Post #497572 by dewey-surf on Sat, Dec 5, 2009 7:35 PM

On 2009-12-04 08:43, bigbrotiki wrote:
It's the "Thinking out loud man" again! :) We have been thru all of that, and I have fully acknowledged that many times, David.

I woke up in a bad mood this morning, and the last question by this Mai Kai seeker just was going a LITTLE too far into the "Gourmet Magazine" genre (for MY taste). Everybody here knows my attitude: It is the ART that makes Tiki Temples different from the rest of the restaurant world. After that, it's the cocktails. And then if the food is good, great.

Remember my foreword to Tiki Road Trip?:

"The criteria for the search of a Tiki establishment are quite different than those for any other restaurant.
Humility in the face of the rarity of the few remaining Tiki temples is a good attitude. Do not expect epicurean sensations, and if you want friendly family service, go to IHOP. This is urban archeology, and if the carpet is stained and the blowfish lamps are mummified from forty years of nicotine, appreciate the place as if it was King Tut’s tomb, it is not supposed to be Starbucks."

Like I said, I fully realize and appreciate the reality that, to survive, any Polynesian palace has to have good food, and ...yada yada yada.
Now I am done ranting, just leave me to my moody morning musings, and proceed in your petty bourgeois interests, please. :)

I tend to agree with bigbrotiki. The Mai Kai food is good, but I wouldn't expect to find a Zagat rating on it, and nobody should expect to have the best meal ever.

We have been driving over to the Mai Kai yearly over the last decade. Some of the charm was the black garbage can bag, covering a hole in the ceiling (last check it has now been fixed), or the dust on one of the tiki heads. The place is classic, with outstanding drinks, and a vibe you can not replicate.

We always start with an appetizer, I usually get a Barrel O' Rum to start, then a Cobra Kiss. We end up in the bar afterwards where I have a Mai Tai. The gift shop has some decent stuff, but the main things worth picking up are Mai Kai speficic items be it mugs or a shirt. You can get regular Tiki Farm mugs any-old place. Main thing is enjoy the ambiance to the fullest. It is a vanishing art.