Hawaii Moon opened in 1972 on Route 46, Lodi, New Jersey, 1 mile west of Teterboro Airport.

Owned by Wah Seid (last photo in front of painted exterior tiki logo mural).

Known for its 40 foot volcanic waterfall (which, judging by the photos was being measured length-wise), tropical drinks, and Hawaiian dance reviews.

This location lasted at least into the 1980s.

Opened in 1963.

This Polynesian-themed bar was part of Bill Wong's Restaurant, but all traces of its tiki history were erased during a 1998 remodel into "Billie's Bar," a bland, generic update.

Today this location is home to a vacant building (newly built around 2000) that is available for retail or restaurant lease as of 2021.

Hawaii Kai was the grand dame of New York Polynesian restaurants. The location, over the historic Winter Garden Theatre, already had a place in Polynesian Pop history: it was the location of Monte Proser's Beachcomber, a Don the Beachcomber rip-off, in the early '40s.

The dramatic space opened initially as a partnership between Monte Proser and Joe Kipness as Lanai in 1961, but by November of 1962 it had morphed into Hawaii Kai with Joe Kipness now partnered with Art Schindler, who had owned the nearby Luau 400.

The dramatic interiors were created by Frederick Fox, a scenic designer for Broadway productions. The entry was at street level, and had lush greenery, waterfalls and capuchin monkeys. After receiving a lei greeting, visitors ascended a rattan staircase to the upper level, with three rooms:

The Okole Maluna Bar (Bottoms Up Bar) had a diorama of Diamond Head at Waikiki that constantly shifted from daytime to nighttime.

Adjacent to the bar was The Lounge of the Seven Pleasures -- this room had entertainment nightly, playing until 3 a.m.

The main dining room was where the nightly luau and Polynesian revue was held, variably called Hula Wei, Place of Meeting, or The Island Huts of Oahu. The space was large, with a stage, and thatch-covered booth "huts" along the edge of the room.

Hawaii Kai had a flair for flowery naming: beyond the colorful names for the rooms and of course the drinks, they were always coming up with new exotic-sounding titles for special giveaway items. The competition for tourist dollars was likely steep in Times Square, and in order to keep up there was a steady stream of creative bonus items one could acquire: A tiki teapot set titled "Ipo Aloha Lovers Tea Set", a skull mug titled "Goddess of Love", even a simple standard bucket mug became a "Royal Ali'i Goblet". Tiki lighters, lanterns, salt and pepper shakers, and of course good old tiki mugs: they couldn't give them away fast enough. Today the items are heavily collected, and often can be found still in the box they were sent home in.

Hawaii Kai's popularity waned, but it held on through the 1980s, and through the damage of a fire. It made appearances in a couple of Hollywood films (most famously a scene from Goodfellas takes place here). Hawaii Kai finally closed sometime during or shortly after 1989.

*NOTE: Cocktail menus below show that earlier drinkware included Spurlin/Beauce designed bowls and unmarked glassware but they later converted to Otagiri designed ceramic ware and marked glassware.

Opened in 1969.

Hawaii West is a pool bar in San Francisco's busy North Beach neighborhood, with a couple of tikis.

Their cocktail menu only lists 4 cocktails.

Opened around 1975.

Hawaii Fountain was a Chinese/Polynesian restaurant with the typical New England-style painted tikis. It served tropical drinks in tiki mugs and served the classic "Polynesian" dishes, including a Pupu Platter.

In mid-2006 the restaurant's interior was gutted, and reopened as the non-Polynesian You You.

Despite this, they decided to leave the exterior standing tiki and a couple of side-support tikis in front. The tikis now share space with a couple of Foo Lion additions, but they are still there as of 2021.

And while the interior may have been redesigned entirely, You You has a number of tiki cocktails on their bar menu, still served by the same bartenders that worked for the previous owners, and they serve them in tiki mugs, so you can still sample a bit of that Hawaii Fountain magic after all.

This location has a unique circular structure that reminds many of the Don the Beachcomber "Flying Saucer" locations (such as in Dallas and Marina del Rey).

From Hawaii Cinco Cero:

"A bridge over a stream and a breathtaking waterfall are the elements at our main entrance that’ll take you to an exotic and sophisticated facsimile of the Hawaiian Islands. Founded in 1982, Hawaii Five-O restaurant opens its doors to offer the most exquisite tastes to those demanding palates, with its delicious and varied dishes.

Our world-class menu will invite you to try the best dishes and wine for the most demanding connoisseur, with five chefs and six different cuisines and styles including: seafood, grill, Japanese, Chinese, regional (Mexican) and contemporary fusion. Offering a wide variety of lobster preparation and our famous dish ‘Paradise Shrimp’, cuts of flank steak, and the traditional Rib-Eye Five-O (Certified Angus Beef), or a dish of our famous oriental cuisine such as sushi or teppanyaki, or our delicious seafood tacos and our famous Mexican entries.

A combination of raw materials, such as bamboo, palms, and crystal, create a scene, complemented with vegetation and exotic flowers that invite you to a gastronomic paradise. A combination of objects, traditional utensils, masks, and crafts dress the restaurant’s walls to give you a taste of the Hawaiian paradise islands. Atmosphere, color, culture and high cuisine, make Hawaii Five O create a unique place in Monterrey.

We also have a different option for our guests located on the lower level of our facilities, an extension called Aloha Sushi Bar & Lounge."

Hawaiian Paradise was a pre-tiki venue that opened at 7566 Melrose Avenue on April 7, 1937. The owners were Bill Calhoun, George Mason and Lorena “Rena” Rogers. Rogers was an ex-actress and, from 1916 to 1941, wife of actor-turned-director Frank Borzage. After giving up acting, Rena took many trips to Hawaii, and back in Hollywood would throw huge Polynesian-themed parties with singers and hula dancers to entertain.

The restaurant served both Continental and "Island" cuisine. As of 1937, they also boasted a new all-glass roof for "year round starlight dancing".

Hawaiian Paradise celebrated its 1-year anniversary on April 7, 1938. Later that year, Mason was out; Rena and Bill Calhoun remained owners. By 1939 Calhoun alone was the face of Hawaiian Paradise, now known as “Hawaiian Paradise Isle.” In February 1940, it became the Hawaiian Paradise Ballroom, a last gasp of the tropical theme.

Later that year, 7566 Melrose became the latest outlet of “Club 41” fronted by George Distel, and was closed by the courts for multiple violations of State liquor laws. In 1947 the building was remodeled as the Horton Dance Theater.

This location has been home to many businesses over the years.

The Drake Theatre was opened here on March 26, 1970, initially screening straight adult movies, it went over to gay male adult movies in around 1975/1976.

In 1977 the Drake Theatre was listed in the Bob Damron Address Book as operating as a gay male adult theatre. It was later known as the Aladdin Theatre, operating into the 1980’s.

After closing it became an adult bookstore & video store, which closed in early-2008.

Most recently, this spot was home to "Orange Bone" a dog salon and boutique store, which closed in 2023.

Built in 1955.

This location has 40 units and is 2 stories. It closed in 2009 and was Beachwalk Student Suites Apartments for a time. As of 2020, the property was purchased and renamed Pagoda, matching the other hotels in this mini hotel chain that is expanding to have a location on each island.

This Honolulu location and the nearby Breakers Hotel are possibly the last of the 1950s era smaller hotels remaining in Waikiki. The Hawaiiana was a little less well-maintained over the years, but it has tikis throughout the grounds and is definitely worth a look. The Hapu'u fern tikis are especially fragile but appear to have survived.

*1958 tri-fold brochure map background shows original layout.

Hawaiian Gardens Resort was a large complex on the shores of Oahu Lake in Holly, Michigan. It was created by Fred and Jane Barton, who were inspired by their travels to Hawaii and New Zealand. Both Hawaiian and Maori imagery were used throughout the resort.

The resort had some dramatic and very modern shapes, including a geodesic dome and irregular angles, plus some A-frame structures. The entrance featured a stylized outrigger canoe full of rowers, and several Barney West-style moais on top. The architect was James H. Livingston Associates.

Aside from hotel rooms, the complex had several restaurants and lounges. The Huki Lau Restaurant "tried to capture the true effect of Polynesia," per the restaurant's menu. The Polynesian Longhouse had full table service and advertised "individually cooked" meals. The Kahili Room served buffet-style food inside the geodesic dome and was available for private rentals. Waitoma Grotto Lounge had rock walls, and "glow worms" in the ceiling, inspired by a visit to an actual glow worm infested grotto cave in New Zealand. The Banyan Court had lots of tropical plants, and windows overlooking Lake Oahu. The Banyan Court itself contained three sub-rooms: the Tahitian Room, Samoan Room, and Hawaiian Room, plus the Monu Chief House, with a 50-foot high skylight.

At some point the resort closed, and the buildings were used as a rehab facility. The buildings were bulldozed sometime in the mid-2000s.

There is a "Hawaiian Gardens" mobile home park on the other side of Lake Oahu, with Hawaiian street names. It is unclear what relationship existed, if any, with the former resort.

This venue was opened in 1970 with the Ala Moana Hotel and was one of the Spencecliff family of restaurants.

It was painstakingly modeled to resemble a Maori meeting hall on the inside and was covered with all manner of carvings.

Spencecliff later passed this restaurant on to his former employee, Gordon Yoshida, who continued to run it until February of 2009.

In its time, it was run as a dinner theater and home to a number of full Hawaiian Revue dance teams throughout the years.

After its close, the contents were auctioned off or demolished and disposed of. Some of the better carvings found their way into the hands of collectors and a few are on display at La Mariana Sailing Club.

Open under this name from about 1967-1975.

This restaurant had a lounge area with large bandstand for live entertainment. It was decorated with tikis, thatching over the bar, and served tropical cocktails. There were also motel rooms in back.

Wing Gwong Chin (1937-2018) started his long career in the restaurant business working at Trader Vics as a bartender, then later as a chef and bartender at other restaurants. He had a dream to own a restaurant so he learned the business and eventually partnered with his cousin Wing Foo Chin and others to open this location which was first named the Ye Cocke and Kettle Restaurant and Motor Inn. From the late 1960’s to 1980’s, the business changed names to Hawaiian Garden and then to the South Sea Restaurant and Motel.

In 1975 there was a big murder case revolving around one of Wing Chin's partners in a new restaurant start-up they were putting together in Marietta, Georgia. Wing Chin was President in the new partnership and his Vice President, a boyhood friend of his named John Oi, was killed by a third member of their partnership, named Armand Therrien (the Treasurer and only occidental involved -- an ex police officer who worked as the Hawaiian Garden's security and general handyman). Armand was judged to have shot John Oi and it was speculated in the trial that he did so because John Oi's death would have resulted in a $200,000 insurance payout to the partnership which would have surely helped the business and indirectly helped Therrien who wanted a higher salary and a greater role in the business. This indirect motive seems barely enough to warrant a murder, but a jury found it enough to convict Armand along with supporting evidence (gun, handcuffs, and shells). Speculation was that there were deeper motives involving gambling and the mob, but the specifics were never proven.

Shortly after this murder, the Hawaiian Garden underwent a name change to "South Sea Restaurant and Motel" and Wing Chin moved to Texas where he lived out the remainder of his life.

Hawaiian Punch Village was an area tucked into the back of SeaWorld in San Diego — SeaWorld used to have lots of Polynesian theming, but it’s sadly gone now. (One of SeaWorld’s creators, George Millay, also owned The Reef, a Polynesian restaurant in Long Beach.)

SeaWorld San Diego opened in 1964 and the Village appears to have been original to the park. It was gone by the end of the 80s, however.

Hawaiian Punch Village featured Punchy's animatronic band and a Hawaiian Punch Restaurant where you could order a Hawaiian Rum Cooler if you were an adult.

Apparently there were other similar Hawaiian Punch Villages located in the SeaWorlds at Aurora, OH and Orlando, FL as well.