Tiki Bars
Tiki Bob's Cantina - North Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States (Closed)
This was one in a chain of Tiki Bob's Cantinas (no relation to the historic Tiki Bob's in San Francisco).
These have died out since the early 2000s, and were known for being dance clubs with very little tiki theming and aimed at young college-aged people.
This location is now home to Crooked Hammock Brewery.
Tiki Bob's Cantina - Dallas
Dallas, Texas, United States (Closed)
This was one in a chain of Tiki Bob's Cantinas (no relation to the historic Tiki Bob's in San Francisco).
These have died out since the early 2000s, and were known for being dance clubs with very little tiki theming and aimed at young college-aged people.
This location was in the space formerly occupied by Bar Dallas and typified elements from the other locations -- a concrete dance floor, red strobe lights, a DJ, lots of lighted beer signs, awnings composed of bamboo poles and corrugated steel, and large gray plastic commercial garbage cans positioned just off the row of booths in the dining area. Individual television screens in wooden cases were positioned at each table.
Tiki Bob's Cantina - Richmond
Richmond, Virginia, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1999.
This was one in a chain of Tiki Bob's Cantinas (no relation to the historic Tiki Bob's in San Francisco).
These have died out since the early 2000s, and were known for being dance clubs with very little tiki theming and aimed at young college-aged people.
This location clung on longer than most of the others, closing in February 2015.
They were known for jello wrestling, inviting porn star headliners, bikini contests, and drink specials involving Jagermeister and jello shots.
This location is now home to Ponies and Pints since 2017.
Tiki Bob's Cantina - Seattle
Seattle, Washington, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2002 and closed in 2012.
This was one in a chain of Tiki Bob's Cantinas (no relation to the historic Tiki Bob's in San Francisco).
These have died out since the early 2000s, and were known for being dance clubs with very little tiki theming and aimed at young college-aged people.
This bar/nightclub was located in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square.
Tiki Bob's Cantina - Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2000 in an older 2-story commercial brick building originally built in 1919, with 16,552 square feet.
This was one in a chain of Tiki Bob's Cantinas (no relation to the historic Tiki Bob's in San Francisco).
These have died out since the early 2000s, and were known for being dance clubs with very little tiki theming and aimed at young college-aged people.
This location closed some time after 2011.
As of 2021, this space is home to Vogue Nightclub.
Tiki Bob's Cantina - Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland, United States (Closed)
This was one in a chain of Tiki Bob's Cantinas (no relation to the historic Tiki Bob's in San Francisco).
These have died out since the early 2000s, and were known for being dance clubs with very little tiki theming and aimed at young college-aged people.
This location was part of the Power Plant Live! complex.
Tiki Bob's Cantina - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (Closed)
This location opened in 2002 and closed in about 2007.
This was one in a chain of Tiki Bob's Cantinas (no relation to the historic Tiki Bob's in San Francisco).
These have died out since the early 2000s, and were known for being dance clubs with very little tiki theming and aimed at young college-aged people.
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Orlando, Florida, United States
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort is one of the high-end places to stay on property at Walt Disney World, just outside of Orlando. The resort is near the Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World's analogue of Disneyland), and is situated on the Seven Seas Lagoon. It opened on October 1, 1971, the same day Walt Disney World opened. Between 1985 and 2015, it was called simply "Disney's Polynesian Resort."
The resort underwent a huge refresh in 2015, with the lobby features changing dramatically (tropical plants and waterfalls were replaced with a large logo tiki), and the addition of Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, a tiki bar patterned after Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar in Anaheim.
The hotel is a sprawling complex, with 11 "longhouse" buildings named for Polynesian islands such as Rarotonga, Tahiti, Hawaii and Rapa Nui. Each building is two or three stories tall, and houses dozens of guest rooms; in all, the resort has 847 rooms. The heart of the hotel is the Great Ceremonial House, a massive two-level building that holds the hotel's reception desk, several stores and cafes, and 'Ohana restaurant.
'Ohana restaurant, and its adjacent Tambu Lounge, are on the upper level of the Great Ceremonial House. The restaurant is an all-you-can-eat affair, with great spears of meats brought around to your table for you to choose from regularly, and a pu-pu platter brought to your table to kick things off. There are activities for children, and it can get pretty loud. Tropical drinks are available, including one served in a pineapple, and a Tropical Itch, which comes with a backscratcher (see menu below).
The hotel's pool area is small, but a looming volcano with built-in water slide gives it some oomph. The grounds are landscaped with tropical plants and many tikis, giving it a very lush feel. Many tikis are copies of those found at the Enchanted Tiki Room's pre-show lanai in Anaheim, including Pele, Ngendi, Rongo, and even Uti. (Orlando's Enchanted Tiki Room has a few of these tikis around, but they are not part of the pre-show). There is a dinner-show luau performed regularly at the resort, called the Spirit of Aloha Show.
The monorail to the Magic Kingdom stops at the Polynesian Resort.
Trader Vic's - Ward Avenue - Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
This was the "Ward Avenue" Trader Vic's location in Honolulu.
"The Companies We Keep" by Bob Sigall , a history of Hawaiian companies, (and also confirmed by an article in the 1955 Honolulu Advertiser) states that this Hawaii location opened in December 18th, 1940. Four months later, Victor Bergeron sold his interest to the co-owner, Granville "Granny" Abbott.
Note the giant rusty anchor in front of the building both in photos and on the menu cover art. A pre-statehood drink menu is shown below...
There was another Trader Vic's location in Hawaii, at the International Market Place in Waikiki that opened later in 1967.
Trader Frank's
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, United States (Closed)
Trader Frank's restaurant was part of the Tiki Gardens theme park started by "Trader" Frank Byar in 1964. The restaurant sat 450 people and had a tall A-frame structure.
The head chef for many years since its beginning was "Papa Lee" who, along with his wife, Chui, and several other Chinese cooks worked to turn out all the varied menu items. They lived on premises from 1976 onward after a hit-and-run driver killed Papa Lee's cousin, Lawrence Lee, who had just moved from New Jersey to work at the restaurant and was living in an apartment just over a quarter mile away. To prevent this hazard in the future, a 2-bedroom apartment was built on premises for the Lees who had also been walking a short distance to and from the restaurant each day.
Trader Frank's and the rest of the Tiki Gardens complex was sold and closed in 1988.
The Polynesian - Seymour, Connecticut
Seymour, Connecticut, United States (Closed)
Open at least from 1965-67.
Club Kona
El Cerrito, California, United States (Closed)
Club Kona dates from the pre-tiki era when elegant tropical nightclubs were themed with palm trees and bamboo. It was owned by Henry, Dolly and Phil Molino. It was initially located at 316 San Pablo Ave., and reopened at 303 San Pablo after a fire in early 1938.
From February 1948 to February 1949, Club Kona was temporarily leased to Lloyd Johnson while the Molino family took a vacation necessitated by Henry and Phil Molino being on probation for a gambling charge.
Some time around 1954 the numbering system for San Pablo Ave, was changed and the address became 9901 San Pablo Ave. This is directly across from the west entrance to the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center. The cross street was Carlson. After the Club closed (in about 1960) there was a McFarlands Ice Cream/candy store. A Payless Shoe Source now occupies the site.