New tiki bars in San Diego

So first Cat Eye Club in downtown converts into a tiki bar.
http://www.cateyeclubsd.com/

Then it's announced that False Idol will open in Little Italy.
http://sandiego.eater.com/2015/12/15/10228454/craft-commerce-smugglers-cove-new-tiki-bar-san-diego

Then Miss B's Coconut Club is scheduled to open in Mission Beach.
http://sandiego.eater.com/2015/12/14/10123354/miss-b-coconut-club-tiki-bar-mission-beach-san-diego

And I have also heard there's a place called Grass Skirt opening in Pacific Beach.

When it rains, it pours.

"I am Lono!" -- Hunter S. Thompson

[ Edited by: arriano 2016-06-27 13:47 ]

Nice to see the tiki revival still swinging upwards like an enormous A-frame thrusting up into the sky.

The more new tiki we have, the more it gets ingrained into the minds of a generation. Should this all fade away like the original mid-century stuff did, then we can again look forward to another revival in 50 years or so.

How much of this tiki is in (or going into) the gaslamp quarter?

None in the Gaslamp, and that's fine with me. To me, Gaslamp is for tourists, not locals. Cat Eye is a few blocks east of Gaslamp.

Is the Cat Eye Club REALLY a tiki bar? They have tiki cocktails for sure, and they look pretty good, but that's it. I'm just judging by the web site you gave a link for.

Got it, arriano. I thought someone had posted here a couple years ago that a project was going into the gaslamp quarter. Hopefully NOT being in the tourist district will ensure a better atmosphere, drinks, and love for real tiki among the owners and staff.

Mister Tiki was in the Gaslamp and closed a few years ago, and was part of the Cohn Restaurant Group.

Arriano, I think there's widespread use of the phrase "tiki bar" and "tiki drinks" to extract interest from certain groups and/or media re: bars here in SD. Sure, "tiki" is hitting the "mainstream," but is it "tiki" enough for you?

(Trying to not be completely serious here, you know.... ) :wink:

Let's see if any of the new (or existing) places go beyond what you've/ we've accepted as great cocktails.

Could be interesting, to say the least. Though I can't really deal with all the new aloha shirts bought at Target or Tommy Bahama appearing in Little Italy, etc. Actually, hmmm... maybe it's time to open a hipster Aloha Shirt Palace in SD?

with all the San Diego area TiKi artists and carvers it would be great to see local TiKi art in some of these new bars

with all the San Diego area TiKi artists and carvers it would be great to see local TiKi art in some of these new bars

I think i'm channeling ATP here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mTUmczVdik

On 2016-01-22 18:26, skootiki wrote:
with all the San Diego area TiKi artists and carvers it would be great to see local TiKi art in some of these new bars

Agreed. I just noticed that Miss B's Coconut Club will be on the same block as Freaky Boutiki so hopefully the new bar will show some neighborly love

False Idol is from Martin "Martiki" Cate of Smuggler's Cove (as well as lower profile rolls in two other well-known and respected tiki bars), so we know at least one of the new places will get it right.

This topic really caught my attention... then I discovered it isn't South Dakota.

On 2016-01-21 08:30, arriano wrote:
So first Cat Eye Club in downtown converts into a tiki bar.
http://www.cateyeclubsd.com/

Then it's announced that False Idol will open in Little Italy.
http://sandiego.eater.com/2015/12/15/10228454/craft-commerce-smugglers-cove-new-tiki-bar-san-diego

Then Miss B's Coconut Club is scheduled to open in Mission Beach.
http://sandiego.eater.com/2015/12/14/10123354/miss-b-coconut-club-tiki-bar-mission-beach-san-diego

And I have also heard there's a place called Grass Skirt opening in Pacific Beach.

When it rains, it pours.

Mahalo for your post but Me and CeCe don’t need no mo excuse’s to visit your lovely, lovely town. We visit every chance we get although it will be difficult to leave the Bali Hai during Happy hour.
Cheers

On 2016-01-23 13:57, tikicoma wrote:
This topic really caught my attention... then I discovered it isn't South Dakota.

Haha! Sorry to disappoint!

Haha tikicoma!

Martin Cate was hired by Consortium to design False Idol (consultant? Not sure of the exact details, but I don't believe it's "his" bar, since it will be part of the new Craft & Commerce). I did hear that Bosko was doing some of the art in there- which is a great thing.

I agree with skootiki- would love to see your work, Buzzy's, Bosko, and more of the local carvers and artists' work showing up- but that, of course, is up to the owners- or in many of these "new" places, the design firms who are designing and building out these "tiki bars." We have lots of great artists here in town.

I'd just be a bit more excited if I felt the owners were really somehow part of the tiki world, or at least students and/or fans, rather than fans of appropriating the current excitement over "tiki" (quotes intended)). Bitter? Not necessarily. :wink:

Martin is very much involved with False Idol, not just "consulting."

http://sandiegofoodfinds.com/hidden-false-idol-tiki-bar-little-italy-san-diego/

On 2016-01-21 16:00, TikiAno wrote:
maybe it's time to open a hipster Aloha Shirt Palace in SD?

Wish I could recall the name of the vintage shirt shop at the s/w edge of old town. He’s an ol' surfer dude and although his merchandise is a bit pricey, I have never seen a better selection of tiki, barkcloth or aloha shirts. Got a few tiki in there too. I’ll post his business card if I can find it.

Sadly, I do not have much hope for "tiki bars" in PB and Mission Beach. I don't think that they will be authentic at all, plus the locations are no good IMO. PB "tiki bar" will have to serve up lots of Coors light and Jagerbombs. Don't get me wrong, I hope that they do it right and if they do I'll be a regular. It will just be to easy for them to throw Bacardi in some fruit juice and not care about repeat business. I think that PB is not a tiki target market, OB would be better even...

On 2016-01-21 11:54, kenbo-jitsu wrote:
Is the Cat Eye Club REALLY a tiki bar? They have tiki cocktails for sure, and they look pretty good, but that's it. I'm just judging by the web site you gave a link for.

Last time I was there the waitress said, "sorry, we do not have any whipped cream for the Painkiller. Do you still want it?" They didn't know what Smith & Cross was... They use Captain Morgan in many drinks, even mixed it with Lemonhart 151 and they have a bunch of drinks on tap. They make a decent Last Word though. There aren't any tikis, but it does have a cool tiki modern feel. Feel free to PM me for my unfiltered opinion :wink:

I don't want to talk badly about any tiki bars, but I also want good drinks in my town. I don't want a bunch of new bars that claim to be tiki ruining it for SD. Craft & Commerce will do it right, that is why they got Martin Cate to help them with it. Consortum Holdings has a bunch of bars on the outskirts of the Gaslamp that are great. Fairweather does tiki drinks that taste great and is only a block or 2 from Cat Eye Club. Noble Experiment makes the best drinks in SD in my opinion and they can make any tiki drinks you can think of. El Dorado can usually entertain our tiki requests, we have had them make Painkillers, Mai Tais, Jungle Birds and Zombies that have all been great.

I am still waiting on new tiki bars and I am excited for C&C. Lots of bars have a tiki night as well in SD right now. I like that people are excited about tiki in SD, I hope that it does not get diluted.

On 2016-01-21 11:54, kenbo-jitsu wrote:
Is the Cat Eye Club REALLY a tiki bar? They have tiki cocktails for sure, and they look pretty good, but that's it. I'm just judging by the web site you gave a link for.

Last time I was there the waitress said, "sorry, we do not have any whipped cream for the Painkiller. Do you still want it?" They didn't know what Smith & Cross was... They use Captain Morgan in many drinks, even mixed it with Lemonhart 151 and they have a bunch of drinks on tap. They make a decent Last Word though. There aren't any tikis, but it does have a cool tiki modern feel. Feel free to PM me for my unfiltered opinion :wink:

Really? It must have been quite a while ago since they haven't used Lemon Hart in some time (it's not even listed on their menu any more). Last time I was there was maybe two months ago, and the bartender mixed everything we ordered, no tap cocktails. I didn't remember any Captain Morgan being used, and I just checked their menu online and none of the drinks list it as an ingredient. They actually use two some local rums, which is kind of nice. There are no tikis, you're right. Would be nice if at least one was lurking in a corner.

I agree that Fairweather makes very good drinks, but it has even less atmosphere than Cat Eye. It's basically a balcony overlooking the ballpark.

"I am Lono!" -- Hunter S. Thompson

[ Edited by: arriano 2016-01-25 15:31 ]

Yeah I think the Lemonhart stuff was 6 months ago. We had a friend in town over the holidays that really wanted to check it out and that is when they said they put whip cream on a PK. I have been there a couple times in the last few months, I like to still support them. I do like the look of the place, even though it is kind of minimal. Some local art would definitely liven up the place. They have Karaoke on Thursdays, so I usually stay away that night :)

It looks like they may have switched from Captain Morgan white to Cruzan which is a huge plus, I didn't noticed that. They do have a new menu and their garnish game is one of the best in SD. I know some hardcore tiki people that are good friends with the owners so I think that definitely helps when they are revamping their menu!

Arriano, you have always had good experiences there?

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-01-25 16:15 ]

On 2016-01-25 15:44, lunavideogames wrote:

Arriano, you have always had good experiences there?

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-01-25 16:15 ]

I've never had a bad experience there, but admittedly I don't go on a regular basis. If I'm downtown at night, I will usually stop by. But those visits are far apart. And I've never ordered the Painkiller -- haha. Who knows, maybe whipped cream makes it better....

I have gone a dozen times since they made it tiki. Seems like there is a high turnover, since I never see the same people twice. Sometimes we have good service, but the last couple times it has been silly. I do like that they throw parties and support Tiki Oasis. It is really cool that they have bands there and their Cat mug by Mulder is great!

I guess what I'm getting at is I just don't think of it in my mind as a tiki bar.

On 2016-01-26 11:04, lunavideogames wrote:
I have gone a dozen times since they made it tiki. Seems like there is a high turnover, since I never see the same people twice. Sometimes we have good service, but the last couple times it has been silly. I do like that they throw parties and support Tiki Oasis. It is really cool that they have bands there and their Cat mug by Mulder is great!

I guess what I'm getting at is I just don't think of it in my mind as a tiki bar.

I agree -- it would be nicer if it had gone full tiki. But the bar wasn't originally intended as a tiki bar. As I recall, the tiki cocktail menu was originally supposed to be just a summer special. But then it was so well received they made the change permanent, and then added "Tiki Bar" to the name. But for me, it's easily one of the few go-to bars downtown.

and we have circled back to the "what makes a tiki bar" once again... :wink:

I think the Cateye Club is a cool looking space, in a tough location (Gaslamp) to make $$$ with rum drinks. I agree, John's new mugs are killer- Jason Lee is playing there soon- Friday, which is pretty cool.

Jentiki, I've read the same articles- I'm excited to drink Martin's cocktails locally rather than trekking back up to Smuggler's Cove. Since I can only imagine absurd lines to get in, I'm happy to walk a few blocks to Monello to drink their house made sweet vermouth (which is pretty damn tasty).

Just wanted to say I'm in no way anti-CH- I'm a fan of their cocktail programs in their (many) other venues- though, I wonder if False Idol will be just another feather in their cap. It will be a very well designed feather with great drinks, I'm sure...

I was just gonna email my brother in Rapid City.....

On 2016-01-26 14:14, arriano wrote:
I agree -- it would be nicer if it had gone full tiki. But the bar wasn't originally intended as a tiki bar. As I recall, the tiki cocktail menu was originally supposed to be just a summer special. But then it was so well received they made the change permanent, and then added "Tiki Bar" to the name. But for me, it's easily one of the few go-to bars downtown.

Definitely a lot of really bad bars and restaurants on 5th... I agree that Cat Eye Club is for sure one of the go to bars downtown. Hope my sarcasm translated alright to internet speaks. Cat Eye Club is worth checking out.

I like CH, I think that they are doing good things for SD. I don't know what will happen with False Idol but I expect good things. C&C was one of my favorites, but I know TikiAno thought it was heavy on the hipster vibe. The most important thing for me in a bar is ability to make great drinks on and off menu, and C&C was one of the best at that in SD. I was never served a bad drink and I had many. (using past tense since it has been closed for renovation for awhile)

I feel lucky to live in San Diego with such a blossoming cocktail scene. We have been in need of more tiki for quite some time.

Also, I think we should just give the SD abbreviation to San Diego. South Dakota can use So D. Sound ok to everyone :wink: :)

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-01-27 18:11 ]

On 2016-01-23 10:43, arriano wrote:

On 2016-01-22 18:26, skootiki wrote:
with all the San Diego area TiKi artists and carvers it would be great to see local TiKi art in some of these new bars

Agreed. I just noticed that Miss B's Coconut Club will be on the same block as Freaky Boutiki so hopefully the new bar will show some neighborly love

Thanks Arriano! Freaky Boutiki's contributed custom carvings and decor to other bars in SD, like Guava Beach right next door, but nobody from the new restaurant has approached us. There's certainly no shortage in skilled Tiki carvers in SD to be sure! Either way, the more Tiki in Mission Beach the merrier! The Boardwalk Bistro has been an empty for a long time so we're all stoked somethings finally happening there. :)

I got some more information on the Tiki Bar opening in PB. Looks to be the guys from Kettner Exchange opening it where Good Time Charlies used to be at 910 Grand Ave #101, San Diego, CA 92109. It is right in the thick of PB 2 blocks from the beach/Crystal Pier and one block up on Garnet from Mission Blvd.

Kettner Exchange has had tiki drink/dinner parings and has a few drinks on the menu in the style of tiki. They have a tiki brunch as well, although when I attended I didn't really see anything tiki about it. They are definitely trying, but don't have any decor to speak of.

KEX is a place that I like, it is different than the CH Project bars. They sometimes tend to try to be a bit more upscale than I am used to. They have some strange rules about no backpacks (which never bothered me and they can do what they want, just seems strange) and on the weekends they have a huge line with a heavy club vibe. The drinks are always tasty and they tend to lean to and carry many rum brands that other bars in town shy away from.

I only had a short chat with the bar manager, Steven Tuttle, but some of the things he is talking about sound very interesting. I guess they are tring to aquire more property so that they can expand the spot even further. He said they wanted to even have a room for rum tastings, a bar that specializes in rum would be very welcome in SD. He had just gotten back from Venezuela touring the Diplomatico rum distillery. He also travelled out to Chicago and has been talking to Paul McGee and checking out 3 Dots and Lost Lake and said that he is tring to bring the same feel to SD. I didn't ask if the name was going to be Grass Skirt so I am not 100% if this is the working name still or not.

Will the Bros in PB change their palates to appreciate well crafted rum drinks? Only time will tell. I guess we have to start trying to bring craft drinks to the beaches at some point, but I am still hesitant on how well it will be accepted. It seems to me that this will be a place tiki lovers should and will want to check out when they are in town. My hopes are a lot higher hearing who is behind this project. I will post more details as soon as I hear anything.

I am trying my best to get some local artists involved in these new bars, I hope that it pans out. I would love to see local art, I think it could only improve the vibes of these tiki bars.

http://www.kettnerexchange.com/

This is kkocka's fav glass, the only one he uses when drinking at home :wink:

On 2016-03-24 12:16, lunavideogames wrote:

I am trying my best to get some local artists involved in these new bars, I hope that it pans out. I would love to see local art, I think it could only improve the vibes of these tiki bars.

I think that would be great. Too often new bars in town try to be representative of somewhere else (LA, NY, NO, etc). And getting inspiration from Chicago tiki bars seems to follow that same tired road. So having local artists involved would be a nice addition.

On 2016-03-24 14:23, arriano wrote:

On 2016-03-24 12:16, lunavideogames wrote:

I am trying my best to get some local artists involved in these new bars, I hope that it pans out. I would love to see local art, I think it could only improve the vibes of these tiki bars.

I think that would be great. Too often new bars in town try to be representative of somewhere else (LA, NY, NO, etc). And getting inspiration from Chicago tiki bars seems to follow that same tired road. So having local artists involved would be a nice addition.

I've got work in bars like Foundation Tiki Bar, Hale Pele and Smuggler's Cove and I can't even get a new local tiki bar to purchase art from me. While I agree the drinks are the most important thing that keep folks coming back, atmosphere is just as important. It seems though that the owners who make tiki a lifestyle (Foundation, Hale Pele, Foundation) follow the old school decor, and new bars that open are sparse and lack atmosphere.

As has been mentioned, there's a lot of talented artists in San Diego county, and its unfortunate that they are not given a chance to be a part of the action.

Looks like Mrs B's Coconut Club is up and running. They are still working on it. Sadly no tiki sightings. :(

I will try some drinks next week and let you know what I think. I love how they name a drink after a Sublime song, since they are the best band in history!!! Hopefully they will name some food or drinks after weed slang, that would be super dank bro.

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-04-16 15:38 ]

Grass Skirt in PB is still a long way from opening. They have 2 patios which should be cool if configured well. Lots of room, let's hope for tikis!

Went to check out Miss B's yesterday.

The drinks are good, easily the best in Mission Beach. The La Familia was great and the Painkiller was ok. No Smith & Cross, but they say they will have 50 types of rum (at some point).

Food was EXCELLENT, loved the coconut shrimp and the cuban was tasty. The waiter/manager said we had to try the Ceviche and brought us some on the house which was tasty.

Still no "tiki" decor, I think all of us would consider this place a tropical bar and not a tiki bar. Hopefully in the future that might change. They did have these light fixtures, which I think are super cool...

It has a good vibe, decent music when I was there but not exotica. The bartender didn't care much that I hate sublime since I have to hear it all the time. He just said welcome to SoCal (yeah I've been here that's why I can't stand them :wink: ) Their Mai Tai is called the Bro Tai. Bro, in my opinion, has a negative connotation. We use it as an insult, means ahole, meathead etc... So I think their drink names could use some work :)

I think it is worth checking out. I would do it in the daytime, it has an open feel that goes great with the SD sun.

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-04-28 17:44 ]

Good, informative post Treg.
Mahalo

So far I have not seen any pictures of Tiki Bars in this thread called "Suddenly there's a plethora of tiki bars in SD" :)

I agree.

I have seen pictures of Bosko's work at False Idol and it looks like some of his best. Hopefully it will open soon and I can get some pictures to post.

On 2016-05-01 12:01, lunavideogames wrote:
I have seen pictures of Bosko's work at False Idol and it looks like some of his best. Hopefully it will open soon and I can get some pictures to post.

I heard a couple weeks ago from Martiki that they're looking at "hopefully" a June opening.

Thanks for the updates Treg

Anyone heard lately an approximate opening for False Idol or Grass Skirt?

thanks

False Idol is set to open now in August. I would hope that they would get it open BEFORE Oasis, but this stuff always takes longer than expected. I really hope that they open sooner than later, I have been waiting a long time. Word on the street is that Notch is busting stuff out with a quickness.

Grass Skirt is still at a standstill from what I can see. Lost a partner, got a new one, lost him. Now it is just too small of a staff to get it accomplished from what I understand.

There is also a new bar called the Atomic Tiki Bar at 762 5th Ave. They are having a Grand Opening on the 22nd of this month. Buzzys band, the Drop Ins are playing from 8-10. http://www.wherevent.com/detail/The-Drop-Ins-Atomic-Tiki-Bar-Grand-Opening-Celebration-featuring-the-DROP-INS

Can't vouch for how "tiki" it is, but I will find out and let you know! No pictures or any info about it on the internets...

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-06-18 11:47 ]

We were told August for False Idol, too. I'm sure it will be worth it, but the wait is getting agonizing!

Rick actually posted a few pictures of Atomic Tiki [there's a word missing here!] on the meet-up group Facebook page. It sounds like Cobain from Tikiland is doing the decor.

On 2016-06-18 11:14, lunavideogames wrote:
Word on the street is that Notch is busting stuff out with a quickness.

Really? Everything I read said Bosko was doing this one.

Yeah definately Bosko still, but I did hear from a very reliable source that Notch is helping as well at this point.

Chatted with some other bartenders that worked and will be working again at Craft & Commerce about the opening date. I am told that C&C will open by the end of next month and then False Idol will open a couple weeks later. They are really planning on having it open by Oasis, hopefully they will and have some time to get into the flow of things before the Oasis rush.

Also, False Idol seems to be one of the most secret/hush hush tiki projects in history. Many of the barstaff tell me that they cannot talk about the build. They tell me it is the most private thing that they have ever been a part of. Bosko had posted a couple of pictures on Instagram that were promptly removed. I can only assume that he was told to remove his posts. I think CH posted one picture of the inside on their Instagram, looked like a waterfall in the making. To my knowledge, this is the only posted picture of the inside.

Shrouded in mystery...

Exxxxxcellent....

On 2016-06-21 19:12, lunavideogames wrote:
Also, False Idol seems to be one of the most secret/hush hush tiki projects in history. Many of the barstaff tell me that they cannot talk about the build. They tell me it is the most private thing that they have ever been a part of. Bosko had posted a couple of pictures on Instagram that were promptly removed. I can only assume that he was told to remove his posts. I think CH posted one picture of the inside on their Instagram, looked like a waterfall in the making. To my knowledge, this is the only posted picture of the inside.

Shrouded in mystery...

This is very much Martin Cate's MO. That man is infuriatingly secretive about all his projects until it's time for the full reveal. Those of you who've seen his book and the Smuggler's Cove Rum Barrel recipe within know just how sneaky he is! I love the guy, but sometimes I just want to shake the secrets out of him! :)

Frankly, I was surprised at how many pictures of Whitechapel were posted during the build-out. It's not like him to allow that at all.

The good news is: It's a Martin Cate production, so it will be awesome when he's ready for the world to see it.

On 2016-06-18 11:14, lunavideogames wrote:

There is also a new bar called the Atomic Tiki Bar at 762 5th Ave. They are having a Grand Opening on the 22nd of this month. Buzzys band, the Drop Ins are playing...

Thanks for making it down there! I was reminded that night that I'm not an "out for a night of fun in the Gaslamp" type of person. I learned that last time I went down there at night, in 1992. For some reason all of downtown smells like urine to me. I want to snort bleach when I get home...

Atomic's tiki bar is what I'll classify as "Mainstream Tiki", as opposed to what most of us tiki fanatics prefer, which I'll now call "Historical/Traditional Tiki" (Which is the same as what sven has called "Tiki Style". It's just that it seems there are more new examples of Tiki bars and art which are falling out of the stricter definitions of "Tiki Style" now.)
Mainstream places cater to Mainstream tiki fans- who are the masses- the general public, who do not carry the traditionalists shorter checklist of acceptable style inclusions in their definitions of a Tiki Bar.
Traditional inspired places are harder to find, harder to execute, and seem to close after short runs. We, the purist/traditionalist fans of TC, would all like every new tiki bar to be like the old postcards of Trader Vics from before we were alive. However, after another Trader Vic's bit the dust recently, I'd have to wonder that if Trader Vic;s cant make it with their business model, could a Trader Vic's inspired copy make it? Doubtful...?

So the minority Traditionalists in San Diego will still wait for another tiki style bar which fully meets their standards... Meanwhile, the booty shakin hip hop dancers at Atomic go upstairs to another Mainstream SD Tiki bar setting for a moment of "escapism" from the sensory overload of downstairs. maybe some of them young hip hoppers will grow up some day and want to make their own home tiki bar inspired by their younger happy memories of the HIp Hop tiki bar.

So, in summary, Atomic isn't a tiki bar. It's a live Music, Hip Hop dance bar with one floor of the bar decorated as a tiki bar, in what I call Mainstream Tiki Style.

And, I wished we could have played upstairs in the tiki bar part, as opposed to the main downstairs concert stage light show setup that we played in. We're a lot more low key than that display and were kind of "overstimulated" up there!

Thanks to all you that did come out to check it out!
Buzzy out!

[ Edited by: Bay Park Buzzy 2016-06-25 00:32 ]

Well said, Buzzy. So many good observations in your post. At least you had fun at the gig? Good food and drinks, too, hopefully.