Post (Mid?)-COVID Tiki in Los Angeles

Los Angeles may be one of the greatest places to visit if you are planning a tiki safari. After all, tiki bars originated in the city when, back in 1933, Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt (better known as Donn Beach) opened a bar in Hollywood called Don’s Beachcomber (eventually, Don the Beachcomber), a tiny little place that caught on quickly. Tiki bars have come and gone over the years. Today, the greater Los Angeles area has a great selection of tiki choices. The pandemic has taken its toll somewhat. As of this writing, two newer places (Clifton’s Pacific Seas and Lono) are still temporarily closed. Others have modifications in place. On a recent trip to the City of Angels, I took the opportunity to see what was up in four of my faves that were currently open for business.

TONGA HUT:

The Don the Beachcomber bars and restaurants are all but gone now. (There is one last remaining Don’s in Hawaii on the big island–but none in Southern California any longer.) That leaves Tonga Hut as the oldest tiki bar in the greater Los Angeles area. Opened in 1958, this North Hollywood watering hole is a true classic.

Although the bar is in a strip mall, the front entrance is not used. Instead, patrons enter from the parking lot in the rear of the building. However, in these days of COVID, the bar itself is closed…and a temporary Tonga Hut has sprung up like an oasis in the back parking lot.

To facilitate this quickly (but carefully) crafted provisional Polynesian paradise, a small hostess hut has been erected at the entrance to this parking lot port-o’-call. To keep socially distant, you must wait to be seated. But while you wait, there is a nifty Tonga Hut photo op sign just beyond the entrance.

While the pop-up bar parking lot bar may not be nearly as alluring as the classic kitsch decor the Tonga Hut proper is known for, the owners have made this temporary space as comfortable and inviting as possible. Seating is carefully spaced along fence-like bamboo matting. Vines, flags, lighting, and other decorations hang from overhead netting. It may be improvised, but for what it is, it is inspired.

The place has really tried to re-create a tiki experience. Large tikis stand guard in the corners and, in lieu of the famed tiered waterfall in the real bar’s interior, a portable waterfall adds that ambient water sound.

There’s even a great tiki that resembles the Tonga Hut sign logo watching over the patrons. A dynamic sword fish adds to the decor.

Each table has some sort of decoration on the “wall” next to it and includes a scannable link to the bar’s paperless menu.

Beating the LA heat is a challenge. Large fans aren’t quite a substitute for air conditioning, but they’re something. A service table with water and disposable plastic cups (I wish I had thought to keep mine…) is kept ready for the wait staff to help keep visitors cool, hydrated and happy.

The back entrance (which is really the main entrance regularly) to the bar is open, so visitors can use the restrooms. Masks are required before entering, though. A quick visit to the bathroom does allow for a sneaky peek at the bar’s mug collection on display across from the bathrooms.

Temporary or not, I still enjoyed my visit to Tonga Hut…and loved my Voodoo Juice cocktail. (Okay… I had two! Shhh!)

I wasn’t the only one enjoying my visit. Others were glad to get out of the house and unwind in the make-shift Tonga Hut beach bar on the black sands of its rear parking lot. Aloha!

TONGA HUT
12808 Victory Blvd.
North Hollywood, Ca 91606
(818)769-0708
Website: https://tongahut.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TongaHutTikiBar/
Critiki: https://critiki.com/location/tonga-hut-north-hollywood-123/

KAHUNA TIKI:

Kahuna Tiki is, in my opinion, a hidden gem in the LA tiki scene. I think the big reason it doesn’t get the love that it deserves is because it’s not exactly a tiki bar, but instead a tiki sushi bar. Tiki is still tiki…and there are tiki cocktails aplenty. But what really makes this place swing is its setting…

Beyond the great, grey wall on Magnolia Boulevard, there is a small building, but, by and large, this tiki (sushi) bar is nothing but a decked out vacant lot. And it is a great experience to tiki it up al fresco.

The seating is spaced out nicely to keep diners a healthy distance apart. Safety aside, the various tables each offer their own unique dining experience.

There is even a little cave area that I’ve always found intriguing (and never got to sit in. Waaagh!). I don’t think it was being utilized now, due to COVID—but it is cool.

But, yes, this is a sushi restaurant. The little building does house a sushi kitchen with places to dine along the sushi bar. And may I add, the sushi is delicious.

But rest assured. There is an attached tiki cocktail bar…with some great tiki cocktails. I didn’t score any mugs here, but they did have a nifty glass I could buy.

Kahuna Tiki recently opened a second location, Kahuna Tiki Tu. I opted to visit the original location over the new one for its uniqueness. I understand that the new location is largely indoors. For me, I found that eating and drinking on the orignal’s extended jungle-y patio in the midst of a major metropolitan area to be novel and refreshing.

Kahuna Tiki
11026 Magnolia Blvd
North Hollywood 91601
(818) 853-7447
Website: http://www.kahunatiki.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kahuna-Tiki-254162371454203/
Critiki: https://critiki.com/location/kahuna-tiki-north-hollywood-844/

TIKI NO:

Tiki No is a great looking little tiki bar. The interior was done by the legendary Bamboo Ben. The lit-up exterior sign, complete with a tiki with a nifty, neon-ish smile, is very welcoming. Looks aside, Tiki No is not my favorite LA tiki bar.

The problem–for the tiki lover, but not so much for the bar–is the clientele. It seems to attract a younger crowd. They’re there–not for tiki, but for a fun time at a fun place–seemingly oblivious to the terrific tiki trappings surrounding them, while popular, current music blares away.

As for COVID precautions? I didn’t notice much. Yes, the staff was masked up. Patrons were asked to mask when entering, but the masks didn’t stay on long once they were inside. While there were scannable drink menus, there was no social distancing at the bar. Fortunately, the night I was there (a Wednesday), it never got too crowded–but there was a bouncer at the door who could limit entrance into the place if need be.

But the cocktails are good. There are classics mixed in with original creations.

Tiki No is worth a look-see. It may not be my favorite, but it is still a nicely done bar.

Tiki No
4637 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 766-0116
Website: https://www.tikinola.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tikinobar/
Critiki: https://critiki.com/location/tiki-no-north-hollywood-760/

TIKI TI:

Although it’s not the oldest tiki joint in town, it is certainly the smallest…and arguably the most popular. I’m referring to Tiki Ti, of course.

Tiki Ti opened in 1961 and has stayed family owned and operated since then.

But did I mention how tiny the place is? There are just 12 bar stools and a few small tables. And the place is packed to the gills. Sure, the bar features a scannable drink menu, masks were required for entrance, and the staff wear masks… That’s about it. Like Tiki No, a bouncer was stationed at the door for crowd control. But…

Is a visit to Tiki Ti (or anywhere, for that matter) worth the risk of COVID? That’s for the individual to decide. My friend and I are vaccinated (as everyone should be) and Tiki Ti is not to be missed. This tiny, little bar has all of the classic tiki touches–lighting (puffer fish lamps, glass floats in nets, fancy lanterns, etc.), kitschy decor, and a water feature. Most importantly, the cocktails it serves are on point and very good.

It’s usually standing room only in Tiki Ti. The bartenders are on it, non-stop. The bar serves up all of the classics and several originals as well. Although there is the Tiki Ti Special, the real “signature” cocktail of Tiki Ti is Ray’s Mistake, named after the original owner, Ray Buhen, when it was accidentally created in 1968. There are 33 drinks listed on the bar’s current cocktail menu. All of them are worth exploring—and the loyal crowd at Tiki Ti agrees.

Despite it’s very small size, Tiki Ti is constantly packed. Like the original Don Beachcomber bar back in 1933, seeing Tiki Ti so full all of the time gives me hope that, pandemic or not, the tiki scene (especially in the LA area) will continue to thrive for a long time to come. I’ll drink to that.

Cheers!

TIKI TI
4427 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 669-9381
Website: http://www.tiki-ti.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tiki-Ti-39568358564/
Critiki: https://critiki.com/location/tiki-ti-los-angeles-93/