Golden Tiki
0 Votes
To quote the sign above you as you walk in, "Meka Leka Hi Meka Hiney Ho." We don't know why that's there either. But it really sums up the vibe of the Golden Tiki. This is a bar that doesn't take itself too seriously, loves to make clever jokes and is always up for a good time. The signature drinks are delicious, so is the Dole whip, and the bartenders are on the ball. But that's really just describing a decent bar. Golden Tiki is much more than that.
From the moment you step inside you realize you're not in Vegas anymore. The stonework in the entryway is filled with either flesh-eating piranha or cursed golden coins—we don't suggest sticking your hands in to find out which. Instead keep walking and find for yourself a pirate-themed paradise for anyone who likes pineapple, people and possibly ending up as a shrunken head. Here's where the story gets a bit more complex.
If you get the chance to take the tour, absolutely do it. And you should probably take it a few more times on subsequent trips because, if you're like us, you're probably a few drinks deep by the time you start. What we do remember is that there was a sailor who wanted to find the golden tiki, then there was a woman, somehow the sailor lost his pants, we chose not to look at that painting too long, then he found the golden tiki and got turned into a living skeleton. It's a fascinating story that turns the bar into an attraction worth visiting if you like pirates and/or fun stories with your drinks.
The tour guide is fantastic and never breaks character, even when someone drops a glass on the ground and it shatters. (That wasn't us but it did happen and we were impressed with the improv.) He leads you through the entire bar, pointing out the waterfalls, the giraffe bones which he assures everyone they found on an expedition (they did not kill a giraffe), the paintings on the wall, the octopus and finally the animatronic skeleton of the sailor. He tells his own story in detail complete with movement and voice.
The desert isn't the place you expect to find tiki bars. And we don't have a lot of them. But the Golden Tiki is without a doubt one of the best. It's the place for casual drinking and a night of adventure. They even have a unicorn horn that adds a little vigor to the drinks. Ask your tour guide about that one. Get to the Golden Tiki and have yourself a mini vacation while you're on vacation. And be sure to rub the idol for good luck.
