DA TIKI HUT–Could A Tiki Butterfly Be Emerging From Its Cocoon?

It is easy to see how tikiphiles can dismiss Da Tiki Hut in Tacoma, WA. At first glance, its mini-strip mall-esque, plain-Jane exterior promises no frills. When you walk in, the front counter with the kitchen behind it promises all of the glamour of a fast food joint or a taqueria. When I looked the place up online, the first picture I saw showed a clean, but very utilitarian generic cafeteria-like dining room, like something you’d find at a modern Taco Bell. Could Da Tiki Hut look any less tiki?

I looked on its website. There was mention of a “tiki bar.” That grabbed my attention. There were some photos on the site, mostly of food. One photo caught my eye. It looked nothing like the serviceable dining room I’d seen. Instead, the photo I saw showed… promise. Maybe, just maybe, there was something worthwhile about Da Tiki Hut after all.

I was going to be in Tacoma for an event one Friday evening. I thought that, at the very least, I could stop by Da Tiki Hut for lunch and check it out. As I’ve said many times, the worst tiki bar out there is better than the best tiki bar near me, because there are none where I live. I was truly in for an unexpected surprise.

When I walked in, the woman at the front counter (whom I later learned was co-owner Tamara Lerma) was taking a call. To the left was a wall with what looked like a feeble attempt at making it look like a tiki hut. There was thatch hanging down from a “roof” and a rectangular outline with carvings below it. Was this Da Tiki Hut? Hmm.

But where was that generic dining room or that one area I had seen on the restaurant’s website, which I assumed was the bar? To the right of the counter, there was a doorway leading to a narrow hall. I craned my neck to see if that was where the dining room might be, but it looked more like it was home to the restrooms possibly—nothing more.

About then, the woman was done with her phone business and asked if I was there for dine in or take out. I told her that I’d like to dine in. She told me to wait a moment and disappeared out the side. Seconds later, the wall on the left opened up and she was standing there. A tiki speakeasy? Wow! I was intrigued.

She led me in and told me I could sit anywhere I liked. I was amazed. There was no sign of that sterile, food court-looking dining room. Instead, I found myself walking into a surprise little tiki gem. I couldn’t stop staring. It was the complete opposite of what I was expecting to find.

I sat at a table. Tamara handed me a menu. She asked if this was my first time there. I’m guessing that by the way my jaw was hanging open in surprise, she knew that it was.

Although it was early in the day (not quite 2 p.m. yet), I inquired about the tiki bar. She said that it wasn’t open yet; that the guy who makes the drinks wouldn’t be in until about 2:30. (“The guy who makes the drinks” would turn out to be Steve Lerma, the co-owner and Tamara’s husband.) I confessed that the tiki bar was kind of the main reason I was there, but I could wait.

While I was looking over the menu of their island-inspired fare, Tamara returned carrying three small samples of various types of chicken they serve. How very nice. Ultimately, I decided on a Loco Moco Burger—which featured rice, gravy, sautéed onions, a fried egg, gravy and a hamburger patty, all served up in a bun with fries.

When I ordered I told her that I already knew what I wanted when the bar opened as well. She asked me what it was I wanted. I told her it was a drink called Jamaican Me Crazy.

“That’s my drink,” she said. “I can make that for you.”

Before she left, I asked her if she’d mind if I took pictures. She didn’t. I couldn’t be more complimentary. Whatever the place had been, it had been completely transformed. I was bowled over.

Soon after, my food and drink arrived. With it, Tamara brought out a sample of their UBE Mochi, a delicious tropical (and purple) cake that is only available Wednesdays through Saturdays.

As I ate and sipped, a man emerged from the kitchen area. It was Steve, the co-owner of the restaurant/bar. His wife had told him how interested I was in their place.

Having owned the restaurant since 2014, the transformation from what it was to what it is now happened due to covid. Because the governor was going to allow inside dining again for restaurants that had booths with partitions, that prompted Steve to buy booth seating at an auction. Separating the booths with a hut-like walls followed. Decking the booths out to make them individual (Da) Tiki Huts came naturally. The whole interior is all of their own making, and you can tell the place is a real labor of love.

There is a small solarium of sorts visible through windows in many of the booths. Steve is building his own water feature. When he finishes it off, Tamara plans to add more plants to it. That “Mom & Pop” touch (as opposed to corporate chain “sameness”) really makes the place that much more special. Currently the restaurant just has three employees; Tamara, Steve, and one other person (whose name I unfortunately did not get). Steve also works a second job early in the morning and gets to the business in the early afternoon after already putting in a full day’s work. That’s dedication.

There is a small bar area, too. Although Tamara and Steve’s main focus is the restaurant aspect of the business, Steve has plans to bump up the bar area a notch or two, including adding booths and a few other touches.

Although I’d finished my meal and cocktail, I wasn’t ready to leave. I decided to try something called a Sea Foam Swell, which contained coconut rum, banana liqueur, Midori, Pineapple juice and a whipped cream swell. While it wasn’t the best tiki cocktail ever, it was serviceable and tasty. It was my favorite of the two I tried.

While sipping, even though I was already done with my meal, Steve brought out a sampling of the restaurant’s ribs. The Lerma’s are such kind hosts.

I found the place enchanting and admired the Lerma’s efforts to make the place successful on their own. While the restaurant remains the emphasis for the pair, the bar redo that Steve is planning and a slight upgrade of the cocktails could really land this place on the tiki map. Although it may be overshadowed by the Tacoma heavy-hitters Devil’s Reef and The Old Hangout, Da Tiki Hut could be the surprise Cinderella story of the Tacoma tiki scene.

Bippity-Boppity-Cheers!

Da Tiki Hut
4427 6th Ave. suite 101
Tacoma, WA 98406
(253)625-7690
https://www.datikihut.com/