Trader Vic's, Dallas, TX (restaurant)

The old Moai that formally stood guard in front of Dallas Trader Vic's has been officially declared "beyond repair." Those of you who have seen it recently know what kind of shape it was in...not good indeed. TV hired an outside company who is going to make a mold of it and build a replica that will take it's place out front sometime in the future. The old tiki (which officially tipped the scale at over 4000 lbs.) will eventually be auctioned for charity.

Thats good to hear Kenike!
Son of Moai is better than no Moai at all.
Atleast the old one will get a good home with a cherished collector. Maybe one of us :)

[ Edited by: Unkle John 2007-06-02 10:11 ]

BOOOOO!

From the August edition of D Magazine.

**Tepid Tiki

by Teresa Gubbins

Bad news first: the 3,000-pound tiki man that stood tall on Mockingbird for 40 years in front of the original Trader Vic’s might not make it. He is currently on life support with a terminal case of termites, and a full restoration appears impossible.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Tricked-up sea bass is seared “Polynesian style.”
But nearly everything else about Trader Vic’s, the kitschy Polynesian-fusion restaurant that recently reopened in what is now the Hotel Palomar complex at Mockingbird and Central Expressway, has remained miraculously intact.

It’s a great tale of unintentional preservation in which the place sat untouched for nearly 20 years while under the ownership of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s organization. Formerly a Hilton hotel, it was bought by Realty America Group and remodeled into the chic Hotel Palomar. A Trader Vic’s franchise was obtained and, as tiki fans around the world held their breaths, a restoration launched.

Anything that could be retained was: weathered lamps, glass balls, carved beams, handpainted wallpaper, bamboo rods, jade-green ceramic room dividers. It feels a little like Disneyland, but since so many of the fixtures are vintage originals, it possesses an authenticity that a newly constructed equivalent would not. Renovations, such as the raising of the floor in the main dining room, have been artfully applied. Though true to the era, the furniture is new, and so are portions of the carpet, reproduced from a pattern similar to the original.

Also new is the cozy bar called Hinky Dinks, named after the original branch in Emeryville, California, with flat-screen TVs that run nonstop showings of Gilligan’s Island and Bikini Beach. Bartenders wear Hawaiian shirts and, like the rest of the staff, are better at exuding good cheer than delivering great service.

A healthy percentage of the clientele appears to be “original” as well. Trader Vic’s must have been one hell of a scene back in the ’70s. Because the surge of nostalgia is so intense that, from day one, hordes of middle-class baby boomers have mobbed the bar and besieged the dining room, sometimes with teen offspring, to relive their glory days.

THE GOOD NEWS: The Kobe sirloin was one of the best dishes, and the bar, Hinky Dinks, is beautifully restored.
The food sure isn’t the draw. Not that there’s anything wrong with Szechwan prawns, gingered beef and Chinese broccoli, or lamb curry. They’re well-prepared, skillfully seasoned, admirably procured. Trader Vic’s has even installed a chef with a capital C: Mickie Crockett, who previously worked at Gaylord Texan Resort and Culpepper Steakhouse, among other places.

But to comprehend fully what a minor role the food plays in the Trader Vic’s experience, all you have to do is order those $24 prawns to go and place them next to a comparable $5.99 takeout from your favorite local Chinese spot. Not that much difference.

To give Crockett her due, she’s done an okay job of updating some of the funkier options of old. Crab rangoons, for example, held a solid dose of lump crab within their fried wonton shells, and they weren’t too greasy. Crockett has also added modern-sounding items such as the big-eye tuna poke, a ceviche-like mixture of chopped raw tuna in a soy-chili marinade topped with sliced avocado and served with crisp taro chips. The Caesar used Romaine hearts and fine Grana Padano Italian cheese, and those were fresh oysters and fresh spinach floating in the creamy bongo-bongo soup.

Starters and stir-fries were more reliable than the steaks and chops slow-cooked in the restaurant’s two wood-fired ovens. The survival of these two huge Chinese ovens, a good 4 feet high, was tremendous. But in practice, they seem to present difficulties in terms of gauging doneness. A slight undercooking might not be a problem with the restaurant’s signature glazed Chilean sea bass, accompanied by baby spinach, hearts of palm, and charred orange. But it’s obviously no good to be served an underdone version of the pork chop Hawaiian, its center still alarmingly pink. And the “grilled pineapple” with which it was served consisted of a single circular slice; give me a break.

Although they were willing to modernize the food, for some reason they’ve not updated the drinks. Admittedly, Trader Vic’s bar menu is infamous, with its hokey names—Scorpion, Samoan Fog Cutter, Doctor Funk of Tahiti—and schlocky glasses to match. They’re potent for sure, but they don’t taste that good, and the bartenders’ habit of pouring frozen blended drinks over larger ice cubes makes for an unpleasant drinking experience. These days, we have access to fresh fruit juices. You can only take nostalgia so far. 5330 E. Mockingbird Ln. 214-823-0600. $$$. **

Update the drinks to what? Kool-Aid and Bacardi like every other bar in Dallas? I bet she'd like the Schooner Mai Tai at Joe's Crab Shack. Now THERE'S a drink with an un-hokey name.

Oh...forgot to mention...the Scorpion Bowl was voted one of the 8 best drinks in Dallas in the same issue.

[ Edited by: Kenike 2007-07-26 14:17 ]

Lets hope we have enough faith in the owners they don't take that suggestion by her to heart. I think it was a decent article, but I feel with those comments, she missed the point of why it has "resurged" as a icon.

Maybe the misguided Ms. Gubbins needs to see the Dallas TV through the eyes of one of the local ohana to truly appreciate it. Volunteers?

I had only read my issue as far as the Scorpion being pictured and named in the top drinks, that was good enough for me! Anyone who mentions they are going out to eat, I ask if they've been to TV yet, and everyone says no - I tell them they HAVE to go! Say, do you think it's safe to go back, maybe they've forgotten me by now? My birthday is coming up...

On 2007-07-26 14:04, Rumbuddy wrote:
Say, do you think it's safe to go back, maybe they've forgotten me by now? My birthday is coming up...

Naw I doubt they will remember. :)

When is you b-day?

In response to the article in the August issue of D Magazine, I wrote a letter to the editor. To my surprise, it's printed in the October issue in it's entirety:

Totally Wrong About Trader Vic's
Also in August, Teresa Gubbins' less-than-enthused review of the renovated Trader Vic's ("Tepid Tiki") prompted several e-mails questioning her food judgement, including this one.

**Trader Vic’s has had several glowing reviews since they opened in March, so I was quite surprised that Ms. Gubbins’ review was lukewarm at best. I’ve been to the restaurant many times and have experienced most of the menu myself. Not once have I left disappointed. Although there are plenty of restaurants that serve excellent food in Dallas, this is not the main reason I frequent Trader Vic’s and I believe this is where Ms. Gubbins really missed the point.

First, visiting Trader Vic’s is experiencing a unique slice of American pop culture the way it was 40+ years ago. As Ms. Gubbins pointed out, the original restaurant has been painstaking restored to its former glory. This, in addition to the attentive staff, helps to create a fun tropical atmosphere where the exotic rum concoctions help to satisfy an insatiable longing for an escape from the world outside.

Ms. Gubbins’ assessment that Trader Vic’s drinks “aren’t that good” was surprising, especially since the Scorpion Bowl was voted one of the 8 best cocktails in Dallas in the same issue as her review ("The Best Of Big D"). You won’t find Kool-Aid and Bacardi Mai Tai’s here, just the good stuff. The bar menu has been a staple for decades and is what Trader Vic’s is probably best known for. “Hokey names” for drinks served in “schlocky glasses” is part of the appeal, and only adds to the overall fun and exotic atmosphere. Nothing gives me more pleasure than sipping a Zombie while the 40-year old tiki carvings glare in approval.

Her statement that the original clientele from years ago have “mobbed the bar and besieged the dining room” makes it sound like a retiree booze cruise. Sure, Trader Vic’s is frequented by those who remember the days when it was more socially acceptable to drink a Suffering Bastard and not feel silly, but they are certainly outnumbered by the younger and curious who have only heard and read the stories until now. I should know because I’m one of them. **

Excellent reply Dennis!!

Here's a good reason to go on Wednesdays or any day between 4:00 & 7:00

Mai Tai's and Zombies are usually $9.50. Bahias are usually $10.00. I never drink beer at Trader Vic's so not sure how good those prices are.

When we come down for thanksgiving.. we'll meet you there between 4 & 7!!

I just moved from Dallas after 7 years. I lived for the last 3 years across the street from the Palomar Hotel in Mockingbird Station, so I watched the old hotel and TV's get revamped. I even bought two old chairs from the old Trader Vic's a couple years ago - each bamboo chair was $10 if you can believe it. Anyways, I've been to the new Trader Vic's dozens of times in the past 6 months. Obviously, I love it and I've gotten to know the chef and the bartenders pretty well. I've been a TV's fan since going as a 5 year with the parents to TV's Houston in the old Shamrock Hotel (this was the creepiest and funnest tiki bar ever, if anyone was ever there), then later to TV's Chicago. (I liked TV's Chicago, but the drinks were almost undrinkable IMO, and the decor in need of a thorough cleaning, but still worth it). It is a ton of fun to go to the Dallas TV's since they put a lot of money into the renovation and the attitude of the people that work there is outstanding. Dallas is a pretty competitive restaurant and drinking market, so they want to make TV's work again. Anyways, there are some older types that go to TV's for dinner and memories (talking 70/80 year old types - btw this hotel is where wealthy HP types have long conducted afternoon affairs). But TV's is mostly filled with curious newbies - a very wide ranging age mix. I met so many groups of girls in there - they were curious about the drinks and decor and went there on a "girls night out", which for me was great since I knew so many of the drinks. I always liked the "girl-friendly" and funky-offbeat vibe of the place. Your typical macho Texan guy might avoid TV's - which has always been fine by me. You also get a bit of the international types in there too. Some tiki bars are a little dodgy (TV's Chicago in the final years for example), but the Dallas TV's is definitely upscale. Lars is a great bartender (from East Berlin!) and concocts several off the menu drinks, including "Henrik's Delight" which is outstanding. The Scorpion is a great drink and rightly in the Dallas Top 10 Drinks. The overall decor is nice and authentic, but not stuffy or moldy or dusty. I've taken several friends and groups of friends here, and mostly we cannot remember what happens as we walk out the door. The drinks are sneaky strong. Around the bar are several tables and booths. But if you go, I would suggest going up and sitting at the bar and talking with the bartenders. Most people who are going to TV's are not familiar with the history - these bartenders have to instruct "mojito" and red wine ordering girls to maybe try stuff on the considerable drink menu. Every time I go, I would hear some girl order a "vodka redbull" and i would just have to instruct them in "The journey of the jungle drink" (...start with Mai Tai and go from there). The music in the place is a little updated too, which works - one night I heard a cool techno-chill-acoustic version of Message in a Bottle - which, when you are getting a perfect buzz on and talking with gorgeous girls and you hear your favorite song.....man, that when life is beautiful. So if you go through town, stop at TV's and go sit at the bar, it is worth it. I've relocated north now and there isn't shitte like this around. Trader Vic's is actually needed more up north too - cold winter nights, earth tone clothes, beer joints, and unfunny "ultra-lounges", etc. I hear a new Chicago Trade Vic's could be coming. I dearly hope so.

The Dallas Morning News has rated Trader Vic's one of the Top 10 new restaurants in Dallas for 2007.

Click here for the slide show

Trader Vic's is on page 17 & 18.

More changes in store for the Dallas TV drink menu!

Currently, the drink menu lists 90 drinks. They've decided to knock it down to a mere 75.

The prices on almost every drink is dropping between 50 cents and $5.00. Most notably, the Mai Tai is dropping from $9.50 to $5.00 and the Dallas Star from $12.00 to $7.00 (you don't get the free glass anymore). No more happy hour drink specials (I have to admit I was loving that!). According to the new menu, several drinks will not see a price cut and neither will any of the bowls.

The drinks that have been taken off the menu are ones that are rarely sold. They can still make them if you order one, but they make so few of these most of the bartenders have to look up the ingredients. These include:

La Florida
Barbados Cocktail
Starboard Light
Wahine
Trader Vic's Grog
Gun Club Punch
Munich Sour
Pino Frio
Honolulu
Tutu Rum Punch
Zamboanga Punch
Trader Vic's Daiquiri
Shingle Stain
Molokai Mike (thank God!)
Tortuga
Benedictine Brandy

added to the menu: Tequila Mai Tai

The new menu has not gone into affect yet and hasn't even been printed. I got hold of a PDF file of the new menu and will post it once it's been finalized.

~just keeping you informed!

Oh No! When will happy hour officially end? I want to get there at least ONCE before it does! That was part of why I went to the SF Trader Vic's all the time... happy hour!

Suzanne

On 2008-01-06 23:00, suzanne wrote:
Oh No! When will happy hour officially end? I want to get there at least ONCE before it does! That was part of why I went to the SF Trader Vic's all the time... happy hour!
Suzanne

Not sure..probably as soon as they get the menus printed. Mai Tai's will still be $5.00 but Bahias and Zombies will be $8.00.

Well shoot.
At least they are still open!

On 2008-01-06 12:45, Kenike wrote:
...added to the menu: Tequila Mai Tai

I want to say that drink is called the Pinky Gonzales.

On 2008-01-07 06:21, Unkle John wrote:
Well shoot.
At least they are still open!

Exactly...and I talked to Rusty about this. They're concentrating on making Dallas TV as successful as they can and not spreading out quickly opening new restaurants. They know the drinks were a little overpriced and that it scared some people away. Rusty also said he wants EVERY customer to order a Mai Tai which is why he knocked the price down to what it was in the early 70's.

I think this is step in the right direction and a step in keeping Dallas TV a well oiled machine that's going to be around for a while. They definitely have a vision and a good understanding of the local market...something other Trader Vic's seriously lack.

I totally agree.

I would love to see them open a TV outrigger bar out here.
Something 1/4 - 1/2 the size of the Dallas TV.
Well if we ever move back to the Dallas area, I'll make Trader Vic's a weekly deal. That is unless they open something here in Lubbock, then I'll be all over it.

New drink prices go into effect January 18th.

I hear it, off in the distance, it's subtle but I can just make it out. The soothing tone of waves hitting the...wait, this is the middle of Texas, no waves...uh, the soft rustling of the gentle breeze through the prairie grasses. It beckons to me, it's calling me. Out on the horizon I see a shimmering message:

*Mai Tai's will still be $5.00 but Bahias and Zombies will be $8.00.
*

The siren song, the dulcet tones of a certain Germanic bar manager. Err, well, maybe not, but he does make the best Vic's drink ever. Still, I hear it, I hear it!

"Come to Dallas, midnite...come to Dallas where they have a great Trader Vic's"

Have cowboy boots, willing to travel,
lazy "R" midnite

Have cowboy boots, willing to travel,

Ah, yes, the most common stereotype of all things Texas. Being from Jersey myself, I thought the same thing.

Actually this part of Texas is NOT where you want to go to have a true Texas experience. "Generica" would be a more accurate stereotype for these here parts. Home Depot, Wal Mart, Target, Applebees & Best Buy every 2 miles...Starbucks every 30 feet. No cowboys or tumbleweeds that I've seen. An occasional cow here and there and the Fort Worth Stockyards, but that's about it.

And then there's Trader Vic's. Completely different than anything else in the state and people still walk in and say "Can you put the game on? I'll take a bud light."

May 3rd, Midnite!! I'll tell Lars to save a stool for you.

On 2008-01-11 18:25, Kenike wrote:

Have cowboy boots, willing to travel,

Ah, yes, the most common stereotype of all things Texas. Being from Jersey myself, I thought the same thing.

Actually this part of Texas is NOT where you want to go to have a true Texas experience. "Generica" would be a more accurate stereotype for these here parts. Home Depot, Wal Mart, Target, Applebees & Best Buy every 2 miles...Starbucks every 30 feet. No cowboys or tumbleweeds that I've seen. An occasional cow here and there and the Fort Worth Stockyards, but that's about it.

And then there's Trader Vic's. Completely different than anything else in the state and people still walk in and say "Can you put the game on? I'll take a bud light."

May 3rd, Midnite!! I'll tell Lars to save a stool for you.

If you want the authentic part of Texas, you need to come out my way. And bring your craps we's gots rattlers down here.

Here's a sneak peek at the new cocktail menu:

Great! The menu will look great at our tiki bar!! (saw your evil bay store :)

[ Edited by: Deckhand_Davy 2008-03-03 22:19 ]

Those drink menus look great, but whoever drew those background tikis is dipping way too deep into the Coco Joe's well for inspiration. They are exact copies of Coco Joe's statues - all that's missing are the jeweled eyes. Any chance the anonymous artists at Coco Joe's will at least get some recognition for their efforts?

Damn, Trader Vic's have some of the coolest looking menus :D

Yayyy! thanks for the speedy shipping on the menu Kenike!! I hope that I get it before Sat...My brother is going to go ape wild when he's sees this beauty!

The wife and I hit Trader Vic's a couple months ago. We had a great time, as usual. However, it seems that the price drop for mai tais has been accompanied by a dip in quality. The bartender used the cheap Trader Vic's rum and only a half-lime's worth of juice. It was disappointing - the mai tais I make at home with Appleton's Extra and a full ounce of lime juice are much better. Fortunately, the other drinks we had (zombie, tiki puka-puka, navy grog) were great.

On 2008-06-25 12:56, BrickHorn wrote:
The wife and I hit Trader Vic's a couple months ago. We had a great time, as usual. However, it seems that the price drop for mai tais has been accompanied by a dip in quality. The bartender used the cheap Trader Vic's rum and only a half-lime's worth of juice. It was disappointing - the mai tais I make at home with Appleton's Extra and a full ounce of lime juice are much better. Fortunately, the other drinks we had (zombie, tiki puka-puka, navy grog) were great.

That's actually how they've always made them in Dallas (Scottsdale too). The Trader Vic's rum is a blend but I'm not entirely sure what it is. They've always used juice from half a lime plus the mix. Not exactly the "original" recipe but it's the version that they've done for some time. I have to agree, the ones I make at home are much better...when I can find St. James Martinique extra-old which is rare around Dallas.

The Navy Grog is an exceptional drink and I always order those after 7pm (when $5 Zombies are over).

On 2008-06-26 15:46, Kenike wrote:

On 2008-06-25 12:56, BrickHorn wrote:
The wife and I hit Trader Vic's a couple months ago. We had a great time, as usual. However, it seems that the price drop for mai tais has been accompanied by a dip in quality. The bartender used the cheap Trader Vic's rum and only a half-lime's worth of juice. It was disappointing - the mai tais I make at home with Appleton's Extra and a full ounce of lime juice are much better. Fortunately, the other drinks we had (zombie, tiki puka-puka, navy grog) were great.

That's actually how they've always made them in Dallas (Scottsdale too). The Trader Vic's rum is a blend but I'm not entirely sure what it is. They've always used juice from half a lime plus the mix. Not exactly the "original" recipe but it's the version that they've done for some time. I have to agree, the ones I make at home are much better...when I can find St. James Martinique extra-old which is rare around Dallas.

The Navy Grog is an exceptional drink and I always order those after 7pm (when $5 Zombies are over).

I'm pretty sure the first one I had there was much more similar to the original recipe. But I had that one before the place had opened; maybe they've gone to the cheaper formula since then.

I have to agree. Once the price dropped on the Mai Tai's (my fav) we noticed a quality difference. It seemed less flavorful. We commented on it and they made us another, which was much better. Of course, we've had to reorder several times this summer. Still, it's the best Tiki spot in Dallas. =)

Blixathecat

On 2008-06-25 12:56, BrickHorn wrote:
The wife and I hit Trader Vic's a couple months ago. We had a great time, as usual. However, it seems that the price drop for mai tais has been accompanied by a dip in quality. The bartender used the cheap Trader Vic's rum and only a half-lime's worth of juice. It was disappointing - the mai tais I make at home with Appleton's Extra and a full ounce of lime juice are much better. Fortunately, the other drinks we had (zombie, tiki puka-puka, navy grog) were great.

Million dollar mai-tai recipe, baby! The only one my bar knows :)

Lots of changes at Dallas Trader Vic's.

Menu changes...food has definitely improved, appetizers are better, closed on Mondays, DJ Friday & Saturday. And also...SPORTS. That's right sports fans, come grab a Bud Light and yell and scream at the TV while college football blares from all 3 TV screens. Kenike pays his bar tab and quietly leaves... BTW, there's a real sports bar right next door literally inches away. There's talk of putting in a wide screen TV...oooh, don't 'spose we'll be watching Hawaiian Eye on that!!

I made friends with the DJ...he's a big Ultra Lounge fan and digs Martin Denny, so I give him full approval. The music that plays when he's not around, however....is moodkiller a word?

Sunday brunch will be starting soon, (not really "brunch," just opening at 11am) and they finally have a kids menu. Great news for parents like myself. Now you can also munch on complimentary nuts at the bar while you're waiting for your veggie egg rolls which are DELICIOUS. The Won Ton soup and Crab Rangoon have also been updated and are very, very good.

IN conclusion......we'll see.

[ Edited by: Kenike 2010-11-22 15:53 ]

Ken, very nice photos, you just can't beat the look of the original lamps!

I just found this vintage shot on the internet, does Dallas have it, or do you know the source?

On 2009-05-13 13:08, bigbrotiki wrote:
Ken, very nice photos, you just can't beat the look of the original lamps!

I just found this vintage shot on the internet, does Dallas have it, or do you know the source?

I've seen that picture and even forwarded to the consultants that are currently working on revitalizing Dallas. Don't know the source. I sure wish I could get my hands on a high-res copy of that.

Consultants are gone...apparently so is the DJ.

I voiced my concerns, told them honestly what I thought was right or wrong. I was asked lots of questions, gave lots of suggestions, but basically told I don't represent the typical customer.

Some of the food improved, then took a giant leap backwards. The menu is different almost every time I visit. The new, beautifully presented calamari (with tempura spinach and red peppers) that I was raving to everyone about a few weeks ago has turned into some kind of deep fried bait served on a lettuce leaf with spicy mango sauce that tastes like it was scraped off the bottom of the chinese oven.

No Bongo Bongo soup? Really? That's a TV staple. I'm told it's removal is only temporary.

The ship is now being steered by accountants and real estate agents. No one seems to have a clear vision.

Four different bar managers in the last 12 months. None of which are still there. Drinks are still good when they can keep the garnishes in stock. A Navy Grog isn't a Navy Grog without the rock candy stick.

New GM starting this week.

See it while you can. I'd like to stay optimistic but it's becoming more difficult.

Oh crap! Wonder what Trader Vic's corporate thinks, and is doing about this! So was the place not doing enough business? I bet it got hit bad by the economy slump. Whatever is happening must mean it was loosing money, so they felt they had to make changes. But that is not the place's fault, it is the current climate, people just don't spend 12.- bucks on cocktails right now. At least not as often, and regularly. But they WILL again!

There is no quick fix for that, their constant changes sound scary, how is that supposed to be good for business. I hope they don't make any rash decisions about the decor, which has nothing to do with the downturn. It is still what people want, an escape. As a matter of fact, that's what they should advertise it as: Escape from the realities of the real world for a couple of hours!

You said it!! Those changes don't sound good at all!!
Four Bar Managers in the past year is bad news! All the places around here that are not doing well and eventually close go through the exact same thing.
Either they (Bar managers) are having their hands tied and can't do what needs to be done or they see that there might not be any hope so abandon ship. I don't think you can have accountants and real estate agents running a restaurant.

Hope it hangs in there as the photos make this location look awesome!!
Hopefully I can get out there one day. Keep supporting it and suggesting things to the managers until I get out there all you Texans!!

TabooDan

It's so many different things. The weak spot is definitely the kitchen. The food is a little overpriced and inconsistent at times. They keep changing the menu around. First it's good, then really good, then horrible. Now when I order I have to show a picture on my phone of what it looked like the last time so I have an idea of what I'm ordering..."does it still look like this?". I'm speaking mostly of the appetizers since that's usually all I eat at the bar.

Drink prices range from $7.00 to around $12.00, with $5.00 specials going on until 7:00 (Mai Tai's are $3.00 on Tuesdays). If you ask me, the bar is understaffed. On really busy nights they struggle to stay on top of things and you might be waiting a while for your drink. They did just hire one new person who I haven't really gotten to know yet. They also just fired the bar manager, who in my opinion would have been the death of TV. He didn't understand the history of TV, didn't care, and free poured EVERYTHING. Bad attitude, nasty know it all. I didn't like him one bit and NEVER let him make any of my drinks. Good riddance. Grande Kahu has a funny Navy Grog story about that clown.

Ownership went from two guys to one guy, and Trader Vic's is apparently the only business he owns that can make money. That seems to be what his main focus is. GM's are in and out, and there's a brand new one coming to town this week. There were some consultants in for a while and made some changes, both good and bad, but they're gone now too.The economy has certainly hurt a business that was already hurting. A lot of corporate events were canceled and that took a big bite out of their sales.

Still, the one thing that's really lacking is VISION. Keeping sports on TV and playing Latin Underground music while serving a flaming Dr. Funk's Son shows a lack of vision. Sorry, but I'm there for the escapism. Sports on TV attracts the Bud Lite crowd who yell and scream when there's a touchdown. That completely ruins the experience for me. There really is a sports bar right next to Trader Vic's. They'd only have to stagger maybe 5 steps to get there.

Trying to attract more college kids to come hang out every weekend shows a lack of vision (since when do college kids have that kind of discretionary income anyway?). They need to stop trying to be all things to all people and focus on what they are...an ESCAPE. They don't sell mugs anymore, or T-Shirts, no matchbooks or ANYTHING that someone can take home after an evening at Trader Vic's. Brand recognition has HUGE importance and it's just been sitting on the back burner. I've approached them more times than I can count saying things like "Have you thought about..." They genuinely listen to what I say, but they know I'm just the resident tikiphile, and 98% of their customers don't really care or even notice that the front doors are upside down (yes, they really are). They haven't done much in trying to attract the tiki community either. Not that it's huge in Dallas, but it certainly could be. What's wrong with giving 10% off if you wear a Hawaiian shirt? They're already giving 25% off if you mention their Facebook page.

Dallas Trader Vic's is a treasure. There's so much history, so much nostalgia, so much TIKI, and they don't seem to really notice what they have in their hands.

Be what you are. Have a vision and stick to it.

[ Edited by: Kenike 2009-06-09 15:38 ]

This is not good news. I recommend Vic's to everyone I know in Dallas, but I can't keep sending them there and apologizing for uninformed servers and the disappearance from the menu of drinks and food I've recommended. It's hard enough talking them into trying a bar that specializes in tropical cocktails. Living down to their expectations only justifies their initial skepticism.

Maybe genuine, well-done Poly Pop escapism just isn't a viable business model anymore. It's expensive, but it's also exclusive in the sense that offering generic bar/restaurant fare like draft beer, flat-screen TVs, kids' menus and rock/pop music ruins the atmosphere. My feeling on Vic's is that most people would enjoy it as a very occasional destination for special events, but would be uncomfortable or unhappy with it as a regular haunt. Can the place really rely on local tikiphiles to stay afloat? The Dallas TV's constant menu-shifting and experimentation with drink prices and offerings makes me believe that they've decided that an authentic midcentury tiki experience doesn't have enough draw.

With the positive press of the past few years, I think we all got our hopes up for a tiki revival that may never come to fruition. Popular tastes have become watered down. And the whole idea of restaurant dining has changed: it's no longer about a unique, special experience as much as eating and drinking for convenience. If the bar down the street offers $5 pitchers of your favorite beer and will play the Rangers game on a giant flatscreen, why in the hell would you pay $12 for a fruit juice drink in a dark bar playing instrumental music with bird sounds? Unfornately, I believe that's how the vast majority of the consuming public thinks. On some level, it makes a lot of sense. But it sucks for us.

Just got back from Mai Tai Tuesday. I thought my drink...ok drinks, I had four...tasted weak. The vodka mai tais were measured out by hand but the rum mai tais came out of a pre-mixed container. Don't know if that was a factor. My drink had lots of ice. Can I get some Mai Tai with that ice? I had to drink it fast so it didn't get watered down too quickly and taste even weaker. I did eat the Summer Chicken Rolls -- basically a spring roll with peanut sauce. They were great. I recommend. Unfortunately a Rangers game was on -- boo. Why can't they pipe the music from the entrance hall into the bar? It was much more appropriate for the restaurant. Actually next time I'll take my drinks in the entry hall :)

[ Edited by: TxTikiGirl 2009-06-09 19:50 ]

On 2009-06-09 19:49, TxTikiGirl wrote:
"Why can't they pipe the music from the entrance hall into the bar? It was much more appropriate for the restaurant. Actually next time I'll take my drinks in the entry hall :)"

Excellent idea! Let's all just start dragging the tables from the lounge, out into the foyer. When the manager asks, WTF?, tell him we like the music and the atmosphere much better, out here.

[ Edited by: surfalaia 2009-08-05 07:38 ]

They've officially gone too far as far as I'm concerned:

Beauty Ballers & the Beatz
Hosted by Terrence Mcgee of the Buffalo Bills
Featuring Houston’s Def Jam Blaster spinning the hottest Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo Soul & Ol’ skool. Ladies admitted FREE before 11pm. Men $10 admission before 11pm. Complimentary valet for all guests.
**Host:**TRADER VIC'S - DALLAS
**Time:**10:00PM Saturday, June 20th
**Location:**Trader Vic's

I wish them luck but I think it's over. It is for me. Very sad.

Yes the hip-hop demographic is what TV needs. Gross. They're so far off the reservation now. Sad indeed.

So... they are now charging to get into T.V.?

At least it was fun while it lasted.

[ Edited by: Unkle John 2009-06-19 08:57 ]