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Lucky Tiki, The, Mission Hills, CA (bar) |
Digitiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 22, 2004
Posts: 749
From: L.A. baby!
|  Posted: 2005-01-08 10:08 pm Permalink
Name:Lucky Tiki, The
Type:bar
Street:15420 Chatsworth St.
City:Mission Hills
State:CA
Zip:91345
country:USA
Phone:818-892-2688
Status:operational
Description:
A small bar in the norther part of the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Formerly a locals-only dive bar. Now a brand spankin' new tiki-themed bar, complete with carved tikis, thatch and tons of bamboo. The bar is a small one, tucked away in a tiny strip mall at the corner of Supulveda & Chatsworth. The decore is great, the bartenders are personable and the tropical drinks are tastey.
(edited by Sabu to fix spelling)
[ This Message was edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2005-01-13 18:13 ]
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Digitiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 22, 2004
Posts: 749
From: L.A. baby!
| Posted: 2005-01-08 10:15 pm Permalink
I just came from my first trip to the Lucky Tiki. Great. It has atmosphere and the co-owner/bartender Tim was very nice and great to chat with. The other bartneder, Suzanna, was also very nice! I'm posting this as I'm still buzzing from the drinks. I had the Lapu Lapu and, of course, the Mai Tai. They were both very tasty. I must admit, one of my favorites is the Lapu Lapu and Tim from the Lucky Tiki made one that was perfect and refreshing. The decore is classic tiki style--with blowfish lamps, tons of bamboo and thatch, even the barstools were carved tikies. There is a little "back room" where couples can sit with a more intimate setting. I had a wonderful time talking with Tim and Suzanna and enjoying their drinks! I can highly recommend it! Great atmosphere.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10563
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2005-01-09 12:07 pm Permalink
The Lucky Tiki sets a new standard of how new Tiki Bars should be done:
Floor to ceiling bamboo and rattan, Tiki carvings a-plenty, and mood lighting unite to create an otherworldly atmosphere that leaves the outside reality behind.
I am worried that the bad weather is making it harder for the Tiki fans to make the trip to this fairly remote location, so consider to combine the expedition with checking out two other worthy locations in the neighbourhood:
The Bear Pit Barbecue restaurant (?name?), with it's amazing neon beckoning you right off the freeway, and:
The SAFARI ROOM, a small just-around-the-corner drive from the Lucky Tiki at 15426 Devonshire Street, must have been a fine Exotica Bar and restaurant in it's heyday, as some of the remaining O.A. carvings testify. It has been renovated since, but the urban archeologist can see traces of the original concept everywhere. Good steaks and seafood to ground the exquisite Lucky Tiki cocktails.
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki on 2005-01-09 12:08 ]
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Digitiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 22, 2004
Posts: 749
From: L.A. baby!
| Posted: 2005-01-10 10:05 am Permalink
Bigbrotiki,
Yes, the bear pit has GREAT Bar-B-Q!! I had never heard of the Safari beofre. I'm definately going to check it out!!
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IcedTiki
Member
Joined: Jan 13, 2005
Posts: 6 | Posted: 2005-01-13 5:03 pm Permalink
Went to The Lucky Tiki, very cozy. The decor is awesome! They did it up proper. Bigger than Tiki-Ti but then again so's my linen closet. Tasty drinks that gave me a great buzz with no hangover! Try the Miehana if you can't make it down to Disneyland.
BTW, the food at the Bear Pit is not that good, though their giant neon sign is a killer artifact. FOr BBQ, you must go to Dr. Hogly Wogly's, about two miles down the road at Sepulveda and Roscoe. Best 'cue in L.A. (Texas style).
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MelPepinLA
Member
Joined: Jan 19, 2005
Posts: 8
From: Marina del Rey, CA
| Posted: 2005-01-20 5:56 pm Permalink
Made the quest up the 405 during rush hour to visit (don't ya just love how it takes 80 minutes to go 30 miles??). I immediately felt at home, with the help of the bartender. My man and I decided we would try all four tropical drinks on their specialty menu. My fav was the Miehanna (sp?) - good recommendation IcedTiki!!
So many little details to look at while enjoying good conversation. Gotta say the lamps with two different faces on either side were fantabulous. And the tiki mug collection and display are groovy.
Great job TikiBob! I wish you success, although you have obviously been blessed by the gods already!
_________________
Shake your Tiki
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2005-01-22 2:57 pm Permalink
Beautiful tiki bar, bamboo and tiki everywhere! Also, there is Martin Denny on the jukebox to complete the trip to tiki nirvana.
However, do bring your own tiki mug. The ones there can only be used after purchase.
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Tik-Tok-Tac
Member
Joined: Feb 22, 2005
Posts: 3
From: Los Angeles
| Posted: 2005-02-22 2:32 pm Permalink
Those of you who love Tiki-Ti, Trader Vic's or The Purple Orchid will be underwhelmed. While this part of Los Angeles needs a tiki bar, it can do without the Sunset Blvd. prices. Three signature drinks, a cranberry juice and appropriate tips to the bartender set me back $40 in less than an hour. If you want to charge Atwater Village prices, then move it to Atwater Village and make the decor as fun as the Bigfoot. Additionally, the drinks were only average in taste and the liquor content was insufficient: i.e. I barely felt a tropical wind after consuming two drinks in 45 minutes. Using fresh fruit, juices and a blender would help tremendously. The bartender, while pleasant, would be better served by not overimbibing in his own inventory. The decor is a double with a fielder's error allowing an extra base to third. As currently constructed and managed, the Lucky Tiki has a short future.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10563
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2005-02-22 7:02 pm Permalink
Posts like the above always have me wondering if the poster has a personal agenda. I am not saying he/she has in this case, but not having to share one's identity makes it easy to post with malvolent intent beyond pure critique. And it is uncanny that T-T-T registered with TC to post this a the first post.
I have had an amazon review of the BOT in which the reviewer was trying his damndest to support his low 3 star rating with which he toppled my 5 star status. It was obviously (to me) written with the intent to lower the rating, because he was way off in almost all of his points, but no one will ever know the "a reader" 's true motive. Yet the review sits there and is read and taken as fact.
I'm not saying such is the case here, merely musing.
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Tiki Diablo
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jun 24, 2002
Posts: 1890
From: socal
| Posted: 2005-02-22 8:36 pm Permalink
I tell ya Sven, This guy /girl IMHO has none of the "thrill of the hunt" for Tiki. So Bobby's place isn't the Mai Kai, big deal at least it has some MANA! Sheeeaaattt.
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Tiki Bob
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Oct 19, 2004
Posts: 41 | Posted: 2005-02-22 11:42 pm Permalink
Ha ha ha,
Tic-tok-tak huh? more like Tic-talk-smack, Nice way to start out your posts on TC. Time to pick a new name and start over.
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Digitiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 22, 2004
Posts: 749
From: L.A. baby!
| Posted: 2005-02-23 08:42 am Permalink
I agree with Big Bro! Tik-Tok has an agenda. It is strange that all the posts have been positive. Does Tik-Tok own his own rival bar? I know for fact that some of the locals that used to haunt the Wild Cherry are ticked off that it went tiki. Perhaps he's from the that old faction. And judging from the crowds on the weekends, the LT has a bright future.
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Bamboo Bob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 26, 2003
Posts: 178
From: OCEANSIDE, CA
| Posted: 2005-02-23 08:56 am Permalink
They don't get much nicer than the owner of THE LUCKY TIKI, super nice guy, good mana.
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Ti-Leaves
Member
Joined: Mar 05, 2005
Posts: 1 | Posted: 2005-03-05 8:23 pm Permalink
Hi All, I'm on my way to the Lucky Tiki to check it out for myself.... Stay tuned for an honest, unbiased critique.
Ok, I'm back. Gen-Xers, happily sipping beers and mai tais packed shoulder-to-shoulder filled this tiny slice of Tiki Saturday night. While the place is appropriately decked out in bamboo and rattan, it lacked some of the laid back friendliness essential to a well worn tiki. Perhaps that'll come in time. Anyway, the drinks are tasty and the service is fine. Since it's a bit pricy for the neighborhood bar around the corner, consider it a treat, rather than a staple, and enjoy!
[ This Message was edited by: Ti-Leaves on 2005-03-06 12:13 ]
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Riptide
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 12, 2005
Posts: 379
From: Garden Grove, CA
| Posted: 2005-04-10 6:46 pm Permalink
Went to the Lucky Tiki last night with The Sperm Whale, and I gotta say that T-T-T couldn't be more wrong with his assessment of this place. This bar is absolutely perfect. I had three excellent drinks (Mai Tai, Lei Lani Volcano, and the Miehana). The bartender Tim was very friendly and accommodating.
As far as the decor goes- the place is exactly perfect. If the "devil is in the details", then Satan himself must have had his hands all over this place. There is not one thing that I could see that looked out of place. All the contributors (Tiki Tony, Crazy Al, Tiki Diablo, Lucky, et al.) did a wonderful job. I drove there all the way from Orange County and I was not disappointed.
Also, we got there around 6:30 so we were a bit hungry when we left. On the advice of Sven's earlier post, we decided to give the Safari Room a try. As soon as we walked in the door, we knew we had made the right choice. Not only did it just give off a vibe of having been there forever, the smell of steaks cooking was wonderful. I had the steak and shrimp scampi combo and Spermy had a steak sandwich. We were both very pleased with our meals.
As with other posts, I can only speculate why T-T-T gave such a horrible review in his post. However, all I can say is that I will have no problems with making the long drive from Orange County again to go have some more libations at the Lucky Tiki. It is well worth the trip.
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