This restaurant at the Villa Hotel (now the Radisson Villa Hotel -- criminy, I'm afraid that one day I'll come home and there will be a Radisson sign over my mailbox, but I digress...) closed in 1988. The restaurant location is now reportedly a Walgreen's. (Double criminy!)
The Lanai had a dramatic neon palm tree sign, and an almost identical one still stands at The Leilani in Fresno.
September 8, 2017, 4:40 PM
As a native San Matean I can tell you all kinds of stories about the Lanai, lol. The Rat Pack stayed there when they performed at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos. I literally ran into Hank Williams Jr when he was sneaking some drunk ladies into his room. Parents frequented the Villa for dining and events so I grew up there and then I worked as an armed guard there often protecting the VIPS. When they closed two guys bought the rights and moved it to the Parkside Shopping Center and leased the spaces that were The Cove (bar) and Bank of America which became T&B's (tacos and Burittos) at the Lanai. Some of the old tikis and tables were moved over but most was sold off to many other tiki themed locations or collectors. I ended up with a tiki and the 1700 gallon fish tank. I worked at the bar until its closing in 1994 due to rent increases. Not to say that it was not busy and successful but there were bad business decisions and "backroom" activities happening. But I met my wife there, met a lot of nice people there and bounced out more losers than I can remember! Long live the Double Sidewinder Fang fruit juice and rum drink in a fish bowl glass!