Tiki Bars
The Tahitian Room - at the U.S. Grant Hotel
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
The Tahitian Room was a Polynesian-themed restaurant and bar in the U.S. Grant Hotel's northern annex that opened in 1960. It closed 10 years later and the annex was demolished and replaced with a parking lot.
The Luau - La Jolla
La Jolla, California, United States (Closed)
Opened April 28th, 1960.
The Luau copied its name, logo and much of its menu from The Luau of Beverly Hills, but it's unclear whether there was any formal connection.
Closed in 1966.
The Polynesian - San Diego
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1954.
The Polynesian tiki restaurant and bar featured an interior modestly decorated with bamboo, fishing nets, rattan furniture and tiki lamps. Besides tropical drinks, it also served Cantonese food, and charcoal-broiled and teriyaki steaks.
Closed in 1974.
The location is now a parking lot.
Chi-Chi - San Diego
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
The Chi-Chi was one of a chain with locations also in Palm Springs, Hollywood, Riverside and Long Beach. The San Diego location opened in 1946 and included the South Seas Room. It closed in 1951.
As of 2023, this location is home to Urban India Restaurant & Bar.
Hula Hut - San Diego
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1946, the Hula Hut was a Hawaiian-themed bar located where the Tropic Cafe had previously been. It closed in 1965 and the whole block was raised to make way for the Westgate Hotel.
The Hurricane - San Diego
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
The Hurricane was a tropical cocktail lounge opened in 1945 by Sam Stutz and Edward Bolander, who operated a number of other bars/restaurants in town. The bar went through a long series of owners before closing in 1960.
Aloha Inn Cafe
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
This Hawaiian-themed bar and cafe opened in 1939. It remained at its original location (3827 Park Blvd.) until 1966 when it moved next door to 3811 Park Blvd. It closed in the mid-1970s.
Bradley’s Puka-Puka
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1938, Bradley's Puka-Puka was a pre-tiki tropical rum bar that managed to remain open until 1970.
The bar was located on the mezzanine level of Bradley’s 5 & 10.
All drinks served were priced at five or 10 cents each and the menu featured 150 varieties of rum.
The original building was demolished in the early 1980s.
Island Cafe
Coronado, California, United States (Closed)
John Douglas Jacks remodeled a cafe in 1938 into a Hawaiian-themed restaurant and bar. The cafe was located on the island within eyesight of the Hotel del Coronado. Island Cafe was decorated with primitive weapons, palms, bamboo, and murals by local artist Russell Dale Moffett. This pre-tiki bar served exotic okolehao and rum drinks. It closed in 1943.
Black Sands Hula Lounge
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
This lightly-themed tiki bar and restaurant was located below the South Beach Bar & Grill. Opened in late 2020, but closed just about a year later.
Bellhop
Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Opened May 23rd, 2019.
This bar is located in Des Moines' Historic East Village.
The decor is not the usual Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber dark and moody environment with layers of bamboo, lauhala matting, and carvings. "Our mood was Brooklyn Diner-meets-Palm Springs hotel lobby," said co-owner, Nick Tillinghast. "Because the bones are industrial and brick, we didn't want to lose that completely. We wanted to meet somewhere in the middle." One entire wall is wallpapered in a tropical leaf pattern. Another wall also has tropical leaves but in a rainbow of different neon lights. The central bartop and matching tables are white laminate with chrome trim. These are matched by diner-style bar seats upholstered in different colors.
Behind the bar it is all business with an excellent assortment of rums and their menu features a good assortment of both classic tiki cocktails and their own signature libations.
The Kon-Tiki Room - at Palmetto
Oakland, California, United States (Closed)
Opened June 10th, 2021.
This bar was next door to Palmetto and from the same team behind both The Kon-Tiki and Palmetto. In fact, it shared a door with Palmetto and served food out of the Palmetto kitchen. However, the Kon-Tiki Room was a dark tiki bar and felt entirely different from its next door neighbor.
The interior leaned heavily toward the nautical side and was designed by artist Woody Miller (Wood Tiki).
*NOTE: In an Instagram post by Palmetto on 10/06/2023, they announced that both the Palmetto and The Kon-Tiki Room would be closing for good on 10/29/2023.