Not long ago, I had to visit Phoenix for a few days. Since I had only been to Phoenix one other time in my life (and did not see any of its tiki bars), I decided to make the most of my time there. The Phoenix area is home to five tiki bars. I visited all six of them. SIX? Yep! There is a new-ish, secret (shhh!) tiki bar I also got to visit my last night there. Whoo hoo!
Here's a quick-o-rama peak into the world of Phoenix tiki.
GILIGIN'S: Based on the reviews on Critiki, I wasn't expecting much from this bar. And still my expectations should have been lower. Situated on the outskirts of Old Town in Scottsdale, Giligin's looks quasi-tiki from the outside.
There are palm tree's and the lettering is the same as used on the title credits for "Gilligan's Island" (save for a missing "L" and an "I" instead of an "A"...possibly to avoid copyright issues?)
As you approach, there is a squat little tiki carving to the left of the door.
There are tiki-esque tribal masks just as you walk in.
It was only when you were inside and saw all of the beer signage that I began to wonder just how tiki...or NON-tiki...this place really was. This area below is (according to the website) purportedly the "world's only midget bar"---open on Fridays and Saturdays only.
The Wheel of Booze looked fun. I later asked about it and was told it was mostly for the college crowd on the weekends. They pay some money then spin the wheel for a shot. It could be something good or it could be something nasty. I was tempted to try it, but something told me to pass.
The bar was clearly good sized, but that Monday afternoon, there was hardly anyone there.
Despite all of the various spirits and mixers on display at both bars (there are two), it seemed beer was the beverage of choice by the regulars. When the friend I was with mentioned to the bartender that we were taking a little tiki tour of Phoenix, the bartender got a little weird.
"Tiki?," he said. "We don't have a blender for crushed ice. We don't have any little paper umbrellas."
Clearly, despite all of the tiki stuff the place had going for it, the staff was tikilliterate...and rude. My friend had a beer. I compromised and had a margarita (on the rocks...no blender, remember?).
GILIGINS
4251 North Winfield Scott Plaza
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 874-2264
website: http://giliginsbar.com/index.html
Critiki page: https://www.critiki.com/location/giligins-kon-tiki-lounge-scottsdale-170/
HULA'S MODERN TIKI - SCOTTSDALE: Not too far from Giligan's, is the Scottsdale branch of Hula's Modern Tiki. Hula's is apparently related to the Santa Cruz and Monterey Hula's. However, unlike their West Coast cousins, Hula's Modern Tiki is, well...very modern. There's not a lot of kitsch or bamboo. Instead there is clean lines and minimal decor. Modern, yes...but also very sterile looking. I'm sure it would appeal to millennials, but to classic tiki fans...the place was "just okay."
A couple of groovy light fixtures and five tiki-esque wall plaques are pretty much it for the decor in the dining room section.
The bar has a little bit more going on--including its own cool lights--but it's ultimately just another bar.
The wall plaques must be the tikis of pee pee, because you really only encounter them on the way to the men's room.
Yep--minimal everything. No booths, exotic decor, the ceiling is even left purposely unfinished.
The only true kitsch was tucked away, literally, in display cabinets below the bar, where your legs usually hang out. Ha! You can barely see the colored display here below the bar. There was some cool stuff in there. Too bad no one will ever see it.
Weird odds and ends in the display cases. I spy a couple of tiki mugs, a cool Magic 8 Ball and... a flashlight?
A Planter's Mixed Nuts tin? Is this a neat display of cool artifacts or did someone mistake it for a recycle bin?
More cool stuff on display---just be sure not to kick your legs under the bar accidentally---you may ruin the displays and cut the heck out of your leg.
Of course, a true tiki bar is rated, not just on looks, but on the cocktails it serves. Hula's had a great selection on its menu.
I gleefully ordered a Pink Bikini as my first drink, remembering the watermelon goodness of the cocktail from the Hula's locations on the coast. Mmm. It didn't disappoint. My friend opted for a Painkiller. It did disappoint. Oh well.
For round two, I had a Dr. Funk. Although it was served in a Fu Manchu mug, it wasn't my favorite. I should have stuck with the delicious Pink Bikini, but I wanted to broaden my cocktail horizon somewhat. Erich tried the Blood Orange Martini and was in 7th heaven. It was the cocktail he compared all others to on the trip.
Hula's Modern Tiki did keep one convention of its classic tiki cousins; the tiki mug. There were several mugs used for cocktails that were also available for sale.
Unfortunately, none of them were signature mugs. They were all just generic mugs you can order almost anywhere.
One really cool aspect about the place was that almost the entire front of it opened up with huge glass sliding doors. There were also a few patio dining tables and chairs.
And, as a reminder that Hula's is a restaurant as well as a bar, brunch is served on weekends (with happy hour on cocktails until 6pm).
The lone tiki carving just outside the door seemed like it was hiding, like it was too embarrassed to be seen in such a non-tiki environment.
HULA'S MODERN TIKI - SCOTTSDALE
7213 E. First Ave,
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 970-4852
website: http://www.hulasmoderntiki.com/
Critiki page: https://www.critiki.com/location/hulas-modern-tiki-scottsdale-905/
HULA'S MODERN TIKI - PHOENIX: Not wanting to miss out on anything, we decided to check out the Scottsdale Hula's sister restaurant/bar in Phoenix. Indeed, although the bartender at the Scottsdale location was really good, the Phoenix version was, overall, cranked up just another notch or so. But the modern take on tiki seemed more tailor made for the sports fan instead of the tikiphile. Case in point, when we pulled up to Hula's, we could see large TVs tuned to sports. Swell...
A sad-faced tiki greeted us as we parked. Was he an outcast from the restaurant or was he, like his cousin in Scottsdale, just too embarrassed to be associated with a modern tiki bar, especially one in danger of becoming a tiki sportsbar? I hoped not.
The first thing you see when you walk in, is Phoenix's idea of a swanky and hip Las Vegas bar. But what happens in Vegas, obviously stayed in Vegas, because clearly something was lost in the translation.But hey, with its colored lights and unique wrap-around style, it got more points than the Scottsdale's version of the wall-long bar.
But was it a tiki bar? Not really...
And TVs playing sporting events so did NOT belong there.
The bar paraphernalia was certainly colorful though.
And there on the far wall were the Pee Pee Tiki plaques, indicating where the bathrooms were or just being minimal decor to remind you that you were in a modern tiki bar.
Line forms here...
The main dining room was nice. There were a few booths and some patio dining. I also really dug the glass roll up garage door-like walls.
Right next to the entrance though, there was this awful party table for 16 stuck in an ugly and boring alcove. Pass.
But right next to that was the entrance to a room almost hidden from view...
Oooo...a tiki room. It may not have been that elaborate, but it was the tiki-est part of the whole restaurant, complete with palm frond thatch and bamboo mat walls.
If we had stayed for dinner, this is the room I would have insisted we eat in.
While there was no eating, there was drinking! (Of course). Erich had another Blood Orange Martini (not pictured), which he reported was not as good as the one in Scottsdale. I opted for a Tropical Itch, which came with a plastic back scratcher.
For our second drinks, I tried a Lilikoi Margarita and Erich had the One-Eyed Pyrat.
The two Hula's shared the same menu. Only the bartenders were different. Although very similar to it's Scottsdale sister, Hula's Modern Tiki - Phoenix, with it's cool roll-up walls, booths, and optional tiki dining room got a slightly higher score. The flirtation with being a sports bar lost a few points---but overall the Phoenix location just barely edged out the Scottsdale spot in my mind.
HULA'S MODERN TIKI - PHOENIX
5114 N. 7th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85014
(602) 265-8454
website: http://www.hulasmoderntiki.com/
Critiki page: https://www.critiki.com/location/hulas-modern-tiki-phoenix-761/
THE UNDERTOW: Have you ever gone looking for something that you know is there, but can't seem to find? That was the case when we went looking for The UnderTow, Phoenix's latest and super cool tiki lounge. We pulled into a parking lot in the vicinity of where the tiki bar was supposed to be. Where The UnderTow was supposed to be, stood another bar called Drink Beer & Coffee. Huh? We didn't see any signage or advertising that The UnderTow was anywhere near there. As we approached the Drink Beer & Coffee bar, confused and disoriented by the absence of The UnderTow, I remembered seeing pictures of the entrance on Critiki. It had all been downstairs; the "under" of its name. We walked into Drink Coffee & Beer, which was rather dull-looking, with a few tables here and there occupying a space that had clearly once been a Jiffy Lube, or something like that. (In fact, there are several Drink Beer & Coffee locations in the area. This particular one is officially known as the Drink Beer & Coffee Garage.) It was open, barren and...boring. But it was there, in the middle of the big, expansive garage that I spied a stairwell heading down. Could it be?
We walked up to it and... Hurrah! We had found it at last.
I had heard that reservations are recommended, but it was a Monday night. We didn't expect a crowd. Indeed, the "crowd" up in the garage was kind of sparse. However, when we made our was down the vine and shrunken head-covered stairway to the bar's entry, we were, in fact, asked if we had reservations. No, we didn't. It was a busy night--but fortunately not that busy. We were told we would have to wait. But the wait was not that long.
The UnderTow is located in what was the pit the mechanics would drain the oil in when the place a Jiffy Lube (or whatever similar place it was). For being an oil bay, it was larger than I thought it would be (500 square feet)---but still terribly small. It was a cramped space with mostly bar seating along the three sides of the bar or along the wall. We were lucky enough to be seated at a small table near the wall.
The theme of the bar is that you are supposed to be in the hull of an old, 18th century clipper ship as it makes its way along a wild and uncharted coastline. In a bit of imaginative theming, there are portholes along the walls. If you look out through them, you don't see just some stagnant image. Instead, you can look out as the ship sails along the coastline. You start off at a dock (complete with flickering torches), then set sail. There is a storm with rain, lightning and thunder, and then you are attacked by natives (with arrows flying at you and sticking into the hull around the window). It's quite a cool feature.
Despite the small space, the place is really tiki tricked out to add to the theming. The rum barrels, bird cages, even the inexplicable bust of a dodo bird (which went extinct in 1681) add to the ambiance.
But what about the drinks? The menu itself was daunting. It was a bound book and it was
broken up into chapters. There was a story told (with illustrations) at the beginning of each one. Amazing.
The bartenders were kept busy shaking, pouring and accessorizing the tasty cocktails.
From lemon slices, to cinnamon sticks and various mysterious ingredients to splash in, these drinks well-crafted.
One drink came housed in a golden falcon. Fancy!
Our drinks arrived. I wish I could remember what we had. I do think one of us had a Missionaries Downfall...The other drink? I want to say it is a First Mate's Delight, but I am not sure.
I did dig the glassware they used, though.
The UnderTow did NOT disappoint. It's reputation is well warranted. Erich may have found cocktail bliss with the Blood Orange Martini at Hula's, but The UnderTow really resonated with him. It was his favorite bar of the whole trip. It was well worth the mystery trek into the Drink Beer & Coffee Garage. I would gladly take the voyage again if I'm ever back in Phoenix.
THE UNDERTOW
3620 E. Indian Road
Phoenix, AZ 85018
website: http://www.undertowphx.com/
Critiki page: https://www.critiki.com/location/undertow-phoenix-889/
BIKINI LOUNGE: With a dismal 5.2 rating on Critiki (just a few notches above Giligins 4.5 rating), I was not expecting much from this bar. However, having been in continuous business since 1947, dive bar, beer joint or not, I really wanted to check it out. I am certainly glad we did. I LOVED it.
Sure, the place has seen better days. But that is part of its charm. The sign out in front was vintage and cool. The exterior decor, a mix of wooden planks and thatch, reminded me of an ideal shack on a beach that housed a fabulous tiki bar that only the cool kids knew about.
The inside did nothing to dispel this vision. The vibe was just...awesome. The bamboo ceiling is apparently original to the place (according to the wonderful bartender). The thatch may be gone (if it was ever there to begin with), but you got a feel for what the place may have once been.
The bar ran the length of the place. At the end there was a pool table or two, with that nondescript type of beer-drinking people you expect to find in dive bars. In fact, everyone there was having a beer--except for Erich and I. But these were people from the neighborhood...not tiki tourists. Not everyone (gasp!) is a tikiphile. (Shocking but true!)
The booths in the rear are pretty groovy. Most of the permanent fixtures are original, if I understood the bartender correctly. The tiki murals were added a few years ago, when the tiki tourists started coming around.
This wall features a hard-to-see piece of glass with some sort of tropical image on it. It is apparently some type of window that was covered over for many years. It may still be covered for the most part outside, as well.
The tchotchkes behind the bar are numerous and fun. And there are several signs warning you that the bar only excepts CASH.
On one narrow shelf there a collection of tiki mugs. Some are from other places and some--like the one that looks like a crazed zombie in a chef's hat--are created by the bar's owner for special occasions and that they sell.
The hula girl figurine was the latest (and only) mug available at the time. The bartender showed it to me. It was a clever design. It comes apart. Her torso and head are one mug, but there is a second mug made out of her legs. I would have purchased one, but as the place was "Cash Only", I just could not afford her. Oh well...
I know the place must have changed over the years several times, with things being added or removed. There were a few places that made me think black lights had once been used there. There seemed to be some late '60's/early '70's psychedelic paint here and there.
And there were still some black lights in use.
In addition to the revitalized tiki decor, although the place is mostly a beer joint, they have begun to embrace their inner tiki and have a limited tiki menu available.
I don't recall if this was a Funky Monkey or a Freaky Tiki, but does it matter? I was totally enamored with this old place.
As we bade farewell to the Bikini Lounge, I noticed that a cool-looking tiki had gotten itself a bar stool and was ready to join the tiki party. Zowie!
BIKINI LOUNGE
1502 Grand Avenue
Phoenix, AZ. 85007
(602) 252-0472
Critiki page: https://www.critiki.com/location/bikini-lounge-phoenix-481/
THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN: Ahoy mateys! Have I got a (not so) secret for you. On our last night to Phoenix, we wanted to get our tiki on one last time. Did we head to The UnderTow? No. The Bikini Lounge? Uh-uh. We were heading back to Hula's Modern Tiki - Phoenix.
Why, you ask, when Hula's was not either Erich's or my favorite? Simply because we had heard hush, hush tales of a "secret tiki bar" right next to Hula's. Of course, this required a full investigation.
The Captain's Cabin, as it is called, is run by the folks at Hula's...but it is kept as a public secret and treated as a speakeasy of sorts for those in the know. There are no signs advertising the place. Instead, just to the left of the entrance of Hula's Modern Tiki, there is a door with a porthole in it and a red light above.
Inside is The Captain's Cabin, a small venue with an even smaller bar and no bathroom! (Perspective potty-panicked patrons relax. The bathrooms in Hula's are available for you there.)
The planking on the walls and ceiling do add a sense of being on board a ship. The decor though, is on the light side. There is a portrait at one end of the bar (Captain Cook?) and smaller framed pictures at the other end of the bar. However, there really isn't much to see outside of the bar area.
There are tiki mugs.
But none of them are "signature mugs" or available for sale.
Mirrors at the side of the public area make the bar look bigger than it is. The seating area away from the bar consists of back-to-back couches with small tables randomly sitting before them.
Our bartender that night was a bit of an attraction. Not only was he constantly busy, whipping up cocktails or doing prep work, he was also covered with tattoos.
The cocktails were from Hula's menu for the most part (But there was --Gasp!--no Pink Bikinis available!).
There were also a few exclusive drinks available only in The Captain's Cabin.
I think I tried the St Draque from the special menu. Erich had a Buried Alive By Thyme.
The drinks were some of those modern-crafted cocktails...not the classic tiki I am accustomed to. The place is still new, though. Given time, I'm sure it will get it's "sea legs" and become a great place. At least we got to check the place out.
THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN
5114 N. 7th Street #2
Phoenix, AZ 85012
website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Bar/Hulas-Captains-Cabin-1097999343694311/
Critiki page: Nothing yet! Stay tuned.
Thanks for the read.
CHEERS!
Comments
Thanks for sharing!
Christa