Bahooka was a

Tiki bar A tiki bar is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails. Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their tiki culture décor which is based upon a rom ...

and restaurant in

Rosemead, California Rosemead is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 50,245, currently dropping. Rosemead is part of a cluster of cities, along with Alhambra, Arcadia, Temple City, Monterey Park, ...

. The Bahooka was well known for its many fish tanks, one of which held a famous and frequently photographed pacu fish named Rufus. The bar was also known for serving over 60 different kinds of

Tiki drinks In Māori mythology, Tiki is the List of protoplasts, first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a lar ...

, including their ''Jolly Roger Bowl'' and flaming drinks such as the ''Flaming Honey Bowl'' and their eponymous ''Bahooka Bowl''. The Bahooka served Polynesian fare such as

teriyaki ''Teriyaki'' (kanji: 照り焼き) is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Fish – yellowtail, marlin, skipjack tuna, salmon, trout, and ...

chicken breast and their signature "Exotic Ribs".

History

Bahooka was founded in 1967 in

West Covina, California West Covina is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most popul ...

and expanded to a second location at 4501 Rosemead Boulevard in 1976 after losing its lease. This allowed the Rosemead location to expand its dining area, adding a new room as well as more custom wooden/fiberglass aquariums, which then exceeded over 100 aquariums, many over 100 gallons in capacity. Tiki mug producers ''Tiki Farm'' created a 40th Anniversary mug for the bar. The Rosemead Bahooka closed in March 2013.

In popular culture

Rufus who was known for eating carrots and for having appeared with

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

in ''

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream'' is a 1971 novel in the gonzo journalism style by Hunter S. Thompson. The book is a ''roman à clef'', rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follo ...

''. Rufus, planned at one time to be transferred to another restaurant in Glendale, will remain at the current site in the new restaurant.

References

{{coord, 34.0874, -118.0736, type:landmark_region:US-CA, display=title Restaurants established in 1967 Defunct restaurants in Greater Los Angeles Tiki culture Tiki bars 2013 disestablishments in California Restaurants disestablished in 2013 1967 establishments in California