Tropical Bistro, Hilliard, OH (restaurant)

Some artifacts from the Tropical Bistro came up for sale a while back.

The drink menu from old Kahiki stock.

Another menu.

A mug and creamer-type ceramic.

Too bad this one didn't hang on.

DC

Well it's the ten year anniversary of the Tropical Bistro death, can you believe it's been that long.

It was a Mark Pi restaurant before it was Tropical Bistro Asian food, Asian décor.
Tropical bistro started out what I call tiki lite.

But at the end it was becoming more tiki, damn if they had lasted just a bit longer it would have become very tiki.(it lasted a bit over a year)

We will never know if it would have saved the Tropical Bistro.

At the beginning I had to apologize for saying it was not all that tiki but grew to love the place and the workers there even helped to try and tiki it up a bit.

If you have any of the lights from there I would be a buyer if you wanted to sell.

Aloha Tropical Bistro I still miss you Theang, Soung, Octavia, John, Francis.

Tikimyniki may have put it best....

"Tipsy won't say it but I will. He correctly forecasted the end of this place. He was spot on about what truly makes a tiki bar. Tiki bar design, in a way, can be equated to a game of poker...either you're all in or you ain't."

The one partner of Tropical Bistro started Tai Tiki Polynesian Grill Jun 16, 2016 After one year of operation, Tai Tiki Polynesian Grill is closed it's doors at 1014 North High Street.

One year seams to be the mark?
It was what I would call tiki pretty.

Did not go there much but do miss Soung.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2019-02-05 16:18 ]

Went there a couple times before it went down. Drinks were very good; I would have been a regular if it would have lasted. I don’t remember them even having mugs for sale

"don’t remember them even having mugs for sale"

It was spotty to find mugs there for sale.
But I have seen Tropical Bistro mugs sell for more than Original 1962 Hoffman pottery Kahiki mugs!

My love for the Tropical Bistro may have been upped by the fact that I got free drinks every now and then, but then I made them free lights and other work so maybe not.

gotta be careful what people say about a joint as they may be working for the place or even one of the people brought in for the preview parties and their glowing endorsement might be clouded by things like that.

That Rhum bar in Portland had over a dozen great reviews BEFORE they even opened, Hummm.

People in the FOM loved Tropical Bistro because it was our clubhouse in a sense at that time.

But the food and drinks were good and low priced so even if they were just so so it was still all good, and at least we got great service.