tiki cocktail lounge, modesto, ca, (bar)

Name:tiki cocktail lounge, modesto, ca
Type:bar
Street:932 mchenry ave.
City:modesto
State:CA
Zip:95354
country:USA
Phone:209 577-9969
Status:operational

Description:
a mile or so down the street from minnie's restaurant lies a small, inconspicuous tiki lounge known as the tiki. it was briefly mentioned in The Book of Tiki, and has remained a staple in modesto for many years. with its VERY strong cocktails and tiki-esque joined motel next door, you are in for a night of fun. the bar is contained within one room, and is fairly small and very dark. there is an outside patio in the front. parking is in the back. as you enter from the front (and this is recommended to see the tiki statues rather than taking the easy route from the back), you will encounter wood carved tiki poles. go inside and see an open fire pit to the left. to the immediate right is the juxebox which has a wide selection of music....popular rock, surfabilly, some lounge, etc. behind the bar are many tiki artifacts....but they are difficult to see in the dim light. the tiki is known for their line of stickers. i have scanned images of the bar but i do not have a host to post them currently. (if someone could help me with this aspect?)

to the right are a few booths with thatch roofs. a fish tank that could use a cleaning is also housed within the bar. a blacklit hallway finishes out the joint...with bathrooms located along this passage.

the drinks are very VERY good. i recommend their mai tais...if you prefer a strong cocktail. they are tall and of a reasonable price. no food menu is offered.

[ Edited by: tikicleen on 2003-11-13 22:59 ]

okay, i think i figured out how to post a picture. if this turns out right, you will see a few pictures of the tiki, and one of the motel next door. the manager of the motel once told me that the tikis that are placed around the motel are from new zealand. (not sure if he was just pulling my leg) i also scanned one of the infamous tiki stickers that the tiki is always producing. they have many different designs, changing frequently.

i hope that worked!

:tiki: tikicleen :tiki:

[ Edited by: tikicleen on 2003-11-13 23:06 ]

[ Edited by: tikicleen on 2003-11-13 23:10 ]

[ Edited by: tikicleen on 2003-11-13 23:20 ]

[ Edited by: tikicleen on 2003-11-13 23:27 ]

a couple more images

The above image is a Schmaltz not a Guanko.

As far as I know, all The Tropics Motel Tikis (Palm Springs, Fresno, Blythe, Indio) were carved by Ed Crissman for Oceanic Arts.

OH!, Okay, Ed Crissman, he worked independently of OA? Where can I see more of his work?..........BOT?

Thanks for clarifying that Bro.

Hey JT, I took a boatload of pics of the Crissman tikis at Caliente Tropics when I was there in September:

http://public.fotki.com/Humuhumu/la_trip/

Thanks Humu2. Love his style.

I love this bar! I had a great time there with Jungletrader. I stayed at the motel, and I do not recommend it- unless you are up for extremely low brow adventure and are looking to be in an episode of Cops.

I was actually kind of disappointed by this bar. The screamin' jukebox blasting Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Creed, and tons of other crappy bands was enough to torture my lady friend and I half to death, make our ears bleed, and remind us nothing of paradise lost. The 'riff raff' in the place seemed to be starving to get their freak on... I'm almost sure some of the vixens were tryin' to turn Johns to bring back to the weathered Tropics Motel next door. Lots of thuggish types were eye-ing my girlfriend all night, which increased with their intake of booze. We predicted that there would be a fight during our visit at the bar, and sure enough there was one in the patio area (luckily it didn't involve us). That was enough for us... so we split to the Tropics to crash very uncomfortably. The motel in itself is a whole other story.

Yeah, there's usually a fight there. I had to dive into a booth as a few guys traded blows past me. I don't go their very often.

In order for The Tiki to make a comeback that entire area would need a clean-up do-over.

Maybe someday.

The Tiki Lounge is for sale, last I heard at 320,000 clams. This is your chance to own a tiki bar.

Man, someone cool needs to snatch this thing and do it the damn justice it deserves!

An intriguing update to the Tiki Cocktail Lounge story... it has reportedly become a gay bar recently, and a small rainbow flag behind the bar seemed to attest to that when we were there this past weekend during Hooptylau. The only folks in the bar during our visit were TCers, as it was a little on the early side. Assuming it's true, it's very welcome news.

Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki

[ Edited by: Humuhumu 2005-10-18 17:31 ]

On 2005-10-18 17:30, Humuhumu wrote:
An intriguing update to the Tiki Cocktail Lounge story... it has reportedly become a gay bar recently, and a small rainbow flag behind the bar seemed to attest to that when we were there this past weekend during Hooptylau. The only folks in the bar during our visit were TCers, as it was a little on the early side. Assuming it's true, it's very welcome news.

That it's a gay bar?

i think that what humu means is if it is true then the bad element of modesto is less likely to go there. anyone who went there in the last few years will know that the tiki had been over run with drug dealers and thugs in general.
if it is a gay bar those folks will not want to hang out there. i don't think hanging out in a gay bar is good for their street credibility. so all us tiki-philes can go there enjoy the decor(which it seems the new owners have cleaned up and added too so it probably won't change. yeah!) and not worry about being beat up or robbed.

i have to agree with humu in that this is the best thing that could of happened to the tiki!

I don't get it either Unga.

In the half dozen times I've been there in the last 7 years I never experienced a thug element at the Tiki Lounge, just a young college crowd, especially late at night. (The thugs stay in their rooms at the tropics making drug deals). Whereas before it was a mixed younger crowd (girls and guys), now it might be all guys. Improvement? Sigh.

[ Edited by: thejab 2005-10-19 10:43 ]

Well, hopefully Modesto's lesbian contingent will get out their alohawear and plunge right in! :wink:

A charming old dive bar in Old Vallejo, The Town House, has become a delightful place to hang out since it joined the rainbow brigade. Ladies and crossdressers too, and straight folks are made most welcome as long as they're friendly! Personally I find this a great improvement over the angry monster truck dudes, loudmouthed tweakers, drug-dealers and truly scary alkies who used to populate the place...

Mind you, I still think the best time to go to any vintage bar is in the afternoon on a weekday. Oldtimer clientele are the best. It's sad that The Tiki doesn't seem to have much of that...where DO old folks in Modesto drink, I wonder?

On 2005-10-19 18:09, tikivixen wrote:
Mind you, I still think the best time to go to any vintage bar is in the afternoon on a weekday. Oldtimer clientele are the best. It's sad that The Tiki doesn't seem to have much of that...where DO old folks in Modesto drink, I wonder?

i can answer this! at MINNIE'S!!! minnie's has a regular lunch clientele which mainly consists of lawyers and old regulars. there is one man who is there EVERYday and he claims that he used to help out minnie wu in the kitchen back in the day (when hop owned it!). my work scheduled doesnt allow me to do lunch at minnie's, but some day i am determined to interview this man. he is bound to have some great stories.

I went there about 3 months ago and have to agree with some of the posts. It is a really cool place with decor but a total dive in the same respects. The place is notorious for fights and being a place for thugs to hang out. The drinks were way to strong when I was there. I asked about the financial status and the bartender told me that the rumor has been going on for like 15 years and that only for the right price would the bar actually sale. As for being a gay bar, I drove by it the other night and it seems to be the same with the same local hanging out back and in the patio.

For more information go to http://www.myspace.com/tiki_lounge

It says it is now a "Metro gay bar"

On 2005-10-27 23:28, mjrphreak wrote:
I went there about 3 months ago and have to agree with some of the posts. It is a really cool place with decor but a total dive in the same respects. The place is notorious for fights and being a place for thugs to hang out. The drinks were way to strong when I was there. I asked about the financial status and the bartender told me that the rumor has been going on for like 15 years and that only for the right price would the bar actually sale. As for being a gay bar, I drove by it the other night and it seems to be the same with the same local hanging out back and in the patio.

On 2005-12-02 14:47, fm1971 wrote:
For more information go to http://www.myspace.com/tiki_lounge
It says it is now a "Metro gay bar"

Metro Retro Gay Tiki Bar.
Sven! Can you help us out on this one?

On 2005-12-02 15:06, Unga Bunga wrote:

On 2005-12-02 14:47, fm1971 wrote:
For more information go to http://www.myspace.com/tiki_lounge
It says it is now a "Metro gay bar"

Metro Retro Gay Tiki Bar.
Sven! Can you help us out on this one?

TIKI!!!

?Moi? How come I am the specialist for the metro gay scene now? Did I miss a post or thread or something?

I have not been to the Tiki in years (see photo of sign and A-frame in b.g. on page 23 of BOT, upper left corner), and I never thought I would read a review like "I was at the Tiki last night and I have to say it is a hot sexy bitch!"

Also I dunno about "YOU are BONDAGE BEAR! ...and you like kinky stuff, like handcuffs. And ropes. Probably spanking, too, you dirty bear!"

But in general I support any group or clientel that frequents an authentic Tiki Bar and thus ensures it's survival. Sounds better than the previous crowd, at least. Make love not war.

On 2005-12-02 16:54, bigbrotiki wrote:
?Moi? How come I am the specialist for the metro gay scene now? Did I miss a post or thread or something?

I have not been to the Tiki in years (see photo of sign and A-frame in b.g. on page 23 of BOT, upper left corner), and I never thought I would read a review like "I was at the Tiki last night and I have to say it is a hot sexy bitch!"

Also I dunno about "YOU are BONDAGE BEAR! ...and you like kinky stuff, like handcuffs. And ropes. Probably spanking, too, you dirty bear!"

But in general I support any group or clientel that frequents an authentic Tiki Bar and thus ensures it's survival. Sounds better than the previous crowd, at least. Make love not war.

Ha. ha, ha, ha....
Sven, This is too funny.
My son Michael thinks we should donate our home tiki bar to the poor. I guess he has heard me talking about the insane prices mugs have been going for on e-bay. How about a tiki bar that gets taken over by a bunch of homeless patrons, no wait, that sounds kind of like the Mai-Kai during the 2004 Hukilau hurricane.
KG

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff 2005-12-02 18:40 ]

Some of us had to go there last night to check it out - and in spite of the house/rave music and the large poster of the topless man above the DJ, it looked like the usual suspects...

there was nary a leather chap or spiked dog collar in sight

I always was curious about the Tiki's wall painting they use as the background to their site:

Is it really vintage? Was it done by the same artist that did the Minnie's velvets across the street? The Tiki they used is in the BOT p.187, I always called it the "Mae West Tiki". It's wood, I got it from Danny Balsz on one of my expeditions out here.

But after that it surfaced in a black Lava-rock material, from Hawaii, together with a different brother Tiki. Did not get them, they were too expensive, but they were very cool Poly-pop style designs.

On 2005-12-03 12:58, bigbrotiki wrote:
I always was curious about the Tiki's wall painting they use as the background to their site:

Is it really vintage? Was it done by the same artist that did the Minnie's velvets across the street? The Tiki they used is in the BOT p.187, I always called it the "Mae West Tiki". It's wood, I got it from Danny Balsz on one of my expeditions out here.

But after that it surfaced in a black Lava-rock material, from Hawaii, together with a different brother Tiki. Did not get them, they were too expensive, but they were very cool Poly-pop style designs.

this painting made its appearance after the "remodel" of a year ago. i personally do not think it is vintage. the artist is joe ???something---cannot recall due to fogginess of the evening--??? and it definitely is not by the same artist (tyree) who did the velvets at minnie's. there are some tyree oils, though, still hanging at the tiki.

and i concur with dangergirl in that there was not a drastic change to the type of crowd. if anything, it is more clean, more tikis up, and less of the sketchy element. they even had the lava pit fireplace going! that is a great sign since the fire pit was out for a number of years.

I concur with cleen, it was clean. Hawaiiana or surf flicks on the TV instead of "Year of the Queer 2005", would be my pics for viewing. We were there early at 10:15. The Tiki normally gets going with a well dressed crowd around 11.

I'm just glad to know it's still there.
(Not that there's anything wrong with that). :)

The Tiki, is a great place to come enjoy the drinks, the atmosphere, and the music. I have been to a few Gay clubs and the Tiki is up there with the best of them. Definitely no Bull. No attitude here, just friends that are beautiful inside and out. The problems of the past are just that, the past. That includes the drug scene. The Tiki, has morphed into a place to meet quality guys and gals. Gay or straight, I strongly recommend that you stop in and check it out. Remember it’s the people that make the party, and speaking of parties, there are themed parties on a regular basis. Tuesday is guest bartender night, so if you want you could be on the other side entertaining and making new friends with Gus.

Tiki Lounge - Modesto

We just visited. It has excellent tiki cred as far as decor, but it the bartender did not know how to make a scorpion or several other tiki drinks we asked for. The Mai Tai we got was tall and cheap, but it was pure rum and not a lot of style. That being said, it was damn cheap! The people in the bar were friendly, but it is definitely a gay bar.

We headed down to Minnie's after for dinner. It is a MUST SEE! Great patio, good food, friendly staff. A classic old tiki restaurant that hasn't changed since it opened, according to my father in law who is from Modesto. LOL!

Copied from Tiki Finds;
"

On 2008-08-30 11:25, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2008-08-29 16:16, Jungle Trader wrote:
Cleen, okay I'll stop. They broke my piggybank anyway. Besides you could always go for the new brightly colored Jimmy Buffet style paintings, ahem, (since most of the velvets are gone).....or the tikis I carved or the expertly mixed fresh fruity concoctions.

WHAT in heaven happened to the velvet nudes? They had a singular collection, it made the place! Is it really becoming devoid of authentic Polynesian pop like that? Someone here just lauded it as an "untouched, old style" Tiki bar...

Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite

Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 2922
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
Posted: 2008-08-30 11:42 am

BigBro, there was a break-in last year. It took the cops 30 minutes to respond. Fear won. Meaning, sell some stuff just in case. There are still some Tyree velvets remaining. If you didn't know, I'll announce it, Minnie's has been for sale for quite some time. No takers. It's old, old, old. Upgrading is expensive. But oh what a dream it could be. "

How is it looking these days?

It's still there with all the same tikis outside in the motel parking lot. Same owner as before. Keigs and I walked in and had a beer just Saturday. Nobody there at 5pm. It's still alive and it remains tiki.

Cool! Thank god for cultural backwaters like Modesto. This is the site of the "TIKI COCKTAILS" sign in the Tiki sign collage page in the Book of Tiki. How many of the three Tikis at the Tropics Motel are left?

I didn't count, but I thought there was more than 3 in the motel parking lot.

Well great -maybe they had babies! That means they are all still there. Thank god for the dry climate in these parts. Back in the day of my early Tiki expeditions, I photographed only three. One day I will scan the slides...

If they had babies they were via Caesar, you know that dude who was in Rome? I'll drive by next week and count them and take pics. Good thing I have fingers.

Instead of starting a whole new thread for The Rodeway Inn I'll post the tikis here as it's right next door to The Tiki Lounge. Sven, there are 4 tikis in the parking lot of the Inn. Here's proof.

And the entrance to The Tiki Lounge in the back

Tikis Are Welcome

This bar was my very first tiki bar experience in California when I moved here from the East coast a few years ago.

This was before I knew that places like Forbidden Island or even Trader Vics existed within a short drive from me .

I have to say that anytime I have gone in there the people who work there are extremely nice and although I prefer FI the one bartender there actually makes a pretty decent mai tai.

I am glad its still around...I just wonder how it survives since I have never seen more than 5 people in there at one time.

More like a gay-tiki friendly place.

How great that they are still in relatively good condition. Now this thread needs the postcard rendering of the place.

On 2009-03-03 19:55, hiltiki wrote:
More like a gay-tiki friendly place.

I wonder if those headbands on the tikis are some kind of gay tiki code.

On 2009-03-03 23:23, bigbrotiki wrote:
How great that they are still in relatively good condition. Now this thread needs the postcard rendering of the place.

Bigbro,

Here is the postcard rendering from the old Tropics Hotel next door. Interesting thing about this card - I have two of these cards with the same painting but one says its from Modesto and one says its from Blythe on the back. Ken Kimes must have been saving money on the advertising budget.

Here is another tiki action shot from the Modesto Tropics. Good to see that this tiki is still alive.

DC

It strikes me as funny/sad that as tikis like these rot at the base over the years, they either keep cutting off the bottom until all you have left is a head (and in this case, reinforced with not-too-flattering metal straps) or in the case of the Mai-Kai, they just keep piling up more cement around the base until their legs are completely encased. Either way, it's not a pretty way to go.

On 2009-03-04 08:21, Dustycajun wrote:

On 2009-03-03 23:23, bigbrotiki wrote:
How great that they are still in relatively good condition. Now this thread needs the postcard rendering of the place.

Bigbro,

Here is the postcard rendering from the old Tropics Hotel next door. Interesting thing about this card - I have two of these cards with the same painting but one says its from Modesto and one says its from Blythe on the back. Ken Kimes must have been saving money on the advertising budget.

Here is another tiki action shot from the Modesto Tropics. Good to see that this tiki is still alive.

DC

Thank for the excellent postcard support, DC. Yeah, the Blythe and Indio Tropics were even smaller than the Modesto one, which never had the porte cochere A-frame lobby portrayed in the rendering...nor was there a Sambo's or any other kind of coffee shop. (Correct me if I my memory fails me, J.T.). It is also interesting how the rendering makes it look like the Motel could be an enclosed courtyard building, while it merely has an L-shaped lay out.

The Palm Springs Tropics was clearly the showcase of the 5 Tiki Tropics, with the L.A./Rosemead Blvd one being the second best (that is what the rendering in the BOT depicts). The sign alone was a work of art. The Rosemead Tropics had been completely de-tikied and generified by the time I got on the Tropics trail.

In retrospect, realizing how far off the Modesto rendering is and how it doubled for Blythe, I cannot help but wonder if that was part of a Ken Kimes scam: Invite the investors to a grand party at the Palm Springs one, and nobody would wanna go to Blythe or Indio anyway. After all, because of being married to Sante Kimes and fathering Kenneth Kimes, Ken Kimes Sr is not looked upon too kindly in the various articles and books about the Mother/son crime duo:

Sante then met a kindred spirit in Kenneth Kimes, a fellow con artist who already amassed a substantial fortune when they met. The pair later had a son Kenny although it is questionable whether they ever married. According to one version, Sante simply forged a marriage certificate.
In any case, the fact that the couple was already rich didn't seem to matter. They pulled scam after scam together, swindling their way across America and amassing more wealth.
Eventually, the couple was finally charged - with slavery.>Sante Kimes was married to wealthy motel owner and land developer Kenneth Kimes, Sr. During her marriage, she became involved in several legal turmoils. In 1986, she was accused and then convicted of 14 counts of enslaving a number of maids, holding them against their will, physically abusing them, and not paying them. She was sentenced to 14 five-year terms to run concurrently in that case. In the same year she was convicted of stealing a fur coat from another customer in a Washington, D.C., restaurant. She was also suspected of arranging the arson of a home in Hawaii in order to collect the insurance.

On the death of her husband, she concealed the fact of his death from his family, apparently out of concern that they would contest her claim to the estate. However, Kenneth Kimes had sequestered much of his fortune in an offshore account in the Cayman Islands, and she was unable to access those funds. She was suspected in the disappearance of a banker in the Bahamas, in the death of a hired man in Los Angeles, and a warrant was issued for writing a bad check for $14,793.50 to purchase an automobile in Utah.>Kenneth Kimes was found guilty of violent conduct, violating direct orders, making threats, assault and possession of a weapon stemming from an October 10 incident during which he took a TV producer hostage in the visiting room at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora in Clinton County.

Sante Kimes faced disciplinary charges following an investigation that began at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County while her son held the hostage at Clinton. Because both she and her son are considered escape risks, she was moved to the disciplinary housing unit during the hostage incident as a security precaution. Officers then searched her cell and found a pen taped at the top to form a hand grip.

hi all~

thanks for posting the great postcards, i always enjoy examining them and seeing the heyday of buildings that have since fallen decrepit and putrid. as for bigbro's question, the modesto tropics indeed had a sambo's next door to the lounge as shown in the postcard.
the address was 926 mchenry avenue.

here is what it looked like:

and here is what it looked like in 2007: