Open since 1967, the Bahooka Ribs & Grog is known as the ?working man?s Trader Vic?s restaurant? offering seafood, steaks, ribs, and the BEST reasonably-priced, most prolific menu of TROPICAL mixed drinks found outside the state of Hawaii: the Blue Hawaii, the Pina Colada, the Hurricane, the Zombie, and many others are all here. Some of them are flaming drinks and some arrive with the traditional paper umbrellas, fresh pineapple spear, and maraschino cherries. But be forewarned: Their alcoholic drinks are STRONG. The restaurant?s ambience has a dark, ?Gilligan?s Island,? shipwreck-decor. You may need to bring a discreet mini-flashlight to read the menu. There are 105 illuminated aquariums filled with fish?as pets?to admire and occasionally, you can hear The Beach Boys? music in the background. Some reviewers have criticized the food. Compared to fine steak and seafood restaurants, they're right. However, the food at the Bahooka IS generally good and above average, with some entrees made better than others. Highly recommended are their Dinner Menu entrees such as the Ham Steak with Pineapple Ring; the New York Steak Dinner; and the ?Exotic Ribs? Dinner (pork spareribs). The ham is thick and juicy, the NY steak is lean and flavorful, and the spareribs are lean, very meaty, and basted with a tasty BBQ sauce. Seafood selections here are limited, but the ?Catch of the Day? fish specials are seldom a disappointment. Their ?House Salad? is served ice cold with a tasty Thousand Islands salad dressing. Dinner rolls are warm, soft and flavorful. And their side dish of ?Steak Fries? is some of the best I?ve ever tasted?fresh, hot, crispy, and not overdone. VERY generous food portions, too. I love this place for its unique ambience, good food, great tropical drinks, and the friendly service. Unfortunately for me, this is the LAST Bahooka Ribs & Grog location?there used to be more of them scattered throughout the San Gabriel Valley during the 1970s.
Pros: Original and unique ambience. Ask to ""sit in jail"" area. Plenty of free parking in back.
Cons: The low wattage lightbulbs hanging directly over the dining tables are too dim.
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