The Downtown Tiki Lounge, San Mateo, CA (restaurant)

Name: The Downtown Tiki Lounge
Type: bar and restaurant
Street: 144 S. B Street
City: San Mateo
State: CA
Zip: 94401
country: USA
Phone:
Status: Expected to open end of July 2010

Description:
I accidentally stumbled upon this place last night while wandering around Downtown San Mateo. It's a local Tiki Bar that is expected to be open by the end of July 2010 and is a joint bar and restaurant owned by Dennis Romero and Tualau Tauheluhelu. All of the tikis that decorate the bar currently are all of Tauheluhelu's hand carving work.

The interior is in the process of being decorated to resemble a traditional tropical lounge with palm frond canopies, bamboo walls, and a red lit bar counter that resembles a lava flow.

Local article on the place: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=136002

[ Edited by: lilusako 2010-07-28 13:57 ]

Here are some photos I took of the place, of the storefront and the upcoming menu.

Door Entry:

Main outside Window

Menu posted from the window:

Link to original size of picture to view menu details

Interior from outside:

[ Edited by: lilusako 2010-07-29 00:01 ]

A local Tiki bar done (and co-owned) by a local carver - cool!

What? These days I would've guessed more likely to read about a new tiki bar in San Mateo, Costa Rica, than the San Mateo where the great Lanai once thrived.

Not sure what to expect, but we'll have to try it. The Sidewinder's Fang on the menu sounds like it diverges a bit from the original Lanai one. Maybe a strategically gifted Beachbum Remixed might help with some of their recipes. BTW, that link to the menu blow-up didn't work for me, but this edited link does.

-Randy

It was a bit surprising to see that there. I totally didn't expect it and honestly if it weren't for my younger brother in search for a frozen yogurt shop at 9pm on a tuesday night I wouldn't have run into this place either. I hope it'll still be around by the time I come back to the bay area to visit for the holidays. I do look forward to seeing reviews from people after the place opens. I have a feeling they're not going to make the opening by the end of this month but i'm not sure.

This is great news, I wish them great aloha success. I'm looking forward to more news when they open.

It would be great if they some how displayed a few pictures or artifacts from other long gone San Mateo Tiki Temples. This would promote Americas historical Polynesian pop culture and San Mateo's place in it.

Their Blue Hawaiian is a head scratcher. Not only is it far, far from the traditional recipe, I don't see any ingredients listed that would make it "blue." Maybe it's blue as in sad because it isn't the color blue?

Correction - The new bar is actually owned by Jim Wilkinson and Dennis Romero

Just stumbled across the website for this place:
http://www.thedowntowntikilounge.com/home.html

It's also listed on Critiki.

Doesn't look promising, but according to yelp reviews, it gets packed on weekends.