Tiki Bars
Wusong Road
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
This restaurant took over the space previously occupied by Les Sablons and has been slowly rolling open since late December 2021, starting with the upstairs tiki bar. The downstairs section, which is focusing on affordable Hong Kong deli-style rice plates to start, debuted February 1, 2022 in time to ring in the Lunar New Year.
From the Wusong Road Website:
"Hidden away in the historic 100 year old Conductors Building on the outskirts of Harvard Square. Wusong Road is named after the first Conductors building located in Wusong China. Located in the outskirts of Harvard Square, Wusong Road tells the culinary love story about classical Asian American cuisine and tropical Tiki escapism that was central to Cambridge Massachusetts. With food crafted by Chef owner Jason Doo, guest experience by owner Kaila Fong and our beverage program by Justin Crooks and Charlie 'Rocco' Napoli, we hope you will join us for an escape from the hustle and bustle of Cambridge city life.
The team behind Wusong Road (Jason Doo, Thomas Brush, Kaila Fong, and Charlie Napoli) renovated the abandoned conductors building during the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020. The conductors building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 1988.
The team behind Wusong Road with the help of architects Analogue Studio, master craftsman Thomas Morgan (Morgan Construction) and Frank Simotics (Tiki Rancher) beautifully converted the once French Restaurant interior and converted the second story into a tropical Tiki escape."
Flamingo's Tiki Bar
Cairns City, Queensland, Australia
Opened December 1st, 2018.
Flamingo's Tiki Bar operates from the basement at the Pacific Hotel (below Bushfire Flame Grill) on the Esplanade in the long-vacant site of a former bottleshop. It is a very small bar with only a 35 person capacity. Billing themselves as a "modern interpretation of tiki", this bar is brightly lit with tropical prints, palm trees, bamboo, hula girls wallpaper, and neon signs. It has more of a Miami feel than a dark and traditional Trader Vics vibe. They do have a serious rum collection (over 150 labels), but a light-hearted approach to serving their cocktails. They serve some drinks in tiki mugs but others are served in glassware with miniature pool blow-up flamingo coasters/huggies.
Dug's West Indies
Carson City, Nevada, United States (Closed)
This location was opened by Captain Dug Picking in the 1960s. A former Merchant Marine, Captain Dug found himself landlocked in Carson City and established a tiki bar serving Polynesian food and tropical drinks.
The restaurant was decorated with tikis and sailing paraphernalia: fishing nets, ropes, anchors, nautical flags, seashells. It boasted a “Shark-Infested Men’s Room.”
The following is from a former employee and was posted on Tiki Central:
"Dug would address all adult males as, 'Governor'.
He loved telling stories to the clientele, and I remember them bellying-up to the bar just to hear a good story. I never heard him repeat one. He did have a little fun with the tipsy, 'know-it-all' clientele: he kept a bridge compass near the middle of the bar area and a nautical map behind the counter. He would bait and bet the uninitiated by telling him that Carson City was farther West than Los Angeles. (He explained to me later that, since Los Angeles is actually on the Pacific and Carson City is east of the Sierras, we create a spatial error. After a few flabbergasting moments, out would come that map and the incredulous client would have to buy rounds.
He said that he and Victor Bergeron went 'way back,' and told ever-growing, ever more embellished stories of their years of carousing and drinking their way around the Pacific Rim, and how he got the best of Victor sometimes and sometimes not.
I got to watch Dug earning his fame with his 'Blue Mai Tai,' from-scratch Pina Coladas, grogs and flourish drinks (he cheerfully did five and seven-layered Pousse cafes on-demand.) He didn’t water-down or scrimp on anything for the guests. Nothing in the place was inexpensive, and, conversely, nothing was cheap. …except for the endless tape loop of Hawaiian music that he had wafting through the place every night."
Starting in 1974, Dug also created a series of liquor decanters themed after Nevada brothels. These decanters have turned out to be very popular with collectors. At least a couple of the decanters focused on Dug's West Indies for the first two years (a clipper ship design the first year in '74 and a sailboat with man and woman the second year in '75).
This location was sold by Dug in the late 70s or early 80s because of financial problems brought about because of his investment in another location that failed -- the Windjammer.
Dug's West Indies persevered for a time as just "The West Indies" but it eventually closed. Today the site is home to a Burger King fast food restaurant.
Lanai Room - La Playa Hotel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States (Closed)
The La Playa Hotel started out as a stone mansion in 1905 and was later turned into a 20-room hotel in the 1920s.
It was rebuilt and added to several times, first in 1925, and most significantly in 1940, when designer Jon Konigshofer did a major Spanish Revival-style remodel and expanded it to 80 rooms with a terrace dining room overlooking Carmel Bay.
In 1952, the hotel obtained its liquor license and Konigshofer designed the Lanai Room cocktail lounge.
It is unclear when the Lanai Room was closed and there have been several changes in ownership since.
Surf N Shack
Capitola, California, United States (Closed)
Opened around 2007.
Surf N Shack mostly specialized in surf and skate apparel, but they also had a good selection of tiki mugs from Tiki Farm.
In 2009, Surf N Shack's owner, Ray Apolskis, donated a tiki carved by local carver Jason Rimmer to replace one that had been stolen from nearby Capitola Beach.
Closed around November 2020.
Mt. Fuji Inn and Mai Tai Lounge
Omaha, Nebraska, United States (Closed)
California native and self-taught cook Tsutomu “Jack” Kaya moved to Omaha after war’s end, and in 1947 opened his first restaurant, the Grass Shack Cafe. In 1965, Jack and wife Alice opened the Mt Fuji Inn, Omaha's first Japanese restaurant; the cuisine on offer spanning from Japanese to Cantonese to American.
After the loss of the restaurant by fire in 1969, the Mt Fuji Inn re-opened in a new, larger location that afforded the addition of a dedicated cocktail bar on the lower level. While the main restaurant was a pretty standard affair, the Mai Tai Lounge was a dimly lit drinkery decorated with port holes, black velvet paintings, fish tanks, bamboo over the bar and Orchids of Hawaii beachcomber lamps. There were a few other tiki touches including tiki door pulls and a tall tiki pole at the entrance.
The Mai Tai Lounge boasted a menu of “25 Original Polynesian Cocktails,” including their own spin on classics such as the Zombie, Fogcutter and its namesake Mai Tai, served in customized Mt. Fuji Inn Moai tiki mugs. Throughout the 1970s, occasional live music by such acts as “Big Al” Kaulia and The Kanakas played the “sounds of the islands.”
A family business to the end, the Mt Fuji Inn and Mai Tai Lounge closed in October 2017.
Clipper Room and Porthole Lounge
Cadillac, Michigan, United States (Closed)
Built in 1961.
The Clipper Room and Porthole Lounge was part of the Cadillac Sands Resort (a 55-Room Hotel). In its first incarnation, this was the Aku Aku. The restaurant made the switch to a new name and more nautical theme in the 1970s, but the resort underwent a major renovation circa 2019.
Cocomo Joe's
Cave Creek, Arizona, United States (Closed)
Opened 2001.
This restaurant and bar was located in a shopping complex in a suburb well north of Phoenix. It had a more Caribbean than Polynesian feel, although there were some tikis outside. It's not as if this was false advertising, though... the place was called "Cocomo Joe's," after all.
In January 2003, there was a one-man cheesy synth & guitar band playing Jimmy Buffett tunes. There were also TVs showing sports installed throughout the joint. However, the drinks were tasty, and while they didn't serve drinks in tiki mugs, there was a stack of volcano bowls at the bar.
Cocomo Joe's closed in April 2014, and as of 2021 is now the Creek Patio Grill.
Prosperity Bar
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Opened in February of 2024 in Calgary's Chinatown by Nhi Tran and Tanner Ennis.
This is the same team behind Paper Lantern (a Chinatown speakeasy opened mid 2020).
While Paper Lantern is considered a "Tropical Bar", Prosperity is "Full Tiki" although they state that they have tried to avoid pitfalls of over-sexualization and cultural exploitation that many point to as disturbing elements of the Tiki Aesthetic. Basically, this seems to mean they have stayed clear of actual tiki carvings or artwork depicting sexy hula girls, but most other expected tiki elements are fair game.
The new spot is on the site of the Golden Inn, which closed its doors in 2022.
The main area is lined with bamboo walls and large roomy green curved booths.
Swag lamps line the perimeter, and continue into the bar area, along with thatching and other natural materials to complete the island look.
The tiki cocktail menu is relatively short, but profiles many classic standards that Tiki fans are sure to love.
Tiki Tomb
Cape Town, South Africa (Closed)
Tiki Tomb opened in Cape Town, South Africa on October 6th, 2023.
It was next to and shared space with Boma on Bree (bar & restaurant), in their basement, through a carved tiki face door on street level.
The bar was designed by Fabricant Design Studio.
It had a large open space for dancing with a long bar and DJ booth on one side and booth and table seating around the opposite perimeter which was decorated with tons of carved masks that looked to have been greatly inspired by Bosko's work at False Idol in San Diego.
Closed March 29th, 2025.
999 Tiki Bar & 999 Pizza
Camarillo, California, United States
Located at what used to be Bandits’ Grill & Bar. Opened May 6th, 2025 by Pizza Man Dan with the concept that all food and drink will be $9.99.
To accomplish this, the cocktail menu is limited to 9 choices, and all drinks are pre-batched.
Build-out of bar was done by Bamboo Ben.
Notable features include hidden Easter Eggs with a pizza theme worked into the tiki art and design elements. There is also a huge wall-sized "Vision Screen" television that plays surf footage or other videos.
999 Tiki Bar is located 2 blocks east of House of Bamboo, a more traditional and immersive Tiki Bar. House of Bamboo had setbacks during the construction phase (and did not open until February 2026) and even though the project was started earlier, 999 Tiki Bar was a relatively easier build-out and seized the title of "Camarillo's First Tiki Bar". Still, there seems to be room for both concepts as 999 Tiki Bar caters to a family crowd and House of Bamboo aims for an adult audience looking for an immersive adventure. What is clear is that Camarillo has very quickly become a clear tiki destination!
House of Bamboo
Camarillo, California, United States
Soft opening was on February 7th, 2026.
Official general opening was February 11th, 2026.
Owned by Jamie McBride.
This tiki bar is a labor of love, named after the 1958 song by Andy Williams. The lyrics go "It's a made of sticks, Sticks and bricks, But you can get your kicks, In the house of bamboo." However, this build-out took far more than just sticks and bricks. They couldn’t start until after city and county approvals, removing the concrete floor to run gas, water, electrical, drains, framing of walls, HVAC, wiring for sound and special effects, pouring a new concrete floor, purchasing new bar and kitchen equipment and more. Because they added on to the back of the building, they were required to install a fire sprinkler system.
Many hands have had a part in its development, including Ron Ferrell who came onto the project early-on to give guidance, Darrell Clark the bar manager, Notch Gonzalez who led the final build-out, and Kirby Fleming who added many signature touches like tiki sconces and table lamps.
The final result is a bar that is over-the-top in all the best ways possible and that also honors history -- especially the Old Trade Winds bar in Oxnard that ran during the 60s and was operated by Martin "Bud" Smith. Lots of details and a few original pieces came straight from this early precursor.
The building itself was a perfect choice with its iconic mid-century zig zag roof (often termed a "folded plate" or "accordion" roof). Colored fish float lamps accentuate this roofline and large Marquesan Tikis by the legendary Tiki Diablo (passed away in 2026) flank the front entrance. Black lava rock trims the front entrance and wraps around the base of the building.
Beyond the exterior and the front entrance is like entering another realm entirely...
For those who have seen Notch's other finished bars (like The Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach, Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, or Max's South Seas in Grand Rapids) they will recognize and appreciate the detail of his craftsmanship which executes the concept of classic tiki bar design perfectly. The interior has more lauhala matting and thatching than you can shake a stick at, along with routered and carved trims and panels to complete tha "native hut" look. In the seating area, more carved tikis guard each of the booths which also have Chinese jade tile screen dividers. And, the bar itself is lit by old fashioned Orchids of Hawaii style shell swag lamps and stocked with a plethora of rums.
But this is only the beginning. Animatronic bamboo spikes with impaled skulls menace customers and immersive sound effects lend an air of danger and mystery -- making patrons feel like they have entered an Indiana Jones adventure, rather than just stopping to get a quick drink...
And, if you are in the area for the day and want to check out all the tiki sights, two blocks away is 999 Tiki Bar. House of Bamboo had setbacks during the construction phase (see the city and county approvals listed above) and even though Jamie McBride's project was started much earlier, 999 Tiki Bar was a relatively easier build-out and seized the title of "Camarillo's First Tiki Bar". There seems to be room for both concepts as 999 Tiki Bar caters to a family crowd looking for quick drinks and pizza and House of Bamboo is a much larger traditional tiki bar aiming for an adult audience who is looking for a more immersive experience. What is clear is that Camarillo has become, very quickly, a major tiki destination!