Damon's Steakhouse 73rd Birthday Celebration

Without knowing it was a special event, we walked into a 73rd birthday celebration at Damon’s in Glendale on June 11th. We had tickets to the Glendale Center Theater and thought we would have a light dinner at Damon’s before the show.

Balloons decorated the entryway and throughout the restaurant. Two huge birthday cakes (baked at nearby Porto’s) were prominently displayed for guests to see and taste later in the evening. As we sat down, we were given two raffle tickets to win prizes: bottles of rum, Damon T-Shirts, and $50 gift cards.

We started our evening with two $6 Mai Tais. As we looked around the restaurant, we noticed everyone had a Mai Tai on their table.

The kitsch-style Polynesian décor brought a smile to our face. The old Hawaiian-style theme looks a little like Trader Vic’s. The booths however are lumpy and the tables are worn, but as one sips a Mai Tai and listens to the Hawaiian music playing in the background, that can be overlooked.

Many of the waitresses have been here for over twenty years. They are sweet and efficient. When two busboys brought a Roast suckling pig around to every table on a tray with garnish, I felt I was at a Hawaiian Laua in Honolulu.

We started with a house salad. It’s served in a large salad bowl and tossed by our waitress. The creamy French vinaigrette looks just like the old fashion - Catalina salad dressing.
Rick ordered the Grilled Mahi Mahi served with a Hawaiian Pineapple salsa. Though the fish portion was generous, the fish was a little dry and the pineapple salsa standard tasting. Both of us ordered their famous twice baked potatoes. Again, a little too dry for my taste. They tasted as if they were made earlier in the day and left sitting in a warming drawer for hours.

For dessert we had the very sweet Coconut /carrot cake and a piece of Porto’s birthday cake. A drawing was announced and I won a Damon’s t-shirt. The manager arrived at our table congratulating me and thanking us for coming to the birthday party.

By the time we left, the place was packed with happy people sipping Mai Tais and having a great time. Don’t expect gourmet food, instead go to have a great time in a fun atmosphere, filled with friendly regulars.

Damon's Steakhouse - 317 N. Brand, Glendale, (818) 507-1510.