Tiki Bars
The Conch House Marina Resort Restaurant & Lounge
St. Augustine, Florida, United States
This is a very large complex which includes a marina, a restaurant, a lounge, a long pier-side walkway lined with carved tikis, and a motel.
For over 70 successful years, the Ponce family has owned and operated the Conch House Marina Resort. The Ponce family is one of the oldest families in the United States and has been in St. Augustine for over 400 years. The property was purchased in 1946 by Jimmy Ponce and his wife Jackie, and was once the Coast Guard gunnery station. The business started as a 4 room hotel, called Ponces By The Sea in which the family lived in one room and rented the other rooms to guests.
Their Lounge Tiki Bar was built in 1976 and sits out 300 feet over the water.
The Lost Island Room
Washington, District of Columbia, United States (Closed)
This was the speakeasy style tiki bar hidden behind the already excellent Archipelago DC tiki bar. Lost Island aimed to recreate a much more traditional Tiki escape from the city outside. Quiet, dark, completely removed from the U Street nightlife, the Lost Island had its own custom menu of classic and modern tiki drinks. A small bar area was separated from table seating. Access was by reservation only.
The Lost Island was temporarily closed during the pandemic, but never reopened. With the closing of parent bar Archipelago on 08/26/2023, the Lost Island is permanently closed.
B.G. Reynolds Tasting Room
Portland, Oregon, United States (Closed)
Since 2009, B.G. Reynolds has been selling the syrups needed for classic tropical drinks: orgeat, passion fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, special Don the Beachcomber blends, and more. The brand was originally called "Trader Tiki" and changed to "B.G. Reynolds" in 2011. In November 2015, this tasting room and storefront opened in southeast Portland. In addition to the syrups, the store also offered barware, tiki mugs, pre-mixed bottled tropical drinks, vintage aloha wear, and special cocktail mixing classes. The retail store closed in April 2016, but the syrups are still available from their online store, and are distributed to stores across the country.
Freaky Boutiki
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Freaky Boutiki started out in 1999 as the Freak Factory, selling a mix of original art, retro items, surf stuff and midcentury pieces. After a fire in 2006, owner "Hodad" Hank Adelson transformed it into Freaky Boutiki, with a stronger emphasis on all things Polynesian Pop.
The store billed itself as a "coastal curiosity shoppe" and had a great mix of items: art by modern tiki artists, Oceanic art pieces, nautical knick-knacks, tiki mugs, aloha wear, carvings, and more. Freaky Tiki had work by many well-beloved tiki artists, including Ken Ruzic, Heather Watts, Derek Yaniger, Doug Horne, Sam Gambino, Squid (especially his Acme Bakeware line), Tiki Tony, Shag and more.
In July 2016, Adelson sold the store to a new owner. It now operates under the name "Boutiki" but does not retain the Polynesian Pop focus of its predecessor.
Beach Bumz
Kihei, Hawaii, United States
Beach Bumz is a small store within a shopping center in Kihei, selling tourist items, including plenty of tiki mugs and other items of interest to the modern tikiphile. In the same shopping center as South Shore Tiki Lounge.
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.
PortAventura World - Polynesia
Spain
Opened in 1995, PortAventura World is the most visited theme park in Spain and the sixth most visited theme park in Europe.
The park features five theme areas based on civilizations (Mediterrània, Far West, México, China and Polynesia), and one theme area based on Sesame Street. Mediterrània is the main entrance area of the park.
The Polynesia area of the park is populated with many tiki statues, a Kon-Tiki wave ride, and features live shows with large Polynesian dance groups.
Makara - Da Nang, Vietnam
Da Nang, Vietnam
This Vietnamese bar opened in Summer of 2023.
As one would expect, it has some fusion elements and is not trying to clone the Trader Vic or Don the Beachcomber aesthetic.
However, it has a number of Tiki features that Westerners would expect -- it is dark and moody with colorful lighting, tiki masks adorn the walls, the back bar is set up with an elegant re-imagining of three boat prows with a thatched tile backing. Blue and green Chinese breezeway tiles frame one entrance. They also have a wide variety of tropical drinks on their menu and serve them in a variety of tiki mugs.
From Makara:
"MAKARA is a handcrafted cocktail bar with creative tropical drinks served in a unique Vietnamese-American ambiance.
A Western tiki bar reimagined, MAKARA celebrates the beauty and diversity of Vietnamese culture through exotic beverages, food, décor, and music — all in a cozy, romantic venue in the heart of Đà Nẵng."
Honi Honi - Edmonton
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Opened in January 2023 by Scott Dodds.
This bar features a large well-stocked back bar of rums.
Green naugahyde/vinyl booths, dark moodily lit interior with fish floats hanging from a tin ceiling, framed art on the walls, many of which are covered with lahala matting, and captain's style spindle chairs complete the look of this bar.
Both Tiki Tiki on Whyte and the Honi Honi Tiki Bar in Edmonton also sport vintage carved panels from the original Edmonton Beachcomber, salvaged by appreciative collectors, and then re-sold to the New Wave bars.
Honi Honi is more cocktail and rum focused than Tiki Tiki on Whyte, which has cocktails but also focuses on its gastropub fusion food. Honi Honi has some snacks as well but drinks are the definite priority here.
Cabali - Oro Valley (Tucson)
Oro Valley, Arizona, United States
Owners Doug “Fini” Finical and Scott Mencke opened Fini’s Landing in the foothills, then came The Landing in Oro Valley in 2021, and then they were ready to open their new tiki bar...
Cabali, located next door to The Landing at 8195 N. Oracle Rd., hosted its Grand Opening on Friday, February 2, 2024.
One of the memorable centerpieces is a Mark Thomas Outrigger styled Moai at the main bar area with tentacles around it. Additionally, the space is decorated with a huge mug collection, black velvet paintings, and artwork, all illuminated by custom crafted swag lamps and trimmed out with plenty of bamboo and other natural materials.
The bar is also a precursor to the soon-to-be-released documentary “Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession.” The film has been in the works for a little bit now and explores the “history and subculture of tiki mug hunting featuring ‘Fini’ — an obsessed collector opening a tiki bar dedicated to his collection.”
The Beachcomber Cafe & Tonga Lei Room - at The Malibu Pier
Malibu, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2008.
Like its sister location at Crystal Cove, this Beachcomber Cafe tried to capture the ambiance of a 1930's beach resort but on a slightly larger scale than the original.
Decor consisted of modest beach cottage style woodwork, chairs, and tables with hints of polished copper pans hung across the kitchen.
They also had a dedicated space, the Tonga Lei Room, which payed homage to the Tonga Lei that once existed nearby.
They utilized many of the same tiki mugs used at their sister location, made by Tiki Farm, and had a slightly more tikified offering of tropical drinks.
Chief amongst these was the "Tonga Lei" cocktail for two.
The Beachcomber Cafe at the Malibu Pier closed at the end of 2011. As of 2023 it is home to Malibu Farm restaurant.
In the years after the close of this more tikified Malibu location, it seems the Crystal Cove location's trend toward tiki has faded, but it is still a lovely venue to visit.
Three 9 Lounge
Seattle, Washington, United States
Three 9 Lounge opened at the West Seattle Bowl on Oct. 28, 2021.
From Three 9 Lounge:
General Manager Jeff Swanson explained, "The space was doing ok as the High Strike lounge, and we were keeping that menu, but it was being under utilized, so we were talking and our friend Joe Jeannot, who is a restaurant consultant and ran the Beer Festival in years past suggested we should change to a tiki bar. After about a day or two of thinking about it we all said, 'Let's do it.!"
Swanson along with Beverage Manager Jimmy Gersen, plus Joe Chero and Joe Jeannot working with Mike of MR Construction developed the bamboo, grasses, and lighting design, "pretty much on the fly," said Swanson. The result is surprisingly cohesive and comfortable. But a tiki bar would be nothing without the right drinks. Gersen said they will have seven signature cocktails including, Mai-Tai, Zombie, Jungle Bird, Pain Killer, Hemingway Daiquiri, Between the Sheets, Planters Punch, shareable bowl drinks like the Volcano Bowl, and the Three 9 Grog. "These are all the classic Tiki cocktails with our little twists," said Gersen, The lead bartender at the Three 9 is Damon Leichman. "He worked with me at Salty's in the banquet department and I taught him, everything he knows in service to this point and now he's teaching me!"
They have a new chef just for the Three 9 named Kobi Maisel, who will be making Pork Sliders, Lumpia, Shrimp skewers, Beef Kabobs, Macaroni Salad, Edamame, all Polynesian and "fun tropical kind of stuff, like a Pu Pu Platter," said Swanson.
The Three 9 is so named because it's on 39th SW first, plus there are 39 boards in a bowling lane. and also because those are the happy hours (even though at first they won't open until 4pm). "This is something fun," said Swanson, "and utilize our space efficiently."
As the days move on, they keep adding additions, like the lit tiki torches on the roof, and have contracted with Munktiki to create personalized tiki mugs. So far, they've received great feedback!