Tiki Bars
The Castaways - Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs, Colorado, United States (Closed)
The Castaways restaurant, which was part of the Castaways Inns & Suites, opened in 1971. It retained its original tiki decor until it closed in early 2013. A large tiki pole from the Castaways could be seen at Liki Tiki in nearby Colorado Springs until its close in 2019.
Kon-Tiki - Zihuatanejo
Playa la Ropa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico (Closed)
This long-lived restaurant was a local hangout, known mostly for its pizzas, which were available for local delivery.
Looks to have gone out of business around 2005 or so...
Aku-Tiki
Acapulco de Juárez, Mexico (Closed)
Open at least as early as 1963.
The Aku Tiki Restaurant Club was located on the Costera Miguel Alemán, in the Club Deportivo subdivision, almost at the beginning of Icacos beach. It was designed by Dick Meyers.
This restaurant closed in the 1970s to give rise to the construction of the Torre Playasol complex, today Torre de Acapulco.
Kowloon - Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus, Massachusetts, United States
Kowloon opened on August 22nd, 1950 as The Mandarin House. In 1958 the Wong family purchased it and changed the name to Kowloon. Over the years they have expanded the restaurant into a broad complex of rooms, and it now has room for 1,200 dining patrons. Several of the rooms have Polynesian theming, including the Tiki Lagoon Room and Luau Room.
Fun Fact: The exterior Ku tiki below the A-frame is made of foam.
The restaurant has been a landmark in the north Boston area for decades, and photos of many celebrities visiting the restaurant are proudly displayed. They have a comedy club within the complex called "Kowloon Komedy".
The food is traditional Chinese American fare, and includes a flaming pu pu platter. Tropical drinks are served in tiki mugs.
As of 2024, the owners have announced that the restaurant is going to close. However, it sounds as though they have construction plans and that the end goal is to open a smaller venue on part of the same site. See 2024 Breezeway interview episode with Spike (Matt Marble).
Islands Sushi and Pupu Bar
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Islands Sushi and Pupu Bar was known as the not-particularly-tiki sushi bar in the rather-tiki Crowne Plaza Hotel for many years.
In the beginning of the Covid pandemic the hotel was contracted by the city to house homeless Covid victims and this restaurant was closed since @2020 to the public. Fences and security were put up and those not registered to stay were turned away. Then, another remodeling was completed and the hotel opened back up in 2024 to show that all traces of Tiki decor had been removed from the premises, save some lava rock on some of the walls and some tiki railings.
This bar area wasn't terribly tiki before 2020, save for a few masks on the walls and some rattan furniture, but now it is totally bare of any tiki influence.
So, although you can visit the hotel now, as of 2024, it is essentially finished as a tiki point of interest, save for the memories.
The Enchanted Tiki Room - Orlando
Orlando, Florida, United States
When the Enchanted Tiki Room opened at Walt Disney World in 1971, it was a duplicate of the original Enchanted Tiki Room found at Disneyland.
In 1998 it was updated to be more "modern" with a show called "Under New Management". The new show featured the '90s-era Disney animated bird characters Iago and Zazu. The now loud, unsettling and money-focused show featured disco balls, flashing lights, and in place of the beloved water fountain, a shouting, angry tiki goddess named "Polynesia." However, even in this darkest hour, the building itself was still worth a visit, with classic Exotica tunes (such as Martin Denny) often heard playing in the lovely lanai area. The transporting paradise was not entirely lost.
Then, in January 2011, the Tiki gods had finally had enough. A fire struck the Enchanted Tiki Room, and the show room was damaged enough to shut it down. It was restored and reopened as a slightly edited version of the original Enchanted Tiki Room attraction in August 2011, and is now back to the grand, historic, relaxing escape we all love.
The Pearl Tiki Bar
Jackson, Mississippi, United States
The Pearl Tiki Bar officially opened on January 25, 2022.
Part of "The Block" which includes Highball Lanes, The Pearl, The Capri, Fondren Station and Fondren Yard.
Highball Lanes shares a wall and side entrance with Pearl as well.
This small tiki bar has little padded booth nooks looking out each of the front windows that have a nice assortment of colored glass fish floats hanging overhead.
One interior wall is wallpapered with a tropical leaf print, while the opposite walls have bamboo wainscotting and a tan wallpaper punctuated by various flotsam and jetsam as well as small framed tiki and nautical artworks.
Lauhala matting covered ceilings with stained oak beams. A matching dark stained oak bar and barstools.
Some rattan chairs for seating.
Not much in the way of large carvings or signature pieces, and this may not be as immersive a space as some, but it is cozy and provides a nice counter-point to the other bars and businesses on "The Block".
Trader Vic's & Tahitian Village - at the Hilton Palm Jumeirah - Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Opened October 15th, 2022.
There are two distinct Trader Vic's spaces at the Palm Jumeirah property including a Trader Vic’s restaurant and bar and a Tahitian Village beach club.
The Trader Vic's Restaurant is modern and sleek, lined with an impressive row of carved tikis upon entering and a massive bar with a huge chandelier overhead.
Unique features include a concrete wall in the dining area with hundreds of glass fish floats embedded in it and lit from the other side.
The Tahitian Village is an outdoor space overlooking the beach and features resort-style relaxed food and beverages including frozen Tiki Puka Pukas. Throughout the day guests have access to a fresh fruit bar and as the sun sets, the venue hosts international DJs and more.
Tommy Wong's Island - Denver
Denver, Colorado, United States (Closed)
Tommy Wong worked at the Chicago Don the Beachcomber and at the Aku Aku in Las Vegas before becoming a successful restaurateur in his own right.
In 1977 he purchased the Islands restaurant in Phoenix and re-branded it as Tommy Wong's Island Restaurant.
Wong expanded on this purchase and created a mini chain with this Island Restaurant in Denver (currently, as of 2025, a parking lot next to a kosher deli) and an Island Restaurant (or "Islands Restaurant" depending on the advertisement) in Colorado Springs (circa October 1975).
All of his Island restaurants in the chain went under in the 80s along with the first one in Phoenix. The Denver location closed in 1983.
*NOTE: This location is not to be confused with The Islander (formerly the Tiki Kai), which opened in 1971 about 11 minutes north of the Tommy Wong Island location and closed in 1975.
Trader Vic's Island Bar & Grille - Sarasota
Sarasota, Florida, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2010.
It occupied a space formerly filled by an R.J. Gator's.
This was a scaled-down concept, or "Trader Vic's Light" if you will.
Closed July of 2013.
The property, including the stand-alone building and surrounding 2.2 acres, was listed for $1,995,000 on Loopnet.com and the interior was liquidated. A few of the more authentic pieces went to a Tiki Centralite. Most of the remaining carvings had been created by Indonesian carvers, and weren't as coveted as pieces you might see in other long-standing Trader Vic's locations.
The Tipsy Skipper
Ocala, Florida, United States
Opened in June 2020 after delays from COVID lockdowns following their first soft opening.
Located at 48 S. Magnolia Ave, this bar sits next door to the Marion Theatre in downtown Ocala.
The front exterior features windows decorated with images of palm trees.
The bar itself is decorated to look like a long stack of shipping crates. The ceiling is painted black with some Chinese parasol umbrellas and fish floats hanging about.
Ceiling lighting supplied by can lights and retro 50s wire cage covered barn/industrial pendant lights.
Coral wall paint scheme in both the bar and separate lounge area, but the bar also has some lauhala matting, tropical leaf wallpaper, and at least one section of wall covered in fake tropical foliage to give more visual interest.
The wall of fake foliage and peachy/coral paint on the wall is reminiscent of Water Witch Tiki Bar in Georgia (which opened in February 2020). Perhaps this is a Florida/Georgia trend or look?
Lots of small framed ephemera and some tiki masks on the walls.
The bar does not appear to have large tiki poles or large signature pieces, but there is certainly plenty of room to add more over time if they choose.
They appear to have a good selection of rum on the backbar and a thriving craft cocktail menu featuring rotating and seasonal cocktails.
Queen's Surf & Barefoot Bar
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
Because of her nearby homes, they called the coastal area in this part of Waikīkī Queen’s Surf Beach.
Queen’s Surf was built in 1914 as a private home across from Kapiolani Park on the Diamond Head end of Waikiki Beach.
During WWII, the house was used for military retreats and other military uses. Admiral Nimitz, General Douglas McArthur and staffs spent time there.
It was acquired by the city of Honolulu around 1946 and leased to Spencecliff Corporation which operated it as the hugely popular Queen’s Surf Restaurant and Nightclub.
Sterling Edwin Kilohana Mossman (February 3, 1920 to February 21, 1986) headlined at its upstairs Barefoot Bar. A man as versatile as he was talented, literally led a double life. A detective with the Honolulu Police Department during the day, after dark he was one of Hawaiʻi’s most popular entertainers. His diversified careers earned him the nickname “Hula Cop”.
The Barefoot Bar was ground zero for this new brand of local comedy. Mossman was the ringleader, along with the likes of Lucky Luck, a zany radio personality, and Kent Bowman, known as KK Kaumanua. They told stories, sang songs and, when a celebrity from the Mainland happened to come by (and they did a lot), they became part of the show.
Another attraction at the Barefoot Bar was Varoa Tiki or "Tiki" (also known as Shirley Kaluahine Piliwale). She was a well-known entertainer during the 50's, 60's and 70's. She performed with many music legends like Tony Bennett, Don Ho, the Kent Ghirard's Hula Troupe where where she danced with the Ray Kinney show at the Royal Hawaiian. She appeared with Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Andy Williams, Jack Parr and the Vagabonds. She performed as a "one women show" on the Princess Line Tour ships and took the first all-girl show on tour to the orient as Varoa Tiki and the Tikis. She played more than twenty instruments, sang in sixteen languages. She yodeled in three styles and brought the art of whistling back to the stage.
Despite the wealth of talent on display, the business ran into trouble...
The site was closed down in 1969 by Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi in a lease dispute and demolished in 1971.
Today it is home to a public park.