Post #390002 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Jun 27, 2008 5:34 AM

I arrived at LAX yesterday and stumbled on this beauty. Since I have a sizable group of Los Angeles restaurant archeologists I can call my friends, I was quite surprised that I had never heard of this classic. I love LA. I had just landed, and Blam!, made another urban archeological discovery. :)

This place is in industrial nowhere land with no other restaurants around, right in the LAX flight path, between empty lots and parking lots adjacent to LAX.
It has some of the themed elements that were introduced by Polynesian restaurants, but applied to all kinds of themed California eateries by the 1960s:

Outrigger beam-type A-frame construction:

Waterfalls:

Waterways to be traversed by bridges:

But the water features here are dominated not by growling Tiki Gods, but something else just as imposing:

Complete shot of the entrance:

The collection of vintage aircraft is the most stunning feature of the place:

One can sit in the dining room and look out at them:

...or walk out on the terrace. There must be around 20 full size planes surrounding the place:

Another neat feature is the long hallway leading to the various dining rooms. It is lined floor to ceiling with vintage photographs and memorabilia showcases, here just a few:

Commercial airlines showcase:

Amelia Erhardt showcase:

I had heard of the Flying Tigers, but never of these guys:

I am not a WWII nut, but I have liked war movies and all that related stuff ever since I was a little boy. This is a great playground, just what a themed restaurants shoud be. How many restaurants after all can boast a parking Lot like this: