Los Angeles, California, United States
Lava Lounge opened in December 1993. This non-traditional tiki bar in a tiny strip mall in Hollywood attracted a steady flow of hipsters. Appropriate to the name, the interior had lava-dark walls, with a smoke-heaving, water-dripping wall in the rear, and pin-point lights across the ceiling. The design was sleek, with a heavy use of bamboo and Oceanic Arts lighting. There were a few tikis near the front. Live music was often featured here, almost always of the non-tiki-friendly variety. Tropical drinks were served, but not in tiki mugs. Lava Lounge closed in February 2007.
I was here a few times in the early 2000s, but didn't really think of this as a tiki bar destination. I wasn't really die-hard into tiki at this time. It was always really crowded and I was usually meeting up with someone to go bar hopping or this might have been a stop during bar hopping. This visit date is just a guess at when I might have last been here.
