China Rainbow, Watertown, MA (restaurant)

Name:China Rainbow
Type:restaurant
Street:36 North Beacon Street
City:Watertown
State:MA
Zip:02472
country:USA
Phone:617-926-5170
Status:operational

Description:
SIZE: Small
TYPE OF PLACE: Chinese Restaurant w/ lounge
CONDITION: Seen better days

This place is basically a past its prime Chinese restaurant but when I lived nearby I found the bar to be rather enjoyable. Grass hut framing, a couple of puffer fish hanging from the ceiling, dark, intimate, pleasant. It almost feels like somebody's cool basement. Not a Tiki in sight, though. The real draw is the drinks: tasty, STRONG, and cheap, served in familiar Orchids of Hawaii drink ware. A couple of Zombies and, who knows, you may start seeing Tikis after all. The Scorpion bowls are good and if you're in the Cambridge/Newton/Watertown area it's better than nothing.

Went here Friday and was super impressed. Drinks were all great, and they stick true to the original recipes (specifically the Suffering Bastard is the Joe Scialom recipe). The pufferfish were made by the owner's husband, who has since passed away. A regular changes the lights and has for 25 years. Ricky, the bartender, turned us on to some of his own special drinks, and I gotta say, his "White Mai Tai" was a great mix of a painkiller and a mai tai. Food was great, and I felt right at home. Definitely small, maybe only room for 20 people in the bar area, but I loved it!

How many free drinks did you get, for this review? :wink:

0. I had a lot of fun, thought I'd share.

Looked it up on Yelp! Some of the reviews are pretty hilarious. Wish it were closer, I'd love to check it out.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/china-rainbow-watertown

howlinowl

The regulars were awesome, but the bartender was a younger guy. I kinda wish the Golden Girls had been on but it was just sports.