Located among eighty acres of farmland land on
route 78/34
(about fifteen miles south of I-80 and a bit south of Kewanee) is a
large restaurant built in 1932 by the name of Andris' Wanee Farm.
Tikiphiles cruising through the farmlands of Illinois would doubtlessly
drive right by it without a second glance. Those of you in the
know will want to stop in however, for the 700-seat restaurant has a
little secret, invisible from the road: the 160-seat Aku-Tiki
Room. Owned by Glen Andris and managed by his charming wife
Carol, the Aku Tiki Room was added to Wanee Farm in 1967, and expanded
in 1984. Divided into a restaurant and a bar (both completely
separate from main restaurant on the other side of the building), the
establishment is decorated with Orchids of Hawaii lanterns, a dozen
Witco pieces, fishing float lamps, and a bunch of airbrushed murals
depicting tropical scenes. Black lava rock covers the walls in
the bar area, and the table tops are decorated with unique
tapa-patterned formica. Some Tiki poles on the railings in the
bar area are beautifully carved, and are of a sort we’ve never seen
before. Also original among Tiki Bars is the Aku Tiki’s pair of
Hula-Teddy Bears in an alcove near the restrooms...
Bartender Tom mixes up a more than serviceable Bacardi and Meyers Mai
Tai in a
vintage Otagiri ‘Aztec’ mug. Excellent! Field
collecting, we remind you, is uncool - leave those vintage mugs where
they are!
Food is of the “rural comfort” variety, meaning lots of beef and fried
chicken. The closest thing we saw to a traditional Polynesian
dish was the Polynesian Pork Chops - another Aku Tiki Room
original. The owners take pride in their cooking however, and
make many of their own ingredients, including the apples and veggies
from the farm. Apparently the buffet on the other side of the
building (the larger non-Tiki side) is quite famous locally.
Three types of bread show up on the table, and the Aku Tiki also has a
longer wine list than one would expect. The broiled catfish comes
with tail and fins intact, and is a good sized piece of fish. The
sautéed mushrooms are a tasty appetizer, and the mashed potatoes
are apparently smooshed fresh on the premises. The salad bar
ingredients are a little lacking, with not enough veggies and too much
emphasis on cheese chunks and Jello. But the apple salad is
amazing, and made on site, of course.
The Aku Tiki Room is comfortable, clean, and well-maintained.
Their dinner show is gone, but the management is looking into adding
hula performances. Given it’s location, it is a miracle that it has
survived for thirty-five years. Carol Andris is as friendly as
they come, and loves to meet people who are into Tiki. If you’re
driving down I-80, make the detour and check out the Aku Tiki
Room! Waunee Farm Restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday,
but the Aku Tiki Room is open Fridays and Saturdays only.
Tiki Truck Stop / Tiki Motel,
Rts 80 and 51st (I-80, near Exit 75),
La Salle, IL (815) 224-1109
Don't get too excited by the impressive sign here. The Tiki Truck
Stop has no Tikiness about it whatsoever; not a stick o' bamboo
anywhere on the premises. There is a $19.95 per night trucker's
flophouse motel, a small restaurant, and a gas station, but you won’t
even locate a tropical plant here, let alone a tropical drink.
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