Tiki Bars
Archipelago
Washington, District of Columbia, United States (Closed)
Archipelago opened in Washington, DC in February 2016. The bar's owners collected bits and bobs of Polynesian Pop in preparation for opening the bar, including a shrine to Magnum, PI. The focus was on cocktails, including both classics and modern inventions, but there was a small menu of food, as well. The decor included a painted mural with palm scenes, and some thatch and lauhala touches.
Archipelago closed its doors on 8/26/2023.
Akamai Barnes
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
In 1967, CBS paid for two television pilots based in Hawai'i. One was picked up, the other was not. One was Hawaii Five-O starring Jack Lord, the other was Kona Coast starring Richard Boone. I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but just in case: Hawaii Five-O was the one that went on to glory, while Kona Coast was destined to be completely unknown.
But Warner Bros, producer of Kona Coast, chose to recoup their costs by releasing Kona Coast as a film. It still is pretty darned obscure, it barely made a squeak when it came out in 1968. But -- and let's give thanks for this right now -- for some oddball reason, Warner Bros decided to release Kona Coast on a very bare-bones DVD. Now you can see this terrible, wonderful show/movie. It's full of fantastic '60s Hawaiian fashion, scenes of the gritty side of Waikiki, and scenes of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.
Which brings us to Akamai Barnes. Akamai Barnes was a tiki bar, named for a Donn Beach-type character in Kona Coast, that was one of the main sets for the show, and was right on the main drag of town. Richard Boone was not just the star of Kona Coast, he was a driving force behind the project. Since the hope was that this would get picked up as a series, Akamai Barnes was open and operated as a real bar. A US Navy sailor who visited Kailua-Kona in June 1967 on the USS Tiru reports an evening spent at the bar; Richard Boone and the cast of Kona Coast were there, along with actors Lee Marvin and Jonathan Winters (who were not in the film; Lee Marvin and Richard Boone owned a charter boat together in Kailua-Kona).
After the shoot was finished, it must have been operating for some months before word came that it wouldn't be needed for the series after all. Richard Boone continued to live in Hawai'i, and kept Akamai Barnes running. A June 1968 article in Playboy references Akamai Barnes, calling it "one of the liveliest bars in the Pacific." Per an interview with a musician of the era in Kailua-Kona, he performed at Akamai Barnes for around five years, starting when it first opened.
Looking at scenes from Kona Coast and comparing them to Alii Drive today, it appears that the spot that held Akamai Barnes is now a vacant lot.
Timexpo
Waterbury, Connecticut, United States (Closed)
Timexpo was a museum dedicated to the Timex company; one of the company's predecessors was the Waterbury Clock Company, founded in the town in 1854. The Timex company helped fund the expeditions of Thor Heyerdahl, and this museum housed exhibits dedicated to his work. A large moai statue stood outside the museum. The museum opened in 2001, but closed in 2015 due to low attendance.
The Golden Tiki
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
The Golden Tiki opened in Las Vegas' Chinatown on July 24, 2015. The man behind The Golden Tiki, Branden Powers, has been part of the nightclub scene in Las Vegas for some time now (he was Creative Director at the Hard Rock Hotel), but is himself a longtime lover of Tiki, having spent some of his youth DJing Exotica tunes at the Islands Restaurant in San Diego's Hanalei Hotel.
The Golden Tiki is in a large space, 4,000 square feet, and split into four different zones. The interior design and build out were done by Danny "Tiki Diablo" Gallardo. The bar has a thatched roof, and is topped by an animatronic talking tiki head, named Goldy, created by Erik "Irk" Hedman. A loveseat-sized artificial giant clam is popular for photos.
A flaming pu-pu platter is available on Friday and Saturday nights.
The greatest honor at The Golden Tiki is to have your head shrunken and enshrined in their glass case, wherein you can see many celebrities, Las Vegas personalities, and Tiki icons.
Aku Aku - Orlando
Orlando, Florida, United States
Aku Aku, owned by Todd Ulmer, opened at the beginning of 2014 and is a sister property of the downstairs mid-century-themed Stardust Lounge. Aku Aku's name is a nod to the relationship between Las Vegas' Stardust Casino and its Aku Aku. The Stardust Lounge began in 2008 and more recently abbreviated its name to "The Dust".
Aku Aku's back bar wall is one large shelving unit full of rectangular cubbies of varying dimensions, filled with little bits of Polynesian Pop decor. A large Moai overlooks the room from a corner. A small selection of classic tropical drinks are available, as well as a few originals, and also a mocktails selection.
The bar heavily touts its own original cocktail, the "Tiger Fucker", despite not listing it on its menu. Don’t let the fact that there’s no rum in this one dissuade you from trying it out. The combo of vodka and Aku Aku’s own homemade jalapeno blueberry syrup is not to be missed.
The Tiki Hideaway
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States (Closed)
The Tiki Hideaway was opened by owner Mike Barrea in December 2014 in the Myers Park neighborhood of Charlotte. The mid-century modern tinged space had a thatched overhang surrounding the bar, and a paneled relief back wall with stylized tapa designs and a Marquesan-esque face. Behind the bar was a towering Moai, housing the upper end of the bar's rum selection. The room was ringed with back-lit graphic tropical scenes. Orange vinyl seating contrasted nicely against the organic textures in the room. There was a small patio of outdoor seating.
The drink menu was a small, focused list of classic tropical cocktails, and there was a selection of higher-end sipping rums available. The food menu was in the form of small plate selections, and a few desserts.
After nearly a year in business, Tiki Hideaway closed in early November 2015.
Tiki Tolteca
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States (Closed)
When Tiki Tolteca opened in May 2013, it was the first tiki bar to operate in New Orleans in decades. It sat within a Mexican taqueria called Felipe's, and as such was a blend of Tiki and Latin American influences. They made their own syrups and used fresh juices, and incorporated south-of-the-border spirits like mezcal, pisco and cachaa beyond the expected rum. Food was available from Felipe's below.
The space blended exposed brick with bamboo and thatch, and there were many beachcomber lamps. Drinks were served in tiki mugs, or in the heavy, blue-rimmed glasses that are familiar in Mexican restaurants.
Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 is located right next door.
On September 27th, 2021, Tiki Tolteca announced their permanent closure... with the caveat that they might still host private events on occasion within the space.
Mai Tai Restaurant
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States (Closed)
Built in 1968.
Mai Tai Restaurant also went by the names Kahuna, and Knobby's Mai Tai -- the chronology is not clear. During the time it was Mai Tai, the name Kahuna Lounge seems to have been used for the bar area within the restaurant.
The restaurant is perhaps most notable as an excellent example of the sort of design theft that happened during the height of Polynesian restaurants: all of the graphics for the restaurant, including Mai Tai's logo tikis, menu design, even the lettering used for the Mai Tai logo, where lifted completely from the Tahitian.
The Mai Tai's building has a tall, peaked A-frame roof in front. The building still stands today (as of 2021) , and for a time housed a karate school, but is currently vacant.
Tangaroa Terrace
Anaheim, California, United States
Tangaroa Terrace is a casual dining restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel, with a name inspired by the Tahitian Terrace and Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland. It opened in May 2011. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is near the more elaborately-themed Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar. The offerings have island flavors, including a papaya slaw and a pineapple-teriyaki burger. Made-to-order meals are ordered via a video kiosk, and there are also some grab-and-go options. There are some tables indoors, but most of the seating is on an outdoor patio. Exotica and traditional Hawaiian tunes are played.
Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge opened in November 2010, and closed in September 2012. (Okole maluna is Hawaiian for "bottoms up"; the Hawaiian "cheers".) Owners Brice and Lisa Ginardi put the focus solidly on the quality of the cocktails, serving classic tiki recipes made with locally-sourced fresh ingredients. As any cocktail lover who has visited Hawaii can tell you, this was a huge boon, a respite from the over-sweet, over-chemical drinks found everywhere in the islands. Okolemaluna's menu had about twenty cocktails, a mix of historic tiki cocktails from the great Polynesian palaces, and some new creations. The menu also had a small selection of pupus.
If you finished the entire drink menu, you could join the Okolemaluna Mug Club: you got your own custom mug kept on a special shelf behind the bar.
Beyond the drinks, Okolemaluna also sought to set a historic tone with the environment. The music was a mix of vintage and modern Exotica, and the space was filled with bamboo and lauhala matting. There was a lava rock waterfall, and some decor from defunct tiki bars.
Mai Tai Lounge - Lahaina
Lahaina, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
This bar and restaurant overlooking the ocean opened in downtown Lahaina in 2008. The decor was light on tiki, but they did offer a custom tiki mug for sale in the traditional three-face bucket style.
Mai Tai Lounge closed in 2013, and the location became Koa's Seaside Grill, which then became Koa 156º, and then closed as well. As of 2022 this site appears to be hosting a Del Sol sunglasses and clothing store.
Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort
Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States
Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort began as the Wakulla Apartments, until the location was sold to the Mishler family in 1972 and converted to a motel. From then, until 2018 the site was known as the Wakulla Suites. The name was Native American, but the decor was Pop Polynesian. With 2018's extensive renovation and re-branding, the discrepancy is no longer a concern.
In addition to the previous tikis and tiki decor on the grounds, the Pop Polynesian theme has been further expanded with even more tiki decor and a lazy river in the pool area. There is now a poolside Tiki Bar for hotel guests only. The bar has two mugs for sale, a plastic tiki mug with the hotel name on the back and the other mug is a hollowed-out lidded coconut monkey.