Post #766806 by JenTiki on Fri, Jul 29, 2016 7:30 AM

On 2016-07-28 15:36, TikiHardBop wrote:

I found that I really liked Pagan Idol, even though I have had very few people talk about it. It's got a very cool vibe, and the drinks are good. It is also pretty small, so go early.

Here are my thoughts on why you may not have heard as much about Pagan Idol.

1. It's relatively new having just opened earlier this year.
2. It's not run by Tiki Central ohana.
3. The Bay Area tiki people really love Smuggler's Cove and its owners. I really like Pagan Idol, and if I still worked in SF (my office was two blocks from it), I would probably be there at least a couple times a month. But I have a sense of loyalty to Smuggler's Cove that makes it difficult, for me at least, to promote a bar that could be seen as its competition.

All that said, I think Pagan Idol is a very good tiki bar that is doing it right. I enjoyed the drinks I had there, and they've got the beginnings of a very good rum selection. The décor is also very cool! I mean have you seen the lighting fixtures in the front room! :o Those are crazy!

But when I'm back in San Francisco for a few days in September, I will rack up many more hours on a barstool at Smuggler's Cove than I will at Pagan Idol. Partly due to my sense of loyalty, but also because Pagan Idol wouldn't even exist if Smuggler's Cove hadn't paved the tiki highway for them in San Francisco. Then there's the fact that I can feel the nipping at my heels of about a dozen people trying to beat my rum count at Smuggler's Cove (which currently stands at 543) so I've got some drinking to do!