USA Today's 10 Best Tiki Bars Around the USA - General Tiki

J JOHN-O Tiki Socialite Dogtown, USA Joined: May 16, 2008 Posts: 2721	J JOHN-O Posted posted on Thu, Nov 27, 2014 10:08 PM On 2014-11-27 20:57, kkocka wrote: I'd rather pay money to (eat and) drink something delicious and well made than be in a fantasy land and be served junk. Now my ideal tiki bar has both - maybe one is more successful than the other, but in my eyes they better be pretty level in quality. You can't tell me you'd be cool with the so called Mai Tai in the video above just because there's an indoor pool and it rains occasionally. That's like getting a McDonald's burger when you're tipping a waiter. Most the photos I've seen of the Tonga Room have DJ's in the middle. So tiki! :P Hmm... To me urban archeology and "ancestor worship" are the true hearts of the Tiki Revival. I always like to go back to the Bigbro's forewords in "Tiki Road Trip"..."...Humility in the face of the rare few remaining Tiki temples is 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 40 years of nicotine, appreciate the place as if was King Tut's tomb; it is not supposed to be Starbucks." :) I've been to 7 of the 10 on the list and my #1 favorite Tiki bar didn't even make the cut. The Hala Kahiki (outside of Chicago, not to be confused with the defunct Kahiki in Ohio) was the most sublime Tiki time travel that I've experienced to date. The drinks were far from craft but I would've been happy just sipping club soda in that place. [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2014-11-27 22:10 ]

On 2014-11-27 20:57, kkocka wrote:
I'd rather pay money to (eat and) drink something delicious and well made than be in a fantasy land and be served junk. Now my ideal tiki bar has both - maybe one is more successful than the other, but in my eyes they better be pretty level in quality. You can't tell me you'd be cool with the so called Mai Tai in the video above just because there's an indoor pool and it rains occasionally. That's like getting a McDonald's burger when you're tipping a waiter. Most the photos I've seen of the Tonga Room have DJ's in the middle. So tiki! :P

Hmm... To me urban archeology and "ancestor worship" are the true hearts of the Tiki Revival. I always like to go back to the Bigbro's forewords in "Tiki Road Trip"..."...Humility in the face of the rare few remaining Tiki temples is 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 40 years of nicotine, appreciate the place as if was King Tut's tomb; it is not supposed to be Starbucks."

I've been to 7 of the 10 on the list and my #1 favorite Tiki bar didn't even make the cut. The Hala Kahiki (outside of Chicago, not to be confused with the defunct Kahiki in Ohio) was the most sublime Tiki time travel that I've experienced to date. The drinks were far from craft but I would've been happy just sipping club soda in that place.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2014-11-27 22:10 ]

Post #732269 by JOHN-O on Thu, Nov 27, 2014 10:08 PM