Opened in 1964.

South Pacific had been serving Chinese food in a Polynesian environment for many decades, and the decor was still present when it closed in September 2012 upon the owners' retirement. There were several tiki poles, and carved details in the trim. The walls had painted tropical scenes, and a back room was decorated like a tropical hut. Shell lamps and other tiki-style lighting were used throughout. Drinks were served in tiki mugs.

The last sign of what once was, its lovely neon sign, was removed in May 2016.

This was the original location for The Tiki Terrace; it opened in 2005 and closed in December 2007 and then opened four months later in a new, improved location in nearby Des Plaines.

This restaurant and entertainment venue was the realization of a dream of the Zuziak family, whose A Custom Production supplies the Chicago area with Polynesian and tropical decor and props.

Around 20 tikis were carved for the Tiki Terrace, other decor included rock formations and moai. The restaurant was divided into three dining rooms and a bar: Rapa Nui Row, The Ali'i, Kapa Nui Kove, and the Tiki Cocktail Bar. Cocktail waitresses doubled as hula entertainment, courtesy of a partnership with Gwen Kennedy of local luau organizer Barefoot Hawaiian.

At White Point, in Royal Palms beach in San Pedro, Eli Hedley made his home with his wife and four daughters. Literally made it -- mostly out of driftwood. They started in the fall of 1945 and the two-bedroom English style driftwood cottage took two years to build. They combed every cove from Palos Verdes to Portugese Bend for timber and most of it came from broken up barges. In addition to the two bedrooms, there was a bunk room, galley, dining deck, poop deck, living room and a hold. Hedley used nautical terms to describe the house. Their furnishings were made of driftwood, they used a fire guard hood from a ship's engine room for a fireplace, and bamboo strips from a Japanese ship were used for an interior door. Numerous live palms gave the homestead a secluded tropical feel.

Hedley was largely responsible for creating the "beachcomber look," by collecting items from the beach and reusing them as home items and decor for his own family and to sell to others. Hedley became a major name in the Hollywood set for decorating, and was responsible for the decor in bars, restaurants, hotels and apartment buildings in the 1940s through the 1970s. He built his home on land leased from the military (the military had control over this land since World War II, as White Point juts out into the Pacific). The land today is a public park, and a plaque can be seen giving the history of the spot, including the Hedley residence. The home is now gone, but the foundation remains.

Ports of Call was a restaurant with many differently-themed rooms, including one Polynesian area, Bali Hai. Ports of Call operated from 1963 until 1975; in 1977 the restaurant became "The Ports" and operated under that name until 1983. Bali Hai likely didn't survive the change from Ports of Call to The Ports. In 1983, the building was demolished to make way for office buildings.

Opened in 2005.

Tiki Boyd's was the creation of controversial pop culture figure Boyd Rice, known to many from his early industrial/noise music outfit NON, known to tikiphiles for his essay in Taboo: The Art of Tiki. Rice is a tiki enthusiast, and a vintage music aficionado -- and this bar reportedly played music only from vinyl.

It was located in the Ramada Inn in downtown Denver which was originally called The Heart O’ Denver Motor Hotel when it was built back in the 1960s, and its bar was called simply the Tiki Lounge - designed by none other than legendary beachcomber and consultant to Disneyland, Eli Hedley.

In January 2006, just a few months after opening, several key players (including Boyd Rice) pulled out of the venture. The bar then operated without Boyd's tiki decor, under a different name, and was more of a retro/rockabilly bar.

It appears the space is now home to Ahuevo Cantina Kitchen.

Built in 1968-1969.

Mahi Mahi had decor from Oceanic Arts, including an unusual item -- an Oceanic Arts-designed mug of their signature logo. Mahi Mahi was later purchased by Jim Walls in 1970. Jim was owner of the nearby Omni Hut, which closed in 2018.

Walls brought in Eli Hedley from California. Hedley is quoted, saying: "In 1971 I remade the Mahi-Mahi in Nashville with unlimited funds, which is how I like to work."

Whether it was the extravagant re-build or other expenses, however, the Mahi Mahi's day's were numbered.

Walls also took on the Mahi Mahi's debt, and despite efforts to improve the menu, the new Mahi Mahi closed after just a year. The Mahi Mahi later became Blue Hawaii. The building, which had an unusual wide A-frame, has been torn down.

This was Bahooka's original location, in West Covina. Bahooka was started by two brothers and a sister in 1967. One of the brothers, Jack, had worked for 10 years at Kelbo's. The building was expanded over the years, which was ultimately its downfall. It grew over a property line, and in the ensuing dispute, Bahooka lost its lease. In 1980, the building was demolished. Four years earlier a second Bahooka location had been opened in Rosemead, and that location stayed in operation until January 2013.

Cocktail menu shown is @1973.

Exotical has been serving Southern California's aloha wear needs since 1964, more than 40 years. Owner Paul Orloff still runs the shop today, which is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday. Exotical carries a wide array of nice aloha wear -- some of it is vintage, but has never been purchased and worn. Prices can be on the high side, but the uniqueness of what you can find here, combined with the uniqueness of the shopping experience, can make it worthwhile. Exotical used to carry a lot of tropical import items like bamboo and furniture. They still carry a few tropical items beyond the aloha wear, including vintage albums, furniture and coconut monkeys. Orangethorpe Avenue has been their location since 2020.

Helen Yue and her husband (Cheeda) opened Yue's Cantonese Restaurant in Gardena in 1957.

This Chinese restaurant had a large tiki outside the entrance and a large vertical sign with bamboo details.

The Yues were entrepreneurs and later opened a Redondo Beach restaurant called Lahani Haloha (circa 1979-80) that sat on the International Boardwalk in an octagonal building with a Barney West tiki out front which was later moved to The Polynesian.

Helen and her husband sold Yue's Cantonese Restaurant and retired in 1983. Her husband passed in 2003.

The Yue's Cantonese Restaurant site, since at least 2019, is now home to the Grand Premier Banquet Hall - a banquet rental facility.

According to a 1992 L.A Times article, this location was open from 1965-1980 as Wellman Jue's Paradise.

It appears to have been a Chinese-gone-Polynesian restaurant.

The same building stands today.

After the Paradise closed it was Marianne's (an Italian restaurant), and then Yasmeen's Indian Cusisine, and then Maharaja (2007-2017). It might have housed several more restaurants over the years since the building's construction in 1948.

No connection to the Jue's Market just down the street, which is owned by a different family.

This was the second location for the Luau Room in Louisville. It was originally located at the airport and was a Dobbs House Luau location. The restaurant was sold by Dobbs House to Vern Ferguson in 1983 as the airport expanded, and Ferguson relocated it to this spot near the University of Louisville.

Their logo sketch of a hut exterior with moai on the side was stolen directly from the Mai-Kai in Florida and appeared on ads and stationary.

Amazingly, much of the decor from this large paradise (9,000 sq. ft.) remained intact over the years, surviving incarnations as a Mexican restaurant, a Salvation Army (that's right -- imagine walking into a thrift store and being surrounded by tikis you can't buy!), and a nightclub. The owner of the property reportedly insisted the decor remain, and had more in storage. As of summer 2005, the space was for lease again.

Most recently, in 2018-2020, the property was leveled and incorporated into the 2400-2420 site for the new Marshall Louisville student housing complex intended to house students at the University of Louisville.

Sneaky Tiki opened on the site of a former Hamburger Mary's in summer 2005. Early reports were lackluster; the restaurant was not actually particularly tiki by a tikiphile's standards -- more modern upscale nightclub. Pan-Asian food and mixed cocktails, tikis on the swizzles & napkins, but not a Polynesian Pop environment.

Sneaky Tiki closed in spring 2006.

From 2013 through 2022, this location has been home to The Willows, a bar and hamburger establishment.