Tiki Bars
Trader Vic's - Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
This Trader Vic's opened in the basement level of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Atlanta in 1976. This is the only one of the Trader Vic's locations in the United States today that has not been updated in a way that removes some of the original charm. There have been ebbs and flows in the quality of the drink offerings over the last decade or so, but its value as a piece of Polynesian Pop history has helped it remain an important attraction.
The Enchanted Tiki Room - Anaheim
Anaheim, California, United States
Opened June 23rd, 1963.
This attraction in the Adventureland section of Disneyland was Walt Disney's first use of Audio-Animatronics for an attraction, and has over 225 fully automated, moving figures. It was originally developed as an attraction for the New York 1964 World's Fair, but when the sponsor fell through, the show was changed and planned for Disneyland instead. An early development concept was that this would be a Polynesian restaurant, but when the attraction was still in design, it was decided that turnover in the restaurant would be an issue -- the fear was that patrons would be so fascinated with the moving and talking birds and tikis that they wouldn't ever leave their table. Instead, the attraction was made into the 17 minute seated show you see today.
The attraction had fallen into poor condition in recent years. Due to pressure from online campaigns and the attraction's sponsor, Dole Pineapple, the Enchanted Tiki Room underwent some much-needed repairs, but continued to be in a state of decay. Fortunately, in 2004 and 2005 the Enchanted Tiki Room was closed for an extensive restoration, and today is looking beautiful, and attendance has increased substantially. Enchanted Tiki Room merchandise has been a big seller for Disneyland in recent years.
Enchanted Tiki Rooms with different shows can also be found at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland.
From the early '60s into the early '90s, Adventureland also had the Tahitian Terrace, a restaurant with a dinner show, located next to the Enchanted Tiki Room. This was replaced by Aladdin's Oasis, but in December 2018, Aladdin's Oasis was replaced by a new Polynesian themed food counter, named Tropical Hideaway.
Honolulu Restaurant - Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia, United States (Closed)
Owned by David & Anna Chan -- David was head bartender at the Washington, D.C. Trader Vic's during the 70s, and he and Anna opened Honolulu Restaurant in 1978. Honolulu closed on April 10, 2004 (coincidentally, Martin Denny's 93rd birthday) when an expansion project on a nearby bridge forced its closure.
David & Anna have launched a new line of products from their Honolulu Restaurant, called "Dave & Anna's Signature Blends." These products, and some memories from Honolulu Restaurant, are at their new website, time2tiki.com.
Burt's Tiki Lounge - Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1999 at this smaller original location.
This was a popular bar with live music and no cover. Burt's had lots of kitschy decor, but not a lot of actual tikis.
In 2016, Burt's decided to trade this original Gold Avenue location for 515 Central NW as part of a significant expansion project. Burt’s nearly tripled in size to accommodate as many as 600-700 people for its live music shows.
The theming was kept the same but it was more sparsely decorated. After the move, the bar lost momentum and eventually closed in 2018.
There does not appear to be any connection between this Burt's Tiki Lounge and the Burt's Tiki Lounge in Salt Lake City.
Trader Vic's - at The Al Ain Rotana - Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Located in the Al Ain Rotana Hotel. Opened in 1999.
Trader Vic's - at The Beach Rotana - Abu Dhabi
Al Sa'Adah, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Located at the Beach Rotana in Abu Dhabi.
When the restaurant originally opened in 1994, it was in the rear of the hotel complex. In April 2001, it moved to a roomier space at the front of the complex.