Smoke Tiki, San Jose, CA, (bar)

Name:Smoke Tiki, San Jose, CA
Type:bar
Street:152 Post Street
City:San Jose
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone: (408) 292-4266
Status:Opening December 2005

Description:
Hi guys,
I was on my way to work this morning and heard an ad on the radio for a new tiki lounge opening in San Jose. If any TCers are interested in organizing an outing to check it out, let me know.

Here's the website:
http://www.smoketiki.com/contact/default.aspx

[ Edited by: CruzinTiki 2005-11-30 22:50 ]

[ Edited by: CruzinTiki 2005-11-30 22:53 ]

Nice stock pictures of young party girls on their web site. Other then that I don't see much reason to go.

"The Heart of Jawaiian Fun" Huh?

Al and I drove by that place in early October before it was opened. I believe there are posts about this place refering to it as "Smokin' Tiki" ?

I dunno - tropical drinks and BBQ - if it's good - sounds like paradise to me - although I would be sure NOT to go there during the live music, unless it's Hawaiian music.

Hanford & I were invited to a Game Developers Conference party at Smoke Tiki last week.

Pros:

• tasty food (the "smoke" in Smoke Tiki is because it's a smokehouse)
• friendly service
• lots of tikis
• some neat bamboo & a-frame details inside
• big back patio with a second bar

Cons:

• music so bad, you're worried it's going to follow you home and do unspeakable things to your dog
• "drinks" that would serve better as a glaze over angel food cake
• aforementioned music is so loud that you can't hear a goddamned thing
• some of the tikiness is on the cartoony side
• lit like a bad disco

Pictures here:
http://photo.humuhumu.com/v/smoketiki/

More detailed review here:
http://blog.humuhumu.com/2006/03/29/game-developers-conference-smoke-tiki-san-jose

I've been in there several times, and found it to be a 20-somthing hang-out with bad service. I was glad to hear the service that you guys experianced was better.

The stone carvngs are sweet, (note the subtle bike chain keeping them from being heisted) carved from "living" stone. Doug at Pacific Blue Traders had them made in Java, by giving airport suvineers to stone masons who do the work with a hammer and a piece of sharpened re-bar.

Some of the wood tikis are from a collection of a Local tree surgeon who has carved since the 1960s, and just recently sold all his works to them, as he has contracted a serious illness.

I've found it horribly dissapointing...but since the owners have deep pockets as the also own the Mission Ale House (where QB Jeff Garcia tanked up for his DUI) the place has time to turn things around.

Just around the corner from it is a fantastic place called the Caravan. It's a Morroccan themed place...a total dump to be sure, but worthey of refurbishing before it's too late.

I dig the one sconce in Humuhumu's pix that looks like the Rietveld Tikinator. I can't tell if its die cut metal or really exactly what I'm looking at. At least I think it's a sconce.

That's what I thought it looked like, too! I wonder if it's legit?

I found myself in the Smoke Tiki area last week, so I called good ol Bamzeno to meet up with me for a drink. He was around so we hooked up. It's described pretty accurately by eariler posts. The night of our visit was on Friday and I was warned by Bamzeno of what was in store. There are a few cool tikis to look at and it's always nice to be on the patio on as the day ends. Our waitress was cute and was freindly and the food brought to us was tasty. I was drinkin' Mojitos that were bit on the too sweet side, the music was loud and nothing I would voluntarily listen too. When I walked out to the patio some lit up guy starts hollerin' "Hey Spicolli" at me. I tried to ignore him but the bugga did it everytime I walked by him. So I decided to tell I wasn't wearing the correct vans to be called Spicolli. I then started calling him "Cheech" He was informed me he was black and Puerto Rican and not Mexican. I couldnt think of any famous Black Pureto Ricans that looked like him so I stared at him blankly. He didn't call me Spicolli me much after that.
Once the Friday night drinkin' crowd started lining up to mix it up with the afternnon drinkin crowd and the disco effects kicked in, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I would recommend going in the early afternnoon on nice day for an early dinner but prepare to bolt for the door when the night life kicks in.

Chongolio

I recently visited the Smoke Tiki this weekend. They now have live music on Thursday and Friday nights. The band I saw was called "Bag of Toys". They were really good and played mostly a Jack Johnson style surf rock with a little reggae, covering songs from Bob Marely to G. Love. Also a side note, they serve some of the alcoholic drinks in a large volcano bowl, complete with a center chamber filled with flamming alcohol. Upon further questioning I found that you can purchase the bowl to take home for only 10 dollars! I'll try to post picutres soon.

quick edit, I found out what the bowl is. http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/mug.cgi?mode=view&mug_id=958 now I realize what a bargain it was for 10 dollars

[ Edited by: mjrphreak 2006-08-22 17:31 ]

Closed for good 1/1/10

Adios...man, what a pisser. How can there be so many Nail Salons and so few Tiki Bars?

That stinks! Although I was only there once I liked it and they had really good Tri-Tip. Now that it's gone you can see why Hanford felt it was important to keep it on the Tiki Central Crawl.