It's a longing for the time when Pacific islands were still exotic locales that inspired Donn Beach and Trader Vic to create their own versions back home.

If you live in Detroit or are heading to the area, check out these bars and leave your impressions in the comments.Tiki culture is a celebration of tropical escapism. Oh, and I found out which mug is from there thanks to it being in some of the pictures online. The scores reflect the poor drink quality but the tilt reflects the love and nostalgia this place has. Tiki aficionados will appreciate this special time capsule.Ĭhins despite everything I mentioned, maintains an overall score of 7.1 on Critiki. Though no relaxing oasis due mainly to it being a restaurant and not a bar, this is a place I would recommend you check out. Puffer fish, wicker chairs and and plenty of giant tiki idols give the place a classic vibe. Thatch overhangs, bamboo dividers between classic, green vinyl booths and a huge volcanic rock water fall take you back. The decor, though dated, is absolutely amazing. Either I broke mine or it is so generic it has completely disappeared into the forest of similar mugs on my shelf. You could find it for sale on many websites featuring cheap, standard tiki paraphernalia imports. I remember it being a classic tiki mug of a tiki which was fun and unique when it was first produced, but feel plain and boring compared to modern designs. They do have mugs available but are also largely impressive and at this point, I’m not even sure which mug on my shelf is “theirs”. Cheap rum with cheap mixers leave a chemical taste and dissatisfaction on your tongue. You can’t help but drift away in thoughts of how busy, popular and special this place must have been back in it’s hay day.ĭrinks are available and suffer from same by-gone era quality as the food. Unimpressive by today’s gourmet food standards but featuring all the staples and a heavy dose of nostalgia of days gone by. The food is classic Chinese food from the era the place opened. In addition to the classic decor are a few photos and memorabilia from Chin’s Tiki, and articles of the once much more popular shops. Walking into it is walking into the past. This place warmed my heart a little, but also made me a little sad. Chin’s Chop Suey is a class Chinese food restaurant from the 60s with a tiki decor. Chins Chop Sueyįar outside of Detroit in Livonia lies Chins Chop Suey, the last remnants of Chin’s Tiki. It had more of a pre-game vibe than a relaxing lounge vibe. Despite all of that, the music, though hilarious at first, gets increasingly annoying unless you’re there to party. The drinks are top notch and served in great tiki mugs. Plenty of details to keep you looking around and finding new things to point out and admire. A few flower shirts mix in with the dozens of trucker hats and you get the feeling that any bar here would be just as packed with the same crowd. Loud 80’s metal music immediately kills any calm, relaxing tropical vibe the place has created with it’s thatch, bamboo and kitsch. The locals tell me that though a tiki bar, this more fits with culture of neighboring Dearborn.

Mutiny BarĬloser to downtown and located on a busy main road is Mutiny Bar. The food menu is equally delicious and in the end, though I prefer tiki and kitsch, this is a warm, romantics, friendly neighborhood refuge I would love to have in my neighborhood. In keeping with the tropical vs tiki vibe, the mug is covered with vines. The menu features plenty of classics as well as some new bartender creations and of course they have their own mug for sale. The drinks are top notch fruity boozy and strong. The calming sounds of classic jetset lounge and exoitica music warm the place further and provide a fair bit of privacy in your conversations forcing intimacy by leaning in close to hear or frustration at having to shout to be heard. The lighting is dark but cozy, lit by small lights, custom made of wood and rope. The bar pushes more on the tropical end of tiki than kitsch with a prominent lack of tikis and bamboo. Opened in June of 2018 it maintains an 8.1 rating on Critiki and well deserved from my visit.Ī plain black exterior conceals a small oasis with huge floral wall, thatch and penny covered bar. Located in a near commercial intersection in a neighborhood, Lost River provides refuge and escape for hard working people in the area and attracts people from all over the metro area. Wouldn’t that be a great post, to just tell you that and leave it at that? Well in no particular order, here are the three. There are three tiki bars in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Mutiny bar tiki mug