Don the Beachcomber

We were there for a concert so decided to have dinner first. The employees were very enthusiastic and friendly. The food was great. I had the ribs (Thursday night special) and they were very tender and tasty. All in all, a very positive experience.

Writing this review about the Tiki show, don’t waste your money on this! Actually told us it would be okay to park in the shopping area next door, because their lot was full, then as we were waiting for our lunch told us that our car might be towed if it wasn’t moved. Not even close to being worth the trouble!!!

I went there to see a friend perform.
The waitstaff was very friendly and made great drink recommendations. I thought they may have been spread a little thin because there were very long gaps before she would offer refills or check on us — then I saw that she was in the bar area watching the other band. So I was a little disappointed by that. She recommended the nachos for our table to share, but they were served cold… I’ve seen so many good reviews about the place so maybe it was just a bad night. Since the other reviews were so good, I will return to give it another go. Hopefully next time will be better. The only reason I gave 3 stars was the ambiance.

Been here a handful of times and each time it gets better and better. The food is amazing the drinks are nice and the music and décor are great. I love Hawaiian and tiki stuff so this place is great.

Love this place on Sunday’s my husband and I always come with our friend Jah faith and it is always so amazing. We usually come for the show but end up getting some food which is pretty decent bar food I guess. We don’t hit the restaurant side. The drinks are GREAT! Every time I come the same bartender is there serving drinks and he is so nice and cool. Definitely part of the reason why you would come. Overall always a nice experience

I adore this place. I have come for the Tiki Marketplace and now twice for their Mother’s Day Brunch. They have great dancers and the food is pretty good. The place is huge and I just love the décor. We wanted to have a our wedding here, but our date wasn’t available. Hoping to have a birthday party here someday!

I had the rib sandwich which was pretty good. We had a large party and the waitresses we’re really wonderful. Great location and atmosphere.

First timers here… Had no expectations and was blown away by the tasty flavor in their dishes.
The hostess was kind of rude to start of… Was looking at me as if I’d lost something… But I got past that…
Half the room is a reggae band loud room and the other is a more subtle a bit quieter dining area. Server was great. But they ran out of one of their so called «new» dish! I had my palette set on that… Oh well, made the best of it and did enjoy our food greatly

We go there for the music! Appetizers are good and the wait staff is usually friendly and great. However, a few weeks ago I was there with my date… we had pretty slow service but it was OK, We wanted to order a second drink, but our waitress disappeared, and she never brought us our requested water. When she came back with the bill my date gave her about a 18% tip on the credit card The waitress actually came back to him and told him it wasn’t enough of a tip, that she had to share with the rest of the staff. He gave her an additional $ 10 cash for a very small order, We were there for the evening and my friend was very generous to her and gave her the cash tip she prefers (probably so she doesn’t have to share).
Still, I love the funky Gilligan’s Island theme and the music is always fabulous!

5 stars for service. Nicole was so sweet and gave great recommendations!
5 stars for their drink selections. Lots of fun drinks to choose from and menu even tells you how strong they are.
5 stars for food. We got all happy hour items and they were all delicious especially the brie quesadilla.
5 stars for ambience. Good music selection and love the location.
Basically just super satisfied with the overall experience and definitely will be coming back!

Came here on a Saturday night for a reggae concert. We didn’t have reservations at the restaurant since it was a last minute invite to the show; which having reservations seemed like the way to go to ensure that you have a good seat for the concert. The venue isn’t all that big. The restaurant is in the front, and when you walk to the back there’s a person collecting dues for the concert. The day we went it was only $ 5 per person to get in (hence why we went lol). The concert area is pretty small, and it was very hard to find places to sit down since everyone had ate dinner there and remained in their spots for the concert. We got lucky when a couple people left, we were able to snag their seats on the booth along the back side. Now I’m not sure if this place is always packed, but it was crowded on this night! But why wouldn’t it be on a $ 5 cover charge night? It was a pretty cool place to hang out and the reggae bands that played were decent. Lots of people get up and dance on the dance floors, and it gets super hot inside. Be prepared to sweat your butt off even if you’re not dancing!

Man, this placed oozes authenticity. Total TIKI culture, surfer vibes all around. We visited to celebrate a co-worker’s birthday and were definitely not let down. There was a LOT of hype, and Don’s lived up to every bit of it.
Drinks were delicious. Food was tasty.
My favorite were the Ahi Poke Tacos. We ordered two orders — the first had a good amount of heat and then the second was wasabi overload. WAY too much wasabi. We couldn’t finish the order.
The coconut shrimp were tasty too, but there were far too few to make it an appetizer for more than 2 – 3 people unless you were partaking in multiple apps for the party.
A couple folks in our group tried the weekly special — «Pressed Duck». I’d say if you are game for something more akin to duck meatloaf than something that was pressed like chicken under a brick, then go for it. Otherwise, try the smoked duck instead.
The Huli Huli Chicken was super tasty — I loved the crispy skin and the portions were big. You’ll get a full half a chicken. The purple yam wonton was also surprisingly tasty. I wish they gave you a couple of those!
For drinks — I started off with a Mai Tai (tasty but not too strong) and then finished with a group Rum Barrel (split with two other folks). I certainly could have went for more, but the sweetness and food made me hit a wall. Drinks were all delicious.
If they ask you if you want to add absinthe to your drink as a topper — be ready to take a highway to happy town. That little bump is SUPER potent. Proceed with caution!

One of my favorite tiki bars! As a tiki enthusiast, I was so excited to come here, and my high expectations were met. On a Tuesday evening, there was a live band playing, and the place was packed! Everyone over the age of 45. Very relaxed vibes here from the bartenders and patrons. Authentic tiki décor and a ton of space for seating. I like that the bar is separate from the dining room-I’m here for the drinks!
I had three drinks-​the Painkiller, which is a creamy and sweet coconut cinnamon rum drink, Missionary’s Downfall, which included a lot of crushed mint and citrus juice, and the Scorpion, a tiki classic. All drinks were delicious, very strong, and affordable ($ 7-​$ 12). Different symbols on the menu denote a drinks sweetness and strength level, which is a fun way to select your drink. I personally feel that no one can be sad at a tiki bar, and would recommend the experience to everyone who likes fun.

Yeah mon! I came here with friends for Reggae Sunday and immediately feel into a great vibe. The food was delicious, albeit slow coming from the kitchen due to the house full of guests with what, three servers? I didn’t mind because I was with good folk, listening to awesome music. Definitely worth coming back!

This review is mainly for the music venue.
It had been many years since I had been to this location. In fact so many years it was Sam’s Seafood the last time I was here. It was a little confusing to figure out where we needed to go to get to the show portion of Don’s. Go straight through the restaurant to the very back.
I purchased the VIP seating through B&B for Deke Dickerson and the Blast-​o-​fonics. When we arrived my friend and I arrived to were escorted to our table by the lady checking us in. Apparently if you have any less than four in your party you are seated with other guests. There was some initial awkwardness as we arrived because we wanted to sit next to each other so we could chat (as girls do) but the other two guests had sort of spread out.
With the purchase of VIP seating you get a table near the dance floor and waitress service. The waitress was nice and efficient. We ordered the coconut shrimp (very good) and the green bean fries (mediocre & a little soggy). After 9:00 PM the waitress service stops for food and it was quicker to go to the bar to get a drink. The drinks served at the bar were definitely more potent than the ones served by the waitress. Not sure why this is but there was definitely a big difference. Prices were pretty standard $ 7 for a Sailor Jerry & diet and $ 10 for most fancy mixed drinks.
The sound was just right, not too loud and very clear. The sound guy walks around the room with an iPad checking it throughout the night.
Restaurant has what seems to be ample free parking but that depends on what time you arrive. By the time we arrived between 7:30 — 8:00 PM there wasn’t any parking available. We parked in a lot a short distance away. We ended up taking Über at the end of the night and thankfully I returned to find a «violation» from Patrol One stating no overnight parking. Really happy my car wasn’t towed!!!
I am really torn between 3 and 4 stars. There were some really great things about the night and a few things that were eh… next time due to the strange seating arrangements and tree in my hair I wouldn’t get VIP.

Don the Beachcomber
Sunset Beach
Iconic Tiki Heaven
Food was great. Had their coconut shrimp. It was great! Good presentation too. Everything I saw looked great.
They are not just a restaurant but have two separate bars and two separate stages. The tiki bar was intimate.
The «long house» was a party. Two bands played the night I was here and we’re great! Lil’l Mo and the Dynaflows plus The Rockin’ Rebels. Great sounds, great dancing and great crowd.
Both of these you enter from the front restaurant.
I love this place and will be back again.

A varietable mid century modern enchanteed tiki room. This place is a classic PCH surfers grub stop with a different name on it. Everything about this place screams 60’s beach party. This place gets packed when there are shows. My favorite surf band Thee Swank Bastards play at Don’s all the time. There are rockabilly concerts and carshows. Even reggae artists play on Sundays. The building shows its age as should be appropriate for the theme. With wall to wall bamboo and tiki’s everywhere. What’s not to like?!
The waitstaff is positive and bubbly. Speaking of bubbly, they have a really beachy-​keen drink menu. It’s okay for a guy to order a foo-​foo drink in tikirooms! They claim to be the home of the MAI TAI. I will have to order one of those next time. We shared a Rum Runner which was not as strong as I though it should be. Pretty smooth and tasty though. We had our 2 mini huli’s with us so as responsible parents we couldn’t get buzzed. We plan to bring a sitter next trip.
So why not 5 stars from a rockabilly reviewer? Well the food is tastily sub par. It was good but not great. I think the preparation was a bit off is all. We started with a calimari app that came out a bit soggy, and we shared a full rack of Sticky Ribs and a Huli Chicken plate. The ribs were babyback tender good and sweet as heck with decent coleslaw and zany garlic fries. I liked the Dark meat Huli chicken more than she did. Essentially a de-​boned half chicken with coleslaw and more fries. Over all we probably could have been more exotic with our selections. The menu is your standard Hawaiian-​American joint fare. I want to try the Ahi tuna next time and order her the fried kale & sea bass.
She has already asked to go back to Don The Beach Comber on our next trip on X-​mas. She even showed me how close it is to where we’re staying at Disneyland on google maps. I think we started a new tradition. I love Don’s too, it’s my kinda jig!

Don the Beachcomber used to be «Sam’s Seafood», Huntington Beach, California. In 2009, it changed hands, was renamed «Kona» and eventually became «Don the Beachcomber».
The new name has a nice ring to it, it evokes romance, an exotic world that is the paradise of Hawaii and specifically, Waikiki. I have fond memory of «Sam Seafood» where we had our first family reunion and it was also the grand opening of my brother medical office. It was an extravaganza where hula girls, live bands and all the doctors in town were invited. We went there several more times over the years.
I loved the Hawaiian theme, I went to the Tiki town bar and had such fond memories of all that was the «International Marketplace» in Waikiki, Donn Beach was the originator of the International Marketplace in Waikiki, and had his office up in the limbs of the enormous banyan tree in the center of the market. Going to «Don the Beachcomber» was very special for me, I felt nostalgic as I could enjoy the Tiki bar all over again as shortly after we left there in Oct 2013, the International Marketplace closed down for complete rebuilding so the only Tiki bar at this time is located right here at home!
We went there yesterday around 5pm, the traffic was terrible, it was bumper to bumper, we were stuck for 30 to 40 minutes, we got there all frazzled from the weather and the traffic, we thought the restaurant was closed as it was not well lit. We were relieved the inside still looked familiar to us with hula girls mural and palm trees, the Tiki bar was as beautiful as ever. Perhaps the cold weather dampened the spirit a little, I was disappointed my happy hour Mai Tai did not look as sexy as the pictures showed on the web site, it did not have an orchid, to be fair that would be hard when we were not in Hawaii but it did not taste as great as I remembered it, I would have to come back and ordered one at dinner and then it might look like the picture.
We ordered the Kahlua pork sliders, they were delicious, I gave it a 4 star.
The sticky ribs were too sweet for me, I was hoping it would have more of a grilled taste but I guess it was cooked in the oven, not BBQ, my husband loved it saying it had a smoke taste to it.
I had a margarita and somehow I did not feel hungry any more, the happy hour apps were full app size, I might have to come back for the Monday duck special. I was hoping to see the booth we were in when we had the family reunion but the booths were gone, the Polynesian decoration in the dining room was replaced with treasures and pirates, it looked beautiful.
I wished I could be in town to go to the December 12^th International Marketplace Holidays bazaar where 40 vendors would be there, I highly recommend this event, it reminded me of all the gift stores in the International marketplace in Waikiki.

Don the Beachcomber
Located in HB way down PCH on the right hand side of the street. They place is pretty good. I have been to Car Shows that were held in there parking lot. I have been to 3 painting classes there.
D e c o r
Can you say Polynesian paradise? It’s the Tiki bamboo theme with pictures of surfers everywhere. It really reminds you of the beach and Hawaii.
S e r v i c e
Nikki is the most down to earth gal. She always give us good recommendation and is really quick with our drink orders and refills. She always takes care of us. We really like her.
D r i n k s
Don’s Own Mai Tai — $ 9 but on happy hour its like half price ;). These drinks are pretty strong and taste super good. Does the trick.
F o o d
Pork Wanton Nacho’s — $ 10 also on happy hour things are cheaper which we like. These nacho’s are good they are wanton chips with shredded pork mean with Pineapple a sweet and sour sauce. The portion is huge for an appetizer. Stoked!
H a p p y H o u r
Merry Mondays 3 pm-​Close
Tue-Thurs…3 pm-​7 pm
Friday…3 pm-​6 pm
Sun…3 pm-​7 pm
L i v e M u s i c
I believe they even have live music playing here somethings so its a good idea to check there calendar to see who’s playing.
Overall we like this place and you should come check it out.
Thanks for reading.
Matthew Y.

Our hotel was right next to Don’s, a quaint and outdated looking establishment on the outside, Tiki Bar and lots of fun on the inside!
I only went to the lounge area, so I cannot speak for the food or restaurant portion, but I had a great time here!
Whether on purpose or accidentally, it is damn near impossible to find a way into this place. Multiple doors, but most don’t open. When we finally found out way in, it was kind of like solving the treasure hunt and your reward is a tropical getaway filled with tons of people and rum of all sorts!
I was in the mood for a Pina Colada. They don’t have that per se, but they have their own version called the PainKiller. 3x stronger, more rum forward, still the great blended tropical flavors you want.
I also tried the Mai Tai. I’d say it is very close to what you’d expect from a classic Mai Tai, the flavors just blend together and it is hard to tell how much you’re actually drinking!
Sports tv line the bar, and they were nice enough to turn on the Warriors game for us. Plenty of long tables for larger parties and cozy booths in the back!
This is a great place to relax before or after the beach. If I’m ever in the area again, I’d come back for another PainKiller!

Took my hubby on his bday, and we had a great time! our server Mia was super sweet and knowledgeable. Food was good, tasty and nicely plated. theres a good selections of appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks, which makes it a bit hard to choose. The only negative is that its a bit pricey, especially when some dishes sound like just fancy chinese influenced food. At the end, Mia surprised my husband with a yummy mini pineapple upside down cake and we also ordered the homemade bread pudding which was delicious. Cute hawaiian atmosphere although we were the only ones in the dining room on a Tues night. Will recommend!