Owners Doug “Fini” Finical and Scott Mencke opened Fini’s Landing in the foothills, then came The Landing in Oro Valley in 2021, and then they were ready to open their new tiki bar...

Cabali, located next door to The Landing at 8195 N. Oracle Rd., hosted its Grand Opening on Friday, February 2, 2024.

One of the memorable centerpieces is a Mark Thomas Outrigger styled Moai at the main bar area with tentacles around it. Additionally, the space is decorated with a huge mug collection, black velvet paintings, and artwork, all illuminated by custom crafted swag lamps and trimmed out with plenty of bamboo and other natural materials.

The bar is also a precursor to the soon-to-be-released documentary “Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession.” The film has been in the works for a little bit now and explores the “history and subculture of tiki mug hunting featuring ‘Fini’ — an obsessed collector opening a tiki bar dedicated to his collection.”

Opened December 2nd, 2020.

The rapidly growing mini chain of Blue Sushis (there are 19 and counting open or coming soon across the U.S. as of 2023) now have “pocket bars” next door. Each has a different style, and Des Moines was lucky enough to draw the tiki card.

There is a nice selection of hanging lamps and the interior is nicely trimmed out in bamboo, natural materials, and palm leaf wallpaper. One end has a lava rock wall with the requisite pink neon sign that has sprung up in the age of Instagram to take the obligatory photos with.

They serve tiki cocktails in tiki mugs, although as of this time they do not appear to have original branded barware. The mugs used appear to be the top 10 wholesale mugs made in China (some of them rip-offs of Bosko's or Tiki Farm's mugs). However, the cocktails appear to be dialed in craft-cocktails using good ingredients, by all accounts.

The previous restaurant had a bad fire in 1954, killing 2 employees, then another fire on January 28 1961, which destroyed the building during the end of a Polynesian themed remodel of the previous restaurant.

They kept going, however, with their original plans, and the Polynesian remodel was completed. Saxony South Seas opened in early September of 1961.

From an October 25th, 1961 review:

"The Saxony South Seas boasted authentic South Seas decoration, including 48 carvings of various sizes from exotic places such as Samoa, Tahiti and Hawaii. Behind the bar stood a massive 1300 pound Tiki idol, while the back bar was inlaid with mother of pearl - 3000 pieces - all hand inlaid, weighing 65 pounds. The manager Richard Tierney said the restaurant incorporates what the management considered the best elements of famous Polynesian restaurants throughout the country. 'We used native materials, imported trough a San Francisco agent, then refined the atmosphere to what we thought would be attractive to our Milwaukee patrons.' The restaurant sat 170.

Leon Garces was the Filipino chef who came from the Beachcomber's in Chicago. 'The forte of the bar, of course, is rum drinks. Most come in exotic containers, such as the Tonga, called a sorcerer's blend and served in a ceramic miniature Easter Island figure. The Volcano is served in a real coconut and consists of gin, brandy, rum and pineapple juice, garnished with an orchid.'"

This elaborate South Seas theme only lasted 3 years until 1964 when the restaurant changed back to serving "American" cuisine...

Today, as of 2023, this site appears to be home to The Shul Center, a synagogue.

Founded in 1884, the Pitt Rivers Museum is housed within an atmospheric building holding more than 500,000 objects, photographs and manuscripts from all over the world, and from all periods of human existence. Within are exceptional objects of ritual significance, and objects made for tourists or trade.

Those interested in "Tiki" or Polynesian Pop have often been guided here to see the Maori display and the "Treatment of Dead Enemies" display (with its shrunken heads). Photos of both displays are shown below along with some close-ups.

Since the museum is not necessarily arranged by geographical area, but by type of item, there are often several cultures represented in some areas. There is much more than just these two displays to interest visitors.

It appears that since 2020, this museum (like many) has grappled with a call to repudiate or at least better contextualize their colonial past. For the Pitt Rivers, this means a modernization of their display tags and a retiring of some display pieces to storage. The shrunken head exhibit has been removed and that case has been wrapped with an explanation of the institution's efforts to not dehumanize colonized peoples or display human remains if possible. You can see some before and after photos below.

As with most museums, their collections are often updated and never meant to be a static or unchanging time capsule. However, the changes above have fueled quite a bit of debate.

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.

Tommy Wong worked at the Chicago Don the Beachcomber and at the Aku Aku in Las Vegas before becoming a successful restaurateur in his own right.

In 1977 he purchased the Islands restaurant in Phoenix and re-branded it as Tommy Wong's Island Restaurant.

Wong expanded on this purchase and created a mini chain with this Island Restaurant in Denver (currently, as of 2025, a parking lot next to a kosher deli) and an Island Restaurant (or "Islands Restaurant" depending on the advertisement) in Colorado Springs (circa October 1975).

All of his Island restaurants in the chain went under in the 80s along with the first one in Phoenix. The Denver location closed in 1983.

*NOTE: This location is not to be confused with The Islander (formerly the Tiki Kai), which opened in 1971 about 11 minutes north of the Tommy Wong Island location and closed in 1975.

Opened in December 2021.

Red Dwarf is owned and operated by Russell Gardner.

This is not a traditional tiki bar, but might be described as a punk rock dive bar with a splash of tiki, and an elevated beer list, that serves Detroit-style pizza.

It has a wall of vintage concert posters and an elevated stage that hosts live music—everything from blues and ska to soul and garage rock—and doubles as a makeshift living room with a couch and mismatched chairs.

A large wraparound bartop is full of angles to encourage conversation. Netting overhead holds fish floats, flotsam, and jetsam.

There is a side cubby that feels more "Tiki" than the rest of the space, but there are still scattered tiki touches throughout the entire area.

They have about a hundred rums and a short list of funky cocktails, including a few mashups on traditional tiki classics. See menu below.

The craft beer list rotates regularly. The one constant is the Dwarf Piss, a $4 house lager brewed in partnership with Astronomy Aleworks.

The bar's excellent Detroit-style pizza is made with an airy, chewy dough that's pan-proofed and fermented in-house for up to 72 hours.

They do have some branded mugs, some of which are standards by Tiki Farm, but they also have a mascot mug of the red devil (red dwarf?).

Opened in 2010.

It occupied a space formerly filled by an R.J. Gator's.

This was a scaled-down concept, or "Trader Vic's Light" if you will.

Closed July of 2013.

The property, including the stand-alone building and surrounding 2.2 acres, was listed for $1,995,000 on Loopnet.com and the interior was liquidated. A few of the more authentic pieces went to a Tiki Centralite. Most of the remaining carvings had been created by Indonesian carvers, and weren't as coveted as pieces you might see in other long-standing Trader Vic's locations.

Opened in 1958.

A classic tropical resort hotel on Mission Bay. Originally built by the Scripps family as a Spanish Colonial style summer house, the buildings were rebuilt in a Hawaiian Colonial style in the late '50s to better fit in with the tropical grounds. The hotel's been renovated many times since then without losing its Tiki touches.

Throughout the decades, the Evans family has gone to great lengths to import traditional Pacific Island art. All of the ethnic art including spears, personal jewelry, hand-woven rugs, and warrior shields are from New Guinea and were made prior to World War II. As you face the front desk, look above and you will see a very large tapa cloth made of Mulberry bark. It is from the New Hebrides Islands located off the coast of New Guinea. When this piece was commissioned, it was the largest one done since 1920 and took many different island families over a year to make. The wood that makes up the front desk is called Black Koa wood, which is native to the Tahitian Islands. The totem poles throughout the property were handcrafted in Bali specifically for the Catamaran. As you approach the stairs on the way to the Atoll restaurant, look to your left and you will see a large carving encased in glass that looks like a stool. This piece of art is known as the "speaking stool." It was found by Michael Rockefeller in a headhunter village in 1961. This stool is the second largest one known in existence.

Built in 1969.

50 yards from the boardwalk and beach in Ocean City (self-styled as "America's Greatest Family Resort"), the Tahiti Inn is a fun place to stay while visiting the Jersey Shore.

They offer both apartments with fully-equipped kitchens (one and two bedroom) and individual rooms. There are 57 total units in this 3-story structure.

The Tiki feel is prominent in the Inn's exterior along Ocean Avenue, in the pool area, and in the front office, but unfortunately does not extend to the rooms' interiors, which are more "beachy".

When visiting, be forewarned that Ocean City is one of the few remaining "dry" towns in the region - i.e., the sale of alcohol is prohibited - so if you want to enjoy a cocktail, you'll have to make & enjoy it within the confines of your room from your own stock, or travel to the mainland to drink or to purchase your own supplies.

The Gallelli family has owned and operated the Tahiti Inn since 1989.

February 9th, 2018, this tiki bar was completed for the Laguna Beach Hobie store location.

Built by Craig Dunlap.

Although it isn't open as a working bar, it is certainly trimmed out perfectly and encapsulates the classic vibe of a mid century Southern California Tiki Bar.

The Oceanic Arts PNG mask on the door is a nice touch.

It might possibly see some actual bar use for the occasional employee party, but is mostly used for photo ops.

Hobie also has another larger bar at their warehouse location termed "The Embassy" that seems to get more use as an actual bar space for employees.