See, the thing about bar hopping on State is that your typical room is most likely going to be on beach side of the train tracks. That’s where the small little hotels and motels (and of course Fess Parker) are all at. There aren’t really a great amount of hotels on the other side of the freeway. What does this mean? Well, from your hotel to a tiki bar is quite close! So it’s good for an immediate opener to the hop or a great closer. Win – Win !

The Bar

The decor is simple and effective. There is a cute sitting area right at the front that includes several comfy chairs as well as a sofa. An alcove about mid-way through provides for a separate room experience without being fully disconnected from the rest of the bar (and seats probably 12). Finally there are a couple high tables and then an L-Bar that seats 8. I can’t imagine that the seats would be very comfortable for more than one, mayyyybe two beverages as they are on the high side and don’t have backs to them. There is a patio out front but I’m not sure if they use it as there were no tables there. The patio could be a spring/summer only type of deal.

The Drinks

The menu is small but well curated. They even have a couple non-standard slushie beverages that are on tap that I would love to try next time (Painkiller and an original called ‘Mango Drank’). Went in for my usual Zombie and it was made really really well. In fact it tasted just about how I like to make them which follows Don’s recipe very closely. I would put their mixture right up at the top of my favorite Zombies. Also had a Mai Tai (like I do) but sadly right about the time I started try and enjoy this beverage, my sinuses decided to take over and shut down my ability to taste anything. I had my wife taste it and she gave it high marks, and with the quality of the Zombie, I don’t doubt it.

She ordered a Test Pilot and also loved that too. It came topped with Absinthe foam which was super tasty. There was some discussion on whether it would better to first lick the foam off, mix it into the drink, or just let it naturally settle into the beverage as it was consumed. She opted for half lick and then mix into the drink. I think this was a good call as you get to taste the odd sweetness of an Absinthe foam. The rest of the foam then can integrate into the drink.

Overall

A perfect antidote to the myriad of wine tasting rooms and craft beers that surround State Street, I hope to come back here again on my next trip to Santa Barbara.

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Update 10-01-2017: New menu. Lots of options compared to before. Haven’t had a crack at anything new yet but looks pretty awesome!

Continuing a trend of new tiki bars opening, the Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach originally opened way back in 1947. it closed a few years ago and, after a renovation, has reopened as a pretty great destination for any tiki fan. The decor is of island style, palm fronds, lots of flowers. The restaurant has a soft seperation from the pretty crowded bar area which is fairly modern. The food menu is small but varied (I dont partake of the seafood and there were plenty of options). Now with all that out of the way, lets get to… the Drinks!

The Menu

I was pleasantly surprised by the menu. When I had originally looked up this place, I had found a menu which now I think may have its past life, right before it closed and only had a couple tiki style drinks on it. The current menu isn’t huge but there are some good options. This place is known for the Lapu Lapu. I cant find info to say that definitely that this drink originated here at the Royal Hawaiian, but my extensive research (of typing the name into the search bar; Hard work) only references either the Royal Hawaiian or “polynesean restaurants”. So lets just say, one of the first!

The Lapu Lapu

Right. So… The Lapu Lapu (also known as the Chief Lapu Lapu) is their most featured drink and both the people at my table who ordered it both enjoyed it. I had a quick taste of one of theirs and I would agree with the general characterization that it is a slightly sweeter Mai Tai. It comes served in the traditional snifter that a Lapu Lapu requires. For my usual main tasting drinks, I went right to the Zombie and Mai Tai.

The Zombie

The presentation of the Zombie is great; Garnish is well done; Its tiki glass is huge and fun. My first swig of this massive concoction was, woah, very creamy – perhaps the creamiest I’ve had, almost as if there were egg whites in it. Quite odd. Additionally, this drink was very sweet. Not something I would really expect from a drink as storied as a Zombie. It is definitely a potent drink though. Not lacking there. The rums are exceptional as well. It was quite a large drink for sure and with it being so sweet and creamy, actually made it a bit hard to get through. I wouldn’t write it off though – just know that this dude is more up in the dessert category with something like a Painkiller. Maybe they should have called this drink the “Double Tap – It’ll finish you off!”

The Mai Tai

The Mai Tai was done in the Trader Vic style (orgeat, curaçao) and wasn’t particularly flavorful. Presentation was great and there was clearly some care that went into making it, but there wasn’t anything to notable about it. I would have expected a little bit of tartness to it but I wasn’t getting that at all, maybe a little light on the lime and bitters. I do love that they use fresh flowers in just about all of their beverages. Always a great touch.

Overall

I am looking forward to going back here again to try the others on the list and for no other reason than it is a pretty cool place to hang with good food and good beverages right on the California coast!

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One of the first Tiki Bars I went to and certainly one of the best if not the biggest, Don The Beachcomber in Sunset Beach is named after the iconic Tiki Legend, Donn Beach. Donn (born Ernest Gantt), was the first to bring us Tiki restaurants and bars. One of his first and most legendary beverages is the Zombie, created all the way back in 1934! Over several decades he and his wife opened 16 restaurants and at one point there were over 20 locations. Eventually all of them closed down when the Tiki fad had passed by the 80’s. Now there are three places bearing the name but none of them are original. The name was bought by a holding company and is licensed to the three restaurants, one of them happily located here in California.

Previously a restaurant called Sam’s Seafood, Don’s opened in 2009. It is an odd collection of various sized rooms and bars which are used for both dining and live entertainment. All of them have their own theming and the vibe is unparalleled. My favorite place to go however is the Dagger Bar. Quickly changing from chill to vibrant – the Dagger Bar is comprised of several booths off to the side, tables in the middle, and a long bar against the other side. Entertainment comes in the form of live bands at the front of the room as well as Karaoke (check the online calendar for an always updated schedule). My favorite time to
visit is right after Karaoke; The first group of the day will have just left and you have a chance to experience a quiet relaxing/chill time enjoying Pu-Pu’s and the great selection of drinks on the menu. If you are a regular, you’re invited to bring your own Tiki mug to store at the bar and they’ll dispense your beverage into it for you.

The drinks, with the exception of a few, are all original Don The Beachcomber concoctions and for how fast they are made and delivered they are still quite good. Some of the Absinthe laced ones usually have a bit too much of it in it and so they end up dominating the drink. As with all the tiki bars I go to, I always try the Zombie and Mai Tai first as they are very good indications of how the rest of the drinks will be made. These both do not disappoint. The Mai Tai is made in the Beachcomber style, which is to say there isn’t Orgeat in this one, and is not as sweet as the Trader Vic style of Mai Tai (remember, if there is Pineapple juice in your Mai Tai, it’s not one – in fact it’s more of a ‘Hawaii-Tai’). Beachcomber style Mai Tai’s are my preferred and they are great here. The Zombie is pretty good but not the best I have ever had. It doesn’t have quite all the nuanced flavors that I would expect in a classic Zombie. Of note, they have a Nui Nui on the menu and this is one of my favorite tiki beverages – don’t pass it up.

Overall this place is fantastic and we are lucky to have it so close, or not so close for me anyway. The worst part about Don’s is that it is quite an expensive Lyft out there for me, so I don’t go out there as often as I’d like to. Maybe that’s for the better.

Update 8/16/17: Happy Hour Menus and times

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