4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge
25 Sept 2022
This very small, hole-in-the-wall bar is kind of hard to find. It's around the back of a small strip center in a marginal part of Arlington. It's (barely) walking distance from here to AT&T Stadium, and that's exactly what we did. The parking nearby for the game was a little cheaper, and the walk did us good after the powerful drinks. The drinks are some of the best Tiki drinks I've ever had; far out-shining the place over in Dallas. I wish there had been food on the menu, though. The decor is better than shown in these pictures. There were no mugs or glasses being sold while we were there, but I think they have them now. The biggest problem is the door; and it's impossible to improve on it because of the small space: every time the door opens, the whole room is flooded with bright Texas sunshine...
We're from out of town, but will definitely return to this little place the next time we go to a game!
Swizzle Dallas
23 Sept 2022
This place is ok. Ok Decor. Ok drinks, food. It's in a very hot area of town, so it's doing well.
The whole place would feel much better if they'd cover the painted brick wall that faces the bar. It's very un-Tiki. To be fair, my wife liked it better than I did. Still, I'm glad to have been, and would return.
Frankie's Tiki Room
6 Jan 2022
Frankie's is the rough older brother of the Golden Tiki. It's an awesome dive Tiki bar. The neighborhood is a little dodgy, and Frankie's is it's neighborhood bar. It was a slow night when we were there; maybe six people in the place. The place feels a little grungy inside; but I can't wait to go back. The drinks are great. The decor is great. The mugs are awesome. The place has an old-school vibe about it that won't stop. I guess that the Golden Tiki is better, but Frankie's is still on the "must visit" list.
Trader Vic's - Atlanta
11 Dec 2020
I've been in three times in the past three years, and the experience has been at least "good" each time. One time the food & service was a little off. Something was going on with the staff that night.
It's not a Tiki Bar; it's a Tiki restaurant with a bar, and it is BEAUTIFUL. You won't find a more gorgeous place in Atlanta of any theme.
It's Trader Vics, so the mugs are awesome, and the drinks are too. Get in there and enjoy the place before some unfortunate turn of events closes this beauty down.
Last Rites
Date: Unknown
I had been reluctant to visit Last Rites because of some "we're not a Tiki bar" nonsense they put on their social media right before our trip. I'm very glad I looked past that, because Last Rites is the best Tiki bar in the Bay Area. If they only had food, they might be the best I've visited anywhere; or at least in the top three. The decor is top notch; the drinks are excellent; the service is friendly and timely. We were seated at the bar, and the very busy bartender was friendly with time for all of my questions. We picked up a glass, as no mug was available. I can't wait to go back to Last Rites!
Trader Vic's - Emeryville
Date: Unknown
This is a great Tiki restaurant and bar; and a worthy heir to Victor B's empire. It's beautiful inside and out; the food is great, and the drinks are fabulous. We drank out of a canoe, and had a great time! :) There are lots of mugs and glassware for sale, and we took home one or two. Trader Vic's is the best Tiki bar with food in the Bay Area.
The Kon-Tiki - Oakland
Date: Unknown
The Kon-Tiki is a little gem, and better than most of the hyped Tiki bars in the Bay Area. The drinks were good, the service was good, the FOOD was good - and everyone was friendly. Why do so few Tiki bars serve food?? The KT does, and it is good. Picked up a zombie glass as a souvenir. We highly recommend The Kon-Tiki!
Smuggler's Cove
Date: Unknown
We arrived at about 8pm, and waited in line outside for ~20 minutes before we were admitted. Once inside, we lucked up and got the best two seats at the main bar (against the wall on the right side). The bar was absolutely packed to capacity, so that it was kind of difficult to navigate and take it all in. What I could see though, was splendid. The decor and theming is awesome; as good as any other Tiki space I've been in. The drinks were great, and the drink menu is very impressive; the best I've ever seen. We got a couple of mugs and are glad to have those souvenirs. Two complaints: I wish they had some kind of food, even snack mix. IMHO, alcohol - especially fruity tiki drinks - must have snacks to change the pace. Second complaint is that the place is just too darn small. Why not move into a bigger space?? The upstairs and downstairs were so tiny, and so packed with people that all I could do was peep inside. My favorite drink was the Rum Barrel, and I'd like to go back right now. Alas, it'll be awhile...
Smuggler's Cove
Date: Unknown
Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge
Date: Unknown
This is a good little tiki bar. Worth the visit, but it pales to some of its cousins in the area. The drinks were good, and the rum selection top notch. The decor was ok and the crowd was decent, though improving as we left. I was pleased that they offered some snacks, but wanted a little more food-wise. The mug selection was weak, so we left with an old fashioned glass.
Tonga Room - at the Fairmont Hotel
Date: Unknown
This is the most beautiful tiki space in San Francisco, and that's saying something. Really, it's stunningly beautiful. Words can't do it justice. The drinks were good enough, but not great - that's because there were at least 400 people in the place, and another 200 waiting outside while we were there.
We opted not to wait in the 2 hour line to eat, having drinks and buying mugs instead. The mug selection was strong, second only to Trader Vic's in the SFO area.
The only complaint is that they were obviously under staffed, as approximately half of their dining tables were empty, while a huge crowd waited outside. Some who planned to eat (like us) just opted to have a drink in the bar, while many more left without ever getting to come in. It looks like the Fairmont & Tonga Room are losing lots of business to poor management.
Pagan Idol
Date: Unknown
The decor of this place is pretty good, but it's spatially awkward. There's a fair amount of wasted space. Better than half of the seating is made up of small stools that are an awkward height, and the tables are even more awkward, making that part of the experience uncomfortable. The best part of the visit was the bartender; he was a nice fellow. We were there early on a Friday night, so maybe it picked up later; but while we were there, the place was pretty dead. I wanted to like this bar, but it's in last place of the eight Bay Area tiki establishments we visited this weekend.
Pagan Idol
Date: Unknown
Zombie Village - San Francisco
Date: Unknown
Great drinks, great decor, great atmosphere. It's a shame that there were no mugs. This is a great place; but I wonder why there weren't many people there on a Saturday night...
Tiki Tango
Date: Unknown
This was a decent Tiki Bar, not great. Everything about it was "ok." Drinks, food, decor. Service was rude the one night I was there. I can't give it another chance now, because they're closed, I'm sorry to say.
Supposedly, a larger development was taking over their lot and several others...
Trader Sam's Grog Grotto
Date: Unknown
Great Tiki Bar! Yes, it's Disneyfied, but Disney has done a lot to keep the "Tiki torch burning" over these many years. Some might find the atmosphere a little boisterous, with the bartenders' schtick and all, but it's fun - and no-one should be coming in here too regularly, since it's a resort. All of that aside, the drinks are good, the mugs are absolutely the BEST, the food is good - and the decor and music are incredible. Disney rarely does anything halfway, and Trader Sam's Grog Grotto is no exception. Get there early (or late) and HAVE FUN.
Skull & Crown Trading Company
Date: Unknown
Cool place. Drinks were good, but there's no food... which I always find odd in a bar, 'cuz I gotta have food with liquor. Further complicating this is the fact that the bar is out of the way - so eat before you arrive. The decor was excellent; "dark tiki" is about right. Some mysterious touches, almost horror here and there, but it's not too much so don't worry about that. It's a small space; seating maybe 40? There's a much larger back patio, but it has been sparsely decorated. It feels like perhaps several establishments share it? We picked up a pair of what are now some of my favorite Mai Tai glasses. I'll try to post them soon. We'll probably visit again...
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar
Date: Unknown
Great Tiki Bar! Yes, it's Disneyfied, but Disney has done a lot to keep the "Tiki torch burning" over these many years. Some might find the atmosphere a little boisterous, with the bartenders' schtick and all, but it's fun - and I don't think anyone is coming in here too regularly, since it's a resort. All of that aside, the drinks are good, the mugs are absolutely the BEST, the food is good - and the decor and music are incredible. Disney rarely does anything halfway, and Trader Sam's is no exception. Get there early (or late) and HAVE FUN.
Tiki Iniki - Princeville
Date: Unknown
Great Tiki Bar! The second best we've been to - rivaling the great Golden Tiki in Vegas... but completely different. Tiki Iniki is more like a grass hut, and it seems like a stiff wind could blow it away (which is ironic, considering the name). It's filled with Tikis and Hawaiian what-not, and is a great place to sit on an afternoon or evening with the island breeze blowing through. The drinks are great, the food is great, and the staff was friendly. They serve many of their drinks in tiki mugs, and several are available for purchase. We love Kauai, and usually stay on the south side of the island, but we've decided that next time we're staying on the north side - to be nearer to Tiki Iniki. LOL.
The Golden Tiki
Date: Unknown
Best Tiki bar in town, best Tiki bar I've been to (out of 12). Awesome entry, awesome decor, awesome drinks, good food. Some of the decor is "tongue in cheek" and/or "adult" which some tiki-philes might not like, but I think they pull it off beautifully. The place is packed with art and other conversation pieces to catch your eye. There are several different rooms or areas where the theming shifts. They had a DJ the night we were there, and it was '80s night, so no exotica music - but the place and the energy is so awesome that you don't care. My only critique is that they didn't sell or serve from mugs while we were there - but apparently they do now. Can't wait to go back!
Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29
Date: Unknown
We visited Latitude 29 twice on the weekend of January 28, 2023. Had a great time and even better drinks both times. The bar is smallish, seating about 50 total. The decor is well done, especially on the half that includes the bar; sit at or near the bar if you can. The opposite side could use a little TLC, but I'm nitpicking there. We ate dinner on one of the days, and the food was excellent; up to the level of the competition in a very competitive food town. The menu is a tad short, but what we had was excellent. The only real complaint from us is the amount of natural light flooding the space. There are windows and/or doors on three of the four walls that make up the space, and during the day at least, this hurts the overall atmosphere. Curtains or some other light filtering would really help the feel of the place. We picked up the one mug they had for sale, along with a few of their swizzles. It's awesome, and pictured above, along with our friendly bartender. We look forward to our next visit!
Saturn Room
Date: Unknown
Low key crowd, low key night. Cool bar, nice atmosphere and music. Drinks were excellent. No mugs for purchase. I recommend a visit.