Tiki Bars
Kon Tiki Apartments - Riverside
Riverside, California, United States (Closed)
Built in 1961.
This development consisted of two 2-story buildings with a courtyard and pool in-between. 16 units total (1783-1797 Loma Vista St., Riverside, CA 92507).
A one-bedroom here on opening went for $85 a month.
Today, the structures remain with their stone wall front facades, but the pool has been filled in and the cool mid century fence with alternating colored rectangles has been replaced with a generic black fence.
The tiki in front is long gone and the name has undergone a few changes as well.
Its current name and commercial status remains unclear as of 2025 but all signs of tiki decor appear to have been removed.
The Hula Hut Drive-In - Whittier
West Whittier-Los Nietos, California, United States (Closed)
There were apparently 4 Hula Hut Drive-In locations: Whittier, El Monte, Anaheim, and Fullerton.
They were popular as teenage hangouts, especially for early 1950s hot-rodders.
These pre-tiki joints are described much like Mel's Drive-In in the film American Graffiti, but with a Polynesian theme twist -- and carhops dressed like hula girls.
This Hula Hut in Whittier was frequented by Dean Moon, the famous hot rod pioneer. They even had a car club called the "Hutters" named after the Hula Hut.
Originally opened by Bill Blair and known for its hula sign and sexy menus.
Later purchased and re-named Bill's Drive-In.
Coral Isle - Culver City
Culver City, California, United States (Closed)
This pre-tiki establishment was opened on April 12, 1939 by Niel Murphy.
It was across the street from the RKO Studios backlot. The RKO Forty Acres (1927-1976) was best known as Forty Acres and "the back forty," it was also called "Desilu Culver," the "RKO backlot," and "Pathé 40 Acre Ranch," depending on which studio owned the property at the time.
The Coral Isle featured murals by Frank Bowers, decorative matting, and bamboo everything. The house specialty was chicken dinners.
Harold La Van took over Coral Isle in July 1941 and by this time it had transitioned to serving Chinese food and tropical cocktails. La Van had operated a previous cafe in Venice, the Bambu Hut as well as the Rhumba Cabana in Santa Monica. La Van expanded the Coral Isle in 1944. It was soon taken over by brothers Phil and Lou Stein and their partner Bob Sassner, then Bob Axelrod in September 1946.
In 1956 it became the sophisticated Culver House.