Tiki-Tour Texas / Louisiana

In October I´m travelling from New Orleans to El Paso (visiting Austin, Houston etc). Can anybody tell me if there´s something tiki on the way?
Thanks from germany, Alexandra

Paging Formikahini! Attn. Formikahini!

She'll be your best bet for up-to-date info on Houston and Austin stops. A long time ago there was a realllllly lame tiki bar in Austin called Headhunters, which is across the street from Stubb's Barbecue (anyone in Austin can tell you how to get to Stubbs, which you should visit for the food anyway). The last time we went to Headhunters they had some mediocre drink-mix-made tiki cocktails, but if it's still there you absolutely MUST go for the crazy lifesized bobble-headed Rat Pack statues on the back proch. Of course, that was about three years ago.

Kilikopela and I have lived in Korea for over a year now so things in Houston may have changed but there was also a dorky bar called Tiki Tiki that was way outside downtown Houston. I never heard anything great about it but it may be worth your time now.

The bar I used to work at, Under the Volcano, is owned by an South American family, but they have FABULOUS drinks made with juice that is fresh-squeezed while you wait (i.e., NO MIX, not even sweet 'n' sour, and nothing sits around all day waiting to be consumed). The interior is mostly wood and there is a back patio with a bar, though most of the masks and decor are South American. It has a kind of Day of the Dead feel. It's in Rice Village, close to central Houston, on Bissonet and Morningside, though most people can tell you where to find it. In the summer, I don't reccomend going on a weekend night because the Rice University college kids make the place insufferable. It opens at 2 p.m. — go before dinner.

As I said before, Formika still lives there and may welcome you to her home tiki bar, which in my opinion is the best tiki bar in all of Texas (except for our own, of course, even though it's currently in storage).

http://rulebrittaniea.org

[ Edited by: Brittanie 2006-07-27 19:29 ]

Hi Alexandra!

Brittanie's absolutely right about the current dearth of official tiki establishments in Houston and Austin.

In Austin, yes, do stop in for the cool rat Pack Tikis at Headhunters after a GREAT plate of BBQ at Stubb's. The Hula Hut I hear is also fun, although "contaminated" :wink: with a little bit o' Margaritaville. But a nice, lovely place to relax. (DO go to the Continental Club on South Congress for some rockabilly/R and B/country while in Austin or The Broken Spoke for a REAL Texas experience!)

In Houston, well....sigh.
The Tiki Tiki is no more.
The Volcano is eXACTly as Brit describes (she should know - she slung beers and cocktails there for years - and very well, I might add!)
Devoid of cocktails but serving KICKass cocktails is The Davenport, owned by the fellow who had the ill-fated Tiki Tiki.

Let me know when you're due through. Id be very happy to meet you for a drink at The Volcano and/or The Davenport. If it's a school night, I may not be able to open The Black Pearl Lounge (my home bar), but maaaaybe :)
F

thanks for the informations! Now I have exactly planned my tour !
I´ll arrive octber, 18th in Albuquerque NM and will leave november 1st from Houston TX (cancelled new orleans) !I definitly will stay the weekend (28, 29th) in Austin, so I can visit the places you wrote about! It´s a very long tour, so I don´t know how much time I have in Houston. I think I´ll stay at the coast the days before I leave (galveston?). If you have any tips for the coast, please tell me.
best regards from germany, alexandra

When are you planning on being in New Orleans?

I´ve cancelled my visit in new orleans, because I heard there´s still a lot of hurricane damage. I´m changes my travelplans forward to the west, and now I´m visiting New Mexico (+ texas) instead of louisiana.
But I will come back to this great city new orleans sometimes (perhaps next year)

Alexandra