Tiki Bars
Dairy Queen
Grove City, Ohio, United States
Opened circa 2005.
This is a tiki interior-themed Dairy Queen. Otherwise the menu and exterior are the same as other Dairy Queens.
There is a big tiki god water fountain when you walk in. There are 3 large fish tanks, one is salt water and there is a thatched roof over them. Two of the corner booths are grass huts and the chairs are all bamboo. The walls have a bamboo wall paper with different Kahiki items, a 6-foot tiki god, nets, surf board, islands of Hawaii made by a Hawaiian friend of the owners, shells, etc.
The employees wear hawaiian shirts and leis.
Polynesian Room - at The Chow Family Restaurant
Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
Established in 1972.
They advertise both Chinese and Polynesian cuisine and have a large room for each -- the Oriental Room or the candle-lit Polynesian Room.
Stepping into this restaurant is like opening a time capsule. The interior of the Polynesian Room has thatching, amber-colored lauhala matting on the walls, tiki masks, several standing tikis, and many vintage Orchids of Hawaii style lamps.
They are especially proud of their egg rolls.
Their logo used to feature a tiki but was modernized to the current logo showing a silhouette of a couple eating.
South Seas Cafe - San Diego
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
South Seas Cafe (1937-1977) was San Diego’s first large, Tahitian-themed restaurant, home of ‘rain on the roof’ just like at Ray Haller’s Seven Seas (1935) in Hollywood (later Bob Brooks Seven Seas).
The South Seas Cafe not only had the distinction of being the first large Tahitian/Pre-Tiki restaurant in San Diego — it was a woman-owned business. Opened Saturday night July 10, 1937 by Ruth W. Becker and Charles Thomas, South Seas Cafe was located across from the San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Pacific Highway.
“We feel sure that the atmosphere of the ‘South Seas’” said co-owner Charles Thomas to the press, “in which we produce lightning, thunder and the beating rain of a tropical storm, will delight seekers of the unusual. The South Seas illusion will be enhanced by Tahitian portraits and figure studies, done by Leeteg. The haunting rhythms of Hawaii will be produced nightly by steel guitars and ukuleles in the capable hands of Stone’s Hawaiians.”
Consolidated Aircraft Corporation’s newly-built production facility nearby provided a busy lunch crowd. And the novelty of an indoor rainstorm with thunder and lightning drew in as many patrons as could fit in the Tahitian-inspired restaurant. Their collection of ‘figural studies’ by painter Edward Leeteg certainly didn’t hurt, either.
Along with the Leeteg paintings down in the bar, they prominently featured an 11-foot-tall black velvet nudie by Morris Levine in the upstairs dining area, and on their menus. The Levine was reportedly won in a Las Vegas dice game bet by Wilbur Clark.
Top it off with thick steaks. Fried shrimp. Rum drinks. Entertainment by Stone’s Hawaiians, Teddy ‘K’ and his Hawaiians, Benny Kealoha and his famous ‘Echo Song.’ Comedy by Our Gang actor Spec O’Donnell. All this made the South Seas Cafe a destination spot.
The South Seas closed in 1977 and was replaced by a ladder store. For years it was a GolfMart, and later was part of an AMVETs thrift store properties. Most Recently, as of 2021, the property was vacant and up for lease.
Del Webb's Ocean House
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Del Webb's hotel Ocean House was located on the Pacific Coast Highway on Mission Bay.
Del Webb was an American real-estate developer, and a co-owner of the New York Yankees baseball club. He also built the Kuilima Hotel & Resort (now known as the Turtle Bay Resort) in Hawaii.
Opened in 1962, with design by Las Vegas architect Martin Stern, Jr. (1917-2001).
The complex sat on several acres, had 200 rooms in the hotel, a dining room, coffee shop, the Jolly Roger cocktail lounge, and banquet and convention facilities to accommodate up to 1,000.
The most notable tiki features were several impressive carvings around the pool area. There were also brightly painted tiki mask faces along one exterior wall -- shown in the Jerry Lewis film, The Big Mouth (1967).
The cocktail lounge was not a tiki bar, but was a deeply immersive nautical themed space.
It was sold two years later to become the Hilton San Diego Inn, becoming the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, renovated in 2007.
Currently (as of 2022) owned by Noble House Hotels & Resorts and branded as the San Diego Mission Bay Resort. No trace of the tikis today...
Hurricane Cove
Avalon, California, United States (Closed)
Hurricane Cove, Avalon, Santa Catalina Island was a pre and post-war restaurant and bar (1937-1979), located at 305 Crescent.
It would be considered pre-tiki and followed in the footsteps of the Hurricane Bars in New York and San Francisco who also took their iconography and theme from the 1937 film, starring Dorothy Lamour.
Hurricane Cove once featured a huge semi-circle bamboo piano bar. It was originally owned by Oscar Griffith (1895-1974). David Renton, was the architect for the Wrigley Family and designed the structures on the Island per the Wrigley request, (including the Casino). The Wrigley family did not want any tropical themed structures, but Oscar and the owners of the Waikiki Hotel were able to prevail and had their businesses constructed the way they wanted.
Oscar had a band, Jimmy Lowe and the Sons of Hawaii, who played regularly at his place. Oscar had after hours for top named entertainers that played at the Avalon Casino Ballroom including Benny Goodman. Oscar had the place built per his vision which included a bamboo bar in 1938. He had lights, fans and audio to simulate a hurricane which were activated every hour. Oscar imported an expert in bamboo construction from California.
In 1957, Hurricane Cove was managed by Johnny Piacentini and Vince Scari.
Los Angeles attorney, Don Lake, who had done work for Oscar, Griffith purchased Hurricane Cove and had it remodeled.
More than 40 years after it first opened, Hurricane Cove was destroyed by a fire on March 4, 1979. So was the 20-unit Waikiki Hotel.
Wilfred's Lounge
Napa, California, United States
Opened November 12th, 2021 in the space formerly occupied by BurgerFi.
This is Napa's first tiki bar, run by Nat Komes and family, who have deep roots in Napa and are known for Flora Springs Winery.
The name of the lounge is inspired by their family history and Uncle Wilfred in particular. Flora Cabral and her brother, Wilfred, grew up in Hawaii. Flora later married Jerry Komes and they started Flora Springs Winery.
This location pays homage to Wilfred, who often played the ukulele and entertained guests.
Their signature tiki logo was inspired by The Tiki-Jo logo tiki which was carved by Eli Hedley in the late 50s.
Interior work was done by Ben Bassham (Bamboo Ben, who is the grandson of Eli Hedley) and Billy Crud (Crud Tiki Polynesian Design).
Misfit Tiki Bar
Tromsø, Norway
This bar opened on Friday, October 1st, 2021.
From their website:
"Misfit Tiki Bar is Tromsø’s own little exotic oasis, adding warmth and color to an otherwise cold and dark arctic city.
Misfit Tiki Bar is created to honor tiki culture's past and reinvigorate it here in the north. Located in the city center of the arctic capital, Tromsø. Misfit Tiki Bar features a variation of both original and modern tiki-tails, as well as a few simple yet delicious bar snacks.
Misfit Tiki Bar offers a large collection of rum from numerous countries around the world, while handcrafting a wide variety of homemade ingredients. The bar taps into the history of Tiki, paying homage to the heritage and indigenous artforms of Oceania’s treasured past that originally inspired Tiki culture. The decorations are crafted by both local and international carpenters and artists, from Norway to The UK and Hawaii."
Misfit Tiki Bar is located above their big brother bar, the Bastard Bar, known as a thriving live music venue that started in 2009.
Ports O' Call Restaurant - at Ports O' Call Village
Los Angeles/San Pedro, California, United States (Closed)
David Tallichet's Ports O' Call Restaurant, housed in a Polynesian longhouse and surrounded by a forest of tropical foliage in pure Adventureland tradition, opened February 8th, 1961 and proved an immediate success. A lagoon at the entrance, ringed jungle-thick with tropical plants, had a Chinese sampan boat partially sunken in it. Rooms inside were themed to Hawaii (Waikiki), Tahiti, the Hong Kong Yacht Club and a Japanese "Tea Room" - a concept lifted wholesale from Steve Crane's Kon-Tiki Ports chain in Hiltons across the country.
The restaurant sat in the larger Ports O' Call Village -- a seaside plaza that featured souvenir and gift shops, along with restaurants, sweetshops, fish markets and quick-bite eateries. This New England-style seaside village encompassed 15 acres of shops, restaurants and attractions. A meandering promenade of cobblestone streets connects the specialty shops.
More than 40 surrounding merchants were in place when the entire complex held its grand opening on July 13, 1963. When the Whaler’s Wharf section, south of the restaurant, opened in 1967, there were 85 businesses operating in Ports O’ Call Village.
The village drew a good number of people who passed through San Pedro to visit Marineland, a high-profile aquarium/theme park attraction next door, in Rancho Palos Verdes, that closed in February 1987.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, village merchants began to complain about their leases and the upkeep.
By 1984 Tallichet was forced to make some changes and address concerns. The Ports O' Call Restaurant was given a new look and they added a second level with banquet facilities, although the Polynesian theme was done away with almost entirely. Described as "Nautical Victorian", photos of the place which survive online resemble more an 80s retirement home recreation room with bits of tropical decor here and there.
The refurbishments weren't enough and the village continued a slow decline over the years...
The Ports O' Call Restaurant hung on until 2018, when it was forced to close.
Currently, as of 2022, this area is scheduled to be re-developed and has been re-branded as West Harbor (with restaurants, shops, and fresh markets). The $155 million project is scheduled to complete in three phases, with the first phase introducing new restaurants, shops and bars with a finish date of 2024.
Chick-fil-A - Truett's Luau
Fayetteville, Georgia, United States
Open since 2013, just a year before the founder of Chick-fil-A, S. Truett Cathy, passed away.
It would seem like the kind of thing they might try out in the actual Hawaiian islands, but it's not. There are none in Hawaii as of 2021. However, if you are the founder, you can do whatever you want, and Truett decided toward the end of his life that it would be fun to have a Hawaiian-style version of one of his restaurants in Georgia.
This location is much larger and more resplendent than your typical Chick-fil-A but has a similar menu with the addition of some Hawaiian-themed foods like Kalua pork and Hawaiian-style bread pudding. They have Hawaiian-style drinks as well, like their Frosted Hawaiian shakes which are served in souvenir tiki glasses.
There are some tikis located throughout, Hawaiian art, tropical palm fans overhead, and koa wood (or local Georgian hardwood) tables. One seating section actually has booths with thatching and tiki poles.
They are fond of throwing luau parties for children, often featuring hula dancers.
Tiki Junction
Sausalito, California, United States (Closed)
Barney West (1919-1981) was a tiki carver during the golden age of midcentury Polynesian Pop.
West, a native of Seattle, came to the Bay Area as a boy when his parents moved to Oakland. His father was chief engineer for the steam schooner Wapama which is now part of a San Francisco waterfront museum. During World War II, West joined the Merchant Marine and served as a steward on Liberty ships in the South Pacific. During his 15 years at sea, West became interested in the native art of Easter Island, Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Hawaii, an infatuation that later had a great influence on his art. West moved to an ark on Corte Madera creek shortly after the end of World War II. To set himself up in the woodcarving business, he drove spikes and laid heavy rails for a railroad crew. West’s first wood carving came from redwood pilings he floated to his home from San Pablo Bay. His first major customer was restaurateur Trader Vic Bergeron who purchased many pieces of West’s early art.
After establishing himself as a wood carver, West opened a studio in Sausalito ("Tiki Junction") on land lent to him by Zack’s by the Bay owner (Zack’s became Margaritaville, then Paradise Bay, now Salito’s Crab House), Sam Zakessian in 1963. The tiny studio soon became engulfed by tikis and other assorted tropical carvings and vegetation. West began his carving career with conventional carving tools but soon progressed to a chain saw. He shipped in mammoth redwood logs by rail and shipped his commissioned works on flatcars all over the country. West’s art can be found in London, Hawaii, and Cuba. West’s business thrived well in Sausalito and at one time he had five apprentices working with him.
Tiki Tatsu-Ya
Austin, Texas, United States
Tiki Tatsu-Ya is a long-awaited tiki bar and restaurant in South Austin, Texas, that opened October 4th, 2021.
Owner is Tatsu Aikawa, who owns several restaurants in town including neighboring Ramen Tatsu-Ya, and was inspired to open a tiki bar by his brother Shion. Aikawa emphasized tiki's long tradition of incorporating Asian elements, and the heavy influence of Asian cultures on Hawaii. The drinks program was initially led by Cory Starr (previously of Chicago tiki bar Three Dots and a Dash) for the first six months. Cory has since moved on to the Mai-Kai in Ft. Lauderdale. The initial beverage program was formed along with Tatsu-Ya beverage director Michael Phillips and Tatsu-Ya sake sommelier Bryan Masamitsu Parsons. In addition to tiki drinks, there is also a tiki-inspired menu, with Japanese flavors and dishes strongly represented. The bar is housed in the former Backbeat space, right next to Ramen Tatsu-Ya's South Lamar shop.
Chteau de la Lune
Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada
Chteau de la Lune has been operating in this location since 1981, it originally opened in another location in 1977. It is still owned and operated by the same family, the Yings and Huis, who came to Quebec from Hong Kong in the early '70s. The Polynesian decor came largely from the Orchids of Hawaii catalog, and there are lamps, carvings and faux palm trees throughout the restaurant. Chinese Polynesian food is available from a buffet or a la carte. They also serve tiki cocktails in tiki mugs.
*NOTE: Via their website, it appears this restaurant has changed location to 1096 Boulevard Moody, Terrebonne, Quebec J6W 3K9, former site of Tutti Fruit déjeuner et diner, some time in 2021-2022. It is unclear how much of their tiki decor made the journey or if they are still serving cocktails.