We had a free night in the Chicago area and found this ridiculously AWESOME tiki bar, Kahala Koa…read moreTiki Bar. The selection of drinks is downright encyclopedic, and the drinks were outstanding. In addition, we ordered a plate of bacon-covered water chestnuts, and they were so effing delicious!! I mean, they were a serious revelation!! So we ordered another plate. The atmosphere is amazing. The family that owns this wonderful tiki bars has put some serious work into adorning the place with amazing tiki decor. And this has to have taken YEARS to do. The outside of the building does not say, "Hey!! I'm an awesome tiki bars!!" But step inside and you are transported to tiki land extraordinaire. And then there is the staff there. They are so friendly, attentive, and helpful, and just very authentic and genuine. I CANNOT WAIT to return to Kahala Koa Tiki Bar the next time I'm in the Chicago area. The place totally rocks!!

This was a spur-of-the-moment choice but ended up being very fun for drinks and dinner!…read more I LOVE tiki bars and my husband noticed this one in the area near where we happened to be on Google maps, so off we went! We had about a 15 minute wait for a table but it gave us time to peruse the menu in the car. They offer many classic tiki cocktails, a page full of seasonal drinks, a page of "Designated Driver" mocktails (nice to have an option for something other than just a Shirley Temple!), Polynesian appetizers and entrees, and then Lola's Pizza. For drinks, I got the seasonal Gingerbread Painkiller and my husband got a Green Flash mocktail. (Pro tip on the seasonal drinks: check the regular cocktail menu to see how many skull and crossbones are listed under the regular version of your drink, if applicable, to see if it's a super strong one!) Mine was creamy and spicy but quite powerful. Props to our waitress, Makayla, who checked if anyone at the table was epileptic, because normally the "flash" part of my husband's drink is a strobing LED ice cube; I actually am photosensitive, so it came in the drink in non-strobe mode and just glowed an alien green. She said this was the first time it had actually paid off to ask, but I'm glad she did! The food was tasty: I ordered rumaki, an old-school appetizer of bacon-wrapped water chestnuts that you don't see very often these days, and he got loaded fries. We also got a small Lola's Pizza, which was very good, with a crisp but also chewy crust. The atmosphere here is pure tiki, with a fountain, swag lamps, bamboo, and Hawaiian-influenced Christmas music playing for the season. Lots of big groups here; everyone seemed to be having as good a time as we were! What a laid-back gem in Arlington Heights! We'll be back. Mahalo!

Hala Kahiki is a tiki bar staple in the Chicago Suburbs! The inside is much larger than I expected…read morewith a huge bar area, covered outdoor patio, and at least two other indoor seating areas. I love that as soon as you enter, you are transported to a tropical oasis that is dark and moody. I visited with a larger group so we made a reservation before. One pays $5 per person in your group and the amount is later applied to your bill. The food menu is minimal and most items weren't available sadly. We got two orders of their pineapple salsa with taro chips. It was yummy but wasn't enough substance to match the drink levels. For drinks, our group got a wide variety. They have all sorts of flavor pairings to accommodate every guest. I got the Captain's Revenge after hearing the Pearl Diver was unavailable. It was good but not amazing. For my second drink, I got the Chocolate Banana Old Fashioned which I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't hear anyone in our group be disappointed with what they ordered. Our server, Jazmine, was very knowledgable about the menu and asking the right questions to make sure what we each ordered would be something we liked. Overall, this was a fun experience and I am happy I finally got to visit! My experience was slightly tainted with how much was not available the night we visited.

The best way I can some up this place: "Aloha, mf'ers!"…read more Drinks are strong strong and always garnished with something fun. Heed the warnings on the menu and ask for help if you get stuck. Decor is classic tiki and the wait staff is top notch.

Immaculate vibes here, very dark and moody…read more Fantastic drinks, didn't try the food though. Lexy was amazing!

Beautifully designed space and amazing drinks…read more Reservations will be needed, be sure to plan this spot! We had a bit of difficulty at first finding this place which is part of the fun, but make your way down an alley and you'll find your new favorite tiki bar! We were seated promptly and with an Arrival time around 330 it was low lighting, chill ambiance music and everyone enjoying good conversation. Honestly great start! The server was knowledgeable and attentive, our drinks came quickly after our appetizer did The ceviche was fresh and we ate every bit of it, would have ordered more had we not had dinner plans! Drinks were certainly tasty and well balanced, always what you want from a tiki bar My only gripe was they seemed to keep increasing the music volume and allowed for more standing room which wasn't the vibe we were looking for, but that just might be what they convert to closer to dinner time. Perhaps would be better in the later hours as people still were trying to simply connect with eachother on a speaking level but that's just my perception. Overall wonderful spot, we will return when we want to bring friends from out of town to experience three dots and a dash!

What a fun place! Conveniently located in Wood Dale, this lounge gives visitors a casual place to…read moreenjoy an interesting array of fun and colorful drinks at reasonable prices. Though I didn't get to try it on this visit, the food menu fits the tiki bar theme of the lounge and is cooked to order. Service was quick and friendly and it only took a few minutes to make each drink. With each drink I also got a good amount of background on the alcohol used to make the drink and some knowledge on how each flavor combination was developed. The space inside is nice with a mix of everything from tables to a bar to couches. This would be a perfect place to enjoy some board games or a casual evening of conversation with plenty of space to spread out. Parking is plentiful in the shopping center as well.

I walked in to the Pau Hana Lounge and expected a tiki bar but did not expect to get an education…read moreon rum. We were looking for a unique bar, and boy, did we get that. The bartender, Ron, seemed to have a good deal of knowledge about rum. All of the specialty cocktails contain rum. Ron was very engaging and enthusiastic about the cocktail menu. He was very friendly and spent a lot of time talking with us. We ordered the Zombie (a trio of light, gold, and dark rum with lemon, lime, passion fruit, and bitters - limit two per customer), the Navy Grog (lime, grapefruit, honey liquor, light rum, dark rum, and Demerara rum), the Painkiller (Pusser's rum, fresh nutmeg, pineapple, orange, and cream of coconut), and the Pineapple Coconut Delight (white rum, coconut, orgeat, pineapple, and lemon). The drinks were very good and I liked the sweetness in the drinks we chose. The drinks that we were served were very strong. I can see why some of them have a two drink limit. Ron kept telling us about the his brother who cooks in the kitchen. He is a classically trained chef, but we were unable to try any of the food because the kitchen is closed on Monday. Overall, the Pau Hana Lounge is a nice bar with a neighborhood feel to it. I recommend Pau Hana Lounge, just be prepared to get a lot of alcohol from these drinks.

While overall it is a good bar with a nice atmosphere, our bartender was great. Checked on us the…read moreperfect amount - not too much, not too little. I didn't end up getting food, but the bartender gave us a free umbrella as it was absolutely POURING outside. They were more than what I could hope for from a tiki bar on a weekday. +bonus points for being a bar that stocks Evan Williams despite not being a dive. Cheap whiskey is always appreciated!

Love Tiki Tiki next to Matchbox! Went for the start of our birthday weekend! A few of us with…read moreJanuary birthdays piled in around 7 pm. We had at least 12-15 people throughout our time there. The bartender was great and she made really good cocktails! We probably tried them all on the menu and they were all good. Definitely a fun atmosphere for a friends and colleagues gathering or date night! The back room has the old train car as part of the bar (used to be a diner) it's cool. They had a birthday party going in there too and a dj. Plus you have the bar next store to venture off too. I hope they do food again soon that's all it's missing. Thank you for a great night, we appreciate it! Aquarius weekend continues! Cheers

The food is so good at The Evergreen and always has. This place has been here and consistently…read moreoffers amazing quality food. Any smoked meats are amazing. The fish fry is such a great deal. Great cocktails and the service is always spot on. Just had the full slab of ribs for carry out. The ribs were perfect and enough for 2 meals. Fantastic.

Why do people go out to eat? Most likely to have a pleasant…read moretime, eat and be waited on. 4 at our table. Service: the waitress was slow and unpleasant. It took 11/2 hours to get the food. Food: 2 out of the 4 did not eat their food it was that bad. The other two were waffles one came 10 minutes after the other waffle. Is this a resturant or a hobby? There was no coffee even though it was on the breakfast menu. We had to ask for silverware after just being given a fork. The butter needs a knife to be spread on the waffle. I can't see how they stay in business.

Been to this place a few times and its always a fun hang out place before we dance the night aeay…read moreat Joes Live. The place is sooo cute and its definitely a vibe. They are partnered with Crust Brewery which has a barcode on each table and you can order the pizza online and they bring it right to you. I feel like Crust Brwery should be another review but all i can say is their pizza was really good and definitely ordering that again! The drinks at Petes Tiki Tiki however are in this cute Tiki cups and it is worth your money because they dont skimp on the liquor. So definitely worth the price you pay. Service is great you can either go up to the bar to order but therr are also people going around to check on your table. Definitely coming back! Hapoy drinking!!!

Cute with $6 happy hour drinks. No food menu but had QR codes for Crust and Taco place on the…read moretables.

Lola's Pizza is part of Kahala Koa Tiki Bar, and if you're going to drink a few Zombies or Navy…read moreGrogs, well, you'll need something to sop up that booze, so it's a good idea to order one of these tasty pizzas! We got the beer crust, which was a nice matrix of crisp and chewy. The pepperoni was pleasantly spicy with a dash of herbiness. They also have thin crust, extra thin crust, and pan pizzas as well. We will be back for more drinks and more pizza!

This is the most amazing place! Decor is perfect! Drinks are SO fun and delicious. So many to…read morechoose from. Every time we go we get the pizza, and I am picky about pizza, it's alway really good!!! GO enjoy and have fun!! Service is always on point also!

THIS is a hidden gem. I wish they'd update the tiki aspect of the decor, but it's still an…read moreexcellent and fun place to hang out. Margaret the bartender is incredibly sweet and generous, and the jukebox has nearly any song you can imagine. Finding this place was one of my favorite things of 2022!

The Banana Spider is a wonderful summer drink that tastes just like liquid Hawaii…read more An invention of Paradise Club's current proprietor, you have to go to the city's premier Polish Tiki lounge to get it. When you get your Banana Spider (or the Scorpion, or whatever other tropical mixed drink you prefer) it will come in a beautiful ceramic tiki mug. You might as well drink it with your eyes closed, not because it's that good (though it is) but also because it's too dark to see a thing in this fading 60-year dive which is thrifty with electricity. There are only three lightbulbs going at all times, two of which illuminate the fishtanks. A gloriously garlanded plastic Buddha basks under a third as if it were the Hawaiian sun. If you ask for help finding the restroom the bartender will briefly turn on one more light, the "Kings" light above the men's room or the "Queens" light above the women's room. Not to say this place is stingy... if you're a bar snack afficionado, this place ranks tops with complimentary bowls of mixed pretzel sticks, potato chips, and bugles- which must have been cryogenically preserved because I thought they stopped making them in the '70s. Though this lounge features prominently on the specialty niche business review site CriTiki, it has somehow eluded Yelp all these years, which is a shame. These days it's pretty quiet, and if you go on a weeknight you'd need to bring your own Tiki party to take the place of the young and the Polish who have fled the neighborhood for lower taxes in the west suburbs. Still worth a visit.

Love this place. Great spot to stop for a couple of cocktails. Have a diverse array of things on…read morethe specialty drink menu, and serve some small plates as well. Has turned into a semi-regular stop when we're out and about

I've been to The Alchemist multiple times because my boyfriend loves it, even though I've always…read morethought it was just alright. We usually sit inside, but I wanted to sit on their patio. We came about an hour before their kitchen closed. For some reason the service was just bad this time. Our waitress took a long time to come and check on us, forgot to bring us our drinks, forgot to bring our food to us (the waiter serving the table next to us brought it... he was doing a great job and kinda wish we had him instead lol), and took forever to come pick up our check. Just overall felt like we were questioning where she was the entire time. We got the focaccia bread with side of vodka sauce, togarashi fries, tenderloin skewers, and oysters (forgot to get a photo). The food was good and the cocktails were refreshing. My favorite was the focaccia with the vodka sauce. The fries were also crispy and flavorful.