Don
the Beachcomber – A Taste of the South Seas
One
in a Series of Surfrider Sponsor Stories
Sunny
Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted
material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another
website, contact them at
Mai tais, Tahitian rum punch,
exotic drinks served in coconuts...
Surfrider Foundation Huntington Beach/Seal
Beach Chapter Sponsor Don the Beachcomber started it all.
Located at 16278 Pacific
Coast Highway, this Huntington Beach restaurant with Hollywood roots and celebrity
connections from the golden age of movies is the kind of place that other
restaurants try to copy.
With its tiki bars – a Don
the Beachcomber original creation – palm trees, indoor waterfalls, island
paintings and décor, the only thing missing from this tropical paradise that
SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel could think of is a hammock to
rock in while listening to the waves breaking nearby.
Started in Hollywood in 1937...
by Ernest Gantt, a restaurateur with a love for the South Pacific and a knack
for promotion, Don the Beachcomber has been reinvented in many locations since
then, eventually making its way to its current Huntington Beach spot.
As one would expect, the restaurant’s
Dagger Bar...
serves an encyclopedia-sized selection of tropical drinks…
including its “Rum
Rhapsodies” – Navy Grog, Dark and Stormy, Painkiller, Vicious Virgin, Sam’s
Lapu Lapu, Zombie, and more. The Rum Barrel concoction is a blend of 16
ingredients – juices and light, amber and dark rum – served in a rum barrel
mug.
There are lots of pupus
(appetizers) to sample, as well, which are great for sharing.
You can choose from Kalua pork
sliders, sticky ribs…
popcorn shrimp, ahi poke tacos, da kine calamari,
and even Spam roll – a Hawaiian classic.
Surfrider HB/SB Chapter Blue
Water Task Force member Manuel Florence, who knows the menu well, told
SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti that he usually opts for the “the brie
quesadilla,” adding that it has an “excellent Hawaiian twist.”
Don the Beachcomber, which
is open for dinner every day and for lunch on Friday and Saturday, has a wide
selection of surf and turf menu items, from grilled salmon, honey lemon sole,
fresh mahi mahi, and Chilian sea bass to Don’s rib eye and filet mignon. HB/SB
Chapter Executive Committee member Gene Rascon loves “the succulent ribs that
melt in your mouth.”
You can also get pulled pork
and rib sandwiches or Don’s Famous Island Cheese Burger – a flame-broiled half-pound
of Angus beef with all the fixings, including sweet Hawaiian onion and
mango-ginger aioli, on a brioche bun. The restaurant dubs this “The Prince of Burgers.”
Clam chowder lovers will be
happy to know that it is served daily. Desserts are on the menu, too, and are
worth the extra calories. The pineapple upside down cake is served with vanilla
ice cream and dark rum caramel sauce.
A place to meet friends and
celebrate festive occasions, Don the Beachcomber has live entertainment
nightly. The Tricia Freeman Trio currently has a regular slot on Wednesdays
playing a mix of blues, classic rock and country.
Sundays are reggae nights
and other music, karaoke and comedy events fill in the rest of the week.
Happy Hour is Sunday to Thursday
from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Monday from 4 pm to close; Friday and Saturday from 11
p.m. to 1 a.m.
A monthly events schedule is on the restaurant’s website: www.donthebeachcomber.com. The restaurant’s phone number is
562-592-1321.
With 15,000 square feet of
space and two banquet rooms – the High Chief’s Room and Hidden Village Room –
Don the Beachcomber can accommodate everything from family parties to large
groups and corporate functions.
The restaurant’s banquet
team is ready to help with all the details from menu planning to valet parking
and security. Tony Soriano, Surfrider HB/SB Chapter Chairperson and a fan of
Don’s Famous Island Cheese Burger, says, “I find the environment and the people
a friendly place for us and tailored to our chapter meetings.”
To share the fun-loving
spirit of the islands even more, Don the Beachcomber now hosts monthly
International Tiki Marketplace events with crafts, food, and music on hand.
Polynesian clothing, fabrics, mugs and glassware, jewelry, art works and other South
Seas treasures are waiting to be found.
The $10 admission price
includes a $10 voucher for food and drinks. The next marketplace event is on
Saturday, October 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Don the Beachcomber caters
to anyone looking to spend a convivial afternoon or evening over good food and
drinks. SurfWriter Girls think It’s the perfect tropical getaway…no airline
reservations or luggage needed.
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