Tiki Bars
Trader Vic's - Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington, United States (Closed)
This new Trader Vic's restaurant opened in March 2006. It was located within the new Liberty Square complex, adjacent to a Westin hotel. The space was nearly 8,000 square feet, with a main dining room and two private dining rooms. The restaurant had lots of tapa cloth, and a large outrigger canoe, but was an example of the newer, modern, disappointingly sparse Trader Vic's.
The Bellevue Trader Vic's closed in August 2008.
Kona Club
Oakland, California, United States
Opened in 2005.
A tiki bar from Doug Miller, owner of nearby Club Mallard. Interiors are full of tapa cloth and carvings from Oceanic Arts, and lots of bamboo installed by Bamboo Ben with the help of Crazy Al Evans. Highlights of the decor include a volcano behind the bar that "erupts" with smoke periodically, and a life-size bronze hula girl complete with swivelling hips.
Kona Club is situated just a block or so from Trader Vic's final resting place at Mountain View Cemetery.
The Rendez'vous
Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
The Rendez'vous opened in Summer 2005. Tropical drinks are served in tiki mugs and volcano bowls, and are mixed using fresh ingredients -- including mint. Decor includes pieces from Oceanic Arts and local carver Lake Tiki. Pretzels are available, and light food may be added in the future.
Tahitian Terrace - Hong Kong
New Territories, Hong Kong SAR China
The Tahitian Terrace is a restaurant in Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland that opened in 2005. It is somewhat different from the original Tahitian Terrace, which was in Disneyland's Adventureland for many years. It does have tikis cast from the originals at the Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland.
Hawaiian Gardens - Lauderdale Lakes
Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, United States
Built in 1970.
Hawaiian Gardens began as a large apartment complex, and now is mostly a retirement community.
The grounds remain well maintained, with water features, palms and flowers in the landscaping.
Many tikis were on the site as of the mid 2000s, still in good shape, including a few likely Witco pieces. However reports of theft and huge sweeping renovations may have disposed of what once was.
Canoe Club
Orland Park, Illinois, United States (Closed)
Modern, upscale and vague in its tropicality, the short-lived Canoe Club lacked the dense, exotic feel most tikiphiles crave. What it lacked in throwback tiki spirit it tried to make up for with a few features: the central bar was wrapped around a large shark tank, and the dining room featured large fake palm trees and a two-story waterfall. Canoe Club opened in early 2005, and closed in Fall 2007.
As of 2021, this location is home to Cajun Boil & Bar.
South Pacific - Newton
Newton, Massachusetts, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1964.
South Pacific had been serving Chinese food in a Polynesian environment for many decades, and the decor was still present when it closed in September 2012 upon the owners' retirement. There were several tiki poles, and carved details in the trim. The walls had painted tropical scenes, and a back room was decorated like a tropical hut. Shell lamps and other tiki-style lighting were used throughout. Drinks were served in tiki mugs.
The last sign of what once was, its lovely neon sign, was removed in May 2016.
The Tiki Terrace - Prospect Heights
Prospect Heights, Illinois, United States (Closed)
This was the original location for The Tiki Terrace; it opened in 2005 and closed in December 2007 and then opened four months later in a new, improved location in nearby Des Plaines.
This restaurant and entertainment venue was the realization of a dream of the Zuziak family, whose A Custom Production supplies the Chicago area with Polynesian and tropical decor and props.
Around 20 tikis were carved for the Tiki Terrace, other decor included rock formations and moai. The restaurant was divided into three dining rooms and a bar: Rapa Nui Row, The Ali'i, Kapa Nui Kove, and the Tiki Cocktail Bar. Cocktail waitresses doubled as hula entertainment, courtesy of a partnership with Gwen Kennedy of local luau organizer Barefoot Hawaiian.
Eli Hedley's Home
Los Angeles, California, United States
At White Point, in Royal Palms beach in San Pedro, Eli Hedley made his home with his wife and four daughters. Literally made it -- mostly out of driftwood. They started in the fall of 1945 and the two-bedroom English style driftwood cottage took two years to build. They combed every cove from Palos Verdes to Portugese Bend for timber and most of it came from broken up barges. In addition to the two bedrooms, there was a bunk room, galley, dining deck, poop deck, living room and a hold. Hedley used nautical terms to describe the house. Their furnishings were made of driftwood, they used a fire guard hood from a ship's engine room for a fireplace, and bamboo strips from a Japanese ship were used for an interior door. Numerous live palms gave the homestead a secluded tropical feel.
Hedley was largely responsible for creating the "beachcomber look," by collecting items from the beach and reusing them as home items and decor for his own family and to sell to others. Hedley became a major name in the Hollywood set for decorating, and was responsible for the decor in bars, restaurants, hotels and apartment buildings in the 1940s through the 1970s. He built his home on land leased from the military (the military had control over this land since World War II, as White Point juts out into the Pacific). The land today is a public park, and a plaque can be seen giving the history of the spot, including the Hedley residence. The home is now gone, but the foundation remains.
Ports of Call - Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Closed)
Ports of Call was a restaurant with many differently-themed rooms, including one Polynesian area, Bali Hai. Ports of Call operated from 1963 until 1975; in 1977 the restaurant became "The Ports" and operated under that name until 1983. Bali Hai likely didn't survive the change from Ports of Call to The Ports. In 1983, the building was demolished to make way for office buildings.
Tiki Boyd's
Denver, Colorado, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2005.
Tiki Boyd's was the creation of controversial pop culture figure Boyd Rice, known to many from his early industrial/noise music outfit NON, known to tikiphiles for his essay in Taboo: The Art of Tiki. Rice is a tiki enthusiast, and a vintage music aficionado -- and this bar reportedly played music only from vinyl.
It was located in the Ramada Inn in downtown Denver which was originally called The Heart O’ Denver Motor Hotel when it was built back in the 1960s, and its bar was called simply the Tiki Lounge - designed by none other than legendary beachcomber and consultant to Disneyland, Eli Hedley.
In January 2006, just a few months after opening, several key players (including Boyd Rice) pulled out of the venture. The bar then operated without Boyd's tiki decor, under a different name, and was more of a retro/rockabilly bar.
It appears the space is now home to Ahuevo Cantina Kitchen.
Mahi Mahi
Nashville, Tennessee, United States (Closed)
Built in 1968-1969.
Mahi Mahi had decor from Oceanic Arts, including an unusual item -- an Oceanic Arts-designed mug of their signature logo. Mahi Mahi was later purchased by Jim Walls in 1970. Jim was owner of the nearby Omni Hut, which closed in 2018. Walls also took on the Mahi Mahi's debt, and despite efforts to improve the menu, the new Mahi Mahi closed after just a year. The Mahi Mahi later became Blue Hawaii. The building, which had an unusual wide A-frame, has been torn down.