Any Good Hangouts in the Sacramento Area ?

I'll be in the Sacramento area in a few weeks for a little family vacation and was wondering if there are any good Tiki establishments there. I've got the Tiki Road Trip on order, but thought I'd get a jump on it. Anything else not to be missed ? Schmaltzy lounges, eateries, landmarks, cool parts of town? I've never been before, so any tips would be appreciated. We're definitely heading to the bay area to get the Tonga experience, but I've got the feeling most of my time is gonna be spent around Sac.
Seamus

[ Edited by: seamus on 2003-06-26 13:52 ]

Seamus,

Sacto's been done pretty extensively on the list (a search will dig up way more than you want to know), but I want to put my plug in again for the Backdoor Lounge in Old Town. I don't care what anybody else says - this place is fun! It's all red naugahide and crimson velvet and hasn't been redecorated since like 1967. There's a piano bar there with a lounge singer named Rudy Valentino who's so cheesy he's irresistable. If you go, tell Rudy his fans in Portland sent you! He'll pretend he knows what you're talking about. Sit at the piano bar if you can, 'cause Rudy will pretty much do his whole show just to you if you do.

As for Tiki, catch the previous threads, but the short answer is pretty much "no".

Sorry Seamus, but Sac hasn't seen tiki since the Coral Reef Restaurant went out of business and the Bamboo Hut purchased it's giant tiki god mask!

Try this thread:

https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=2965&forum=1

I second tikimaxton's recommendation of the Back Door!

Another place I discovered recently is Ford's Real Hamburgers at 1948 Sutterville Road. It's an old place with one of the best burgers I've had anywhere. Great milk shakes and fries too. More expensive than fast food places but so much better.

Here's a picture:

Hamburgerrrrrrr, ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh

Thanks for the great tips! Tikimaxton- I remember our conversation about The Backdoor at your season opener. It sounds great. We're definitely there. Thanks Thejab for the great link too. Too bad about all the great places closing so recently. Trader Vics in Portland did the same to me. A couple weeks ago on a return trip from Ptown, we drove thru downtown Salem to find a place my wife stumbled across afew years called the Tahiti. I finally walked in this old diner straight outa the 40's. The diner was empty but the bar was full. The patrons were all the same vintage. The raspy voiced waitress told me the place was a bank now. Happened about two years ago. My wife doesn't remember exactly how much Tiki was in the place, but says it was a great, dark and mysterious, hole in the wall with over the top Polynesian decor - and old. TOO bad again!!