Category: 00 Tiki Time

Adrift - A Tiki Bar in Colorado

2/18/2019

Denver's Only Tiki Bar

Don and I had a Denver Tiki Adventure, in June 2017. Maybe it was the powerful cocktail that made me forget to add Adrift to the tiki list!

This is what I saw from our Uber, when we pulled up to the little bar on South Broadway. The gray brick and spotlighted sign, had no Polynesian flair at all.

Entrance

However, the entrance welcomed us with two grand carvings!

The door was propped open and we headed right in!

Let There Be Light!

I was delighted right away, because the interior was nicely lit! Don and I have had some crazy moments in dark tiki bars. When entering from daylight, it takes my old eyes minutes to adjust. There was no stumbling and no need for cellphone guidance, at Adrift. We headed for a seat where we had a view of the island village mural.

Rounded Booth

We slid into our avocado green booth and sighed at our surroundings. There were lovely tropical plants that we could actually see. There were carved faces, staring down at us...

There were blowfish lamps and bamboo walls and a cocktail menu full of tropical cocktails, all made with hand-squeezed juices.

Drinks

I made sure to order a cocktail that looked extra fun. My Rum Punch came in a proper tiki mug, with a few fruit garnishes. Don's Mai Tai looked less festive, but worked well with his outfit.

Drinks with a View

Our table allowed us to keep an eye on the bamboo bar and the people coming and going. It was too early for any wild people watching. I took in a little more scenery when I ventured to the restroom. I peeked at the back patio, which had some fun murals. The restroom was the cleanest I've seen, of any tiki bar!

Cheers!

Our tiki-time at Adrift didn't have any outlandish characters or creepy-crazy decor. We've had more memorable tiki bar experiences. But, this was probably the most relaxing, clean and comfortable of our tiki adventures. Cheers to that!

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Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar

10/19/2018

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Fairmont San Francisco

When Don and I learned about the Tonga Bar, we were so excited we switched our evening plans and had an Uber take us to The Fairmont Hotel, instead. Our driver drove us to the top of Nob Hill, but instead of taking us to the classy front entrance, he dropped us on the side.

We walked in a side door and got pretty lost. But that was no problem. It was 5pm and the popular lounge had just opened. We weren't in too big of a hurry.

The Grand Lobby

The Fairmont is a fun place to get lost in. The swirling columns in the lobby did not look very Polynesian. We moved on.

Hidden Down Below

We found the entrance to the exotic lounge in the basement. There was a crowd, even though the bar had only been open for 5 minutes. There was a line of people, hoping to dine beside the lagoon, when the food service began at 6.

The Fairmont Plunge

In Pre-Tonga Room days, things looked a little different in the lower level of the hotel. In 1929, a 75-foot swimming pool was added to the hotel. Traveling guests and movie stars, like Ronald Reagan and Helen Hayes, were lured to the new hotel pool!

Tropical Paradise

By 1945, the pool became a lagoon when MGM set designer, Mel Melvin transformed the area into a tiki themed paradise.

A Floating Boat/Bandstand

It took a while for our eyes to adjust when we first made our way inside. The blue-green water surrounding the boat, reflected the playful light display above.

The Bar

It took us a while to figure things out. The tables on both sides of the water were reserved for diners. The bar, housed inside what looked like a pirate ship, had a few available tables. We attempted to grab one, but learned there was a system for bar seating. No seats for us.

Hanging By the Lagoon

We were totally fine with standing at the railing, near the lagoon. We had a great view of the water. The diners, under their palapas and the mostly younger-than-us-crowd at the pirate bar, gave us some good people watching. And of course we had some very yummy drinks in coconut cups and tall tiki glasses, with lots of umbrellas and fruit.

Empty Boat

I was very curious about the lagoon's best feature. Back in the day, the boat acted as a floating stage, with an orchestra. The boat was empty and quiet during our visit, but I'm sure it gets put to use on weekends.

My Pirate

My very own pirate kindly posed for me, so I could capture a little of the bar area, with all its bamboo and ropes. Don was pretty delighted with the place, that he'd just read about hours before. If only we'd had more planning time, we would have dressed in our tropical best. Next time.

Rainstorm!

We hadn't been in the bar long before we experienced our first storm. There were many of them and the thunder and lightening and rainfall, made us crack up each time. It was very clear which guests were visiting for the first time. They were the ones grinning and attempting photos, like us.

Enjoying the Decor

Don and I kind of loved our little spot right on the railing, where we could take in all the carved decor and thatched roofs. We were busy taking it all in, when a young couple, asked to share a little of the railing space. They turned out to be a delightful pair and we swapped lots of stories.

Sharing the Railing

We were glad to that our new friends were just as giddy over all the tropical gimmicks, as we were. They had seen The Tonga Bar featured on Anthony Bourdain's show and were excited to finally make a visit, themselves.

They couldn't stay long, since they were going to see a friend perform Flamenco at another club. They invited us along and we were tempted to add Spain to our international evening. But we had plans for dinner in Chinatown.

Next Time

We hardly had time to scratch the surface at The Fairmont, but it was time to move on. We waited for our Uber, under the blowing flags. We will definitely come back for some Polynesian dining next time. Maybe we can stay the night... if we win the lottery.

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Tiki Time at Hale Pele in Portland!

8/26/2018

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Celebrating with the Kiddos

Don and I love tiki bars and we have passed that on to our children.

Maybe that's not a good thing. But it seemed like the perfect thing, after we helped our daughter and son-in-law move into their new Portland apartment, in August.

It was about a 1-mile walk from the apartment, but a lot easier than flying to an exotic island!

Happy Hour!

The hostess met us at the door, wearing a mumu and a flower in her hair. She hardly looked like a bouncer, but she asked all 4 of us for IDs. Then she led us to a table and handed us menus.

Thunder Storms and Volcanic Eruptions

We weren't seated long before the lights dimmed and a pounding drum-sound filled the lounge. Some kind of misty-smoke puffed out into the space and filled the tropical room. The whole volcanic eruption was pretty silly and we were the perfect audience.

A while later a little rain storm drama gave us some more excitement. Gotta love some lightening and thunder, when you're surrounded by glowing blowfish and carved tiki faces.

Our Cozy Booth

We felt pretty lucky to have gotten the last booth. The cute little storefront tiki bar wasn't very large. After our eyes adjusted enough to read the menu, we placed our exotic orders.

Lots of Fruit and Rum

The Happy Hour special for $6.00 was hard to beat. I just had to get the Blue Hawaii, with a floral accent. Don got the Lapu Lapu, in memory of our favorite tiki bar from 35 years ago... The Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach, CA.

Cheers to the Newlyweds

Jamie and Heidi were ready to celebrate, since they had just completed their TX to OR drive and had spent the day unpacking. What a perfect place to start enjoying their new hometown, Portland!

Nibbles and Drinks

Luckily we found something besides drinks on the menu, which meant some of us were able to sample a second tiki cocktail. The drinks were marked for strength, which was helpful, for this lightweight.

Happy Staff

The staff was more than willing to do a little pose behind the bar for me. Or maybe they were scared to say no, to the lady who was old enough to be everyone's mom. Anyway, the staff was friendly and we left happy. Can't wait to return!

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Tiki Tolteca in 2017

8/16/2018

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Tiki, Nola Style!

I'm having a throwback spotlight on a tiki-evening we enjoyed in the French Quarter.

Up We Go!

A year ago in May, we were in New Orleans for our son's graduation from Tulane Law. This was one of the places he wanted us to experience.

You just have to do what your son wants, so we entered the white door and headed up the stairs. Two wicker chairs welcomed us, with some coconut art!

Dark

Tiki bars are almost always dark. It takes some nerve to flash your camera, when the locals are gathered at the bamboo-canopy-bar.

Art on a Brick Wall

But the island masks and ship decor were all worthy of my camera's sudden spotlight.

Cozy Corner

Luckily it was early and there was ample seating available. We found the best corner.

Moai and Flames!

Sitting beneath the Moai tiki god, we felt the need to order something equally bold. The flaming bowl of booze lit up the corner!

Heidi and Jamie

Our daughter and her fiancee were happy to demonstrate, how to share a rum-filled cocktail.

Plus Boozy Bears

To balance out the dangerous adult drink, we added a playful order of gummy bears on ice. Of course the bears were filled with alcohol, so it wasn't exactly balancing anything.

The Kids

It's kind of scary how many photos we have with our kids enjoying cocktail adventures. Oh well.

With the Parents

This guy graduated from law school the next day, so I guess all our parenting wasn't bad. Cheers to Scott and cheers to tiki bars!

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Jungle Bird in Sacramento

6/8/2018

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Tiki Time in February!

It was chilly when Don and I visited the California capital, early this year. Our son and daughter-in-law had just moved from New Orleans and their blood was as thin as our Texan blood. Surrounding ourselves in tropical decor, sounded like a good idea.

Scott and Chali had heard about the Tiki Bar in Sacramento's Midtown. We arrived on a Sunday night to check it out. For a moment, the dark windows made us think the place might be closed. But evidently the windows are kept dark on purpose.

Corner Hut

The first thing we saw was a corner bar, under a thatched roof. The bamboo stools were mostly taken, but luckily there were more options for seating.

Birds!

There were birds hanging from the ceiling, but also a wall covered in bird prints. Don and I love a tiki theme, but this additional bird theme should have pleased our son the most. As a little boy, Scott was obsessed with birds. He had as much bird decor at his 4-year-old "Bird-Day Party" as the well decorated tiki bar.

Where to Sit?

The 4 of us were hungry and cold and ready to cozy up with food & drink in the jungle atmosphere. Luckily it was early and it wasn't crowded. The wicker chairs would have been nice, if it had just been Don and me. One corner had a nice little palapa roof and some carved masks.

Dining in Back

We found a nice table in the back with some interesting art work above our heads.

I'm pretty sure there is a good story behind every collected piece in the bar/restaurant.

I wanted to ask a ton of questions, but our server was a little rushed. She clearly was not up for chit chat, about all the tiki decor surrounding us.

Festive Drink Menu!

I've never been in a tiki bar that was bright enough to read a menu. My cell phone light was helpful, though. There were lots of delicious drink ingredients to choose from, but I basically chose my drink because of the vessel it was served in.

Posing

We hadn't even had more than a sip or two, when we snapped these photos. But these drinks made us very cheery. Our drinks came with fruit garnishes and umbrellas, curly straws and lots of alcohol. I'm lightweight, so I took my time.

Tabar Island Toucan

All the drinking containers were mighty fine, but I was the only one who had to hand over my credit card for collateral. My 10-dollar drink with vodka, syrup, mint and lime was worth it. Evidently, my credit card would have been charged $100. if my 4-pound copper bird had accidentally slipped into my large purse.

Our Tiki Gang

The youngin's were good sports when I asked our, not so friendly server to take our photo. But after 3 sips of tiki drinks, none of us were too concerned about looking touristy.

Pu Pu Platter

It's never a good idea to do your tiki-drinking on an empty stomach. We shared a Pu Pu Platter and a rice bowl. Having a flame at the table added a little more drama, but we didn't really use it. The food was satisfying, but mostly Jungle Bird is about the drinks.

Music Changes

After enjoying ourselves a while, the vibe suddenly changed at Jungle Bird. Early on, we'd enjoyed sipping our drinks, to the Faux-Polynesian Exotica tunes of Arthur Lyman. There is no better music for Tiki! Suddenly at 9 pm, the volume was cranked up and sounds of Metallica, replaced marimba and bird sounds. Ugh. Our little escape to paradise, lost its magic. We finished up and ordered an Uber.

Inquiring Minds...

The next day I called up Jungle Bird. I had to find out what the deal was. Maybe they turned on that music to get the Oldsters out. It turns out, we were experiencing Savage Sunday. Every Sunday at 9 pm, the tropical music haters get to enjoy a little heavy metal. Good to know.

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Adrift - A Tiki Bar in Colorado

Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar

Tiki Time at Hale Pele in Portland!

Tiki Tolteca in 2017

Jungle Bird in Sacramento

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