Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Old Tiki Restaurant in 1960s Newport Beach

An anonymous OCThen reader asks if anyone remembers a tiki-style restaurant in Newport Beach during the 1960s...

Does anyone remember a restaurant on Pacific Coast highway in Newport Beach where Billy's is currently--called Kon Tiki? I recall going there on a date in the 1960's. I was there recently and recognized the Polynesian touches that are still there, but I am not sure I am remembering the name correctly.
If you know anything, please "Post a Comment" and share with us...

25 comments:

  1. Okay, let's go back to the 60's

    ON Euclid Avenue in Anaheim, used to be this WONDERFUL restaurant.. you crossed a bridge and admired the huge koi to get to the door.. It was called SAMPAN. Before I left CA there was some Mexican restaurant there in its stead. I fell in love with shrimp in lobster sauce as a kid there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember a Polynesian restaurant in Newport Beach, but don't remember the location or name. I do remember an Indonesian restaurant on the corner where the freeway hits highway 1 in Corona del Mar. Don't remember the name, but they served the traditional Indonesian banquet style dinner, Rijsttafel, and it inspired me to travel to Bali when I grew up.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I remember Christian's Hut on Balboa Bay. Somewhere in the back of my mind I recall a tropic themed place on PCH basically across the highway fom Merle's so that would have been in CdM - not Newport.

    I really don't recall any Polynesian type places where Billy's is. All I remember are some old cafe's and boat supply places along there when the old, slow Catalina ferry used to dock there.

    Just across the bridge and west of where the Dune's was there was a place called the Beach Boy.

    Our favorite tiki place was Kono Hawaii on Harbor in Santa Ana.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Never hurts to Google. The place in Corona del Mar was called Trader Island

    ReplyDelete
  5. YES BEEN THERE A FEW TIMES MYSELF. GOOD FOOD THERE.I WORKED AT THE RESTRUANT ON CORNER OF COAST HWY AND NEWPORT BLVID.
    THINK IT WAS CALEDD THE ACTINIT MARINER WAS A COOK THERE FOR AWHILE.
    THEN LATER 60'S THE VILLA NOVA ON PACIFC COAST HWY NEWPORT BEACH.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Don the Beachcomers! My friend Henry Wong was the Matre'd and that was early in the 60's. My pal John Dye worked at Christen's Hut as a dishwasher. How about the Ocean Toad - inside the Dunes...when I worked briefly and they had a shooting and a robbery..cause the owners were organized crime? How about JJ Mack playing at the Red Lion? How about the Whitehorse Inn across from the NB City Hall? How about Isadora's and the Road Home? How about The Magic Island" on the Lido Peninsula? How about the "Chef's Inn" on the Coroner of Marguarite and PCH? How about....
    a million more memories?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Berkshire's too! Lido.....I was there the night they closed that place. The great Chart House on the inland side of PCH in Newport Beach!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Don the Beachcomer was located at:
    3901 E. Coast Hwy, Corona del Mar

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love that place. My family would always stop by there when we were at my aunts house in San Juan Capistrano.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am trying to find out if Dillman's.where I spent many of my wasted afternoons in the 50's and 60's in Balboa is still in existance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you might have spent some of ot with my grandmother bonnie yarnell. she practicaly lived there.

      Delete
  11. Sorry, Bill, but Dillman's was sold maybe 12-15 years ago. It's now the Shore House Cafe, and really quite pedestrian. Dillman's was a great place for fish, and do you remember Big Game Night? I miss the fish tanks, too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Any one remember the Gaslight Broiler? One in Laguna and one in Newport Beach on PCH near the old Pontiac dealer?

    ReplyDelete
  13. a couple other popular hang outs in newport beach were the beach ball and charlies chili!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What about the Dari Delite in Garden Grove.... that was a popular hang out too.

    ReplyDelete
  15. You remember when Bob's Big Boy was on Balboa Island in the late 50's? How about the Flying Butler on the Penninsula or the Blue Dolphin? One I remember well is Howard's restaurant (I think its a Thai restaurant now) on PCH near Superior. As a kid it was a big deal to go there for dinner. Those were good days!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the Flying Butler that was in the same plaza as Market Basket?

      Delete
  16. does anyone remember a tiki restaurant on supulveda in Torrance

    ReplyDelete
  17. Gaslight Broiler on Coast highway is now Pizzeria Mozza. Was owned by Persian Bob Manavi and his wife. Later known as to Shiraz. I worked there with many friends and relatives. Planted the ficus trees that were there until demolition.
    Ken Carpenter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ken,
      We got married at Shiraz restaurant in 1983, previously known as Gaslight Broiler. I remember Bob and Claudia our oldest friends. We moved away and lost track of them. Do you know if he is in the area still? I love to see them.
      Please let me know if anyone knows about them.
      Ela

      Delete
  18. There was an Indonesian restaurant in Newport Beach in the 1960"s however it was on the corner of PCH and McArthur directly across the street from what used to be the Zoo Drive In. Since that time the location has been several restaurant including Oysters and is currently an Avila's. The Warehouse was basically where Newport Ave and PCH Intersect and it was a Neo-Polynesian restaurant. Kona Hawaii which was located in Santa Ana on Harbor was da kind. And then there was the Royal Hawaiian in Laguna which in the 60's had decent food but by the end of the 1970's the food had gone way down hill.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Talking about Howard's Restaurant I worked there occasionally as a favor to Mr. Koch who lived on the next street up next to 1801 Taggart Place in Harbor View Homes from 72-74 Mr. Koch. Lived directly behind us at 1800 next street down. My dad was Col. Scott who was a good friend and enjoyed going there and Coco's. Once Howard's was short handed So dad said you kids come with me. Dad went to dishwashing (something he remembered as a teenager), my step sister Tanya hostess, and I bused tables. That was out on the coast why near Newport Harbor Rd. The other restaurant was at the John Wayne Orange County Airport next to Delaney's Bar.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I remember between '72 - '74 I worked for Mr. Koch who owned the Howard's Restaurant on the Coast Hwy. Near the Newport Frwy. And the other one by Delaney's Bar at the John Wayne Orange County Airport in Newport Beach. We lived at 1801 Taggart Place and Mr. Koch lived directly behind us on the next street 1800 something place there in Harbor View Homes. Newport Beach. My dad who was called Scotty or Denny worked for an insurance company co (several in those years) was also known as Col. Archibald D. Scott III. He was asked my step sister Tanya to come with him because we needed to help out a friend, so we went to the coast Hwy. Location and dad went to doing dishes like he had done as a teenager once, Tanya to being a hostess, and I bused tables.He must have just taken over the restaurant and didn't have a crew. I was known after that as his ace in the hole. I had a great time back then.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I remember a restaurant on PCH where it was open all night. I think it was a Howard's? It is now a Tai restaurant!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I remember a restaurant on PCH in Newport open all night! Was it a Howards? Used to go there after the bars closed and sometime for lunch! Just below where Hoag is! I think it is a tai restaurant! Do you remember the name

    ReplyDelete

Custom Search