The Conga Lounge, Oakland, CA (bar) - Locating Tiki

MM Molokai Mike Member the birthplace of the Mai Tai Joined: Jun 26, 2003 Posts: 513	MM Molokai Mike Posted posted on Fri, Feb 13, 2015 10:24 AM It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of our beloved little tiki bar. Conga Lounge, was founded 12 years ago by my brothers and I, as an experiment to see if "tiki" could work in that day and age. It was the early 2000s, the tiki bug had bitten me hard and I had a dream of up a classic mid-century style tiki lounge, serving traditional tiki cocktails. This was still a dark time for the concept, several that had opened in LA and the midwest, were closing their doors after a brief period. We had an available 2nd floor to our pizza restaurant and so, Conga Lounge was born in 2003. It was an immediate success and set the stage for the "ultimate dream"...Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge. http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2015/02/03/conga-lounge-and-cafe-rustica-closing-in-rockridge/ Unfortunately, most TC's only experienced the Conga during a crowded, packed stop of one of the Tiki Crawls and never fully got to experience the awesomeness of this quaint little space. It also got overshadowed over the years, by the newer East Bay/ San Francisco tiki bars and lounges that opened it it's wake. Nevertheless, Conga has it's place in the Bay Area's rich tiki history, as one of the first "tiki-revival" bars in tiki's new golden age. At the time Conga opened, there was no tiki presence in the Bay Area other than the remaining Tiki mecca's like Trader Vics and Tonga Room (which were both perceived at the time as old-school and tired) and party tiki spots like Bamboo Hut and Trader Sams, both infamous for their dreadful concoctions passed as Tiki drinks. We set to change all of that by opening Conga. Shortly afterward, Kona Club and Forbidden Island opened and spearheaded a tiki revolution in the the Bay Area, which quickly spread across the country. We are sad to see the Conga go and are even sadder for our hundreds of regulars and fans, esp those that have bonded, fallen in love or married as a result of meeting at the Conga! Unfortunately, tied to a 25 year old pizza restaurant, that has been struggling financially, spelled the end of our beloved tiki bar. We will miss you, Conga Lounge and you will always hold a special place in our hearts! Final date is Saturday 2/21. A little photo tour... [ Edited by: Molokai Mike 2015-02-13 10:26 ]

It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of our beloved little tiki bar. Conga Lounge, was founded 12 years ago by my brothers and I, as an experiment to see if "tiki" could work in that day and age. It was the early 2000s, the tiki bug had bitten me hard and I had a dream of up a classic mid-century style tiki lounge, serving traditional tiki cocktails. This was still a dark time for the concept, several that had opened in LA and the midwest, were closing their doors after a brief period. We had an available 2nd floor to our pizza restaurant and so, Conga Lounge was born in 2003. It was an immediate success and set the stage for the "ultimate dream"...Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge.

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2015/02/03/conga-lounge-and-cafe-rustica-closing-in-rockridge/

Unfortunately, most TC's only experienced the Conga during a crowded, packed stop of one of the Tiki Crawls and never fully got to experience the awesomeness of this quaint little space. It also got overshadowed over the years, by the newer East Bay/ San Francisco tiki bars and lounges that opened it it's wake. Nevertheless, Conga has it's place in the Bay Area's rich tiki history, as one of the first "tiki-revival" bars in tiki's new golden age. At the time Conga opened, there was no tiki presence in the Bay Area other than the remaining Tiki mecca's like Trader Vics and Tonga Room (which were both perceived at the time as old-school and tired) and party tiki spots like Bamboo Hut and Trader Sams, both infamous for their dreadful concoctions passed as Tiki drinks. We set to change all of that by opening Conga. Shortly afterward, Kona Club and Forbidden Island opened and spearheaded a tiki revolution in the the Bay Area, which quickly spread across the country.

We are sad to see the Conga go and are even sadder for our hundreds of regulars and fans, esp those that have bonded, fallen in love or married as a result of meeting at the Conga! Unfortunately, tied to a 25 year old pizza restaurant, that has been struggling financially, spelled the end of our beloved tiki bar. We will miss you, Conga Lounge and you will always hold a special place in our hearts! Final date is Saturday 2/21.

A little photo tour...

[ Edited by: Molokai Mike 2015-02-13 10:26 ]

Post #737299 by Molokai Mike on Fri, Feb 13, 2015 10:24 AM