The Lucky Tiki in Highland Park is the sister location of the original Lucky Tiki in West…read moreHollywood. This spot opened about a year ago, and has a cool speakeasy style entrance at the Highland Park Bowl bowling alley. It is a small space, and I would highly recommend making a reservation on Resy. You have 90 minutes to drink and dine. I parked behind the bowling alley where there is a medium sized pay parking lot. Park in a space, remember your space number painted on the ground, and go to the pay station at the end of the lot. I found the parking machine to be extremely finicky as did other people. After ten minutes of failure, I ended up moving my car to another space, and then it worked. This has nothing to do with the Lucky Tiki, but FYI if you park there. We walked around to the front of the bowling alley, and checked in. Seating options include at the bar, tiki hut booths, and high top tables. The décor inside is a tiki lovers paradise. The room has a high ceiling with many tiki lamps, floats, puffer fish, tiki huts, thatch, ropes, barrels, netting, carvings, a hanging canoe, and a large tiki right in the middle of the space. In addition to the great décor, when you order certain drinks, special effects are triggered. There was also great tiki music playing all evening. We sat at the bar since we always enjoy talking to the bartenders. We actually ran into Skipper Christian in the parking lot on the way in, and he ended up being our main bartender, with Nick and Jo also working behind the bar. We put in a food order right away. The chicken potstickers ($12) came with five tasty bites, and the garlic teriyaki dipping sauce was good. We also had the giant pretzel ($16) which comes with mustard, beer cheese, and ranch sauces. This was excellent, and the perfect filling snack before a bunch of drinks. My first drink was the Siren's Song (Flor de Cana Eco rum, lemon juice, cassis, Oloroso sherry, apricot foam topper, $19). This drink is served in a great mermaid with skull mug and triggers special sound effects and bubbles fill the air. Those bubbles on top of the drink had a great light citrusy apricot flavor, probably the best flavored bubbles I've ever had. The drink itself was very good and balanced with some complexity. She wasn't sure what to order at first, and Christian asked her what flavors she liked. He ended up making a spin on a Tradewinds with some mango and pineapple to go along with the apricot and coconut. It was nicely balanced and not too sweet, even with all that fruit in there. My second drink was the Sun of Suns (Tierra de Acre mezcal, coconut cream, Giffard mango liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, $17). This was coconut and pineapple forward with some good smokiness in the background. Her second drink was the Whatever Floats Your Boat (Ford's gin, lemon juice, velvet falernum, orgeat, passion fruit syrup, guava soda, topped with hazelnut passion fruit foam, $19). It is served in a cool boat mug, and triggers thunder sound effects and lighted mechanical Polynesian tiki characters paddling a canoe over the bar. This was another good balanced drink. It was a little gin forward and the passion fruit popped out, maybe from being both in the drink and the foam top. That creamy hazelnut passion fruit form on top is delicious. I'd happily have a glass of that on its own. We were still a little hungry so we ordered the Hawaiian pizza (marinara, diced pepperoni, red onion, pineapple chunks, hot capicola ham, $16). It was another good tasting, perfectly sized snack, and the crust was light and airy. We were already fifteen minutes over our time limit, but we got the green light to stay longer to order a third drink to share. We ordered the Tiki Diablo (Flor de Cana Eco rum, Worthy Park 109 rum, Alma Tepecha chile liqueur, orange juice, lime juice, mango syrup, guava soda, $24). This drink serves two people, is served in a cool volcano bowl with glowing red lava around it, and comes with a fire show. Unfortunately, right after it was served, the host came over and said we were over our time and had to leave shortly. Christian made up for it by giving us two tall pours to go enjoy in the bowling alley bar area which was fine. We were happy we got some extra time inside. The drink was also very good, balanced with a little complexity. We had a great time. There is so much great décor to look at. The drinks and food were very good, and some of the the drink presentations and special effects were the icing on the cake. All of the bartenders were very friendly and a lot of fun. We purchased up a few zombie glasses to take home as a souvenir. I'd definitely recommend visiting the Lucky Tiki in Highland Park!

Adorable speakeasy with a fortune teller as a doorbell…read more Drinks 3/5 Painkiller $18 - This drink comes out with a show as they light a part of it on fire. I didn't fancy the flavor and this is a very popular drink so it stinks up the place every time it gets served to someone. Dark Magic $18 - Objectively not a bad drink but too tart for my partner and I didn't prefer the flavor. Service 5/5 Standard service. Our waitress got us some free shots, very kind. :) Ambiance 4/5 I love the vibes, the darkness, the decor. It's just too stinky and smokey whenever they serve the Painkiller.

On our recent trip to California, we got to to eat and drink at amazing restaurants & bars. One of…read morethem was Griffens of Kinsale in South Pasadena. It was a great experience with delicious martinis and potent cocktails !! The pub has booths as well as bar seating inside and outdoor patio. It's an awesome neighborhood bar packed with happy people. There's live performances in the evenings which are usually great . Staff are friendly, helpful and with big smiles !! Food is good with delicious bar fare , we tried the wings as well as potato wedges. Both were well prepared and tasty !!!

A $150 St. Patrick's Day dinner that never happened! A $150 St. Patrick's Day dinner at Griffin's…read moreof Kinsale turned into a 90-minute wait with no food and no explanation. I'm a second-generation Irish-American from New York, and St. Patrick's Day has always meant something in my family. Growing up it was about heritage, family, and a little joy. Now that I have two daughters of my own -- very Irish-looking girls who are proud of their roots -- I wanted them to experience some of that same Irish pub spirit. So on St. Patrick's Day 2025, I took them to Griffin's of Kinsale in South Pasadena. They were so excited to be there -- the decorations, the music, the feeling of a real Irish pub. For a moment I thought, this is going to be a great memory for them. We came early because it was a school night. The restaurant was busy -- which is understandable on St. Patrick's Day. I ordered three salmon dinners for my daughters and myself. The bill came to about $150. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. Over an hour and a half. During that entire time: * No one warned us the kitchen was backed up when we ordered. * No one checked on our table. * No updates. * No communication at all. Had someone simply said "Just so you know, food may take an hour or more tonight," I could have made a different decision -- especially with two kids who had school the next morning. Instead we sat downstairs watching the clock while the evening disappeared. By the end of the night my daughters -- who had been so excited walking in -- were tired, hungry, and miserable. When I asked to speak with a manager, no one came. No explanation. No apology. Restaurants get slammed on holidays. Kitchens fall behind. That happens. But ignoring a table for 90 minutes -- especially a family with children -- isn't a busy night. It's bad management. What should have been a fun St. Patrick's Day memory for my daughters turned into a long, uncomfortable evening where we felt completely invisible. For a place that trades so heavily on Irish identity and hospitality, this was about as far from hospitality as you can get. Save your $150 and celebrate St. Patrick's Day somewhere that actually wants you there. And if management would like to explain how a family ends up waiting 90 minutes with no communication, I'd genuinely be interested to hear it.

Melt in your mouth Wagyu beef and fresh avocado is amazing!! Staff is very friendly and…read moreaccommodating. Patio area is secluded and pleasant.

Great place once you can actually find it! LOL! I had to wonder up and down this alley asking…read moreseveral people where it was until they opened at 5:00pm and put out their sign. *Hint ~ it's located next to Edwin Mills by Equator. The bar has some great cocktails to try but I went for "Don't be a Prick." Yes, the name alone had me at "hello," but it was a prickly pear margarita which is my fav! I lucked out! It had fresh blueberries in it and was very good! My Yelp sister Nikki went for the same drink, my sister Sam got the Purple People Eater which was rum based with Ube syrup & my sister Hannah ordered a specialty mocktail created by our bartender Lou who was dyno-mite! We enjoyed the music while catching up with each other. Great hang for friends with plenty of tables and bar seating. *There is a quaint courtyard that separates the bar from Mills Alley restaurant which offers a "lite bite" menu to Behind Bars. *Meter street parking & local parking garages

I came to this magical little place with my girl friends to celebrate a birthday. Only the three of…read moreus but we wanted a drink to end the night with a vibe. Boy did we win the jackpot! We came in around 6:30. They had just opened but the atmosphere was ready! Dark and moody with candles on the table, it was the perfect spot to grab a drink and catch up. Jeremy was our bartender and he was fantastic. Super chill and friendly and made us some amazing drinks based on a few preferences. Our "bartenders choice" drinks were amazing, so much so that our "drink to end the night" turned into two drinks and some appetizers. We ordered taquitos and mozzarella sticks. Overall all three of us ladies loved this place! We definitely plan to be back! Let Jeremy make you a drink - you won't regret it. He makes them custom for you and he definitely knows what he is doing. *they do ask for a password which you can request on their website... but I would do that 24-48 hours before you plan to visit. We didn't have that days password and simply asked the front door.

Absolutely loved this spot in Pasadena. It's a hidden a gem. The unique touches like needing a…read morepassword to enter and the no flash photography rule add to the experience. This is a grungy yet atmospheric bar. It definitely has some unique vibes and it's pretty big inside. The cocktail menu has something for everyone. I got Pablo's Poison and the Kitty Killer and both were delicious. Everyone else in our friend group got the Naked & Famous and it was a clear favorite.The customer service is on point, the crowd is friendly. The music is on point. If you want a night out in Pasadena, this is it!

An amazing idea for a chill date type of vibe or with friends…read more The food and music were amazingly good. Bartenders are so friendly. Definitely coming back again.

The service was great, the music was good, and the drinks were excellent. I can't wait to go back!read more

Nice, chill ambience during a weekday early evening. The decor is dark jungley but the main room…read moregets nice natural light. The cocktails were very unique and decently strong. Grandma's Purse, which features miso-infused Suntory, butterscotch, and 5 spice, was surprisingly savory and not sweet. On the other hand, Wabbit Season, which features carrot, cumin and celery among its ingredients, was surprisingly sweet. Go figure. I enjoyed the novelty of those drinks but I probably would not get them again. I would be interested in trying out some of their other cocktails though.

Arroyo Club? More like Arroyo Flub. Bartenders are nice but the doorman is an absolute prick. Get…read morehim out of here! He didn't let me back in because I was "being weird". Please elaborate my brother. Anyways, will never go back. NEXT!

I've heard some good things about this place and from other fellow yelpers friends, it must be…read moreworth it. Had a dinner reservation with some girlfriends celebrating two of their birthdays. The restaurant itself isn't too big but it does a pack a nice punch. Cute patio out front that takes some of the sidewalks and streets. Plenty of heat lamps which helped with the chilly nights. We got seated at one of the tables on the patios which was nice. Didn't really utilize inside area except for the restroom which it's quite cute in there. The rooms were pretty well decorated and executed. Nice bar area too. Like mentioned, we got seated on the patio and the heat lamps were great. Down to the menus, it's quite limited on dishes. Seemed like there were more shared plates versus the entrees. Drinks, it was fairly decent with their cocktails and wine. Service at the beginning was great. The staff were amazing and very friendly. We didn't order right away as we were still waiting for the last one to show. But did start off with some drinks. It didn't take that long for the first round which was nice. Food wise, the shared plate was a mixture of everything. Some of the olives, which is exactly what it is. The Belgian fries, nice thick cut fries with shredded pecorino cheese and a nice aioli sauce. We ended up getting a second order of it. The albacore tuna crudo was a hit which was really tasty. Chili ginger relish, mint and shallot, can't go wrong with that. Lastly the meatballs, tasty and very great for sharing. Entrees, the pan seared sea bass which I loved. Portion is pretty tiny which also seemed like they were a shared plate. Almost tapas styled. Nice chimichurri sauce and a side salad. The chicken Milanese also with a side salad of arugula. Simple dish but quite tasty. One of the salads that was somewhat hyped up by the waitress but it was just a salad. Decent but nothing major to rave about...lol... also the confit oyster mushrooms was major hit. Something that simple but quite tasty. And lastly the pan con tomate, rustic sourdough with tomatoes and burrata. Tasty as well. Overall the meal was good. From there, the second round of drinks did take a long time to arrive and with then plates that we shared, trying to get someone to clear the plates was another thing. Took a long for someone to clear the table before more items came. Even when the entrees came, all the empty starter plates were still there. And if someone did clear the plates, some was still left on the table. Finishing off the night, we did have the dessert which we tried all three. As it was two of our girlfriends birthday, they brought out a little bubbly for us to celebrate with the dessert. That was quite sweet and nice. Honestly opinion with the dessert, they were just ok. Nothing major to rave about. We tried all three on the menu and they were just ok. Overall, the food was great. Service was nice and the staffs were all very friendly. It did take a while for plates to get cleared from the table and second round did take a while, but it was manageable. It was a sweet gesture with the bubbly with the dessert which was greatly appreciated. The place is nice and great for catching up. Menu is limited and portions are quite small. You would have to get a good amount for sharing. Entrees, depending on what you order is small as well. But we enjoyed ourself.

First let's get this clear, THIS IS A BAR NOT A RESTAURANT. Food is generic bar food. Poor quality…read moreingredients, no technique or effort. Drinks are fair although cheap ingredients are also utilized for their bar program. The prices for the drinks are fair for the area. This is a good spot to drop by for one round of drinks and that's about it, save your time if you're looking for good eats or an elevated experience. Service is ok, the staff looks under staffed and struggle to get the basics taken care of. The ambience is that of your great grandmothers house in the summer, just missing the plastic/ vinyl wrap over the sofas.

Genuinely impressed with this entire hotel, but the tap room really stood out. It feels like a…read morehidden speakeasy with live music, and before the sun fully sets you get some beautiful views through the large hotel windows. We were here for a work event and had a few cocktails, and it was such an enjoyable experience. If you're staying on the property, this is absolutely worth stopping by for a couple of drinks. Great views, friendly people, and an easy walk from your room.

I used to frequent The Tap Room a lot and loved the vibe and the complimentary nuts they provide. I…read morefinally brought my husband here and found out they changed the menu. The complimentary nuts were no longer the same and they were just okay. They now have very interesting menu items. I ordered the burger but had to modify i just wanted something simple. It ended up being delicious. I really wanted a salad with it but was told they don't have salads on the menu either. Service wasn't too bad.