Columbus, Ohio area Tiki anything? - General Tiki

T tikibars Tiki Socialite Aku Hall, Chicago Joined: Apr 11, 2002 Posts: 2034	T tikibars Posted posted on Wed, Feb 26, 2003 2:42 PM Well, guys, all I can say is that I spent 24 years living near Cleveland. There is just no Tiki in Ohio now that Kahiki is gone - that's why I moved to Chicago! :) If you really want a fix, try the Tiki McDonalds near Kent, which is so vile, in my opinion, that it is the ONLY Tiki spot that I purposely left out of my book (accidental ommisions will be corrected in a second edition after I get flamed to a crisp here on TC!). I believe the Tiki Lanes in Lancaster is still open, but reports don't indicate much reason to go there. Here's my Ohio report: "Tiki-hunting disasters in Cleveland: The Bamboo Palace at 16610 Lorain is just a really dirty Chinese restaurant. Tradewinds at 319 E. 200th St. in Euclid is a local pub. No Tiki. The Bali Ha'i restaurant on Euclid Avenue is another Chinese restaurant, but there is a small lounge. Behind the bar, you may spot one or two Tiki mugs. Aside from the cool signage though, there is no real reason to stop by. The Beachcomber in Grand River, Ohio (about 45 minutes east of Cleveland) used to be a Tiki Bar, but like the Kon Tiki (in the Sheraton Hotel) in downtown Cleveland, it is now gone. The Islander Grille is at 7581 Pearl Rd. in Middleburg Heights. A few doors down is the Islander Cleaners(!) (7563 Pearl), and around the corner is The Islander Apartments (7711 Normandie). Clearly there was a Polynesian Dynasty in Middleburg Heights at some point, but there isn't so much as a stick of bamboo left in any of the three locations. Nothing Tiki whatsoever. Reports indicate that there was once a mighty Tiki Temple on the spot, however. If you drive east on Pearl road from these spots, you WILL find a googie ice cream stand, an equally cool bowling alley, another googie car-wash, and a few other semi-retro buildings. There is also a great old-skool drive-in on Miles Road in North Randall. The Sea World that was located in nearby Geauga had a Hawaiian themed area with Tikis, but that has long since been dismantled. All hope is not lost, however. Those desparate for a Mai Tai can find some satisfaction: Bamboo House Chinese Restaurant, 640 Dover Center Rd, Bay Village, OH (440) 871-1966 Bamboo House still has its original 1960s decor, and some of the best Chinese food in town. Try their gingery homemade sweet-sour sauce and homemade egg rolls, the honey chicken, and the pork egg fu yung. Suffering Bastards are served in Tiki Mugs, while other tropical drinks are served in panda mugs. Dragon Gate Chinese Restaurant, 8701 Brookpark Rd, Parma, OH (216) 661-0800 Dragon Gate is an old-fashioned Cantonese restaurant has been a Parma institution for decades. Sample the sizzling Hawaiian dishes, pupus served in native style with flaming hibachi, Tiki-patterned menus, and exotic drinks. Also of interest is the golf driving range behind it with the neat super sized golfball and their own retro vending machines that dispense beer. Lancaster: Tiki Lanes, 1521 Tiki Lane Road, Lancaster, OH (740) 654-4513 Category VI (other) - Bowling Alley The building’s facade is a lovely 1950’s tiled mosaic of Tiki masks, torches and spears, and electric lit faux torches on the columns. The interior is as bland as a Kenny G record. Just inside is the door to the ‘Tiki Restaurant’, a reminder of what once was: frosted glass with the words etched in an Ameri-Polynesian-style font. The staff all have name tags with the same font, and the walls on the far ends of the alley are covered with murals of a sunset-hued beach and sailboats. Other than that, there is nothing left of Tiki. Tiki Lanes used to have full-on Tiki decor, but it was removed around 1990. The bartenders will need to consult their Bartender’s Recipe Book if you order a Mai Tai; however the resulting drink is typically strong, and inexpensive. CLOSED: Kon Tiki Ports (Stephen Crane's...), Sheraton-Clevleand Hotel, Cleveland, OH Kon Tiki Ports (Stephen Crane's...), Sheraton-Gibson Hotel, Cincinatti, OH The frighteningly named Terminal Tower in the center of downtown Cleveland was once the home of Cleveland’s Kon-Tiki Ports location. A complete renovation of the property in the 1980’s utterly decimated any trace of the Kon Tiki’s existance that might have remained. Kon Tiki movie theatre, Dayton, OH Rattan Room, Warren, OH Tropics, Dayton, OH " ... you might want to take a mission to the Sheraton-Gibson in Cinci to see if any trace of Kon Tiki remains, and to Dayton and Warren to see what artifacts are extant there. Do let us know what you find. And THAT, my friends, is ALL of the Ohio Tiki, past or present, that I am aware of.

Well, guys, all I can say is that I spent 24 years living near Cleveland.
There is just no Tiki in Ohio now that Kahiki is gone - that's why I moved to Chicago!
:)

If you really want a fix, try the Tiki McDonalds near Kent, which is so vile, in my opinion, that it is the ONLY Tiki spot that I purposely left out of my book (accidental ommisions will be corrected in a second edition after I get flamed to a crisp here on TC!).

I believe the Tiki Lanes in Lancaster is still open, but reports don't indicate much reason to go there.

Here's my Ohio report:

"Tiki-hunting disasters in Cleveland:

The Bamboo Palace at 16610 Lorain is just a really dirty Chinese restaurant.

Tradewinds at 319 E. 200th St. in Euclid is a local pub. No Tiki.

The Bali Ha'i restaurant on Euclid Avenue is another Chinese restaurant, but there is a small lounge. Behind the bar, you may spot one or two Tiki mugs. Aside from the cool signage though, there is no real reason to stop by.

The Beachcomber in Grand River, Ohio (about 45 minutes east of Cleveland) used to be a Tiki Bar, but like the Kon Tiki (in the Sheraton Hotel) in downtown Cleveland, it is now gone.

The Islander Grille is at 7581 Pearl Rd. in Middleburg Heights. A few doors down is the Islander Cleaners(!) (7563 Pearl), and around the corner is The Islander Apartments (7711 Normandie). Clearly there was a Polynesian Dynasty in Middleburg Heights at some point, but there isn't so much as a stick of bamboo left in any of the three locations. Nothing Tiki whatsoever. Reports indicate that there was once a mighty Tiki Temple on the spot, however.

If you drive east on Pearl road from these spots, you WILL find a googie ice cream stand, an equally cool bowling alley, another googie car-wash, and a few other semi-retro buildings. There is also a great old-skool drive-in on Miles Road in North Randall. The Sea World that was located in nearby Geauga had a Hawaiian themed area with Tikis, but that has long since been dismantled.

All hope is not lost, however. Those desparate for a Mai Tai can find some satisfaction:

Bamboo House Chinese Restaurant, 640 Dover Center Rd, Bay Village, OH (440) 871-1966
Bamboo House still has its original 1960s decor, and some of the best Chinese food in town. Try their gingery homemade sweet-sour sauce and homemade egg rolls, the honey chicken, and the pork egg fu yung. Suffering Bastards are served in Tiki Mugs, while other tropical drinks are served in panda mugs.

Dragon Gate Chinese Restaurant, 8701 Brookpark Rd, Parma, OH (216) 661-0800
Dragon Gate is an old-fashioned Cantonese restaurant has been a Parma institution for decades. Sample the sizzling Hawaiian dishes, pupus served in native style with flaming hibachi, Tiki-patterned menus, and exotic drinks. Also of interest is the golf driving range behind it with the neat super sized golfball and their own retro vending machines that dispense beer.

Lancaster:

Tiki Lanes, 1521 Tiki Lane Road, Lancaster, OH (740) 654-4513
Category VI (other) - Bowling Alley

The building’s facade is a lovely 1950’s tiled mosaic of Tiki masks, torches and spears, and electric lit faux torches on the columns.
The interior is as bland as a Kenny G record. Just inside is the door to the ‘Tiki Restaurant’, a reminder of what once was: frosted glass with the words etched in an Ameri-Polynesian-style font. The staff all have name tags with the same font, and the walls on the far ends of the alley are covered with murals of a sunset-hued beach and sailboats. Other than that, there is nothing left of Tiki. Tiki Lanes used to have full-on Tiki decor, but it was removed around 1990.
The bartenders will need to consult their Bartender’s Recipe Book if you order a Mai Tai; however the resulting drink is typically strong, and inexpensive.

CLOSED:

Kon Tiki Ports (Stephen Crane's...), Sheraton-Clevleand Hotel, Cleveland, OH
Kon Tiki Ports (Stephen Crane's...), Sheraton-Gibson Hotel, Cincinatti, OH

The frighteningly named Terminal Tower in the center of downtown Cleveland was once the home of Cleveland’s Kon-Tiki Ports location. A complete renovation of the property in the 1980’s utterly decimated any trace of the Kon Tiki’s existance that might have remained.

Kon Tiki movie theatre, Dayton, OH

Rattan Room, Warren, OH

Tropics, Dayton, OH "

... you might want to take a mission to the Sheraton-Gibson in Cinci to see if any trace of Kon Tiki remains, and to Dayton and Warren to see what artifacts are extant there. Do let us know what you find.

And THAT, my friends, is ALL of the Ohio Tiki, past or present, that I am aware of.

Post #24511 by tikibars on Wed, Feb 26, 2003 2:42 PM