Tiki Bars
Malia Polynesian Room
Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States (Closed)
Malia Polynesian Room was inside Bill Green's Golden Dragon in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It opened in late 1968, and didn't last very long.
Mr. Green had run this site previously as the "Rustic Lodge" nightclub before remaking it into the "Golden Dragon" restaurant and then he decided to try rebranding it yet again a year later as the "Countrypolitan" nightclub. That must not have worked either, as Green turned over the site to a new owner that same year and it became Danny's Bar and Package store before being destroyed by a fire in June 1970.
Today is it known because of an album recorded there of a performance by Sam Makia and his Hawaiian Islanders, called "Live Hawaiian Party." The address was Coleman at Summerfield; Summerfield no longer intersects with Coleman, but a look at satellite photos from the era shows a building at that location that today is a parking lot.
Tiki Underground - Hudson
Hudson, Ohio, United States (Closed)
Tiki Underground was opened in February 2017 by Sean and Jessie Coffey.
The large space was lined with bac-bac matting and bamboo, with plenty of thatch. There were carved Witco pieces, and light-up moai.
They served cocktails and beer and also had a food menu and live music.
November 24, 2021 was Tiki Underground’s last call in this Hudson location. The bar moved to a new space at 1832 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 in September of 2022.
Luau Hut - Capitol Hill - Washington D.C.
Washington, District of Columbia, United States (Closed)
This Capitol Hill Luau Hut was the sister location to the original Luau Hut in Silver Spring, it opened in 1967. It was owned by Moon Kim and Paul Malonson. Like the original, it was richly and elaborately decorated in the Polynesian style, and very popular. The lower level held the Outrigger Lounge, where live music acts performed, including Kim Tsoy and the Sauce, the band of Moon Kim's son.
The building that housed Luau Hut had previously been a Chinese restaurant called The Chinese Lantern (moved to this location around 1946 and closed in 1960), then before it was Luau Hut (1967), it was another Polynesian restaurant, The Waikiki (1960-1967). By 1978, the building had become Kelly's Irish Times, though the Chinese origins are still clear in the building's architecture. There was briefly another Washington, D.C. Luau Hut near Dupont Circle.
Dan'ton-Ku
Biel, Switzerland
Dan'ton-Ku opened in February 2013 in the city of Biel or Bienne, depending on whether you speak German Swiss or French Swiss. The exterior facade of the tiki bar is flanked by two tall tikis. The bar's stools are carved tikis, and more carved tikis serve as supports for tall tables. The decor uses a lot of bamboo and matting, with tiki masks on the walls. Drinks are served in tiki mugs and volcano bowls.
Lost Lake
Chicago, Illinois, United States (Closed)
Lost Lake opened in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago in January 2015. It was a partnership between Paul McGee, formerly of Three Dots and a Dash, and development group Land and Sea Dept. Martin Cate, owner of Smuggler's Cove, was also involved in Lost Lake, particularly helping with their selection of sipping rums. Its design was less tiki, and more of a nod to the early, streamlined bamboo-focused Pre-Tiki era of Polynesian Pop escapism. Colorful fish floats hung in the front window, and one whole wall was wallpapered with a bold banana leaf motif. Fish trap lamps wrapped the bar area, and the canted ceiling was covered with lauhala and bamboo. There was green vinyl booth seating toward the back, and a rock wall. The beverage program was developed by McGee, with a mix of classic tropical cocktails and his own inventions. Land and Sea Dept. also owned the connected upscale Chinese take-out restaurant, called Thank You.
After an 18-month down-time due to Covid, Lost Lake re-opened in August 2021 with a cocktail menu focused on "Tropical Drinks" (i.e., Margaritas, Pina Coladas, Mojitos, and Daiquiris) instead of "Tiki Drinks" (Zombies, Mai-Tais, etc.) as a concession to concerns that "Tiki" is racist and colonialist in nature. The decor was already fairly sparse by Tiki standards, but they went further by removing several pieces, including the glass fishing floats hanging in the front window, the fishing basket light fixtures over the bar, and the pufferfish chandelier. A picture of a woman in a grass skirt was also taken down, a rock wall was covered with a curtain, and fake skulls were removed from the fish tank.
This closure and re-vamping of their image still proved not enough to combat the difficulties of operating during Covid, however, and Lost Lake's Closure was announced for January 15th, 2022.
Honi Honi - Hong Kong
Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong SAR China (Closed)
Honi Honi opened in October 2012 within Somptueux Central, a skyscraper in the Central District of Hong Kong. It was primarily a bar, but there was a small menu of food items available. Bar owner Max Traverse, originally from France, had previously worked at Hoxton Pony in London and Le Boudoir in Hong Kong. Traverse's focus was on crafting serious tiki cocktails, and the decor leaned on the clean side of tiki, with lots of bamboo.
In 2015, Traverse opened another tiki bar in Hong Kong, Mahalo Tiki Lounge, in Wan Chai (now known as the 'Ohana Tiki Lounge).
Honi Honi closed in December 2021 and the principals behind the bar opened a new location, Maka Hiki Tropical Bar & Grill, in the neighborhood of Tai Hang, Hong Kong.
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Porco Lounge & Tiki Room opened in Cleveland's historic Tremont neighborhood in October 2013. Owner Stefan Was let his passion for tiki lead him into the hospitality business. Porco Lounge is the first tiki bar in Cleveland since the Kon-Tiki closed in 1976. Was used elements from the Kon-Tiki in the decor for Porco, including some lamps and bamboo from the restaurant. Also used for decor are Was' collections of swizzle sticks and tiki mugs. Was hired Shannon Smith to lead the bar program, bringing his background in craft cocktails with him, resulting in a menu of finely crafted tiki drinks.
Cocteleria Tahiti
Barcelona, Spain (Closed)
Cocteleria Tahiti was a tiki bar very near the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. Cocteleria Tahiti's mission was to bring the quality of Barcelona tiki cocktails back to the '40s and '50s, and to be a departure from the '70s tiki bars found in the city. The decor was minimal (red upholstered booths and counter seating with more of a diner or lunch counter vibe), unlike the lavish vintage decor seen in some of the other Barcelona tiki bars, but they were serving classic drink recipes from Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic's -- an area where other Barcelona tiki bars tend to be weak. Cocteleria Tahiti opened in March 2010, and closed in mid-2016.
Tiki Brett
Berlin, Germany (Closed)
Opened in 2008.
Tiki Brett was a small bar located underneath Classic Tattoo, a tattoo parlor featured on a German reality show inspired by Miami Ink, called Tattoo - Berlin sticht zu. The manager of the tattoo parlor, Thomas Fender, ran the bar. Much of the decor came from Berlin's beloved Tabou Tiki Room.
Closed in 2009.
Charleston Antique Mall
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
The Charleston Antique Mall has over 15,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles. One booth at the mall, run by Tiki Lee, was dedicated entirely to tiki, and offered a mix of modern and vintage tiki collectibles, especially mugs, but moved in October 2013 to a new antique mall, Main Street America, at 1400 S. Main St. and is currently still there as of 2022 (although the name of the mall has changed to Main Street Peddler's Antique Mall). Tiki Lee's Tiki Shop also has an online presence at https://tikileestikishop.bigcartel.com/
The Charleston Antique Mall was known as the Red Rooster Antique Mall until it was renamed in 2007. (A separate store that retains the name "Red Rooster" is right next door.) Getting to the antique mall can be a little challenging, as it sits right between the freeway and the railroad tracks, but once you have driving directions it's pretty easy to find.
Kona
Huntington Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Kona opened in 2007 in the space that had been Sam's Seafood for decades. Much of the decor was retained and refreshed, with improvements being made most notably in the quality of the food offering and some softened lighting. They adapted the exterior Sam's swordfish sign by changing the lettering.
Kona had several dining rooms with slightly different decor. The "Hidden Village" back rooms were available for special events, and had the most elaborate Polynesian theming, with huts, a fountain, and a bar. The dining room at the front had painted murals and a fountain.
In 2009, Kona closed and reopened under new ownership as Don the Beachcomber (no connection to the historic chain). Don's closed in 2018.
Voodoo Tiki Bar & Lounge
Charleston, South Carolina, United States (Closed)
Voodoo Tiki Bar & Lounge was a funky, modern tiki/exotic/lounge bar and restaurant in the Avondale neighborhood of Charleston. It opened in early 2005. Tropical drinks were served in tiki mugs, and food was served late, until 1 a.m.
Caroline Smith-Adams, the face of Voodoo Tiki Bar for 15 years, passed away, so the team at Voodoo decided to rebrand the restaurant to honor her life.
From 10/22/2020 onward, the bar was re-branded as Caroline's Aloha Bar and given a new makeover along with a new website and Facebook page, until it closed on November 12th, 2022.