Post #705312 by Atomic Tiki Punk on Tue, Jan 21, 2014 3:33 PM

On 2014-01-21 14:31, finky099 wrote:
This reaches an interesting point now where the line of what is a "tiki bar" starts to get fuzzy. Where do folks draw the lines around what makes something a "tiki" establishment? One tiki does not make a "tiki bar" in and of itself.

Seems to me that stratification of establishments that sell tropical cocktails falls into at least four separate categories: Dedicated Tiki Bar (Forbidden Island), Legacy Tiki Bar (Tonga Room), Tiki/South Seas themed restaurants (Mai-Kai or Bali Hai), and Faux Tiki Bar (Trad'r Sam's...being very generous b/c I wouldn't even include this as "Tiki".)

But, I'm no Sven. :wink: What's the common qualifier for a "tiki" esatblishment? I think this should be a little bit more definable than the general "what is tiki?" question.

Well it is a "Disneyfied Tiki Bar" and as critical as I am of Disney's actual contribution to the Tiki world
many, many TCers here are rabid Disneyphiles whose introduction to tiki was the enchanted Tiki room
and many of those same people are very good friends, I have seen to many people with huge black sad eyes
when I criticize it (I am not completely heartless!) So I just let it slide these days, I just can't take all the crying.

But Trader Sam's does have all the prerequisites of any real Tiki Bar, plus the Pirates of the Caribbean, Indian Jones, Tourist affectations.
I enjoy all my times visiting there, but it has always been due to a large group of friends attending, but damn if the place isn't crazy loud.

Edit: are you referring to Trader Sam's San Francisco? if so.....never mind.

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2014-01-21 17:07 ]