Tiki Bars
Le Fern - at The Caliente Tropics
Palm Springs, California, United States (Closed)
Opened Summer 2022.
Le Fern was a tropically-inspired bar with midcentury drop lights, carved Tiki heads behind the bar, live plants and the Caliente Tropics’ original carved wood door.
“A la 70s, fern bars have always fascinated me,” Rory Snyder said. “It’s my generation. The term ‘yacht rock’ coined about 10 years ago, is the music of Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan. It has a huge history. Think TGIF’s as a typical fern bar.”
Catering to more feminine tastes, fern bars were inspired by the early feminist era when women, earning their own money, began going to bars where they felt safe to go alone.
“Typically, the drinks were sweeter, like Grasshoppers, Pink Squirrels, and modified Mai Tais,” says Snyder. “BLTs, cheese sandwiches, Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame were on the menus.”
Le Fern offered more modern fresh produce libations such as lime, basil and other juice and herb concoctions. Club sandwiches, cheese fondue and other 70s throwback eats were on the menu.
With the closing of Oceanic Arts, Snyder was able to acquire an original Ed Crissman carved tiki at auction (several of which already resided at the Caliente Tropics) and this Crissman tiki was prominently displayed at Le Fern and served as inspiration for one of their tiki mugs.
Although some purists may decry fern bars as "tiki adjacent" at best or, at worst, part of the much lamented tiki devolution that took place in the 70s and 80s, Le Fern had some pieces (including the Ed Crissman carving) that far outshone those in other tiki bars.
Le Fern was also bigger than the sum of its parts when considered as part of the greater Caliente Tropics complex.
It closed Sunday, April 28th, 2024 with Rory promising that the space would not remain vacant for long...and indeed, it didn't. The Le Fern space was quickly incorporated into the adjacent Sancho's Restaurant as a Cantina. Some tiki pieces can still be seen here, including quite a few mugs behind the backbar.
Tropical Hut - Stony Island Avenue - Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States (Closed)
The original pre-tiki location of Tropical Hut opened in 1941 on Fifty-Seventh Street near Kenwood Avenue (1320-24 1/2 E. 57th St.).
Urban renewal pushed the original restaurant out in 1966 and it moved into this pagoda-like building at Ninety-Second Street and Stony Island Avenue (9156 S. Stony Island Ave.). This second location lasted into the early '90s. The last incarnation of this second location was as Nipsey's, a southern food restaurant, which burned down on March 2nd, 2022.
*NOTE: Exterior photo below was pre-Nipsey's era but may have been after Tropical Hut closed in the 90s. Still, it shows the roofline.
Tropical Hut - 57th Street - Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States (Closed)
This pre-tiki location opened in 1941 on Fifty-Seventh Street near Kenwood Avenue (1320-24 1/2 E. 57th St.).
Urban renewal pushed the original restaurant out in 1966 and it moved into a pagoda-like building at Ninety-Second Street and Stony Island Avenue (9156 S. Stony Island Ave.). This second location lasted into the early '90s. The last incarnation of this second location was as Nipsey's, a southern food restaurant, which burned down on March 2nd, 2022.
Tiny Tiki - Washington DC
Washington, District of Columbia, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2021 underneath a Vietnamese restaurant in DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood.
Tiny Tiki is a small, intimate bar, seating around 30 people, with 6-8 at the bar. The decor is traditional tiki, with lowered lights, statues, carvings, and Polynesian-pop decoration throughout. A very large Moai at the entrance faces a decommissioned Vespa next to the table seating. The drink menu covers the Tiki greatest-hits with a reasonably extensive rum list, organized by origin. The bartenders will take orders off menu. No food is available, but can be brought in from neighboring shops.
*NOTE: Not to be confused with the Tiny Tiki in Spokane, Washington (closed "temporarily" since 2021).
Tiny Tiki closed on 29 June, 2024.
Tiki Hut Steak N' Lobster - Seattle
Seattle, Washington, United States (Closed)
The Tiki Hut was open and running circa 1962 -- with "exotic beverages" served in the Shell Room lounge -- and continued into the 70s (at one point also know as "Hope's Hut"). In the 80s it was the Blue Hawaiian Restaurant (still featuring the Shell Room) until becoming Lee Chee Garden in the late 80s. It was later known as Chen's Village from 2005-2018.
As of 2022, this location is a Sisters and Brother Nashville hot chicken restaurant.
There was also a second location for Tiki Hut, at one point, in Lynnwood at 5621 196th S. W.
*NOTE: The menu below mentions a Harvey Wallbanger cocktail and lists 3! cocktails with Galliano which seems to date it to the 1970s.
Bora Bora Pub - Santa Cristina Beach - La Coruña, Spain
Spain (Closed)
Opened in 1975.
Jesús García and Ramón Tourís closed the premises in February 2011, due to retirement, after 36 years of history.
This pub was one of the few that still remained from the golden age of Santa Cristina Beach in La Coruña, Spain.
Tropic Isle
Culver City, California, United States (Closed)
This tiki bar appears to have been active @1961-1962.
It was later the location of the Bali Hai which ran from June of 1963-1969.
The Tropic Isle's tiki mascot figure was issued in mug form, both with and without dry ice pockets on top rim.
As of 2022, this location appears to be a Vans shoe store or adjacent to where the shoe store currently stands.
Jimmy Wong's
Chicago, Illinois, United States (Closed)
Jimmy Wong's was located at 426 S Wabash Avenue in Chicago. Although it was a Chinese restaurant, it was quite famous in its day and extremely "tiki adjacent".
Eventually 2 other locations were opened. One of them was at 3058 West Peterson. The third was at 423 S Clark (Nan Yan).
Jimmy Wong's was known for its Cantonese cooking, Hong Kong Steak, and whole fish dishes. It was also known for celebrity sightings.
The two-floor restaurant had an impressive neon sign out front, a pagoda-like skylight, Chinese green tile divider screens along the booths, bamboo trim on the walls, and a bubbling Buddha fountain.
Although it was marketed as a Chinese restaurant, like so many other Chinese restaurants of this period, they borrowed classic tiki elements that were all the rage in the 60s. Waiters wore flowered Aloha shirts and there was a Polynesian cocktail menu with take-home mugs marked for Jimmy's. All five shown in their menu are represented in this site's collections. See menu below…
This original Jimmy Wong's opened in 1959 and stood for nearly 40 years under the Wabash El between Van Buren and Jackson. The building was closed and torn down in 1997.
As a South Loop restaurateur, Jimmy Wong was best known for his Hong Kong Steak and the opportunity to spot celebrities at his restaurants -- see him with Sammy Davis Jr. in the photo below.
Mr. Wong passed away in 2001 -- a beloved entrepreneur of Chicago's 50's & 60's.
Hades Hula House - Adelaide
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia (Closed)
Opened August 12th, 2022.
Hades Hula House took over the old Candy Bar beneath the cinema on Hindley Street. This was a move from the previous Hades Hula House location at 52 Semaphore ROAD, Semaphore, South Australia (February 2018 - May 2022).
This new location was larger, but a bit more modern and sparse in its decor.
As always, they opened their arms to an inclusive community and had a loyal fan base that packed out the new location just as they did the old.
Hades Hula House permanently closed on Dec 30th 2023.
Sunken Harbor Club - at Gage & Tollner - Brooklyn
New York, United States
Sunken Harbor Club is an intimate nautical cocktail bar tucked away on the second floor above Gage & Tollner.
After eight years as a weekly pop-up at owner St. John Frizell's Red Hook mainstay Fort Defiance, The Club finally anchored in Downtown Brooklyn in October 2021.
Though this bar has no tikis, they certainly excel in making tiki style cocktails and various craft rum drinks.
They also have a mid-century friendly 200+ hour-long soundtrack that boasts Exotica, Surf, and Bossa Nova, for a retro feel -- and some thunderstorm sounds and other special effects mixed in to give a bit of that Don The Beachcomber rainstorm vibe.
The bar was profiled in Exotica Moderne Issue 17, 2022 and a good comparison was made to other nautical bars that are "tiki adjacent" such as the Molokai Bar at the Mai-Kai in Ft. Lauderdale.
While some tiki purists may bemoan the lack of actual carvings or artwork, they do not claim to be a "tiki" bar. However, there is no doubt that this venue appreciates tiki connoisseurs, understands tiki history, and has created a wonderful nautical bar that any mid century modern or tiki enthusiast would have a very difficult time not enjoying.
Blue Hawaii - Wildwood
Wildwood, New Jersey, United States (Closed)
Operated during the 1970s.
This was once the ONLY Polynesian restaurant located in Cape May County.
Blue Hawaii was once the Bavarian Inn and after being the Blue Hawaii, it would become The Thunderbird Inn.
Sadly, the whole property would become townhouses.
A restaurant of the same name and using the same logo graphics was also located in Nashville, Tennessee. No known connection.
Coral Club
Vancouver, Washington, United States
Opened November 5th, 2022.
This is a speakeasy style tiki bar/restaurant in Vancouver, Washington.
Coral Club is a passion project of Angela Deans who, along with her husband, owns the popular Brickhouse bar and restaurant just a few blocks away.
The drink menu contains tiki classics, Coral Club originals, and a wide assortment of non-tiki options. The bar stocks more than 30 types of rum along with a wide selection of other libations from around the world. All cocktails are hand-measured and mixed using fresh juices and the finest ingredients available. The food menu, similarly, includes re-imagined tiki classics as well as a number of original dishes including Poke Bites, Kahlua Pork, and Beef Short Ribs.