Tiki Bars
Archie McPhee's
Seattle, Washington, United States
Most people are acquainted with Archie McPhee's through their line of bizarre and inexpensive novelties, Accoutrements. The Accoutrements stuff, including the basic but useful tiki items they produce, are amusing and interesting, but at the store you'll see a whole lot more. The old catalogs featured odd items, mainly surplus items purchased from lord-knows-where, and were printed in black & white newsprint, with halftone photos, and descriptions that made you wonder why, oh why, you've been able to live this long without a ceramic glove mold or an alarm clock that shouts BEEBOH! At the online store, the Accoutrements items have pretty much taken over, but at the actual, real-life store, the old Archie McPhee's is alive, with row after row and bin after bin of fantastic items. It's a must-visit if you're in the Seattle area. It's also right nextdoor to a liquor store.
Trader Vic's - Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona, United States (Closed)
This location opened in 1962 and closed in 1990.
It was well-known for, among other things, the large Barney West Bird Man carving in front. This carving was auctioned off after the close, donated by the new lease-holder of the building, Eric Denk, to the Scottsdale Junior Arts Forum as a fundraiser for their annual masked ball.
Eric re-named the location "Eric's Tradewinds", in an attempt to continue the Polynesian theme, but his effort was short-lived. Remaining interior decor was reportedly given to the Scottsdale Conference Resort for luaus.
Since 2011 and as of 2025, this location is home to Citizen Public House, an upscale gastropub.
Hawaiian Gardens - San Jose
San Jose, California, United States (Closed)
Originally, this location was named Lo Curto's Gardens in 1933.
It was renamed Lo Curto's Hawaiian Gardens in 1938 and remained so until 1966, so it spanned both the pre-Tiki and Golden Tiki Eras.
The last incarnation was Italian Gardens, a banquet hall specializing in weddings and Lockheed Christmas parties.
Today it is Italian Gardens Family and Italian Gardens Senior, two government housing projects.
Tiki Bob's
San Francisco, California, United States (Closed)
Tiki Bob's opened in 1955, when Bob Bryant left the San Francisco Trader Vic's where he'd worked as a bar manager to open his own restaurant. The very stylized tiki logo for Tiki Bob's was created by Alec Yuill-Thornton, and its appeal endures today.
Closed in 1983.
While Tiki Bob's space has been through many, many reincarnations, the Tiki Bob's logo tiki still stands guard at the corner of Post & Taylor, giving a friendly smile to all who pass. The space is currently occupied by Honey Honey Cafe & Crepery.
Strangely, the Tiki Bob logo tiki is not the most famous totemic icon on this corner -- that honor belongs to the image of an owl which is the icon for the Bohemian Club across the street as well as the Owl Tree bar on the other side of the street. The Bohemian Club spends their summers at the Bohemian Grove where there is a 40' owl made of stone (or concrete). Nothing that huge here, but there is an owl plaque outside the club and the Owl Tree bar has several owls on its exterior as well.
A second location, Tiki Bob's Mainland Rendezvous, was on Bush near Kearny, where Pagan Idol stands today. Bob Bryant also managed the Tahitian Lanai and Papeete Bar in the Waikikian hotel in Waikiki when it opened in late 1956.
Bamboo Hut - San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
When Bamboo Hut opened in 1999, it was at the very front of the wave of modern bars inspired by the resurgence in interest in Polynesian Pop. It's more of a nightclub than a bar, with DJed music setting the soundtrack, but it's full of spot-on details. There is lots of bamboo and thatch, pufferfish lamps and glass floats, and an outrigger canoe hung from the ceiling. The lighting is appropriately dim and moody.
Drinks are served in tiki mugs and bowls, but were on the sickly-sweet side until rather recently -- until after a year long closure, and now the cocktails have been updated as of 2019 with several new ones on the menu.
Dozens of bras hung over the bar where they had been tacked up due to the house rule that women who wear them may not dance on the dance floor -- but looking at recent photos, the bras are nowhere in sight, so this may have been phased out after the latest round of updates...
Near the entrance is a dramatic waterfall feature, topped by a massive tiki head. The tiki started life as a road sign for the Coral Reef Restaurant in Sacramento, and the Bamboo Hut website says it dates from 1947.
Trad'r Sam
San Francisco, California, United States
Trad'r Sam is the oldest, longest-operating tiki bar in the world. Trad'r Sam opened in 1937, and was originally owned by Sam Baylon. This small and very old bar started as pre-tiki, and is an extremely rare example of the bamboo bars that were in some cities in the '30s.
Back in the day there were huge bunches of bananas hanging from the ceiling and the bartenders were dressed in pith helmets and safari clothing.
Today, there are still tropical drinks available, but this bar is now more of a loveable dive than anything.
It had closed for a very short time and re-opened in November 2023 after a makeover that refreshed the floor, walls, and seating. Much of the rattan and the bamboo is still intact, but a series of seating areas around the perimeter of the bar which were named after islands, and framed in rattan, had fallen into disrepair and have been removed -- replaced with newer tables and rattan chairs.
The biggest feature, the bar itself -- a large, rattan encrusted horseshoe-shaped structure -- still remains. They have also added a few small inexpensive tikis throughout.
While in the area, cocktail enthusiasts shouldn't miss the world famous tequila destination bar across the street just a block and a half away, Tommy's Mexican Restaurant.
Trader Vic's - San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States (Closed)
Open from 1951 to 1994.
Cosmo Place is actually an alley. The unusual location didn't stop the San Francisco Trader Vic's from becoming a powerful center for city nightlife. In fact, in 1983, Queen Elizabeth II had her very first experience eating out at a restaurant here. (She had a Tanqueray gin martini.) This Trader Vic's location closed in 1994, and the space then hosted a popular French Vietnamese restaurant, Le Colonial, for 26 years, before closing in 2024. As of 2025, the location is in development...
Trader Mort's Liquor & Deli
San Diego, California, United States
Trader Mort's is a liquor store, in operation since 1964 when it was opened by Lance "Mort" Morton. It serves as a sort of gateway to tiki-heavy Shelter Island, where you can also find Humphrey's Half Moon Inn and Bali Hai Restaurant. This is a small liquor store, and the selection isn't fantastic, but its vintage feel makes it charming nonetheless. An iconic tiki outside at the corner was carved by Eli Hedley. The upstairs wine area is easy to miss, but features a few more tiki artifacts. The store has had their own tiki mugs for sale off and on over the years.
Coral Reef - Sacramento
Sacramento, California, United States (Closed)
Coral Reef was owned by Buddy and Roberta Maleville in 1949. It had seven "enchanting" dining rooms, one of them being the Outrigger Room; the restaurant could accommodate groups of up to 150. This was the restaurant for the nextdoor Maleville's Coral Reef Lodge. Coral Reef was a Polynesian restaurant landmark for Sacramento, operating for decades until it closed in 1994 and was later demolished.
Before opening this location, the Malevilles also opened a Coral Reef location in Millbrae that only lasted until 1953.
A massive tiki from the sign for the Coral Reef today resides at Bamboo Hut in San Francisco.
Trader Vic's - at the Benson Hotel - Portland
Portland, Oregon, United States (Closed)
This classic Trader Vic's location operated in the Benson Hotel for many years: from 1959 until 1996. The location is now a steakhouse named El Gaucho.
Trader Vic's returned to Portland with a new Pearl District location, which opened in June 2011 and closed in March 2016.
Trader Nick's Restaurant
Pismo Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Opened around 1972.
Until 1999 when it closed, this restaurant was part of the adjacent Kon Tiki Inn.
The Inn was then home to a seafood restaurant called Steamers from 2000 to 2016. From 2017 to 2020, this location was home to a restaurant called Flagship, which appears to have been unable to withstand Covid closures. Flagship was replaced by Vista Steak and Seafood (current as of 2024).
Trader Vic's - Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California, United States (Closed)
When the Palo Alto Trader Vic's opened in 2001, it was the first new Trader Vic's in the U.S. in 28 years. It was a bit of a departure from the core Trader Vic's concept -- rather than a moody, mysterious interior chock-full of items from the four corners of the globe, the look was bright, airy and relatively streamlined. The U.S. Trader Vic's that have opened since have returned to a more rich, elegant feeling, but are still relatively sparse compared to the Trader Vic's of old.
The Palo Alto Trader Vic's housed a rather large collection of stunning Papua New Guinea art, courtesy of the franchise owner (who also owns the neighboring Dinah's Court hotel).
The Palo Alto Trader Vic's location closed in August 2012.