Tiki Bars
Hawaii Kai - Montréal
Côte-Des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-De-Grâce, Montréal, Quebec, Canada (Closed)
Opened in 1963.
This Polynesian-themed bar was part of Bill Wong's Restaurant, but all traces of its tiki history were erased during a 1998 remodel into "Billie's Bar," a bland, generic update.
Today this location is home to a vacant building (newly built around 2000) that is available for retail or restaurant lease as of 2021.
Tiki Doré
Montréal, Quebec, Canada (Closed)
Tiki Doré was opened by Douglas Chan, a former employee of the Montreal Kon-Tiki. Chan sold Tiki Doré in 1990. (Chan also founded the nearby Jardin Tiki.) Tiki Doré closed in January 2000, and the location is now a Russian gourmet deli of sorts (as of 2021).
Bamboo Bar
Hollywood, Florida, United States (Closed)
Bamboo Bar was in operation at least as late as 1970.
This location appears to now be part of the Margaritaville Beach Resort.
The 349-room resort and complex opened for business in October 2015 on a five-acre city-owned site between Johnson and Michigan streets.
Aloha Beach Health Spa
Denver, Colorado, United States (Closed)
This used to be a gravel and gold mining site. In 1965, the owners of the property, Archie and Virginia Calvaresi developed the mining pits into lakes and a community beach known as Aloha Beach. The Aloha Beach Club offered a restaurant and snack bar and the family eventually added a health spa, driving range and motel. In 1974 they sold the property and the history becomes murky until the Gillan family purchased it in 1994. During the next two years the Gillan family cleared and built up the property and at the same time the City of Westminster purchased adjacent land and created a reservoir moving Aloha Beach out of a flood plain and guaranteeing unobstructed panoramic mountain views for the soon to be residents.
Aloha Beach has 60 subdivision lots designed for water skiing around lakes which were reshaped by the Army Corps of Engineers. Although the subdivision still exists, the "health spa" community center is gone.
Duke Kahanamoku's
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
Popular restaurant in the International Marketplace, owned by Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. The restaurant hosted many regular musical acts, including Martin Denny and Don Ho.
*NOTE: Small standing menu below in last photo is signed by Zulu 5, the original Hawaii 5-O.
This location may be gone, but currently, as of 2021, there is also a Duke's chain of restaurants that carry on this tradition with 3 locations in the Hawaiian Islands -- Waikiki, Maui, and Kauai. They also have 3 on the Mainland -- Huntington Beach, La Jolla, and Malibu.
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
This classic Hawaiian hotel with striking views of Diamond Head near the beach of Waikiki was built in 1955 by famed American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, and was originally named Kaiser's Hawaiian Village. The property began with a few buildings, but rapidly expanded, with soaring towers eventually contributing to Waikiki's skyline. The Rainbow Tower in particular is a local landmark. Kaiser also built a nearby geodesic dome auditorium, the Kaiser Aluminum Dome, where some Exotica classics were recorded. Martin Denny played regularly in the Shell Bar, and for a couple of years Arthur Lyman played here with him. Hilton purchased the hotel in 1961, and still owns it today.
There is currently no tiki bar here, but you can get tropical cocktails at the Tropics Bar & Grill.
*Original Cocktail Menu shown below.
The Hawaiian - Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (Closed)
This restaurant, along with Johnny's Tiki Hut in Salt Lake City, was owned by Johnny Quong.
The Hawaiian was Quong's masterpiece and it thrived from the mid 60s through the mid 80s.
Among other details, customers remember its periodic monsoon thunderstorm special effects.
While he owned the building, Quong didn't own the land underneath it. When his lease came up, he decided he needed to close it, due to health issues stemming from diabetes. The restaurant was eventually converted into a Veterans Of Foreign Wars hall.
Johnny's Tiki Hut
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (Closed)
Opened in January 1962.
This restaurant, along with The Hawaiian in Salt Lake City, was owned by Johnny Quong.
The Beachcomber - at the May Fair Hotel
London, United Kingdom (Closed)
The Beachcomber restaurant opened in July 1960, in the historic May Fair Hotel in Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London. It was created under the direction of the Danziger brothers Harry and Edward, American film producers who had moved to London and bought the hotel. The Beachcomber was the first introduction of the American Polynesian restaurant phenomenon to London, opening a few years before the London Trader Vic's. (The whole concept and name were nicked by the Butlin's chain of holiday camps for their Beachcomber Bars.) It was the apex of upscale themed dining, with rainstorms over a pond of caimans, parrots in and out of cages, and oceanic art all around. Storm and lighting effects added a theatrical feel to the space. Tableside flaming coffee grogs were served, and beautiful custom mugs, bowls and other serveware were used. The restaurant closed in 1985, and it was turned into the Crystal Room.
There is a modern-day bar in Notting Hill also called The Beachcomber, it has no connection to this historic restaurant.
Langerman's Luau
Narberth, Pennsylvania, United States (Closed)
Langerman's Luau was operated from roughly 1959-1968 by Harry Langerman, who may have also had other locations. Langerman was inspired to decorate with items from Polynesia after being stationed in the South Pacific during the war. Like many restaurants of the day, they were outfitted by Oceanic Arts. The restaurant included the Outrigger Room and Kontiki Bar.
This location in Narberth, PA is now home to a 4-story office building that was built in 1990.
Mister Tiki's Mai Tai Lounge
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Mister Tiki's was a new tiki bar and restaurant managed by the Cohn Restaurant Group, in the trendy Gaslamp district of San Diego. The group had invested also in the nearby Spa Tiki. Mister Tiki's was a trendy, modern take on Polynesian Pop, but tried to hold true to some mid-century influences. The artwork of Bosko was featured heavily throughout the bar and restaurant.
Mister Tiki's opened in 2004, and closed in early 2010.