New Tiki (formerly - Tiki Lau), Westford, MA (restaurant)

Name:New Tiki
Type:restaurant
Street:Littleton Road
City:Westford
State:MA
Zip:01886
country:USA
Phone:978-692-2355
Status:defunct

Description:
It pays to turn your friends onto tiki! Kathleen and I spent a long weekend in Hampton Beach, NH to see our favorite comedian Brian Regan, and to enjoy the sand & surf. A friend and old neighbor of ours had recently moved to Massachusetts, and he lives and works on the way. We decided to visit him on our return from the beach.

We met up with our friend Tim at his workplace, and from there we went for coffee. He mentions to me on the ride that he wants to show me the tiki restaurant he told me about. I didn't recall him telling me this, so I said I must have had a few mai tais when he told me.

The place was closed as we pulled in, as it was only 10 a.m. at the time. So we went to get coffee, and came back at 11:30 when they opened for lunch.

For those of you breaking out your Tiki Roadtrip tomes at this point, it's listed under "sites permanently closed." Rest assured, it is very open. Naturally, I was excited to come across an undiscovered and up to this point declared dead tiki establishment.

So here are the pics. This is the sign that is visible from the road:

And this is the side of the building:

And here's the grand moai above the entrance:

He looks like he has a bad case of eczema on his forehead. Also looks like his eyes light up, but it was too early to tell.

As you enter, a carved palmwood tiki greets you on the left, and a very anemic fish pond with sad turtles on the right. Here's the tiki:

I didn't bother taking a picture of the fish pond.

Needless to say, we were the only ones in the place at 11:30 in the morning, other than the staff. We were seated by what I assume was the manager/owner, who we never saw again. Our waitress was nice enough, although she seemed to be distracted by other concerns, like, "Did I leave the stove on at home?"

Kathleen ordered a Pina Colada, I ordered a Suffering Bastard, and our friend Timmy had water (he don't drink). We asked the waitress if the drinks came in tiki mugs as pictured in the menu, but she replied that all those mugs had been stolen years ago.

The waitress returned with our drinks, which were actually fairly good. She also brought us the prefunctory appetizers, but with a bit of a twist. In the next pic, you can see the tea, duck sauce, and hot mustard, yet the fried noodles must have been on backorder, since we received:

Yes, that's french bread. I could only assume they were trying for the French Polynesian connection there.

Luckily, our meals were a bit better, standard, yet good, chinese cuisine. There are only six items on the menu listed as Polynesian, and even those are a bit of a stretch.

So overall, not a tiki mecca, but a nice surprise if you're not expecting it, or worth it if you're in the area and want a quick tiki fix.

As we were leaving the place, our friend peeked through the glass of the door next to the entrance tiki, and said "So that's where the locals gather!" I peeked in to see a bar, and a few tiki masks on the wall. It was quite dark, and there was a rather huge patron perched on one of the bar stools, so I didn't bother to venture in. I'll leave that for the next brave tikiphile that wants to explore and document this off-the-beaten-path establishment.

[ Edited by: tikigreg 2007-03-15 04:35 ]

[ Edited by: tikigreg 2012-02-24 11:46 ]

Hooray! Thanks, TikiGreg.

I thought a Worchester County tikiphile might be interested.I picked up a matchbook that lists an address on Rte 110 on Macy in Amesbury, so you can give us a report on that if you can.

Tikigreg:

I Hadn't thought about it in a long time, but I grew up in SE Mass., and all the Chinese/Polynesian restaurants there always gave some sort of bread and butter. Didn't seem that strange at the time, but it does look funny, now that you point it out.

My Dad always used to dip his bread in the Duck sauce!!

Aloha.

Scott

Very cool. Thanks for posting this tikigreg.

I live just over the border in Nashua, NH (grew up in Lowell, MA) and I can't believe I've never noticed that!

I'll be sure to check it out.

Thanks again.

nice find!! did they serve "ambrosia" the flaming sweet & sour dish?

i miss that, after our new england travels ~ must be a regional "polynesian" favorite, we cant find it anywhere else.

did they serve "ambrosia" the flaming sweet & sour dish?

dogbytes,

I didn't notice it on the regular menu, and the take out menu doesn't have it. If anyone else visits, maybe we can get a report on that too!

Hey, I just remembered this place and it's still open! The Makaha in Acton, MA. Anybody in the area been there? I haven't been there since about 1993 but I just checked and they're open yet.

Maybe this should have its own thread...

Read unflattering review here:
http://www.gweep.net/~rocko/Stow/

P.S. Check on the Massachusetts French Bread Connection. Very common here.

Pappy,
Thanks for the tip on the Makaha. I've a sister in Acton and will check it out this fall. Luckily, my "inner snob" is buried wicked deep.

-JTD

Hi all,

Either we are neighbors or we are pretty close to each other. You failed to mention in your posts if there were Tiki Mugs to be bought or acquired through any means necessary at either of these local establishments?

Just asking, obviously the food is not the main attraction at these restaurants.

Beth

Just a quick P.S. Saugus Kowloon is still selling Tiki's with their name on them. I got a couple of pineapples last week.

[ Edited by: Tikisgrl 2005-08-08 18:47 ]

I went there a couple weeks ago with a buddy. We each got Zombies which were passable and served in a chimney glass. Food was tolerable and yes, you still get Italian bread. I'm afraid this place is in a death spiral. It should have been full on a weekend and we were the only ones in there eating. There were 6-8 people in the bar. The front Moai shown in Tikigreg's pic is even more in need of new paint than ever and the front is looking pretty shabby. If you owned a restaurant, wouldn't the first order of business every day be to sweep the trash out from the front of the place? sigh

Bump

Now that there's new ownership of the former Tiki Lau, I thought it would be good to bump this up. The NE Ohana has a trip planned there soon, so hopefully someone will post a glowing review here. :)

Wow...I almost forgot about this place. (note: my family and I call it "Tiki Lousy", as OUR food was not tolerable...I thought it was ok). If you have ever driven past it at night, from what I remember, the Moai on the front, his eyes glow however only one eye works. I can't believe i forgot about this site, I only live like 2 towns over. Go figure. I'll be looking forward to the new review!

Thier myspace page advertises sports games 'always' on tv, karaoke from 9:30 to close three nights a week, and live music starting in April. Unless they're bringing Waitiki over from Boston, none of this bodes well.
Then again, they also mention improved drinks...

Anyone been to the New Tiki yet?

I had a studio session in that area tonight, so I stopped in for a Mai Tai on the way home. Drink was great, and everything looked much cleaner than in the past.

All the Tikis that were there before, seem to still be there, and I believe there were a couple more.

I think things are truly looking up for New Tiki.

Granted, we're still in New England and this is 2007, so things like televisions, Karaoke, and Jimmy Buffet are unavoidable. But I think it's very obvious that the new owner is making a great effort to be as Tiki as possible!

I took some pics.

These hanging wall Tikis may be new to the lounge, or I never noticed them in earlier visits.

I think this Tiki Bar sign is new as well (excuse the strange lighting of the sign, I didn't use a flash so as not to bug the people sitting at the bar)

The stage area is pretty cool, outlined with bamboo and with a large mural or painting on the wall. It also has a couple of palm trees that are somewhat hidden by the speakers.

These are the Tikis that most everyone who has visited has already documented here.

Here's the Lobby.

Nice door frames

Front A Frame Tiki with eyes glowing!

I should mention that I believe the new paint in the lounge is Tiki Central Green! :)

[ Edited by: The Granite Tiki 2007-03-26 21:13 ]

Oh wow. The inside looks so so SO Much better since the last time I went there to pick up an order of Chinese food. Looks awesome! Can't wait to stop by hopefully soon when i'm back at home.

I must admit that I am a bit concerned that when I went to their myspace page, the music playing was Jimmy Buffett.

But perhaps we can work on that.

..sbim

Even with the Buffetized MySpace page I think this place has some promise. We'll know for sure on the 14th:)

You know we can dominate the jukebox... I have a lot of quarters in my car!

Tikisgrl

The place is lucky to have all of you....you might be able to help it get more tikified. Good Luck :)

On 2007-03-27 16:18, Tikisgrl wrote:
You know we can dominate the jukebox... I have a lot of quarters in my car!

Tikisgrl

Sweet Tikisgrl - I'll bring my collection of SBA dollars too.

A dozen+ of us got together last night at the New Tiki.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=23324&forum=4&57

I had stopped in to the New Tiki about a week after it changed hands and became the New Tiki. I wanted to check it out and try the food, and take a look around at the "tiki-ness" of the place. Only the lounge is really tiki (but as you can see from the pics above it's great). The food then was less than stellar - the crab rangoons were bland, the fried rice was boring and the Pupu Platter was OK - but missing the little stove so it got cold and I never finished it. There was one item on the Pupu that did not get eaten past the first bite. I can't remember what it was though - it was not very memorable.

Fast forward 5 weeks to the New Tiki....

As to the food now - there's been a hell of an improvement! The mini dumplings (Peking Ravioli) were great - they seem to be the same recipe as the larger, standard ones but they work so much better as mini, bite-sized ones. Nice job here - though I have to say that the sauce was boring and not that great. The Crunchy Shrimp were also delicious - nicely sweet with a clean batter. The fried rice - which was not very good on my first visit - has also seen a heck of an improvement and it's now more like the fried rice you're used to. I also tried a wonton filled with curry beef that was quite good, and a Crab Rangoon that was sweet and tasty. Very little crab - as is typical these days it seems - but the bit of sweetness was nice and made them worthwhile. I also noticed that the Pupu Platter has the little stove now, too. Nice.

The Water Dog soup was my personal favorite. I've never heard of this before, so I when I saw it on the menu I had to try it. It looked much like a Wonton soup - water chestnut, pork strips, scallions, Chinese celery and some other stuff in a moderately dark beefy broth - but it had bite-sized dumplings rather than the typical Wontons. And it was excellent. I am a big fan of Wonton soup and I'd have to say that this Water Dog soup has hit my top spot for favorite in the area. Highly recommended.

I found the drinks to be very good - typical New England variants but done well. I had 2 Mai Tais - "Jimmy's Mai Tai" - which is not a standard Trader Vic Mai Tai but more similar to the ones I've had all around Boston. They were both very good, and will be my staple drink at New Tiki. I also had a Head Hunter, served in one of the coconut mugs that Brian recently found buried out back. I enjoyed this drink too - somewhat light in alcohol and with a pleasant coconut milk base, it was very tasty. I also noticed a couple at the next table had ordered Scorpion Bowls, which came in new "Scorpion-Bowl-For-One" mugs that Brian recently acquired. I will have to try one of those next time, since I've always enjoy Scorpion Bowls. I did hear that the Fog Cutter was not so great though, but it might have been due to the fact that one of the bartenders was working her first night.

All in all I really like the New Tiki. The improvements in food make for one hell of a change for the good. And from talking to Brian the food will only become better. (He did have a copy of Beachbum Berry's Taboo Table as his new "bible" - along with the Grog Log and The Book Of Tiki!!) The lounge looks great with all the tiki, and they have live bands on Friday & Saturday night. The band last night - Big Time Trio - was a hell of a lot of fun, even though they wouldn't play Styx's Mr. Roboto. (Sorry Sully!) The new staff shirts are fantastic, by the way! Loved them!

So a big Thumb's Up to New Tiki. And remember, this is NOT the Tiki Lau. This is the New Tiki.

Rum Review Blog - http://scottesrum.blogspot.com/

[ Edited by: Scottes 2007-04-15 06:29 ]

I really liked the Navy Grog...all of em'!....their version of General Tao's Chicken was better than most as the veggies were el dente, chicken was good but I perfer a little less sauce and crisper chicken....I concur with Scottes on the Little potsticker dumplings...Yummy!...gotta try the soup next time....now if I can get them to make Tahitian Mermaid a la Kahiki,Tropical Bistro (Ohio) style !....I'll get the recipe!

[ Edited by: Hula Cat 2007-04-15 10:38 ]

At first, I thought that "flashless" photo was supposed to convey what your vision is like after you've spent a little time there.

After my 4 Mai-Tais there Saturday night, EVERYTHING looked like that! :)

My significant other and I hit this place last night and I was really disappointed. I think my Mai Tai had Sprite in it... the color was good but the flavor was corn syrup with a rum burn... no balance, no lime except the wedge on the rim (which was all the garnish we saw all evening), no detectable orange flavor, no nothing. Our other drinks were just as bad -- all sweet, no tiki. I thought the new owners had revamped the drinks, and I remember being more impressed on my last visit a few months back... did I just show up on a bad night?

[ Edited by: jacflash 2008-06-02 06:37 ]

Sad to say, but the New Tiki will close on 9/27/08. I guess they could not get out "death spiral" that someone else described. I am very sad. I've been going to the Tiki Lau since I was a teenager. I've continued to go with my family - we average about 2x a month. It certainly was a throw back. You had to know what to order and stick with the basics. They have the best hot and sour soup of any I have had anywhere (don't even order it in other Chinese restaurants) and the best egg foo yung. They also have some of the best appetizers, especially the egg rolls. I will miss it. There really isn't any other place like it around. My mom suggested the Hong & Kong in Chelmsford, but I think the food there has really gone down hill? I don't know because I haven't been there in a long, long, time.

I have been to the Makaha, and they make a decent egg roll, but we went for lunch one day and the food was awful - not fresh and cold.

Ah, that sucks.
Get plenty of pictures, and get all TCer's in the area to gather for a night of celebrating its existence one last time!

Hi - just an update, my DH went last night for one last Mai Tai (he gets a muddled Mai Tai, and says that they have the best), and he also said that they are auctioning off (silent auction) items in the restaurant. I'm sorry, I don't have specifics - I asked him if they were auctioning off the tiki masks, etc., and he didn't know. But he did say that his friend put a bid on the palm tree in the fish pond, so I'm thinking that they are including decor items. I'm sure you could call ahead if you are interested.

When we were there on the NETT II, they had auction numbers on most items in the restaurant. If there is something you want from the New Tiki, call and call now, as time is short.

... and someone, please, save the turtles!

Suzanne

Last night ever!!!! for the New Tiki. Mahalo Nui, Aloha, Okole Maluna!

On 2006-11-30 03:20, pappythesailor wrote:

I bought this mask when the sold everything off after NETT 2! It now resides in Sacramento.