Puka Bar

Just found out that my favorite bar is going to be turned to a WHACK ASS BIKINI BAR at the end of the month! What??? Why??? I HATE YOU!!!
I have spent so many good nights in this place, it’s so sad to know everything is coming to an end. Now I gotta find a new place in the Wrigs, which is much harder said than done.
I hate you new management. I hope you hire a whole bunch of bartenders with crabs and get shut down for health reasons.

Came here on a slow night but I still had a good time. The bar itself has décor that is straight from Hawaii but just a little darker. They have another room that people can sit and listen to the band playing.
The bartender was really nice and made the drinks really strong. She made an Adiós for a friend of mine but it was different but good. At the time I was going through a Mai Tai drink phase and my Mai Tai was strong! I loved it!
The drinks are reasonably priced and good.
Location is right off the 710 so it’s easy to get to.

The tiki décor is so-​so. I’ve seen (much) better, I’ve seen worse.
We were here to see one of my husband’s bands play. I like the fact that the music is in an area separate from the bar. The sound, however, is not of great quality (this place used to be the KB Club and I seem to recall the same issue with that venue). It’s not unbearable, but definitely could use some improvement. On this night there was punk rock — I don’t know if that is a regular thing, or what other sorts of bands and music they showcase here. I think the cover was $ 6.
My main issue here was with the drinks. There is no real consistency here and the specialty drinks are nothing to write home about. The first bartender was pouring them very weak. I ordered a Dark and Stormy, which should have been mostly rum, and it tasted like a watery ginger ale with lime. My friend ordered a Jack and ginger that was mostly ginger. After that we ordered from a different bartender and the drinks were much stronger. The Dark and Stormy was a completely different experience, and much stronger — although the drink itself was pretty «meh.» The drinks range in price from about $ 7-​$ 9 (give or take). The beers we bought were $ 4.50.
(The bartender forgot to mention that the prices listed on the drink menu have been raised. That was mildly annoying. Seriously guys, get some new menus.)
At the end of the day, a tiki bar is really only as good as the mai tai that they make… and the Puka Bar mai tai is FUCKING GROSS. I have had many mai tais at many tiki bars, and this is by far the worst. Syrup-​y sweet and just… icky. The bartender wasn’t even ashamed when I told her that it was disgusting. Totally clueless. Do not bother getting a mai tai at Puka Bar. Take my word for it. You have been warned.
All in all, not a great experience. This definitely will not become a regular destination. Really, if I never went back again I’d be okay with it.

So thursday we were out for a little preweekend spritzer. We started at the Puka Bar, rambled on over to Alex’s Bar for Punk Rock Karaōke then ended up at Taco Beach around 1am for some nourishment.
I’ve been here several times before to hear a friend’s band (Saints and SInners). Cool laid back spot. The island style décor is very nice and a breathe of fresh air. They have a very favorable happy hour (I believe from 5−8pm) but the drink specials merely ok. Prices are moderate.
The bartender chick and bouncer were both very friendly and talkative. We had a good time shooten da shit with both of them. We ended up in ridiculous booby conversation amongst guys and gals. Everyone had a really good sense of humor which was divine.
This spot is really mellow, if your looking for a raging party, this ain’t it. If your looking for a cool looking mellow spot to throw a few down and chill. Definitely check it out.

I like this spot. It’s a very small, neighborhood bar. Proximity to my house (stumbling distance) was what brought me here the first time, the friendly atmosphere is what brings me back.
It’s not a big place, and it’s by no means fancy, but it’s too clean for me to call it a dive. The guy who checks id’s at the door is always friendly, not too pushy or pretentious. The bar tenders are cool and friendly, beers and drinks are priced about average for a bar of this size and location.
Again, not at all fancy, but very fun tiki theme. Good spot to walk to in hopes of getting around the whole ‘drinking alone’ thing… good bar, very laid back feel.

I likey, likey, likey this spot! I can not say enuf good things about it… only been twice but both times was really cool and I will be back; they have an awesome spacious spot with lots of entertainment to lure you back along with the cool staff and good drinks.
Bartenders
So far we have met 2 of them and they both were incredibly helfpul, good at their jobs and fun… woo woo for Asia & Kimmie
Drinkis
I have only had the Mai Tai’s here and they were nicely strong, tasty and overall delish!
Jukie Box
I love all the selections of music they have here… I think you get 3 songs for a dollar.
Sound System
There was a band playing one night we went (on a Friday about a month ago and they were really good — don’t recall their name) but the room where they have the stage is set up really nicely with plenty of seating, space to move about and good logistics for dancing too.
Folks
You get a variety of ages, interests and peeps depending upon the time, date and entertainment but it’s the type of local spot you can traipse into any time if you’re in the mood for some social time.
All around it’s an easy spot to dig, can be easy to chill before late night hours and after that an all together cool spot for enjoying people, talking, music and dancing galore…
P. S. reggae on tuesday and blues on sundays are next for me but they have music nightly… see

puka bar is like that black cardigan you try to avoid wearing so you can expand your wardrobe and stop looking like a cartoon character with the same outfit on everyday, but the second you put it on you remember just how comfortable and perfect it is.
i always find myself coming here when i wanna go out but don’t wanna get dolled up. after bar hopping all over LA, sometimes i just wanna leave the skyscraper heels at home and hang out. i LOVE the kitschy hawaiian décor, i’m a total sucker for this type of stuff. they have surf videos playing in between bands, and the bar is full of little tiki trinkets. it’s heavenly. i like that the stage is in a separate room just in case you want to skip the moshing and just have a drink (or 5). the drinks are stiff as hell! no weenie drinks here. bartender Aja is hilarious! they serve the BEST tiki drinks i have ever tasted. what’s not to love? the crowd is always fun and friendly, as well. when you’ve had one too many zombies, they have just the thing to embarrass you when the pictures pop up on facebook the next morning– HULA HOOPS! yesss! 5 stars because on top of being amazing, their bathroom is immaculate and i NEVER have to wait in line. always a good time, i love you puka bar :)

Since it’s right down the street from my house, I really want to love this place. I’ve been here three or four times and it’s just kindof Meeehh…
It’s got a tiki theme, but the tiki drinks are never ever tasty. Their beer selection is very sad and lacking. The music is always either coming from the machine, or it’s some noisy ass garage band that is so loud you can’t even hear yourself talking much less be able to communicate with your friends across the table. I’ve even been charged a cover charge a time or two… for what??? The place was virtually empty when I got inside.
This place has alot of potential, and I want to like it more, but it’s just such a disappointment. Take my advice, don’t bother.

If you’re a hardened criminal who loves Tiki drinks, this is the place for you.
I love the way they did the Tiki Decorations. Their Tiki drink menu is delicious. The bartenders are nice and friendly.
If they would move this bar to a location that was more central and didn’t attract total gangsters (or have a bouncer that would keep them in check), and if they continued the Tiki theme into the other room (empty and bare with a stage — kind of feels like a church basement), I would give it 4 stars.
The problem is, every time I’ve gone here, totally wasted gangsters have harassed my girl friends and I, almost leading to fist fights. I stopped going. Which sucks, because Long Beach could use a down to earth Tiki room like this, and I would have liked to continue to support them.

The Puka Duka Bar
Randoms: YUP!
Mix of musical performers: BIG YUP!
Weird people making out at the bar top: HOLY MOLY… YUP!
Hawaiian theme: HAH… I GUESS SO!
The family & I came by one Friday night and it wasn’t very poppin’. So why the d@mn cover charge? I guess it was because of the bands that were playing. Big frikkin’ whoop. the only reason why we wandered in here was because a friend of my husband was playing that night and they asked him if he wanted to cover for one of the guitarists & just jam on stage.
Complete nightmare, but that’s another story to tell. I’m here to talk about the venue. I know I’m only giving it a 2 star rating & here’s why:
Highlights & Low-​lights:
*Where do I park, man? Front spots are all taken (there’s space for 6 or so vehicles); so we head to the neighborhood and walked our way to the front door
*May not be too much in the «ghetto,» but your pretty damn close to it! LOL… I can say that, my family lives down the street! TOTAL DIVE BAR!
*Cover charge was 5 bucks; ehhh… reasonable I suppose. IF you like who’s playing that is!
*Good sized bar top & decent amount of room to frolic
*Performance area could be bigger
*DJ, who the hell hired you??? This is LONG BEACH, I personally don’t care for Japanese girl bands singing in English saying the STUPIDEST things!
*No wait service… just the bartenders that randomly walk around to pick up empties (no order taking)
*Décor is alright– it just felt too whitewashed and not authentic
*One stall in the ladies bathroom– but it wasn’t all nasty that night
*The randoms that sat around our family were a little creepy and not really «cool» people to chat with (cool people don’t tell you their loners & really mean it-​my personal opinion)
*Crowd was a mix of bikers, ska-​like cats, your «randoms,» then there was US. your islanders… the ONLY ONE’S in the house. You’d think with a name like «puka bar» there would be more on a Friday night!
*Drinks…well, I guess I’m a little wishy washy in this review since I didn’t get a drink due to pregnancy… next time I’ll have to check out their pricing and pours for their long necks & cocktails
Not too many people ventured into this place. I thought maybe the vibe would be better when 12am rolled around, but it didn’t. I guess the main thing that might change things up would be the bands. So, I’m planning on coming back here one of these days to reanalyze the whole scene & bar experience. It just wasn’t doing it for me during my first visit. If things went well… I would have probably ordered a drink and screw the whole «I’m pregnant thing,» one-​two-​or even three drinks never hurt a fetus!

I love a bar with happy people and moderately priced drinks. I love it even more when everyone in the bar is drinking, dancing, and singing. Had a great night, got a little too rowdy danced with a gorgeous girl and she slipped out of my hands and fell and hit her head, DAYM! LOL. Talk about letting the right one go right?
Definitely a place to go with a group of people to have a great time.

Yay! This place is awesomely random. The people are just from all walks of life, the music ranges from techno to blue-​grass country whatever you want to call it, and what the heck, the bartender is my brother’s old friend who I haven’t seen in forever/​Hugo C.‘s cousin’s pretend cousin?!? It’s a small fucking world. Well not really because it’s the South Bay and everyone knows everyone somehow.
Sorry for the tangent BUT the two times that I’ve been here I’ve had a great time. The drinks are strong, it’s not crowded and they have hula hoops?! I highly recommend coming here with a group of friends, there is ample space to hang out and get your drink on. Also if you get Daniel as your bartender tip him well. See you there!
Also, ATM is inside and the ladies restroom is behind the stage.

When we first decided to «venture» out after having the baby .well actually about a year after having the baby and actually being ok to drink alcohol — we’d ride our bikes over the bridge to the Wrig and wet our whistle.
This is a great — unpretentious or ghetto local bar. I grew up on the Westside and Chris grew up in Los Altos, so this is like the perfect Harmony that is the bridge between :-)
Nice mix of people which might sound odd but it really is a random mix and representation of the Gentrification that has occurred on the West Side of Long Beach — truly.
GREAT cocktails and they are a bit heavy handed here. So be careful, you can get a ticket for drunk biking…
Be sure to find out if they’ve got a band playing that night and of what variety. Yup — it’s that eclectic.

I dig this place! I happen to have acquired a fondness for Tiki in the last few years + any place that makes a good Dark & Stormy or my frou frou drink of choice Pina Coladas is always a plus in my book, and this is a Tiki Place so of course they make them right!
The main reason I don’t come here more is it location is on the outskirts of town.

Hazel + Beer = Good times
Hazel + Whiskey = Trouble and a half.
I know this equation. I’ve repeated it over and over. I’ve memorized it. Yet every time I head to Puka Bar the first words out of my mouth are: «Land Pirate, please.» …and shortly after…“Another Land Pirate, please.” This tasty, tasty whiskey-​based cocktail gets me every time. I can’t help it, they’re just so damn tasty.
In addition to the stupendously mixed tiki drinks, this spot is a tiki wonderland. Bands here are very hit or miss, but I suppose that’s because they have such a wide variety of them — from a jazz trio to a screaming death metal band. So hopefully you go on a night where you catch a band that’s more your speed. I will say that the DJs are generally pretty kickass though, as is most of the crowd here — lots of friendly drunk folks, and definitely a few interesting characters.
And, of course, after a few Land Pirates or Lemmynades nobody can resist trying out the hula hoops. I should start video taping everyone hula hooping, because drunk people hula hooping is seriously one of the funniest things you’ll ever see in your life.

No, it didn’t stink like puke. Several reviews mentioned it, so I was preparing myself to hold my breath as I walked in – nope, nothing.
Being only two blocks off the 710, I took up Alex F. on his offer and joined him for some late Sunday night debauchery (drinks on the sabbath?!). I’ve started to become jaded of the ultra-​cool modern lounges that dot the Greater Los Angeles area. It was refreshing to visit a place that stayed true to a whimsical theme, without being a complete dive.
If you can find a way to ignore the (offensive and clearly coked out) dooman, you’ll have a chance to enjoy a Tiki oasis. I know your posse is going to question your masculinity for not ordering your manly-​man Corona, but do yourself a favor and order something rum-​based or just ask the bartender to surprise you. Both ‘the big stick’ and the ‘yeti’ were delicious drinks that tasted more like liquid candy than alcoholic beverages (if you’re playing along at home, read: panty droppers).
You’ll be glad to be able to put away the GPS for this trip. The neon signs light up the block and are extremely easy to spot. From what I could tell, only street parking is available.

I was here last night and BOY was it an interesting night. First of all, what is UP with the ASS VOMIT stench? Seriously, the moment I walked through the door, I almost passed out from the heat wave of ass, vomit and cigarette smell. Fabreeze that shit!
Still looking tiki-​fab. My friend Tony enthusiastically stated;
«Hey, how cool would it be to have a house like this!!!»
To which his sister replied «I think it would be, like, totally lame.»
Whatever.
The DJ that night was playing a mix of reggae, dancehall, motown and garage. It was supposed to be rockasilly night, but the greasers and betties were no where in sight. Thank you Jesus.
I nursed a delicious cocktail called The Scorpion. Pineapple, Orange Juice and a bunch of brown booze to complete it. I wasn’t in the mood to indulge much, so I passed the dutchie on the left hand side.
The highlight was the FIRE EATER lady. She was cool. She had these little fire torches flaming away as she grazed her arms, chest, neck and mouth. What a woman! She even shoved these flaming torches down her throat!
Overall; Good local bar for tropical drinks and music. They now have a section for live performances. And like with any bar, there will always be a drunken mess named Frank who will scream «SHOTS! SHOTS! FUCKIN SHOTS!» Stay away from that dude.

Puka Bar has now become one our favorite spots in all of Long Beach. Jenna, one the best bartenders around has educated me on just about every spirit, mixer, drink recipe, and liquer behind the bar. She rocks!

I like quiet unassuming bars.
I like dark bars.
I like bars that make drinks right.
Puka Bar is like a Dive Bar that someone decorated in a tiki theme.
I like Tiki themes.
Anywhere that can make me a good Dark and Stormy, or a Mai Tai is okay in my book.
Add in a band that turned out to be okay, and an amusing rockabilly crowd, and I’m kinda down.
So its located in the middle of nowhere Long Beach. So be it. That’s why its quiet.
Add some lovely company and who’s to complain?
Not I.
Mix in playful bartenders, and drinks made with actual squeezed juice not mix, and I’m really in.

Unexpectedly Fun.
I’m always looking for a spot in between West LA, and OC since thats where all my friends live. I chose this place instead of Mai Tai’s in Downtown because it upheld two of my most important rules of going out.
No Waiting in Line, and No Cover Charges, I’m going to be spending money on alcohol so leave me be. It happened to be my birthday so i thought i’d give it a shot. If only for the slightly shady area of Long Beach i would’ve given it a 5er.
The bartenders of the night were quite generous for their pours, and i heard many good things from the girls about the mixed drinks. I was hanging out mr. Jack Daniels for most of the night, but did have a pia coloda which was qutie tasty.
DJ wasn’t there on saturday night, but the juke box kept playing through out the night.