Tiki Lau was opened in the early 1970s by Peter Yee. Tiki Lau offered standard Chinese fare and tropical drinks. There was a moai with light-up eyes over the entrance, a fountain in the lobby entry, and a few tikis scattered throughout. The theming was a little more complete in the bar area, which was darker and had some bamboo. In early 2007 it was sold to new owners, who operated it under the name "The New Tiki" for a short time until it ultimately closed on September 27, 2008.

The Tropics was opened in 1950 by Vince Schwenoha along an especially treacherous stretch of Route 66 (at the end of "Killer Curve"). Schwenoha spent some time in Hawaii when in the military, and was inspired to open this restaurant upon his return.

The dining rooms had bamboo and murals of tropical scenes, but were spare in decoration and were clean and bright. The bar area initially was of the sleek, bamboo-bedecked variety that was common in the pre-tiki age, but apparently underwent a remodel at some point that added an angular bamboo frame over the bar and some tiki masks on the walls. The entire building was rebuilt at some point, but it is unclear when this happened.

Some items from The Tropics mention "Your Hosts Bev & Lou Johnson," with pictures of the original building. Bev and Lou (sometimes spelled "Lew") took over from Vince Schwenoha in 1955.

The restaurant continued operating until the early-to-mid 2000s. The building stood empty until it was demolished in 2017.

*The Tropics' fully restored neon sign now sits yards away from its original location at the intersection of the 1940-77 alignment of Route 66 and Woodlawn Rd.

This cheesy take on tiki opened in 2005, and eventually morphed into a dance club. Cartoony tikis and monkeys everywhere...everything seemed to indicate that this place was truly awful. Closed in 2009, and the space became Red Square Vodka House.

The Charleston Antique Mall has over 15,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles. One booth at the mall, run by Tiki Lee, was dedicated entirely to tiki, and offered a mix of modern and vintage tiki collectibles, especially mugs, but moved in October 2013 to a new antique mall, Main Street America, at 1400 S. Main St. and is currently still there as of 2022 (although the name of the mall has changed to Main Street Peddler's Antique Mall). Tiki Lee's Tiki Shop also has an online presence at https://tikileestikishop.bigcartel.com/

The Charleston Antique Mall was known as the Red Rooster Antique Mall until it was renamed in 2007. (A separate store that retains the name "Red Rooster" is right next door.) Getting to the antique mall can be a little challenging, as it sits right between the freeway and the railroad tracks, but once you have driving directions it's pretty easy to find.

The Outrigger Bar and Lounge was in the Sheraton-Charles Hotel.

This third St. Charles Hotel opened on February 1, 1896. Sheraton Hotels bought the St. Charles in 1959 for $5 million and renamed it the Sheraton-Charles Hotel. The hotel was sold to local developer Louis J. Roussel Jr. in 1965, though Sheraton continued to operate it. On August 5, 1973, Roussel announced he would redevelop the site of the Sheraton-Charles. It closed and was demolished in 1974.

The lot sat vacant for nearly a decade, until the Place St. Charles tower was erected in 1984.

Open at least as early as 1965.

The Bamboo was a Chinese restaurant that had a Tiki Room lounge. The Tiki Room was decorated with float lights, tiki masks, and of course lots of bamboo.

A Family Dollar Store is currently in this location.

Opened November 27th, 1968.

Owned and operated by Mr. Jimmy Tchou and Mrs. Jimmy Tchou (Lorraine Lee Tchou). Designed by architect Paul Mouton.

Huki Lau was a restaurant in Metairie's "Fat City" area with Chinese food and Polynesian decor, including a 16' high waterfall.

It operated till November 1974, when Lorraine Lee and new partner Roy Walker rebranded the place as the Huki Lau Supper Club, with food prepared and brought in from the Imperial Palace, a Chinese restaurant in Metairie that Lee and Walker (who later married) also owned.

The club and restaurant were destroyed by fire in January 1977, and then-Jefferson Parish Fire Chief James O’Neill told the Times-Picayune that burglary and arson were suspected.

YKH Consulting, LLC is now in this location.

This short-lived restaurant opened in October 2008 and closed just a year later. There is no connection between this restaurant and Beverly Hills' famous The Luau, created by Steve Crane in the 1950s although the Steve Crane signature tiki was represented in a framed painting and a small carved version was prominent in the front of the restaurant.

Bamboo Ben was hired to do the decor, particularly the pufferfish lights, but they restrained him from going all-out.

Rather than the nod to historic Polynesian Pop that the name choice might suggest, this upscale restaurant was sleek and more Asian than Polynesian in design (with carved Gyan Mudra Yogic Buddha's Hands all over the restaurant and as their logo).

However, the drink menu had some classic tiki drinks, and was developed with input from Beachbum Berry.

The Clipper Room and Porthole Lounge was part of the Cadillac Sands Resort. In its first incarnation, this was the Aku Aku. The restaurant made the switch to a new name and more nautical theme in the 1970s, but the resort recently underwent a major renovation, and their new dining concept (announced circa 2021) is "The Sultan's Table".

The Aku Aku bar and restaurant offered "Poolside Dining" at the Cadillac Sands Resort (built in 1961). Tiki designs on the menu appear to have been lifted from a menu from the Tahitian Lanai in Waikiki -- it's unlikely there's any connection beyond an inspiration.

Aku Aku is gone, but the Cadillac Sands remains, now known as the Lake Cadillac Resort. The space retained at least some of its theming in its later incarnation as the Clipper Room and Porthole Lounge but the resort recently underwent a major renovation, and their new dining concept (announced circa 2021) is "The Sultan's Table".

Formerly the Okoboji Inn.

Tiki Torch Restaurant and Bar was short-lived: it opened in the summer of 2008, and was gone by January of the next year. It served burgers and tropical cocktails. Scooter riders got happy hour prices all the time.

This site was home to Providence Tavern (later just "Providence") from 2019 - 2024.

Kona opened in 2007 in the space that had been Sam's Seafood for decades. Much of the decor was retained and refreshed, with improvements being made most notably in the quality of the food offering and some softened lighting. They adapted the exterior Sam's swordfish sign by changing the lettering.

Kona had several dining rooms with slightly different decor. The "Hidden Village" back rooms were available for special events, and had the most elaborate Polynesian theming, with huts, a fountain, and a bar. The dining room at the front had painted murals and a fountain.

In 2009, Kona closed and reopened under new ownership as Don the Beachcomber (no connection to the historic chain). Don's closed in 2018.