Jungle Bird in Sacramento

Tiki Time in February!
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​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
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​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!
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​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. 
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Where to Sit?
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​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!
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​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
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​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
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​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
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​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
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​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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