Opened August 30th, 2022.

Lost Inferno is a tiki bar with a strong homage to the classic 1985 film by Stephen Spielberg, The Goonies. The name of the bar directly references the pirate ship from the film, which belonged to One-Eyed Willie.

There are pirate skeletons and sections of the bar feel like they are a cavern straight from the film. They are a little light on actual tikis in the decor, although they do have some tiki masks up on the walls.

This was a 1930's era pre-tiki tropical bar, and it is difficult to know whether this version or the one in Los Angeles came first. Both advertised "Rain On The Roof". They appear to have been owned separately, however, and were not sister locations.

Today, this location is a parking lot.

Soft opening on October 11th, 2022.

From Lime In The Coconut:

"Lime in the Coconut takes you to a place of salty air and sandy toes. Time slows down and the island vibe transports you someplace tropical. Enjoy casual island fare from Hawaii, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, and the Caribbean. The menu, designed by executive chef Jeremy Galapon (formerly of the Bali Hai, San Diego), features fish, pork, chicken, tofu, and vegetable sandwiches, salads noodles, and snacks.

Vacation vibes begin with craft cocktails designed by Snake Oil Cocktail Co. and made with fresh, hand-pressed juices and the finest rums, tequilas, gins, and liqueurs. Mocktails are equally tasty and tropical for those choosing to forgo alcohol.

You don’t have to travel to escape."

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.

Opened March 2nd, 2022.

The Luau was developed by owner/bartender Brett Rose to "stoke the masses".

Though not as lavishly decorated as some tiki palaces, tilting perhaps a touch more towards the surf bar than the tiki bar end of the spectrum with its coral painted walls and serviceable wood café chairs, there are still, indeed, several tikis throughout.

It has a live music stage in front of house and an outdoor patio in back.

Some nice decorative touches include a wall of ukuleles behind the live music stage, some Oceanic Arts style masks on the walls, lauhala matting, fish floats, and a couple of concrete tiki fountains out on the patio.

Tiki favorites are served in tiki mugs and volcano bowls. Including the Tropical Itch cocktail, with backscratchers included.

Opened August 2nd, 2022.

Mothership is a sci-fi tropical themed bar in San Diego, CA that is a partnership between the owner of Kindred and CH Projects (False Idol, Polite Provisions, Raised By Wolves and more).

Designed by Ignacio “Notch” Gonzalez, Mothership imagines a restaurant and cocktail lounge build from the ruins of a crash landed ship on a tropical alien planet.

From the Mothership website:

"The Ancient Astronaut Shuttle Crew, aboard the A.A.S.C. MOTHERSHIP, boldly explores the darkest, furthest edges of the tropical-flavor galaxy. Cosmic rays blast from a solar flare and blow the MOTHERSHIP’s electronics into disarray. The psycho-space marauders are left with no option but to execute emergency landing protocols on the nearest planet. Off-board, the tight-knit Crew explores the lush surroundings. They discover no sentient life, but unexplainable events occur and a lurking presence is felt. The mysterious, uncharted ecosystem has few resources to repair the ship -- but ample plant life and curious, intoxicating spirits. In time, the Crew accepts that they are marooned in a sinister, fertile paradise. They establish a colony and fashion the ship into a base camp, including quarters of leisure. Together, the fearless crew members commit to adventurous coexistence with the natural life of the planet, not in desperate peril, but on a ...PERMANENT VACATION."

This was the sister location built in the late 1950s after the first location in Laguna Beach was already thriving.

The plans were announced publicly in the Santa Ana Register on January 16th, 1957.

It was located on South Los Angeles Street and Ball Road in Anaheim, which is now re-named Anaheim Boulevard. It was a converted home previously known as the Flynn Residence.

Plans were stated to include 5 acres of tropical gardens, swimming pool, luau parties, ukulele parties, aquaria with tropical fish, and Hawaiian and Cantonese foods.

Today, this location is occupied by the Anaheim Global Medical Center.

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!

Edward Kwong (1917-2006) was was one of the leading pioneers of Asian Cuisine in the West Valley.

He established House of Kwong restaurant, a favorite celebrity dining spot in Woodland Hills, CA from 1948 through 1986 when he retired.

The restaurant had a pink and green neon sign welcoming customers. Parking in the rear. Thatched reed walls on the interior with a Chinese tree painting, oriental rugs, and purple formica table-tops with glitter.

Although not resplendent with tikis and tiki decor, this Chinese restaurant had a large tiki cocktail menu and is impressive for having several (now) rare and sought-after mugs, including the Spurlin Fog Cutter and Oceanic Arts Cobra's Fang, as well as their own unique bowl, the Witchcraft Bowl, surrounded by 4 flaming demon heads (truly a crypto mug!).

Today, as of 2022, the location appears to be a vacant lot sandwiched between a cell phone repair shop and a multi-level building housing a law firm.

*Photo shows Edward Kwong on left with his brother, Don Kwong, on right -- in the restaurant kitchen.

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.