I’m Freaky for Tiki #12: The Super Seattle Tiki Crawl Day 1

Last month I went to visit my family in Washington. They live on Whidbey Island, which required me to fly in to Seattle. Although I've made the trip several times before, it was always fly in-take a shuttle from the airport to the island. When visiting my family, I never spent any time in Seattle itself. I've been to Seattle in the past, but it was only after checking out Critiki a time or two before I realized the virtual tiki bonanza the Seattle area had to offer. So this last trip, I built in some tiki time in Seattle and did my one man marathon crawl through all-things tiki in the area.


After my harrowing flight (complete with a crazy passenger--you can read about it HERE) and a nice visit with my sister and her family (you can read about that HERE), I hit my first stop on my tiki trek. It was the Hawaii General Store & Gallery.


HAWAII GENERAL STORE & GALLERY:

Not a tiki bar, I know...but there is tiki to be found at Hawaii General Store & Gallery. This place was one I discovered on Critiki and it was not too far from my sister's place. Why not check it out?

I asked permission to take photos inside and the owners/managers/store clerks were very accommodating and friendly. I ended up getting a Tiki Farm mug there. At the register, the lady owner suggested some interesting fruit snacks that were illegal to import to California but that I, as an individual, could take back with me. They gave me samples to try. Very nice of them.

Hawaii General Store & Gallery gets a thumbs up from me. Who'd have thought to open a store with imported Hawaiian clothing, food and tchotchkes in the often dreary and soggy suburbs of Seattle?  How fabulous that these people did.

ARCHIE MCPHEE:

What is THIS doing on a list o' all things tiki in Seattle? That's what I asked myself when I saw it listed on Critiki. Of course, as the world's coolest novelty store, Archie McPhee is a must-see any way. I was headed for the No Bones Beach Club when I happened on Archie McPhee by chance. (I think the map on Critiki has them transposed.) There isn't a lot of tiki there, but among the bloody body parts mobiles

...and the amazing Wallingford Beast,

I did spy the world's largest shrunken head!

Ha! Tiki or not, Archie McPhee's is worth a visit.


I did go to the No Bones Beach Club, but not until later in the trip. I tried to go after visiting Archie McPhee, but it was jam-packed crowded, knowing I'd have to  return later... Since it was so busy, I just headed out and down to Tacoma. There are two tiki bars there I wanted to try. They were closed Sundays and Mondays and I was only going to be in the Seattle area that Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It was now or never (well, at least until my next visit).


DEVIL'S REEF:

I decided to start off at the newest tiki bar in Tacoma, Devil's Reef. It was a little hard to find (there was no name over the door), but I really wanted to find it based on it's great rating on Critiki (9.2) and because it was the latest from the owner of Tacoma's other, much heralded tiki bar, the Tacoma Cabana.

Oooo. The place did have the "wow" factor. The quasi-pirate-themed bar had a distinctively "Pirates of the Caribbean" feel to it. I went right after opening and the place was already filling up.

 

I eagerly took a seat at the bar and... I just sat there and sat there and sat there. It wasn't that crowded yet, but apparently I was invisible. I finally flagged someone down and got a menu, thinking the staff's lack of acknowledgement was a mistake (as if, perhaps, they thought I had already been helped).

I was given a menu. Hmm. There wasn't anything traditionally tiki about it and most drinks seemed to include spices or spiced rum --- not something I like at all. Uhh. I decided that I'd try the place's namesake cocktail, The Devil's Reef. I also opted for some interesting-sounding spicy hot tater tots. But then I had to wait and wait and wait again before I could get someone to take my order. What the heck?

I finally got someone to take my order and it took a long while before the food and the drink to appear. How long does it take to make a drink? Geez!

I was unimpressed with the Devil's Reef cocktail. The tots were okay---just super spicy. I did like the Sriracha ketchup they served it with, though. I had planned to try some drink called a Voodoo Summoning, but it took forever to get anyone to notice me again. When I got the guy who served me again, instead asking for the drink, I asked for the check. I was outta there.

The place looked great--but the drink selection? I know the owner is trying to break the tiki mold and try his own thing...but lay off the spiced stuff. Yuck. Customer service? NON-EXISTENT. They didn't even have any tiki mugs for sale. I was horribly disappointed in the place. Yes, I would give it another try---but was so soured on the experience, I almost skipped trying out Tacoma Cabana down the hill. (But ooooo, even though Tacoma Cabana is owned by the same folks who run Devil's Reef, I'm so glad I tried the Cabana!)


TACOMA CABANA:

When I first stepped in the doorway, I was kind of disappointed. While Devil's Reef looked stunning and original, Tacoma Cabana was less than impressive. It had the appearance of a half-hearted attempt at tiki. Was I in for further disappointment?

I sat at the bar and was almost immediately approached by the bar tender. He gave me a copy of the extensive drink menu filled with classics and creative variations.

Unfortunately I don't recall the names of the drinks I had that night, but they were good. (Better than the one I'd had at Devil's Reef, that's for sure.) I think I had three (!) drinks there, but only got shots of two of them...

I also opted for a burger...which, I think was called the Big Kahuna Burger.

Despite the small location and less-than-thrilling atmosphere, I really liked Tacoma Cabana. It was crazy that it wasn't more crowded on a Saturday night, when Devil's Reef was pretty packed when I'd left. This place had far better drinks, a better food selection and far better service. Sure, the Devil's Reef may have looked better than this place, but this was a case of looks being deceiving--by a long shot.

Tacoma Cabana didn't have any mugs for sale either. They did have swizzle sticks with their name on it though. I saved mine, of course...but tragedy hit. Sometime before I got back home, my swizzle stick broke. Waaagh! Now I'll HAVE to go back to Tacoma Cabana to get another. Ha!

That was it for the first day. But I'd be hitting the tiki trail the following day with new delights and new experiences. You can read all about it HERE.

CHEERS!