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Tiki Port, Hyannis, MA (restaurant) |
Kailuageoff
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 1486
From: Honolulu Lounge,Lewes, DE
|  Posted: 2004-03-14 02:37 am Permalink
Name:Tiki Port, Hyannis, Massachusetts
Type:restaurant
Street:
City:Hyannis
State:MA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:operational
Description:
The Tiki Port restaurant is on the main road through Hyannis, Massahusetts on Cape Cod. It is a Chinese restaurant and lounge that must have started life as a full-blown tiki restaurant. Most of the tell-tale signs are still there... a few tikis, a lava rock entry way, some bamboo lights, and a tropical mural behind the bar. Unfortunately, the hostess seemed completely clueless about tiki, the bar didn't appear to serve tropical cocktails and the patrons were not happy that I took their picture at the bar. It was about 3 pm, so maybe they thought I was a PI for their wife or employer. Here's the pics:
KG
[ This Message was edited by: Kailuageoff on 2004-03-15 08:14 ]
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Tiki-Kate
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 21, 2003
Posts: 1700
From: Yucaipa, CA
| Posted: 2004-03-14 3:23 pm Permalink
Cool pics.
Your report seems to contradict Tiki Road Trip which reports "No Tiki. Tropical drinks."
Did you stay to try the food?
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Kailuageoff
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 1486
From: Honolulu Lounge,Lewes, DE
| Posted: 2004-03-14 3:59 pm Permalink
I asked if they had a drink menu and they said they did not. I wish I could have stayed for some chow but didn't have much time, so I just took the pics and left.
As for Tiki Road Trip, it's a great book but James admits alot of the information is based on internet posts to his Tiki Bar Review Pages that he has not personally confirmed. Hopefully, someone will go back there and see if the food is any good and whether they serve a decent Singapore Sling.
KG
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2004-03-19 2:56 pm Permalink
Not to bag on these finds (all Tiki discoveries are inherently good!), but just to put it in perspective:
This and the "Hawaii Fountain" restaurant look like they were furbished straight out of the 80s "Orchids of Hawaii" catalog, which had a big section on Chinese Restaurant wall panelling and decor
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The few Tikis in it were were exactly these odd looking fiberglass casts and painted in those god-awfull colors, and the lamps were kind of bulky, all in all representing 1980s "Tiki Devolution" to me.
There was no love left in what Orchids had to offer by then.
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki on 2004-03-19 15:03 ]
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Kailuageoff
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 1486
From: Honolulu Lounge,Lewes, DE
| Posted: 2004-03-22 08:09 am Permalink
Bigbro:
You're right about the blur between tiki and Chinese up there, but the tikis at Tiki Port are wooden not fiberglass. They did look like they were recently painted though. According to Wayne at the Hawaiian Inn, Massachusetts was full of Chinese/Polynesian places in the 60's and 70's and most of them featured entertainment. That's why he and Teauila located their show there in the 70's.
When I was in Mass. last Fall, I actually found a Chinese place called Orchid Hawaii. The building was new and was ugly, even by non-tiki standards.
[ This Message was edited by: kailuageoff on 2004-03-24 12:44 ]
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Trader Woody
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2301
From: Tiki Manor, Forest of Bowland,UK
| Posted: 2004-03-23 3:51 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-03-22 08:09, Kailuageoff wrote:
According to Wayne at the Hawaiian Inn, Massachusetts was full of Chinese/Polynesian places in the 60's and 70's and most of them featured entertainment.
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Massachussetts & it's neighboring states needs a close perusal for Tiki. I have a hunch that it's one of the great unexplored areas of Tiki where restaurants and bars came and went without anyone taking much interest. Perhaps someone could do a little research - look through some old phone books, speak to some old-timers in current restaurants etc and try to come up with a focused idea of the Tiki scene in New England. Kailuageoff is on the right tracks here.
Trader Woody
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new2tiki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 28, 2003
Posts: 100
From: Orlando, FL
| Posted: 2004-03-28 10:45 am Permalink
I have a little information about a few places in MA, as I spent my first 22 years there....
I've eaten at the Tiki Port (7/02). Decent, if unremarkable, Chinese food. I'm pretty sure I ordered a Polynesian drink--Mai Tai or Singapore Sling or something. I was pretty much ignorant of what made a good drink at the time, but I remember it was potent. I echo the sentiment about the waitstaff.
I'll post more about a few others (The Aloha in Hingham, MA, Lake Palace in Pembroke, MA, and Golden Palace in Hanover, MA) ASAP...work beckons.
Scott
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Kailuageoff
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 1486
From: Honolulu Lounge,Lewes, DE
| Posted: 2004-03-28 1:21 pm Permalink
New2tiki,
Please do tell us more about Mass. tiki when you have time.
KG
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Bargoyle
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 18, 2004
Posts: 1025
From: Tolland, CT
| Posted: 2004-04-01 2:01 pm Permalink
I was at Tiki Port just last year and they had a cocktail menu with maybe a dozen tropical drinks. I had a headhunter served in an Orchids tiki mug, and a Mai Tai. Neither were great but both were very strong. There was also another place close by I stopped at. Tiki Isle or something, in Sandwich I think?
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DrFunk75
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 10, 2004
Posts: 15
From: Newburyport, MA
| Posted: 2004-05-10 6:48 pm Permalink
Kailuageoff,
I live in Massachusetts, so I know pretty much everything there is to know about tiki up here! The Tiki Port in Hyannis and Tiki Island in Medford, MA are owned and operated by the same family. I have been to Tiki Island a few times and they also have tropical murals and painted wooden tikis. They did list the drinks on their menu and the food was mostly Cantonese/Polynesian and some Szechuan. The strange thing about this place is that there is no cocktail lounge! The furniture is typical of the 70's Chinese restaurants; bright green vinyl. I asked the waitstaff how long the restaurant has been in business, and they said that they have been in operation since 1980 or 81! I'm not certain that they are entirely accurate. I have a friend who owned The Ming Jade restaurant in Newburyport, and I am going to ask him how long they have been open. I'm sure that he will know.
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TikiGoddess
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 06, 2002
Posts: 417
From: Penna
| Posted: 2004-07-15 2:21 pm Permalink
There's a place in Sandwich, Mass. called Tiki Hawaii and it's a chinese restaurant. Is it worth going there? Any tikis?
_________________
Make mine a mai tai!
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tiki_swizzle_stick
Member
Joined: Jul 28, 2004
Posts: 3 | Posted: 2004-07-29 12:51 pm Permalink
Hello Tiki People,
I think that the status of Tiki in MA is dismal at best. I live here near the boston area and although I do not claim to be an expert, there just doesn't seem to be the influence in this part of the country that there was in CA and FL. It gets cold up here and you would think that we would want some winter get aways that reminded us of the tropics!! Tell me if I'm wrong. Closest thing to real tiki is the Kowloon (check out my post). I will try and add some pics. There main dining hall is called the Tiki Lagoon!!.
Quote:
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On 2004-07-15 14:21, TikiGoddess wrote:
There's a place in Sandwich, Mass. called Tiki Hawaii and it's a chinese restaurant. Is it worth going there? Any tikis?
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DrFunk75
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 10, 2004
Posts: 15
From: Newburyport, MA
| Posted: 2004-08-05 3:07 pm Permalink
Tiki Swizzle Stick, I live in Newburyport so I can relate to the fact that there are not as many tiki bars and restaurants in this area today. Of course that was not the case thirty years ago. There is one restaurant right off or route 1 south before the 129 rotary on Moulton Drive; the Bali Hai. This place has been around for 40+ years and they have some cool original Polynesian decour. They don't really have any tikis, but the restaurant theme is very Polynesian with the puffer fish and tiki lamps, the huke lau pictures on the walls, and decorated drums hanging from the ceiling in the lobby. The drinks are super good and super strong, and the most you will pay for a specialty drink is $4.00! The menus are actually really cool as well; dating back to 1973. You should definately check this place out!
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2005-02-04 3:53 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-03-14 15:59, Kailuageoff wrote:
As for Tiki Road Trip, it's a great book but James admits alot of the information is based on internet posts to his Tiki Bar Review Pages that he has not personally confirmed. |
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Just a clarification here (I just saw this post for the first time) - I telephoned every single place in TRT that I wasn't able to personally visit. So to some degree, all of my research is 'personally confirmed' - even if I didn't personally confirm 'in person'!
In the case of Tiki Port, the woman I spoke to on the phone insisted that they had no tropical drinks or Tikis on the premesis, but I am pleased that you have disovered that she was clearly quite mistaken.
Thanks for doing the legowork, KG!
Oh, and he reason I discovered this post was while looking for references to the Aloha in Hingham, Mass...
I regret to report that it has closed.
_________________
- James T.
My new book is "Destination: Cocktails": www.destinationcocktails.com.
Get "Big Stone Head: Easter Island and Pop Culture" at: www.bigstonehead.com.
See www.tydirium.net for Tiki Road Trip, global travelogues, and more!
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rippa
Member
Joined: Jan 22, 2006
Posts: 7
From: Hawaiian in Stockholm
| Posted: 2006-04-06 2:54 pm Permalink
Tiki Port in Hyannis has had tropical drinks on their menu. I haven't been there since 2004 but drank a few at that time; good! They had a mountain and wishing pond at the entrance grotto, and a tiki as well...
Here is a link to a Hawaiian woman (my ma) drinking the Scorpion Bowl at Tiki Port, while my Dad enjoys perhaps a Fogcutter...
http://reorient.com/photos/tikiport7-00.jpg
Anyhow, I'll be there next week and will report. Still just now in Sweden...
[ This Message was edited by: rippa 2006-04-24 20:06 ]
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