Broken Compass

The Space

Walk through the double doors on Burbank Boulevard and you enter a world built around a shipwreck story. The owners deliberately created a “pirates stranded on a tropical island” concept, mixing nautical wreckage with tiki bar atmosphere. Rattan covers the walls. Thatched huts create semi-private nooks. Wicker lanterns cast warm light across hand-painted ceiling maps. The centerpiece is the bar itself, built from an actual ship hull. Even the bathrooms commit to theme, decorated like the interior of a sunken vessel.

Look up and you’ll spot Jose and Juan, skeletal parrots perched overhead as homages to Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. Framed Polynesian pop album covers line one wall. The design leans heavier on pirate elements than pure tiki aesthetics, but the tropical vibe comes through in the bamboo details, palm-frond roofing, and island music mix of exotica, surf rock, and 1960s lounge.

The layout includes a large dining room that works for families and groups, plus smaller booths for more intimate meals. Bar seating offers front-row views of the cocktail mixing. When busy (most Friday and Saturday evenings), expect a 10-20 minute wait. Tables have a 90-minute time limit during peak hours to keep things moving.

Food and Drinks

Chef-owner Erica Abell (formerly executive chef at Boneyard Bistro) runs a kitchen that surprises first-timers expecting basic bar food. The poke nachos get mentioned in nearly every review for good reason: ahi tuna, cucumber, avocado, and sriracha piled on crispy wonton chips. The kalua pork tacos feature slow-cooked meat with pineapple slaw. Fish tacos arrive with generous portions of crispy fish and zesty toppings.

The menu also includes English pub classics like sausage rolls, steak pie, and shepherd’s pie alongside American bar standards. The pu pu platter for two gives you a taste of several items at once. Gluten-free fried chicken gets consistent praise, and the menu clearly marks vegan and vegetarian options. Weekend brunch specials sometimes include kalua pork breakfast burritos.

The bar focuses on rum. Classic tiki cocktails include Navy Grog, Zombies, and Painkillers made with proper technique and quality ingredients. The house makes its own falernum and orgeat. Creative drinks like Wake Me Up Before You Coco (with caffeine) and Picante Amor (sweet and spicy) show up alongside traditional recipes. Bartenders will make off-menu drinks if the bar has the ingredients, and the selection of rums runs deep. Non-alcoholic options go beyond standard virgin piña coladas, including drinks like Port in a Storm with a rum alternative.

Pricing sits at standard LA tiki bar rates. Cocktails run $14-18. Entrees range from $16-26. Happy hour (Tuesday-Saturday 2-5pm and all day Sunday) brings deals on select drinks and appetizers.

What to Know

The place is more restaurant than pure bar. During busy dinner hours, you need to order entrees to get table seating, otherwise you’re at the bar. This works fine for solo visits or couples just wanting drinks, but groups planning to split appetizers should arrive during off-peak times.

Service stays friendly and attentive when properly staffed. The ship-hull bar layout can slow things down when bartenders need to move around during capacity crowds, but the team handles it. Owners Erica, Frank, and Walker often work the floor themselves.

Street parking in this section of Burbank is generally available. The restaurant takes reservations for larger groups. Kids are welcome and there’s a children’s menu, though the atmosphere skews more toward adults in the evening. Wheelchair accessible entrance and restrooms.

Closed Mondays. Kitchen hours run Tuesday-Thursday until 9pm, Friday-Saturday until 10pm, and Sunday until 6pm. The bar stays open an hour later than the kitchen most nights.