Bahooka Lives On at Clifton’s Cafeteria

As Gideon Brower so eloquently put it in his post, there will never be another place quite like Bahooka Family Restaurant, which closed on March 9th. But depressed patrons can…

As Gideon Brower so eloquently put it in his post, there will never be another place quite like Bahooka Family Restaurant, which closed on March 9th. But depressed patrons can quit crying into their Mai Tai’s, because Bahooka is about to be reincarnated… sort of. Many of its most familiar marquee items will be on display at the new Clifton’s Cafeteria when it reopens later this year.

Clifton’s proprietor Andrew Meieran will use the Bahooka decor for one of the floors of the rennovated Clifton’s Cafetoria on South Broadway. The floor will be named ‘Pacific Seas,’ after the other cafeteria location on South Olive Street that Clifford Clinton remodeled with a tiki theme in 1939. The Pacific Seas was adorned with all kinds of tiki embellishments, including a huge waterfall and tropical foliage covering the facade. Clifton’s Pacific Seas was closed in 1960, and the building was razed and made into a parking lot. Using items from Bahooka, plus some of the original items from the Pacific Seas location, Meieran’s hope is to keep the spirit of both of these beloved LA establishments alive.

I spoke with Andrew Meieran about how he acquired some of Bahooka’s marquee items, and about how the perception of Tiki has changed since Clifton’s Pacific Seas opened in the 1930s:

Meieran’s hope is to reopen Clifton’s Cafeteria, which is located at 648 South Broadway, in time for the holidays.

This post was written by KCRW’s Jenny Radelet.