Tiki Haven

Went here on a Wednesday night over the summer and the place was filled. The drinks were good but the vibe was bizarre. This place is decorated like a retro dive bar, but the crowd was all hyper, early 20s guys and girls decked out in clubbing outfits. I'm not sure who was running the music, but it was mostly rap from artists like Tyga, so all night I could hear lyrical gems like "bounce on my dick" and "put that pussy on the floor." The decor is so kitschy and old-school that at first the music and crowd really threw me off, but later I realized that it made sense. After all, when tiki bars were first popping up in the U.S., the attitude toward women was basically the same. Way to keep the spirit of the mid-1900s alive, guys! :)

In all seriousness, I think my friends and I unwittingly stumbled in on a college night. And that being said, I like dive bars, and I like that this one has board games and fruity drinks, so it might still be worth it to come back on a different night to see if the atmosphere is a little less intense.

This was my first tiki bar... and maybe my last? I don't know, I'm not sure if I really fit into the tiki bar crowd. Well, at least I know I don't fit into THIS tiki bar crowd.

Drinks were good, bartender is very nice and cute, and the playlist was great (according to my friends who are a couple years older than me... pretty much every song reference went right over my head). The "Scorpion Bowl" is pretty fun! There's a fire in the middle and it's a communal drink. Can you say "mono"?

But in all seriousness, I can't help but feel a little sad in this place. I guess I imagined tiki bars to be a little more lively. It certainly is...festive, but I dunno if it's my favorite place in the world.

No doubt I'll be back, though. Fruity drinks are totes my style.

This is an alright bar. It's fun looking inside, but it seems to attract the same people, and the bartenders are not entirely the most friendly.