Apologies about the crappy audio in some spots. I tried out a new omnidirectional mic at two of the bars and it picked up way too much ambient noise which was hard to correct. Well, I know not to use that piece of equipment in noisy spaces in the future!
Thanks for the reviews! I'm by no means any kind of connoisseur of alcohol, but I love Tiki bars and I look forward to hopefully, some day, being able to check out all these places :)
It's a fun bar! FYI that they charge a $10pp cover fee for the musical portion but if you don't intend to listen to the band go prior to 8PM to avoid this. Note that the Jet Pilot is quite strong :) If you are more of a classical kinda Tiki drinker, try the Mai Tai (which we didn't cover here as that was reviewed at Trader Vic's). Not quite up to TV standards in our opinion but a good, less alcoholic, alternative ;)
Zeene InRealLife I’ve never had a Tiki so I’ll try anything, is the $10 cover charge even if your staying / guest at the hotel? Thanks for all your posts on SF it’s been great watching and I have taken a few of your suggestions onboard for our trip......next week😉
You're right! No cover charge if you are a guest and you also get prime seating right next to the lagoon :) So make sure to ask for that if you can...have an awesome time on your trip! Maybe c u around!
Tonga for just the pure entertainment value but Smuggler's Cove is a must if you are a serious rum drinker. Idol is also worthwhile and it's close enough to SC u can barhop ;)
Not too big a fan of it. I like crafts but I stumbled across your vid & it made me want to go to both places they look fun lol. Definitely looking to mingle though, since it'll be my first time out west. Thanks for advice 😉
Tonga = vegas, whereas Smugglers = Tiki. My suggestions are Smugglers > Last Rites > Pagan Idol or Zombie Village. Of course with a lunch visit to Trader Vic's (more of a restuarant than bar at this point).
Hi Aresut, I just double-checked and unfortunately he's taken down his website. Sorry about that! He's been traveling quite a bit lately so I think he's not had the time to keep it up. But you can catch one of his older interviews here: rumconnection.com/people-profile-dave-russell/
The Tonga room post-Covid has returned to their bad habits and is no longer revered. The food is expensive crap and the band has been famously awful for DECADES. Yeah visit for a drink but did have hit the Zombie village, but it might not have opened yet, when this vid was made
Apologies about the crappy audio in some spots. I tried out a new omnidirectional mic at two of the bars and it picked up way too much ambient noise which was hard to correct. Well, I know not to use that piece of equipment in noisy spaces in the future!
Overall, good job! Will surely keep these places in mind on my next visit. Mahalo from Kaua'i
Dave is about as interesting as white bread.
My favorite adventure so far! I smiled and laughed the whole way through. Great reviews and lots of drinks to try.
Hi Nathan! We'll have to hit a couple of these spots one of these days...
You guys are a hoot to watch. Fun review of all the spots I've hit. Liked them so much I built one at my house.
I wish you had mentioned Trader Sam on Geary in the Richmond. Its a landmark.
This was awesome! Thanks for showing us around and I made my own mini tiki bar out in my backyard😁
That is awesome!
Thank you for your review of the Tonga Room. I don't drink anymore, but these tiki bars seem just so intriguing. A child of the '60s.
They are a ton of fun! The modern interpretations have a modern interpretation of the 60s classic so well worth a virgin cocktail visit :)
I’ve just gotten into making Tiki cocktails recently and this was a great way to tour the famous spots from home 🙌 🇮🇪
Awesome! So glad tiki is making a resurgence in the U.S. 🍹
Great video!!! I love Tiki and Rum!!! super cool :)
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.
😂
@@ZeeneInRealLife His hair was perfect.
Thanks for the reviews! I'm by no means any kind of connoisseur of alcohol, but I love Tiki bars and I look forward to hopefully, some day, being able to check out all these places :)
Hope you get to check them out as well!
From Scotland, we love your blog's
Thanks so much :)
Thanks for the great information!
Soooo excited, we’re staying at the Fairmount, I’ll try the Jet Pilot on your and Dave’s suggestion
It's a fun bar! FYI that they charge a $10pp cover fee for the musical portion but if you don't intend to listen to the band go prior to 8PM to avoid this. Note that the Jet Pilot is quite strong :) If you are more of a classical kinda Tiki drinker, try the Mai Tai (which we didn't cover here as that was reviewed at Trader Vic's). Not quite up to TV standards in our opinion but a good, less alcoholic, alternative ;)
Zeene InRealLife I’ve never had a Tiki so I’ll try anything, is the $10 cover charge even if your staying
/ guest at the hotel?
Thanks for all your posts on SF it’s been great watching and I have taken a few of your suggestions onboard for our trip......next week😉
You're right! No cover charge if you are a guest and you also get prime seating right next to the lagoon :) So make sure to ask for that if you can...have an awesome time on your trip! Maybe c u around!
Going to SF in a month still debating whether tonga or smugglers both look tempting.
Tonga for just the pure entertainment value but Smuggler's Cove is a must if you are a serious rum drinker. Idol is also worthwhile and it's close enough to SC u can barhop ;)
Not too big a fan of it. I like crafts but I stumbled across your vid & it made me want to go to both places they look fun lol. Definitely looking to mingle though, since it'll be my first time out west. Thanks for advice 😉
@@ZeeneInRealLife what's "SC"?
@@veganmikedizzle4303 SC = Smuggler's Cove
Tonga = vegas, whereas Smugglers = Tiki.
My suggestions are Smugglers > Last Rites > Pagan Idol or Zombie Village. Of course with a lunch visit to Trader Vic's (more of a restuarant than bar at this point).
I feel terrible because I can't remember either Dave's last name, nor his rum blog/website. Any chance you could help my memory out?
Hi Aresut, I just double-checked and unfortunately he's taken down his website. Sorry about that! He's been traveling quite a bit lately so I think he's not had the time to keep it up. But you can catch one of his older interviews here: rumconnection.com/people-profile-dave-russell/
No Zombie Village???
The shortcomings of these limited videos. It's a good add to the list!
@@ZeeneInRealLife We reopened Pagan Idol this week, stop by and say hi if you're in the area, we will be serving food for the time being as well.
@@RebellianStudios excellent! Excited you guys will be opening your doors again and will definitely drop by. 👍
The Tonga room post-Covid has returned to their bad habits and is no longer revered. The food is expensive crap and the band has been famously awful for DECADES. Yeah visit for a drink but did have hit the Zombie village, but it might not have opened yet, when this vid was made
Dave is the least interesting man in the world.