Tiki Central / Locating Tiki / Harry's Pacific Bar & Grill, Temecula, CA (restaurant)
Post #689251 by kenbo-jitsu on Wed, Aug 7, 2013 9:49 PM
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Wed, Aug 7, 2013 9:49 PM
Here’s a quick history of Harry’s Pacific Grill. It was started by the same company that owned the Honolulu Harry’s restaurants in Chino and Corona California. The first Harry’s Pacific Grill opened in April 2006 at the Bel Villaggio center in Temecula. 41577 Margarita Road, Suite 101 It initially did very well and was followed by a second location in December 2007 at the open-air Victoria Gardens Mall in Rancho Cucamonga. 8009 Day Creek Boulevard The original Honolulu Harry’s restaurants were not full-on tiki but they did have a nice tropical/Hawaiian vibe that included elements of tiki. Their bar menus also featured tropical drinks. Deservedly so then, they generated at least some degree of interest among Tiki Central members. The same cannot be said of Harry’s Pacific Grill. Although the cuisine was similar, the bar and décor were both devoid of anything one would call tiki. Columnist David Allen writes in his review of the Rancho Cucamonga location;
How do you like that expression, “tropical gimmickry”? Thanks a lot. I hereby declare David Allen to be NOT tiki. OK, I take it back. He at least said it is fun. Some more reviews: In April 2008 it was announced Harry’s Pacific Grill would expand outside California for its third location to be opened at The RIM shopping center in San Antonio, Texas. It doesn’t look like it ever happened. The Temecula Harry’s Pacific Grill closed its doors in October 2011 with Rancho Cucamonga following three months later in January 2012. If you’re interested in what happened to the vacated spaces, a restaurant called CellarZ93 opened October 2012 in the former Temecula location. Although not as prestigious as Napa Valley, Temecula is known for its vineyards and wineries. Just in the past few months a Slater’s 50/50 opened in the former Rancho Cucamonga location. Slater’s 50/50 is a Southern California burger sports-bar chain. Tiki Central has some threads on the original Honolulu Harry’s restaurants. And, of course, the Chino Honolulu Harry’s lives on as Kealoha’s Taste of the Islands and Mai Tai Lounge. |