California's Best Dive Bar Is A Small But Mighty Force On Sunset Boulevard

The best dive bars aren't just defined by cheap drinks and good vibes. They also have a wonderful sense of place. While there are plenty of good dive bars in most American cities, only a handful perfectly capture the history and culture of an area without becoming tourist traps. They manage to be accessible and unpretentious, while still being unique. And of our best dive bars in every U.S. state, they don't get much more special than California's Tiki-Ti.

Located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, Tiki Ti is far from the picture of Hollywood glamour, or the tourist trap nightmare of Hollywood Boulevard itself. It's located on a mostly desolate strip of Sunset between the city's Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and East Hollywood neighborhoods. Driving by it would be easy to miss the tiny bar, but wedged next to the Scientology Media Productions studios, a (currently empty) cannabis dispensary, and a cool-sculpting fat removal service, the location does have a certain grim LA character.

But it's not the outside of Tiki-Ti that's special. Step in and you'll find a cozy tiki nirvana, packed with a charming clutter of faux-island decor that has slowly evolved since the bar was opened in 1961. As far as most bars go, even dives, Tiki-Ti is tiny, with a small bar, only a handful of tables, and room for maybe a few dozen people. But that small space is packed with Hollywood history, and some pretty damn good tiki drinks.

Tiki-Ti's relatively affordable prices and charming decor would make it a great dive bar no matter what, but it also has a special history tied to both tiki in the U.S. and in Hollywood. The founder of Tiki-Ti was Ray Buhen, a Filipino bartender who had honed his skills working for the famous tiki pioneer Donn Beach at his Don the Beachcomber bar. It was Buhen and three other Filipino bartenders who worked there that helped Beach come up with his signature tropical creations, including the zombie cocktail. Buhen then moved on to other famous tiki spots, including the Luau in Beverly Hills.

Originally, Tiki-Ti catered to mostly the working-class clientele who came there during lunch breaks and after work from the nearby studios. However, its signature tiki drinks began attracting more celebrity clientele. Over time, it counted big names like Marlon Brando, Burt Reynolds, and Nicolas Cage as regulars.

However, the most famous piece of Hollywood Tiki-Ti lore is something that has never been confirmed. One regular in the early days of the Tiki-Ti was a young George Lucas, who reportedly spent some of his time there sketching out ideas for characters for a little movie called "Star Wars." While Lucas himself never revealed anything, Mike Buhen, Ray's son, says his father was one of the inspirations for Yoda, and the bar partly inspired the famous Mos Eisley Cantina from the original film.

Even if you don't care at all about the history, the drinks make Tiki-Ti one of the best tiki bars around, and the real reason long lines of thirsty patrons wait for a seat in the small bar form almost every weekend. The menu has an intimidating 90-plus cocktails to choose from, and while the prices have risen along with every other bar in America, they are still on the low end for a tiki bar in Los Angeles. It also helps that the drinks are strong, and the pours are generous compared to more trendy spots. This may be LA, but don't plan on driving home.

There are plenty of classic tiki cocktails to choose from, mai tais and scorpions and the like, but the real attractions are the Tiki-Ti originals, mostly created by Ray Buhen. The most famous is probably "Ray's Mistake," which is named that because it was supposedly created when Buhen accidentally mixed up the ingredients for another drink. The cocktail is made with passion fruit and lime, gin and rum, and a secret flavoring mix based around vanilla. As the menu itself says, "too many of these would be a mistake. Other originals include the orange, lime, and cherry flavored Blood and Sand, and the fruit, honey, and rum Puka Punch. If you are a tiki lover or just a fan of charming bars, Tiki-Ti is an essential LA stop.