We stop by here often for the fast service and decent food, especially the burgers when we are in a hurry.

Although we usually get take out, the ambiance is nice, but the 50's diner feel is somewhat ruined by the modern touches that really are somewhat out of place. I'm not really sure what purpose the liquor bottles on the wall behind the register serve for the overall "theme" of the place.

One important note - every time we have been in here, the waitress did not speak English very well, so make SURE your order is understood and clear and you check your food when it arrives. Otherwise, you might not get exactly what you want. Also, check your burgers for proper done-ness when they arrive - the cook has a tendency to under cook them unless you specify well done.

I decided to stop in here to grab some quick sushi while running some errands today, after having passed by it many times since moving to Burbank about a month ago. The first thing you notice when walking in the door is the hundreds (if not thousands!) of dollar bills that have been taped to the walls with satisfied customers' comments written all over them. It lends a great feel to the restaurant and makes you feel right at home.

I was immediately greeted by the sushi chefs behind the bar and the hostess wasted no time in coming to assist me, although there were already many customers in the place already. The menu was posted on the window outside the door, so I already knew I wanted the very reasonably priced Deluxe Sashimi Platter and it was just a few seconds before the chef was getting my lunch ready and the hostess had my ticket ready for me to pay.

One little touch that impressed me was that the chef actually took the time to check with me to see if I liked Octopus, so he could substitute it with something else if I didn't. While I do, he mentioned that some of his customers do not, so he liked to give them options rather than serve them something they wouldn't eat. This says a lot to me about a sushi place, when many larger restaurants would just give you what is on the menu and not care.

For an already long story short, I had my food in about 5 minutes and walked back home to eat it, and was not disappointed. The quality of the fish was very good and the preparation was very artistic, especially considering how fast it was done.

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One year later, and I can confirm that this is DEFINITELY my favorite sushi restaurant in Burbank. I go here at least once every 2 weeks regular and Tom knows me like a friend. He's always ready with some new for me to try and it's always delicious. I have NEVER had bad sushi at Tomo. My rating is deservedly upgraded from 4 to 5 for a fantastic sushi restaurant.

My niece gave birth to my grand-niece late on a Friday night and I did not hear about it until Saturday after, California time. I searched desperately for a florist to get some flowers or a gift to her in the hospital before she was discharged on Sunday, but to no avail - until I found Ann's.

Even though I was 2 1/2 hours past the delivery cutoff, Rachael went out of her way to accommodate me. She found an arrangement in stock that was suitable for a baby girl and checked with their delivery person to verify that it could be taken to the hospital on a Saturday afternoon. She was friendly, helpful and cheerful the entire time. She even managed to stay calm and professional through a power outage that occurred on their side right in the middle of the phone call!

For a first time customer from half way across the country, I am thoroughly impressed by Ann's Flower Shop. I would highly recommend them, and would use them again. Next week, actually, as my OTHER niece is due to delivery on Monday, so this time I know EXACTLY who to call!

The fish tacos were wonderful, very authentic Baja taste. The service was fast, the fish nice and crispy, the tortillas warm - just the way they should be. A nice surprise to find a place like this stuck in a mall food court.

The food here was pretty much what you can expect from any Islands restaurant - nothing special or exciting, but it was well prepared and served fast. Our server was courteous, attentive and took good care of us. It was not particularly busy, so I can't say what it is like when there is a big crowd.

If you are looking for a fun time combined with great food, then Lips is the place.

We love this place so much, we even took my mother-in-law for dinner when she was visiting in town and she had a blast.

The waitresses double as performers, always with attitudes you expect from 1st class drag queens. Of course the show doesn't stay on the stage, either - audience participation is regular, at least the times we were there.

We had dinner here before attending a movie premiere at the theater next door and was pleasantly surprised. We were expecting so-so food for a mall sushi/Japanese restaurant, and it was actually pretty good.

One thing that impressed us was the attentiveness of the staff, especially the chef. My husband mentioned to the waitress that he was allergic to onions when ordering his entree and she mentioned that to the chef when placing the order. He cared enough to come out to the table and mention the fact that the home-made Miso dressing (which I thought was delicious!) had a small amount of onions in it so he might want to avoid that, just in case.

I don't know that I would want to make a special trip all the way into West Hollywood wood and deal with the traffic and parking just to go to this place, but if you are going to be in the area or going to a movie at the Theater anyway, and you feel like some good Sushi or Japanese food, then check out Sushi Dan.

Ask for a patio seat if you can. You never know who you might see while you are sitting out there! Admittedly, we were there for a movie premiere, but we lost count of the number of famous stars we saw while waiting for and eating our dinner, so if you like "star watching" it's a great place for that, too.

I've been frequenting this store for several months now because the owner is just fantastic. He remembers all his customers, he goes out of his way to provide great customer service, and he keeps his prices low despite the bad economy and the temptation to go the way of most small stores like his that jack them way up to cover their expenses.

There are a lot of small liquor and grocery stores in this area, so why not go to one where they treat you right and don't try to rip you off? This is definitely one of those that do you right.

We thought the multiple cuisines offered in a Mexican, Sushi, Oyster bar, pasta place would be a good choice. Sadly, we were mistaken.

Yes, the oysters were good, I will give them that. However, for a "World renowned Sushi Chef", I thought the sushi was just horrible. His concept of a sashimi assortment was 7 very small pieces of 2 kinds of fish - for nearly $18. I sent that back and got one of their dinner combo plates instead, but even that was only barely decent. The California Rolls were sloppily made, with ground up fake crab and a very odd color to them and mushy avacado. The ngiri had so much wasabi on it that I literally had to scrape some off in order to eat it.

My husband had their chicken fettucine, which he said tasted OK, but was a bit spicy and the sauce - which should have been creamy and thick - was very runny. I tasted some myself, and it didn't taste much like any fettucine I've ever had before, but I've never eaten Mexican Italian food before, either.

Overall, i'd have to say I'll stick to real Sushi restaurants from now on for my sushi, where they really know how to do it right, and real Italian restaurants for my pasta. I honestly can't recommend this place to anyone.

Oh yeah - "Live Jazz"? Try a lonely sax player with a synth machine.

I've worked with a lot of pharmacies in my time, and Burbank Tower Pharmacy is the Best of the Best.

The whole gang is as friendly as you can get, and goes out of their way to get you what you need, when you need it. If they don't have something in stock then they will go the extra mile to get it for you as soon as possible.

They work with the insurance companies directly, taking all the hassles out of billing and eliminating all those paperwork headaches. Since they are a small shop, you always get service with a smile and everyone treats you like one of the family - it's definitely one of those places that you keep going back to for the service, unlike those big factory pharmacies that treat you like just another cog in the wheel.

If you want all the same prescriptions that you would get from one of the chains but with GREAT personal service, go to Burbank Tower Pharmacy. Right in the middle of Downtown Burbank, drop off your Rx, stop for lunch and pick up your medicine after, or give them a call and have it delivered. Either way, you'll be happy.

Their food is top notch, especially the burgers, and you can't beat the atmosphere here. If you like something different, check out the Buffalo Burgers! They cook all your food to order, exactly the way you want it, and you add your own toppings the way you like it at the bar. Don't forget to check out the desserts at the bakery!

We went to this Black Angus for our 10th anniversary because it was only a block away from home and didn't want to spend a lot of money on anything fancy. With that expectation, we were not disappointed.

We've been to a lot of BA's before, and this one was just so-so. There was about a 20 minute wait to get in, as there are apparently only about 20 tables in the entire place for diners, as most of the place is taken up by a bar. The service was OK - not great. The food was also OK, not as great as what we have had before at other Black Angus restaurants in the past.

It was convenient, relatively cheap and decent food. Just didn't have the "Wow" factor that you get at some places where the staff really cares about what they are doing.

I thought I had found a great deal in a storage unit based on the website for this place. Easy signup online, a great rental rate, heck - it even let me download a PDF file of the lease document to print out and bring with me to save time on paperwork at the counter.

Then I actually got to the place and walked in the door. The first thing that the "manager" Lou did was throw away the paperwork I brought with me while commenting that he didn't know why they bothered to do that on the website. Then he proceeded to tell me that the price quoted on the website was incorrect, as it didn't include the "mandatory insurance" that was required because their facility was "all wood construction" (which, of course, was not mentioned anywhere on the website, either).

Lou asked if we wanted to see the unit before or after filling out the paperwork, so we obviously said before. He took us through one dark, very hot building to another one in back, up a flight of stairs and around a bunch of very narrow, dark corridors and opened up a so-called 5' by 5' storage unit that look about the size of a very tiny walk in closet.

I mentioned that it didn't look very much like a 5x5, and he said "Oh, those sizes are just estimates." Well, I can see estimates being off by a few inches here and there, but this was off by a couple of FEET.

Next he took us to a so-called 5x7 unit, which was more like an actual 5x5, but he wanted $101 for that one, which was $30 more than the 5x5. Then he showed us another on RIGHT NEXT DOOR that was a 5x10 for $99 - that's right, $2 less for an even larger unit.

By this time, we were pretty disgusted with the entire setup. Not only was it about 95 degrees outside and about 110 inside, but the "total wood construction" of the units included the floors of the storage units themselves. Since the majority of what we intended to store was boxes of books, I seriously doubted the ability of these units to even hold a portion of our full load of boxes, much less all of them.

Here's hoping I get my "hold" deposit back without any hassles, like they promised on their "wonderful" website.

The Society of Seven is one of, if not the, longest running stage entertainment shows in Waikiki and, in my opinion, definitely the best.

As you enter the dining room/theater, a photographer takes a picture of your group, which you can pick up after the show for a small fee along with a picture of the performers, who come out to sign autographs as well.

Next, you enjoy a scrumptious all you can eat dinner buffet featuring lots of Island specialties like Mahi Mahi and Poi as well as old standbys like roasted prime rib. Salads, veggies, potatoes, rices, all the basics are covered, as well as some delicious desserts to wrap things up. Alcoholic drinks are extra, but coffee, tea and sodas are included with the meal.

Then it's on to the show. Don't worry if you didn't get a good seat for dinner - they'll re-seat you somewhere with a better view after you get done eating so you can enjoy the show better.

What comes next is basically an entertainment extravaganza, on steroids! These seven guys are just fabulous, in every sense of the word. Every single one of them plays at least 4 or 5 instruments, sings, dances and does impressions. They do a songs and dance numbers from a variety of genres - everything from 60's bebop to modern day pop and everything in the middle. Of course, all of it is done with humor, so they keep you laughing the whole time.

I have to warn you - watch out! Audience participation is included! Don't be surprised if you end up on stage for a quick dance lesson with one of the guys, or a quick run through "Elvis Impersonator School" complete with lip curls and a certificate of completion!

From photo to curtain call the entire evening was about 3 to 3 1/2 hours total, but it was a very enjoyable evening, definitely not one to miss. In fact, these guys are so popular, the group we saw was the "SoS LV" group, because the original SoS guys are currently on an extended run in Las Vegas where they've been playing to sold out audiences for a long time.

If you are going to be in Waikiki and want to see the show, make sure you check around for coupons or visit your hotel's concierge to find out about discounts. The regular box office price is a little high, but it's not too hard to find a discount if you look around a bit - just ask about the SOS show and everyone will know what you are talking about.

We went to this Dennys expecting the usual level of service from this chain, at the very least, and left with a bad taste in our mouths in more than one way.

The service was horrible, to put it mildly. The waitress was the worst we had the entire trip to Hawaii, not even deserving of a penny tip. We waited for over 20 minutes before she even showed up to take our order after arriving. Once she did take our order it was another 30 minutes before she showed back up with the food, which was not prepared very well and was cold to boot.

By that time, it was well after 10pm, so we decided to tough it out and just eat what we could so we could get out of there and get to bed. The waitress never did show back up until we asked for her to get our check, so we never got any refills of soda, tea or coffee.

Complaints to the manager on duty finally resulting in getting a slight discount on the ticket, but that didn't make up for a truly hideous experience in an otherwise great vacation.

Do yourself a favor, if you happen to be in Waikiki and are looking for a quick bite to eat - walk the extra block or two and head on over to the IHOP and stay away from this Dennys. You'll be glad you did.

My first meal at the Shore Bird was back in 1993 or 1994, my most recent the first week of May 2008, and the place is just as good now as it was 15 years ago.

The Shore Bird is a fantastically fun and unique beach bar and restaurant right on the sand in Waikiki, located at the Outrigger Reed on the Beach Hotel. Walk right up to the place while strolling along the beautiful Waikiki sandy beach or come in through the hotel's entrance across from the new Beach Walk shopping center, however you get there do it early because the place is always busy and there's always a wait for the premium beachfront seats near sunset!

The big "gimmick" of the Shore Bird is the fact that you cook your own entree - yes, you are the chef here! In the back of the restaurant there's a huge long grill, behind the massive salad bar (which is a meal unto itself!) where you take your choice of steak, chicken or fresh Island fish and cook it yourself. Multiple sauces are available along with a variety of seasonings in convenient shakers.

Don't worry if you aren't an expert griller - they have experts standing by to help you out with advice on cooking times, seasonings, when to flip, etc. If you should happen to totally mess up and destroy your entree, well then, they know that these things happen and they'll be happy to replace it for you (once!) and keep a closer eye on you the next time.

After your food is cooked, take it back to your table and enjoy your great food while enjoying a beautiful Waikiki sunset across the surf while listening to some live entertainment by local musicians. Or, if you prefer to eat later in the evening or just stop by after dinner to enjoy some drinks on the beach, they have nightly karaoke if that's something you enjoy.

If you are the morning type of person, they also have a fantastic all-you-can-eat breakfast bar in the morning, in addition to traditional breakfast entrees from the menu.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, karaoke, live entertainment - you name it, the Shore Bird has it. Whether you are Lahaina or Haole, the Shore Bird is the place to hang out in Waikiki.

Those were the words spoken by FDR about what happened in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 - and a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor will make that day come alive for you like no other place will. The Arizona Memorial is a living shrine to the men and women who gave their lives on that fateful Sunday morning when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

I'll admit - I'm a little bit biased about this place for two reasons. One, I am a veteran of the US Navy myself and two, i actually re-enlisted in the Navy on the USS Arizona Memorial - two very big reasons why this place holds a special place in my heart, in addition to the historical significance.

Be advised: no bags are allowed in the museum or on the memorial! NONE! No camera bags, purses, nothing. You have to leave them in your car/bus, or go over to the Bowfin Museum and rent a locker to store them for you.

Access to the Museum and Memorial is free, but you have to get their early because the last guided tour leaves at 3pm. You start out in a theater where they show you a short film giving the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the building of the Memorial. Then you board a US Navy boat (yes, it's wheelchair accessible!) and they take you over to the Memorial itself.

All visitors are reminded that the ship below the long white Memorial is the final resting place for the nearly 1000 men who died on the ship that morning, who's bodies still rest there, so please treat the Memorial with the respect that it's due.

Just walking around the Memorial is, in all sense of the word, an awesome experience. You don't need anyone to remind you to be respectful - you can feel it in the very air around you. When you walk to the back and the Wall of Remembrance, where the names of all the men who died on the Arizona are engraved in marble, you can feel the history and the spirit all around you.

On the day we were there, it was especially touching, because there was a white wreath on a stand in front of the Wall - with a ribbon on it saying it was a tribute from the Japanese Armed Forces Training Command. A lot can change in 66 years.

Visiting the Arizona Memorial is something I wish every American could have the opportunity to at least once in their lifetime. I have been blessed with the chance to do it four times now and each time has been just as special as the first.

If you are a visitor to Oahu (Honolulu/Waikiki) then you HAVE to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center!

This award winning cultural center is run by the staff and students of Brigham Young University Hawaii, and the Mormon Church as a way to preserve and promote the history and culture of the native peoples of the South Pacific Polynesian regions.

Cultures represented include Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand (Maori), Tahiti, Tonga and the Marquesas. The center is divided into regions that have authentic replicas of the native villages and buildings, with "cast members" doing live demos of native skills and arts.

If you do visit, I highly recommend that you purchase your tickets in advance and make sure you get one of the packages that includes a Luau meal. It is served buffet style, with a show and entertainment, and with the food being all you can eat, you'll definitely get your fill. The package also includes the big evening show, "Horizons: Where the Sea Meets the Sky" which is a big stage show extravaganza with singing and dancing that represents all the native regions, culminating in a big Samoan fire dance finale.

For the shopaholics, there are boutiques and shops galore, and if you really want to get into the spirit (or out of the heat!) they have their own iMax theater on the property. The movie may change, but while we were there it was showing a history of the islands that included some dramatic scenes of the volcanic origins of the islands and shots of the volcanoes taken at Hawaii's "Big Island".

For all this, a very full day indeed, the price was very reasonable. For the Ali'i Luau package I believe we paid approximately $68 per person. Considering all that we got to see and the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff and "cast members" there, it was a very rewarding experience.

I stayed here with my partner of 10 years (and now fiancée) and his mother the last week of April/first week of May this year for Mom's dream vacation and 74th birthday.

While we had a small problem with the front desk clerk when checking in (he was rude and unhelpful) and a maid who entered the room without knocking shortly thereafter, a second desk clerk and the hotel manager were extremely helpful and apologetic, even giving us a free upgrade to full ocean view rooms right on the beach to make up for the hassles.

Our rooms were on the opposite side of the hotel from the construction going on at the entrance, so there was no noise or mess. The newly refurbished rooms were comfortable and beautiful, as was the gorgeous view with glorious sunsets every night and the surf crashing on the beach all day long.

We never ate at the more expensive, fancy Ocean House restaurant, but the Shorebird is an old favorite of mine from many years ago. It's a great beach bar & restaurant where you can sit and enjoy the sunset, with a twist - you cook your own entrees back on a long grill to your own perfection, adding your own seasoning and sauces. Of course there are experts there to lend a hand and help you out, too, if you get lost.

All in all, I have to give the Outrigger Reef on the Beach a big Thumbs Up - there are a lot more fancy, and more expensive, places to stay in Waikiki, but if you are looking for a good place to stay, with comfortable rooms and good service, this would be a great place for you.

The food here is not bad - some very creative rolls that are written on a whiteboard rather than being placed in a menu, so they can be changed to suit the whims of the day's sushi chef. The quality of the fish used is always good, so you don't have to worry about bad fish with an of your orders.

My only real complaint with Umi is the prices - quite high for every day sushi, unless you happen to go during their Monday lunch special, where they give a discount every Monday from 11-1. It is also a very small restraunt, with only about 6 tables plus the sushi bar, and parking in the strip mall where they are located is nearly impossible to find, so overall I recommend driving the extra 2 or 3 miles to The Sushi Ozekii instead.