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Tiki Road Trip: A Guide to Tiki Culture in North America
The 2nd edition of Tiki Road Trip has been completely updated, expanded, and globalized. The best—and only—guide to Polynesian pop culture, written by Tiki expert and urban archaeologist James Teitelbaum, now contains even more listings and reviews of Tiki bars and Polynesian restaurants, even more photographs, and even more drink recipes. The International listings have been expanded as well, and the Hawaiian glossary is much more comprehensive. All in all, the second edition of Tiki Road Trip is a superior refinement of what was already an indispensable book for followers of the ever-growing Tiki movement.
From Tiki godfathers Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic to classic Exotica favorites Martin Denny and Les Baxter to contemporary Tiki artists Shag and Bosko, this resource covers everything Tiki in prose that is witty, entertaining, and essential for anyone who has ever stepped up to a bar, glanced up at the pufferfish hanging from the ceiling, and ordered a Singapore Sling.
In addition to the exhaustive listings, recipes for classic Tiki cocktails, a glossary of Tiki terms, and resources for buying Tiki goods and artifacts are also included. Reminiscences of famous points of interest that have closed are provided for the completist, for historical perspective, and for those seeking information on the current status of a favorite Tiki site which may have closed.
So slip on your grass skirt or Aloha shirt, because Tiki Road Trip is going to take you on a tour of the Tiki universe that will make waves from the shores of Rapa Nui to the beaches of Oahu!
From Tiki godfathers Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic to classic Exotica favorites Martin Denny and Les Baxter to contemporary Tiki artists Shag and Bosko, this resource covers everything Tiki in prose that is witty, entertaining, and essential for anyone who has ever stepped up to a bar, glanced up at the pufferfish hanging from the ceiling, and ordered a Singapore Sling.
In addition to the exhaustive listings, recipes for classic Tiki cocktails, a glossary of Tiki terms, and resources for buying Tiki goods and artifacts are also included. Reminiscences of famous points of interest that have closed are provided for the completist, for historical perspective, and for those seeking information on the current status of a favorite Tiki site which may have closed.
So slip on your grass skirt or Aloha shirt, because Tiki Road Trip is going to take you on a tour of the Tiki universe that will make waves from the shores of Rapa Nui to the beaches of Oahu!
360 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 30, 2020
Okay, so I may have read this book wrong.
It’s called Tiki Road Trip, right? So I decided to read it straight through, thinking it might be like a narrative of a proposed road trip to tiki venues across the USA. When I realized it wouldn’t be that, I just kept reading. So: maybe I read it wrong.
You know, something similar happened to me when I read that Ohio Tiki book: at some point, I the book became what amounted to a list of all the open and closed tiki bars Ohio has it had to offer. Tiki Road Trip did that in the macro. Author James Teitelbaum takes us first on an alphabetical state-by-state look at the best (and worst) open tiki bars, and then, against a gray sidebar backdrop, all the ones that have gone away.
The problem with reading a book this way is that it becomes, eventually, an exercise in repetition. What tiki bars make great Zombies and have a fantastic TiPSY (Tikis Per Square Yard) factor. Which so-called tiki bars are really just Chinese restaurants, sports bars, or strip clubs with an exotic name and cool sign. And which long-lost, lovingly-described bar I desperately want to visit was burned down in 1971. That last made some of these chapters a little sad.
Plus, and this is not the book’s fault, but it was published in 2007. The tiki revival was just getting started then. This is before Smuggler’s Cove and Latitude 29. Heck, this is before Shore Leave in my hometown. Many of these bars are likely closed, and many new ones have opened up.
Then again, Teitelbaum LOVES what he’s talking about here. His passion for this amazingly odd moment of our past is clear on every page. He champions the revival bars that “get it,” decries tiki fakery, and really wants others to grok his obsession and join in. So maybe I read it wrong, but it was written right.
It’s called Tiki Road Trip, right? So I decided to read it straight through, thinking it might be like a narrative of a proposed road trip to tiki venues across the USA. When I realized it wouldn’t be that, I just kept reading. So: maybe I read it wrong.
You know, something similar happened to me when I read that Ohio Tiki book: at some point, I the book became what amounted to a list of all the open and closed tiki bars Ohio has it had to offer. Tiki Road Trip did that in the macro. Author James Teitelbaum takes us first on an alphabetical state-by-state look at the best (and worst) open tiki bars, and then, against a gray sidebar backdrop, all the ones that have gone away.
The problem with reading a book this way is that it becomes, eventually, an exercise in repetition. What tiki bars make great Zombies and have a fantastic TiPSY (Tikis Per Square Yard) factor. Which so-called tiki bars are really just Chinese restaurants, sports bars, or strip clubs with an exotic name and cool sign. And which long-lost, lovingly-described bar I desperately want to visit was burned down in 1971. That last made some of these chapters a little sad.
Plus, and this is not the book’s fault, but it was published in 2007. The tiki revival was just getting started then. This is before Smuggler’s Cove and Latitude 29. Heck, this is before Shore Leave in my hometown. Many of these bars are likely closed, and many new ones have opened up.
Then again, Teitelbaum LOVES what he’s talking about here. His passion for this amazingly odd moment of our past is clear on every page. He champions the revival bars that “get it,” decries tiki fakery, and really wants others to grok his obsession and join in. So maybe I read it wrong, but it was written right.
Want to Read
July 31, 2008I've been meaning to check this one out because it is probably as close as I'll ever get to the South Seas (unless you count Australia) and I used to know the author. The fact that the national expert on tiki comes from Cleveland makes improbable sense somehow!
January 25, 2014
It's amazing the number of establishments devoted to Polynesian pop culture. If I've ever got a hankering for a mai tai and some bamboo, I know where to turn. Pleased as planter's punch to know that I've already been to one of the more authentic digs, Forbidden Island in Alameda.
January 31, 2014
It was a fun trip through tiki-ville. Glad that the distinction was made between tiki pop culture and true Hawaiian culture. A number of local places are already gone since the printing of this book but it is nice to read about them.
December 26, 2011
I got this from the library and have enjoyed it. I will be adding a copy to my personal collection since I will want it for quick, future reference.
December 26, 2016
Excellent title with lots of good information, but not completely up-to-date anymore. Check online before you make plans, a lot of these places have unfortunately gone out of business.
December 28, 2010
I need a Mai Tai!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews