Tiki Central / Locating Tiki
Tiki No, North Hollywood, CA (bar)
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thejab
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Wed, Nov 3, 2010 3:28 PM
Sabu, good sign archeology! Looking forward to visiting on my next trip south. |
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telescopes
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Wed, Nov 3, 2010 4:12 PM
Only in LA is 5 miles considered pretty far apart in terms of distance between tiki bars. Seriously? |
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MrFab
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Wed, Nov 3, 2010 10:47 PM
Ha, was just reassuring the disgruntled ones who can't believe that North Hollywood now has two tiki bars that it's not like we're Tiki Row, with bars on every corner. Not yet, at least. Maybe one day... |
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christiki295
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Thu, Nov 4, 2010 3:20 PM
Opening night is tonight. |
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Murph
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Thu, Nov 4, 2010 3:43 PM
I'm heading over after work at 8pm, anyone else going? |
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mattesq
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Fri, Nov 19, 2010 9:30 AM
Checked the place out last night and was very impressed. The drinks definitely need some work, but this is a beautiful bar with a high tiki factor. The music was mostly reggae with some 70s and 80s pop hits thrown in, which is not ideal, but did not bother me. We were there around 7 so they may kick it up a notch later in the night. I would recommend staying away from the Scorpion bowl and most of the other drinks were too sweet, but they were better than most and the $5 Mai Tai was good enough that I'll definitely be back. The bar was pretty empty so get out there and support your local tiki bar! During happy hour from 4-7 all of the drinks are $5. [ Edited by: mattesq 2010-11-19 10:04 ] |
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net-tiki
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Sat, Nov 20, 2010 2:08 AM
This was a review I posted on yelp about Tiki No, but the deleted it. I guess my review was to negative, but that's how I felt when I was there last weekend. I will try Tiki No again later to see if the music improves and the drinks too. Here is the review; First, the interior is awesome, Bamboo Ben is the master of all things bamboo. The drinks are good, but expensive for what you get. Second, the bar gets overtaken by nasty a$$ cigarette smoke. The idea was there for the outdoor smoking area but the smoke was just taking over the bar. I think I lost about 10 years of my life from just a couple of hours there. Okay finally now for the music, maybe music is not describing what i heard. What I was hearing sounded like someone was trying to kill a Yak by choking it to death. Please God almighty I would have rather listened to Nsync or Brittney Spears than what this DJ was playing. I feel better now that my review can live on the internet without censorship. What is weird about the horrible music part, is a little after Grog showed up the music improved a bit. Everybody keeps talking about no good bars in the noho and I am always amazed that they have not heard of Tonga Hut, which is my favorite local tiki spot. [ Edited by: net-tiki 2010-11-20 02:12 ] |
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bigbrotiki
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Sat, Nov 20, 2010 9:06 AM
I think the Tiki No does have to cast a wider net than the Tiki scene to survive. I am not saying I like the music there, but it is what it is. And not to criticize the above critique, please, but I just wanna take this opportunity to express my happy ignorance and wonderment at the smoking ban in bars. I never smoked in my life, (only puffed a cigar or pipe here and there), but grew up in Europe til I was 25. You can get into clubs there once you are 18, and that's what you do - you go out all night long til 5:00 am. Back then I could CUT the smoke with a knife wherever I went. It never bothered me one bit. It was just part of going out. I believe it is part of social life at night. This whole anti-smoking mania baffles me. I applaud the Rum Trader in Berlin who won a court case in Germany to let people smoke at owner-operated bars. And I feel healthy and happy, lung-wise, even after being raised in second hand smoke. It might kill me later, but so will lotsa other things. This is just one man's ignorant view please, no rebuttal or any such thing, just my take on the non-smoking crusade phenomenon. :) |
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Pittsburgh pauly
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Sun, Nov 21, 2010 10:34 AM
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WooHooWahine
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Sun, Nov 21, 2010 1:11 PM
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1961surf
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Mon, Nov 22, 2010 11:00 PM
Anyone ever find out if the tiki sign is a re-creation or the actual Islander sign |
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abstractiki
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Tue, Nov 23, 2010 9:24 PM
Would a local TC Agent please ask the owners about the history of this sign. Did they pick it up at a yard sale, did they have it specially made? Do they know it looks just like the famous Grimes Islander Sign? I don't think it is the one from Grimes but it certainly looks the same. Tipsy McStagger made a great replica of the Grimes Islander sign a few years ago. http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=23967&forum=18&start=0 |
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tobunga
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Wed, Nov 24, 2010 2:57 PM
Joe Banks, Manuel and I were discussing the sign wile sitting at the bar recently and the bartender said it is a new sign. I got the impression that they knew of the original... although I'm a little fuzzy on that bit... I had already had a 'Sup (their tasty painkiller) and a Blue Hawaiian. at that point. |
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bigbrotiki
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Wed, Nov 24, 2010 5:52 PM
Yah yah, the bane of Tiki archeology research: Cocktail-induced memory loss! The antidote: You have to drink exactly what you were imbibing when you were engaged in the research, re-live the situation! |
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JOHN-O
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Fri, Nov 26, 2010 3:47 PM
Here's my thoughts from my Zombie thread... http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37580&forum=1&vpost=566604 |
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Bora Boris
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Tue, Dec 21, 2010 6:50 PM
Nice Tiki No write up today from Urbandaddy.com Just Say No When a covert tiki bar comes along promising hazy nights of bamboo, flaming rum and the occasional DJ stint by Elijah Wood, you don’t want flowery prose. You want cold, hard, rummy facts. And so we present the quietly launched Tiki No, by the numbers... Flaming tiki torches outside serving as beacons of rum: 4 |
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Dustycajun
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Fri, Jan 7, 2011 10:25 AM
Tiki No got a nice write up in today's LA times. [ Edited by: Bora Boris - Adjusted Link - 2011-01-07 18:52 ] |
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bigbrotiki
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Fri, Jan 7, 2011 11:34 AM
I think I'm going back to reading print media. :wink: |
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bigtikidude
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Sun, Jan 9, 2011 5:00 PM
why do you say that Sven? JP showed me the article in the paper, but I didn't have time to read it. Did they change or take out some of the stuff you said in the interview? I want to see the place, Jeff(btd) |
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bigtikidude
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Tue, Jan 11, 2011 10:12 AM
bump, Jeff(btd) |
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bigbrotiki
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Tue, Jan 11, 2011 1:25 PM
Sorry, didn't see the question. This was a joke, a direct reaction to Tiki Central crashing! Basically saying that I was very happy with the way the article was written: No mis-quotes, getting the basic facts straight, and objective. |
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bigtikidude
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Wed, Jan 12, 2011 11:29 AM
ok, thanks for the clarification Sven, p.s. do you still use your AOL email? |
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tobunga
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Wed, Jan 12, 2011 4:35 PM
Oh, I like that reasoning! |
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tobunga
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Wed, Jan 12, 2011 4:44 PM
Hey Jeff! Some of the drinks are awesome, other not so much. The best drinks are the Sup (a delicious painkiller), Blue Hawaiian, and Catnip. People also like the All Black, but it's a wee bit too blackstrappy for my taste... but it's also STRONG! (And during happy hour, it, like every drink, is 5 bucks!) The mai tai is not so great... it's based on a 1944 recipe, but it's not very mai-taish. Too bad, it's always 5 bucks. And the Scorpion bowl tastes, as Kelly put it, like orange juice and rum... which is too bad, since I like driking things on fire. Check it out, I'm sure you won't be disappointed! |
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hiltiki
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Wed, Jan 12, 2011 9:19 PM
Just got back from Tiki No, I tried the Sup my husband tried the Mai-tai but asked for Bourbon instead of rum they were both good. The music was good, they were playing a variety of 60's to 80's music. The old TV was showing surfing movies and hula girls dancing. Bartender was very nice and accommodating she was wearing a Hawaiian print dress and the place was pretty full. I will definitely go back. I liked the decorations and the feel of the place, it is new but done well. |
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bigtikidude
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Wed, Jan 12, 2011 10:25 PM
I will check it out, Jeff(btd) |
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telescopes
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Sun, Jan 23, 2011 10:02 AM
Nor mine - however, last night I made the journey from Palm Desert/Palm Springs to finally check this place out. Considering I would be gone most of the day, needed to insure I would have a quality drink. That meant Tiki-Ti as a first stop. After a Ray's Mistake (it was a bit sweet this time) and a 151 Rum Swizzle - I punched up my GPS and headed off for what was a fairly quick jump to Tiki No. But who knew - they don't open until 6 PM on a Saturday. So, after another quick jump I arrived at Tonga Hut (that was suppose to be my last stop) and had a Mai Tai and a Kelly Custom drink from Hiphipahula. They were both good - but no cigar - this was to be saved for Tiki No in the smoking area. Finally, I made the jump to Tiki No. The pictures on this thread are accurate. The comments placed by others are accurate. I loved the place. And, I am glad I first went to Tiki Ti.. I spoke with a tall pretty bartender with brunette hair and asked her what she thought about measured pours. She told me at first she hated it but is adjusting. She found the process to be to time consuming. I asked her if she had been to Tiki Ti yet and she said she had not. She did indicate that she wanted to go. Personally, I think there should be a rule that any bartender working a tiki bar in LA should go to the Ti at least several times to learn why you need to use the correct rums and get the pours correct. I will say this. Both Tonga Hut and the No both made great attempts to get it right. But you can't make your Mai Tai using Cruzan rums and then call them Trader Vic Mai Tais. The taste is simply way off. Martin Cate gets it right because he understands that what goes into the drink is just as if not more important than the thatch or trappings of the decor. Regardless, I will go back to Tiki No. I appreciate their efforts and I am sure that in time they will get it better. They are going to have to if they want to stay open. In closing, I think this is why Don the Beachcombers is so wonderful. The atmosphere and the quality of the drinks go hand in hand. Southern California - who knew we would see such a revival. Now, can you do something for Palm Springs - Lets not allow the reefer bar to go up in smoke - Rx it quickly. |
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Joe Banks
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Sun, Jan 23, 2011 10:28 AM
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bigtikidude
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Mon, Jan 24, 2011 10:52 AM
thank you for your Honest Opinions Telescopes. Jeff(btd) |
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Hiphipahula
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Mon, Jan 24, 2011 3:07 PM
Telescopes, you need to need to clean your lenses (and your taste buds) because your way off in your last post about Tonga Hut. You lump Tonga Hut together with Tiki No and say they “both made great attempts to get it right.” You complain about their use of Cruzan rums. This, after having a Kelly Hiphipahula Reilly premium Mai Tai made Beachbum Berry’s way with Appleton 12-Year Extra Dark and Rhum Clement VSOP! When a bartender talks to you for an hour and gives you a premium Mai Tai for $5 (not the usual $9-$12) at least you can say thank you. Indeed, Tonga Hut was holding a special on $5 Mai Tais the Trader Vic's old way, made with Cruzan Light and Coruba Dark. However, this was NOT what you had Saturday. You were given a special drink after having revealed you drove all the way out from Palm Springs. The fact you can’t tell the difference should be enough to invalidate any more critiques you might be tempted to make. Just to be thorough, the other custom drink you had at Tonga Hut was my, Shaka Hula Bossa Nova, it DID have Cruzan 151 blend with Lemon Hart 151… but it also had and Appleton 12-Year Extra Dark and two more rums that equal or excel the quality of the rums mentioned. Hardly bottom shelf rums. You seemed to enjoy both drinks and finished them completely. To be a thorough critic, Telescopes, you need to be accurate. If you think I’m being sensitive, just remember that not all of us are tourists from Palm Springs. Some of us make a living at this. If anyone wants to know about the quality of Tonga Hut's drinks, the best way to make a judgement is to come in and try them. Living vicariously through other people's reviews is a sad way to go through life and that's not blowing smoke.
Tonga Hut Since 1958 [ Edited by: Hiphipahula 2011-01-24 17:18 ] |
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bigtikidude
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Mon, Jan 24, 2011 3:55 PM
Kelly I was referring to his review of Tiki No. Chill out. |
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Hiphipahula
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Mon, Jan 24, 2011 4:04 PM
Your apology is excepted Jeff. |
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telescopes
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Mon, Jan 24, 2011 9:37 PM
Kelly, I truly enjoyed spending time talking with you and drinking your wonderful drinks. The purpose of my review was not to upset you - I certainly intend to visit the Tonga Hut again - but rather to give an honest review of Tiki No. The Tonga Hut's drink quality has improved greatly since I first visited in the beginning of 2007. But, to keep things in context, my visit that night ended up including three bars, Tiki Ti, Tonga Hut, and Tiki No. I did bring smokes for Tiki No, you can't do that at the Hut - so the metaphor of smoke was appropriate. You have brought much to the quality of the Tonga Hut. No one disputes that. In fact, I timed my visit to make sure you would be working that night so as to have one of your drinks. And that isn't blowing smoke up your ass - metaphorically speaking, it's true. But ultimately, my quest is to find drinks that consistently reach the quality of Tiki Ti, Forbidden Island, and Smuggler's Cove. I've been doing this Tiki thing since 1983 and I am still on my quest. My opinion, for what it is worth, is just that. The fact that I thought the Ray's Mistake was a bit sweeter than normal should have heated up the boards with loads of criticisms. Your Mai Tai was decent. However, something was off. Maybe it was the orange liquor or maybe the orgeat, but it was still good. I've had Mai Tai's at Trader Vics that were far less and had to be remade. Now I've said more about the Tonga Hut than I wanted to. It's a great place and it's trying hard to be at the top. I salute you and the Tonga Hut. |
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leleliz
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Sat, Jan 29, 2011 5:14 PM
I am checking this place out tonight...if you live near come by and say hello! |
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Joe Banks
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Sun, Jan 30, 2011 4:09 PM
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leleliz
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Wed, Feb 2, 2011 11:54 AM
If I lived in SoCal this would be the one bar that I would hit nightly...ok well maybe every other night...because I loved it so much. Not only is the decor beautiful, the bar stools comfortable, the flaming torches outside completely cool, the patrons a friendly bunch of tiki and non-tiki lovers alike but the drinks (all 4 different ones I tried) were awesome and Josh the bar manager was the male version of Suzanne from my beloved Forbidden Island. Joe Banks' photos can't even do this place justice as awesome as THOSE are. I was immediately impressed and got the same vibe of escapism I do everytime I head to Alameda. I had the Catnip, Blue Hawaiian, Sup and tasted the All Black. Then for good measure I did another Sup and Blue Hawaiian (that may have been the reason I was feeling so rough the next day come to think of it...) and each cocktail was tasty and well balanced. The All Black was taken off the menu but Josh whipped one together anyways with hardly any hesitation. Our drinks were quick to reach us and both Josh and the female bartender whose name I do not recall were not only attentive to our rather large party but to everyone else who was waiting to be served. Their drink menu is not super extensive but I am sure as the bar matures that will increase as well. All I know is that Blue Hawaiian was hands down the best I have ever had. God bless them. Looking around I would say 99% of the patrons were drinking tiki drinks and there was only a beer bottle or two to be seen in hand. I like that. I like that you can get all different types of people in a tiki bar drinking tiki drinks that are well made and everyone is enjoying themselves and their beverage(s). My only complaints were :
As for the concerns over the music...umm they were playing Frank Sinatra. and Exotica. Tiki No is a must stop for anyone heading to SoCal and if you live down there and have not been what are you waiting for. Maybe they will open Tiki No II up here and then between that and FI I will have Tiki Heaven! |
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michelerundgren
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Wed, Feb 23, 2011 5:11 PM
I'm going to check out Tiki No tonight....for the very first time Tiki Ti is later on tonight. More suggestions? Mahalo! |
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congawa
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Sun, Mar 6, 2011 12:15 PM
Friday night (after seeing Bakersfield legend Red Simpson at Viva Cantina in Burbank) I dropped by Tiki No for the first time. I was blown away by the decor--I had a Mai Tai, which was definitely no competition for the drinks Kelly makes at the Tonga Hut nearby. When I walked inside (about 11pm), the bar was packed, and a DJ was playing modern rock/electronica. I believe I was the only person in the bar not in their twenties (or maybe early thirties), which bodes well for the survival of the bar in the near term at least. It appears to be a gathering place for the young hip NoHo folks, which seems to be where they were going with this. Of course, the music prevented any chance of a Tiki vibe, outside of the decor (I see somebody was complaining about them playing Sinatra on an earlier visit--that would have been fine with me, as my recollections of original tiki restaurants in the late 60s/early 70s were that adult popular music was frequently played on the sound system, as was hapa haole, whereas exotica less frequently was). As I seem to get up to the Valley too infrequently as it is, this probably will be my only visit to Tiki No (this was intended as a quick post-Red Simpson gig nightcap, before heading home). Being in Long Beach and working in OC, my plans to get to the Tonga Hut Sunday gatherings usually fizzle, but having now seen and experienced Tiki No, Tonga Hut will remain my tiki bar destination when I'm in the area. Caltiki Brent |
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leleliz
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Sun, Mar 6, 2011 1:11 PM
Brent I was the one who mentioned Frank Sinatra and by no means was that a complaint against the music! I hope all the 20 somethings keep their dollars flowing into Tiki No so when I come back down (and get there when it opens during happy hour) my Blue Hawaiians will be waiting for me. |
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JOHN-O
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Mon, Mar 14, 2011 4:38 PM
FYI, here's a great Mid-century Italian restaurant that Mr. J and I scouted out just down the street... http://www.yelp.com/biz/little-tonis-north-hollywood It's a good combo to go with a Tiki No visit. And as usual, Tiki No continues to be consistently generous if you identify yourself as Tiki Central. :) |
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Jungle Ginger
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Mon, Mar 14, 2011 9:40 PM
ATP and I stopped into the Tiki No with Doug Horne to meet up with John-O and Mr. J before the Mayflower show and check it out. The interior is gorgeous (nice work Ben!)with dark romantic booths and great ambiance. We have to thank our bartender Josh for giving us a big Tiki Central welcome. The Blue Hawaiian, Scorpions and Mai Tai's were deelish! Thanks again for making us feel so welcome. We will be back. :) [ Edited by: Jungle Ginger 2011-03-14 22:09 ] |
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arriano
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Tue, Mar 15, 2011 8:49 AM
Tiki No isn't the easiest place to get into. Two weekends ago I was in LA and stopped by around 2 pm on a Sunday. Closed, but no regular hours posted, just the happy hours Mon-Fri, 4-7. So we went to Trader Vic's instead. Later I look Tiki No up online and find a listing that shows it's open daily from 5 pm til 2 am. So last Sunday I was again in LA and we stopped by at 5:10 pm. Closed. So we went to Tonga Hut instead. While I'm getting a nice tour of LA tiki bars, I'd like to some day go to Tiki No if I ever find it open. |
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Joe Banks
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Tue, Mar 15, 2011 9:35 AM
They open at 4pm on weekdays....6pm on weekends. |
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arriano
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Mon, Apr 18, 2011 8:53 AM
A belated thank you to Joe. We went to Tiki No on Saturday night and had a great time. Very cool place, and excellent drinks. The Aloha Fridays food truck out front was an added bonus! Great teriaki chicken and shrimp plates. |
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christiki295
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Wed, Apr 20, 2011 1:18 PM
Nice urban archeology! |
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TIKIVILLE
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Sun, May 1, 2011 3:29 PM
I stopped by this place for a fill up of rum , had a Blue Hawaiian and it was just ok, my date had a a simple margarita(?) and she couldn't drink it so I tried it and yes it was confirmed this was the most awfull thing ever, dont know what it was that went wrong but it definatly went wrong ! lol |
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christiki295
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Sat, Feb 2, 2013 8:21 AM
Tiki No now opens at 5 pm daily, with Happy Hour 5-7 daily. |
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christiki295
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Sat, Feb 2, 2013 8:24 AM
The decor is spectacular, and it glows with the illumination from the Puffer-fish floats. |