Broken Compass

New tiki bar in the L.A. area (Burbank to be exact). Anyone been yet?

https://la.eater.com/2023/3/31/23645594/burbank-broken-compass-tiki-new-bar-los-angeles-photos-cocktails-inside

[ Edited by arriano on 2023-04-01 16:42:59 ]

First visit tonight. Drinks and atmosphere are decent, not world-class but way better than expected. The fact that they have decent food is a huge plus, that gives them a solid 8/10. I’ll be back! The Bittersweet Paradise was killer.

[ Edited by BlackWater on 2024-05-18 19:46:38 ]

I was here on Wednesday, April 17, when I was in LA for the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival and Tiki-Ti didn't reopen. Since I was driving, I asked the bartender, "if I could have only one drink, what should it be?" He made me a mezcal one from the menu (can't recall the name), which was fine. I got the club sandwich, which tasted good, but had some jalapeño aioli or something that after one more drink at Tonga Hut, didn't sit well....

PS: I looked around for tikis and the closest I could find was a Tiki Bob derivative. BlackWater, did you spot any?

It was mostly pirate and skeleton stuff, a few PNG-looking masks on the wall.

A bit of history on this location for those who don't know:

For ages this was the famous Buchanan Arms Restaurant & Pub. Beloved in Burbank, but I believe the owners were hanging up their ownership and looking to tell. In came the new and current owners who initially opened the space up as The Burbank Pub. It was [i]very[/i] piratey then and the interior didn't look anything like it does today.

So fast forward and we now have an evolved space that is better suited and balanced between bartop and booths. Although the unique bar shape is visually interesting, it also makes a tight fit on the right hand side if you need to venture there. Anyway, overall it's much more functional and the food options are great.

But yes, as pointed out this new space still isn't truly tiki. I'd love to see less pirate and more Polynesian (which is a general feeling I have about most new places) to properly deem the space "tiki." That said, I've always enjoyed my visits, especially on Sundays when they often have guest bartenders at the helm. I wish this existed when I lived in Burbank, or even worked there for decades – it's often the destination for various studios such as Nickelodeon and Disney.

EDIT: In case @arriano would like to update the first post for this thread:

https://www.brokencompasstiki.com/ 2013 West Burbank Blvd. Burbank, CA 91506 (818) 588-3013

[ Edited by kkocka on 2024-05-20 09:39:42 ]

GROG' compass is broken, so GROG couldn't find the place! :(