Post #784125 by kevincrossman on Mon, Feb 19, 2018 4:48 PM

New (to me) tiki bar day.

Finally got out to Walnut Creek to check out Tiki Tom’s. After spending the week at The Kon-Tiki, Forbidden Island, and Trader Vic’s was I able to complete the “Alameda County Tiki Grand Slam”?

Hardly.

This place has lousy ratings amongst tikiphiles and for good reason. The decor is a mix of sports/dive and tiki, and embraces a working class vibe. It’s a little surprising considering it is sitting smack in the middle of Walnut Creek’s upscale shopping district. TVs over the Bar were showing Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (later, the Olympics) and there are game day Corona banners all over the place. There are quite a few tikis (none seem very authentic, though) with lots of Hawaiian elements. There is a nice stone feature at the entrance but mostly this feels like tourist-tiki circa 1999. The cartoony logo is consistent with this theme.

But, at 3:00 pm on Presidents Day I have to say the crowd was lively (mostly 20-30s crowd) and everyone seemed to be having fun. Music was reggae and the bartender was super friendly.

My Island-style Mai Tai was a mixed bag (remember, I don’t immediately disregard Island Mai Tais) but as you can see used low-ish end rums. At least the drinks are priced accordingly: the Mai Tai is listed at just $8 and my Mai Tai was just $4 (happy hour?).

Tiki Tom’s Mai Tai
Captain Morgan White
Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
Grenadine
Float with Cruzan 151 and Myers’s
Garnish with orange, lemon, lime, cherry.