot that is home to the sushi bar, kitchen and bathrooms. There are also a handful of tables as well.

I don’t recall what I had exactly, but I am pretty sure it was the Lava Pit.

The bathroom. Dig that crazy cool sink and the bamboo-trimmed mirror.

I dug it, man. The sushi (a California Roll and an eel roll) was good and the drink was tasty. I loved the outdoor setting. Very clever and done well. I want to go back.

You can check out Kahuna Tiki’s website HERE.

Kahuna Tiki
11026 Magnolia Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 853-7447

TONGA HUT:

After Kahuna Tiki, I took Lyft again. This time my driver’s name was Pedro. His car smelled of dead farts that refused to fade away, but he was nice enough. I didn’t have to ride with him for too long before we arrived at my final stop on the tiki trail for the evening; The Tonga Hut!

Tonga Hut is Los Angeles’ oldest, still operating tiki bar. It opened in 1958. Zowie! How could I have NOT been there yet? The current Tonga Hut operators opened a second location in Palm Springs a few years ago, and I have been to that one. But the original? I was curious…

For some reason, you have to enter and exit through the back end of the building. This was sort of strange as there were dumpsters on either side of the entrance (you can just see one in the lower right corner of the photo below). Hmm. I don’t know about this…

Inside it was a total retro-swank tiki dive bar that I instantly loved. In many ways, it reminded me of one of my all-time faves, the Kona Club in Oakland.

It had a very relaxed and casually comfortable vibe. Locals were hanging out. And it was getting more and more crowded as the evening progressed…and this was a Thursday night.

The interior is simple–and not entirely over-the-top tiki. There are four iconic fixtures in Tonga Hut, two of which (the tiki statue near the unused front door on the left and the vintage early ’70’s metal fireplace on the right) had recently been turned into signature tiki mugs for the place. However, I was unable to get either as they were being released two days after my visit. Argh!

Despite not getting a mug, I still got a souvenir. I picked up and took home this cardboard coaster.

There were also three or four booths along the wall.

I actually stayed for TWO drinks here, so comfortable did I feel in the place. First I had something called Voodoo Juice.

I then tried a drink special called Fool’s Gold. Both were good, but the Fool’s Gold would have been better withOUT the Cacao, I think.

The third iconic fixture in Tonga Hut is its tiered waterfall feature behind the bar.

I was trying to get shots for my article, but the place had Halloween decorations up.

The Halloween decor kind of ruins the shots, but I really dig this tiki idol, the fourth iconic fixture known as Drooling Bastard, with the skull mask on it. Groovy, baby!

Despite Tonga Hut being open for about 50 years before I ever set foot in it, the place captured me right away. It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Two thumbs…er, cocktail parasols fully opened and up, baby!

You can visit the Tonga Hut’s website HERE and/or take a peek at its Critiki page HERE.

Tonga Hut
12808 Victory Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91606
(818) 769-0708