Tiki Bars
The Hut - Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan, United States (Closed)
A newer dance club, above the Have a Nice Day Cafe. Less Tiki Bob's, more Tiki Bob's Cantina. Only not as nice. In photos, the only tikis are painted on the walls, and look strangely like flower pots.
As of 2021, this space is home to Elektricity Nightclub.
Trader Vic's - Vancouver B.C.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Closed)
Opened in 1961.
The 500-seat restaurant-bar opened only a few years after Vancouver allowed hard liquor to be sold in public.
This Trader Vic's was located in the Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina, in an A-frame building designed by architect Reno Negrin.
The Long House Room had a high-pitched ceiling covered with thatched raffia; four long boats and an ornate canoe which was suspended above the diners’ heads. The ceiling light fixtures were concealed in thatched baskets, and in colored globes wrapped in fishnets. Numerous wood tribal masks and large conch shells concealed uplighting fixtures. Tribal shields, spears, carved poles, bamboo screens and Chinese-design wrought iron panels completed the decor.
It closed on December 31, 1995. The bar was still popular though, and the restaurant was rented out for special events until the building finally closed in May, 1999.
After closing, the Bayshore sold the building to David Whiffin of Vancouver Island and he had the structure transported there, where it still rests today. Plans to re-open the building as part of a waterfront vineyard in the new location near Butchart Gardens were quickly scuttled by the local municipality, however. A Kickstarter was started to try and finance a new start for the building, but it went nowhere, and David ended up living there for a time. As of 2026, it remains where it was moved, quietly abandoned...
Tiki Lounge - Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (Closed)
Opened @2002 and closed @2008.
Part of the Surrey Inn, which was active from 1974-2013.
The site is now home to Coast Capital Savings.
Aloha Polinesian Bar
Barcelona, Spain
Opened in 1976, this is a very large bar with a 250 person capacity and bills itself as the largest tiki bar in Barcelona.
It still has all of its original decor, including an amazing front bar area with a bundled rattan/bamboo bar railing, several Gaugin inspired nude Tahitian girl murals, and tikis throughout. There are several small rooms and alcove areas for more intimate smaller groups.
There is an anachronistic large television at the end of the front bar-- probably as an obligatory nod to sports fans. There is also a large table soccer game (foosball to North Americans) by the emergency exit.
Porcelain style signature Spanish tiki mugs are used, although many show signs of chipping or cold paint loss and have been in rotation a number of years.
Tiki purists may not always approve of the music or cocktail authenticity, but this is common with many of the Spanish tiki bars. Despite this, the ability to experience such an early time capsule of a tiki temple should not be missed.
The Beachcomber Room - at the Talisman Motor Inn
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Closed)
Opened in 1963, the Talisman Motor Inn had multiple restaurants for fine dining and entertainment.
The plan for the Talisman Motor Hotel was imagined after a trip to Japan with a vision of a Japanese steak house, garden, and overall design for business, modern banquet facilities, weddings etc. The hotel had their main dining room “Raffles” and their own tiki bar “The Beachcomber Room”. Within a few years The Beachcomber Room was relocated to the lower level and the original space was used for meeting rooms. The new “Beachcomber Lounge” did very well as a live music venue from April 1976 until it closed in 1991.
The Beachcomber Room's interior design was by Mary Orenstein of Toronto in a “Tahitian Style” featuring statues of Polynesian Warriors, a war canoe over the bar and South Pacific weapons. The band rested on “tons” of lava rock imported from California. It also included a 90ft. Polynesian mural.
This Beachcomber Mural Painting was created by Alexander Von Svodoba, an Austrian painter and mosaic artist. Von Svodoba was commissioned to create a ninety-foot mural in “rich tropical colours depicting a South Seas theme”. The mural was apparently removed and most of it destroyed when the Beachcomber was relocated.
The Eggroll
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States (Closed)
Opened in June of 1971.
As of 2025, this location is home to WellCare Urgent care.
The Lost Lei
Austin, Texas, United States (Closed)
The Lost Lei opened May 15, 2019 in Austin.
Located in the basement beneath Capital Grill.
The initial opening was underwhelming with decor consisting of thatch over the bar, some inexpensive tiki masks on the back bar, and some "Skull Columns" (three structural supports wrapped with plastic skulls in the center of the space).
Add to this, the bar was almost immediately met with controversy for issuing mugs that were blatantly copied from the famous Three Dots and a Dash Chicago mugs. They also produced mugs whose designs were ripped off from previous Tiki Farm and Crazy Al mugs.
They did slowly make efforts in the wake of widespread complaints and removed the mugs from general use. Although many ended up sold on the secondary market.
They also issued some colorful Royer swizzle sticks.
Closed in December of 2021.
Trader Vince Tavern - Imperial Restaurant - Niagra Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada (Closed)
Open at least as early as 1964.
At the Imperial Restaurant of the Imperial Motel. Featured "American/Chinese/& Polynesian Cuisine".
As can be seen below, their signature tiki was located just outside the front door in front of a lava stone wall.
Holy Diver Tiki Lounge - at Hi-Tones
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Opened in February of 2024.
Located above Hi-Tones and accessible through a marked door at the back.
Several carved tikis greet you at the top of the stairs.
The space is well-lit with warm multi-colored tiki mood lighting, and this bar has a very retro feel with vintage paintings, tapa lamps on the ceiling, bench and table seating lining the sides of the room, and several round pub tables with stools in the middle.
The main bar is wrapped in lauhala matting and the back bar is well-provisioned with a selection of rums, spirits, and assorted liqueurs.
Their menu sports classic tiki and original cocktails -- served in tiki glasses.
Roka Hula - at Voodoo Bayou - Orlando
Orlando, Florida, United States
Voodoo Bayou and Roka Hula opened May 11th, 2024.
Voodoo Bayou is a cajun inspired restaurant and Roka Hula is Asian fusion.
Specifically, Roka Hula describes itself as "a Modern Asian Tiki Bar from the minds of True Grit Hospitality’s Carolina Sanchez and Curtis Peery".
This Orlando location is the first Roka Hula. A second location was built afterwards at Delray Beach.
To gain entrance to the bar you must enter Voodoo Bayou and sit in what first appears as a normal photo-booth alcove with a couple of fancy chairs, a wall of roses, a mirror, and two leopard statues. It is actually a turntable device which rotates the wall to gain entrance to Roka Hula.
The interior has leopard spotted carpet and leopard spotted chairs, a plethora of skulls on the walls, and a long pink and purple lit bar with an A-frame style shelf in the center. Tons of glass fish floats, tiki style lanterns, and flowers cover the ceiling. There is also some nicely routered wood trim with Polynesian style patterns. However, this is not a traditional Polynesian styled bar on the order of Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vics -- and the usual tiki themed carvings and artwork are noticeably lacking.
The cocktail menu will not disappoint, however.
The bar features the expected array of tropical drinks, such as the "Freaky Franky" which comes in a Tiki Farm mug by Big Toe. To make your own "Freaky Franky":
1 oz Plantation Dark, 0.75 oz Plantation 3 Star, 0.50 oz Appleton 8yr, 0.50 oz Bacardi 8yr, 0.50 oz Boiron Lychee Puree, 0.50 oz Boiron Passionfruit Puree, 0.50 oz House Grenadine, 0.50 oz House Falernum, 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters, 2 Dashes Cocktail Kingdom Falernum Bitters, 2 Drops Saline Solution
The bar also features original craft cocktails like the "El Narco", a smoky-spicy cocktail garnished with a clothespin that attaches a fake rolled-up $100 bill and a tiny ziploc filled with what looks like coke (but is powdered sugar). It also has a large cube with the mugshot of Pablo Escobar on top. To make your own "El Narco":
1.50 oz 512 Blanco Tequila, 0.75 oz Pineapple Jarritos Super Syrup, 0.25 oz Giffard Caribbean Pineapple, 0.25 oz Yellow Chartreuse, 0.25 oz Ancho Reyes Verde, 0.25 oz Agave de Cortes Reposado Mezcal, 1 BSP St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, 2 Dashes Bittermens Burlesque Bitters, 260mg Activated Charcoal, 2 Drops Saline Solution
Esther's Inn & Tradewinds Restaurant
Prince George, British Columbia, Canada (Closed)
Opened in 1980 by Henry Creuzot and named after his wife, Esther.
It was previously a couple of stand-alone hotels that were acquired by the owners, who connected everything by building a huge atrium over the top of the grounds and creating gardens around the pools, etc.
Esther's established itself as a great weekend party destination for the locals because where else could you immerse yourself in the tropics during those harsh Northern winters, short of taking an actual plane trip?
This 126-room-hotel featured tons of plants (especially in its atrium area), skylights, indoor pools with waterslides, and 5 jacuzzis. The main atrium was HUGE, with gardens dotted by bridges, masks, and tikis in addition to the pools and jacuzzis.
As far as decor, they were able to acquire many pieces from The Outrigger (later The Bamboo House) after it closed. Among these was an outrigger canoe and some of the tikis at the entrance to their Tradewinds Restaurant.
Their "Esther's Monsoon Lounge" was sandwiched in between their Tradewinds Restaurant and the main entrance/atrium. It featured Oceanic Arts masks on the walls which appear to have made it through the remodeling to its current incarnation.
Their Tradewinds Restaurant and its Orchid Dining Room also had a large outdoor "gazebo" under a thatch roof overlooking the atrium gardens.
The hotel was later remodeled @2014 and is now a Super 8.
Although it has lost much of its earlier charm, there are still tiki details to be found, and some of the masks remain on the walls.