The Bahooka is closing their doors March 10th

Trip report.

They're doing red cups for single drinks. So the clear choice is do the bowl. It's still in the pretzel bowl, but far more classier than red cups, and flaming.

Went through 8 bowls of booze. The wait was around 2 1/2 hours for a group of 8 getting there at 7. They were really cool about it and it died down as the night progressed.

Shirts $40.
Tiki party papers far too much.

My advice for anyone going. Enjoy the bar while you wait. They don't do food there anymore, but it's great to get your drink on. Paper menus only now.

I'm gonna miss this place.

To clarify: they don't do food at the aquarium bar anymore.

The wait is a funny thing: Another friend went for a dinner date yesterday eve, on a Friday night, mind you, and he said he got seated with in 10 minutes. I think the word got around that there is a 2 hour+ wait and people are staying away....at least, apparently, last night they did :)

This weekend it's gonna be swamped for sure, it is primarily a family place, and whole tribes are gonna descend on it

Here is the front and back of the ORIGINAL 1967 Bahooka menu:

I will start a Bahooka memorial photo thread, in this one no one apparently owns a camera :)

It seems that small parties are easy to get turned over. My party of 11 had to wait a while, though it was alright since for the majority of that time we just polished off bowl after bowl at the bar area.

It got an ebb and flow of people. Going from an empty bar top for a good ten minute stretch to just being swarmed. Ended up in the party room and I can't say a thing bad about the experience. It was really a reminder of how this place may not be fancy pants tiki, it's still one hell of a night of experience that will be missed greatly.

Growing up in West Covina, the Bahooka was our family's go to spot for dinner. In 1980, that all changed, but we would still drive to Rosemead for special occasions. The Bahooka has been a special place for me for over 40 years, giving me times I will always cherish. Here's to you Bahooka, you will always live on in our memories.

Now, on a side note: My friend and I went to the Bahooka Friday afternoon (3-1-13). Everything I was read on Bahooka's Facebook page stated 2-4 p.m. was the best time to go. As we walked in, there were a few people waiting to be seated. It was not overly crowded and we went to place our names. We were told 45 minutes to an hour wait. There was a table set up selling items from the restaurant and t-shirts. I did happen to notice the price on the t-shirts was $40.00. I questioned the man working the table about the price as they have listed $30.00 for t-shirts on their Facebook page. He did not choose to answer my question. While waiting, I walked around taking some photos and I noticed a lot of empty tables throughout the restaurant. It made me wonder, with all these empty seats, why was the wait as long as it was? (Over an hour). I am a little sad because everything I read says they are not closing because of money issues, but yet they sure seem to be trying to get top dollar for what they are selling off.

Um, just because they have space to seat you, doesn't mean they have the wait staff or the kitchen crew to handle you at a table.

Having been there twice since word got out, they have been slammed during the peak hours. I don't fault them for squeezing as much money out of whatever they can. Always the option to not buy it. Then again, it's either them selling it at that price or an ebay seller charging twice the amount.

Maybe I'm just upset cause I never got the nautical mug.

The reason for the wait is not space or tables (there NEVER was a lack of that at Bahooka's :) ), it's lack of staff. They are not hiring extra staff for the onslaught, and they want to guarantee you get your service and your meal prepared in a regular timely manner.

But they do seem a bit burned out, like they are dwindling down. Joe and Nicole Desmond were visiting from New York just to see the place, and I recommended the ribs, for size and for falling of the bone, and what came looked like a pile of left overs, it was embarrassing. Obviously those weren't the last ribs ever served, but they might have ran out temporarily, or the main cook needed a break, or whatever.

All I am saying is it'll be a lucky number game when you get there in terms of wait time and food. I had the greatest meal with that NPR reporter there just a couple of days earlier.

Speaking of NPR...here's a link to the show. Click 'listen now'.

http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2013/03/01/30728/vintage-los-angeles-the-closing-of-bahooka-tiki-re/#comments

@ bigbrotiki, I was there friday at the same time you were. My friend had also ordered the ribs. I ordered the sandwich and rib combo. Mine was very good with two good size ribs. Hers was a pile of rib pieces but still had good flavor. The wait staff was in a good mood and semed happy to be serving us. With this said, we will still be back at leest once more before they close their doors for good.

Yes, go people go while you can.

And that link above...Who's Allison Martino ?

Well, public radio has been all over the closing story, the other day there also was an Off Ramp segment where John Rabe talked to Chris Nichols about it, Chris being the driving force of the LA Conservancy's Modern Committee and LA Magazine blogger about rare architecture in LA.

MY interview was for "The Dinner Party Download" and airs on KPCC at 3:00 p.m today (just posted this in the Bahooka Memorial thread):

http://www.scpr.org/programs/dinner-party-download/

(for 6 minutes only, between minutes 33:00 to 39:00

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2013-03-03 21:14 ]

Alison Martino is a fan of vintage LA Polynesian restaurants and vintage LA. She has posted quite a few pics of old tiki palaces on her Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. According to her webpage http://vintagelosangeles.net/ she produces TV shows and documentaries on vintage Hollywood and Los Angeles.

-Lori

[ Edited by: tikilongbeach 2013-03-03 11:32 ]

Withdrawn for being too catty :D

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2013-03-03 21:14 ]

Bahooka just posted on Facebook that they will be closed until lunch on Thursday.

Drat!

They changed it again. Now they're going to be closed just on Wednesday.

lol, I can't keep up

Went yesterday because it might be the last time I have the chance to go. Decided to leave LA at 10:30 even though Bahooka doesn't open til noon. That was a good plan as it turned out.

This was the line that stretched around the other side of the building by 11:45. We were like the 5th or 6th group in the front. They opened at 12 and we got seated in just a few minutes. The staff was great and they were really busy but we got everything that we needed and we were in no hurry anyway.
Grabbed a Bahooka Bowl.

Then we ordered our food.

I thought that the fish would be a fitting last meal...

Ruffus didn't enjoy my humor.

Please make sure that you make it there if you can in the last week they are open. It was good to show up an hour before they open to avoid any wait time. But it is worth the wait. You will regret not going, so go and enjoy yourself. They are selling the shirts for $40, but where are you going to get one next week? It was well worth the trip from San Diego. Just get in your car and drive there...

Where To Find Tiki Drinks and Decor in L.A. Now That Bahooka Is Closing

http://losangeles.grubstreet.com/2013/03/tiki-restaurants-bars-los-angeles-guide.html

With the news that Rosemead's 45-year-old Tiki shrine Bahooka Family Restaurant is set to close this Sunday, we again have to face the fact that the region's once robust scene of kitschy Polynesian-style drinking and dining is at risk of disappearing. So where are you going to go to find wooden masks, split bamboo trim, jovial wastrels in Hawaiian shirts and leis, and tropical drinks now? Take a look in our guide to the few good Tiki bars still left in L.A.

Click the link to read more...

Stopped by for a late lunch yesterday and had a great time as always. Some of the "stuff" is already gone from the place. They are selling some cool tiki pendants that say "Goodbye Bahooka - 2013". Somebody told us that they are having an auction on March 17th. Don't know if this is true or not. Wait was about a half hour at 1:30.

if true
They are selling some cool tiki pendants that say "Goodbye Bahooka - 2013".
Would need one.
pay and pay for shipping.

sad it disappearing

I purchased six of these pendants and I think were either $30 or $40 per pendant. Our waiter was cool enough to throw in a hanging parrot as well. I'll post of photo of the group who was wearing them with Rufus in the background. In the photo you will also see a great piece of original art by Eric October who delivered this piece to us while we were at the Bahooka. Drinks included the Bahooka Bowl, several Grenades with the pins pulled, Fire Fly and the Honey Bowl.

One more photo to enjoy...

I'm heading up to pay my respects to the Bahooka tonight. Have no idea what how crowded it's going to be, but I'm going anyway. Hope they still have a pendant. Are they selling any of their mugs or bowls, still? Or, are they all long gone now (except for what they actually need to serve drinks in)?

On 2013-03-06 22:22, TwoChordTom wrote:
I purchased six of these pendants and I think were either $30 or $40 per pendant. Our waiter was cool enough to throw in a hanging parrot as well. I'll post of photo of the group who was wearing them with Rufus in the background. In the photo you will also see a great piece of original art by Eric October who delivered this piece to us while we were at the Bahooka. Drinks included the Bahooka Bowl, several Grenades with the pins pulled, Fire Fly and the Honey Bowl.

TwoChordTom, that's awesome!

On 2013-03-07 13:07, finky099 wrote:
I'm heading up to pay my respects to the Bahooka tonight. Have no idea what how crowded it's going to be, but I'm going anyway. Hope they still have a pendant. Are they selling any of their mugs or bowls, still? Or, are they all long gone now (except for what they actually need to serve drinks in)?

This past weekend they were serving single drinks in red plastic cups. So I'd say go with a bowl, as they still are serving them up in the pretzel bowls. I got one of the last few mugs of Ruffus back in January. So sadly it looks like any tiki mug they may have had are long since gone.

Supposedly they'll be open today. I went last night (around 7:30pm) to find the parking lot completely empty and the place closed with a sign saying they'll be open today! I was a bit upset since that was my last chance at going. I suspect it will be busy tonight since a lot of people came by yesterday and was disappointed.

tikijackskeleton- thanks for the intel. At least it keeps my expectations in check! I'm planning on getting up there before 6pm, so hopefuly it won't be too nuts yet.

For those who are looking to buy stuff, they still had a few pendants, parrots and lots of T-Shirts left as of Tuesday night. If you have the cash, there is a Rufus mug on eBay now, but it's already over $100.00. I have a 40th Anniversary (green) mug that has never been used, but I'm looking to trade for a Rufus mug if anyone is interested.

I went this afternoon around 2:15, and it was already an hour and twenty minute wait. When our party left around 5pm, the wait was two and a half hours. I came home with half a gallon of their Scarlet Sails drink mix and lots of happy memories.

I made the pilgrimage up today from San Diego to say goodbye to the Bahooka. I got there around 1:30 PM, there was a bit of a wait for a table (they were quoting an hour and a half), but there was no wait at the bar. The best fish tank bar ever, for those that know it. As others have said, there are lots of tables empty, just not enough staff to work every table well. Plenty of room to walk around and check out all of the mysteries hidden around this gem of a place. The Bahooka is truly the best tiki bar I've ever been to, and will sorely be missed. Unfortunately I'll miss the TC going away party on Sunday, but so glad I was able to stop by and hang around for a bit. There's a table where they're selling random bits ($40, as everyone has mentioned, for the Bahooka t-shirt, but only $20 for a battered plastic parrot with some history attached). They will announce the auction on their FB page after they close.

Here are a few photos from today's visit. I would love if someone would document every single fish tank in there (with a real camera), too..... The only question that remains, is where will Rufus go?

Gray day in LA:

Rufus:

The best/coolest fish tank bar ever:

Plenty of room to hang out by the bar this afternoon:

Decor:



The cell room:

Yes, I want to buy this sign (as well as the tremendous Bali Hai sign above the front room as you enter):

Hidden gem:

Have a great time saying goodbye this Sunday. If you have a chance to stop by, you won't regret the trip. A stop at Oceanic Arts on the way back home was pretty sweet, too.

is this Bahooka's thing still gonna happen on Sunday?

With respect to the Sunday event, I think the organizer has cancelled it, but there will still be a lot of folks going there.

Went again on the whim tonight. The menu seems to be shrinking down as to what is offered on the colored board. Not sure if they're just blowing through their supply and not ordering more, but by 5:30, they posted a sign that said they were all done for the day for table service as they already had that many people waiting for a table.

Bar was still able to handle drinks. They were using clear plastic cups this time for single drinks. Bowls were still being used for two person drinks. Bar area had the ebb and flow of customers for the time I was there. Some moments it's easy to get a spot at the bar, others it was 3-4 people deep. Some of the bar area stuff seemed to already have been taken down. So it's getting picked over already in prepartion for the auction on the 17th.

Picked up a shirt, just cause and they were selling the bamboo looking glasses for $5 per glass in the front. But I could see the regular single person drink goblets sitting in the back of the bar stacked. I'm sure those will be part of the auction as well.

I can't imagine how bad it's going to be this weekend if you want a table to order food. That's all I'm saying. But if you want to get one last drink, by all means, the bar and the bottle nose shrimp eating turtle is a-calling you.

Went to Bahooka last night. At 6 they had enough names to fill the capacity for the night. We were told that the way to do it is to arrive when they open and make a reservation for later. they don't answer the phone.
Getting drinks was not a problem, thank the tiki gods! But all drinks are served in a plastic cup. All the glasses are on the table for sale.
I thought it was funny how in the waiting room they are selling everything they can. The menus can only be found here and hand written copies are but on the tables.
I was talking to one of the waiters and he said the restaurant was sold and will remain a restaurant. But all the kitsch will be removed. The tanks will remain. He didn't know what kind of restaurant it will be.
I think its great that the owners are able to sell of all the items they are selling. But for items with no Bahooka mark I don't get it.

Bahooka's Facebook page is the best place to get updates on everything. This morning they posted that they are now cash only, food supplies will most likely run out today, alcohol is still flowing and the boat that was on their roof fell on top of someone's Land Rover.

I think the Land Rover hit the restaurant which caused the boat to fall. The SUV took out some pilings too.

-Lori

[ Edited by: tikilongbeach 2013-03-08 10:12 ]

I think its great that the owners are able to sell of all the items they are selling. But for items with no Bahooka mark I don't get it.

They were part of Bahooka. Who wouldn't want a plastic parrot hanging in their tiki bar that they could say was a part of the decor of this amazing place.

On 2013-03-08 12:51, lunavideogames wrote:

I think its great that the owners are able to sell of all the items they are selling. But for items with no Bahooka mark I don't get it.

They were part of Bahooka. Who wouldn't want a plastic parrot hanging in their tiki bar that they could say was a part of the decor of this amazing place.

To each his own, but I agree with lunavideogames on this one. I was given one of those parrots a few days ago after picking up a lot of those Bahooka pendants and I am thrilled to have it hanging in my Tiki room, more so than even the pendants that were just made for the closing of the bar. It's like having John Lennon's Rickenbacker guitar. His name isn't on it, but it was HIS guitar. It's the same to me, obviously on a much smaller level.

call me krazy, but i'd rather have john lennon's rickenbacker. juss sayin.

On 2013-03-08 13:42, tiki1963 wrote:
call me krazy, but i'd rather have john lennon's rickenbacker. juss sayin.

Like I said, "on a much smaller scale". I would gladly trade my parrot for that guitar as well. It was just an exmaple.

im kinda annoyed so far by whats going on.
our friends last night said they stopped serving food around 6?
how do they want us to absorb the liqour?
call me crazy, but their liqour sales must be thru the boat-less roof right now.
i dont have facebook! so how am i to know whats going on?
theyre not answering their phones?
whats going on sunday for their last hoorah? ( i took off work for this)
i plan on getting there around 11 am
will there be food?
how many ounces are the plastic cups ? (red solo cups ala frat parties)

I hate to say it, but what ever happens on Sunday may not be the best way to
remember the Bahooka, I equate it with when you have to take your sick, yet beloved pet
to the vet to be put asleep......All the love in the world does not keep the heart from being crushed.

On 2013-03-08 20:42, belinda wrote:
....
i dont have facebook! so how am i to know whats going on?
...

You do not need to log onto Facebook to view Bahooka's page

Facebook: Bahooka

On 2013-03-08 20:42, belinda wrote:
im kinda annoyed so far by whats going on.
our friends last night said they stopped serving food around 6?...

I was there Thursday night and they were still serving food well after 6pm. They did however put out a sign around 5:30pm indicating that they were no longer adding names to the wait list as there were enough people on the list to fill out the evening. Similar situation Friday night, they had to stop taking names for the wait list again around 5:30 but I can confirm that food was still being served until at least 10pm (closing time was 10:30pm). As far as what comes next? YMMV! Just go and enjoy what you can while you can. Chin up!

If you don't want to be getting solo drinks in red/clear plastic cups, bring your mugs along with you. I saw a Ruffus and other Bahooka mug being used. Hell, which pushed me to go to the car and I used my trader sam's barrel cup as well with no problems. Probably saved them the amount of time to wash and toss out my plastic cup.

They've been filling up the list of names around 5-6pm for the night. Which basically means get there and expect a 3 hour wait from that point. You can just put your name down and head on off for an hour before coming back and getting your drink on.

Ribs were damn delicious.

From their facdbook page this am:

We still have lots of food! YEA! The menu is smaller, but we still going! Thank you to everyone that have been so kind. We are so grateful to all of you!

I actually went by Bahooka just yesterday, and one of the ladies who worked there told me that all she knew was that there would still be a restaurant in the space, and the fish tanks would still be in there.

Anyone know the latest regarding the fate of the place?

I went and said my aloha to Bahooka this afternoon. I just wandered through, took photos and breathed in the smell of ribs and old restaurant. If you wanted to dine, there was a 2-3 hour wait, unless you had lined up early. They had a table up front, where they were selling off a stack of mucky, plastic parrots and I saw the last of their t-shirts (size 3x) get purchased by a much smaller person, who was delighted to get it.

It's always difficult and sad to say goodbye to something we love. But the restaurant business is tough, especially in a huge city like Los Angeles, where there are so many dining options. We have all seen Bahooka nearly empty on many nights, yet hopping on some weekends and during our Tiki events we've had there. Owning a restaurant will take up your whole life, unless you choose to relinquish some of your power to investors to help you run it. I wish Suzanne and her family well, and they are fortunate that, in their time of need, they got an offer they couldn't refuse. Whether we like it or not.

The good news? We once had a place called Bahooka. A fantastic dining escape that we enjoyed thoroughly for almost half a century, and we made a lot of memories there. More positive news: I have heard (rumors) that some of the decor will be seen at a new, L.A. Tiki bar later this year. Also, that the new owners of the Bahooka building are keeping the fishtanks -- which makes me hopeful (fingers crossed) that they might keep the seating and placement of the tanks intact, which would make a far better fate than befell many of of our beloved old Tiki places. One of the things that made Bahooka so wonderful were their booths. Because of the wandering design of the building, you could hide away in there with your date and feel (or BE) naughty, while surrounded by one hundred-plus bubbling tanks and colorful sea life. It was as if you were given your own private world for a little while. Wow oh wow oh wow. Word to anyone thinking of owning their own exotic restaurant or bar: You would do well to recreate this booth ambiance in your new place.

So, let this be a reminder to us to support and enjoy the Tiki places we still have. We're fortunate that, here in Los Angeles, we can actually do a roll call: Tiki Ti! Damon's! Tonga Hut! Purple Orchid! Don the Beachcomber's! Trader Vic's L.A., Tiki No! And, it appears, a few more to come. And if we do this, in fifty years, we can listen to our children wail and cry when those places get sold off... Ah, the circle of Tiki life.

Where's the "Like" button?

Now your singing my song, Kari "Tangaroa-Ru!"