NorCal, IL, LV, and SoCal!

In the past month, I’ve been to 16 tiki bars, 13 of which have been new to me!

Bali Hai - San Diego, Ca

Stray Pirate - Las Vegas (Tiki Adjacent. Don’t call it a tiki bar, or else you’ll upset Bargain Ben)

Golden Tiki - Las Vegas

Frankie’s - Las Vegas

Hala Kahiki - River Grove, Illinois (Chicago area)

Bamboo Room - Chicago, Illinois

Three Dots and a Dash - Chicago, Illinois

Trader Vic’s - Emeryville, Ca

Forbidden Island - Alameda, Ca

Tiki Tom’s - Walnut Creek, Ca

Boo Loo Lounge - Orinda, Ca

Kon-Tiki - Oakland, Ca

Kona Club - Oakland, Ca

Smuggler’s Cove - San Francisco, Ca

Lost Inferno - San Clemente, Ca

I’m going to attempt to keep the reviews short and sweet since there are so many.

Stray Pirate - No reservations // It’s pirate dogs. What else do I have to say?! Oh yea, IT’S NOT TIKI. Happy Ben? The bartenders were so nice and knowledgeable, and made killer drinks. I got the Scurvy Send-Off and Sarge’s Old Fashioned - both perfectly balanced, and not too sweet. I was there the Wednesday of Viva, so it got pretty packed, but there’s a lot of seating.

Golden Tiki - Reservations (visited before) // Definitely a spectacle, and worth a visit. The “disney tiki” isn’t really my cuppatea, but it’s a fun experience.

Frankie’s - No reservations (visited before) // A classic Vegas dive bar meets tiki. Smoking and video gambling inside. Very laid back, good drinks, cool vibe, especially if you’re overwhelmed by Viva and need some time away from people.

Hala Kahiki - Reservations avail

able, wasn’t necessary // One of the oldest, still operating, tiki bars in the country. Opened in 1962, and moved to the current location in 1964, there was history everywhere. I had the pleasure of chatting with my server for a long time about the history of the place, and was given a tour.. She even sat with me and we talked all things tiki - she’s new to the world, and had so many questions.

But let’s get to the drinks. I first ordered their Mai Tai (hold the simple syrup), and it was… interesting. It seemed to be made with all light rums, but wasn’t an unpleasant dink, just not really a Mai Tai in my eyes.. I then got the Nectar of the Gods and WOW, the warning “Not fit for human consumption” was accurate. Lemon Hart Rum, Rumfire, Smith & Cross Rum, Ginger Liqueur, Egg White, House Made Buzz Button Overproof Rum & POG Juice.

So… Buzz Button makes your mouth and lips numb, and eating the berries is awful (which of course I did), and all of that rum makes your face and brain go numb. Anyway… Long story short, I ubered to the wrong hotel afterward…

Bamboo Room - Reservations needed // An upscale tiki speakeasy (tik-easy, speaky tiki, what have you) experience. A place where if you ask what the bartender recommends, he replies “what’s your budget?” A very intimate, relaxing room located inside Three Dots and a Dash, with an exceptional bartender and service. I sat at the bar, and spoke with him the whole time, and he was kind enough to let me taste some of his specialty drinks, which were all incredible. The menu moves from sweetest to bitter, which I loved. I ordered the Clairvoyant Missionary (like pure candy, way too easy to drink, and a bit too sweet for my taste) and then the Corn and Oil (just. perfect). I sampled his take on a mai tai, and it was perfection, leaning towards tart. I loved it!

Three Dots and a Dash - Reservations recommended // A fun maritime experience. Very large on the inside and lively. I met up with coworkers, and they were right buzzed just after one cocktail. I ordered whatever the bartender from the Bamboo Room told me to get (I think it was the Coconut Midnight Stinger) and it was good. Great vibes, no complaints.

Trader Vic’s - No Reservation needed, but encouraged // A group of us sat at the bar, and were immediately greeted by the bartender giving us the history of Trader Vic and the bar and all the artifacts. He was so passionate about the place, and it made my friend’s (who have never been to anything tiki before) really feel welcome to the world. I, of course, got a mai tai, but between the 4 of us, there were a lot of drinks going around, and they were all SO GOOD. The bartenders showed off all of the glassware and let people choose what mugs they wanted their drinks in, and everyone was having a great time.

This place overlooks the water and is full of history that can’t be duplicated. It’s a well-lit restaurant, and seeing how packed it was on a Thursday, the food must be very good. My only qualm is that they have tvs playing whatever game is going on; it’s a personal thing for me… After we cashed out, we started walking around to see the other rooms, and one of the bartenders stopped what he was doing to give us a tour and talk about some specifics of the decor and artifacts. This is a definite MUST GO location.

Forbidden Island - Reservation needed for anywhere other than the bar // If you’ve been to Tonga Hut in Los Angeles, this has the same vibe. Their outdoor area is expansive with a giant tiki head bar, but other than that, it’s just an outdoor area. Inside, however, is covered top to tail. I sat at the bar, and found it a bit odd that a server came around behind me to take my order. Guess it makes the bartender’s lives easier. Drink was a’ight. Cool little place to see.

Tiki Tom’s - You’ll definitely want a reservation here // Bamboo Ben really out-did himself with this place. Holy. Crap. I’ve never seen anything like it; I don’t want to ruin it by giving anything away. So let’s get down to the way it runs. If you want a table, you need to order food. The upside is that almost everything is gluten free.

The downside is that everything had pineapple or mango, which my friend is allergic to, so we sat at the bar. I’ve already had a BenZombie before, and I wasn’t prepared to be effed up at 7pm, so I got the Rhum Rum, and contradictory to the name, it was actually a tad too sweet for me. My friend got a mocktail that was a housemade POG juice topped with lilikoi foam, and she absolutely loved it.

Boo Loo Lounge - No Res // During my NorCal tiki tour, this bar made me feel the most like “this is tiki.” It’s a small place next to an old movie theatre; in fact, if you want to use the bathroom, you have to go through the dark lobby. Dressed in Vintage Hollywood Monster and Horror film decor, this place is right up my alley. They were especially busy this evening, but the two guys kept up on top of everything so well. During a lull, I was able to speak to one of the guys, and after confessing I recognized him, he told me that he’s been into the tiki world for a long time. And that cocktail he made me proved his statement. I ordered the Boo Loo Grog, and it was my top drink of the visit, by far.

Kon-Tiki - No Res // A large place with the most exquisite exterior of jade-colored tiles, the inside seemed to be having a bit of an identity crisis. Music varied between rap and ukulele, while there was a snowman on one wall, a spaceship looking design on a pillar, and possibly a Chinese New Year dragon over the bar. The rest of the restaurant was decorated fully in faux florals, bamboo, thatching, etc, and was very beautiful. I ordered the Kon-Tiki Zombie, which has a redacted recipe, and I wouldn’t get that again. Honestly, I didn’t even finish it. GASP, I know. While this isn’t really the place for me, it’s still fun, dark, and the food was pretty good.

Kona Club - No res // Built by Bamboo Ben in 2005, this place is TOP NOTCH tiki. However, the music is so damn loud, that my friend and I just curled up in loungers and stared at each other the whole time. Which wasn’t bad, honestly. We were pretty exhausted after hitting 5 bars in one day… This is definitely a dive tiki bar, and while I wasn’t really vibing with the menu drinks, the bartender made a killer Jungle Bird. I like the place, I just wish I brought earplugs.

Trad'r Sam - Oldest in the States? Maybe? Very cool, but definitely your neighborhood bar now. The people that go are locals, and the bartender is super cool. Cash only!

Smuggler’s Cove - No res, get there early and stand in line. // Ok - wow. I was shocked.. This is not like most tiki bars. It’s all in the name: dark, dank, and full of rum. There are two bars on two levels, and we opted to sit downstairs. No real tables, so you get to be friends with those around you. My friend and I both ordered the KoHana Kila rum cocktail (Hokule’a) and it was delightful, refreshing, and a little dry. Earlier this year, I did a tasting at KoHana on Oahu and was able to taste the rum by itself. It’s goooooood. I ended up chatting with some people next to us who are going to Tiki O in SD for the first time this year! If you’re in here, heyyyyy! I honestly wanted to stay longer and drink more, but I had to get to my gig. A must see place.

Lost Inferno - Reservations needed on weekends // Alright, so I go here a lot, and this is one of my favorite places. A very unassuming Goonies themed tiki bar inside a closed Japanese restaurant with hidden gems and a waterfall. I’ve been visiting here more often because my boyfriend vowed to try every single signature cocktail on their menu and rate them. He finished last night, and is very proud of himself. Hands down, the Chester Copperpot is the best drink at this place if you like spice and tequila. The bartenders are amazing and I always have a lovely time when I visit.