Comments on: Tonga Hut Under New Management

By: Cannonball Adderley

Cannonball Adderley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:10:08 +0000

I have been going to the Tonga Hut back when Darryl had it. He would talk about the place when it was a jazz joint. That must have been great times.
I do like what the new owner has done with the place. Getting the fountain working and cleaning up the joint with the right lighting is nice. I am glad to see the sports bar concept gone. I you wants sports ther are a million of them in town. I do agree with the person that made the comment about the jerk off that eyeballs everyone waiting to pounce and hoping to 86 your buns. When you want pizza you go to a place that looks like a pizza joint. The Tonga Hut is a fortys and fifties concept. What should be played there is music from that era.
Goodman, Dorsey, Miles, Colrane, Fats, Lester,Basie, Ella and the pop stuff. Nothing wrong with some Tiki music thorwn in as well. There are thousands of hipsters in Los Angeles that would love to hang out in a cool place like the Tonga Hut. We are talking romance here . Get a friendly bartender that has some knowledge and some great stories.

By: Boobi

Boobi — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:42:02 +0000

I agree the place sucks. I wish it was what I remember it to be way back when. I am from the neighborhood, and went in a couple of times since the new owners took over and trust me, it isn’t the same place that it used to be.

All of the old crowd that used to hang out in there were from the neighborhood, and these idiot new “owners” 86′d all of the them and brought in all of their own people and made it into some scum dumb half assed wanna be place.

By the way, Taylor and her helper Brian rocked that place. They were the greatest thing to watch. They really made you feel at home and welcome. Well anyway. I hear the old crowd is at The Scene on Saticoy and Fulton.

By: Boobi

Boobi — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:41:43 +0000

By: Boobi

Boobi — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:36:12 +0000

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:43:44 +0000

By the way,what ever happened to Taylor anyway, I went into thr Tonga Hut, and couldn’t beleive the change. It certainly isn’t the same place that I had gone to for years gone by. Used to be friendly people in there. Not any more.
Taylor used to have a helper name Brian that used to work like none I’d ever seen. I heard that the new owners of the bar told him not to come back because he didn’t belong there. Alot of people quit coming by when they let him go. Taylor and Brian used to be a great working team, and me and my girl friend used to come in and always have good chats with them. What ever Taylor told him to do, he was Johnny on the spot rigtht there in a moments notice for what ever she needed. She would call him “slave boy”, and he would call her “boss lady”. Oh well old Ace who started the place in 1959 and Darryl who had the place for many years are rolling in their graves if they knew what the beloved Tonga Hut turned into.

By: julie

julie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:20:43 +0000

The Bartender that works the weekends I must admit was a bad choice. I have not seen a bartender lately that is raped so tight. He has absolutely no personality. My guess is that he doesn’t steal. If you want to know what type of person belongs behind the bar -email me and I will tell you. What happened to the popcorn? You have to pay for it now. How rude. The new owner has done some nice things. Got the fountain working finely and lost some of that crap on the walls. He really made a bad mistake with the cop that stands behind the drinkers. Getting rid of the local old hangers in an attempt to add some class to the place why would anyone hire some guy to stand behind you.

Last year my 8 year old gave 5 stars to a dumpy motel in Baha Mexico. I know why he did-because he loved the pool and the excitement on the street from our balcony. What does the Tonga Hut have to offer?

By: loner j

loner j — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 16:58:07 +0000

Your right loner J. Better bring a couple quarters and your own T.P. next time you visit. Were headed for pay toilets.

By: loner j

loner j — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:41:22 +0000

Aye – whot’s the Hut coming too. We used to have a pay phone here – it’s gone, used to have cable TV, – it’s gone – used to have two TV’s – the larger one is gone – used to open at 6 am – now it’s 4:30, regulars used to be allowed to stay until closing – now it’s 7 pm and yer outa there. Used to have Monday night football, now it’s jeapordy. Used to have Dodger dogs when in season – no more. Think I’ll pack up and return to her majestys service in grand olde England. And I’m taking me buddy Kevin with me. You blokes won’t have me to kick around any more. J.

By: Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 01:12:37 +0000

I havn’t been in the Tonga Hut in a few years up until last week. What the hell happened. Folks- this bar was allways a perfect turd. This new owner is blasting bad rock and roll on everyone in the place. What’s with the bouncer that stands three feet behind you and acts like he is cia or something. Not to mention the new owner that sits there all night at the bar telling everyone that he is a musician. Right!
The real Tonga Hut is gone folks. Everyone knows that you can not polish a turd.

By: Humu Kon Tiki » Blog Archive » Popcorn Vigilante Hits Tonga Hut, Confesses on Humu Kon Tiki

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 20:48:45 +0000

[...] “Don” left a comment yesterday on an earlier post I had made about the Tonga Hut coming under new management. Don has quite a tale to tell: Dear new owner of the Tunga Hut, I thought you might enjoy my story. Don [...]