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New Tiki (formerly - Tiki Lau), Westford, MA (restaurant) |
tikigreg
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1029
From: ClubTiki
|  Posted: 2005-07-29 5:21 pm
Name:New Tiki
Type:restaurant
Street:Littleton Road
City:Westford
State:MA
Zip:01886
country:USA
Phone:978-692-2355
Status:operational
Description:
It pays to turn your friends onto tiki! Kathleen and I spent a long weekend in Hampton Beach, NH to see our favorite comedian Brian Regan, and to enjoy the sand & surf. A friend and old neighbor of ours had recently moved to Massachusetts, and he lives and works on the way. We decided to visit him on our return from the beach.
We met up with our friend Tim at his workplace, and from there we went for coffee. He mentions to me on the ride that he wants to show me the tiki restaurant he told me about. I didn't recall him telling me this, so I said I must have had a few mai tais when he told me.
The place was closed as we pulled in, as it was only 10 a.m. at the time. So we went to get coffee, and came back at 11:30 when they opened for lunch.
For those of you breaking out your Tiki Roadtrip tomes at this point, it's listed under "sites permanently closed." Rest assured, it is very open. Naturally, I was excited to come across an undiscovered and up to this point declared dead tiki establishment.
So here are the pics. This is the sign that is visible from the road:
And this is the side of the building:
And here's the grand moai above the entrance:
He looks like he has a bad case of eczema on his forehead. Also looks like his eyes light up, but it was too early to tell.
As you enter, a carved palmwood tiki greets you on the left, and a very anemic fish pond with sad turtles on the right. Here's the tiki:
I didn't bother taking a picture of the fish pond.
Needless to say, we were the only ones in the place at 11:30 in the morning, other than the staff. We were seated by what I assume was the manager/owner, who we never saw again. Our waitress was nice enough, although she seemed to be distracted by other concerns, like, "Did I leave the stove on at home?"
Kathleen ordered a Pina Colada, I ordered a Suffering Bastard, and our friend Timmy had water (he don't drink). We asked the waitress if the drinks came in tiki mugs as pictured in the menu, but she replied that all those mugs had been stolen years ago.
The waitress returned with our drinks, which were actually fairly good. She also brought us the prefunctory appetizers, but with a bit of a twist. In the next pic, you can see the tea, duck sauce, and hot mustard, yet the fried noodles must have been on backorder, since we received:
Yes, that's french bread. I could only assume they were trying for the French Polynesian connection there.
Luckily, our meals were a bit better, standard, yet good, chinese cuisine. There are only six items on the menu listed as Polynesian, and even those are a bit of a stretch.
So overall, not a tiki mecca, but a nice surprise if you're not expecting it, or worth it if you're in the area and want a quick tiki fix.
As we were leaving the place, our friend peeked through the glass of the door next to the entrance tiki, and said "So that's where the locals gather!" I peeked in to see a bar, and a few tiki masks on the wall. It was quite dark, and there was a rather huge patron perched on one of the bar stools, so I didn't bother to venture in. I'll leave that for the next brave tikiphile that wants to explore and document this off-the-beaten-path establishment.
[ This Message was edited by: tikigreg 2007-03-15 04:35 ]
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1528
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-07-29 5:50 pm
Hooray! Thanks, TikiGreg.
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tikigreg
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1029
From: ClubTiki
| Posted: 2005-07-29 6:00 pm
I thought a Worchester County tikiphile might be interested.I picked up a matchbook that lists an address on Rte 110 on Macy in Amesbury, so you can give us a report on that if you can.
_________________
When life hands you limes... make Mai Tais!
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new2tiki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 28, 2003
Posts: 100
From: Orlando, FL
| Posted: 2005-07-29 10:17 pm
Tikigreg:
I Hadn't thought about it in a long time, but I grew up in SE Mass., and all the Chinese/Polynesian restaurants there always gave some sort of bread and butter. Didn't seem that strange at the time, but it does look funny, now that you point it out.
My Dad always used to dip his bread in the Duck sauce!!
Aloha.
Scott
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The Granite Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 02, 2005
Posts: 582
From: Nashua, NH
| Posted: 2005-07-29 10:48 pm
Very cool. Thanks for posting this tikigreg.
I live just over the border in Nashua, NH (grew up in Lowell, MA) and I can't believe I've never noticed that!
I'll be sure to check it out.
Thanks again.
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dogbytes
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 2217
From: seattle, wa
| Posted: 2005-07-29 11:03 pm
nice find!! did they serve "ambrosia" the flaming sweet & sour dish?
i miss that, after our new england travels ~ must be a regional "polynesian" favorite, we cant find it anywhere else.
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tikigreg
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1029
From: ClubTiki
| Posted: 2005-07-30 04:44 am
Quote:
| did they serve "ambrosia" the flaming sweet & sour dish?
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dogbytes,
I didn't notice it on the regular menu, and the take out menu doesn't have it. If anyone else visits, maybe we can get a report on that too!
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1528
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-08-01 07:56 am
Hey, I just remembered this place and it's still open! The Makaha in Acton, MA. Anybody in the area been there? I haven't been there since about 1993 but I just checked and they're open yet.
Maybe this should have its own thread...
Read unflattering review here:
http://www.gweep.net/~rocko/Stow/
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1528
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-08-01 07:58 am
P.S. Check on the Massachusetts French Bread Connection. Very common here.
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JTD
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Apr 07, 2003
Posts: 397
From: J'ville
| Posted: 2005-08-01 10:09 am
Pappy,
Thanks for the tip on the Makaha. I've a sister in Acton and will check it out this fall. Luckily, my "inner snob" is buried wicked deep.
-JTD
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Tikisgrl
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 03, 2005
Posts: 832
From: Lowell, Mass
| Posted: 2005-08-08 6:44 pm
Hi all,
Either we are neighbors or we are pretty close to each other. You failed to mention in your posts if there were Tiki Mugs to be bought or acquired through any means necessary at either of these local establishments?
Just asking, obviously the food is not the main attraction at these restaurants.
Beth
Just a quick P.S. Saugus Kowloon is still selling Tiki's with their name on them. I got a couple of pineapples last week.
[ This Message was edited by: Tikisgrl 2005-08-08 18:47 ]
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1528
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2006-11-30 03:20 am
I went there a couple weeks ago with a buddy. We each got Zombies which were passable and served in a chimney glass. Food was tolerable and yes, you still get Italian bread. I'm afraid this place is in a death spiral. It should have been full on a weekend and we were the only ones in there eating. There were 6-8 people in the bar. The front Moai shown in Tikigreg's pic is even more in need of new paint than ever and the front is looking pretty shabby. If you owned a restaurant, wouldn't the first order of business every day be to sweep the trash out from the front of the place? *sigh*
_________________
"I can't die until the government finds a safe place to bury my liver."
Phil Harris
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tikigreg
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1029
From: ClubTiki
| Posted: 2007-03-15 04:40 am
Bump
Now that there's new ownership of the former Tiki Lau, I thought it would be good to bump this up. The NE Ohana has a trip planned there soon, so hopefully someone will post a glowing review here. 
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PockyTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 446
From: Massachusetts Jungle Cruise
| Posted: 2007-03-16 3:54 pm
Wow...I almost forgot about this place. (note: my family and I call it "Tiki Lousy", as OUR food was not tolerable...I thought it was ok). If you have ever driven past it at night, from what I remember, the Moai on the front, his eyes glow however only one eye works. I can't believe i forgot about this site, I only live like 2 towns over. Go figure. I'll be looking forward to the new review!
_________________
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tikibars
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 1897
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2007-03-25 4:43 pm
Thier myspace page advertises sports games 'always' on tv, karaoke from 9:30 to close three nights a week, and live music starting in April. Unless they're bringing Waitiki over from Boston, none of this bodes well.
Then again, they also mention improved drinks...
Anyone been to the New Tiki yet?
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