Tiki Bars
Jan & Dean's Tiki Lounge - Ruby's Diner
Huntington Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Opened October 8th, 2018.
Jan & Dean’s Tiki Lounge opened on the second floor of the Ruby’s Diner on the Huntington City pier.
The lounge featured bamboo walls, carved tikis, dim lighting and artwork from Disney contributing artist Jeff Granito. The build-out was completed by Bamboo Ben.
Visitors could order from Ruby’s standard menu along with a new collection of appetizers such as Huli-Huli Wings and Mini Ahi Tacos and tropical cocktails. For dessert, there was the popular pineapple soft serve ice cream Dole Whip.
The lounge’s name paid tribute to pioneering surf music duo Jan and Dean, which included Huntington Beach resident Dean Torrence and is known for hits such as “Surf City,” “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena” and “Dead Man’s Curve.”
This Ruby's site closed, along with the lounge in February 2021.
Dug's West Indies
Carson City, Nevada, United States (Closed)
This location was opened by Captain Dug Picking in the 1960s. A former Merchant Marine, Captain Dug found himself landlocked in Carson City and established a tiki bar serving Polynesian food and tropical drinks.
The restaurant was decorated with tikis and sailing paraphernalia: fishing nets, ropes, anchors, nautical flags, seashells. It boasted a “Shark-Infested Men’s Room.”
The following is from a former employee and was posted on Tiki Central:
"Dug would address all adult males as, 'Governor'.
He loved telling stories to the clientele, and I remember them bellying-up to the bar just to hear a good story. I never heard him repeat one. He did have a little fun with the tipsy, 'know-it-all' clientele: he kept a bridge compass near the middle of the bar area and a nautical map behind the counter. He would bait and bet the uninitiated by telling him that Carson City was farther West than Los Angeles. (He explained to me later that, since Los Angeles is actually on the Pacific and Carson City is east of the Sierras, we create a spatial error. After a few flabbergasting moments, out would come that map and the incredulous client would have to buy rounds.
He said that he and Victor Bergeron went 'way back,' and told ever-growing, ever more embellished stories of their years of carousing and drinking their way around the Pacific Rim, and how he got the best of Victor sometimes and sometimes not.
I got to watch Dug earning his fame with his 'Blue Mai Tai,' from-scratch Pina Coladas, grogs and flourish drinks (he cheerfully did five and seven-layered Pousse cafes on-demand.) He didn’t water-down or scrimp on anything for the guests. Nothing in the place was inexpensive, and, conversely, nothing was cheap. …except for the endless tape loop of Hawaiian music that he had wafting through the place every night."
Starting in 1974, Dug also created a series of liquor decanters themed after Nevada brothels. These decanters have turned out to be very popular with collectors. At least a couple of the decanters focused on Dug's West Indies for the first two years (a clipper ship design the first year in '74 and a sailboat with man and woman the second year in '75).
This location was sold by Dug in the late 70s or early 80s because of financial problems brought about because of his investment in another location that failed -- the Windjammer.
Dug's West Indies persevered for a time as just "The West Indies" but it eventually closed. Today the site is home to a Burger King fast food restaurant.
Giganticus Headicus
Kingman, Arizona, United States
"Giganticus Headicus" is a half-buried, 14-foot-tall pseudo-tiki sculpted of metal, wood, chicken wire, styrofoam and cement, created in 2004 by Gregg Arnold, a migrant from New Jersey. It stands outside what was once the Kozy Corner Trailer Court.
Other artworks on the property include a plywood sign shaped like a rocket ship, a windmill that uses 1950s furniture for blades, a painting of an astronaut with a cut-out hole for your face (apparently a retired photo op), and a pit filled with "baby rattlers" -- rattles for babies.
After 13 years of effort, Arnold was finally able to transform the A-frame into a gift shop selling miniatures of Giganticus Headicus in 2017.
There is also food and visitor information available.
Bam-Boo Steakhouse - Polynesian Restaurant
Québec, Quebec, Canada (Closed)
The Bam-Boo Steakhouse - Polynesian Restaurant was located at Place Ste-Foy, Boulevard Laurier, Quebec, Canada.
Place Sainte-Foy is an upscale shopping mall located in the former city of Sainte-Foy of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was built in 1958.
Bam-Boo had an entryway built-out into the main hallway of the mall with tiki railings and lots of foliage.
There were also several Witco pieces throughout.
Kahuna Tiki TU
Los Angeles/Valley Village, California, United States
This is the newer sister location to the first Kahuna Tiki in North Hollywood, owned and operated by Carey Ysais.
It features sushi and Polynesian style food and tiki cocktails.
Opened in December 2020, the Kahuna Tiki TU is located at the site of the historic and former Mikado Sushi Bar in Valley Village.
The Kahuna Tiki TU and the adjacent Mikado Hotel were both built in 1957. They are under separate ownership.
This location has a full liquor license and a full range of cocktails featuring hard alcohol, whereas the first Kahuna Tiki location has a limited liquor license and features beer and wine, and a more limited range of tropical cocktails made with sake and soju and the like.
You can sit at "The Jungle Bar" (a more intimate area with three thatched booths and velvet paintings), the sushi bar, the main hall with tables or booths, the "Party Room" (complete with jukebox and windows overlooking the pool), or sit outside on the patio next to the pool itself.
Check their calendar for burlesque shows, karaoke, hula performances, ukulele performances, or other live entertainment.
The Bamboo Room Cocktail Lounge - Tower Hotel Courts
Dallas, Texas, United States (Closed)
The Tower Hotel Courts opened in the fall of 1946. Located at “The Circle” where highways 77, 183, 114, and Loop 12 intersect.
It had 180 rooms.
The motel was close to Love Field and boasted many amenities, including two pools, a theater, a drug store, a coffee shop, the Bamboo Room cocktail lounge, a croquet court AND a shuffleboard court, “circulating ice water,” and a 2-station radio in every room.
Lanai Room - La Playa Hotel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States (Closed)
The La Playa Hotel started out as a stone mansion in 1905 and was later turned into a 20-room hotel in the 1920s.
It was rebuilt and added to several times, first in 1925, and most significantly in 1940, when designer Jon Konigshofer did a major Spanish Revival-style remodel and expanded it to 80 rooms with a terrace dining room overlooking Carmel Bay.
In 1952, the hotel obtained its liquor license and Konigshofer designed the Lanai Room cocktail lounge.
It is unclear when the Lanai Room was closed and there have been several changes in ownership since.
Lei Lani Room - Hotel Californian
Santa Barbara, California, United States (Closed)
This location was built in 1925 and is an iconic structure in Santa Barbara, California.
The original hotel was only open a week before a 6.8 magnitude earthquake forced it to close for repairs. It was subsequently rebuilt and was successful for years before falling into disrepair decades later.
It started as the Hotel Californian but became known as the Californian Hotel some time in the 1940s (or just The Californian). Now it has reverted back to its original name as the Hotel Californian.
Its start is uncertain, but the Lei Lani Room was running at least through 1980 at this location and is fondly remembered by area residents.
Recently, in 2017, after years of redevelopment, the hotel was reopened -- bigger and grander than ever before in what was much much more than a simple makeover. No sign of the Lei Lani, however, and if anything, the designers chose to lean more toward a Moroccan theme.
Jade Hula Shack
Oakland, California, United States (Closed)
This bar was previously open at least as early as 1942 and known just as the Hula Shack, then purchased in 1943 by Harry Pike and Larry Potter who renamed it the Jade Hula Shack to match their Jade Club in Hollywood which they also owned.
This was a popular bar with servicemen.
Closed in 1946 and replaced by Pal's Corral.
Chan's Waikiki
Paramus, New Jersey, United States (Closed)
Dates uncertain, but open at least as early as 1968 and as late as 1972.
Chan's had three dining rooms and a bar‐lounge separated by bamboo dividers to maintain an intimate atmosphere. The Polynesian decor included island masks on red walls, some chunk resin swag lamps, artificial flowers, stuffed birds, a fountain and a fish pool, and a background of soft Hawaiian music.
Now home to Chakra Restaurant.
The Tropics - San Diego
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
In 1952 Joseph, Gaspare and Big Frank Matranga bought this bar and named it The Tropics. Prior to this it had gone by many names, starting in 1935 as Vick's Cafe, and then Vic’s Place, Vick’s Cafe, Vic’s Tropics, and finally Vic’s Tropical Nuthouse.
The Matrangas were continually under the scrutiny of San Diego Vice. Employee turnover was so great, they had a standing classified ad for cocktail waitresses in the newspaper. Daily. And by 1965, they were advertising for go-go girls.
The building was razed in 1970 and in its place developer Conrad Arnholt Smith built his United States National Bank tower. The MTS Transit Store sits now where The Tropics once was.
*NOTE: Photo below was when location was known as Vick's Tropics (March 5th, 1947).
Kahala Koa
Arlington Heights, Illinois, United States
Kahala Koa opened in August 2020 and is located in Arlington Heights (Prospect Heights), about 27 miles (1 hour) from Chicago.
Located in what used to be Secret Garden, next to a Thornton's 24-hour gas station.
They are a family owned and operated pizza place (Lola's Pizza Palace) that developed a love for tiki and made a delightful transformation.
You can sip your tropical cocktails underneath the giant outrigger (originally from Chicago’s Kona Kai, relocated to California when they closed, and now recently returned) while enjoying some thin crust.