Tiki Bars
Stephen Crane's Final Resting Place
Crawfordsville, Indiana, United States
Joseph Stephenson "Steve" Crane (February 7, 1916 – February 6, 1985) was an American actor and restaurateur. A Columbia Pictures actor in the early 1940s, Crane opened the Luau, a popular celebrity restaurant in Beverly Hills, in 1953 and established a successful 25-year career in the restaurant industry. Steve also owned the Kon-Tiki chain in Sheratons, and Ports-o-Call restaurants.
In addition to his own accomplishments, Crane is often remembered as Lana Turner's twice ex-husband and the father of her only child Cheryl. Steve's first marriage to Turner in 1942 was annulled when it was discovered he was not divorced from his first wife. Turner then married Steve again in 1943 because she was expecting a child.
The Waikiki - Washington D.C.
Washington, District of Columbia, United States (Closed)
The Waikiki opened in 1960, in a building that previously been a Chinese restaurant called The Chinese Lantern. The Waikiki operated until 1967, when the business was sold to Moon Kim who opened the second location of her Luau Hut there, retaining much of the decor. Since 1978, the building has been Kelly's Irish Times, though the Chinese origins are still clear in the building's architecture.
Holiday Inn
Anaheim, California, United States (Closed)
The original Disneyland Holiday Inn was on the southeast corner of S. Harbor and W. Katella.
Construction began March 6, 1968.
It was home to a Dobbs House Luau (one of several locations).
This Dobbs House Luau housed a Polynesian Room (Kapena Lanai, with decor supplied by Oceanic Arts) and a Ship's Lounge. The Kapena Lanai later merged into the Pirate's Table restaurant on or about April 4th, 1969, when it was publicly announced in the Santa Ana Register.
Most recently, this property was home to a Red Lion Hotel but that appears to have closed permanently in 2021.
Kon-Tiki Ports - Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States (Closed)
Opened August 6th, 1962.
This restaurant was operated by Steve Crane Associates, which also operated the Kon-Tiki chain, and the Luau in Beverly Hills. It was in the Sheraton-Chicago; this building had begun as the Medinah Athletic Club, which was exclusively for Shriners. Today this hotel is an InterContinental.
There was a Kon-Tiki Ports in Boston as well. These locations featured themed rooms modeled after Singapore, Papeete, Saigon, and Macau.
Ports o' Call - Dallas
Dallas, Texas, United States (Closed)
This was a Steve Crane Associates restaurant, part of the same group of restaurants as the Kon-Tiki chain and the Luau in Beverly Hills.
It was located on the 37th floor of the Sheraton Hotel's Southland Life Tower. It opened on July 29th, 1960 and had four different themed dining rooms (Macao, Saigon, Papeete, and Singapore).
The Sheraton Dallas hotel was a very modern hotel when it was built as part of the Southland Life Insurance complex in 1958.
The entire complex went through some changes of owners and names over the years but eventually came under the ownership of Sheraton once again and underwent a series of renovations from 2009-2019 and is once again known by its original name as the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.
Kon-Tiki Ports - Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Closed)
This was a Steve Crane Associates restaurant, part of the same group of restaurants as the Kon-Tiki chain, and the Luau in Beverly Hills. It was in the Sheraton-Boston at Prudential Center.
There was a Kon-Tiki Ports in Chicago as well. These locations featured themed rooms modeled after Singapore, Papeete, Saigon, and Macau.
Kon-Tiki - Montréal
Montréal, Quebec, Canada (Closed)
This restaurant, the first of the Kon-Tiki chain owned by Steve Crane and his second restaurant after the Luau in Beverly Hills, opened in 1958 and was in the Sheraton-Mt. Royal. It closed in 1981. Some of the decor from here went to the Jardin Tiki.
Green Turtle Restaurant - at The Hawaiian Inn
Daytona Beach, Florida, United States (Closed)
Originally called the Waikiki Lounge & Supper Club.
The Green Turtle Restaurant was part of the Hawaiian Inn resort complex. Teauila's (pronounced like "tequila" would sound if the q was silent) Hawaiian Luau Dinner Show took place here four nights a week. The dinner show was a package deal, including the entertainment and a Chinese-food buffet; tropical drinks were extra.
The room featured lamps from Oceanic Arts, and a very heavy use of black-light. The show itself featured a full band, male and female hula dancers, and included a dramatic use of fire. A handful of male visitors were selected from the audience to try their hand at hula-ing on stage while wearing a coconut bra and grass skirt.
NOTE: This restaurant was closed as of 2017, although the Hawaiian Inn Resort still hosts a Hawaiian Luau Dinner Show in this space, but you should check for scheduling.
Just up the street you can find the Aku Tiki Inn and Traders Restaurant.
The Temple Bar
Berkeley, California, United States (Closed)
The Temple Bar was owned and run by a Hawaiian family, and for a time had only been open for special events, such as visiting Hawaiian musicians, or occasional Sunday luaus. Toward the end, it began staying open five nights a week as a restaurant. It closed in 2011.
Alfredo's Beach Club
Long Beach, California, United States
This is a snack bar -- no liquor license. It is part of an in-line skate shop. They rent themselves out and help with private parties, sometimes luaus or other Hawaiian-themed events.
There are a couple of tikis on premises but this is by no means a full-time tiki establishment.
Strange Bird
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Opened in November 2019 by Neal Warner and his brother Paul Warner in partnership with Love Handle’s Chris and Ally Benedyk and Flatland Kitchen designers Eric and Rebekah Nolan.
This is yet another newer bar that eschews the title of "Tiki Bar" but reaches deeply into the genre/category, borrowing much of its atmosphere and, of course, its drinks. The owners prefer to call Strange Bird a "Rum Bar" or "Landlocked Exotica" and acknowledge the tiki-leanings but state that they have purposefully kept things a bit more spare with what they consider "cleaner" and more "minimalist lines".
While there may be no tiki carvings on display, there is a ton of lauhala matting behind the backbar which is overseen by a taxidermied wild boar who looks like he would be right at home at a Hawaiian luau. Some contrasting walls are wall-papered in a large banana leaf print. Nearby booths are bordered with variated bamboo. The roof is blanketed with loose thatch panels that give a nice hut-like feel. Fish trap lamps, and round capiz shell lamps give plenty of mood lighting. This is contrasted with white painted boards on the front of the bar and white modern barstools, but this use of white calls to mind not so much a spare modern aesthetic as it does the sides of a white-painted boat's hull, and plays off all the nautical rope looped about.
Tiki - Old Tappan
Old Tappan, New Jersey, United States (Closed)
This location had a long history. It was originally called Badini's from 1926-1946. From 1946-1965 it was The Pine Grove Inn.
Tiki was originally opened in this location in 1965 by Bob Gaudio, part of the famous singing group “The Four Seasons”. That explains the name of the drinks on the first portion of the menu entitled "The Golden Hits that built the Tiki!"
This location was only open a few years and then closed to be re-opened as Oriental Luau in the late 1960s or early 70s. The Oriental Luau kept a full menu of tiki drinks as well. It lasted into the 1990s.