Aku-Aku in Worcester, MA - closed

A friend I visited in Worcester, MA this past year just informed me that the Aku-Aku has closed and another restaurant is in the building. She says the sign, which featured a Moai, is gone. I was never inside the place and know nothing of the decor, but area TC members might want to see if there is anything to be salvaged.

First the Chiefs, and now this? F%#*k!

Forgive my Massachusetts geography, but is this the same as the Aku Aku Cambridge? That closed down about three years ago. What they did to the Moai out front was unforgiveable...
(painted over it, making it look like some sort of jolly fisherman if I remember correctly)

Trader Woody

CRAP! I was up in Worcester in the Fall and my fiance was supposed to take me there when we visit NE CT in February. It was her college hangout, apparantly. I had read that it was struggling and was doing bad comedy shows.

Forgive my Massachusetts geography, but is this the same as the Aku Aku Cambridge?

Nope; different one.

CRAP! I was up in Worcester in the Fall and my fiance was supposed to take me there when we visit NE CT in February. It was her college hangout, apparantly. I had read that it was struggling and was doing bad comedy shows.

I feel your pain. The friend I had flown up to visit was kind enough to drive many places but told me Aku-Aku wasn't one of them due to bad food, bad comedy and being generally run down. It was put on the list for next year; I did get a pic of the sign though. I'll try to post it soon.

I live in the Boston area. Lowell to be exact and was wondering if there are any other places locally I should see before they become victims as well?

Im new to the scene, but have been a fan for years if that makes any sense. Im starting to really study it now being I have begun construction on a home bar.

Thanks everyone.

TC

Tiki-Todd,

Welcome to Tiki Central. I travel frequently to Boston and in my spare hours I usually make my way to Kowloon in Saugus off Rte. 1. There is a giant Ku Tiki on the massive A-Frame bldg. that can be seen off the hwy.

Also, very close to Kowloon is the Bali Hai in Lynfield.

More info can be found on this thread:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1255&forum=1

Also, more info can be found in the Locating Tiki Forum.

Happy Tiki hunting!

Aloha,

STEN :wink:

[ Edited by: stentiki on 2004-01-13 17:15 ]

tikijackalope: Have you heard anything more from your friend about the aku aku? Have any of you heard anything or been by since its closing? I should be up in Worcester in a couple of weeks and if time and weather cooperate, I will swing on by to see what remains.

Iolani, you spurred me on to enter Aku-Aku in the Locating Tiki forum: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7527&forum=2&0
Its a Pub 99 now, or so a Worcester area entertainment magazine says ( http://www.thepulsemag.com/Dining/hotnow200310.html ). I've no idea what became of the signs or any decor.
While you are up there, here's another mystery to look into. I shot this forelorn concrete tiki in the rain outside a defunct club in late 2003. It looks like someone gave the sculptor an OoH or Kahiki glass as a model. The building was a bit of a hodgepodge and had some remnants of Chinese restaurant architecture.


I'll try to get more locational data from my friend and post that info. If anyone knows what this place was, please chime in.

Update: Nov 17, 2007 - Images formerly on Shutterfly were restored.

[ Edited by: tikijackalope 2007-11-17 13:16 ]

I'm told the concrete tiki in my previous post is at Shrewsbury on hwy 20, near Worcester.

Did the Aku-Aku of Worcester have a large sign that could be seen from the highway? I passed it twice a long time ago but never went in.

If not, there used to be one somewhere on the major highways between the middle of the MA and Springfield. I hope its still there.

Did the Aku-Aku of Worcester have a large sign that could be seen from the highway? I passed it twice a long time ago but never went in.

Yes; one of the signs was quite prominent if you were on 290. I added this to my description of the place in the Locating Tiki forum. So far I've yet to see a description of the interior of the place, I've seen some comedy act photos taken there but they are tightly cropped and show only the wall (usually a banner) right behind the performer. If anyone has an account or photos of the interior, please post them in Locating Tiki.

[ Edited by: tikijackalope on 2004-02-03 09:01 ]

I went to the Aku Aku last year when travelling through Worcester, there were some pretty good tiki carvings inside. The comedy side didn't have anything tiki about it, but the restaurant had several good carved poles and some smaller carvings, plus a large backlit painting similar to the one at Chans in NJ. The restaurant was in two levels, the upper level had some hut style tables. My drink came in a regular glass, so I don't know the status of any mugs, or if they even used any. It wasn't a bad place, if anyone has a line on any of the interior decorations it would be worth following up.

Oh, and Trader Wooody, this is a different one than the one in Cambridge.

On 2004-02-02 15:48, tikijackalope wrote:
Iolani, you spurred me on to enter Aku-Aku in the Locating Tiki forum: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7527&forum=2&0
Its a Pub 99 now, or so a Worcester area entertainment magazine says ( http://www.thepulsemag.com/Dining/hotnow200310.html ). I've no idea what became of the signs or any decor.
While you are up there, here's another mystery to look into. I shot this forelorn concrete tiki in the rain outside a defunct club in late 2003. It looks like someone gave the sculptor an OoH or Kahiki glass as a model. The building was a bit of a hodgepodge and had some remnants of Chinese restaurant architecture.

I'll try to get more locational data from my friend and post that info. If anyone knows what this place was, please chime in.

---

[ Edited by: tikijackalope on 2004-02-02 15:51 ]

I know this place. It's in the part of Shrewsbury called Edgemere, I think. All I remember about that restaurant is that they lost their liquor license and closed shortly after that. Does anyone remember the name? Ugh. Why didn't I visit more of these when I had the chance???

I remember driving on I-290 many times and seeing the Aku-Aku sign. I believe it said Aku-Aku Islander?

TTT

The Aku-Aku is indeed a Pub 99 AND a Starbucks, no less! OUCH!

The jpgs you posted for the Shrewsbury, MA tiki aren't coming up, but I am pretty sure it was a restaurant/lounge called Tanela.
It re-opened as a heavy metal band bar called The Golden Buddha, or something, but closed again quickly.

It's on Rt. 20

It has the dubious distinction in my family's history of being the place that served my wife her first bar cocktail -- at the tender (and illegal) age of fifteen! (1976)

I am pretty sure the Tanela incarnation has been closed for at least twenty-three years.

Last time I went by, the building looked like there were motel-type/flophouse rooms being rented out of it.

Someone should research the ownership and buy the big concrete tiki head for thier pool area, or something.

[ Edited by: Lapu-Lapu 2007-10-28 00:04 ]

[ Edited by: Lapu-Lapu 2007-10-28 00:47 ]

Aku Aku in Worcester closed five (?) or more years ago. As I remember, there was a large neon(?)tiki sign which could be seen from the local highway (290). The local newspaper, Telegram.com (or the Worcester Historical Society or the Worcester Art Museum) may have articles/pix about Aku Aku in their archives. Unfortunately, I never visited the restaurant as I was 'P.T.' (pre-Tiki). There was a "Wind Tiki" restaurant in Worcester a while ago, now 'Sukuro Tokyo'(sp) and possibly a sister restaurant of the same name in Webster, Massachusetts. These establishments were basically Polynesian eateries. I do recall tikified decor probably from the 60s in Wind Tiki but I was busy chasing my preschool kids around the place to notice details. I'll do a bit of research and post my neophytiki-findings.

wava5k

[ Edited by: wava5k 2007-10-28 17:00 ]

If we're talking about Worcester Tiki and such, gotta mention the HO TOY. Read all about it here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=22094&forum=2&hilite=ho%20toy

The Worcester Aku-Aku was a Vallee's Steakhouse throughout the 1960's and 1970's.

The Worcester Wind-Tiki (Park Avenue) is now Sakura Tokyo (it has seen better days). My old classic rock band, The RefleXion, was one of the first groups to perform there when it opened in 1990 or 1991.

Lotsa memories from the ol' Wind Tiki:
The day my oldest daughter was born (1984) I went there for celebratory House Special Mai-Tai's.
I remember I got an old ten-dollar "silver certificate" back with my change (I think I may still have it).
All of their waitresses and bartenders were middle-aged white women (common with old school Polynesian joints, I believe).
One month later, my daughter's first outing was at the Wind-Tiki for day-after-Thanksgiving Pu-Pu Platters and Gai Poo Lo Mein with my wife and I and our small brood of T-Day visiting out-of-towners; as she slept peacefully in her car seat atop the back of our huge, semi-circular corner booth. We always took out-of-towners to either the WT or Chuck's Steakhouse, in Auburn, MA.
The only consolation when the WT closed was that Sakura Tokyo was supposed to be awesome. It was... for a few years, but it is in desperate need of a facelift; in and out.

The Golden Lion in Auburn, MA was another cool Tiki/Chinese bar, but more "biker-ish" and scary. Huge $5.00 Scorpion-Bowls-for-Two, though. They closed in 1998, or so, and it is now another damn credit union. I have two of their blue sparkle-flake tuck-and-roll vinyl roller lounge chairs in my cellar.

[ Edited by: Lapu-Lapu 2007-11-04 23:08 ]

This is all so terrible. We need far more tiki establishments here in the USA, and the more that are closed down, the less popular the concept obviously becomes. I live in the Boston area myself and would sure love to know of such places still in existence around here. Currently I know of practically none!

On 2007-11-13 16:08, Kalakua24 wrote:
This is all so terrible. We need far more tiki establishments here in the USA, and the more that are closed down, the less popular the concept obviously becomes. I live in the Boston area myself and would sure love to know of such places still in existence around here. Currently I know of practically none!

Aloha Kalakua24!
i would encourage you to read the New England thread over here - http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=16548&forum=4&787

There are a number of great tiki locales in NE, such as the Kowloon, The New Tiki, and others. We will have another NorthEast Tiki Tour in 2008 that you should consider coming to.

but read all about the Yankee ohana over at http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=16548&forum=4&787

..sb

On 2007-11-04 23:07, Lapu-Lapu wrote:

The Worcester Wind-Tiki (Park Avenue) is now Sakura Tokyo (it has seen better days). My old classic rock band, The RefleXion, was one of the first groups to perform there when it opened in 1990 or 1991.

Lotsa memories from the ol' Wind Tiki:
The day my oldest daughter was born (1984) I went there for celebratory House Special Mai-Tai's.
I remember I got an old ten-dollar "silver certificate" back with my change (I think I may still have it).
All of their waitresses and bartenders were middle-aged white women (common with old school Polynesian joints, I believe).
One month later, my daughter's first outing was at the Wind-Tiki for day-after-Thanksgiving Pu-Pu Platters and Gai Poo Lo Mein with my wife and I and our small brood of T-Day visiting out-of-towners; as she slept peacefully in her car seat atop the back of our huge, semi-circular corner booth. We always took out-of-towners to either the WT or Chuck's Steakhouse, in Auburn, MA.
The only consolation when the WT closed was that Sakura Tokyo was supposed to be awesome. It was... for a few years, but it is in desperate need of a facelift; in and out.

---

People may have pointed out that I have a shopping problem? Anyway, I got my first Wind Tiki collectible, to lazy to take a picture, but I got a matchbook from there. I'll be on the lookout for more stuff. Does anyone have any items from any of the Worcester Tiki places?

Tikisgrl

Stole this picture from ebay shame on me!

dealers name is matchesandstuff he has a lot of tiki matchbooks from around here check him out.

In 1986 or 1987, my wife and I had dinner at The Emperor of China in Boston, MA (near The Orpheum Theater)

We were in town to see Elvis Costello and The Attractions.

The restaurant was practically deserted; as it was early in the evening. On my way to the mens' room, I noticed one table in the back dining room full of men eating and drinking. It was conspicuous because all of the other tables were empty but there were six or seven guys crowded in and around this one lone table in the corner.

Later, at the concert, Elvis introduced his song "The Blue Chair" with, "This is a song about drinking your sorrows away at the end of the day in a place like... 'The Emperor of China'."

I am convinced that that table of noodle-eaters was indeed Elvis and his band and their handlers.

I just restored the pics; they were lost when Shutterfly shuffled their URLs.

Found this weblink this morning: Kind of helpful on some of the defunct Tiki places is mass:

Tiki Bars

Tikisgrl

O.K. couldn't go wandering in Worcester to find the Moai... So how about this poor fella from the Cambridge location! Interesting redecoration! Former Aku Aku location now Jasper White's Summer Shack. The only remaining tiki in the place is in a bar on the side where they left the original Orchids lamps. Other than that it looks like a clam shack :(

On 2008-01-07 16:54, Tikisgrl wrote:
... how about this poor fella ...

looks like a mushroom

I guess he's supposed to be like the Gorton's of Gloucester Fisherman. At least he's analogous to the South Seas; what being a seafarer, and all.

It reminds me of the gigantic Paul Bunyan statue atop the original Bldg. #19 in Hingham, MA. They would repaint and re-accessorize him every few years into other characters. I always thought the Bunyan statue came from the old Maine State Fair in Bangor. Back in the early 1970's, they painted him to look like a surgeon -- complete with sheet-metal face-mask -- because his outstretched and axe-less hands looked like a doctor's after "scrubbing up."

[ Edited by: Lapu-Lapu 2008-02-17 00:39 ]

Hmmm, If you ask me, I think he looks like he could be a heavily disguised Moai Tiki! Whaddya think?

On 2008-02-17 00:56, EdsGoneTiki wrote:
Hmmm, If you ask me, I think he looks like he could be a heavily disguised Moai Tiki! Whaddya think?

that's exactly what it was...an older moai carving that has been given a facelift...the ultimate statement of the white man scourge....

you know damn well these cheap bastards would never have shelled out for a new statue when they could deface and ressurect the old tiki they already had......it's good financial sense and nothing more.

.....how about makin a tiki mug of that abomination, tiki farm!!???

"If you ain't laughin', -you ain't livin'!!!"

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-02-17 07:00 ]

".....how about makin a tiki mug of that abomination, tiki farm!!??? "
don't laff,is there a buck in it......

Don't know if any of you have heard of this place (The New Tiki), or how long it's been in business. I'm pretty close, (Hudson, NH) and my wife is from Westford, Ma. I think we'll be checking it out soon.
If you click on the "tour" button on their website, there are some pic of the interior.

http://www.newtiki.com/index.html

TikiTwang, here's a thread all about New Tiki.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=15840&forum=2

We've even had meet and greets there!

And I'm proud to say, I took some of those pictures!

You and I will go there soon. I'm assuming you may have gone there when it was the Tiki Lau.

A day late and a dollar short again! :wink: I'd love to go there with you some time. Yes, been there many times when it was the Tiki Lua come to think of it.
Years ago, I used to spend many late nights at The Tiki Hut in Leominster. Unfortunately, I had no appreciation for what it was. Too bad it's gone, I'd love to go back now.

How 'bout The Singapore in Leominster, MA?

We always called it the "Sling-a-Whore"

There's a "Wind Tiki" in Webster, MA clinging to its tiki-ness.

Went there December '07 -- really good pu-pu platter and rice.

Tikiness at the Wind Tiki??? Where?? What?? You can get a bad Mai Tai and a pupu platter anywhere.

On 2007-10-28 00:00, Lapu-Lapu wrote:

I am pretty sure the Tanela incarnation has been closed for at least twenty-three years.

Last time I went by, the building looked like there were motel-type/flophouse rooms being rented out of it.

Someone should research the ownership and buy the big concrete tiki head for thier pool area, or something.

That concrete tiki has some wicked paint peeling but I agree the someone should go there and pick it up! From the look of the place it looks like they would pay you to take it away! We drove past it last weekend (I had never been in the area before) but I found it again on google maps.

[ Edited by: xtine 2011-08-10 19:42 ]

xtine,

Wow, that Moai is still there? Someone needs to get a big truck, a crane and go rescue that thing.

DC

YES! If I wasn't in the car being driven by my friends and with their kids I would have jumped out of the car to take a better look!

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=35612&forum=1&start=45