The Bay Area has one of the greatest concentrations of Tiki Bars in the world, but once you leave the urbane confines of San Francisco and Oakland things get a little different. This is a look at tiki bars of the Bay Area Suburbs.
Most of these places are Hawaiian-leaning and include live performances as part of their draw. They also serve food, which can help when you’re drinking cocktails that (with one exception) aren’t generally exceptional. But if you set your expectations accordingly and realistically, you might very well have a great time.
Suburban Retreat: Tiki Tom’s, Walnut Creek, CA
Tucked under a massage parlor in an old downtown building, but surrounded by Walnut Creek’s upscale shopping neighborhood, Tiki Tom’s provides a place to grab a drink without pretension. Drinks are touristy-tropical, meaning that the Mai Tai is made with pineapple juice and grenadine. The most high-end rum is probably Kraken, or maybe Myers’s. But if you can hang with that level of cocktail it might not be a bad time. Just know it’s not a quiet bar; TVs show sports and Karaoke plays a couple nights a week. This could be a great place to hang out with friends.
Tom’s serves food and my plate of mini cheeseburgers were tasty. I thought my island Mai Tai was fine, and did enjoy the Kraken Painkiller even better. Staff is responsive but not particularly chatty. I have enjoyed my visits when the Mrs wants to stay longer while shopping, and while Reggae isn’t tiki by any means, at least the playlist was varied enough that I didn’t hear a single track from Bob Marley’s greatest hits.
Homey Hawaiian: Hukilau, San Jose, CA
Hukilau opened in San Jose’s Japantown in the mid-2000’s and if you love down-home Hawaiian this is the place. There is a front room with the bar and some tables, plus a back “Tiki Room” with a larger area of seating as well as live performances. We visited one time when a Hawaiian combo was playing and we really enjoyed the atmosphere and music. Food is typical of Hawaiian places, so some great plate combos as well as bowls, burgers, and salads. Excellent food here both times we visited.
The cocktails at Hukilau are mostly vodka-based, and definitely not “craft” inspired. The Mai Tai, as you’d expect, is with Pineapple Juice, but there are some interesting cocktails such as the Ginger Martini. It’s a very nice family atmosphere here and the staff are very friendly, but the tiki elements are very light.
Nightmare Scenario: Tiki Pete, San Jose, CA
This downtown location was in business for several years as Da Kine Island Grill. In 2018, they rebranded themselves as Tiki Pete, named after the owner, and added more tiki decor. It’s in a great location under the Market and San Pedro Parking structure and within easy walking distance to the Arena. Tiki Pete has a Hawaiian-inspired menu and also features frequent live music performances with a focus on reggae and island music.
The cocktail menu appears to be inspired by classic tiki, featuring a number of Mai Tais from the 1944 to a Don’s Mai Tai to a Q.B. Cooler to the Tiki Pete Mai Tai, featuring a custom Barbados Rum blend. A large number of other cocktails are available on the extensive cocktail menu. Unfortunately, they’re not following the prescribed ingredients in these cocktails; my 1944 Mai Tai had the distinct taste of ginger, and my wife’s guava martini was bland.
A recent visit went wrong from beginning to end. We visited on a Saturday evening before a concert at the Arena. The restaurant was quite full but we were seated basically immediately. There was a PPV boxing match on TV, so the event volume was quite loud and many of the patrons were there to watch. We ordered drinks and then our meal. After a while, my appetizer arrived, followed by a water for my wife (but not the water I ordered). Then my wife’s main course arrived, then a bit later by my main course. Food was at best okay and at worst less than adequate.
I asked the waitress what was taking so long with the cocktails and she went to check. As noted, it was busy, but I was watching the bartenders and they were not exactly rushing to complete orders. They had plenty of non-prep time and were talking with those sitting at the bar. I could even see that people who ordered after us had gotten their drinks. After more time passed my wife’s appetizer of Edamame arrived. Finally, I went up to ask Tiki Pete himself about our drinks. I mentioned that I had asked for a 1944 Mai Tai made with the Tiki Pete Barbados rum, at which point Pete smiled and high-fived me. I said I’d be more excited to get my drink. Pete then came over to our table with some shots from the Tiki Pete Rum, and said the cocktails were “coming right up.” Then we waited another full ten minutes and they took our drinks to the wrong table. After more confusion, we finally got our cocktails.
Recap:
Literally took over 45 minutes for my wrong-tasting Mai Tai to arrive
None of the food came out when it should have, and wasn’t very good
Barely any effort to “right” the wrong
And to top it all off, did we see any complimentary items on our bill, such as the Mai Tai that took over 45 minutes to be delivered? No, we did not.
So, while Tiki Pete seems to be embracing a craft cocktail approach with their historical cocktails and limited-edition rum, they failed time after time to do the basic things a restaurant/bar should be reasonably expected to do.
I’ll never go back to Tiki Pete, and you shouldn’t either.
The Star Pupil: Hula Hoops, South San Francisco, CA
The best suburban Tiki Bar in the Bay Area is Hula Hoops, located off 280 in a nicely renovated strip mall. The main seating area is open and they have a number of TVs where sports plays consistently. They also have a small stage where they have island-inspired musical performances several times per week. Food is mostly Hawaiian, with pizza also available for dinner.
The main seating area is nicely appointed but basically decorated. The small bar doesn’t afford much in the way of seating either. But there’s a space inside Hula Hoops that’s a must-visit. You see, there’s a small tiki lounge built by Bamboo Ben that has some lounge chairs and a few small tables. The decor in here is great, and because it’s all closed off you’ll feel more relaxed than in the main dining room.
And the cocktails? Well, we finally have some that will surely pass muster with even the snobbiest tikiphile. Though the menu is not extensive, they’re definitely prepared correctly. In fact, Hula Hoops employed Daniel “Doc” Parks of Pagan Idol and Zombie Village to help prep their cocktail menu. Here’s what Parks told us when we asked about how it came together:
“Bamboo Ben referred me when he was helping them with their build-out. They asked him who he’d recommend for cocktails and they passed them my number. I wrote a brief cocktail menu for them and tried to keep it as simple as possible while upholding the traditions that are most important. And the end-result is supposed to be balanced cocktails that are tasty and unique. The times I’ve been in there, I’ve had a great experience, so I think things are going well for them.”
The food I sampled at Hula Hoops was delicious and I liked the Mai Tai made with Real McCoy rum. I also tried one of Parks’ originals, the Pineapple Express: superbly balanced. The staff was efficient and friendly, and I had a nice conversation with the bartender about the cocktails, too. Be sure to find the time to visit Hula Hoops.
Verdict:
When you can’t make it the “top tier” tiki bars, you can sometimes find a little bit of paradise out in the suburbs. Just go into it with an open mind. And open eyes.
Tiki Tom’s website
Hukilau San Jose website
Tiki Pete website
Hula Hoops website
The write up and all photos by Kevin Crossman
Follow Kevin’s adventures on Instagram: The Search for the Ultimate Mai Tai