Lee's Hawaiian Islander is a Chinese restaurant that opened in 1974. There are tiki masks mounted on rock-lined walls with a weeping water effect, an outrigger canoe hangs from the ceiling, and there is a special hut booth. An upper balcony holds more tables with bamboo framing. Drinks are served in mugs, and there is a flaming pu-pu platter. Mr. Lee can be found there often, happily playing host and greeting patrons.
Stopped here on a drive from New Orleans to the Berkshires, after reading some of the reviews on critiki. I'm really glad that I did.
My thoughts:
- I came here with my three teenage daughters oh, and they thought it was the best thing in the world. So, for a family meal that still allows a tiki crazed parent to imbibe a little, this is an excellent place.
- The drinks are the real deal. As others have mentioned, they may not be top shelf liquors, but they've got all the classics and the right recipes, and all the right Tiki mugs and bowls to add to the fun.
- do you wish that you could walk right into 1974? Well, at least Hawaiian Islander you can. The dacor, which is genuine old-school northeast-style Tiki, complete with gaudily painted Tiki god's everywhere, looks like it has not been touched since 1974, and I mean that as a good thing, despite the presence of the occasional duct tape! There is an outrigger boat hanging from the ceiling, accompanied with birds that look like they just arrived from Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, a fabulous rock wall, fake flowers and bamboo everywhere, and real blow fish lanterns over the tables. A couple of the tables are in cute little Tiki huts. There's an excellent party room upstairs, and balcony all the way around the restaurant. It wasn't open when I was there but this would be an excellent place for a tiki couple to have a 50th birthday party or even a rehearsal dinner.
- I got to meet old Mr Lee and young Mr Lee.
- We were there on a Saturday at noon, and we were the only people in the dining room. There were a half-dozen people in the bar. Young mr. Lee says that it still gets extremely crowded free karaoke nights.
- I genuinely liked the food. I think as long as your expectations are for something in the ballpark of the standard American version of Chinese food, you won't be disappointed. I thought the prices were completely reasonable.
- The music was on point. All relevant to Tiki or Tiki-related culture of some sort or another.
- I would definitely go again when passing through the neighborhood. This is a preserved piece of tiki history!
I visited Lee's Hawaiian Islander last weekend. There were only three other parties in the restaurant but that was probably because I stopped in at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday. The restaurant is appropriately dark with no windows and it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust. The decor was classic Gilligan's island's theme with bamboo covering the walls up to about 4 feet high and tapa cloth paper from there up to the ceiling. The restaurant is two floors with a large open area in the center all the way up to the top floor ceiling. You have the choice of sitting at bamboo booth, an open table, or one of four bamboo Hut like booths in the corners. We chose a bamboo booth and it was nice and cozy. One of the walls is decorated in fake rock and has two waterfalls running down it. There is an Outrigger Canoe hanging from the ceiling, tiki masks hanging over nearly every table, with some corner booths having clamshell lights mounted on the walls. We were greeted and sat immediately. The drink menu is a combination of familiar Tiki drinks and some that appear to have just been made up. As I was down in New Jersey on a family trip, my mom ordered a Chi Chi and I ordered a Planter's Punch. The drinks arrived in appropriate glassware for each, with a pretty decent, if generic Tiki mug for my Planter's Punch. The drinks tasted very close to versions I have made at using the Bum's recipes, and I was pleasantly pleased by them. The food was pretty much as has been described in previous reviews: pretty average if expensive. My mom ordered the shrimp over garlic and vegetables and she loved it. I ordered the poo poo platter which was a mixed bag. The Mongolian beef and chicken wings were really good, the ribs were very average, and the spring rolls were not very good. I don't eat seafood but my mom had the shrimp toast and fantail shrimp from the poo poo platter and she said that they were both pretty good. Young Mr. Lee turned on the lights upstairs for me so that I could take photos. He also said that as it was Saturday night it would be packed later because they had karaoke and always had a big crowd. On our way out the Elder Mr Lee was in the bar area and cheerfully greeted us. I was glad I was able to take a moment to speak with him and shake his hand. Overall, Lee's is an interesting classic Tiki Bar to visit. I wouldn't drive hours to get here, but if you are in northern New Jersey I would definitely recommend stopping in.
timeinhell is a semi-regular at Lee's Hawaiian Islander.
November 29, 2018, 3:30 PM
ALWAYS A GOOD TIME AT LEE'S
I go from time to time as I'm local. The focus of the drinks is strength instead of being top shelf, old school. No one will EVER say they don;t taste the alcohol in their drink. The food is great, but I stick to the Chinese and Polynesian. I had a steak there once, and it wasn't great but maybe it was just a bad day. There are enough options on the menu to make up for it. Going there for karaoke is a blast, one of the waiters sings. Usually a good cross section of the neighborhood there having a good time.
Stopped here on a drive from New Orleans to the Berkshires, after reading some of the reviews on critiki. I'm really glad that I did.
My thoughts:
- I came here with my three teenage daughters oh, and they thought it was the best thing in the world. So, for a family meal that still allows a tiki crazed parent to imbibe a little, this is an excellent place.
- The drinks are the real deal. As others have mentioned, they may not be top shelf liquors, but they've got all the classics and the right recipes, and all the right Tiki mugs and bowls to add to the fun.
- do you wish that you could walk right into 1974? Well, at least Hawaiian Islander you can. The dacor, which is genuine old-school northeast-style Tiki, complete with gaudily painted Tiki god's everywhere, looks like it has not been touched since 1974, and I mean that as a good thing, despite the presence of the occasional duct tape! There is an outrigger boat hanging from the ceiling, accompanied with birds that look like they just arrived from Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, a fabulous rock wall, fake flowers and bamboo everywhere, and real blow fish lanterns over the tables. A couple of the tables are in cute little Tiki huts. There's an excellent party room upstairs, and balcony all the way around the restaurant. It wasn't open when I was there but this would be an excellent place for a tiki couple to have a 50th birthday party or even a rehearsal dinner.
- I got to meet old Mr Lee and young Mr Lee.
- We were there on a Saturday at noon, and we were the only people in the dining room. There were a half-dozen people in the bar. Young mr. Lee says that it still gets extremely crowded free karaoke nights.
- I genuinely liked the food. I think as long as your expectations are for something in the ballpark of the standard American version of Chinese food, you won't be disappointed. I thought the prices were completely reasonable.
- The music was on point. All relevant to Tiki or Tiki-related culture of some sort or another.
- I would definitely go again when passing through the neighborhood. This is a preserved piece of tiki history!
I visited Lee's Hawaiian Islander last weekend. There were only three other parties in the restaurant but that was probably because I stopped in at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday. The restaurant is appropriately dark with no windows and it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust. The decor was classic Gilligan's island's theme with bamboo covering the walls up to about 4 feet high and tapa cloth paper from there up to the ceiling. The restaurant is two floors with a large open area in the center all the way up to the top floor ceiling. You have the choice of sitting at bamboo booth, an open table, or one of four bamboo Hut like booths in the corners. We chose a bamboo booth and it was nice and cozy. One of the walls is decorated in fake rock and has two waterfalls running down it. There is an Outrigger Canoe hanging from the ceiling, tiki masks hanging over nearly every table, with some corner booths having clamshell lights mounted on the walls. We were greeted and sat immediately. The drink menu is a combination of familiar Tiki drinks and some that appear to have just been made up. As I was down in New Jersey on a family trip, my mom ordered a Chi Chi and I ordered a Planter's Punch. The drinks arrived in appropriate glassware for each, with a pretty decent, if generic Tiki mug for my Planter's Punch. The drinks tasted very close to versions I have made at using the Bum's recipes, and I was pleasantly pleased by them. The food was pretty much as has been described in previous reviews: pretty average if expensive. My mom ordered the shrimp over garlic and vegetables and she loved it. I ordered the poo poo platter which was a mixed bag. The Mongolian beef and chicken wings were really good, the ribs were very average, and the spring rolls were not very good. I don't eat seafood but my mom had the shrimp toast and fantail shrimp from the poo poo platter and she said that they were both pretty good. Young Mr. Lee turned on the lights upstairs for me so that I could take photos. He also said that as it was Saturday night it would be packed later because they had karaoke and always had a big crowd. On our way out the Elder Mr Lee was in the bar area and cheerfully greeted us. I was glad I was able to take a moment to speak with him and shake his hand. Overall, Lee's is an interesting classic Tiki Bar to visit. I wouldn't drive hours to get here, but if you are in northern New Jersey I would definitely recommend stopping in.
timeinhell is a semi-regular at Lee's Hawaiian Islander.
November 29, 2018, 3:30 PM
ALWAYS A GOOD TIME AT LEE'S
I go from time to time as I'm local. The focus of the drinks is strength instead of being top shelf, old school. No one will EVER say they don;t taste the alcohol in their drink. The food is great, but I stick to the Chinese and Polynesian. I had a steak there once, and it wasn't great but maybe it was just a bad day. There are enough options on the menu to make up for it. Going there for karaoke is a blast, one of the waiters sings. Usually a good cross section of the neighborhood there having a good time.
DO NOT GO TO LEE'S Hawaiian in Lyndhurst!! This establishment supports racist patrons.
Just got home from spending $150 for a family dinner to be told "You're brown so sit down!" WTF. My 12 year old waited over an hour just to sing karaoke but the white family sitting next to the karaoke guy got to go several times. When we questioned that my daughter had to wait I was told "you're brown sit down..."
Then we were abused and told that we were gonna be beaten up by the white trash!
In addition when my daughter got to sing the white piece of crap said to my 12 year old "I'm not going to listen to you because your mother is a "Bi*ch." HE SAID THAT TO MY DAUGHTER!!!
DO NOT GO THERE unless you are white and then you are good.
Oh the best thing. We were told to leave while the white trash was allowed to stay because they were "drunk" That place is awful...please please please DO NOT GO THERE !!
The Pu Pu platter is legit, albeit no grill on the fire to heat the food , but all food was hot so no need to cook it. Shrimp toast and short ribs were REALLY good. Mai Tai was not the worst I have had, I have a feeling you could make specific ingredient requests. No garnish on the drinks FYI. The upstairs group or party room has awesome giant clam shells and seashell tapa lights. Water feature behind bar is super cool. I think this might also be a gay bar destination too, but that's fine too. Bar tender Dan was hilarious.
Ohmsford is a semi-regular at Lee's Hawaiian Islander.
April 6, 2017, 11:13 AM
I re-visited this establishment about a month ago and was extremely disappointed. For one thing, the prices went up on everything. A Mai-Tai would have cost over $9.50. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I got one, considering how good mine are at home. The wait service was extremely annoying by constantly watching us eat and hovering around our table, trying to take half-eaten plates of food away. Made me very angry and immediately spoiled my mood. The food was cold and lacked the quality we have come to expect over the years. The establishment is still a one-of-a-kind place in the area but the tikiness has been severely tarnished because I can't say the service, value, and experience was worth the money. We are much better off pulling out our own pupu platter and filling it with our local Chinese take out while I sip on a drink I made from our own downstairs tiki bar. So very disappointed. They can't keep riding the coat-tails of yesteryear while jacking up prices.
tikiwithray is a semi-regular at Lee's Hawaiian Islander.
November 24, 2016, 12:35 AM
Lyndhurst, New Jersey... It’s a city that’s a 45-minute train ride from downtown Manhattan. It has no claim to fame and I can’t see anyone needing to or wanting to go there—unless you want to check out this awesome Chinese/Tiki Bar!
Here's my full review of Lee's...
Victoriafrankenstein is a regular at Lee's Hawaiian Islander, and is usually there A lot of Friday nights .
May 14, 2016, 7:51 AM
My most favorite restaurant in the whole universe. Mr and Mrs Lee are a dynamic duo that run this amazing and historic tiki restaurant. It has been in the family ever since the beginning and it is one word- perfect. The drinks are delightful and the food is stupendous. I love coming here on weekends. Lee'd Hawaiian Islander is the best! I want to track down the old photo postcard and matchbook for my collection.
NYC Tiki is a semi-regular at Lee's Hawaiian Islander.
February 8, 2015, 10:12 AM
So I think beyond Chan's, this is one of the best old school tiki joints in New Jersey. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the old school charm is all inside. Preserved cocktail bar with classic polynesian dishes await. Get a corner booth and grab a cocktail. Food is OK, but it was never about that. Ask for Mr. Lee, he still walks around the old joint saying hello to old school patrons.
Ohmsford is a semi-regular at Lee's Hawaiian Islander.
January 14, 2015, 10:29 AM
My family and I were there for my Birthday, my choice. We live close by and try to visit a few times a year. I love the Hawaiian and Tiki elements and am really thankful that such places still exist.
The food was great as usual, and is always a much higher quality than typical take-out Chinese. I had a Zombie (pronounced Yombee by the waiter). The drink was very strong, even by my standards, but I could tell the rum was not top shelf. I make a much better drink myself, but since it was my birthday, it was a must-have to complete the ambiance.
The service was very attentive and responsive to requests, and most importantly, did not make one feel rushed. I was going to wear a Hawaiian shirt I bought off Ebay that was a cast member shirt from Disney's Polynesian Resort, but decided against it. My colorful shirt would have put all of the waiter's shirts to shame, as these old men have shirts that have been worn from opening day. LOL. At least they are wearing them, can't find that anywhere else in the State on a cold day in January!
The establishment has not put much money into the decor, as it does show its age. I have only two real complaints though...1) The booths are lined with white Christmas-type icicle lights, which do not look very tiki. I would prefer nothing at all or some softer lighting in hues of yellow, orange and/or red. 2) The back-lighted murals are getting faded and should be updated. One is of Honolulu harbor at night, where I would prefer a typical Hawaiian beach scene, sand, sky, palm trees.
I do love the place and hold on dearly to the nostalgia and memories, sadly of a time almost completely gone by. It seems the only restaurants around are the commercial chains with all of their forced and contrived ambiance. Lee's comes from a time where the place itself was a destination, and reflected a part of our culture where people appreciated a more defined dining experience.
My partner and I brought my parents here on a Friday night after reading about it in Weird NJ magazine. My partner and i are big tiki fanatics, but even my parents agreed it was well worth the harrowing 1 hour drive from central jersey. We arrived to a mostly empty house and were cheerily seated in one of the coveted corner booths which are like private thatched huts complete with puffer fish lamps.
There was definitely a language barrier with the old Chinese waiter but the service was attentive. Food was good and the drinks were plentiful and served in a variety of tiki mugs if not completely authentic. Then flaming pupu platter seemed to be the most popular dish but we went with more traditional entrees.
The decor was pretty great. Two waterfalls, lots of primary color tiki masks, fake flowers and bamboo/thatch everywhere. Even the outside of the tangerine builng was fun and retro. The place got fairly crowded and more lively when the mostly too serious live band karaoke began. We moved to the bar with the colorful regulars where the service continued to be acceptable, but maybe a tad slow. The owner Mr. Lee was up and about checking on customers, serving food, and cleaning all night, but happily posed for a picture with us.
Visit and help keep classics like this in business!
My thoughts:
- I came here with my three teenage daughters oh, and they thought it was the best thing in the world. So, for a family meal that still allows a tiki crazed parent to imbibe a little, this is an excellent place.
- The drinks are the real deal. As others have mentioned, they may not be top shelf liquors, but they've got all the classics and the right recipes, and all the right Tiki mugs and bowls to add to the fun.
- do you wish that you could walk right into 1974? Well, at least Hawaiian Islander you can. The dacor, which is genuine old-school northeast-style Tiki, complete with gaudily painted Tiki god's everywhere, looks like it has not been touched since 1974, and I mean that as a good thing, despite the presence of the occasional duct tape! There is an outrigger boat hanging from the ceiling, accompanied with birds that look like they just arrived from Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, a fabulous rock wall, fake flowers and bamboo everywhere, and real blow fish lanterns over the tables. A couple of the tables are in cute little Tiki huts. There's an excellent party room upstairs, and balcony all the way around the restaurant. It wasn't open when I was there but this would be an excellent place for a tiki couple to have a 50th birthday party or even a rehearsal dinner.
- I got to meet old Mr Lee and young Mr Lee.
- We were there on a Saturday at noon, and we were the only people in the dining room. There were a half-dozen people in the bar. Young mr. Lee says that it still gets extremely crowded free karaoke nights.
- I genuinely liked the food. I think as long as your expectations are for something in the ballpark of the standard American version of Chinese food, you won't be disappointed. I thought the prices were completely reasonable.
- The music was on point. All relevant to Tiki or Tiki-related culture of some sort or another.
- I would definitely go again when passing through the neighborhood. This is a preserved piece of tiki history!