Tiki Bars
Burt's Tiki Lounge - Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (Closed)
A local-music dive bar that served the SLC Ska/Punk set. There does not appear to be a connection with the Albuquerque Burt's Tiki Lounge. It closed in 2014.
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.
Albert's Tiki Village - Sacramento
Sacramento, California, United States (Closed)
This location served Chinese & Polynesian cuisine and cocktails and is notable for the Witco God of Fortune that graced its menu as well as the custom Witco tikis at the location itself.
Trader's Tiki Bar - Altrincham
United Kingdom
Opened in 2015 by Cheshire-based brothers, Anthony and Edward Prophet, in the bustling Goose Green area of Altrincham Town Centre. This venture follows the launch of the pair’s Waikiki Tiki bar in Chester eight months before (which later closed @2017-2018).
Trader's Tiki Bar has an outside patio and a more recently built upstairs area as well.
The Monkey's Paw Tiki Bar - Springfield
Springfield, Oregon, United States
This brick and mortar location opened on May 5th 2021. Around August 2020 it originated as a pop-up and was further developed into a full-time permanent bar.
Monkey’s Paw co-owner Teren Baker says he and another co-owner, Jameson Cowman, discovered how tiki bars could be cool while attending a punk rock music festival in Las Vegas. They visited Frankie’s Tiki Room in Vegas, and Baker says it challenged his assumptions about tiki bars.
The heart of the bar is its lounge environment. There aren’t any clocks inside the building, and the windows are blacked out. Baker says the bar isn’t looking to have raucous live shows at the bar, but rather more intimate events, such as the December 2021 Elvis impersonator David Lomond.
Their tiki mugs are made by a local pottery, Down the Road Clayworks!
Jan & Dean's Tiki Lounge - Ruby's Diner
Huntington Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Opened October 8th, 2018.
Jan & Dean’s Tiki Lounge opened on the second floor of the Ruby’s Diner on the Huntington City pier.
The lounge featured bamboo walls, carved tikis, dim lighting and artwork from Disney contributing artist Jeff Granito. The build-out was completed by Bamboo Ben.
Visitors could order from Ruby’s standard menu along with a new collection of appetizers such as Huli-Huli Wings and Mini Ahi Tacos and tropical cocktails. For dessert, there was the popular pineapple soft serve ice cream Dole Whip.
The lounge’s name paid tribute to pioneering surf music duo Jan and Dean, which included Huntington Beach resident Dean Torrence and is known for hits such as “Surf City,” “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena” and “Dead Man’s Curve.”
This Ruby's site closed, along with the lounge in February 2021.
Ollie Vee's Tiki Lounge
Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom
Ollie Vee's, a vintage store in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, added a Tiki Lounge to one of its upper levels in 2014. During the day, store visitors can enjoy the space with a coffee from the Ollie Vee's cafe. The store is closed in the evenings, but they sometimes hold special evening events in the space, and it is available for private rental; for these special events, they are licensed to serve tropical cocktails. On Saturday afternoons, there is a ukulele jam. The space is clad in bamboo and matting, with tikis.
As of September 2024, the owners announced they would like to sell their bar to someone who would enjoy running their own Tiki Bar...
Lucky Joe's Tiki Room
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States (Closed)
Lucky Joe's Tiki Room opened in the Walker's Point neighborhood of Milwaukee in November 2012. Lucky Joe's drink menu was a mix of tiki classics and their own unique inventions, with a focus on quality ingredients. Walls were lined with lauhala and bamboo, and a large Moai greeted you near the entrance. Lucky Joe's Tiki Room closed at the end of October 2015, when the building it occupied was sold to property developers.
Solomons Island Tiki Bar
Solomons, Maryland, United States
Solomons Island Tiki Bar opened in 1980, and is a more 80s-style tiki bar -- it's open-air, heavy on the party, and light on the tiki. There have been more additions of tikiness starting in early 2006, and of particular note is the addition of many Bosko carvings and a couple of large moai. It's open seasonally, from April through October, and opening day is a major event, drawing up to 10,000 people.
The bar started as an addition to the Island Manor Hotel, by original owners John and Kathy Taylor.
New owner, Terry Clark, removed the hotel in 2005 to expand the bar into a restaurant, and to accommodate the Tiki Bar's massive weekend crowds; and Terry was responsible for the stronger emphasis on tiki. A small store was also added that sells t-shirts, sweatshirts and mass-produced modern tiki items.
On September 19th, 2018, Terry Clarke passed away suddenly at the age of 54. There was some confusion at that point as to whether someone would continue the bar, but it worked out with new owners.
A Howard County couple, Sarah and Peter Bates, purchased the bar for $2.4 million from Terry's widow.
The Lucky Tiki - Chatsworth Street
Los Angeles, California, United States (Closed)
The Lucky Tiki opened in December 2004.
The first incarnation of the Lucky Tiki was as a short-lived tiki bar in the San Fernando Valley, opened by Bobby Green, who is also responsible for a number of popular themed bars in the Los Angeles area (Bigfoot Lodge, Little Cave, Thirsty Crow, Harlow, Idle Hour). The Lucky Tiki location, near where the 405 and 118 freeways meet, was once The Wild Cherry, a bar dating from the 1950s. Some of the artists responsible for the decor included Crazy Al Evans, Tiki Tony and Kevin Kidney.
In early 2006, the property the Lucky Tiki leased was purchased by a new owner and they closed soon after. The entire interior, including carvings and art, were put in storage.
Bobby Green wanted to reopen the Lucky Tiki in another location, initially in North Hollywood, then in the Palms neighborhood of West Los Angeles, but nothing gelled for several years and he became pre-occupied with other bar projects.
Finally, in March of 2024, after 20 years, The Lucky Tiki re-opened nearby Tail O' the Pup in West Hollywood.
The Pupu House & Kiki's Tiki Bar - Waikiki
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Opened May 16th, 2023.
Located on Lewers Street in the old Moose McGillycuddy’s space.
The Pupu House on the first level is a family-friendly restaurant and bar, while Kiki’s Tiki Bar, located upstairs on the second level, is a DJ driven Dance Club/Nightclub.