Tiki Bars
Tikki Beach - at Paddy's Beach Club
Westerly, Rhode Island, United States
Opened in 1999.
Paddy's Beach Club is located right on the beach and is relatively quiet during the winter but explodes into action during Spring and Summer, becoming a Spring Break/Beach Festival destination for thousands of scantily clad young people who visit every Sunday while the season lasts.
The Tikki Bar is located directly opposite the DJ entertainment stage on the other side of the dance floor. This dance floor is flanked on the sides by cabana private areas that you can rent for your friends. There is also a large drinking and dining area behind the main building and beach access onto the main beach as well.
Often regarded as New England's premiere dayclub.
They do have at least a couple of large carved wooden tikis outside. But the Tiki theme is applied pretty lightly overall.
Their cocktails are not the refined Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber cocktails that send the taste buds of most Tiki Fans quivering. If you want a ton of blue drink in a fish bowl to get buzzed on, though, they have you covered!
Wiki Wiki Sandbar
Folly Beach, South Carolina, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2018.
The restaurant and bar was from Charleston restaurateur Karalee Fallert, who is also behind Taco Boy, The Park Cafe, and The Royal American, and her business partner April Bennett.
Executive Chef Jason DuPree created a menu that offered slow-cooked meats accompanied by sides including rice, macaroni salad, greens, and starchy root vegetables.
Dishes included the grilled kona kampachi, a variety of poke bowls, a pu-pu platter, Southern-fried coconut shrimp, and Spam sliders.
Wiki Wiki Sandbar resided in a 6,500-square foot space that incorporated local artists’ work that embodied the facets of tiki culture.
The four dining rooms had different themes including: the Octopus Bar featuring the work of Jeff Kopish; the Sunset Room featuring a sunset mural by Suzanne Allen; the Wave Room featuring a massive sculpture made of Japanese glass floats by KHA; and a traditional tiki bar that resided on the top floor with views of the Atlantic Ocean and dioramas by artist Hirona Matsuda.
Fallert recruited her partner from the Park Cafe, Xan McLaughlin, to develop the cocktail program with help from national rum connoisseur Daniel Parks of San Francisco’s Pagan Idol.
Long-time Charleston resident Roderick Groetzinger added his touch as bar manager.
In September of 2020 Wiki Wiki Sandbar announced they were swapping locations with the Folly Beach Taco Boy and re-opened at that new address -- 15 Center Street in November of that year. This was short-lived, however.
The bar closed on December 31st, 2022. In its place at 15 Center Street, they opened Bounty Bar which has a ceiling covered in fish floats but whose decor skews pirate/nautical as opposed to traditional Pop Polynesian/Tiki.
Bob Loo's
Salem, New Hampshire, United States (Closed)
Bob Loo's was located in a former Howard Johnson's which was built in 1962 and closed around 1972. A steak house moved in almost immediately, but closed within a year. Then, in 1972, came Bob Loo’s, Salem’s first Chinese/Polynesian restaurant. In typical fashion, the top portion of the Howard Johnson’s cupola was removed. Likewise, the orange tile roof was replaced with a standard asphalt roof, and the trapezoid sign was taken down. Aside from these surface changes though, the building retained most of its visual lines and remained largely recognizable as a former Howard Johnson's. Bob Loo’s continued a successful operation here until late 1998, when the owners decided to retire and close the business for good.
They produced at least three collectible glasses -- a hi ball with a moai on front to serve their house Fog Cutter cocktail in, a hi ball with a Fu Manchu to serve the Dr. Funk Cocktail, and a hi ball with a Tiki Leilani on it to serve "Volcano Acid".
Robert N. Loo (Bob) passed away in 2010. He was known for this restaurant as well as the highly successful Silver Dragon Restaurant in Methuen which was started around 1962 and burned down in March of 1985.
Sea and Jungle Shop
Glendale, California, United States (Closed)
Sea and Jungle Shop sold tiki and jungle themed props from their Glendale store for decades. The last owners ran it for over 24 years, starting in 1962. They were competitors with Oceanic Arts (who opened in 1956) and later benefactors of the younger store -- although it's not clear how long Sea and Jungle were open before they were bought out by the last owners -- but they probably existed in one form or another since the 1940s.
Sea and Jungle props decorated Rick’s Cafe Americaine in “Casablanca" (1942), and carried natives over the waves in “Mutiny on the Bounty”(1962) And they adorned countless other television and movie sets. They also supplied much of the decor for Disneyland, especially the Jungle Cruise ride (opened in 1955).
The front of their site was known for giant carved tikis and in later years for a giant pink fiberglass elephant that became kind of a company mascot.
How did it all start?
It was originally opened by Victoria White and "Jungle Jim" Joslin in the 1940s-1950s. (They titled themselves "Specialists in Tropical Atmosphere" on old postcards).
The matriarch of the last family to own the business, Virginia Langdon, was 17 and enrolled at Hollywood High School, when she eloped to Hawaii with her 16-year-old boyfriend because her parents opposed the marriage. They lived there five years, developing a lifelong passion for things tropical, their daughters recall.
The couple returned to Glendale and bought Sea and Jungle in 1962. There they ran a thriving business, making occasional forays to the South Pacific and Africa to replenish stock. Their children drifted naturally into the business, but it was Beverly Achtien (Virginia's daughter) who managed the shop in recent years.
Young people liked the place because it sold wacky items, she said. So did movie stars. Comedian Pee Wee Herman once bought a lamp shaped like a giant clump of yellow bananas. John Wayne favored nautical gear. Dorothy Lamour bought decorative wall hangings for her bar.
Sven Kirsten (author of The Book of Tiki) fondly remembers visiting Sea and Jungle when he first came out to Los Angeles and buying a couple of smaller items. Now, looking back, he wishes he had bought much more, but this was before his dedication to tiki had firmly taken root and nobody knew that Sea and Jungle's days were numbered. Sven has a great vintage ad from the store in his book, Tiki Pop - page 92.
When Sea and Jungle closed their doors on June 30th, 1986, Oceanic Arts bought two truckloads of various décor for $600 from them. They even gave Bob and LeRoy their office chairs, source-books, and their Customer List. This last item helped to get Oceanic Arts started in the Movie Supply and Rental business.
The Hukilau - at The Captain's Inn
Long Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Opened circa 1957 and closed some time around 1975.
The Hukilau was located on the second deck of The Captain's Inn, on the South Shore of the Long Beach Marina.
Description of the location from the May 14th, 1961 edition of Southland Magazine:
"A WATERFALL shimmering under colorful lights . . . A broad, red-carpeted stairway, gently curved . . . Luxurious tropical furnishings. . . .
These are some of the sights which greet visitors to the new Hukilau Polynesian lounge at the Captain's Inn, 215 Marina Drive, on the south shore of the beautiful Long Beach Marina.
Located on the second floor of the greatly-enlarged Inn, the Hukilau lounge provides its guests with fascinating views of the yacht fleet, smooth blue waters and tall palms. Furnished with polished monkey pod wood tables, bamboo, nettings and other authentic tropical touches, the lounge offers delicious island appetizers, such as rumaki, pua pua, Hong Kong won ton, Hawaiian barbecued ribs and fried sui gow. The beverages, prepared by Popo, an award-winning Polynesian mixologist, include such exotic creations as Tahitian Tiki Punch, Scorpion Bowl, Montego, Flaming Virgin, Yacht Club Special, Tiger Shark and Mai Tai. They are served in bowls, cups, glasses or even statuary designed to accentuate the charms of each.
HOST GEORGE Heinrich and his large staff also supervise the activities of five other dining rooms and lounges, which brings the total seating capacity of the Inn to 325. Most of these have picture windows overlooking the yacht anchorage. The rooms include the Commodore's Lounge, where Adrian is featured at the piano bar, the Corinthian Room, Marine Room, Captain's Bar and Captain's Grill.
The Hukilau lounge, open from 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, is reserved Mondays and Tuesdays for special parties (to 80 persons.)"
After 1975, the building was a Charthouse restaurant for many years prior to it becoming the Crab Pot Restaurant (current business as of 2022).
Tiki Farm
San Clemente, California, United States
Tiki Farm is the largest modern mug manufacturer, creating mugs for sale at stores and restaurants, or through the Tiki Farm website. Tiki Farm has created many limited edition mugs in partnership with modern tiki artists such as Shag, Joe Vitale and Crazy Al. Tiki Farm has produced affordable reproductions of some of the popular vintage mug designs, such as the Suffering Bastard, and Mr. Bali Hai. Tiki Farm also creates glassware, serveware, and other general tikiware.
Holden Westland is the owner and founded the company in 2000.
Their old location at 1305 Calle Avanzado also held a Mugoomba bar (built 2006) and played host to several Big Tiki Bashes.
They moved their facilities in 2011 or so and began a slow remodel hampered somewhat by their success which gave little time to think of much beyond production. Their complete remodel and re-outfitting of the new office at 1120 Calle Cordillera was completed in 2021.
Tiki Farm then moved to 981 Calle Negocio, Suite 100, San Clemente, California 92673 around May of 2024.
The Tiki-Jo
Santa Monica, California, United States (Closed)
Opened July 23rd, 1959 and was popular through the 1960s.
The Tiki-Jo was in the Miramar Hotel (now the Fairmont Miramar), and featured a tiki carved by Eli Hedley, grandfather of Bamboo Ben.
Traders Restaurant
Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, United States
Traders Restaurant is adjacent to the Aku Tiki Inn, and is sometimes called the Aku Tiki Traders Restaurant. There are a few pieces of tiki decor left, including some Witco carved furniture. It is just down the street from Hawaiian Inn.
The Breakers
Crystal Lake, Illinois, United States
The Breakers (sometimes called "Lenny's The Breakers") is a classic Tiki-Cantonese restaurant and bar in Crystal Lake, outside of Chicago. It opened in 1949, and has plenty of old school tiki-in-a-Chinese-restaurant touches, with a landscaped garden, bamboo and beachcomber lamps, tikis, and dim lighting, amidst newer layers of rope lights and Party City-style tropical bric-a-brac.
The food menu is typical midwest Cantonese fare, and a "Po-Po Platter" is on the appetizers menu. The cocktail list includes a Mai-Tai ("It's a secret") and a Navy Grog ("It's a stronger secret"), and other classic and less-classic tropicals. There are some Dynasty mugs and bowls in use, but you may have to ask nicely to get your drink in one.
On the weekends, you may find some live music, which often includes some Hawaiian standards.
The Jungle Room - Richmond
Richmond, Virginia, United States (Closed)
Opened September 28, 2019.
This Tiki bar and club was located behind Sabai (a Thai restaurant) - Tiki Vibe until 9pm then Techno DJ.
April 5th, 2024, the club rebranded as LOSO, an EDM club and apparently stripped out all the plants and other decor that made the place "jungle-like".
The Bamboo Grove of Westwood
Seattle, Washington, United States (Closed)
The Bamboo Grove of Westwood is the home of Tiki Artist Dawn Frazier, also known as Sophista-Tiki. It was a single-apartment vacation rental for a time, from about 2008-2016.
It is located in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle. The unit is filled with vintage midcentury furnishings including a rattan couch, and has a built-in bar and tiki mural. The unit has a full kitchen, wireless internet, off-street parking and a private bamboo garden. Two twin beds can be pushed together to make one king-size bed, and a third person can be accommodated on a fold-away bed.
Since about 2016, Dawn no longer makes The Bamboo Grove available for rent, and today it is just her private residence. It is still as spectacular as ever and Dawn is continually making improvements and additions.
Le Fern - at The Caliente Tropics
Palm Springs, California, United States (Closed)
Opened Summer 2022.
Le Fern was a tropically-inspired bar with midcentury drop lights, carved Tiki heads behind the bar, live plants and the Caliente Tropics’ original carved wood door.
“A la 70s, fern bars have always fascinated me,” Rory Snyder said. “It’s my generation. The term ‘yacht rock’ coined about 10 years ago, is the music of Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan. It has a huge history. Think TGIF’s as a typical fern bar.”
Catering to more feminine tastes, fern bars were inspired by the early feminist era when women, earning their own money, began going to bars where they felt safe to go alone.
“Typically, the drinks were sweeter, like Grasshoppers, Pink Squirrels, and modified Mai Tais,” says Snyder. “BLTs, cheese sandwiches, Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame were on the menus.”
Le Fern offered more modern fresh produce libations such as lime, basil and other juice and herb concoctions. Club sandwiches, cheese fondue and other 70s throwback eats were on the menu.
With the closing of Oceanic Arts, Snyder was able to acquire an original Ed Crissman carved tiki at auction (several of which already resided at the Caliente Tropics) and this Crissman tiki was prominently displayed at Le Fern and served as inspiration for one of their tiki mugs.
Although some purists may decry fern bars as "tiki adjacent" at best or, at worst, part of the much lamented tiki devolution that took place in the 70s and 80s, Le Fern had some pieces (including the Ed Crissman carving) that far outshone those in other tiki bars.
Le Fern was also bigger than the sum of its parts when considered as part of the greater Caliente Tropics complex.
It closed Sunday, April 28th, 2024 with Rory promising that the space would not remain vacant for long...and indeed, it didn't. The Le Fern space was quickly incorporated into the adjacent Sancho's Restaurant as a Cantina. Some tiki pieces can still be seen here, including quite a few mugs behind the backbar.