Post #413516 by KaliforniaTiki Cove on Wed, Oct 15, 2008 1:50 PM

If you haven't seen any, or many, of the original Tiki joints, Bahooka is worth the pilgrimage. It's original, let's grant it that. It is, as has been duly noted, nautical spiced with tiki. It has a lot of aquariums, although many of them are scratched, and almost all of them are under-filled, and topped with dried water scum. The food is not what you're going for, but it isn't bad. It's no worse than Fisherman's Wharf and a heck of a lot cheaper. It's got atmosphere in spades. Drinks? Order them at the bar. Like the old Ports O Call, where I used to work, this place apparently has a policy of not putting alcohol in the tropical drinks not ordered in sight of the bar. I always order a Mai Tai, for tradition. I do not like the flavor of the rum and the juices combined, so if you leave the rum out, I really notice, I like the taste of the juices. To their credit, the waiter--who was friendly and helpful throughout--did not labor the point, did not argue at all, beyond his flimsy excuse, and quickly returned with a generous shot of rum. Still, come on. Was the money they almost saved on that one shot worth this word of caution that they've generated? I drove there from Pasadena, and having seen it (and some older, and much better vintage places that have long since gone by the wreckers) I wouldn't go back. But, if you missed the first Age of Tiki, then by all means, go. And check out that menu: When was the last time you saw Chablis on a California menu? This place is seriously retrograde, and it's worth at least one trip.