Remnants of the Lanai in San Mateo, found.

Hey everyone!
So this afternoon I went to an end of year little league party at this local mexican style grill.
I walk in and notice that half the chairs in the dining room are vintage rattan and some of the tables are thick monkeypod. I think, "WOW! I wonder if the got these from the old Lanai?" So I walk around the corner and there on the far wall is a 10'x6' 3-D painted sign of a tropical island with the word LANAI cut out of the middle! Insside of the letters is neon and the whole thing is framed in bamboo that must be 3" in diameter.
I was impressed. I asked the owner and sure enough, they did come from the Lanai. Anyway, if anyone in the area wants to have a look (the place doesn't have much else to offer) the name of the place is:
T&B Baja Bar & Grill
520 Masonic Way
Belmont
It's right behind the AM/PM gas station on Ralston at 101.
Aloha,
:tiki:

Ahhhh The Lanai.... What memories you brought back. If those walls could have talked my friend... if those walls could have talked.... heh heh I miss that ol' place. 'Ace Pilots', 'Blue Hawaiis', 'Impatient Virgins' and 'Suffering Bastards' et al.... Might be fun to take a look-see at what's left of it.

Aloha AnDru,
I regret to tell you... Nothing is left. The lanai was razed and a Red Lobster was put up. It has now become a Walgreens. The Lanai Liquors still stands but probably not for long.
Progress...
Aloha,
:tiki:

Royale, thanks for the info - we'll have to take a look. Sorry if we already had this conversation, but have you been to the other former location at 92 and 101 (the restaurant that briefly inherited some Lanai stuff, and that's now a Chinese buffet)? It's over in the Smart & Final plaza close to my work, and we eat lunch there sometimes. Not really any relics to speak of though.

-Randy

I thought you'd like that bit of info Randy. The place you're talking about, is it across from The Fish Market?
Did they used to have anything interesting?
Aloha,
:tiki:

The restaurant in the Smart & Final shopping center, next to the pet club did open for a brief time as the Lanai, with about 60% of the original decor when the El Camino Real location was razed along with the Villa Chateaur Steak House. It closed in the early 90's, but who knows what happened to all the great furnishings. Thanks for the tip, I'll go and get a burrito and check it out!

Here it is! And boy is it big! Very cool to see a piece of the Lanai still around and proudly displayed.

Thanks for the pic, Hula!

And yeah Royale and toomuchjoe, that's the one, across from the Fish Market. I never saw that place when it had the Lanai stuff. The story I heard was that the new owner saw it as a way to do an insta-theme restaurant. Even though the newer location didn't do any kind of faithful drink mixing, they continued to use the same drink menus and names from the original Lanai. From the description of Ali, the bartender from the original Lanai who still works at the Villa hotel Cabana Bar, the drinks were like an art back in the day.

Anyway, at the chinese buffet that occupies the space now (the second location), they still have some lava rocks on the exterior and a little rock fountain/spring thing by the bar. That's about it though.

Very interesting to learn that the original stuff dispersed to more than one location though. I think mrsmiley even said there was an auction or something at the time of the original closing.

-Randy

The most noteworthy thing that I photographed at that Lanai stripmall reincarnation was the huge carved door, bearing the carving of the Lanai logo "Tiki". Not a Tiki at all, but some strange exotic devil, it was also on the menu cover...I assume some kind of Phillipino spirit or the like.

Hey TikiHula, that was quick. Ain't she a beaut'?
I would love to see it with the neon on.
Aloha,
:tiki:

Did you ask if it was for sale?

I too live nearby in San Carlos, so when I read your post I headed over- very exciting. I didn't ask if it was for sale as I don't have that kind of cash right now...and the thing would take up an entire wall in my living room! But, we'll have to keep an eye on it case the owners sell the place and decide to get rid of it.

It would definitley be cool to see it in the dark with the neon on! WOW

The original Lanai Liquors on 41st ave in San Mateo, around the corner from Wallgreens
lost their liquor license and closed 2 months ago. It looks like work or remodeling of the interior, but have no idea what they will open as? I'm sure someone with deep pockets could probably buy the neon sign,"Lanai Liquors" It's a beauity!