Tiki Bars
South Seas Cocktail Lounge - at The Coast Inn - Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, California, United States (Closed)
The Coast Inn was built and opened in 1929.
The South Seas was established in 1936 as a pre-Tiki bar and most of its decor shown in photos below was in place by 1941.
There were actually two bars at the Coast Inn location. Part of the charm of both bars was that tropical aquarium fish tanks were used for the bar counter tops. The upstairs bar, known as the Tap Room, was quiet, dark and sophisticated. But the downstairs bar, called the South Seas, with its Polynesian atmosphere, invited customers to let down their hair.
The location, according to past owners, started with military servicemen and local young people, surfers, and more of a "straight" crowd, but began to see more and more of a gay crowd in the 70s until it became known as more of a gay bar by the mid 1980s. This coincided with a change of the name to the "Boom Boom Room" in 1978 by the new owner.
The "Boom Boom Room" shut its doors in 2007.
However, the Coast Inn endures as of the present time (2024)...
Tiki Garden Dining Room & Restaurant - at the Hilo Lagoon Hotel
Hilo, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
The Hilo Lagoon Hotel was built in 1971.
The 10 floor building was built overlooking the spring-fed Waiakea Lagoon and Park. The six acre site included lush landscaping, extensive fishponds filled with colorful carp, and a freshwater swimming pool.
The Tiki Garden Restaurant was located on the first level overlooking the carp ponds. It specialized in buffet meals. Decor included large murals and floor-to-ceiling Easter Island Moai heads.
NOTE: As of today (2024) this building has been converted to apartment housing.
Tiki Apartments - Canoga Park
Canoga Park, California, United States
Built in 1964, the Tiki Apartments in Canoga Park was a multi-family 2 story construction with 5+ units (17 beds and 47 baths).
It is unclear how long many of the tiki elements held on, but most were certainly gone after the Northridge Earthquake in 1994.
As of 2025, the only vestiges of its original construction are the sections covered by lava rock and the A-frame in the center.
Tiki-Tock - at The Frenchman Hotel - New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Opened in April of 2023.
This is more of a tropical bar than a tiki bar.
Without "Tiki" in the name, there is nothing in the decor to support the "tikiness" of the venue. It would be equally at home in Mexico or Jamaica or the Caribbean.
Palapa thatched umbrellas designate seating areas and there are runners of palm thatching around the top and bottom of the bar which look like they could be quickly torn down in an afternoon if the Frenchman Hotel decided its Patio needed a re-fresh and a different theme.
One corner has some tropical wallpaper and a few large tropical flower prints. There are no tiki carvings or Polynesian artworks.
And, the stark concrete floor, large exposed brick walls, and black-painted industrial metal ceiling are at odds with the rest of the decor.
Despite this, they have a very good menu of tropical and tiki cocktails and have drawn high praise for the quality of their cocktails, created by Patrick Williams, VP of operations and innovation for Angevin & Co., which owns the hotel and bar.
The Tiki Easy Bar
Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Opened in July 2023. The Tiki Easy Bar is a speakeasy hidden behind Hi-Wire’s South Slope Specialty Brewery in Asheville, North Carolina.
The bar occupies a 2500-square-foot space through the back door of Hi-Wire’s South Slope Specialty Brewery, an area of the building that had not been previously open to the public.
Bar Tiki - Clearwater Beach
Clearwater, Florida, United States
This bar opened in Clearwater Beach, Florida as of October 31, 2021.
It's located on the 3rd floor of the Marina Cantina by the docks.
In addition to their drinks menu, they also have a limited food menu with quesadillas, tacos, empanadas, spring rolls, etc...
LongBrow's Jungle Bar
Tuggerah, New South Wales, Australia
Opened Friday, May 12th, 2023.
From their website:
"A South American inspired Tiki Bar located in Westfield Tuggerah’s outdoor dining precinct.
Find yourself in a vibrant and tropical atmosphere, transporting you to the wild jungles of South America, complete with amazing authentic street food and refreshing tropical cocktails.
So come on down and escape to the tropics at Longbrow's Jungle Bar. Whether you’re looking for a fun night out with friends or a casual catch-up, we have something for everyone and are open till late!"
The Tiki Restaurant - at Villa Plaza - Tacoma (Lakewood)
Lakewood, Washington, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1963 at Villa Plaza, a new construction in Lakewood just south of Tacoma (although advertising materials say "Tacoma" for this location).
It was a 2-story construction with A-frame entrance and a Witco Mbulu Ugulu mask just below the roofline.
This restaurant started off life as a nicely appointed Polynesian Restaurant with decor sourced from Witco and some fern tikis sourced from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair that ended just half a year before The Tiki Restaurant opened.
Martin Denny even did a live performance back in the early days here.
However, in 1966 they decided to have topless go-go dancing upstairs and it appears to have gotten seedier/more sketchy as the years went on...
First off, the dancing was illegal. There were some arrests made and negative headlines before the bar was able to secure a cabaret license and legitimize the dancing.
Then, in 1974, a patron killed a bouncer.
Shortly after this, the restaurant was sold and became Peking Restaurant for a few years until in 1978 it was burned down in a suspected arson.
Nothing remains today.
Tiki Bar Mar Del Plata
Mar del Plata, Argentina
Opened in 2010, in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
They pride themselves on being knowledgable about tiki cocktail history and in developing their own cocktails based on local seasonal fruits and juices. Additionally, they seek to please an Argentine palate and sometimes this means a tilt towards the bitter end of the spectrum. Cynar is popular, for instance. One of their popular cocktails, the Cynar Grill, is made with Cynar 70, roasted pineapple, lime juice, rosemary, elderberry and soda.
During Covid quarantines, when deliveries became the norm, they decided to put together special cocktail kit boxes which are delivered via a person dressed up as a sea lion with a captain's hat. See last photo. Since their mascot is a sea lion, it only made sense to run with it and lend a sense of whimsy to home deliveries.
Tiki Beat - at the Newport Hotel
Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia (Closed)
Opened May 19th, 2012.
The design of this bar was a collaboration with input from renowned tiki carver, Marcus Thorn (a.k.a. Tiki Beat).
It was Perth’s only portside tiki bar, serving more than 20 different types of cocktails, as well as three of its own speciality cocktails, made with Newport Spiced Rum.
Drinks were served in green-glazed tiki mugs modeled after a carving by Marcus Thorn (seen with pinup model Masuimi Max below from a photoshoot), adding to the bar’s overall ambience.
It was located within the Newport Hotel (The Newy), on the corner of South Terrace, at the end of Fremantle’s busy cafe strip.
The Newport Hotel closed December 24th, 2021 for a major rebrand into Flight Club social darts venue. Tiki Beat was closed as well.
The Tiki Hut Restaurant & Lounge
Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Closed)
Mary Yick opened The Tiki Hut in 1961, on Tyler Street in Boston's Chinatown.
An article in February 1970, noted how “The Tiki Hut is a favorite after-show stop for many theatrical people when they’re in town.” The article mentioned how Pearl Baily, her husband, drummer Louis Bellson, co-star Cab Calloway, and other cast members of “Hello Dolly” dined at The Tiki Hut. Many theatrical celebrities dined at the restaurant when they were in town, and some of those regulars included David Merrick, Angela Lansbury, and Shakespearean actor Nicol Williamson.
Like Ruby Foo's Den and the Cathay House, the Tiki Hut was a favorite of the stage and screen celebrities, as well as stars from the local sport teams, from the Celtics to the Bruins. It was even noted in an article in February 1971, that on the theatrical circuit, Mary Yick was affectionately known as “The Dragon Lady.”
Unfortunately, Mary and the Tiki Hut ran into a serious problem in mid-1971, facing a possible ouster from her 10 Tyler Street location. The owner of the premises, the Lee On Dong Association, was attempting to conduct an “auction in the Chinese tradition of her lease.” Fortunately, Mary was able to secure an injunction to halt the auction until the owners could come forward and justify themselves to the court.
Mary and the Tiki Hut lasted only another year, though at least it seemed the lease ouster had been prevented, when in November 1972, she transferred the liquor license to Mai Lai Inc., managed by Kwok Man Yu, who would operate a restaurant at the same address. The Boston Globe, December 1, 1972, noted this loss in an article titled, “Chinatown loses its last Dragon Lady.” It referred to Mary Yick “of the lyrical voice and quick quips that (gently but plainly) put down amorous customers.” The article also stated, “Her departure ends, at least for the time, a tradition begun by the legendary Ruby Foo and later Anita Chue.”
Caroline's Aloha Bar
Charleston, South Carolina, United States (Closed)
Caroline's Aloha Bar and restaurant was located in the Avondale neighborhood of Charleston. It opened in early 2005 as the Voodoo Tiki Bar & Lounge.
However, Caroline Smith-Adams, the face of Voodoo Tiki Bar for 15 years, passed away, so the team at Voodoo decided to rebrand the restaurant to honor her life.
From 10/22/2020 onward, the bar was re-branded as Caroline's Aloha Bar and given a new makeover along with a new website and Facebook page.
Closed November 12th, 2022.