Kowloon Restaurant
Asian restaurant · Saugus
948 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906
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:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23318477/March_8__2022_Kowloon_14.jpg "Kowloon Restaurant by eater.com")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23318496/March_8__2022_Kowloon_265.jpg "Kowloon Restaurant by eater.com")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23318485/March_8__2022_Kowloon_248.jpg "Kowloon Restaurant by eater.com")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70629640/March_8__2022_Kowloon_272.0.jpg "Kowloon Restaurant by Sophie Park")
Highlights
Kitschy Polynesian landmark with mai tais, comedy & Asian meals
Kitschy Polynesian landmark with mai tais, comedy & Asian meals
"A gargantuan, totem-festooned restaurant on U.S. Route 1 in Saugus that has anchored a fading midcentury driving-and-dining corridor since 1950, founded by Chun Sau Chin and Tow See Chin and later expanded into a 50,000-square-foot escapist fantasia by William Wong. Inside are hazy lights, a fountain, an ’80s-era Hong Kong Lounge bar and seven named dining rooms — including a Tiki Lagoon with a massive water feature and a Volcano Bay Room centered on a ship replica and glowing volcano wallpaper — plus a sushi bar, frozen-drink novelties served in outrageous vessels, huge shareable platters and a pan-Asian menu (with an off-menu cult favorite known as Saugus wings). The sprawling operation also houses a respected upstairs comedy venue that has hosted top comics, employs large numbers of local staff, and functions as a multigenerational community hub; the family owners are weighing sale or subdivision even as locals defend its cultural importance, making its future uncertain but its legacy unmistakable." - Hannah Selinger
"Kowloon has not been sold, and it is not for sale. It’s also not closing — at least not any time soon. Bobby Wong, whose parents Madeline and Bill Wong opened Kowloon in 1960, calmed some of those anxieties, telling the Saugus Advertiser that the family is merely 'looking at other options we might have with the property' sometime in the future. However, Wong did say that the restaurant industry is tough — that is especially true at the moment — and that the next generation doesn’t want to be involved in the operations of Kowloon." - Terrence Doyle
"It’s a bit of a geographic outlier on this particular map, but Kowloon out in Saugus is a necessary scorpion bowl destination on the North Shore. The decades-old kitschy landmark is a palace of tiki drinks, fountains, parties, and comedy, with a humongous menu of Chinese, Thai, and Japanese food. You can even buy your own bowl for making giant cocktails at home." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal
"As if the visually striking exterior of Kowloon weren’t enough, this Saugus staple has been a mainstay of Greater Boston’s Tiki scene for decades. Its drink menu includes its most popular mai tais and scorpion bowls, plus blue Hawaiis and more. The restaurant doubles as a comedy club, and it has group-sized cocktails for the truly festive occasion." - Dana Hatic
"Kowloon, a decades-old restaurant along Route 1 in Saugus, is known for its Tiki style, comedy nights, cornhole tournaments, bingo events, and as a function hall. It accommodates more than 1,000 people and has a new food truck decorated in its signature style. The truck will serve special events and aims to go public next year. The menu includes favorites like crab rangoon and General Gau chicken, plus new items like Chinese roast pork buns." - Dana Hatic
