Aloha Cafe, Tijuana, Mexico (bar)

Name:Aloha Cafe
Type:bar
Street:
City:Tijuana
State:
Zip:
country:Mexico
Phone:
Status:unknown

Description:

On 2009-01-21 17:29, Dustycajun wrote:
Zeta,
Here is a matchbook from the Aloha Cafe you might like. I also have a postcard menu from this place.

DC

Zeta,

Here is the postcard menu I have from the Aloha Cafe.

The cover.

The drink menu pages.

DC

Zeta,

The original design was so popular it inspired a modern reproduction postcard:

And a shirt:

DC

Regarding the status of this place, I've often wondered if it's location was where the current Club Aloha on Avendida Revolucion. Club Aloha is a very low-end strip club. From the outside, it looks like it's been there for a long, long time.

It seems as though the Aloha had a sister restaurant located in Rosarito called the Beachcomber. I picked up and old drink menu from the Beachcomber.

Nice drink selection from south of the border.

The back of the menu has the same image as the Aloha menu. Unfortunately the information above the image was gone from the glue that held the menu to a scrapbook, so hard to tell the relationship between the two.

DC

Aloha Bar burns down on Tijuana's Avenida Revolucion

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/23/avenida-revolucions-aloha-bar-burned-down/#

Arriano,

Thanks for that news article, the Aloha is now gone. And it was located right next to the Drug Depot!

Interesting read in the article about the music scene at the Aloha in the 1960's. I found a photo online showing a young 60's rock band on a bamboo stage with a Hawaiian wall mural at the Aloha from Jose Molina's web-page.

DC

A metaphor for life! ... And Late-late-post-modern times...

From Friendly neighbor poncho and sombrero store to Aloha to Rock club to strip club to hell...

I should change it's status to defunct... But I don't think anybody care anyway... Somethings are better of dead.
I don't know much about the place, don't have any items either... it was closer to you Californians than me in Mexico City!

Thanks for sharing amigos! Dustycajun, Special thanks to you. Tiki detective.

I was in T.J. this past weekend picking up some Havana Club, and snapped this shot of the now shuttered Aloha.

I recently acquired this souvenir photo holder from the Aloha Cafe.

This seems to have been the inspiration for the retro postcard that you can buy.

The photo, dated May, 1948 does provide much detail on the inside of the cafe.

Also spotted this nice ashtray on flickr.

DC

Another souvenir photo from the Aloha Cafe:

Note the Chinese gong in the background and what appears to be some carved wooden pole.

"I am Lono!" -- Hale Ka'a Tiki Lounge

[ Edited by: arriano 2011-06-26 14:40 ]

Found these images online today as well. Apparently it was the wrapper around a "Modern Dictionary" - I'd be interested in knowing what the book included.

"I am Lono!" -- Hale Ka'a Tiki Lounge

[ Edited by: arriano 2011-06-26 14:44 ]

This photo, identified as the Aloha Cafe -- Tijuana, Old Mexico, circa early 1950s, was part of a Flickr photo series entitled "Remembering Grandpa Johnnie" by apanoply...

And from part of a San Diego Union-Tribune article dated November 11, 1998: "Federal Judge Howard Turrentine, one of the donkey riders, sent the snapshot to me last year with a note explaining that the three crack Navy intelligence officers were in Tijuana in 1942 on a top-secret investigation of the Aloha Cafe or some other business -- 'probably where the beer was coldest.' "

-Tom

I am the proud owner of a complete Aloha Cafe Modern Dictionary. The definitions are a bit politically incorrect by today's standards.

On 2011-08-13 05:40, uncle trav wrote:
I am the proud owner of a complete Aloha Cafe Modern Dictionary. The definitions are a bit politically incorrect by today's standards.

That doesn't mean we don't want to see them.

Here are the definitions from the book.

On 2011-08-13 05:40, uncle trav wrote:
I am the proud owner of a complete Aloha Cafe Modern Dictionary. The definitions are a bit politically incorrect by today's standards.

Ha! Not only by today's, but by yesterday's standards, too, I would think. But that is exactly what Americans went to Tijuana for! Nightlife was much less subtle there.

I found this cocktail napkin recently among a few others from some old bars in the San Diego area. The Aloha Cafe napkin was the only one in really great shape!

[ Edited by: A frame 2011-10-20 09:52 ]

A-Frame,

Very nice napkin, in perfect shape after 60 - 70 years.

Trav,

That dick-tionary is too much!

DC

Just got a very old matchbook from the Aloha Cafe with a different logo Hula girl.

Open all night! And I like the Ti Juana font style.

DC

Here are a couple 1949 shots I found while researching the Aloha Cafe:

Wow, looks great. I continue to covet the Aloha letters that remain on the facade.