Royal Hawaiian visit

After hitting an antique mall in San Juan Capistrano, the husband and I decided to drive back to LA on the PCH. I wasn't looking for any of the usually mentioned places, but how could I miss the Royal Hawaiian! We pulled over immediately to get a drink. The tikis outside looked great, and I thought the inside was really cool too. All bamboo walls and blowfish lamps. I'd read back on a few negative comments about the place, I thought it was all really great. Way better than Bahooka in my book. Now, we didn't actually eat anything, but the food on people's plates looked good. And the Mai Tais! I had a virgin 'cuz I was driving and the juice tasted fresh squeezed. Really good stuff. They were playing vintage Hawaiian music as well.

I can't wait to go for an actual meal.

Annalulu~

Glad you enjoyed yourself. I was actually THE one that had a negative comment about the food. I had the family with me and I'm more of a stickler for having good food & service when I'm out with my family, in comparison to being out with the boys. I have learned from other TC'ers that the ribs should be ordered, and, as you read, I'd be willing to give the grub another try. (To date, I still haven't gone back to try the food, but am still open to it.)

As for it being better than Bahooka, I think I'll stay out of that one and will step aside and let Laney comment on that one.

In any case, it's great that you had a good time! Maybe some of us here in SoCal will join you next time and we'll order a little of everything on the food menu and pass it around and give our honest opinions on each dish.

TummyGrumblin'CaddyDaddy

should have gotten a "lapu lapu"!! 2 of those drinks had me an da wahine trippin!

Hey Geck! 50+ Lapu's had a whole bus load of peeps trippin!!! I was gonzo on one!!! Two??? Yikes!!! June is near.

Annalulu,

You're right. The decor is authentic and great. The drinks are pretty good. But the food leaves something to be desired. I honestly think the food is better at the Bahooka, but maybe the decor isn't as tiki.

Annalulu,

If you go back to RH to sample the food, stick to the bar menu and order the ribs and giant shrimp cocktail. They're the best things on the menu, and be sure to have a Lapu Lapu. If you and yours have more than one each, then you may need to get a room!

Wow, SCD, that thread was a flash back! It's funny that it is mostly the ususal posters here almost a year later. And my damn Caddi is again sitting in the driveway rusting after fuel line repairs, points condenser, new timing chain ($$$$) she now needs a engine rebuild! Disagreeing with Sven was fun but I think it was that thread that made him think I was a guy before we met at the OC Crawl II.

Anyway, I love Bahooka. Just went there last week and have been going for about 8 years. We love the teri chicken and always get great service there. The drinks are great and always work for me. The Manager comes to say "Hi, Where ya been?" if we wait too long between visits. Even my cat, MaxiPads, is from there too.

Everytime I go I see something new to me. I saw my first Witco there (pre BOT and didn't even know they were bar stools) I tried to buy one from them and was so tempted to steal it (or have my friend Keith take it) He said "you know, if I take it we can never come back here" So, they're still there but we had a good laugh when we came the next time and they were moved from the front. Anyone here who has drank with me knows I try to talk others into stealing things for me, mostly lamps and tikis. It never works DAMN IT! Wait, it worked once about 7 years ago, my friend Mobes ripped off a giant fake parrot on a perch drinking beer from an El Torrito. It still makes me laugh hearing him scream "run!!" and turning to see him streaking through the bar with a 3 foot bird, then trying to fit us and the thing in a tiny get-away car. Stealing is wrong, that's why drunk Laney always tries to get others to do it. If you get the urge to be bad there's an amazing lamp right by the front door of the Lava Lounge, you'll be handsomly rewarded!

The Royal Hawaiian is the classic Southern Californian tiki resturant.

There are great looking, colorful tikis outside, although the southernmost one has been stolen (and not replaced and the next is showing damage. Nevertheless, happily there are still tikis in good shape outside.

I love a resturant that has tiki sentinels sending out mana 24/7.
The only other such resturants that come to mind are Tahiti and, of course, Trader Vics. Bahooka's has the right spirit, and an excellent mariner decor, with tikis and definitely deserves mention, yet it does not have tikigod presence on the outside.

My favorite location in the Royal Hawaiian is next to the patio doors (by the bathrooms) which offer an excellent view of the tiki garden.

I must commend the Royal Hawaiian on the quality of their cusine, particularly their specialty -- their spareribs.
Delicious.

Also, their prices are very reasonable
(read: cheap).

I neva wen see any of dem places besides da Royal Hawaiian but will be lookin fo suck em up in June with da Rev and who evas like fo go.

ey Ben, I busted up lauhing wen you sed 50+ lapus on da bus!! HO dats plenny!! Bong sed he gon mix some up wen he get here nex week. Al and Bong and myself gon suck em up cuz!

see ya in mid June AUWIE!!! HAWWWWAIAN!!