Check out this postcard of Kona Hawaii in Santa Ana (sadly closed):
http://www.santaanahistory.com/postcards/14031054.jpg

Kono Hawaii was a great place. My wife, Madam Bong, saw Don Ho and the Ali'is there in the early 70's. The photo for this postcard was obviously taken decades ago as the Kono was on Harbor Blvd which is a major street now.

I'm pretty sure the building is still there but vacant. If those walls could talk, they'd cry...

A thing of tiki is a joy forever

[ Edited by: Tiki_Bong on 2002-08-22 18:15 ]

It's funny, but I just got done reading "Santa Ana in vintage postcards", and was searching for Kono Hawaii here.

What a cool place! The book says;
"This restaraunt, located at 226 S. harbor, was well known for it's entertainment (Don Ho performed there) and indoor streams populated by Koi"

My kind of place!

And that's the same picture in the book....nice!

Lucas,
so close to us now, but so far away in time eh?
sadly I never went there when I was a wee lad, and when I moved back in 81 it was closed, with a fence around it.
I dont think the building is there now.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

I went there with my family a lot when I was a kid. I liked it. About three months ago I went searching for any part of it to still be there and it;s either a new church or a used car lot. The actual street address *226 S. Harbor Blvd. * no longer exists.

Here are some pictures of the color postcard from Kono Hawaii

I like the Luau Shack for cocktails.

Here is a close up of the original sign.

This is the back of the card

Good times, good times.

Ah yes, I remember Kono Hawaii in Santa Ana--went there once or twice to dine with the family as a kid, although until now I don't think I realized it was "Kono" instead of "Kona."

Arthur Lyman also played there in the Seventies. In the mid-Eighties, for a short while just before it closed they started booking "adult-oriented" rock acts (always the sign a place is about to close), the kind of people who would play the Golden Bear in HB, and I seem to remember people like David Crosby playing there then.

for a short while just before it closed they started booking "adult-oriented" rock acts (always the sign a place is about to close),

Ain't that the truth!
Thats what they were doing at Sam's seafood before it got cool and became Kona, (with Tikiphile owners and managers)! I would say it got rescued! First comes the Jimmy Buffet and Cat Stevens, next comes the wreckingball followed by check cashing or starbucks!