El Tiki, Imperial, CA (restaurant)

Cool! What a stylish dude, loved by the ladies!

Whoops, that was supposed to be a private message LOL

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2016-01-29 15:27 ]

This was a fiberglass sombrero'd tiki that was part of the sign for the El Tiki fast food restaurant that opened in San Diego in the late 1970s. It has been split into 2 halves and repainted but I didn't realize it still existed.

Nice Mike, mahalo for sharing, my hat’s off to you!

A while back we moved Ben to our house and out of his mountain cabin. My wife and her siblings are in the process of cleaning out the cabin and I am hopeful they will unearth some El Tiki treasures. One of the things they found so far was a menu that has been previously posted here. I was taking a closer look at the drink menu. El Tiki just had a beer and wine license, no liquor. The menu included the usually suspects for the time including Hamms, Schlitz, Olympia, Lucky, and Burgie. Since it was a Mexican restaurant, there was also Tecate, Corona, San Miguel, and Carta Blanca. I remember Almaden wines in the big gallon "cannonball" bottles. He had wine coolers made from several varieties of wine. But what intrigues (and frankly frightens) me is the "Bali Hai". A "Delightful tropical fruit flavor". What do you think it might have been? We will probably never know.

Bali Hai wine from the late 60’s.... ugghhh

WOW Jimmy! That's the right time frame. I emptied a lot of trash working at the restaurant but don't recall those bottles but that still could have been exactly what they used

Found a couple of old newspaper articles, this one from about March 1962

Decorate His Restaurant
Former School Teacher Carves Tikis for Hobby
WILSON'S CORNER
Ben Wilson is a hard working young man with an unusual knack
Four months ago Ben, a 33 year old former school teacher and college track and wrestling star, quit teaching to open a restaurant here.
Because Wilson's Corner, at Highway 111 three miles east of Imperial, has many Spanish speaking people living nearby, Ben decided on Mexican food for the mwenu.
Then he decided to use his unusual knack - carving Tiki gods - to decorate the restaurant. The result is El Tiki, a Mexican restaurant with Hawaiian atmosphere.
16 Hour Work Day
Wilson, who grew up in the Valley, has been working alone 16 hours a day to redecorate the restaurant. He opened half of it, the cafe part, Nov. 15. "I hope to open the dining room dining room soon" Wilson said "It all depends on money, I'm running short". The theme of Tiki gods and Mexican food is carried throughout El Tiki. The restaurant's trademark, which Wilson plans to have on the menu, is a Tiki god wearing a Mexican sombrero.
Taught School
Wilson said he started carving Tiki gods in Anaheim, where he taught elementary school for three years before moving back to the Valley. He taught at Ben Hulse Elementary School before he moved to Anaheim.
"I saw someone carving a Tiki and decided I would like to try it" Wilson said "So I just started carving"
He said he uses a hammer, axe, chisel, and draw knife to carve the images, some of which he has sold for $50. They are about 5 feet tall
Wilson says he uses fan palm for the figures. He uses date palm to carve Tiki faces which also adorn the restaurant
Wilson's father, Gilbert, operated a grocery store and service station near the restaurant for 21 years.
Ran Variety Show
Ben graduated from San Diego State College in 1953, where he starred in track and wrestling, and served 2 years in the Army. While in the Army, he pursued his hobby - music and drama - by operating a variety show. He also ran track and wrestled in the Army
Ben is married and he and his wife, Mary Lou, have a baby daughter.
The wife and daughter haven't seen much of Ben lately, however, he's been too busy working on what will probably turn out to be the most unusual restaurant in the Valley.

"I want you to shake the freak tree and invite anyone that drops to the ground. Dwarfs and giants, magicians, Zulu tribesmen, contortionists, fire eaters... and priests. We're going to need to confess" Freddy Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2020-01-16 14:00 ]

A couple of carving clippings, I wish we could see the Tikis better :(

Nov. 21, 1963
BIGGEST GOD
Ben Wilson of Wilson's Corner (his father bought the property in 1921) on Highway 111 examines a Tiki god he carved over a 3-month period out of an old palm tree. The young-man-with-a-beard claims his is the biggest Tiki god in California and describes it as a god of war
Whether is was the biggest at the time or not, I can't say. But it looks to be at least 15 ft tall and you can't see the top.

(Undated)
TIKI IN THE ROUGH - Ben Wilson used fan palm for the Hawaiian figures and date palm to carve the Tiki faces. He uses hammer, axe, chisels, and drawknife to carve the images, some of which he has sold for $50. Here he prepares to start another of the statues. He started carving the Tiki gods three years ago when he saw someone else carving one and decided it looked interesting.

Awesome thread Mike.

While Tiki Central was dark, Ben Wilson passed away. Here is his obituary

Our father Ben Wilson, retired teacher and once owner of the El Tiki Supper Club, of Imperial, California, died peacefully in his sleep during the early morning hours of February 18, 2021. He was 91. We were blessed to have him home with us these last few months where we were able to spend precious moments with him. As most people knew, he was an artist, musician, athlete, writer, educator, and business man. A Renaissance Man and Entrepreneur for sure! Of all his accomplishments, the El Tiki Supper Club was his dream come to life. It was a reality from 1962 to 1977 when it closed due to another business venture that called his name, but unfortunately it was not to be. However, when one door closed, the door to a beautiful rock cabin in Julian opened and he happily walked through it. He lived there for many years until he was no longer able to live on his own. In the remaining years of his life, his battle with dementia was lost, but we were grateful to have spent so much time surrounding him with love, hugs, and laughter. He is survived by his children, Teresa Gilbert and Susan Wilson of Imperial, Ben Wilson Junior of Riverside, Mark Wilson of Mesa, Arizona and Brent Wilson of Prescott, Arizona; numerous nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.

His youngest son and I made him an urn inspired by El Tiki for his final resting place

Found a few older pics

Exterior, early 60s. Note the openness of the surrounding area, This added to the appeal of El Tiki. It wasn't located in town, so you had to drive out in the middle of nowhere to visit. This added to the mystique. The sign on top wasn't there when I worked there in the mid 70s. I hope to recreate the sign one of these days

Interior, mid 60s. There is the sign "Not responsible for wives left over 30 days" - Ben was always a jokester

Exterior, late 70s

[ Edited by MadDogMike on 2022-03-19 10:05:46 ]

I love the logo on the station wagon! And I zoomed on that great photo of the guys in Sombreros: The proprietor added a little mask and "El Tiki" to that Hamm's Beer wall light :) (/uploads/35/62379928cec41.jpg)

[ Edited by bigbrotiki on 2022-03-20 14:20:54 ]

Good eye Sven! He sure did LOL I remember a Hamm's sign when I worked the in the mid 70s but I don't think it was this one. Seems it was the one with the moving river/waterfall (although maybe this one had a moving river?)

Mike, that's the Hamm's Starry Nights sign, where the stars twinkle in the sky and then form beer glasses, and eventually spell out "Hamm's"... which reminds us that in its heyday, Tiki was always using the latest technology. That does seem like a beer joint from the photos (which are utterly priceless)... We absolutely love the Tiki-Mex concept, and do think it's a natural -- especially if you add Margaritas!

We like that there's apparently a bowling league posted

Hmm, wonder what's behind this door?

Could very well have been a bowling league, there was an active bowling alley in town. My wife, the owner's daughter, doesn't remember it but she would have been just a little girl at that time

Cool sign! I think this is the one he had later https://youtu.be/H1H1r6KbXwA

[ Edited by MadDogMike on 2022-03-20 17:47:32 ]

Part of the Tiki Diasphora from El Tiki. This Tiki had gone to a private home nearby and recently turned up at an estate sale when the owner passed. It was purchased and now resides in Borrego Springs about 70 miles away where he has a nice view of the beautiful open desert.

A few things in El Tiki news;

El Tiki was included in BigBroTiki's book Palm Springs Tiki: Polynesia in the Desert. Beautiful book, thank you for including us Sven.

Also, I made a Ben Wilson/El Tiki tribute wall in my Tiki patio, Pele Bar. There are not many actual artifacts of the restaurant left, these are mostly recreated items that remind us of El Tiki. The wall is covered in faux Pecky Cypress with a neon sign over the patio door

This repaired and reconditioned palm Japanese Lantern carved by Ben in the 60s. Ben had a taxidermied iguana on the bar. It was old and faded so I painted this one to match.

We have a menu from El Tiki. I scanned front and back, had them printed on UV protected vinyl and framed them.

3D printed a couple pufferfish and netted them together to make a lamp.

Some netting, a Jenny Haniver, and an abalone shell

Several years ago I made some El Tiki tribute mugs (there were no mugs made for the restaurant originally). I though some of them would go good in a rack on this wall.

[ Edited by MadDogMike on 2024-11-16 14:45:07 ]

[ Edited by MadDogMike on 2024-11-16 14:47:53 ]

Wow, those mugs are great!

Thanks Arriano