The Castaways resort complex was in the Sunny Isles part of North Miami Beach, just a short distance from another hotel/restaurant/bar complex, Hawaiian Isle. It was advertised as being at "the ocean at 163rd," in reality it was on the inland side of a thin land strip, and was just south of 163rd, occupying a small jetty of land. It opened in 1958, and closed in 1981. Demolished in 1984.

The Castaways had just over 300 guest rooms in a series of buildings with Asian-Polynesian peaked roof details. The main attraction was a dramatic structure designed by Charles Foster McKirahana square glass building with a pointed, A-frame roof at each corner. The building was up on stilts, and each of the four corners held a different establishment: the Wreck Bar (where you could watch swimmers behind giant glass portholes located behind the bar), the Tahitian Cocktail Lounge (featuring mixologist "Stanley the Entertainer" best known for balancing multiple trays of glasses on his head), the Shinto Temple Room, and possibly a coffee shop or indoor swimming pool. Many people have shared memories of a talking parrot in the dining room with sometimes salty language. The Beatles reportedly stayed at The Castaways, and an ad in the 1969 AAA travel guide promoted nude sunbathing on site.

The jetty of land that used to hold The Castaways is now the site of two tall condominium towers.

*NOTE: This Wreck Bar location is not to be confused with the other still-standing Wreck Bar located at the newly renovated B Ocean resort hotel (originally known as the Yankee Clipper) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Castaway was a nautically themed restaurant overlooking the San Francisco Bay from Coyote Point Recreation Area. While not strictly tiki, it had many tropical and flotsam-and-jetsam elements, like float lamps, netting and monkeypod tabletops.

The Castaway closed in 1997 for major repairs, but the repairs never happened. After standing in increasing disrepair for over a decade, the building was bulldozed in February 2008.

This location had a sister restaurant at 66 Jack London Square in Oakland, California.

This tiki bar in South London's Clapham Junction, with decor by Cheekytiki, opened in 2007. It has an impressive amount of decor, including an A-frame style entrance, plenty of tiki carvings, a cave-like area, ceilings covered in netting and glass fish floats, and a series of individual huts with booths for patrons.

The Castaways restaurant, which was part of the Castaways Inns & Suites, opened in 1971. It retained its original tiki decor until it closed in early 2013. A large tiki pole from the Castaways could be seen at Liki Tiki in nearby Colorado Springs until its close in 2019.

The Tropic Cafe (1935-1946), arguably San Diego’s first pre-tiki nightclub, was helmed by ‘Skipper’ John S. Ewing, and originally opened at 11th & Market. Ewing opened The Tropic Cafe to serve the large transient military population of San Diego. Business was so good, two years after opening he moved to a larger space in the old Gates Hotel building (1894), just across Third Avenue from the U.S. Grant Hotel Coffee Shop.

In 1939 he opened the Tropic Village room, with moonlit dining and dancing amidst a grove of faux coco palms, and music by Stone’s Hawaiians. A freighter-shaped bar — the S.S. Tropic — served tropical rum drinks. Design and murals were by local artist Russell Dale Moffett (Mexican Village murals).

Eventually, Ewing sold The Tropic Cafe to ‘well-connected’ Sicilians establishing themselves in Sailor’s Row. In 1946, The Tropic Cafe was re-opened as The Hula Hut by Frank and Liberante ‘Leo’ Matranga. Next door, brothers Joe and Gaspare Matranga opened the Cuckoo Club, and then the Aloha Club.

The Bamboo Cabana Room, a.k.a. the Bamboo Room, was located in Hotel Windermere.

Hotel Windermere opened in 1909. It was owned and operated by businesswoman Rosamonde Borde. Her son, Harry J. Borde opened the Georgian Hotel, located next door at 1415 Ocean Avenue, in 1933.

The Bamboo Room was around until at least 1955, when the hotel was remodeled by John Lindsay.

The hotel was demolished in January 1962.

The Castaways opened in Kansas City right about 1959, just a block from the Kona Kai. Like the rest of Kansas City, there's a great musical history here: the members of what would become The Byrds met here, and a number of great jazz musicians played here over the years, including drummer Tommy Ruskin.

The location is now a parking lot.

Opened June 13th, 2024 with a soft opening.

Originally named "The Paraquet", they quickly changed their name to "Leyton Calling".

Owned by Danny Saunders.

The interior makes good use of rattan and wicker and other natural materials. The furniture is rattan, the ceiling is a suspended roll of thin rattan, and walls and bar top make use of bamboo and similar materials. Rattan pendant lights hang over the bar. Plants and greenery throughout give an island/jungle vibe.

There are also some nautical elements with a diving helmet on the end of the bar and fish net hanging from the ceiling as well.

A lack of tiki carvings and artwork is disappointing, following the "modern trend" away from the layered and immersive classic tiki palaces originating with Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber.

However, tropical cocktails are served in tiki mugs and tiki glassware and their menu features standards as well as interesting originals which have gotten great reviews so far...

Opened @ February 2018.

This bar and restaurant has a large A-frame shaped roof with grassy thatching. One side is taken up with a long bar whose backbar is formed by boat-shaped shelves. The other side of the room has a large tiki mural with some Aztec/Mayan influence. This mural often serves as a backdrop to their live music performances. Movable tables and chairs fill the space between.

Tiki decor is a bit sparse and there is a dearth of actual carved tikis. However, they have a strong cocktail menu with both classics and signature drinks -- all served in tiki mugs.

Open @1960-1972.

Created by Melvin Berry.

This establishment overlooked "Millionaires Row," a panorama of expensive yachts along the Providence waterfront, and featured Castaway Village where (the menu promised) your dreams of "white beaches and dusky hula maidens, tantalizing foods and exotic drinks" could come true.

The centerpiece restaurant was the maritime-themed Copper Galley, decorated with antique ship models and a collection of vintage copper ware. The Beachcomber Lounge featured picture windows overlooking the Shipyard Marina.

Berry created his own Waikiki Beach by spreading tons of super fine beach sand along the waterfront and dotting it with rattan chairs and Hawaiian-style huts.

Guests entered the complex through "fountains of fire" and then crossed the bamboo "bridge of joy" with drum accompaniment.

The drink menu featured around 20 classic tiki cocktails, including a Zombie ($1.75) but the most expensive cocktail, the Royal Ceremony of the Islands with the Beachcomber's Gong would set you back $7.50!

Much of the decor was taken from the New York World's Fair of 1964-65 -- including the entire artificial jungle for the Ford Pavillion, a pineapple garden, thatched huts, and an artificial volcano!

Berry eventually sold all of his waterfront property and it was re-developed, with little, save menus, to prove it ever existed...

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.

Opened in Summer 2006.

A converted cottage houses this beachside eatery serving California favorites, a popular breakfast, and cocktails.

Beside it is a small stand-alone Bootlegger Bar that is loosely connected and offers a slightly smaller menu of drinks.

There is both inside and outside seating.

To get here, however, you have to park on the other side of Pacific Coast Highway and take a shuttle from the lot.

This venue is unique in that it is built in an original beach cottage that friends and family of the Irvine family once leased. From the 30s to 50s, many such cottages were built up and down this stretch of land, and were a popular holiday location.

This area retains the scale and ambiance of a 1930's beach resort. It is also on Crystal Cove State Park land, a carefully conserved property interested in preserving this stretch of land.

This is not a tiki bar, but very tiki adjacent. They have issued several tiki mugs through Tiki Farm and offer tropical drinks. Additionally, there once was a Beachcomber Cafe sister location in Malibu (now closed) that had a dedicated tiki room and payed homage to the Tonga Lei that once existed nearby.

In the years after the close of this more tikified Malibu location, it seems their trend toward tiki has faded, but Crystal Cove is still a lovely venue to visit.

Make reservations if you can. It gets crowded.