| From the late 1940's to the mid-1960's, the tiki craze | | | | and carved-wood appearance. The restaurants would |
| swept the nation as servicemen returned from the | | | | be completely decorated inside and out with tiki |
| South Pacific with nostalgia for island culture. This fad | | | | decor, including flaming tiki torches outside and |
| took on many forms, but is perhaps best known for | | | | waterfalls and lagoons inside. The dishes were 'exotic,' |
| tiki restaurants. Tiki (or "south sea chic") restaurants | | | | and Asian or Polynesian influences, including pork, |
| of the 1950's had very unique décor as their | | | | chicken, pineapple, teriyaki and sweet-and-sour sauce, |
| owners tried to interpret the tiki style of the islands. | | | | fried rice, pu pu platters (an appetizer sampler) and |
| These over-the-top restaurants included large tiki | | | | more exotic dishes like crab ragoon. |
| bars, statues and masks, and tiki music for ambience. | | | | In a tiki restaurant, the bar was often considered the |
| Though tiki restaurants boomed during the | | | | most important part of the building. The tiki bar |
| mid-century period, Polynesian-themed restaurants | | | | would be constructed of bamboo, with a faux grass |
| had begun to spring up in America as far back as the | | | | skirt and large tropical flowers. Drinks came in tiki |
| 1920s. There, visitors could listen to the Hawaiian | | | | mugs or in even more imaginative creations such as |
| music that was then making its mark on American | | | | "cauldrons" or coconut shells. In this exotic bar, the |
| styles of music. | | | | bartender would mix up mysterious and fruity |
| In fact, the tiki restaurants that would experience | | | | rum-based cocktails, some of which would be served |
| the most popularity in the 1950s and 1960s got their | | | | flaming. Sometimes the labels were removed from |
| start back in the 1930s. Don the Beachcomber's and | | | | the drink bottles so that those at the bar would be |
| Trader Vic's, the two largest tiki restaurant chains, | | | | given a sense of mystery about what they were |
| opened locations in California in the midst of the | | | | drinking; both Don the Beachcomer's and Trader Vic's |
| Depression, offering an escape from reality, if only | | | | also served secret concoctions that could not be |
| for an evening. In fact, 1934 is considered to be the | | | | found on the menu and were sometimes served in |
| official beginning of the tiki craze, though it really | | | | special, larger figural glasses. |
| took off in the 1950s. The founder of Trader Vic's | | | | In the 1970s, the tiki craze fell victim to changing |
| was also credited with creating the Mai Tai, back in | | | | tastes as the margarita replaced the mai tai as the |
| 1944. By 1960, nearly every large city throughout the | | | | trendy drink. Some tiki restaurants were renovated |
| country had at least one Polynesian or tiki restaurant. | | | | to downplay their Polynesian theme, while others |
| The popularity of tiki restaurants was built on their | | | | were torn down. However, the 1990s saw a |
| ambiance. Tiki restaurants always played island-style | | | | resurgence of tiki popularity, and today there several |
| music including unique jazz combined with island beats, | | | | examples of newly-opened Polynesian-style |
| a combination known as "exotica," from favorites like | | | | restaurants around the country. Today the tiki culture |
| Martin Denny and Les Baxter. At the table, drinks | | | | enjoys a loyal following, and tiki restaurants are as |
| were nearly always served in ceramic mugs shaped | | | | fun as always. |
| like tiki statues or masks, with their distinctive face | | | | |