Post #792608 by Sandbartender on Tue, Jan 22, 2019 6:51 AM

For me the biggest things is service.
If you're at a tiki place, you want to be chill. Nothing kills the mood faster than a staff that acts like they don't want you there.

2nd would be the general atmosphere. Music*, NO TVs!, low lighting, and general space vibe.

3rd would be the drinks. Make crappy drinks and I'll only visit once, MAYBE twice if the space is amazing.

4th is the specific "tiki-ness", I don't much care for the rainbow Party City tiki garbage, but if EVERYTHING else on the list above was out of the park I'd be able to look past this.
Generally speaking though, if the bar owner hasn't done their homework on the actual "tiki" in tiki, chances are good that they're phoning it in everywhere else as well.
I tend to like things low-key, but I'd be down for something amazing and over-the-top themey if the drinks and vibe are good.

Caveat- after all the above, let me say that I'm a hermit, and it's going to take a hell of a lot to get me out of the house to begin with. LOL

*Music- I'm good with classic exotica, old school reggae/mento/ska/calypso, old school surf, or even some newer stuff.
I don't much care for some of the low-brow modern cross-over stuff though. And while I like rockabilly on it's own, I DON'T care for it in tiki settings at all.

[ Edited by: Sandbartender 2019-01-22 06:54 ]