which was very active from 1995 to 2003, and sort of half-active from 2003 to 2007.
Now it is gone.
The Tiki Bar Review Pages site was replaced by the book Tiki Road Trip (in 2003).
The second edition of TRT (2007) is available NOW.
See Tiki Road Trip (2007 edition) for the most up-to-date information.
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Hala Kahiki
River Grove, IL
Full
review and history of Hala Kahiki
is
available in Tiki Road Trip
|
Summer, 1996: Opened in 1966 by Rose and Stanley Sacharski, Hala Kahiki
has
maintained
every bit of the charm and authentic Tiki Bar feel that it has
possessed
since day one. Hala Kahiki (“home of the pineapple”) is one of
the
best classic Tiki Bars left in the world. This little slice of paradise
sequestered away in an unassuming
little
shack in the suburbs of Chicago is a real treasure.
Once one manages to discover the wood-planked exterior of
the
single
story stand-alone building, there is little - save for one big Tiki
mask
on the wall, and a few illuminated plastic flowers - to suggest what
awaits
inside. Magic. The first thing that I always point out to people when
walking
into
HK is the pineapple-shaped sign that says “Hala Kahiki Rules”.
Well,
this sign can be taken two ways. Hala Kahiki does, indeed,
rule!
But the purpose of the sign is not to brag, but rather to remind people
that there is a dress code enforced, and that beer is not served.
That’s right, Hala Kahiki serves only Tropical Drinks. Hala
Kahiki
does not serve any food (except for that classic Polynesian delicacy -
pretzels) and has no floor show or any entertainment at all. What
it is, in fact, is a cozy and romantic little slice of paradise, a dark
and quiet place to have a drink among the Tiki Gods and spend a summer
evening with your sweetie. My guess is that more people have
proposed
marriage in Hala Kahiki than in any other bar or restaurant in the
Chicago
area.
Across from the bar are four private booths. Moving
through
the
bar area, a waitress clad in a muumuu will ask for your ID and direct
you
to a table. There are three main seating rooms, and a very large
enclosed patio area (open seasonally). There is a Witco fountain
in the third (rear) room, and a larger concrete one on the patio.
Your waitress will seat you at a table of her choice (for some reason,
every time I have asked for a certain table, I have been denied!), and
present you with an exhaustive drink menu. The menu also provides
a
handy glossary of useful Hawaiian words. All of the usual Tropical Drinks are here, and plenty of new
libations
as well. |
|
Finding
Hala Kahiki can be difficult. It sits on a small road that runs
alongside
a wooded riverbed. The nearest major intersection is a fair way
off,
and the street is typically not very well lit at night. Down the
road a bit is some sort of quarry. The neighborhood is a sparsely
populated residential area, mostly inhabited by the families of Polish
immigrants.
Moving
down the narrow hallway, a doorway on the right takes you into the dark
and intimate Hala Kahiki. The first room one will encounter is the bar
area. The actual bar is long, and is usually empty. It’s
dozen
stools are typically where people wait for their friends or dates to
show
up, but are almost never occupied otherwise. Hala Kahiki is a
place
for good times with a group of friends, or intimate encounters with a
date
that you really want to impress. Lone barflies are impossible to
locate,
and if you are trying to meet a new prospective romance, look somewhere
else. Every one at Hala Kahiki is already with
someone! The gift shop, in the back of the building is open until at least 10:00 (except on Sunday and Monday), and offers a wide range of Hawaiiana. There is plenty to see. You can even pick up woven grass mats to use in your own Tiki Bar decor, and there is a HUGE selection of Muumuus and Hawaiian shirts.
The best time to visit Hala Kahiki is on a
weeknight. Due to
the
growth of the Tiki Fad in the past few years, HK is pretty jammed on
the
weekends. I have even seen lines outside to get in. So far,
I have never had any sort of wait to get a table on a weeknight.
Davers writes: You also hit the nail on the head with Hala Kahiki. The drinks ARE weak as shit, and the staff moody. We even went there for a company party in the winter and we all started to fall asleep. We theorized an oxygen depletion was occurring, maybe it's a scam to skimp on the booze and make you lightheaded other ways. That could explain a grumpy wait staff. Perhaps the lack of air is causing the bartender to measure the spirits wrong. ;) I'm going back for the backyard, that's the sweetest part of HK. All in all, there isn't a cooler tiki bar around.
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Leah writes: We just went last night to Hala Kahiki, my first visit to this establishment. The atmosphere was nice, but the service was awful. The hostess was rude, our waiter had no personality. I felt the drinks were watered down with all the crushed ice they added to them. We had a party of 7, we could not sit outside because we had more than 6, I understand the village ordinance, but they rudely explained it to us. Also, a friend couldn't decide what drink to order, so she asked if she could keep the menu, and the waiter said no, he said that he was not allowed to leave the menu on the table. All in all, we had fun, but it was a very uptight place, we always felt like we were doing something wrong.
ANYWAY-My wife and I went in this past Sunday and it actually exceeded all the hype you raised about the place! Reading some of the other people's experiences made me want to approach the place with caution but I had no such problems. Our waitress was very busy but still had time for a smile and a suggestion. I heard no Cher or Britany, just traditional Hawiian music. I love how quiet everyone is in there; no rowdy guys wating sports (no TV-How Perfect), no sorority girls celebrating a 21st birthday and screaming about it... No it was just like a Shag painting, or, if you've seen it, The Woman Chaser (which briefly features a tiki bar in southern California that still exists in all its glory). We will be frequenting the Hala Kahiki from now on. It has officially replaced Trader Vic's as our signature bar. Thank you for writing about it. Most photos on this page by Amy Flammang (except for the one at the very top, which is by James) |
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Tim
writes: The lady in the gift shop was a mean old
bulldog!
I was video taping in there to show my girlfriend (a big tikiphile) and
the woman made me stop! I sat at the bar. I was the only
one
there. The bartender was way on the other end. I kept having to
flag
him over to get another drink. Incredibly poor slow service. He was on
the phone. Then I chatted up a blond waitress as I taped the bar.
She was very friendly. She encouraged me. She let me know that
her
outfit was picked from the wide range of garb at the shop next
door.
I also thought the drinks were weak. I left after 2 or 3. I was
served
so slow, that's all I had time for. I then went into town to the Green
Mill. Thanks for the work. 
Greg writes:
I first discovered Hala Kahiki on your web site after
viewing
a Shag exhibit in California. It took me awhile to actually go there
because,
as you say and are correct, the place is impossible to get into on a
weekend
(damn yuppies; you should never see SUVs outside of a tiki bar).