The Brief

Tiki bars have a simple formula — low-hanging thatched roofs, tropical fruit drinks with umbrellas in them and inspired carvings of Polynesian deities flanking the perimeter. They are the passion projects of those who seek, with great fervor, to recreate a postcard-like experience of a faraway place teeming with coconuts and white sand beaches.

Perhaps not surprisingly then, tiki bars got their start here Los Angeles. After all, L.A. is a land of meticulously crafted movie sets where those invested in the dream could convincingly design an experience that made their patrons feel like they had stepped through a portal to a simpler time and place.

Now, a new documentary called The Donn of Tiki delves into the advent, the appeal, the aesthetic of the tiki movement and the enigmatic man who started it all. The film just made its L.A. debut at the Dances With Films Festival.

Donn the Beachcomber and the advent of tiki

When filmmaker Alex Lamb set out to make a documentary about the history of tiki culture in Los Angeles, he wasn't expecting to profile a single man. "As I started interviewing people, everyone was talking about Donn the Beachcomber," Lamb told LAist's daily news program AirTalk, which airs on 89.3. FM. "It seemed like he deserved his own documentary."

Donn the Beachcomber, it turns out, was a great embellisher of stories. So Lamb and his co-directors not only had the task of telling his story, but they also had to parse out fact from fiction. But then again, that was part of Donn the Beachcomber's allure and he used it to weave a colorful and compelling tapestry of tiki.

So, what exactly is tiki?

"It is a very American thing," Lamb said. "The cocktails are really based off rum and south Caribbean mixology. The aesthetic is South Pacific, like Hawaiian [and] Tongan."

In other words, tiki is a combination of many cultures that keeps reiterating itself in slightly different ways.

"The odd thing about tiki now is that it's really a copy of a copy of a copy of what this one guy Donn did," said Lamb.

So, what exactly did Donn do?

Donn the Beachcomber, née Earnest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, opened the first tiki bar in Hollywood, California at 1727 McCadden Place. The year was 1937 and Donn had been working as a bartender at the Hollywood Hotel.

Years before his tiki oasis came to fruition, Donn was traveling to remote parts of the world where the dream was born.

"What Don was doing was really autobiographical," Lamb said. "He traveled to these places. He learned mixology. He collected these things. And to him, everything sort of meant something, you know, if he put something on the wall, that was because he wanted to talk about this place he had been and what he had seen and what he had learned."

But Donn wasn't just offering people another watering hole in Hollywood, Lamb added; he was offering them an escape.

The appeal

"When you look at tiki historically, it seems to always come back after horrible things happen because people are trying to escape that," Lamb said.

Donn opened his tiki bar right after prohibition ended. But it took off as soldiers returned from World War II looking for an escape.

"Tiki really hit a nerve," said Kevin Murphy, who co-owns the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood. It opened in 1958 and is the oldest tiki bar in Los Angeles. Murphy said it was during this post-war period that different kinds of themed places popped up, including Disneyland.

"Everyone needed an escape," he said. "Especially when you’re in the Midwest and it’s cold."

Murphy's introduction to tiki culture was through his father, who like many others during the advent of tiki, built a bar in the basement of their family home.

"It was full of fake plants, and we'd have luaus," he said. "We loved parties and we loved themes."

While Lamb's documentary doesn't seek to answer questions around cultural appropriation and ethics, Murphy and Lamb acknowledge that's been part of tiki's story since the beginning. "Capitalism is at the core," says Murphy. "Hawaii isn’t the home of the tiki bar. It’s a SoCal construct." That construct created a fusion experience. "The rum is Caribbean, food is Cantonese," says Murphy, co-owner of Tonga Hut in North Hollywood. "But it creates an awareness for the south pacific. People google Tonga after they visit our bar. It drives awareness."

The drinks

The influence of Donn the Beachcomber on modern day cocktails can't be understated, according to many of the tiki bar owners and connoisseurs featured in the film.

"I think the craft cocktail movement of the early 2000s really helped bring back a resurgence of tiki," says Lamb. As bartenders started researching cocktails, they'd come across Donn the Beachcomber. Lamb goes on to say that Donn is the first person we know of who was mixing all kinds of rum and fresh juices together.

"The tiki cocktail was probably the first craft cocktail," says Murphy. "The foundation of a tiki bar is still your tiki cocktails." That means fresh juices, fresh made syrups, quality rums and quality spirits.

What are some tiki cocktail favorites? Depends who you ask, and maybe what day of the week it is.

"I'm going to go with a Navy Grog," says Murphy. It's one of the stronger more traditional tiki drinks with a grapefruit base. He also recommends a traditional Mai Tai. "If you start with that drink you will realize what a tiki drink is supposed to be," he says.

As for the larger tiki culture, Murphy and Lamb think it's having a revival moment. "We're getting a lot of people that are coming back and embracing it from history and then people are just enjoying it for the first time," says Murphy. That's the thing about tiki; it doesn't really change — and for many, that's exactly why they keep going back."

Tiki Talk — Listener favorites

We asked listeners to tell us their favorite tiki bars in LA as well and here are some of their suggestions:

Tiki No (North Hollywood)

Jim in North Hollywood pointed to his neighborhood favorite, Tiki No. "Tiki No has the best piña colada," Jim said.

Tiki-Ti (East Hollywood)

Adrian in Corona, who said he collects tiki mugs and began tiki bar hopping after learning about the legend of Donn the Beachcomber, pointed to Tiki-Ti in East Hollywood, which has called Sunset Blvd home for more than six decades.

Damon's Steakhouse (Glendale)

Floyd from Hollywood Damon's Steakhouse in Glendale is a must. "It's like a time warp. Good cocktails and pretty good steak!"

Tonga Hut (North Hollywood)

I mean, we talked to their owner for this piece so we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the oldest tiki bar in L.A. — Tonga Hut. But this longtime staple is also a listener favorite — Ken from West Adams was one of a few callers who mentioned it. "I've been to all the tiki bars in LA and the Tonga Hut is my favorite," he said.

Bamboo Club (Long Beach)

Not every great tiki bar is in North Hollywood! Ariana in Long Beach says Bamboo Club in Long Beach is her favorite. "It's still a hidden gem here, but we absolutely love this spot!"

Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar (Anaheim)

Ok sure, this is a tiki bar at Disneyland but it's still a fan favorite! AirTalk listener José wrote in to say that he and his wife have made a point to go to evry tiki bar in SoCal, and that it's become one of their favorite dates, but that they frequent Trader Sam's.

Listen to the conversation

File this under things that could only happen in L.A.

Paradise Dynasty, the Singapore-based chain known for its signature eight-flavor xiao long bao, has teamed up with Burritos La Palma — the SoCal burrito institution whose birria de res recipe traces back over 45 years — to create a limited-edition birria soup dumpling. The Birria XLB will be available starting Monday (May 11) for a limited time at Paradise Dynasty locations.

I've eaten my weight in both soup dumplings and burritos, so naturally, I'm a fan of both.

Paradise Dynasty has been on a steady ascent as a major player in L.A.'s dumpling scene, with locations at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and The Americana at Brand in Glendale.

Meanwhile, Burritos La Palma — known for its simple, savory burritos and finely crafted flour tortillas — has been capturing hearts and stomachs since Alberto Bañuelos opened the first eatery in L.A. in 2012. It’s since grown to several spots across L.A. and Orange County, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2024 for its high-quality, Zacatecan-style handmade flour tortilla burritos at an affordable price.

How the collab came together

So what exactly is a birria soup dumpling? A delicate wrapper, lightly packed with tender birria de res — slow-braised beef stewed in chilies and spices — juicy, savory and gone in one bite.

It all began with a call from Paradise Dynasty, when Jason Kuo, district manager for Paradise Dynasty USA, reached out to Bañuelos, calling it, simply, a perfect match between the two dishes.

Kuo said the idea came straight from the community.

"When we started asking guests and people around us what flavor they would want to see in a soup dumpling, birria kept coming up again and again — it was very clear. If we're going to do birria, it has to be done right. Burritos La Palma was the first name that came to mind."

Bañuelos was "beyond thrilled" to have been approached.

"We come from a small town in Mexico, and to be able to elevate to the level of Paradise Dynasty and that culinary perfection, I can't even really put it into words," he said.

It took months of R&D to get the right consistency. Bañuelos said the process required dialing down the moisture and upping the spice potency and landed on serving a fresh red salsa with thin slivers of serrano peppers alongside — a riff on the black vinegar and pickled ginger traditionally served with soup dumplings.

The Birria XLB's juicy interior is part of what makes it work — the dish is served with a fresh, tomato-based salsa and slivers of serrano pepper in place of the traditional black vinegar and pickled ginger.

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Katrina Frederick

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Courtesy Paradise Dynasty

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How it tastes

I got a chance to try the dumplings ahead of the public launch and was struck by how well the combination worked. The juicy nature of birria is almost turbocharged in dumpling form, its savory, herbaceous flavors fully encapsulated in the thin skin, creating an exceptional texture in every bite. The dish hits even harder when dipped in the light tomato-based salsa — a rush of freshness that cuts through the richness, with a spike of heat from fresh serrano. (Feel free to skip the peppers if spice isn't your thing.)

But what's most impressive is how organic it all feels. This isn't fusion for fusion's sake — it's a natural meeting of two dishes that are deeply embedded in the Southern California diet, each playing to the other's strengths.

It feels like a logical meeting of the minds — birria and soup dumplings have both been part of L.A.'s culinary zeitgeist for the better part of a decade, and it makes sense that these worlds should collide.

When asked whether a collaboration like this could happen anywhere else, Bañuelos was quick: "It has to start in L.A. You just can't compete."

Where to try it

Nine Democratic House members from California are demanding information about how the Trump administration is treating unaccompanied migrant children who are pregnant and in federal custody. They’ve signed a letter, along with 39 other House Democrats, to Trump officials expressing their concern that the girls are not receiving adequate medical care or access to abortion.

The letter comes in the wake of an investigation by the California and Texas Newsrooms, public media collaboratives in those states. LAist is part of The California Newsroom.

The joint investigation found that the federal government is detaining pregnant migrant girls in a single group home in South Texas. Doctors and reproductive-health experts interviewed for the investigation said prenatal care is severely limited in that region.

The letter says the detention violates federal regulations because the children are “entitled to the full range of medical care, including reproductive health care.”

Rep. Gil Cisneros, who represents the central San Gabriel Valley, says he worries that pregnant migrants who are apprehended in California will be put at risk if they’re sent to a part of Texas that is short on obstetric care. Of particularly concern: High-risk pregnancies are common among minors.

“If they were in California," he said, "they would be able to have more choices of the type of health care that they would get when it comes to reproductive health care.”

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the West San Gabriel Valley, wrote in a statement that “this administration is so intent on restricting abortion that it is using immigration detention as a tool to control these girls’ bodies.”

Mark Betancourt is a regular contributor to The California Newsroom. 

The U.S. Department of Education is investigating how the Los Angeles Unified School District responds to educators accused of sexual misconduct with students.

The department accuses the district of maintaining a policy that “automatically” reassigns teachers to other schools when they are accused of sexual misconduct with students and cites a 2024 agreement with the teachers union.

A Los Angeles Unified spokesperson wrote in a statement that it’s “not true” that staff being investigated for sexual misconduct are reassigned to other school sites.

“‘Reassignment’ typically means an employee is directed to remain at home and away from students and schools during an investigation,” the spokesperson wrote.

United Teachers Los Angeles called the DOE's accusations a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the district’s reassignment policy.

“[Employees] are not reassigned to another classroom or to any other setting where they would interact with students,” read a statement provided by the union. “This policy protects both students and staff and creates conditions for a thorough and appropriate investigation of allegations.”

What to expect from the federal investigation

The federal investigation, overseen by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, will assess whether the district’s policy violates Title IX, a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs.

Kimberly Richey, the assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a statement that Title IX requires schools to address claims of sexual misconduct in a “timely manner.”

“It is unconscionable that the district would simply ignore Title IX’s procedural requirements to protect teachers who cause life-changing harm to their kids,” Richey wrote. “The Trump administration will always fight to uphold the law, protect the safety of all students and restore common sense to our schools.”

The Trump administration also has recently targeted LAUSD's desegregation policy and transgender student protections.

Last year, the office failed to resolve any cases related to sexual harassment, sexual violence or racial harassment, according to a report released by Sen. Bernie Sanders in late April. Sanders is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee.

In March 2025, the Trump administration pushed to cut over half of OCR’s nearly 600 staff members, which contributed to a growing backlog of cases. Those employees were placed on administrative leave pending the result of legal challenges, and many were later brought back.

The Education Department has also withheld records related to civil rights investigations, prompting a lawsuit from investigative nonprofit newsroom ProPublica.

What does LAUSD’s policy say? 

LAUSD protocol related to employee misconduct says administrators must remove accused employees from their classroom or worksite whenever there is a risk to the safety of students or staff.

The 110-page protocol document also lists several other requirements for allegations related to sexual misconduct, including contacting law enforcement and the agencies that license teachers.

“Los Angeles Unified takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety, dignity and well-being of every student and staff member in our care.” The statement also said the district follows Title IX procedures and continuously reviews its policies, training and reporting systems.

The UTLA settlement outlines several circumstances where an employee can be reassigned, including a law enforcement investigation of misconduct, sexual harassment of a student, behavior toward a student perceived to be motivated by a sexual interest and communicating with a student for non-school-related purposes.

School employees are “mandated reporters” who must, by law, notify local law enforcement or child welfare agencies of suspected child abuse or neglect. California Attorney General Rob Bonta reminded K-12 school district leaders in late April of their legal obligation to prevent sexual misconduct and protect students.

How prevalent is sexual misconduct in California schools?

There have been few comprehensive studies of sexual misconduct in schools. A 2004 report to the Department of Education estimated 1-in-10 students experiences sexual misconduct, ranging from inappropriate comments to physical abuse.

A new California law requires schools to train students and staff to recognize and report misconduct and write new policies on “appropriate behavior.” It also will create a new database of educators credibly accused of abuse.

More than 1,000 lawsuits related to sexual abuse that date to the 1940s have been filed against California school districts since the enactment of a 2019 law that gave victims a three-year window to sue.

LAUSD has authorized $750 million in bonds to pay for sexual misconduct settlements related to suits stemming from the law.

The LA County Library has begun its Summer of Soccer program to bring the excitement of the North American tournament to all Angelenos.

“Soccer has a unique way of bringing people together across cultures and communities,” Skye Patrick, director of the LA County Library, said on the library website.

The program kicked off May 1 with the library system offering limited-edition Summer of Soccer library cards, emblazoned with the library logo, the outline of a soccer pitch and a ball hitting the back of a net.

The new limited-edition Summer of Soccer library cards

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Courtesy LA County Public Library

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The cards are available for free for anyone signing up for the first time and for $1 for people who already have an LA County Library card.

From soccer story time to making circuit boards

There’s a whole range of Summer of Soccer events at branch libraries, from May 20 to July 9.

Highlights include a soccer-themed story time for 2- to 5-year-olds at Graham Library, north of Watts at 3:30 p.m. June 4, while at 3 p.m. the same day, the A C Bilbrew Library west of Compton hosts “Makey Makey for Teens,” which will lead youth through the steps to make their own game controllers and test them on a virtual soccer field. This and other programs repeat at other branches.

All Summer of Soccer events are free and are designed to support youth and families during the summer months when school is not in session.

The LA County Library serves more than three million residents through its 86 libraries and four Cultural Resource Centers, as well as Bookmobiles and other outreach vehicles.