Shipwrecked is a new bar in Davis, down the highway from Sacramento and home of the University of California. Located downtown, there’s a lot to like and some gripes that may or may not be considered nitipicky. This is a bar only, though they do mention that outside food is welcome. Pirates are a key thematic aspect to this “tiki bar,” because every new tiki bar opening this year seems to feature pirates.
There are three distinct areas inside. The entrance is a beach themed area with some tables, huts, a few very cheap tikis (including some plastic ones). You can order at the bar from here. Going down the hallway, there’s a lounge section that’s nautical themed including a nice photo op stop, giant squid arms made from metal, and some granite tiled walls. The last section is a series of booths that are nominally themed as pirate jails, plus more pirate decor including a room with artifacts. The decor is more fun than fully immersive, but is pretty nice given intended scope and audience. Music on a Sunday afternoon featured gloomy classic rock and mood music.
The cocktail menu features 30 items and has something for everyone. The Mai Tai is okay, though I didn’t really get the complex rum notes I’d have expected from the combo of Appleton Signature, Clement VSOP, OFTD, and Smith & Cross. Mrs. Mai Tai’s Banana Boat Bliss leans on coconut, pineapple ice cream, and cachaca and we thought it tasted great and was easy to drink.
For a college town bar, Shipwrecked is fairly large and I’m sure a lot of fun, though prices aren’t inexpensive. Had they simply left “tiki bar” off their name I’d give them less grief about the dearth of quality tikis, but as it stands they do need to do better in the opinion of this writer. Someone spent money on the build-out, so the plastic tikis really stand out in a bad way. Still, definitely worth visiting.
