THE TIKI LOUNGE: A Bar With An Identity Crisis

I was just wrapping up a trip to Oregon in late October. I’d start and end in Portland, but the bulk of my time was spent in Florence, on the coast. I had been looking up what tiki there was in Oregon and the pickings were slim. I was already familiar with the tiki joys of Portland from previous visits, but the bulk of Oregon? Hmm. The prospects were meager.

The night before my return to Portland, I planned my route back and looked for more tiki. There had been a place called Tiki’s in Lincoln City that had closed down. There was something called The Castaways in Cannon Beach and Club Inferno in Astoria, but they were too far out of my way. However, I discovered mention of something called Tiki Lounge in Salem, Oregon. Hmm. I had driven right through Salem just a week before. Perhaps a detour would be in order on my way back?

When I pulled up, I had a bad feeling. Except for the font used for “tiki” and decorative palm tree, the sign was very generic and plain. To make matters worse, the nondescript building was right next to an adult video store. There were no other cars in the parking lot. Was it even open–or was I the sole visitor that afternoon? Things did not bode well for my visit to this place, it seemed.

Still, I had my hopes up. I’ve been to tiki places that were Plain Jane on the outside and fabulous inside. Maybe this too was a hidden gem? I walked in and…was far more disappointed than I expected to be. This was a tiki bar? Where was the tiki? (And, except for the bartender, I truly was the only person there.)

Halloween was just days away, so Halloween decor was fairly heavy near the bar. In fact, there seemed to be more Halloween accents than tiki. Hmm.

There were no tiki mugs for purchase, but there was a tiki drink menu. There are seven drinks listed on their tiki cocktail menu…although seeing a Moscow Mule on a tiki menu was a surprise to me. (Margaritas are almost as questionable, but…) I thought the Pineapple Upside Down Cake or Riki Tiki sounded interesting. I’d never heard of or had either. I asked the very pleasant bartender which she preferred. She said she hadn’t tried them, but that the Mai Tai was very popular.

“Okay,” I said. “A Mai Tai it is.”

She asked if I wanted the “sweet” version or the one as presented on the menu. I told her I would trust her judgement. She returned with the “sweet” version, saying the other version was too strong for her tastes.

Although I’m not sure if I got my money’s worth alcohol-wise with the “sweet” version, the drink was fine–serviceable, but nothing memorable.

At one point, I visited the bathroom. Zowie! The paint job in there turned the place into a virtual tropical poo-adise. The pineapple-shaped soap dispenser was a nice touch, I think.

There were two other small bars in the back. Like the main bar, both had large TVs behind them. I counted at least five TVs in the place. Token tiki treatments aside, with the distressed gray paneled (going for a bit of the nautical look, perhaps?) and soft gray-painted walls, generic tables and chairs and basic stark appearance, the place really seemed more like a sports bar than a tiki bar. I understand trying both. In this day and age, having a business take off is difficult. Appealing to two groups of people (sports fans and tiki enthusiasts) is a way to drum up business…but I’m not sure there is enough here for either group.

There was a nice patio area that was not yet open to the public (pending liquor license technicalities, of course).

The bartender told me that “Tiki” was the nickname of the owners’ daughter. The bar was named after her. Aha! When Tiki’s parents decided to open a bar in their daughter’s honor, I’m sure Mom must have envisioned a true tiki bar while dad wanted a sports bar. While the marriage of the two bar types seems like it is destined to fail (at least in the tiki sense), you have to take a wait and see approach with this place. It is relatively new, having only opened last spring. The patio hasn’t opened yet and they do not have their lottery machines license yet (which, according to the bartender, is a huge draw for patrons). The bar’s decor is sparse and looks budget-conscious (which I totally understand as well). Perhaps, given time and some prosperity, it will become a full-fledged tiki bar. However, lottery license or not, I would not place money on that happening.

Was it worth the detour? Do you want the “menu” version of that answer or the “sweet” version? Since I’m a nice guy, I’ll give you the “sweet” version. I am glad I got to visit. Closeted sports bar or not, it is still a far nicer tiki bar than I have in my hometown. (There isn’t one…)

Aloha!

Tiki Lounge
165 Lancaster Drive SE
Salem, Oregon 97301
(971) 304-7298
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tikisportslounge