Opened April 20th, 1958, specializing in Chinese style smoked ribs and tropical drinks. They did have branded tiki mugs as well.

Owners Tex Loving and Howard Lee spent $300,000 on this location, which replaced the original Samoa House located on Van Nuys in Sherman Oaks.

The building and furnishings were designed by Architect John Hutchison of Sherman Oaks, former partner of Hutchison, Kinsey, & Boeke. Structure was of contemporary styling and featured a roof of reinforced gypsum slab design. It was completely air conditioned.

Samoa House was a Valley institution and became a successful jazz club in the 1960's and 1970's...and closed by 1975.

Today, this is the location of a Chase bank.

This 1940s Pre-Tiki tropical bar was built inside of a WWII quonset hut with bamboo and thatch. Next to it was the Oxnard Airport where a military training squadron was and Howard Hughes kept some aircraft there.

Built in 1964.

32 units spread over 2 stories.

This apartment complex still has 14 tikis standing and they are in decent shape. This includes 12 guardians around the pool, one under a small shack to protect the map/directory, and a cool fern tiki by the pool fence.

It is located near the intersection of Garden Grove Boulevard and Brookhurst Street.

This location was built in 1962.

The theme was "pirate" with a good dose of Polynesian Pop, especially with the drinks.

This was one of the eight (at least) restaurants operated by the Specialty Restaurant company in the LA area that had various degrees of Poly Pop and Nautical themes.

Later, this site became Shanghai Red's, and then Whiskey Red's and at some point the roofline and interior were remodeled but much of the bones remain.

Most people associate Pieces of Eight with the cocktail of the same name which originated here and was later re-printed in Beachbum Berry's Re-Mixed.

Pieces of Eight: ½ oz Lime juice, 1 ½ oz Lemon juice, 1½ oz Passion Fruit syrup, and 1½ Aged Rum.

Shake or flash-blend with crushed or pebble ice. Pour unstrained into a tall glass, goblet, or tiki mug. Top with more crushed ice if needed and garnish with a lemon slice, a pineapple wedge, an edible flower – or all of the above!

Built in 1961.

This 70-room motel with pool sported a fantastic stylized moai head on its sign out front...but it was not meant to last.

The Bahia became the Razzmataz! for a time, which kept the moai head on the sign, but later, new owners decided to change the hotel entirely to a Pioneer theme, and re-named it the Covered Wagon with an unimaginative "CW" initials taking the place of the moai head. At this same time, the restaurant was named Columbo's Italian Restaurant (perhaps because pioneers are known for their love of pasta?). Today (as of 2022) the Covered Wagon signage is faded but a new restaurant, Cristi's Mexican, has taken the place of Columbo's.

Built in 1964.

This 1-story building has 93 units.

The location is hardly recognizable, years later, in 2022, as the M Motel.

The kidney-shaped pool and waterfall in center appear to have been removed/concreted over.

The corner A-frame and the rest of the roof-line is the same but the exterior has been completely re-done with any stonework replaced and a blah gray and white paint scheme with brick-work accents added.

Built in 1963, this apartment complex features two A-frames in front and an A-frame pool house in back. Original name unknown...but labeled "Tiki Apartments" on blueprints.

Features 14 units and 2 stories.

Oceanic Arts was consulted about decor for this location, so it's quite possible it once had tikis or other decor on grounds.

As of 2022, this location was closed, but not demolished, possibly awaiting refurbishment or re-development.

Opened in 2020.

Offers tropical drinks and food with a Creole twist.

From their site:

"Sir Eddy Trenidad is an island man. Last year he returned to Bonaire, where he grew up, to open a brand new cocktail bar: Tiki & Co. An unforeseen but exciting adventure that allows the ‘master of tailor-made drinks’ to pursue his ultimate goal, enter the top 100 best bars in the world, and educate a new generation of bartenders."

Closed @ 2023.

This was a pre-tiki tropical bar.

The site was later home to Tiki Jack's from 1962-1977, but was destroyed by a fire in 1977.

This site, as of 2022, is now Lorin Station Plaza, an apartment building.

The Hurricane was a pre-tiki bar & nightclub located in the International Settlement section of San Francisco during the 1940s-50s.

The place had some amazing murals, tons of bamboo, thatched roofs, tapa cloth, and featured some of the earliest ever cocktail mugs -- including skulls (similar to those made by Tepco for Trader Vic's) with naked women on them.

Before International Settlement days, the street’s first incarnation was the "Barbary Coast", famed center of Gold Rush debauchery and vice. The 1906 earthquake demolished most of it, bringing an abrupt end to that chapter. Just before Prohibition, the area was known as "Terrific Street". "International Settlement" was the block’s exotic name from the late 1930s to its decline in the late 1950s. Jazz music, tropical clubs, and leggy stage shows were the style of the time, themes aimed at attracting sailors passing through town. The result was a potent mixture of glamour and grit.

This pre-tiki bar ran from the 1940s to the early 1950s. It was located just to the left of the entrance to the "International Settlement" in San Francisco.

Mitchell Lewis was the Pago Pago's proprietor and signage outside proclaimed this the "House of Zombie" and "Lure of the Islands".

Later, this location became the "Arabian Nights" in the mid 1950s.

Before International Settlement days, the street’s first incarnation was the "Barbary Coast", famed center of Gold Rush debauchery and vice. The 1906 earthquake demolished most of it, bringing an abrupt end to that chapter. Just before Prohibition, the area was known as "Terrific Street". "International Settlement" was the block’s exotic name from the late 1930s to its decline in the late 1950s. Jazz music, tropical clubs, and leggy stage shows were the style of the time, themes aimed at attracting sailors passing through town. The result was a potent mixture of glamour and grit.

Another pre-tiki classic...

Harry "Sugie" Sugarman, manager of Grauman's Chinese Theater, opened his first Tropics supper club in 1934 or '35 at 421 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills (later it became The Luau). It was such a success that he opened this second location, the Hollywood Tropics, in 1939.

Around 1945, the Hollywood Tropics was bought by Glenn Billingsley. That same year, Tom Breneman bought-in and changed the Hollywood Tropics to a self-named restaurant.

Tom Breneman died of a heart attack in 1949. After Breneman's death, the building was occupied by the ABC Radio Center.