Shipwrecked Tiki Bar Offers Pirate Vibe to College Audience in Davis, CA

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.

Top 10 Mai Tais of 2022

The list includes commercial restaurants and bars, plus Mai Tais we had at home tiki bars and events. You can view the full list and additional details on our page:
Top 10 Mai Tais of 2022

10: The Rum House

Trader Nic’s Mai Tai, named after the head bartender, features Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black and unaged Rhum JM, plus a tiny float of OFTD.

9: Dealer’s Choice Mai Tai by Adrian Castañeda at The Kon-Tiki Room

Adrian used 1 oz of Worthy Park Kon-Tiki Single Barrel (aged 5 yrs, cask strength), along with ½ oz each of Worthy Park 109 and Uruapan Charandra Anejo.

8: Sunken Harbor Club

Everything they say is true! The famed Mai Tai created by Garret Richard for Sunken Harbor Club in Brooklyn is indeed a top-notch Mai Tai.

7: The Kon-Tiki Single Barrel Mai Tai

This version with Kon-Tiki’s special single barrel release from Worthy Park was totally fantastic.

6: Dr. Funk (original blend)

The original rum blend in the Dr. Funk Mai Tai featured two of our favorite rums, Appleton 12 and Smith & Cross.

5: Smuggler’s Cove with Appleton and Hamilton Rums

We thank bartender Steven Liles for indulging us with the custom order and for making a great Mai Tai.

4: Hale Pele

Who knew that a combination of inexpensive Jamaican rums like Coruba Dark and Wray & Nephew Overproof could be so flavorful and memorable?

3: Maunakea Mai Tai at Skull & Crown Trading Co.

Skull & Crown three Mai Tais on their menu but we prefer this traditional 1944 style Mai Tai made with Appleton 12, Clement Select Barrel, Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum.

2: Classic Mai Tai with Appleton and Hamilton Rums by Skipper Nate at Trader Sam’s

I found myself at the bar at Trader Sam’s on a slow afternoon and Skipper Nate totally willing to work with me to find the very best Mai Tai that could be made on the premises.

1: Birds of Paradise Lounge

This Mai Tai features a complex four rum blend of Appleton 12, Smith & Cross, Plantation Xaymaca, and Kō Hana Kea.

It seems impossible to believe that a party Mai Tai served in a plastic cup could be the best this year but when the Correy and Mariella Bravo make a Mai Tai their way you know it’s going to be Maita’i roa ae.

View the full write up for the Top 10 Mai Tais of 2022

Birds of Paradise Lounge

We were lucky to snag tickets to the @sac_ohana monthly gathering this month, since the event sold out in just 3 minutes. It seems everyone made this month’s event at Birds of Paradise Lounge a priority, even on Easter. Easy to see why, though, since the house is so well appointed and the homeowners @mrs_bravo and @midcenturytiki are even nicer.

Truly a sight to behold, with a nondescript living room transformed into a tiki bar with artwork, mugs, and spirits galore. And then there’s the living room with wood paneling and wall to wall Witco. And finally the spectacular pool in the very large backyard. What a dream.


We were quite impressed by the cocktails, which included a cinnamon-forward Zombie and a light and refreshing Pisco Punch. And the Mai Tai? The best I’ve had all year. The Birds of Paradise Mai Tai includes a rum blend of Appleton 12, Smith & Cross, Plantation Xaymaca, and Kō Hana Kea. So flavorful, with a savory finish that was fantastic.



The Sac Ohana group is doing a great job with these monthly meetups, and certainly are a model for any local community of tikiphiles to follow. Nice to see some familiar faces, even if our visit was not quite as long as we would have liked.

Spring Saturday in Sacramento

Mrs Mai Tai and I drove up to Sacramento and had what Frank the Tank called “a nice little Saturday.” We visited several antique and vintage stores including the Midway Antique Mall which is our favorite.



Dinner was at The Jungle Bird at opening at 4 pm (hence the line outside in the photo). The cocktails were on point as always, and in addition to my Mai Tai I decided to order a Mint Julep since it was Derby Day. Man, that Mint Julep was fantastic, so sweet and minty.

The food options at Jungle Bird seem to be more limited than they used to be. The veggie Potstickers were good, as was the Veggie Stir Fry with noodles, but Mrs Mai Tai seems to recall more veggie options in the past. I really liked the Crab Rangoons but have had very mixed experiences with their burger and pork belly sliders.

Jungle Bird still has a big patio out back which was great for us (I get my second shot tomorrow) and they have done a good job with the spacing of the indoor seating. The staff was super friendly and very quick with the service.

Cocktails at the Jungle Bird

Mrs Mai Tai was a good sport indulging me for Saturday’s four-Mai Tai day in Tahoe-Reno, but the weekend was capped with some fine cocktails on the way home at Sacramento’s Jungle Bird tiki bar.


Our cocktails were on point, starting with a great Saturn. Jungle Bird serves this with crushed ice, which is a good option for this cocktail. I also had their Mai Tai, which is good and only $10 even with the very good Denizen Merchant’s Reserve Rum. Mrs Mai Tai had her favorite, the Lava Flow, which always looks pretty at the Jungle Bird. The cocktails here are quite good and the staff does a great job working with the guests (me: “heavier orgeat”). So nice to have the cocktails freshly prepared too.

COVID Accommodations at Jungle Bird

Sunday’s travels from Reno down to Sacramento was pleasant, and we visited Sacramento’s best antique mall – Midway Antique Mall. This places has some great midcentury displays and we always find great stuff there. I picked up a great vintage Aloha Shirt from Hawaii.


We stopped at The Jungle Bird for a cocktail and some food before the final trek home. The outside seating out front is nice and we really liked the updated back patio. Plenty of outdoor space for cocktails and tables of various sizes.


Our food at Jungle Bird was good, but as always seems a bit hit or miss. The Crab Rangoon and Coconut Shrimp were pretty good, but the Pork Belly Sliders were pretty tough. Mrs Mai Tai liked her Chicken Katsu.


Service during our visit was excellent, and we felt welcomed and safely accommodated. We’re looking forward to returning after Thanksgiving to see how the decorations and cocktails for Sippin Santa turn out.