Don the Beach Comber's

Ryan Rocks!
Keep up the great work man!
Always look forward to our next visit!
Especially now with it becoming a DTB,
Bamboo Ben working his magic, Tiki Diablo,
and Ryan mixing. It's just gonna get better!
Life is sweet!

On 2009-04-20 10:29, Sincityryan wrote:

On 2009-04-20 10:12, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2009-04-20 09:47, Sincityryan wrote:

On 2009-04-20 07:31, lucas vigor wrote:

On 2009-04-19 20:31, Sincityryan wrote:
Thank you all for coming... :wink:

I am assuming you are the bartender or owner or manager?

The tiki crowd are pretty much experts when it comes to tropical drinks, more so then any other demographic. They KNOW their Mai_Tais, so you can always expect to get some feedback. Consider it positive, ok? For many Tiki Centralites, the Mai_tai is something that is approached with the same level of detailed analysis as a restaraunt critic does at some hot new place.

Believe me, all of us are thrilled there is not a jamba juice, starbucks or walgreens there right now!

I am the bar manager / bartender. The recipe for the Mai Tai has come from many years of studying Don's past drinks. This is the best version that I came up with for the 1930's. I will probably be introducing different variations of the Mai Tai as it progressed through the years at Don's.

ALL newer versions of the Mai Tai use some sort of synthetic sugar syrup that to the best of my knowledge was not being used, only fresh spices and juices. No we will never be making a Trader Vics Mai Tai in Don the Beachcomber, unless Trader Vics would like to talk with me and add a Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai to Their Menu :wink:

What kind of grapefruit juice do you use in the Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai. Or is there none? Some people try to avoid grapefruit due to an interaction with certain medications.

All juices are fresh.

??? huh? That's not what I asked. If you use grapefruit juice in any of your drinks you should really state it in the menu. You don't want to have any unhappily surprised customers.

The grapefruit juice drug interaction is a real thing.

Per: http://www.powernetdesign.com/grapefruit/
Medications that should be avoided with grapefruit
amiodarone (Cordarone)8
astemizole (Hismanal)5, 9
atorvastatin (Lipitor)
budesonide (Entocort)8
buspirone (BuSpar)
cerivastatin (Baycol)5, 9
cilostazol (Pletal)5
cisapride (Propulsid, Prepulsid)9
colchicine5
eletriptan (Relpax)5
etoposide (Vepesid)8, 10
halofantrine (Halfan)
lovastatin (Mevacor)
mifepristone (Mifeprex)5
pimozide (Orap)5
quinidine (Quinaglute,
Quinidex)8, 10
sildenafil (Viagra)
simvastatin (Zocor)8
sirolimus (Rapamune)1, 5
terfenadine (Seldane)9
ziprasidone (Geodon)5

and how many of the drugs should not even be taken with alcohol to begin with?

Okay, my two cents:

Decor: AWESOME!
Food: AWESOME! (albeit a little slow in getting there)We had 5:00 reservations.
Drink: AWESOME! (Note: The Mai Tai I ordered with dinner was definitely the Don's original recipe -which was definitely different from the later ones ordered at the bar. I loved the Don's Mai Tai!!)
Band: AWESOME

= DTB Rocks!

On 2009-04-20 11:15, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2009-04-20 10:29, Sincityryan wrote:

On 2009-04-20 10:12, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2009-04-20 09:47, Sincityryan wrote:

On 2009-04-20 07:31, lucas vigor wrote:

On 2009-04-19 20:31, Sincityryan wrote:
Thank you all for coming... :wink:

I am assuming you are the bartender or owner or manager?

The tiki crowd are pretty much experts when it comes to tropical drinks, more so then any other demographic. They KNOW their Mai_Tais, so you can always expect to get some feedback. Consider it positive, ok? For many Tiki Centralites, the Mai_tai is something that is approached with the same level of detailed analysis as a restaraunt critic does at some hot new place.

Believe me, all of us are thrilled there is not a jamba juice, starbucks or walgreens there right now!

I am the bar manager / bartender. The recipe for the Mai Tai has come from many years of studying Don's past drinks. This is the best version that I came up with for the 1930's. I will probably be introducing different variations of the Mai Tai as it progressed through the years at Don's.

ALL newer versions of the Mai Tai use some sort of synthetic sugar syrup that to the best of my knowledge was not being used, only fresh spices and juices. No we will never be making a Trader Vics Mai Tai in Don the Beachcomber, unless Trader Vics would like to talk with me and add a Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai to Their Menu :wink:

What kind of grapefruit juice do you use in the Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai. Or is there none? Some people try to avoid grapefruit due to an interaction with certain medications.

All juices are fresh.

??? huh? That's not what I asked. If you use grapefruit juice in any of your drinks you should really state it in the menu. You don't want to have any unhappily surprised customers.

The grapefruit juice drug interaction is a real thing.

Per: http://www.powernetdesign.com/grapefruit/
Medications that should be avoided with grapefruit
amiodarone (Cordarone)8
astemizole (Hismanal)5, 9
atorvastatin (Lipitor)
budesonide (Entocort)8
buspirone (BuSpar)
cerivastatin (Baycol)5, 9
cilostazol (Pletal)5
cisapride (Propulsid, Prepulsid)9
colchicine5
eletriptan (Relpax)5
etoposide (Vepesid)8, 10
halofantrine (Halfan)
lovastatin (Mevacor)
mifepristone (Mifeprex)5
pimozide (Orap)5
quinidine (Quinaglute,
Quinidex)8, 10
sildenafil (Viagra)
simvastatin (Zocor)8
sirolimus (Rapamune)1, 5
terfenadine (Seldane)9
ziprasidone (Geodon)5

There is grapefruit in the Mai Tai, there is also a grapefruit-cinnamon infusion in the Zombie.

On 2009-04-19 21:00, Sincityryan wrote:
I put my heart and soul into most of these drinks (and 99% of everyone who try them love them) I am very open to anyones comments (Jeff did we not make tons of zombie attempts from the "Great" recipes of beachbum berry's book? Sorry didn't work out.)

I'll continue to do my best, I'm very sorry for any problems that anyone had to endure last night.

Aloha Ryan! I meant no disrespect. In fact, I'm no Mai-Tai connoiseur. Just an island girl who likes them fruity with no "spice". Just a personal preference. From the sound of it, your Mai-Tais and other drinks are da kine. And hey, I learned a lot from reading.

Still, I hope you read the more important stuff about how ONO FABULOUS we thought everything was; food, service, etc. We've actually been coming there on Thursdays and love everything. We're grateful to make it our weekly hale inu. I actually danced hula at Sam's many moons ago and spent a good deal of time there with my parents when it was their fav hangout. So, it's a legacy I'm happy will live on! You and everyone there is doing a great job. Much Aloha!

We also had service issues, but I chalked them up to the franchise changeover, the event crowd and Saturday night. Really, it was good to see it that packed. We were told to ignore what it said on the menu for several items, so I assume they are still transitioning. The person in our party who ordered the sea bass, which was recommended by the waiter, had the best dish. The carmelized salmon was decent (though I'm used to Walt's Wharf and haven't found any that measure up), but the opaka paka was so-so. The ahi poke taco appetizers were delicious, and we will definitely order those again, as well as the sea bass. I had assumed the mai tai was the original Don's recipe (I went to the Corona del Mar Don's a couple of times with my parents as a kid, but I wasn't yet of mai tai drinking age at that point). We will come back on a weeknight or a non-special event weekend night. We probably should have either come earlier to eat (though time-wise that wasn't possible for us), or just eaten at home and come earlier for Tikiyaki Orchestra as we ended up missing the first set and not really having a seat. But it is great to see the old Sam's continue as Dons, and we will be back.

On 2009-04-20 12:51, congawa wrote:
We also had service issues, but I chalked them up to the franchise changeover, the event crowd and Saturday night. Really, it was good to see it that packed. We were told to ignore what it said on the menu for several items, so I assume they are still transitioning. The person in our party who ordered the sea bass, which was recommended by the waiter, had the best dish. The carmelized salmon was decent (though I'm used to Walt's Wharf and haven't found any that measure up), but the opaka paka was so-so. The ahi poke taco appetizers were delicious, and we will definitely order those again, as well as the sea bass. I had assumed the mai tai was the original Don's recipe (I went to the Corona del Mar Don's a couple of times with my parents as a kid, but I wasn't yet of mai tai drinking age at that point). We will come back on a weeknight or a non-special event weekend night. We probably should have either come earlier to eat (though time-wise that wasn't possible for us), or just eaten at home and come earlier for Tikiyaki Orchestra as we ended up missing the first set and not really having a seat. But it is great to see the old Sam's continue as Dons, and we will be back.

Our transition is still early in the process, we have known all along that mid-summer is our target for "Grand opening". There are certainly wrinkles to be ironed... There IS a wonderful new food menu in the works.

Thank you for your understanding and continued return!

next time, TC people should

1. get there earlier, how many times must this me said.

2. know that the place is not used to that kind of surge of guests,
   and things may take a bit of time.
   they(Don's) needs to get a separate crew for those nights)

3. know that the drinks may not be up to the par of a made one at a time standard. simply an impossibility,unless Don's had 6 bartenders in a back room

anybody up for Don's tonight?
monday april 20th.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Nah! I heard jeff is gonna be there again....

:: wow! after sifting through BOTH posted-threads about this event, i'm surprised that so many tiki-folk focused on the odd-variety of perceived mishaps & delays for a packed/sellout tiki-event!?! the 1 thing i cherish about most things "tiki" is the free-flowin' positivity & fun-lovin' vibe surrounding these events! my wife & i bring our kids whenever we can, try to bring friends & family into the tiki-fold at these events, and always come back with massive tales of new friends, fine drinks, wild art, and great music! after finally getting a chance to see sam's/kona/don the beachcomber's in full-effect, in most every room, i was amazed that this tiki-gem is still kickin' after all these years(!?!). as for the mai-tais, we each had 2 from ryan @ the bar & were immediately taken back to the 1st-time we tasted don's special-blend while on kona, from his historic digs there at the classic "royal kona resort"...sublimely more different than trader vic's, not as harsh as bali-hai's, and just shy of tiki-ti greatness! a big mahalo! to ryan for striving to keep the drinks original and for everyone who made this event possible and who kept this revered place alive...AND especially to the special-guest owners/judges for the don-look-alike contest!

• a big "shaka bruddah" to toebunga for his amazing costume...i surely thought i would lose to you & am in awe of your knack for kitschy-tiki-kraft!

O ka makapo wale no ka mea hapapa i ka pouli...

[ Edited by: retro-friki-tiki 2009-04-20 17:07 ]

Ryan, I (and I'm sure I speak for most here) am really thrilled about Don's and your efforts at the bar. You have a tough job. You are the Atlas of the tiki world... holding the name of the Beachcomber on your back, attempting to please the densest population of tiki snobs in the world. I applaud your efforts, but also joining the boards here and being a part of the community. I don't think we could ask for a better situation. My great fear was Don's would be a branding with a gift shop and the bar and history be an afterthought. Clearly, no matter where we are currently, there is a strong passion to always strive forward. Thank you for your efforts and passion! I for one will be offering my services as consumer of those efforts... you know... for the sake of the people!

On a side note, if you instruct your staff to be a little more generous with the rum if they see a floral pattern being worn, that might be a safe bet. Even more so if a fez is being worn. :wink:

Great Post Bamboo Ben and BigTikiDude, Thank You!

Well all, seems as though asking a question and even hinting at slight dis-satisfaction on this forum has been met with antagonism. I meant no harm and I wish the New Don the Beachcombers all the success in the world. I appologize for not being a Mai Tai expert. One would assume that all Mai Tai's would have the same basic common ingredients. In my 31 years of legal drinking I have NEVER had a mai tai that tasted like the ones we had on Saturday. Apparently that was our mistake and they were supposed to taste like that. I'm sorry I was not aware of the difference.

I'm sorry that the restaurant folks were slammed. Again, one would assume that a restaurant that is excepting reservations would know how many people they could handle and not over book. Apparently I am also wrong to have just a few expectations. Ok, now I know better.

I have learned someting about all things/people tiki from this experience. I'll leave you all to your world.

Ryan the bartender/bar manager, I meant no disrespect to the work you have put into your drinks. I wish you and the rest of the staff all the best and much success. The place is an icon ane I'd love to see it succeed beyond all expectations.

Ben completely understands the history of the building and what it means to those who enjoyed it over the years and what it could be for many more. My first trip was less than two years ago. They could sell a day old McDonald's burger for 10 bucks and I'd still be stopping in (not for that burger though). Bigtikidude is right on about the Killer Kobe burger! The point is let's let this venture get it's sea legs, they've just put up the sail.

Thanks to Ryan, I walked to my seat with a pineapple which held about 3 Mai Tai's. Not a mug, A PINEAPPLE! Ryan, that was very cool and it tasted great. I enjoyed the time, the people and the food. And I probably will time and time again!

A

I think that's retarded that Inkya99 got so hassled for asking a critical question. Now we all know that Don's in still in transition... but debate doesn't hurt anything. Ryan did a great job in clearing up a lot of the issues that were raised. Nobody was saying the place sucked and we should shut it down.

If anything, I know that my posts were there to enlighten and inform Don's as to what I saw going on....and Inkya seemed like he/ she was just interested in getting people's opinion about the place. It's a bummer that someone was alienated because of just asking a question and being critical.

Again, nobody was saying the place sucked. In fact, it's leaps and bounds from where it was as Kona.

This has gotten retardedly out of hand.

I totally agree. I thought the anger on here outweighed the "provocation." Particularly, Bamboo Ben's post really struck a chord with me. The more I thought about it, I wondered why a relatively innocuous complaint about lousy service would warrant such a nasty rant. So I continued reading...now, I could be wrong about this, but I thought I gathered that Ben did some work for DTB's on the entrance. If that is correct, that would make DTB his client (assuming he received some consideration for his work), which would then explain his post, which could then be discounted due to an obvious conflict of interest. Or maybe he did it for free, dunno. Either way, I think I understand it now.

I'm just getting tired of everyone always complaing about tiki bars in general.

We're lucky to have what we have.

Time for me to take a TC break!

Cheers....

We weren't able to attend because we were ut of town, but had we been in town, I probably would have skipped it -- don't want my 1st experience at DTB to be on such a busy evening. Learned this the hard way last year when it was still KONA. (Worst. Restaurant. Experience. Ever.)
If someone plunks down their hard-earned money someplace, they have a right to expect reasonable service and decent food/drink -- however all bets are off when you have a situation like this, with a restaurant that is in transition mode and a big event.

One other thing. I have always been a huge supporter of historic preservation, and think that a lot of the cool mid-century and googie places have got a bum rap. True tiki bars are few and far between and I know that continued patronage is the key to their survival. I would love to continue to support these establishments and recommend them to friends and family. The thing is, I need a little help. If we're going to make the drive someplace I want something edible, and to be treated like a human being. If the food is shit and the staff is rude, I don't care how cool the building or decor is - I am not going to be inclined to make the trip back very often or recommend it to others.

That said, I'm looking forward to checking Don's out on one of their slower nights and trying this mai tai that everyone keeps talking about! Sounds like Don The Beachcomber is already head and shoulders above KONA, so give them another chance :)

Terra
[email protected]

Time for me to take a TC break!

Yeah, me too..... ugh.

Well we have pretty much covered it all! Some people have had mind blowing incredible experiences and some people had some high expectations that DTB didn't seem to live up to. The bottom line is this place is still around to BE experienced. I was really bummed out when i heard Kona was going under and in my mind i saw a lame condo complex which would have no doubt been haunted by the intoxicated spirits of Sams past. But obviously DTB is making some serious efforts to be in tune with the Tiki Central ohana because Ryan is posting here and taking the criticism to heart. Half the fun of these big events is that it is a BIG event therefore you take it in stride. If you had to go across the street to Taco Surf and get something because there was a shortage, then butch up and do it, come back get a mai tai and laugh about it. But i bet you next time you wont have that problem because it is being addressed here and now and the learning curve will lessen with each visit. If you have a concern by all means bring it up here. Constructive criticism sometimes can be misinterpreted. If you haven't been to DTB go and visit you wont be dissapointed and if you have been there you know you will be back because DTB is ono!

On 2009-04-20 09:47, Sincityryan wrote:

I will probably be introducing different variations of the Mai Tai as it progressed through the years at Don's.

Ryan,

I am IN LOVE with this idea. How fantastic!

Suzanne

You know that this is just named Don The Beach Comber, it's not in any way linked to original. I read that somewhere online. Maybe if people call them and try to help & tell them what they can do better, they will at least have the chance get better and they will know that people are unhappy. I want to save it, we need it. so lets help them make it, so can have it there for years to come. I would hate for it to close and for them to never know what was wrong, lets give them a chance.

Been following this thread since it began, and all I can say is WOW.

Obviously Ikya99’s original post asking some simple questions for comparison to their experience has been blown way out of proportion.

A little research into older posts will clearly show anyone who wants to take the time to look, that in fact the service has been poor at best for any event since the place originally re-opened as Sam’s. On the positive side the demeanor of all the staff (mostly all new I believe) has improved 1000%! Personally I was under the assumption food was not originally going to be served inside the event (Chuck/Ryan/Art correct me if I am wrong), so many planned on arriving early to try to ensure that they would have time to eat prior to the event starting. I know that Chuck knows the issues with trying to serve that many people at an event here and I am certain they are trying to rectify the situation for future events, and I cannot believe I agree with BTD, but they really should look at supplemental staffing for the events.

Additionally one should realize that as the transition is taking place and as the reputation grows they will serve more and more guests on a nightly basis and as food is an expensive perishable item, if you have a place that say has 100 guests a night on average now hit them with an event where you don’t know if 10 or 500 are going to show up, who could you possibly know how much food to have on hand, too little and everyone complains, too much and now you need to sell it before it spoils, kind of a catch 22 in my eyes, and in this economy I would assume they would side on running out rather that tossing it out.

As for the drinks, one must first realize that they are basing them on original recipes from Donn, so they are inherently different from the Trader Vic’s versions many of us (myself included) have learned to love, so yes you are correct they do taste very different, as they should, they are a different recipe. So obviously they will not appeal to everyone. Come to think of it even our beloved Forbidden Island offers an Island Mai Tai with pineapple juice. So watch out Mike I guess you are next for the “that’s not a Mai Tai” rant. Now for the pre-mixed cocktails, I for one think this is a travesty, but I also understand. Take a limited bar staff, who other than Ryan and Patrick, probably have no idea how to make a real Mai Tai or Zombie so I would consider them tiki drink virgins and then hit them with 100 or so power drinkers (you know who you are ahem-cough, Hinano_Paul, SoccerTiki, BTD..this is a long list), and there is no way they could keep up at this point in their mixology career, I know I couldn’t, and I know how to make the drinks! I know for a fact that making an authentic tiki cocktail takes time, see how long you wait at FI on a busy night where you have bartenders that know how to make the drinks and I am sure there were four times the people here than could fit into FI. (No ill will meant here Mike and my beloved FI staff you guys rock!) So again give them the time to make the adjustments here.

We as Tiki and Hawaiiana enthusiast need to heed Bens words here, Sam’s was turned into a tiki temple in the 60’s, 40 years later we almost lost this West Coast icon. Now insert Art/Chuck/Ryan, they are trying to correct their issues and save this place and it cannot happen over night. Also keep in mind that those of us who enjoy Donns’ for what it is, the history and artifacts, are in fact a very small group in the grand scheme of things. We are not there nightly supporting their efforts and helping the business grow, but we will descend on them like locust’s for an event and blast them for every one of their short comings.

And I do have one complaint, Art/Chuck, Mac n Cheese with SPAM, was amazing bring it back! Get rid the current Mac n 3 cheeses – very deceiving when you get literally Kraft Mac N Cheese, shame on you, I say shame on you sir!

So all in all I say, if you are not willing to support the place long term, you should take it with a grain of salt and not condemn them for offering us a great place, an excellent show, and mostly good food and drink if you can get it, hey, two out of three aint bad. Give’em a try on a normal night and see how it compares. Now if a year down the road when the transition and growing pains are over if nothing has changed I say blast away, but till then, let’s give the boys some slack.

I am in no way connected to DTB other than as a supporting patron, so let the hate mail begin!

Mahalo for your time.

HP

I was not served that night so I can't make any critique of service or food and drink. But, when I have a gripe about a restaurant, I usually write a polite letter to the owner/manager. They usually welcome constructive criticism so their establishment can improve. If there are troubles in certain areas, written correspondence in numbers will usually get their attention. After all, they exist to make your visit comfortable and enjoyable. I'm sure that DTB is no exception and will continue to improve during this transitional period.

Thanks all for coming out! We (The Tikiyaki Orchestra) had a blast!

Wow...
i think that's Hinano Paul's longest post EVER!

WooHoo Hinano_Paul!! :) Ditto

On 2009-04-21 14:51, suzanne wrote:

On 2009-04-20 09:47, Sincityryan wrote:

I will probably be introducing different variations of the Mai Tai as it progressed through the years at Don's.

Ryan,

I am IN LOVE with this idea. How fantastic!

Suzanne

This is a brilliant move. When random patron asks for a Mai Tai and they are asked, "Which one, from what decade?" This begs explaining and a rich history will unfold. When a tiki patron asks for a Mai Tai and presented with a choice... of course they will be intrigued and HAVE TO test drive them all! Brilliant, I tell you... brilliant...

I didn't make it to the Tikiyaki event, but I made it up last night and had a blast. The DON'S name on the swordfish is great and the new entrance looks awesome, especially the hanging jade tiles. The service was very good (I understand monday's a very slow night, but the staffing is also much less) my drinks were great; much better than they had ever been at Kona, and the happy hour prices are awesome! It seems that DTB's is making a conscious effort to balance the wants of TC members and the wants of the other 99% of the general public. I mean, someone ordered a VIRGIN zombie last night, so obviously there's a lot of folks out there who couldn't give two shits about drink authenticity (or taste for that matter.) I can't even think of anywhere between my house in Dana Point up to DTB's that even serves a mai tai w/o pineapple juice in it. I enjoyed the Don's version of the mai tai and the navy grog, and I felt Ryan was making a lot of effort to bring the good authentic ingredients to the drinks. Overall GREAT time, and I highly reccomend making it out/over/down/up there!

Oh yea, I was kind of bummed that they don't use Sailor Jerry or the new Jay-Z rum in their Navy Grog... :wink:

I really don't see what's wrong with voicing one's opinion here, whether it's criticism or compliments. If I ran a bar or restaurant I would want people to be honest so I could absorb all feedback and then make my place better if I though it was needed. And I don't feel that people are complaining too much on TC. We have always been a bit critical because we are passionate about this stuff. Heck, we've been complaining about the Tonga Room's service and drinks forever! That didn't kill their business one bit and it doesn't mean we don't love the place.

If I had bad service or food or drinks at the Mai-Kai I would probably mention it on TC, and I bet they would care a great deal and do something about it. That has never happened, and most likely never will!

My 2 cents in, I also want to say that I'm looking forward to visiting the new Don the Beachcomber. Kudos to the new owner/management for keeping Sam's alive. I had some great times there in the past.

Thank you, Jab.

I, for one, voiced criticism AND gave compliments. MORE complements than criticism even. Aaaand Ryan cleared up all of my issues. I am totally excited to go back again after hearing what he had to say.

Also, to Mongoloid, I wasn't complaining that my group had to go across the street for food, I was only bummed that Don's wasn't getting the business. I've jogged a half a mile down Coast Hwy for cigarettes before and I definitely wasn't whining about it.

Okay.....that's all.

....I hope

considering that there was probably around 400 or more people at DTB in total on Sat. I think that 5 to 10 complaints is not really that bad.

I will admit that there are issues behind the scenes that many do not know about that are hindering the blossoming of DTB.
but also consider that there will always be complainers.

my Sister used to work at a fancy restaurant near Fashion Island a few years back, and she said there were old rich people that would routinely complain about little things every time they showed up, just to make a scene, get attention, feel like they had a voice.
alot of times she would take it back, bring out something Identical and they would say oooohh so much better. hahahhaha.

I'm not saying that is the case here.
but just know that not everybody is having a horrible night/food/experience
like you are.

once again, get there early.
solves many many problems.

Jeff(bigtikidude)
"Where Good Rum is Immortalized, and Drinking is an Art"
"And, When that old "Demon Rum" slips past the lips it still works its ancient,cheerful magic" (Don the Beachcomber)

[ Edited by: bigtikidude 2009-04-21 18:59 ]

Thank you all. I can assure you I was not "bitching" for attention. I was not aware that DTB was still in transition. I thought this was an opening of sorts. I appologize for not being fully informed.

Also, thanks to those who have been back and reported good food, service and drinks. I have decided I will go back one day for lunch, order a Zombie or Scorpian and give her another go. I do so want a new favorite restaurant to go to for those special events. Who knows, if lunch goes well, perhaps a polynesian dinner show is in my future.

So can you all tell me, how many recipies are there for Zombies or Scorpians? I don't like surprises when it comes to my ALCOHOL. lol

Ikya,

I think there is 5 or 6 versions of the Zombie that Don had over the years.
there are 3 in the Sippin Safari book that Jeff Berry did.

as for Lunch, I hope you like Lunch later in the day.
Don's doesn't open till 4 pm.

unless your going on sun for the brunch.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

[ Edited by: bigtikidude 2009-04-21 20:00 ]

On 2009-04-21 19:20, ikya99 wrote:
So can you all tell me, how many recipies are there for Zombies or Scorpians? I don't like surprises when it comes to my ALCOHOL. lol

Ikya, Start with Beachbum Berry's books for the few original recipes, then factor most all the tiki bars/resturants that were/are across the country with their own versions and I would guess its safe to say hundereds! But the best one is the one you enjoy!

[ Edited by: Hinano_Paul 2009-04-21 20:01 ]

[ Edited by: Hinano_Paul 2009-04-21 20:02 ]

On 2009-04-21 17:51, thejab wrote:
I really don't see what's wrong with voicing ones opinion here, whether it's criticism or compliments.

Jab,

First let me say I agree with you whole heartedly.

All I was trying to get across was the fact that the majority of us sans the newer members, know the issues and assume or hope they will be resolved in the new incarnation that is Don's, but we know it will take time. My complaint is that every thread about the place or its events tends to end up in a "this was wrong" "that was bad" "i cant believe this happened" "what are they thinking" more than a "hey the place is great glad its still here for us to enjoy I hope the issues get resolved". I do understand people have had bad experiences here, myself included, my point is continually posting whats wrong with Sams/Kona/Dons gets old to me, some folks feed off this drama I for one do not. While our opinions are just as important as anyone Else's we all need to realize unless I am missing something we "Tiki Folk" are not their main source of income, so while our attendance to their events, while I assume are lucrative to their business, their not depending on us alone to make the business a success.

Worst case scenario as we know Art, Chuck, and Ryan are all on TC, whos to say they dont think hey every time we have these tiki folk in all they do is slam our mistakes over and over in an open public forum, maybe we dont need to have them back.

Many are sure more than ready to fire off an they should do that, they should do this post. So I say everyone who know what will make Don's a success should pool their monies and buy the rights and the restaurant from Art and Chuck and see how they like the public airing of all their issues when its not as easy when your actually running the place rather than just a patron saying you should do this.

I just hope we enjoy what we have for as long as we have it so as not to regret it later.

PS, Hope to see you at FI when we up there next, first drink is on me.

On 2009-04-19 10:05, Mrs Bamboo wrote:
Before this gets out of hand, the transition is not complete....stay tuned.

Aloha!

4th down - 1st page....but not a heart stopping post, apparently. :lol:

Enough said.....lock the thread!!!

By the way...
Does everyone know about the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at DTB's this Thursday? The Mayor of Huntington Beach and the city council members are all supposed to be there!!! Come out and show your support!

oh yeah,
drinks are gonna be in the .75 cents to 1.50 range, like a few weeks back.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2009-04-21 22:36, bigtikidude wrote:
oh yeah,
drinks are gonna be in the .75 cents to 1.50 range, like a few weeks back.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Does anyone know what time this takes place?

Well, all I can say is...6 pages of posts in 2 days about the place. Wow !

I'm glad there is so much attention being paid to the place, it means we all care, which is good.

It also means that there is STILL a place to talk about...we're lucky.

I agree with others that the place needs to be judged on it's normal restaurant credentials, not on it's ability to serve 300 plus people who basically all show up there at once.

How many restaurants COULD handle an event like the one on Saturday ?

On a more selfish note, it also makes me feel good that the events me and the band have are such a smashing success in terms of sheer turnout.

So, let's just consider this event an "abnormal circumstance", and not judge the restaurant on it's performance based on this event.

Hinano Paul...very nice post with many good points, I must say.

Aloha !

My wife and I went, had great food and drinks. Awesome time hanging with friends new and old. Thanks Art and DTB family!

On 2009-04-21 16:05, squid wrote:
I was not served that night so I can't make any critique of service or food and drink. But, when I have a gripe about a restaurant, I usually write a polite letter to the owner/manager. They usually welcome constructive criticism so their establishment can improve. If there are troubles in certain areas, written correspondence in numbers will usually get their attention. After all, they exist to make your visit comfortable and enjoyable. I'm sure that DTB is no exception and will continue to improve during this transitional period.

Thanks all for coming out! We (The Tikiyaki Orchestra) had a blast!

This is the best thing I have read regarding this issue thus far. This really works. No restaurant/bar owner wants to lose and disappoint customers. I am sure they would love to hear from all of you so they can improve on things. Posting here may give people visiting the TC site a bad taste about the place.

GROG think we are overlooking the REAL issue here, which is:

Wabbit Season begins May 3rd....

gotta clean my Winchester this week....

Hey guys,

Here's some videos I shot from that night.
It was really fun and cool to meet the owner Art Snyder.
Tikiyaki sounded great as usual!

Take a look!

Don The Beach Comber Grand Opening Event video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgJA1-W8mxI&feature=channel_page

Tikiyaki Orchestra Waikiki Serenade at Don's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty75Q3pGssI&feature=channel_page

Tikiyaki Orchestra Clip 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzo3jdltXEg

MaHaLo!
Brian

Alooooha all you Tiki Comedy Hypnosis Fans!

Hukilau Brown here to invite you to join me for an evening of Hypnotically Hilarious entertainment as Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach welcomes Jon Bouvier back from tour to his home town of Huntington Beach!

Jon is a great friend of mine and he puts on a super-hilarious Vegas-style comedy hypnosis show. He's really entertaining with or without cocktails (ok everything is MORE entertaining with cocktails) and let's get a big showing of Tiki Central Ohana to welcome him back.

http://tinyurl.com/Bouvier

When: Friday, May 22nd…8pm…doors open at 7pm
Where: Don the Beachcomber
16278 S. Pacific Coast Hwy
Huntington Beach, CA 92649

Book Dinner Or Get Info: 562 – 592 - 1321

no reserve seating…1st come, 1st served

I'll be there early to get, er, warmed up. If you make it on stage, I'll buy you a drink. If you buy me several, you might see me up there!

Big aloha ha ha,

Hukilau Brown

http://donthebeachcomber.com/events.html