Everything they say is true. Max’s South Seas Hideaway is by far the grandest tiki bar currently in operation in North America.
Saturday night in Grand Rapids was a perfect time for a visit. We arrived right on time for our reservation and were seated immediately in a cozy booth. The artwork here is incredible. There were 24 pieces just in our one booth! There is a series of large Shag prints in the staircase and hallway leading to the restrooms. And a wall of tikis carved by Gecko. Simply breathtaking.
I also want to highlight the music, which was a mix of classic exotica paired with upbeat songs such a “Pineapple Princess” but still were thematic and period appropriate. Best music mix in any tiki bar I’ve been to. But please drop The Monkees song.
As I understand it the downstairs design was led by Bamboo Ben and upstairs by Notch. Each is unique but both are amazing.
A middle-aged couple walks into a supposed tiki bar.
That’s it, there’s no punchline. We were excited to visit Three Dots and a Dash in downtown Chicago, which was a block from our hotel. We had a pretty good experience there in 2015 when things were slow and we sat at the bar talking to the bartenders. It was a different experience last night, since our reservation was 8:30 on a Friday night.
Very clubby feel. Very. Clubby.
Lots of thumbing music, louder than I prefer, and the interior has much more red/purple club lighting than our last visit, giving this a total nightclub feel. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, but Mrs. Mai Tai and I were at least two decades older than the average patron.
Thankfully, the cocktails at Three Dots and a Dash were pretty good. We sampled five and they were all good to great, and prices were not out of line at all. We notice that all the cocktails had elaborate garnishes, so that each cocktail at a least four separate items as part of the garnish, or a dry ice special effect. Service was very good as well, with the waitress refiling our water and helping us with some mug purchases.
Mai Tai – quite good, with a healthy amount rum from Jamaica, Martinique and Fiji.
Saturn – served in the sea urchin mug, this was well balanced and easy to drink. Not too tart of spicy.
Three Dots and a Dash – just as good as you’d expect given the place is named after this Don the Beachcomber classic. A very nice agricole finish and plenty of juices and spices to savor. We really liked the mug.
Neptune’s Trident – a Corn ‘n Oil riff featuring Foursquare Sagacity rum, along with Glenlivet 15 year old Scotch, plus some spices. This was just as good as the great spirits should lead you to believe. The Barbados rum and Scotch blended well.
Navy Grog – I went off-menu and ask if they could make one. Sure enough, it came our very well with lots of rum and allspice liqueur.
The cocktail menu isn’t large here, perhaps to avoid intimidating the tiki newbies. The Bamboo Room was open for regular seating and not the rum-focused experience that it was originally set up for. But, the very large rum list is right there on the menu, so it is noticeable and a key focus of the venue. There are a large number of tables and booths set up outside as well. As we left there was a really long line to get into the place, so Three Dots seems to be doing great business.
So lucky to have spend MaI Tai Day at Foundation in Milwaukee, one of America’s best tiki bars.
Mai Tai and Lonely Virgin
The decor and atmosphere were impeccable. Outside, this looks like any building on the block. Inside, it is an immersive tiki bar that compares favorably to any of the highest quality. Music was classic Hawaiian and very mellow, so perfect for background music while you s your party enjoy conversations and cocktails. I really liked the music here. So many little nooks for conversations, including some cozy booths. Seating at the bar still isn’t available but there is a front room and a back room and their seating areas feel separate and unique.
Cocktails were pretty good, especially for the price. Mrs Mai Tai had the Lonely Virgin, one of the sweet cocktails on the menu. I thought this was pretty good, especially if you like pineapple forward.
Foundation’s Mai Tai is fine for $10, featuring El Dorado 5 and Coruba. I followed this with an Appleton 12 Mai Tai “heavier on the Orgeat” and that one was far better and truly wonderful. Such a great way to celebrate Mai Tai day.
We arrived around 6:30 on Wednesday and the crowd was fairly light. By the time we left at 8:15 the bar was mostly full with a bunch of younger people enjoying the cocktails and company. We even witnessed a first date. Good luck to them!
Thanks so much to @melissafuentes777 for having us over to her home bar the Lehi Lanai in Lehi, UT. This is a basement makeover with good bones that was transformed by Melissa along with @woodyworld and @midcenturytiki who both know a thing or two about tiki bar builds (see @thekontikiroom and @birdsofparadiselounge). The decor has that great Woody Miller art design vibe.
It was quite the party with neighbors and Utah Tiki Ohana. Melissa has several cocktails on her house menu, include a delicious Mai Tai. The photo is a Shrunken Skull that was also quite the hit. It was such a great time learning more about what’s happening in Utah and even hearing about some of the local delicacies.
Elko is the largest city in northeastern Nevada and we passed by at lunchtime. We had a couple of fab sandwiches at local favorite Coffee Mug Family Restaurant in downtown Elko.
Across the street the Tiki Hut beaconed. This is obviously not “high tiki” but Mrs Mai Tai indulged me with a quick visit. Outside there is some tiki decor, but inside is what you’d expect. It’s just a pool and dive bar.
A few regulars were seated at the bar as we entered, country music playing on the jukebox. We sat on the bar lined with video poker machines, and the bartender asked what we’d like. I asked if she could make a Mai Tai.
Honesty is usually a good policy, and the bartender stated that she’d try but wasn’t sure what was in a Mai Tai, also mentioning that she just started and was new to making mixed drinks. She asked me to walk her though it, so I mentioned rum, lime, sugar, triple sec and maybe some pineapple. I knew not to ask for Orgeat and personally don’t find Amaretto to be a good sub.
Another guy came over who said he wasn’t a bartender but I’m still not sure if he was a owner or patron. He asked what kind of rum and thankfully there was a nice bottle of Bacardi 8 sitting on the shift right in front of me. He asked what kind of glass and I said a rocks glass with ice. Soon thereafter he was pouring three or four glugs the Bacardi. Definitely a heavy pour.
The Bartender came by with the triple sec and as instructed did two small glugs, followed by some bottled lime juice and then the simple syrup. Quick stir with the straw and serve. “$5.50.”
And you know what. It actually was pretty good.
And then the regulars started the joking. “I want a Hurricane!” “How about a Zombie?” But the regular paid for our drink, with our thanks. I’m sure we’ve given him a story he’ll tell plenty. As will we.
We left a four dollar tip for the bartender and exited Tiki Hut, the only tiki bar between Salt Lake City and Sacramento.
Pretty much like it was in the old days during our visit last night to The Kon-Tiki.
Bar seating is back! Lounge seating in the palapa is back. Indoors was filled. Rum lists were being worked on again. Burgers were consumed. Plenty of discussions amongst old and new friends. And for Ohana night, the music was classic exotica.
The cocktails were Donnie’s Element and Mrs. Mai Tai’s favorite, the Uma Uma. And then I had a Mai Tai with the Transcontinental Guadeloupe rum. Delicious!
