Smuggler's Cove was opened December 8th, 2009 by Martin Cate, a renowned rum expert and longtime tikiphile who was one of the founders of Forbidden Island in Alameda. Smuggler's Cove specializes in all varieties of rum and rum drinks, with a particular emphasis on historic and exotic cocktails. Cate has attracted some of the top bartender talent in the talent-rich city of San Francisco. Smuggler's Cove regularly appears on the lists of the best bars in the world. It has proven incredibly popular: if you go on a weekend, be prepared to possibly wait in a line for entry.

The decor is a blend of nautical and tiki. The dimly-lit bar spans three floors: the main and lower levels each have their own bars, and an upper half-level is a tiki hut that overlooks the main floor. There is a waterfall between the main floor and the lower floor, with a small pool at the bottom. The construction was led by Ignacio "Notch" Gonzalez, of San Jose's Top Notch Kustoms.

The offerings can be overwhelming in scope: over 500 rums, and more than 75 cocktails. If you're intent on trying as many as possible, consider entering the Rumbustion Society; those who complete the list are rewarded for their efforts.

Sam's Maui is owned by three brothers, Mark, Wyatt and Alan Payne. The trio moved to Okinawa from their original home in Hawaii when their father Ray's employer, Coca-Cola, relocated the family there.

This is a Teppanyaki restaurant with strong Polynesian decor. There is an elaborate mix of large and small bamboo, tiki masks, pufferfish lamps, float lamps, war clubs and other carvings throughout.

There are seven restaurants in the Sam's chain in Okinawa; all are nautical, and four (including this one) have strong tiki/Polynesian elements. The other three tiki locations are Sam's By The Sea in Awase, Sam's By The Sea in Gushi/Naha and Sam's Maui in Kumoji.

Sam's Maui is owned by three brothers, Mark, Wyatt and Alan Payne. The trio moved to Okinawa from their original home in Hawaii when their father Ray's employer, Coca-Cola, relocated the family there.

Sam's Maui is a Teppan yaki restaurant with strong Polynesian influences in the decor. The walls are lined in bamboo, there are war clubs and other carvings throughout, and two large Papua New Guinea tikis greet you at the interior entrance to the main dining area.

There are seven restaurants in the Sam's chain in Okinawa; all are nautical, and four (including this one) have strong tiki/Polynesian elements. The other three tiki locations are Sam's By The Sea in Gushi/Naha, Sam's By The Sea in Awase and Sam's Maui on Kokusai street.

Sam's By The Sea is owned by three brothers, Mark, Wyatt and Alan Payne. The trio moved to Okinawa from their original home in Hawaii when their father Ray's employer, Coca-Cola, relocated the family there.

The restaurant has a large, full-color King Kamehameha statue out front. The dining room has a long canoe hanging over the diners' heads. The ceiling is painted an unfortunate white, but the walls are covered with elaborate Papua New Guinea-style carvings. The restaurant serves steak and seafood.

There are seven restaurants in the Sam's chain in Okinawa; all are nautical, and four (including this one) have strong tiki/Polynesian elements. The other three tiki locations are Sam's By The Sea in Awase, Sam's Maui in Kumoji and Sam's Maui on Kokusai street.

Sam's By The Sea is owned by three brothers, Mark, Wyatt and Alan Payne. The trio moved to Okinawa from their original home in Hawaii when their father Ray's employer, Coca-Cola, relocated the family there. It opened in either 1970 or 1973.

Sam's By The Sea is located in an old yacht club, and still has the club's original bar. The restaurant resembles the interior of an old ship, and a long canoe is suspended over the dining room. A large Ku carving serves as a sign out front, and there is at least one big Papua New Guinea carving.

The restaurant has been a regular destination for American servicemen stationed in Okinawa for decades. It is a Teppanyaki-style restaurant. The female waitstaff are dressed in sailor outfits. Drinks are served in souvenir mugs.

There are seven restaurants in the Sam's chain in Okinawa; all are nautical, and four (including this one) have strong tiki/Polynesian elements. The other three tiki locations are Sam's By The Sea in Gushi/Naha, Sam's Maui in Kumoji and Sam's Maui on Kokusai street.

Fong's Pizza opened January 26th, 2009 as a partnership between Jeff Bruning (part owner of several other Des Moines bars) and Gwen Schlepphorst. Bruning had dreams of opening a tiki bar, Schlepphorst had dreams of opening a late-night pizza joint. Fong's Pizza took over a space vacated by King Ying Low, a Chinese restaurant that had operated for over one hundred years.

Fong's was a funky mix of Chinese, Polynesian and uniquely American touches. Tiki drinks were served in tiki mugs from Tiki Farm (when secured with an appropriate deposit). Pizza was available by the slice until well past midnight; during lunch and dinner service a wider menu was available with some traditional Chinese and Polynesian offerings.

Three more Fong's locations followed after this first one, starting in 2015, but the expansion did not last and each of the three closed shop until only the original remained by 2023.

The second location in the District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny opened 2015 and closed in 2023, a third location in Cedar Rapids NewBo entertainment district opened in 2018 and closed in 2022, and a fourth location in Des Moines on Forest Avenue opened in 2019 and closed in 2021.

At last, however, the original location closed on March 9th, 2025. This closing was part of a planned relocation with plans to reopen in early April in the former Peace Tree Brewing Co. space in the Market District.

The new location offers double the seating capacity, expanded parking, a patio, and a pick-up window.

Chef Dennis Epps plans to expand the menu with new noodle and rice dishes, salads, appetizers, and late-night options.

Frankie's Tiki Room opened December 4th, 2008.

It is open 24 hours a day, every day. The basis is a traditional Polynesian Pop environment, with beautiful tapa cloth and intricate carvings, with an unusual overlay of crass nods to Las Vegas hedonism.

Interior decor by Bamboo Ben. They also feature both house cocktails and traditional tiki cocktails. Unique signature tiki mugs made by Tiki Farm for purchase.

They do allow smoking inside premises, so non-smokers beware.

Frankie's published a cocktail book, Liquid Vacation, in 2013, if you want to make their cocktails at home.

In December 2022, Ken Ruzic, Big Toe (Tom Laura), and Doug Horne painted a mural around the curved front entrance, helping to celebrate Frankie's 14th Anniversary Celebration.

Opened in 2008 and closed in 2018.

Brooklyn's Tiki Bar was a dive bar with little tropical decor to speak of.

However, they did offer a menu of traditional tropical drinks, and had special tiki cocktail spotlight nights.

Ming's is a Chinese restaurant with an attached bar area that is semi-Polynesian themed. There is a heavy use of lauhala mats, and all the lamps are made of tapa & bamboo and look like they are probably from Orchids of Hawaii. There are dark wooden masks throughout, but they look like generically-exotic Indonesian imports of recent manufacture. Tiki mugs are behind the bar. The restaurant has a dramatic Chinese facade that looks like it has been there for many decades; the bar feels like it acquired its Polynesian bent in the late '60s or mid-'70s. The restaurant itself apparently dates back to the 1880s.

And now the sad news: Ming's was purchased by a new owner around 2002; this new owner's immigration status precludes him from having a full liquor license, and now Ming's serves only beer and wine. The bar area is still intact, but no longer in active use.

The Sneaky Tiki, or Joe's Sneaky Tiki, was a Hawaiian bar in San Leandro that operated in the 1970s and until at least the '80s. At some point it was run by Joe Denton and Don Groom; Don was a bartender. After it closed, the space later became Tabou Lounge, and Club Caliente.

Fred Martell opened the bar circa 1962 or shortly before, when there were no raw bars or multiple restaurants at the beach the way there are today. Then, it was known as Martell's Sea Breeze Club.

Dave Bassinder bought the place in the 1980s, and set to work transforming and expanding the operation.

Martell's Tiki Bar is a prime example of the confusion that has arisen between midcentury Polynesian Pop and muddled, any-tropical-will-do, anything-with-thatch-is-tiki "Tiki Bars."

This is the latter -- a bar focused on steel drums, Jimmy Buffett and Corona -- and the WRONG BODY OF WATER. While Caribbean influences have always been present in Polynesian Pop (rum, calypso), this is completely missing the mark. There is little or no tiki to be had here.

It's sad that Martell's owns "tikibar.com". They're completely within their rights, but... ugh.

Vera's White Sands began in 1960 as a private club, White Sands Yacht Club, owned by Dr. Effrus Freeman and his wife, Vera, and opened on a small part of 800 acres of land they owned. As the years progressed and the area was developed, the once-private club was opened to the public, sometime in the '70s.

Vera's White Sands has varying seasonal hours, open more during the summer months, and slips are still available for rental. For many decades, the main attraction was Miss Vera herself (Dr. Freeman passed away in the '70s); the well-traveled woman added a touch of glamour and exotica to the proceedings, and played the perfect hostess to the guests. She passed away January 23, 2007, at the age of 93.

In 2006, Vera transferred ownership of Vera's White Sands to a new owner, who has removed most of the classic Polynesian Pop touches, in favor of a more Maryland Crab Shack or Jimmy Buffet-flavored tropical scene; the changes have been poorly received in the tiki community.

For all intents and purposes, Vera's White Sands Beach Club as tiki fans remember it is gone. The new restaurant may have "Vera's" in the title but that's about it -- there are a couple of cartoony tikis flanking the stage in back where they have live music and bikini contests. A few other details remain, but nothing like it was before.