| Tiki Bars |
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| There was great interest in Polynesia following World War II (the late 1950s to early 1960s). Soldiers brought home Aloha Shirts and Hawaiian tourism took off. (Hawaii was admitted to statehood in 1959.) Movies and TV shows featured Polynesian settings and South Seas leisure activities became popular (e.g., hula hoops, surfing, and beach music). Polynesian restaurants and tiki bars were part of this cultural phenomenon. |
| Tiki Resort Lake George, NY |
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| The Tiki Resort was built around 1960 and was taken over by Howard Johnson in the 1980s. It features tiki décor and Polynesian dinner shows at its Waikiki Supper Club. For more, see their webpage. |
| Hala Kahiki River Grove, IL | ||
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| Hala Kahiki (translation: "Home of the Pineapple") opened in 1966. They serve only tropical drinks - there are close to 100 offered. There is no beer, no food and no entertainment. Ah, but the atmosphere! They also have an incredible Hawaiian gift shop. For more, see these websites: 1, 2 and 3. |
| Salvation Army (former Luau Room) Louisville, KY | ||
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| The Luau Room décor has survived its transformation into a Mexican restaurant (briefly) and a Salvation Army. The place is now scheduled to become a sports bar. It sounds like some of the original décor will be preserved as the new owner has chosen a name ("B2 Dreams") and wants to incorporate some of the tiki elements/theme. |
| Sam's Seafood Huntington Beach, CA | ||
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| Sam's Seafood was founded in 1923 and has been at this location since 1960. It features Hawaiian décor and floor shows. The restaurant closed in 2006 but I believe it reopened in 2007. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. [photos/info thanks R.B. Reed] |
| Hu Ke Lau Chicopee, MA |
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| The Hu Ke Lau opened in 1965 and has gone through many expansions. It features floorshows with Samoan Fire Dances, Fuji War Dance Drums, and Hawaiian Hula Dancing. There are also special events with big-name comedians. The interior features vine-covered ceilings, fake trees, murals, giant tikis and a working volcano. For more, see their webpage. |
| Aku-Aku (gone) Worcester, MA |
Tiki Lanes Lancaster, OH |
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Aku-Aku offered Polynesian fare and comedians. They also had locations in Newton and Cambridge, MA (both now gone). In 2004, the Worcester building became a Ninety Nine Restaurant and Pub, a chain with dozens of locations in the Northeast.
The Tiki Lanes has 1950s exterior tilework and some island sunset murals inside. Unfortunately, the other tiki elements were removed around 1990. For more, see their webpage. |
| Bali Hai San Diego, CA |
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| The Bali Hai opened in 1953 as "The Hut", part of a small local chain that started with "Christian's Hut" in Newport Beach, CA. In 1955, the new owner changed the name to "Bali Hai". The restaurant's round building offers views of the waterfront and is topped with a man's head known as "The Goof". The "Mr. Bali Hai" tiki head near the entrance was recently restored. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [photo thanks Mark Comstock] |
| Kon Tiki Tucson, AZ |
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| The Kon Tiki was built in 1963. It features lots of nice exterior decorations, including tikis and a mosaic tile pond (now empty). The interior is supposed to be incredible with rocks, bamboo-covered walls, bamboo chairs, and more tikis. They sell mugs, t-shirts, and offer great Polynesian fare. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. |
| Penn Ave. Pour House (former Politiki) Washington, DC |
Fiji Island Roanoke, VA |
Tiki Gardens & Trader Frank's Restaurant (gone) Indian Rocks Beach, FL |
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The Politiki opened in 1993 with three floors of tiki décor. In 1999, it became the Penn Ave. Pub which is mostly a sports bar with a small tiki bar relegated to the basement. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
Fiji Island features tiki décor and food. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. The Tiki Gardens & Trader Frank's Restaurant opened in 1964 and covered four acres. In 1969, Trader Frank's and the park expanded to 12 1/2 acres. In 1986, the property was sold and in 1990 all the tiki memorabilia was auctioned off. Today, the place is nothing more than a parking lot. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3. |
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