New york City TIKI

I'm on the trail for Tiki joints in New York City...and so happy to find a swingin' bar within walking distance of my apartment. The TIKI ROOM under Niagara Bar, 112 AVE A@ East 7th St. There is a two foot high tiki to greet you as you order a drink (unfortunately, not a large tropical selection: margaritas and pina coladas, even when the blender is not broken, but they are still tasty). Paintings of wahines, a fine collection of tiki mugs in a delapitated case, hut with thatched roof. On fridays this summer, the TIKI ROOM hosts "Wowsville a Go-Go!" --a slop-n-soul shakedown to get your groove going, complete with barely clad go-go dancers to make your jaw drop. It's fun and a breezy break from the dirty new york summer. An added touch of the tough Big apple into a tropical oasis--the bartender is a Hell's Angels and so are a lot of the kahunas at the bar!

Is this the same tiki room as shown here?

http://www.tikiroomnyc.com

?

hey manic cat,

i went to the tiki room last fall while on a business trip to nyc. it was great fun, but you are right about the drinks -- not a great selection and i could not find a decent mai tai to save my life! i travel to nyc twice a year, so if you can find any other decent exotica type places, let me know.

aloha and mahalo,

uncle arty

Meee-owww! You nearly scared the wits out of me with that link. That "Tiki Room" which you refer to is pretty sucky. It has a of couple tikis and a few mugs but basically it is a glossed over, up-scale, yuppie, techno-crazy, overpriced, corporate excuse for Pop Exotica. (I knew that I had to be cautious when I showed up and there was velvet rope outside the door.) Some of the decor is really beautiful but, unfortunately the staff couldn't let me sit in any of the lounges because they would have to start a food tab for me even though I just paid for a $17 Scorpian Bowl for myself. It was Happy Hour and the bar was packed with young executives, Britney Spears Top 40 was blaring, no drink specials. and "meat market" ambience. But it did have the long straws and umbrellas, thank the tiki gods! I left with a bit of a tummy ache (but I did have a 20 oz. drink). I'm not going back or paying the money to do so. (Believe it for yourself at http://newyork.citysearch.com/review/11510929/editorial).
My recommedation is down in the funky East Village.http://newyork.citysearch.com/review/7098606/editorial

[ Edited by: manic cat on 2003-01-15 10:22 ]

Yeah, that place doesn't really look Tiki at all. I get email sent to my domain (www.tikicentral.com) from customers of their all the time.

besides coming to my house, the only place I think you can really do tiki here is, at a restaurant called Marion's.

http://www.marionsnyc.com

during the summer months they do a tribute to the kahiki and it's real cute, good food(they got real pupu platters!, great drink, terrific dancer/entertainers. (i hope the girls who worked there last summer - are back this year- the potsoni sisters(?))

next time you guys are coming, drop a line, i'll take any excuse to crawl over there....

niagra basement is cool, like being at home...

but, forget the tikiroom on 19th street, i read a interview with the company that designed it and they said " We wanted to abstract tiki, make it something new and modern..."

now i ask you, humble readers....

"can you abstract Elvis?" inkylouise

NYC Tiki Rm looks like what Super Models see Tiki as being. Cosmopolitons version of a Tiki bar. Yuk!! Where's the dust?

Mahalo,
Bamboo Ben
Bamboo Ben (custom tropical decor)
712 Yorktown Ave. #20
Huntington Beach, Ca. 92648
Store Hours- Sat. 10-5ish
Sun. 11-4ish (summer only)
Other Hours by appointment 714 960-1860

[ Edited by: bamboo ben on 2002-07-03 08:13 ]

I definately plan on spending more time at Marion's this year. I didn't get enough pu-pu platter last year! (I haven't seen the Pontani Sisters yet. But I'm looking forward to them. They perform at "Burlesque on the Beach" in Coney Island (Friday nights) on Aug 23 and headline at SF's Tease-O-Rama.)
Did anyone know Orchard Bar and Grill, right on Orchard St. south of Houston? They also participated in summertime Tiki-ness. Too bad they are now closed.

My god - that NYC link looks to be the worst thing I have ever seen - why there autta be a law gol darn it!!!!

So here's a recap, I guess

GOOD in NYC:
Marion's Continental
Lei's (Tiki Room under Niagara bar)

BAD, BAD, BAD in NYC
The Tiki Room

aloha and mahalo for the input. it's good to hear from the new york centralites and nice to know that tiki is not completely dead in nyc. i will definitely make my way to marion's and niagra this fall and once i set my schedule we just might have to coordinate a pub crawl nyc style! the hunt for the nyc mai tai is on!

cheers,

uncle arty

don't forget the hawaiiana shop RADIO HULA in soho!

& i always got a tiki-related kick out of that korean restaurant - (Woo Chon 8-10 West 36th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues) - w/ the giant waterfall at the entrance & the bbq grills built into the table!

& then there's always chan's dragon inn just across the gwb in ridgefield.

glad to see some new yorkers chiming in!

:sheckymug:
tiki chris

I think that radio Hula is closed, i remember buying a bunch of stuff last spring at the going oout of business sale.

But the woman who owned it is the head of the hawaiian cultural foundation here in new york and they always have some great events. Ie. picnics, canoe trips, hula classes, slack key workshops. Very cultural...not about grog + decor, but still fun.

I'll dig up the web address and post.

man, that's a shame about radio hula. oh well. glad to hear the hawaiian culture foundation is still going. i went to a few of their functions when i lived in hoboken.

here's a link of hawaiian stuff in nyc:

http://www.kalena.com/hawaiian_culture_nyc.html

In late July, "Waikiki Wally's" will be opening at 101 1st Street in NY, NY. Their proprietor, Youri Benoiston, knows how to do it right and is bringing in decor/supplies from Oceanic Arts, Crazy Al & Tiki Farm plus he's having some giant murals painted throughout the joint. He's sticking to a strict styling that he refers to as "early Don the Beachcomber". If my conversations with him are any indication, this place should turn out to be very hip and the vibe should be just what we here at Tiki Central are looking for!

Thanks so much for the scoop on "Waikiki Wally's." I live only a 5 minute walk from its future location! I can't wait for the end of July when it opens.

Awesome!

Waikiki Wally's is just what NYC exotica needs!

Looking forward to sipping mai tais off broadway...

Arty

[ Edited by: stentiki on 2002-07-05 13:04 ]

[ Edited by: Lance Samason 2007-07-06 15:19 ]

On 2002-07-07 12:54, Lance Samason wrote:

better take a bus out to jersey. there are a few places out there that have been unaltered since the mid-sixties and are very awesome. i'll let you hunt for them. the information is out there, and any self respecting tikiologist would savor the hunt.

if you savor the hunt but not the hassle of navigating north jersey, take a look at the topic folder called "JERSEY" located in the main discussion area.

[ Edited by: Tiki Chris on 2002-07-08 01:52 ]

Dj'd the tiki bar at Niagara for a short while. Decent enough tiki for a town bereft of it. At least there wasn't anything else when I lived there.
TG

Did ya'll ever go to Trader Vic's at the Plaza Hotel or the Hawaii Kai (next to the Winter Garden theater) before they closed? Now those were bars! I can't figure out for the the life of me why Vic's shut down. I used to go there a lot and it was always packed. My only regret is that I never purchased the mugs they were selling (it cut into the drink funds.)

DAMN 'The Donald'!!!!! :x

smogbreather,
I'm having trouble finding the site of the future Waikiki Wally's. Could you double-check that address for me? Thank you.
Manic in NYC Cat

I'll double check the address and get back to you asap!

i also have marched down 1 st strret and not found any thing... need more info...xoxoxomahalo, suzy

i also have marched down 1 st strret and not found any thing... need more info...xoxoxomahalo, suzy

and 101 1st ave is just a beauty salon. There's a 1st street out in Brooklyn (park Slope). But that's quite residential, I think.

maybe its first avenue?

I walked down 1st ave from 14 st street to my place below Houston--no indication of any tiki place opening up that I could see.

Yesterday, I was up in the catskill mountains, and in Middletown, NY there's a lovely Polyneisian Chinese restaurant. Many tikis, many more tiki drinks (when I orderd a Zombie the old Chinese waiter laughed sinisterly all the way to the bar!), and PU-PU PLATTER! I'll post the photos as quickly as I develop them.

Hey Manic Cat, where in Middletown is it located and what's the name?. I'll might be back in NY soon for a visit and my Mom lives just across the river from Middletown-UUUMMMM PU-PU Platters...

HAWAII FOUNTAIN
403 ROUTE 211 E, MIDDLETOWN, NY 10940
(845) 343-8773

It's right where Rt. 84 hits Rt. 17 west. There's a huge Super KMArt and Wal-Mart across the street.

lance samason

your website says that Luau 2002 was a success--congrats!

concerning east village tiki mugs--yes, there's few and expensive (but such is most everything in NYC) I've been heading over to Bowery for scorpian bowls at the Chinese Restaurant supply shops.

On 2002-07-03 19:25, smogbreather wrote:
In late July, "Waikiki Wally's" will be opening at 101 1st Street in NY, NY. Their proprietor, Youri Benoiston, knows how to do it right and is bringing in decor/supplies from Oceanic Arts, Crazy Al & Tiki Farm plus he's having some giant murals painted throughout the joint. He's sticking to a strict styling that he refers to as "early Don the Beachcomber". If my conversations with him are any indication, this place should turn out to be very hip and the vibe should be just what we here at Tiki Central are looking for!

Did anyone ever find Waikiki Wally's? I'm coming to NYC the week of September 16 and I would really love to see this place!

Aloha,

Uncle Arty

[ Edited by: Lance Samason 2007-07-06 15:19 ]

"Waikiki Wally" seems still to be an intoxicating dream. No signs of existence, unfortunately.

What are the dimensions on this home tiki bar? I am interested--but have very little space in my NYC apartment. (If i can't fit it, maybe I can twist my brother's arm into buying it for his Union City, NJ place.)

I haven't checked the previous Jersey threads but I'm making plans on heading to Wildwood for Labor Day (Sun-Mon). Any recommendations for motels and drinking/eating?

Thanks.
Manic Cat

[ Edited by: Lance Samason 2007-07-06 15:19 ]

My brother lives on the 15th floor of an apartment building in Union City, but he says that if he was to jump off his balcony, his body would splat on the cement in Hoboken. (He's on the town-line with Hoboken, you see. 15 minutes from nyc. Sorry for the grotesque illustration.)
I have friends in Union on Clark street. Union and Union City are probably 20 minutes apart.
Chan's is definately on my to-do list. I need to borrow a family-member's car first in order to get there from Manhattan.
I check out the tiki bar on the tikiology website soon!

ooppps...Wildwood?
It's all the way south on the Jersey shore.

[ Edited by: Lance Samason 2007-07-06 15:18 ]

The Tahiti in Wildwood is a great place to go for a Tiki Era hut that is well preserved. They work hard to preserve their Modern-era heritage in Wildwood. I'm not sure they see it exactly the same as the LA ModCommers do, but they have had some very fine successes in NJ.

the only tiki-esque place in jersey that i know of is down in either seaside heights or point pleasant. sorry, i do not remember the name. (only because i have not gotten down there.) i myself am looking for a good tiki bar in the nj/ny area. i think i will hunt around for the name of the place. i remember looking at the site & they had a webcam of the boardwalk that it is situated on...nice view...i'll be back with the name....

ok, so it's martell's tiki bar in point pleasant, nj. like i said, i can't give more than that because i've never been there. but if anyone has, let me know if it's any good.
and if anyone is interested, the website for it is

http://www.tikibar.com

On 2002-07-23 15:02, manic cat wrote:
HAWAII FOUNTAIN
403 ROUTE 211 E, MIDDLETOWN, NY 10940
(845) 343-8773

It's right where Rt. 84 hits Rt. 17 west. There's a huge Super KMArt and Wal-Mart across the street.

here's the website for the Hawaiin Founbtain resdturant in beautuful Newburg NY (A town which in the '70's had a higher per capita murder rate than NYC):

http://www.hawaiifountain.com/

On 2002-08-22 21:30, tikigrrrl13 wrote:
ok, so it's martell's tiki bar in point pleasant, nj.

For the love of God stay away from that place!!! I checked out the website and it looks like another extraneous use of the word Tiki... I have nightmares about places like this (picture dissolves with a watery effect and a strumming harp)

I walk into Martell's, I am bewildered that I haven't seen any tikis eventhough the sign clearly states that it is a tiki bar. The place is empty...suddenly, my car key falls from my hand and falls between the slats of the pier/boardwalk flooring...I fall to my knees putting my eye to the hole in the boards. Again I look around and see no one to help me. I look in the hole one more time and beginning to panic I jump to my feet and then it happens...suddenly Martell's is full of mullet wearing guys and even girls holding longneck bottles of Coors Light. Classic rock is blasting from the oversized speakers instantaneously deafening me. I'm screaming for help getting my car key back and no one can hear me...one guy approaches a girl with a large hairdo and uses a bad pick-up line but she smiles and gives him her phone number...in the corner I can see a basketball game on the TV and a bunch of guys all clad in college basketball jersies yelling and screaming at the screen. I am screaming for help - no one acknowledges me. I want to leave but I've lost my car key!!! Sweet Home Alabama cranks up on the sound system and for some odd reason all of Martell's patrons begin singing along and playing air guitar in unison, their mullets swaying with uncanny precision...someone bumps into me...someone spills a Miller Light on my shorts and I awake! (scene dissolves with a watery effect and the same strumming harp)

No I don't think Martell's Tiki Bar is a real tiki bar and I wouldn't waste any time checking it out...one picture is worth a 1000 words...

:drink:

Just Cool!!

JohnTiki

Greetings to all from The Pi Yi Lenai in luxurious Bel Air Maryland!

[ Edited by: johntiki on 2002-08-23 17:16 ]

[ Edited by: Johntiki on 2002-08-23 23:13 ]

Man, I am losing hope. Is there no place in the city to get a decent mai tai?!?

23 days and counting....

Aloha,

Uncle Arty

johntiki,
You're just talking about Martell's and not Hawaiian Fountain, right? Because if you have a problem with H.F. I'm ready to duke it out kung-fu style.
Manic Cat

Hawaiian Fountain sounds nice - Martell's sounds like a bad dream...put away your fists of fury no need to fight tonight...

:drink:

Heads up, guys, got this info from Oceanic Arts:

Waikiki Wally's is at 24 First Av, New York, NY 10009 and is owned by Youri. We have been supplying this job for a few months with Outrigger Canoes, mattings, thatching and quite a few artifacts, Pufferfish lights, Netting ,and more. We think he might have bought additional decor from other sources over the years.

Also doing another job in New York at 538 E. 14th Street, owned by Steve Pang. He has not chosen a name for the project yet but has suggested "The Shrunken Skull." Hopefully he will change to a better name.

I am sitting at my desk at work hyperventilating. Not only did my boss give me this morning a "Swingin Tiki God" (moai head) to put on top of my computer, and tonight my parents and I are taking my brother for his birthday to Marions Continental for Polynesian food, tiki drinks, and the Pontani Sisters but, my friend emailed to say that there's a new tiki bar opened in Brooklyn called "Zombie Hut." (I am very blessed by tiki gods today). Here's a review that I found on line. It says that there's a cheezy surf board on the wall, but nothing about tikis.
NIGHT OF THE 'ZOMBIE' By LIBBY CALLAWAY and MEGAN TURNER
August 24, 2002
Sit right back and you'll hear a tale - a tale of two professional lushes marooned in a tiki hut in Brooklyn with nothing but oodles of rum and pineapple juice and little paper umbrellas to keep them company. Could be a lot worse. We beached ourselves at Smith Street's newest drinkery, the Zombie Hut, expecting surfboards on the walls (check), "The Girl From Ipanema" on the stereo (check), and colorful plastic thingamajigs in our drinks (check). What we didn't expect were Skipper-sized drinks like The Suffering Bastard (three - count 'em - ounces of booze), The Gilligan (vodka, three rums and orange juice served in a mason jar) and the Scorpion Bowl (a virtual tureen of rum and brandy with four straws.) Forget about three-hour tours; you'll need a day and a night and then some to run through the cocktail menu at this little oasis of fruity frivolity. Zombie Hut, 261 Smith Street, between Douglass and Degraw Streets, (718) 855-2736.