Tonga Hut, North Hollywood, CA (bar)

Went to Tonga Hut for the first time last Saturday night and I gotta say I love this place. It was a slow Easter weekend night but even on a slow night the vibe is swell. Outside of some drunk betties playing the entire Tom Jones and Killers albums back to back the music was an eclectic mix that fit the crowd. The decor has just enough dive left in it to suit my tastes along with its vintage tiki stylings. The fountain behind the bar is incredible - my wife is pissed that it gave me more ideas for the home lounge.

Had a chance to visit with the bartender - I'm such a schmuck I forgot his name already...Trevor maybe - and he was a stand up guy - Made a mean drink and took the time to chat with our table. I wanna pick this bar up and move it to Sandy Eggo - you local kids are lucky.

Having finally gotten my arse over to Tonga Hut, I must repeat some of the others' comments.

I just my head in the place a long time ago, maybe 7 or 10 years ago, and it was a stone dump. The tiki element was severely neglected.

Having gone last Saturday, I can say that the new owners have done a great job restoring the place to its former glory. 1000% improvement.

Everyone in L.A. should head over to this place once in a while and give the owners your well-deserved support.

Wow! I was in LA on vacation this week and went to the Tonga Hut for the first time. Absolutely loved it. Great decor, very laid back, and incredible jukebox. Tried 4 of the 15 or so Tropical drinks on the menu and all were great. It looked as if most of the other 10 or 12 patrons there were regulars, all drinking beer and highballs, but the bartender (Megan?) whipped out the tiki drinks like a real pro. My only points of reference are the Honolulu in Virginia and a couple of Trader Vic's, but Tonga Hut fit my vision of what a tiki bar should be.

Tonga Hut

The Tonga Hut cocktail lounge located on Victory Boulevard (east of Atoll Street) is one of the few remaining relics from the late 1950’s Polynesian craze. Have you noticed Tiki is “in” again? Even Martha Stewart has a chapter in her book on “Throwing a Tiki Party.” Finding the Tonga Hut is like discovering a rare jewel. Like the Bishop Museum in Hawaii, it has Tiki carvings, masks, and artifacts from every far-flung archipelago. The bar’s facade features a huge Easter Island head carving (moai). And yes, there are objects from the Kingdom of Tonga, including an antique tapa cloth fan and the royal coat of arms of Tonga. Similar to an authentic Polynesian hut, the walls are covered in woven mats, while the ceiling is covered in bamboo. And that’s not all—there are waterfalls, dart boards, and of all things a stuffed CROW--the emblematic bird of prophecy with power to foresee the future. These original Tiki cocktail lounges are becoming rare, and the Tonga Hut is like ground zero of Polynesian pop culture. It should be preserved as a historical monument. As Mr. Otto von Stroheim, publisher of Tiki News says, “When you go to a place like the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood, you’ll notice details like the hand-made lighting fixtures, a kidney-shaped dropped ceiling—the place is artistic and it was all built by the owners.” Go on in—order a Zombie and enjoy the ambiance.
Tonga Hut, 12808 Victory Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91606, (818) 769-0708

The Polynesian kingdom of Tonga consists of a chain of 171 islands, 45 of which are inhabited. Tonga’s total land area is 290 square miles with a population of just over 100,000. According to the U.S. census of 2000, over 12,000 Tongans live in California. Tongatapu is the main island in the group, on which the capital city Nuku’alofa is located. The Kingdom is located west of Tahiti and northeast of New Zealand, bringing the chain near the international dateline. Tonga is one of the few remaining constitutional monarchies and the only county in the South Pacific never to have been colonized by a foreign power. Tonga accomplished this great feat by building an impressive royal palace and when various foreign dignitaries arrived, they found the King of Tonga dressed like the King of England. Tonga was left untouched. That is why many traditional art forms and rituals remain intact. His Majesty the King of Tonga Taufa’ahau Tupou IV is an impressive man. He holds the Guinness world record as the world’s fattest ruler, tipping the scales at 462 pounds. He is also the only king that surfs. He has a custom 12-foot surfboard made in Hawaii. His Majesty prefers the waves of ‘Eueiki Island, three miles east of Tongatapu, comparing the surf to Waikiki.

The traditional Tongan hut is called a fale. The oval-shaped hut’s average size is 30 feet long, 20 feet wide and 12 feet high. The thatched roof is made of woven coconut palm leaves (‘ato) supported by posts (pou) set slightly under the eaves. The fale’s sides are made of overlapping plaited coconut fiber mats resembling large Venetian blinds. The floor, raised approximately one foot off the ground, is made of well-trampled earth. It is often covered by a loose layer of dried grass and flowers, then topped with fine mats. The underside of the roof is decorated with colorful, beautifully woven coconut fiber. Spears, tools, household utensils, and ritual objects are hung from the rafters. The hut has two low doors at opposite sides to let the breeze flow through the structure. (I am very fond of the Tongan fale, as I stayed in one when I went to Tonga to have an audience with the King.)

In Tonga, a bar is called a fale kava. The traditional narcotic drink of Tonga is kava, made from the roots of the pepper shrub (Piper methysticum). The psychoactive effects of the beverage include a pleasurable numbing of the lips, a quiet friendly lethargy, then euphoria, followed by drowsiness, stupor, and sleep. Overindulgence causes slurred speech, lack of coordination in leg muscles, red watery eyes, and bad skin. (Sound familiar?) But there is no hangover from partaking of kava! In the traditional kava ceremony held in a large fale, participants sit in a kava ring (‘alofi), with the high chief at one end of the oval, and individuals on his right and left seated in progressively decreasing status. Directly opposite the chief in the middle sits the kava mixer, who prepares the drink with a flourish of aesthetically pleasing arm and wrist movements—regarded as an art form in Tonga. The server calls out the name of the participants in order of rank, who in turn clap their hands two times, then gulp down the tingling, mud-gray liquid. Among world dignitaries who have participated in the kava ceremony are President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Hilary Rodham Clinton, and His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Early missionaries to Polynesia called kava “the brew of demons” and banned its use. Don’t get too excited about the kava herb, as the intoxicating qualities of the narcotic are only produced in kava made the ancient way—with virgin girls masticating the fresh root and spitting out the wad mixed with their saliva. It is the salivary enzymes that activate the psychoactive compounds (kavalactone) in the root, producing a fully intoxicating substance. In modern times kava is produced in a dry powdery form available in your health food section. I take kava capsules as a sleep aid. It’s known to increase REM sleep, and I’ve had many vivid dreams lately. By the way, kava is also effective in treating gonorrhea and diarrhea, and has been used as a contraceptive and an abortive.

The Tonga Hut cocktail lounge is similar to a Tongan fale in several ways. Both have walls and ceilings decorated with finely woven mats. Each has front and back doors situated opposite each other. Each is a place to drink intoxicating beverages—in Tonga they drink Piper methysticum, in the U.S. they traditionally consume alcohol. In the kava ceremony, the kava mixer uses elaborate gestures to prepare the kava, while in the States bartenders often have a certain charisma and use skillful, stylistic embellishments. In Polynesia, kava drinking involves much ritual, requiring strict seating arrangements, and in our bars “regulars” have their own favorite perches. In Polynesia they sit in a kava circle, while in North Hollywood they sit around the kidney-shaped bar. ALOHA! Or in Tongan, ‘ALU A!

Right on, Jeffrey! If the Tonga Hut would have a full scale illustrated cocktail menu, this would make the perfect menu back text! I can see it now, framed by a border of Polynesian and nautical icons!

Hopefully Inky and I can squeeze in another visit here this weekend! It is ZAZZ!

Okay -- first of all, I gotta say right up front that I usually LOVE this place. I mean, drinks-wise, it's not the Ti, but, hey -- what IS, except the Mai Kai and perhaps the new(ish) Forbidden Island? Still, the current owners (I've met Ana, and she's super) have done a wonderful job with the place these last couple (few?) years, and I've had some great times there.

The decor is now terrific and the regular bartenders are pretty darn wonderful. Also, the music usually isn't too bad, depending, of course, on who's making the selections. But the juke has a decent selection of classic Exotica, so it's really your own fault if ya don't put your own two (or more) cents in!

Anyway, last Sunday night I found myself in the neighborhood after a film-shoot and stopped in once again...

I wish I hadn't.

Normally the vibe, while not strictly Tiki (unless there's a tiki-related event there), does have a pleasant hipster/old neighborhood element, and I usually feel welcome and at ease. But this time I found myself in some very strange company indeed, of the sort usually found in the seedier/rougher sections of downtown L.A. or Hollywood. And I was soon being regaled by crude and embarrassingly phrased descriptions of one patron's description of his -- now HER -- transsexual surgery, interrupted by periodic, gravelly-voiced admissions by this same patron of "Man, I am SO stoned!" (Thanks for sharing your great secret, I thought, but remained silent.)

And the other customers were no more enjoyable to be around, though another very drunk fellow, seated on my other side, and at least making an effort to be convivial, insisted on droning on and on about how he'd managed to grow up without really being aware of Bob Dylan and now felt like an idiot. (And this revelatory sentiment took him a looonnng time to express.) And the remaining customers were simply classic, highly intoxicated, "don't-screw-with-me" bad-asses.

And then the poor bartender... I don't remember her name (she only started there recently), but she deserves a MEDAL -- not for her mixology, unfortunately -- but for her TOLERANCE. I found myself wincing on her behalf, again and again, as she gamely fielded various crudely sexist remarks from the exclusively -- or, in one case, formerly -- male customers, and tried to seem pleasant and unruffled nonetheless. (I remember she had some friends due to arrive soon and clearly couldn't WAIT. Gee, I wonder why?)

Now, normally -- especially since it wasn't crowded -- I would have just taken my drink to one of the nicely dark n' cozy leather booths and finished my drink in relative peace. But since a third of the nasty concoction was the most I could force myself to choke down, I simply gave the bartender a tip and made a speedy exit, making an excuse about not wanting to be too buzzed to drive.

Wow... My experience that night just shows A) what a huge difference a particular crowd can make on a given night to the overall vibe of a lounge/bar, and B) what a difference a bartender experienced with tropicals can make.

To be fair, I'm sure this new girl will learn, given a little time, and she didn't have all the ingredients she needed that night, either. Megan, who's a particular Tonga fave of mine, is more than happy to mix up another for me, free of charge, if the particular drink I ordered didn't come out as expected. Very cool. And it's very possible this newest Tonga-tender might have done the same. But I just didn't want to chance making waves that night or adding more tension to the poor girl's already hefty dose of it!

So I can only say this was a very off night for The Tonga Hut, and not at all typical of my many previous experiences there. In fact, I had a very similar experience with The Purple Orchid one rainy night a while back. And I have come to this particular conclusion: Brand New Bartender + Creepy Crowd = Bad News.

But here's to the GOOD TIMES at The Tonga, in the past AND in the FUTURE! :drink:

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-07-13 10:11 ]

I forget the new bartender's name too, but she sure gets an A for effort from me. I think I was there a week ago on Wednesday evening. She was trying to make some drinks via The Book, but The Book had a few typos. I remember seeing here trying to mix a Rhum Boogie (my favorite drink there) then pausing, "I can't fit all this into a Collins glass!?"

I like people watching, so I prefer sitting in the larger area just next to the front door. I like seeing people enter blindly due to the low lighting. Good times.

Aloha, Tonga fans!

I just gathered a bunch of shots I took a while back at The Hut & thought I'd share them with my TC Ohana!

Enjoy!

Arranging these pics as a front-to-back-door tour, we enter the appropriately darkened space...

...and see, to our left, the Hut's unofficial Moai "doorman", and, next to him, one of the comfortable leather booths with framed tapa backing.

This cheery Cook Island-style denizen is usually near-invisible in the shadowy corner near another booth.

Once again, pardon my flash, but I wanted to capture the details of these leopard-topped stools.

And now, on to the BAR!...

And what a bar it is!

Just feast your eyes on that (now WORKING) fountain!

Pretty, eh?

As are the LIBATIONS!...

And the hard-working & dedicated Bar-Keeps who mix and serve them aren't a bad-lookin' bunch either!...

Say "Aloha" to (from left) Maria, Trevor, and Megan!

And now, here's one of their bosses -- the lovely Ana...

...a proud co-owner, with Jeremy, of the TH.

No, that's not Jeremy! That's Eddy, the not-actually-as-mean-as-he-looks Bouncer! (No "Beauty And The Beast" jokes, please!) And see that colorful FOUNTAIN there, behind him?...

Well, it'd sure be nice if they finally got THAT one workin' too, eh?

And so we exit through the Hut's back door and find ourselves, once more, in the drably prosaic San Fernando Valley night.

Wanna go back inside for another round of tropical magic?...

Me too!!! :tiki: See ya inside!...

Cheers! :drink:

Aloha!

I just went to the TH this past Friday night where I finally met the other owner -- Jeremy -- a terrific chap who treated me to one of the only really good Blue Hawaiian's I've ever had; and properly garnished, too! (Maybe it's that dash of cream that makes the difference?)

Anyway, I'm happy to report that their OTHER fountain is now up and running at last!

This is the one --

-- though the greenery is currently absent. But various nice rocks are in place and I suggested, along with the needed foliage, that both a flourescent blacklight fixture be added above to complement some waterproof pond lighting shining up on the statue from below. And Jeremy loved the idea, so that may be happening soon, along with a possible blacklight mural to be painted on the (currently bamboo-covered) wall behind the statue.

But water now bubbles merrily from the stone tiki's mouth and runs into the (now water-tight!) basin below. So come and CHECK IT OUT! And while you're at it, take a look at the lovely cocktail menus Suzy Mosher created for them. Drinks haven't looked so tempting since the days of the vintage menus!

Lastly, Jeremy also really dug my idea of installing little pond-fogger misting units in each of the basins of the Tonga's main multi-tiered fountain behind the bar. Because, as lovely as that fountain is, the water cascades SO perfectly and placidly from one level to the next that Jeremy has sometimes been accused of having installed some sort of lucite SCULPTURE there instead of having real water! :lol:

But, with the addition of the foggers, they should get a nicely rolling cascade of mist that will follow the water from one level to the next and give the patrons something a bit more kinetic to stare at while they get happily plastered, not to mention enhancing the tropical atmosphere that much more!

I also suggested a bit more Oceanic Arts style bric a brac here and there -- some dried starfish to go in the netting they already have on one wall, some float-lights and/or tapa/seashell lamps, and perhaps a glowing puffer-lamp or two. And Jeremy was lovin' all of that as well, as he's a dude who has come to really appreciate the full spectrum of tiki.

So I think we can all look forward to continuing developments that will keep Tonga Hut going from strength to strength!

Cheers & Mahalos! :drink: :tiki:

Castaway Clemens

I know this is short notice, but I'm going to the Tonga Hut tonight. Perhaps I'll see some TC'ers there.

I just got back from Tonga Hut. I have been going there for the last ten years or so and I have to say it keeps on getting better and better. I like going there in the early afternoon when it is quiet. I had a Voodoo Juice that was out of this world and the bartender had just gotten the ingredients to make the Hibiscus Hula Cocktail, I tried one of those as well, a little too sweet for me but very good tasting. I have to say I feel real lucky to have Tonga Hut so close to my house, it is the perfect tiki bar. It is old, authentic, it has great music, it it is full of locals old and young, it has tropical drinks, it is dark, the TV shows old time movies and no sound, there are lots of tikis and artwork everywhere to enjoy and best of all, it doesn't pretend to be tiki because it is a real tiki bar from the 50's.....

[ Edited by: hiltiki 2009-09-08 19:32 ]

More on the Grog log "Tonga Hut Elite"

We are ready to go at the Tonga Hut here is what you need to do to get started.

I will be featuring a Cocktail every Saturday & Sunday(unless noted) from 4-8pm at the Tonga Hut. Come in and fill out your "Tonga Hut Elite" Grog Log entry form. We will keep it at the Tonga Hut behind the bar in a note book and will be keeping count. You may try the "featured" drink that week of course BUT, you may come into the Tonga Hut anytime Sunday-Thursday 4pm-last call and Friday & Saturday 4pm-8pm and try any drink in the Grog Log have it credited to your "Elite" list (some exceptions see entry form for details). There are almost 90 drinks so let's see who gets done first.

We started last Sat. 9/26/09 In the lead is Iokona Ki'i (Jason) with 4 cocktails down 80 something to go! Tonga Tom right behind!

Good Luck everyone!!

Here are some velvets that I recently painted for Tonga Hut.
Colors way off.

Mahalo Jeremy and MP!

Velvets by J. Sallin

http://www.jasonsallin.com

[ Edited by: Iokona Ki'i 2009-10-25 18:25 ]

Iokona Ki'i

Those look great. My favorite is the palm leaf umbrella girl.

DC

Mahalo DC! It was great working with Tonga Hut
on these. Might be putting a few more in there.

Looks great, and getting better. That fountain behind the bar is staggering. Extremely cool. So that has green lights below, and red and white in the ceiling cut-outs above? I second the notion of ultrasound foggers,. but be sure they're plain ones (which ARE available online, if you look). The more common ones have color-changing LEDs on top, which would totally spoil the look in here. Definitely don't want any light in the bowls.

Though I don't know if it'd look good in the bowl fountain, and might not in the tiki either, it's not difficult to make water in fountains react to UV (black light) - and I don't mean the yellow or green hi-liter trick, which looks more Halloween-y. It MIGHT look neat in the bowl fountain if the blacklight tube was placed below, alongside the green up-lights, so it affects only the falling water. Take "tonic water", let it go flat (any carbonation will consolidate in the pump and airlock it) and use it instead; the sulphate of quinine in it will fluoresce bright blue but, when the UV source is off, the water is still clear.

I'll be in LA for one day, in a few weeks, and I'm not sure where to go to get my tiki on. I definitely want to get a mug I can keep, eat something with my booze, and have a good Polynesian cocktail that a more seasoned tiki-phile would really enjoy - no sticky-sweet faux Mai Tais or anything-tinis. Sadly, what with all the chugging around the place I'll be doing (trying to show my very tiki-unknowing parents some stuff in LA, not that I know the area much better than they do) visiting San Pedro, Glendale and a few other areas, I'll have to be selective...

Be immortalized in Tonga Hut History forever!

Tonga Hut will be featuring a Cocktail every Saturday & Sunday(unless noted) from 4-8pm at the Tonga Hut. Come in and fill out your "Tonga Hut Elite" Grog Log entry form. We will keep it at the Tonga Hut behind the bar in a note book and will be keeping count. You may try the "featured" drink that week of course BUT, you may come into the Tonga Hut anytime Sunday-Thursday 4pm-last call and Friday & Saturday 4pm-8pm and try any drink in the Grog Log have it credited to your "Elite" list (some exceptions see entry form for details). There are almost 90 drinks so let's see who gets done first. A Tiki placard will be hung in the bar and on it will be the names of those who have bought and tried every drink in the Grog Log! Be immortalized in Tonga Hut History forever!

Wow! The list is a little intimidating. I've started my journey, though.

With Kelly as my faithful Sherpa, there's no mountain of ice I can't climb.

Thus far, I've had a Mai Tai, Colonel Beach's Plantation Punch, Pieces of Eight, Shark's Tooth, Sidewinder's Fang, Spindrift, Suffering Bastard, and a Tahitian.

Ordered a pizza too, and ate it at the bar! Mama's Pizza, if I remember correctly. Very tasty.

Long live the list!!!

I, like Trader Tom before me, have started the Grog Log challenge at the Tonga Hut last Friday (10/16/09).

Thanks, Kelly for the cocktails and the company for the short time I was at the bar.

Til next time, Cheers!

We are will on our way with the Grog Loggin' for sure!Kirby will have to get us that placard done soon! Tom had the best time by far last Sunday! lol... Yes it was Big Mama's pizza ha.... what fun we had HipHiPaHulA!!

I am bartending Today Sun. Oct. 25 so come on down 4-8pm Happy Hour and lets not enjoy Sun. Football together! Let us enjoy Tiki Cocktails and party instead. Handcrafted Original Tiki Cocktail specials. See you at the Tonga Hut! 12808 Victory Bl. No. Hollywood, Ca.

I am bartending Today Thurs, Sat & Sunday this week. Oct. 29 so come on down 4-8pm Happy Hour Handcrafted Original Tiki Cocktail specials. See you at the Tonga Hut! 12808 Victory Bl. No. Hollywood, Ca.

On 2009-10-29 02:27, Hiphipahula wrote:
I am bartending Today Thurs, Sat & Sunday this week. Oct. 29 so come on down 4-8pm Happy Hour Handcrafted Original Tiki Cocktail specials. See you at the Tonga Hut! 12808 Victory Bl. No. Hollywood, Ca.

GROG thirsty.

[ Edited by: GROG 2009-10-29 10:21 ]

News flash and update !! The Tonga Hut might very well be the most perfect Tiki Bar in the entire world from 4:00-8:00pm Thu, Sat, & Sun. Here's why:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=34336&forum=1&vpost=492914

Hip-Hip-Hooray for Kelly, Jeremy,and Co.
for making the Tonga Hut a great tiki destination!
Up there with Trader Vic's, Don's, and Tiki Ti.
Here's to another 50 years!

Velvets by J. Sallin

[ Edited by: Iokona Ki'i 2009-11-10 13:48 ]

Tonga Hut has never been better since Hiphipahula started tending there! Sherriyaki & I always have a great time with Kelly. Be sure to stop by for some of her own deviously delectable drinks on Saturdays and/or Sundays between 4 and 8pm. You will NOT be disappointed. Oh yeah, don't forget to sign up for the Grog Log list...we've downed 26, so catch us if you can!

Now that I work in Sherman Oaks, I may have to do lunch or happy hour on a regular basis.

The Tonga Hut doesn't provide their tropical drink menu on-line so I took a picture for you. For any of these drinks that are in the Grog Log, you can specifically request they be mixed that way.

Also when Kelly (aka Hipahipahula) is behind the bar, try one of her original concoctions. I gotta tell ya, I'm pretty much a traditionalist when it comes to my beverages. I loves my Manhattans, Gin Martinis, Gimlets; and my Scotch and Bourbon neat. It was that way for the Tropicals too, i.e. Navy Grog, Zombie, Suffering Bastard, etc. I was never really into the Tiki Revival drinks. That changed however after having some of Kelly's new drinks. The Shaka Hula Bossa Nova and Zorroro are probably two of the BEST Tropicals I've ever enjoyed. Also you know how sometimes it's hard to tell the drinks apart at Tiki-Ti. I haven't had that problem yet with Kelly's drinks. The ones that I've had were very distinct.

Here's some extras for you. On the left is Lisa Marie mixing one up Grog Log style. On the right is the Moai (I think that's Yiddish for big head) near the front entrance.

I wanted to get a picture of (owner) Jeremy and Kelly but they took off to eat tacos.

See you at the Tonga Hut !! :)

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-11-23 21:55 ]

Just announced!! Sunday Jan. 17 2010 The Tonga Hut is proud to announce we will
be honoring our first Tikiphiles Tonga Tom and Sherryaki who were first
to complete all cocktails in the "The Grog Log" !!

Please join us at 4:00 pm with cameras in hand as we present them, our first members of the "Loyal Order of the Drooling Bastard" On hand will be our in house Tiki Artist Kirby along with Owner Jeremy presenting Tonga Hut's custom made placard. Thank you Kirby and all our Tonga Hut "Bastards"!

Marty Lush in the Hut to spin all the great sounds of Tiki! Snacks are being served along with great handcrafted cocktail by Hiphipahula! Feel free to bring snacks, cookies
or anything you would like to share.
See you here! Jeremy, Hiphipahula, Lisa-Marie, Kat, Katie,Chad & Trevor

Here's a couple pix Kelly took of Sherriyaki & myself from the earlier days of our Grog Log journey...

Congratulations! Completing the Grog Log is a noble accomplishment.

Sorry I couldn't be there, but I will definitely hoist a mug in your honor Wednesday if you guys are swinging by Kirby's.

The latest addition to the Tonga Hut, unearthed from Svens closet!
Looks like it has been there all along. Great acquisition!
Yay Sven, Amy, Jeremy, Kelly, and Tonga Hut!

Velvets by J. Sallin

[ Edited by: Iokona Ki'i 2010-07-06 15:13 ]

On 2004-01-19 23:11, OceaOtica wrote:
this trip to the Tonga Hut yeilded some photos and information. i asked the bartender, adelle, if she thought taking photos would be okay, to which she promptly replied no. she did, however, call the owner and leave a message asking permission. while waiting for a return answer, i ordered a beer and asked adelle if she could tell me about the bars history. her reply was that she did not know much about it. as she said this she was scanning the bar seats because there was one woman that did; she happened to be sitting next to me. the woman, i would put her in her 70's, indulged my questioning, though it was hard to hear what she had to say. i also never caught her name. she had been going to the bar since 1961.
two brothers had opened the bar in 1958. the place was usually packed and they served exotic tropical drinks in tiki mugs and bowls. from what i could gather, the brothers sold it in the 1990's. one brother moved to hawaii, where he lived out the rest of his life. the other brother remained here and passed away about two years ago. i think she said one of the brother's daughter sold it. it was being run by one of the former bartenders who sold it a few years ago. the current owner has been running it as a locals bar, and has sold it. in fact there was a declaration on the door about the sale. in one month the Tonga Hut will change hands again. i asked if adelle or the woman knew if the new buyers intended to keep it the same, and both ladies seemed to think that was there intent.
at that point adelle asked a guy at the bar about shooting photos, and he said it was alright as long as i did not shoot the patrons. it seemed odd that he could give the permission, but adelle said he was a former bartender and that if he sais it was okay, it was okay.
so here is my attempt to document the Tonga Hut, without being able to shoot any good wide shots of the bar.

7ft moai inside just inside the door

rt side of bar lined with green booths

past booths, alcove area with this rocky surfaced tiki fountain

palm leaf


behind the bar, four level fountain that started from ceiling, unfortunately no longer running, spotted omc bowl to the right of cash register

this lined the top of the bar, much more impressive in person, this rim was circular and wavy, not rectangular

behind the bar, there are many old statues and tikis

this carving was on the door to the stock room
as i left, adelle asked me if next time i was going to order the "fufu" drinks. i told her i would be back for one. i definitely want to find out more, get the names, and talk to the old bartender.

[ Edited by: tikitanked on 2004-01-19 23:24 ]

That beautiful, wonderful, soft spoken woman, beloved woman was "Dottie" Dorothy Raub, she remained our most loyal customer of 50 years until her death this year Feb. 1 2010 of a stroke. Dottie was 87 years young. Please take the time to know more about her here: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35387&forum=6&hilite=Dottie%20raub
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35387&forum=6&hilite=Dottie%20raub
7.12.10 hiphipkjr

On 2010-07-12 13:16, tonga hut wrote:

On 2004-01-19 23:11, OceaOtica wrote:
this trip to the Tonga Hut yeilded some photos and information. i asked the bartender, adelle, if she thought taking photos would be okay, to which she promptly replied no. she did, however, call the owner and leave a message asking permission. while waiting for a return answer, i ordered a beer and asked adelle if she could tell me about the bars history. her reply was that she did not know much about it. as she said this she was scanning the bar seats because there was one woman that did; she happened to be sitting next to me. the woman, i would put her in her 70's, indulged my questioning, though it was hard to hear what she had to say. i also never caught her name. she had been going to the bar since 1961.
two brothers had opened the bar in 1958. the place was usually packed and they served exotic tropical drinks in tiki mugs and bowls. from what i could gather, the brothers sold it in the 1990's. one brother moved to hawaii, where he lived out the rest of his life. the other brother remained here and passed away about two years ago. i think she said one of the brother's daughter sold it. it was being run by one of the former bartenders who sold it a few years ago. the current owner has been running it as a locals bar, and has sold it. in fact there was a declaration on the door about the sale. in one month the Tonga Hut will change hands again. i asked if adelle or the woman knew if the new buyers intended to keep it the same, and both ladies seemed to think that was there intent.
at that point adelle asked a guy at the bar about shooting photos, and he said it was alright as long as i did not shoot the patrons. it seemed odd that he could give the permission, but adelle said he was a former bartender and that if he sais it was okay, it was okay.
so here is my attempt to document the Tonga Hut, without being able to shoot any good wide shots of the bar.

7ft moai inside just inside the door

rt side of bar lined with green booths

past booths, alcove area with this rocky surfaced tiki fountain

palm leaf


behind the bar, four level fountain that started from ceiling, unfortunately no longer running, spotted omc bowl to the right of cash register

this lined the top of the bar, much more impressive in person, this rim was circular and wavy, not rectangular

behind the bar, there are many old statues and tikis

this carving was on the door to the stock room
as i left, adelle asked me if next time i was going to order the "fufu" drinks. i told her i would be back for one. i definitely want to find out more, get the names, and talk to the old bartender.

[ Edited by: tikitanked on 2004-01-19 23:24 ]

That beautiful, wonderful, soft spoken woman, beloved woman was "Dottie" Dorothy Raub, she remained our most loyal customer of 50 years until her death this year Feb. 1 2010 of a stroke. Dottie was 87 years young. Please take the time to know more about her here: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35387&forum=6&hilite=Dottie%20raub
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35387&forum=6&hilite=Dottie%20raub
7.12.10 hiphipkjr

Tonga hut's new web site is up! Very tasty if I do say so myself (evil grin)!!!

oh, its at http://www.tongahut.com

[ Edited by: Marty Lush 2010-08-04 10:04 ]

Nice looking website.

Great job Mark! Nice photos Tom!
Tonga Hut keeps getting better and better!
Here is to another 50 years!

Some of the pictures are missing from the recent posts.
Anyways, just got back from Tonga Hut. Liz made a few awesome drinks for us like the short Zombie ( a smaller version) and the Mai tai. What a great bar it has all the elements of a great old tiki bar from the 50's and at the same time the locals (without the Hawaiian shirts) are still using it. I just love being there on a regular day early in the afternoon with all the locals like I have done for the last 20 years.

I agree the website looks really good! I need a drink now.

Finally went to Tonga Hut for the first time last night. Great place, Excellent drinks. Exotica music playing. Free snacks. Wish I lived nearby.

Found this:

Tonga Hut featured in The First Major Motion Picture Made For The Internet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMwH4TUDwZU&feature=related

enjoy!

That's cool Jason, I know quite a productions have been shot at the Hut but somehow I never see them. I love the scripting, "What are they drinking" and she answers, "a Tonga Lei and a Zombie" that's great. Thanks for posting it.

Needless to say they were drinking them in two of my favorite tiki mugs.

Yea ! Carla Gugino in the Tonga Hut....AWESOME !

I stopped in last month ....and WOW!
love the place, drinks exceeded expectations and will make a habbit of this great bar whenever I am in the area!
thank you to the staff,regulars and owner for unlocking the door here!

I forgot I had this old picture from Tonga Hut that needs to go here.