Chuck's is very aggressive about promoting "The Best Mai Tai in Town." This is the message you'll see in all their advertising. Having had a great Mai Tai at Damon's Steakhouse in Glendale, CA, I wasn't immediately sure they were blowing smoke, but I certainly was leery. And, turns out I had good reason to be.

Chuck's $4.75 Mai Tai is a bright yellow concoction, with a dark rum float. There was a large pineapple slice and a small lime wedge on the small old-fashioned glass. So, what did this Mai Tai taste like? It tasted like rum, albeit good rum. Then I got a bit of a sour taste - their recipe (which I've seen published) is heavy on the sweet & sour mix. The ice was chopped instead of being crushed, like it should be. In other words, despite their outrageous claim to the "best Mai Tai in town" they are doing a bunch of things wrong. Rating reflects the good alcohol content and low price (especially for Waikiki).

On the second floor of the Outrigger, Chuck's is a small restaurant with an open-air balcony overlooking Waikiki beach. There is a great view of Diamond Head here and it looks down on the beach and Duke's Canoe Club below. At night, the tiki torches below set a great mood above. Chuck's is more mellow than Duke's, using light mood music (Seal's "Kiss from a Rose") and nice mood lighting. The dark wood touches throughout also enhance the mood. There are lots of subtle touches here, from framed Hawaiian shirts, to small surfing photos, lots of smoked glass, and ceiling fans. All of this creates an elegant feel, and the palm trees on the beach do a wonderful job of framing the view of the ocean!

Taste:
Atmosphere:
Date Visited: October 24, 1999
Reviewed By: Kevin Crossman