Bahooka, Rosemead, CA (restaurant)

loved this. the pics was wonderful. i grew up in rosemead. a little home sick right now. i'm in west carthage, ny. my husband is in the army stationed with 10th mnt at afghan. i wanted to see some old pics of the hometown. almost forgot about the bahooka. how could i forget that. when we got out of the student parking lot, we had to do a u-turn right in front of the place to go to where we wanted to eat for lunch. was the grad class of 98 from rosemead high. always looked at it and wondered what it was in there. thought that it was probably too high class for a student's bugdet. so i never did go to this place, but will when i get the the chance to go back and visit. great to hear that there is a few places left in town that i remember. thought that rosemead was such a small dinky town when i was there. now that i've seen so much of the rest of the states...i miss it. it's not that small and still have some great resturants with a varity of them that i miss a whole lot. southern cali had the greatest food i've ever tasted.

Ahhhhhh BAHOOKA's I just recently got to go there with my boyfriend, after much begging and pleading... and I LOVED IT -- our flaming volcano pina colada was delicious and I just love their stuffed shrimp and their teriyaki chicken, very filling!!!
and couldn't get enough of the dark corners and ambience... seating is very romantic, and the big anchor chain on the tables is a bit obtrusive -- but u gotta love the history and the service!!! and the decor!!

We went to the Bahooka a few days after Christmas. When I went in, I noticed that the big tiki that stood just inside the door was gone and a table put in its place. Was this tiki temporarily moved for the holidays or perhaps for some New Years party? I have heard tales of ne'r-do wells trying to steal it right out of the front door, so I hope some ruffians didn't make off with it.

I also noticed they placed a Enchanted Tiki Room 40th anniversary lithograph in the hallway to the washrooms. So it is nice to see the Bahooka is constantly adding things.

Anyway, I said hello to Rufus and downed a number of Zombies. Curiously, I don't remember leaving the place. Hmmmmm...

I've been dining at the Bahookas (there used to be 2 of them) since back when dinosaurs ruled the earth. :wink:

I usually stop for lunch at the Bahooka every Friday (when I'm home in SoCal, and not on the road) and enjoy the "Pile Of Ribs" lunch plate. It's the best deal goin' folks. Good sized pile of luscious poly-ribs, fries, rolls, and salad with that yummy Bahooka salad dressing. All for just $6.95! I usually add a "Barbados" (my favorite Bahooka cocktail) or two from the bar, making for a perfect and still inexpensive lunch.

Really friendly staff too.

My first visits to the Bahooka were at the original one on Francisquito Ave in West Covina. I owned a toy store in the nearby Puente Hills Mall, and on blazing hot and smoggy afternoons (well...and on cold and clear ones too, truth be told :wink:), I'd grab an employee or two and we'd go have a dark and cool lunch at Bahooka. The Francisquito Bahooka was like out on the street corner across the parking lot from a strip center, which had one of the large grocery store chains in it. Sort of the location you'd usually find a gas station at. It looked just like the current Rosemead one inside and out. When they closed the Francisquito one down and bulldozed it...I think a lot of the decorations made their way to the Rosemead one...and much of that stuff went into the expansion they did there a long time ago (the room on the south-west side of the bathrooms).

Great, great place. :)

[ Edited by: PremEx 2007-01-02 22:31 ]

LIVE! From the Bahooka! Sorta.

Sitting here in the parking lot of the Bahooka after another great late lunch and bunch of drinks here. A sobering-up car nap may be in my future :wink: but before that I thought I'd whip out my laptop and make a quick post, thanks to Verizon BroadbandAccess.

We went to the Bahooka a few days after Christmas. When I went in, I noticed that the big tiki that stood just inside the door was gone and a table put in its place. Was this tiki temporarily moved for the holidays or perhaps for some New Years party? I have heard tales of ne'r-do wells trying to steal it right out of the front door, so I hope some ruffians didn't make off with it.

I really don't know which tiki the above post mentions, but there is still just a small table for 2 as you walk in the door. I did see 2 tikis further inside, and took photos with my cell phone camera and just uploaded them. Sorry about the crappy photo quality. It's VERY dark inside the Bahooka and my cell phone's photo quality is not so hot. I've done all I can with Photoshop to brighten them up a bit.

Anyway...this one:

Was in the small dining area just across from where you first walk into the restaurant. As you can see, it's been chained to the little niche in which it sits. I'd say that one is about 3 feet tall.

Next is this big guy:

Which resides in the small passageway between the two main sections of the restaurant, that leads to the restrooms. He's huge. I'd say at least 10 feet tall.

Again...don't know if either of these is the one mentioned above that perhaps has just been relocated to a different part of the restaurant. Or perhaps it was pinched and that's why the chain on the first photo above. Darlene was off today, or I would have asked her if they had any problems with theft of tikis.

BTW...the lunchtime "Pile of Ribs" has gone up to $7.50 now. Still a phenomenal deal! :)

I got back a short while ago from having a sandwich and a Zombie at Bahooka. I only go there once in a blue moon nowadays; and the last time I was in there I ordered a Zombie just to see what it was like. It was pretty strong! So I requested that today's Zombies (I went with a friend) be mixed pretty serious-like. And they were! They were very strong and very tasty too...pineapple juice was very prominent this time around.

WooHoo!! What a Treat - Yesterday afternoon Soccer Tiki and I had the pleasure of meeting up with Conga Mike, The Forbidden Queen :), Aqua Zombie, and Tiki Godess for some Ribs-n-Grog at Bahooka's. It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

The World Famous Rufus greeted us as we walked through the door

Pat, the manager, always welcomes us with The Spirit of Aloha

Pat, SoccerTiki, and Conga Mike

We always get 1st Class Service from our Favorite Waiter: Chico

Aqua Zombie, Tiki Godess, The Forbidden Queen :), & Conga Mike

The Bahooka Bowl

Mucho Mahalo to Everyone at Bahooka's for making our visit Tiki-rrific!!

Special THANKS to Pat, the manager. As always, you are an awesome host! It was fun meeting Will and Monica for the first time and seeing Michael and Denise again! What a great Sunday afternoon!

On 2007-04-02 08:32, WooHooWahine wrote:
We always get 1st Class Service from our Favorite Waiter: Chico

It looks more like Chico is GETTING first class service! It's good to see Soccertiki
putting that BIG TONGUE to use! Woohoo!

:lol:

What the hell are my eyes viewing?? Dear lord. :o

Just came across this in a drawer, from the days in the 70's when I used to frequent the now gone Francisquito location:

:)

Nice find. Only heard of, never saw photos of that place. Which came first? Was that location even remotely as decked out as the Rosemead one? I assume they moved the decor over to Rosemead when they closed shop in West Covina.

PS.: Dang, I should check Critiki first before I ask stupid questions!:
"This is Bahooka's original location, in West Covina. Bahooka was started by two brothers and a sister in 1967, one of the brothers -- Jack -- had worked for 10 years at Kelbo's. The building was expanded over the years, which was ultimately its downfall -- it grew over a property line, and in the ensuing dispute, Bahooka lost its lease. In 1980, the building was demolished. Fortunately, four years earlier a second Bahooka location had been opened in Rosemead, which still operates today."

Thank You!

Rosemead Blvd with Bahooka and its Tiki apartments is still one of the best Tiki tours to take...a shame that the whole Clearman's corner was razed, though...

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-11 10:11 ]

You found most of your answers, but I can address this somewhat...

On 2007-04-11 10:02, bigbrotiki wrote:
Was that location even remotely as decked out as the Rosemead one? I assume they moved the decor over to Rosemead when they closed shop in West Covina.

Yes, they were identical in decor and theme. VERY identical. After a couple of drinks...you sometimes forgot which one you were in until you got outside! :wink:

And yes, some of the stuff from #1 made it over to #2 and populated an expansion they did there in Rosemead, as well as "plus" the existing space a bit. But Darlene (Rosemead) told me that the bulk of the stuff from #1 got sold right from the Francisquito location at a big auction they had just before leveling the joint with bulldozers.

Back on...

On 2006-01-23 08:52, mjrphreak wrote:...they were filming a suspense/thriller movie staring Jim Carey titled "Number 23". While on a non chalent trip to the restroom I could see into the area they had marked off and they had put of Christmas decorations in the parts they would be filming.

This movie was released not too long ago. It just sorta came and went, but it's still playing in a few theaters.

I was wondering if anyone out there saw it and noticed any of the scenes filmed at the Bahooka?

Pics from our visit on Aug. 20th 2007











This is what happens after too many a drink!

[ Edited by: Chub 2007-08-22 02:28 ]

Rufus still looks pretty good for a 30+ year old fish!!!

Cheers,
Jeff

WOW! Went last night for my 42 B-Day and just WOW! The pictures don't do it justice. Wish there was room at the bar I would of had another for the road (Passenger). Next time I will bring more people to get a bigger fish tank. This place is a must see. LOVE IT!

Here's a few more photos, I just went there this past Sunday. I decided to upload these since so many of the early photos don't display. What an awesome place. Make sure you continue to drive North on Rosemead Blvd to the 210 and check out the 4 still-standing Polynesian-styled apartments, they have some great details.

I went there about two weeks ago and was pleased to see they were stocked up on T-shirts in different colors, and even had issues of Tiki Magazine for sale, below cover price, if I recall correctly! And the tiki-style decor in there looks denser and more polished every time I see it.

Oh man, I so have to go here! I managed to step in one day during a commute home from work just to take a look-see, but I haven't had a chance yet to sit down with my wife and a bowl. It looks awesome.

• Wheggi

I had the pleasure of going to this WONDERFUL restaurant with Procinema29 last weekend. I loved it man! And the teriaki chicken I had with rice was fantastic!! So was the salad & their own dressing (which was included with the dinner) and rolls. Would love to go to a tiki event or get-together there! What a place! Thanks Procinema29 for introducing me to Bahooka!

[ Edited by: Enchanted Tiki Guy 2008-10-01 13:02 ]

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.

KTC...

We'd love to hear about your experience at Ports o Call, and see pix too.

That being said, I LOVE Bahooka....crusty fish tanks and all.

The last time I was there, the drinks (*ordered from the table) had PLENNY booze in them.

The food was old school for sure, but tasty...besides.....where else can you get a baked yam (with brown sugaron top) these days ?

Can't wait to play there this Sat with the Orchestra.

The boyfriend treated me to a nice dinner at Bahooka's last night. Simply wonderful! I highly reccomend saying hi to Rufus the fish and ordering a Monsoon!

Here's a nice view.

this place is like stepping back in time and on another plane of reality all at once...the depth and thickness of the decor is beyond belief...nautical and historic...

JOHN-O's Non-Tiki Guide to the SGV (when visiting the Bahooka or Oceanic Arts)........

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=34079&forum=16&1

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-10-01 18:37 ]

On 2009-08-28 18:22, uncle trav wrote:
Here's a nice view.

new website: http://www.bahooka.com.

Don't forget to print out the $5.00 coupon!

Bahooka is currently advertising a great happy hour deal. Mon-Fri 3-6 p.m. All tropical drinks (exluding flaming bowls for two) are $3.75. I've already been twice this week just to catch up on some sorely needed tiki time.

I recently discovered this Bahooka Menu image. It's from the Francisquito and Sunset, West Covina, California location. The image was in the Los Angeles Public Library's archives and dated 1972.

I wonder what was in the "Tiki Demon"! :)

The Bahooka drink numbering system has remained faithful all these years. The numbers on the old menu correspond to those on the new, although some are missing. I was told the other night that the reason they removed some drinks was because of the lack of availability (or the high cost) of some ingredients.

In case you are wondering, these are the "Lost" Bahooka drinks:

Bahooka's Own Tabu (not numbered)

3 The Hellion
9 Hau-A-Guava
18 Wahine-Lei
21 Surfs Up
28 Green Lagoon
30 Leilani Punch
35 Tapa
41 Jolly Rogers
41A Tiki Demon
43 Moo Goo (Banana Cow)
44 Pearl Bay
45 Hula Hopper
46 Coffee Grog
47 Hot Buttered Rum
48 Creme and Kona
53 Harpoon Bowl for 4
54 Blue Hawaii Bowl for 4
55 Sadie Thompson Bowl for 4
56 Honey Bowl for 4
57 Mai-Tai Bowl for 4
57B Scorpion Bowl for 4

Of these, the Bahooka's Tabu is probably what comes in the #52 "Bahooka Bowl" and the cocktails in the Bowls for 4 (#53-57B) are all available in smaller portions. So, there are really only 15 Lost Drinks:

3 The Hellion
9 Hau-A-Guava
18 Wahine-Lei
21 Surfs Up
28 Green Lagoon
30 Leilani Punch
35 Tapa
41 Jolly Rogers
41A Tiki Demon
43 Moo Goo (Banana Cow) was replaced by a Strawberry Colada
44 Pearl Bay
45 Hula Hopper
46 Coffee Grog
47 Hot Buttered Rum
48 Creme and Kona

[ Edited by: Trader Tom 2011-08-14 04:49 ]

[ Edited by: trader tom 2011-08-16 02:47 ]

I'm going to miss you Bahooka!
Thank you so much for so many special memories.
May your legacy last forever in the world of Tiki.

ALOHA!

link to the sad news here:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=44820&forum=1&start=0

Some photos from a recent visit.

Full set of 46 photos on Flickr here:
http://www.flickr.com//photos/akahaka/sets/72157632894444816/show/

Naaaice! Man I gotta figure out that HDR thing, it's so perfect for Bahooka!

Yup. That diving helmet would be completely BLACK on a normal exposure - though I would tone it down a little here, Joe :D

On 2013-03-01 19:39, bigbrotiki wrote:
Yup. That diving helmet would be completely BLACK on a normal exposure - though I would tone it down a little here, Joe :D

(such a cinematographer.... :wink: )

I just spent 6 days "grading" my last series...can't get it out of my system! :)

I got to babble a little about Bahooka and the history of Poly Pop on "The Dinner Party Download" (minute 33:00 to 39:00) :

http://download.publicradio.org/podcast/dinnerpartydownload/2013/03/01/dpd_20130301_128.mp3?_kip_ipx=686199509-1362186940

This will also be on KPCC on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. (...and I will be at the Tonga Hut)

Dang, Hakalugi, you take amazing pictures! Your photos look even better than the real thing.

[ Edited by: kenbo-jitsu 2013-05-24 12:09 ]

Enjoyed your segment on the podcast Sven. Funny because I just recently added that podcast to my daily commute listening. I hadn't heard the Dali story before. Good story!

I know, so telling of how "avantgarde" the good Don really was! :)

Coffee mug from the original location

Abstractiki found the image in the phone book of this menu but I just bought the actual menu. It is HUGE. Sorry I don't have a scanner but each page is identical to the ones in Abstractiki's post:

WOW! Liz, that is awesome. Love the graphics.