I don't claim to be a Tiki expert by any means but it is one of my favorite ways to imbibe cocktails so I am at the very least fairly seasoned in the tiki bar ways. And what's not to like? Delicious, fruity & sweet, sometimes very dessert-y style drinks that knock your socks off without you knowing it, until that moment when it catches up...yes please! Tiki style cocktails can be deceptively strong so there are some on the menu that have "X" next to the name, those drinks have a 2 per person limit. One of those is the universally popular tiki drink called a Pain Killer. And yes it works ;) It was so yummy with its pineapple, coconut creamy goodness and I couldn't taste a lick of alcohol so if I didn't know better I was just drinking a tropical smoothie, and only towards the end of the drink did I notice it was doing its painkilling job and I felt good! We had a group of 3 and I tasted the other drinks we ordered-- the Sidewinder's Fang was fresh & passion fruit juice forward, and I liked it. The Thunder Rum Barrel also had an "X" and for that one it was clear that it was strong, its very rum forward. Less sweet or fruity. My second round drink was the Industry Grog. I asked the bartender what he likes and he told me he enjoys chartreuse based cocktails so he made me that one. It had a more herbal, floral taste that I really enjoyed. And after 2 drinks I was good to go. The decor of this tiki bar is definitely on theme and looks great. The bartenders were excellent. My only gripe is that I didn't love the ordering set up. If you're sitting at the bar ordering is easy, otherwise you will walk up to the ordering area that is positioned in the middle of the bar near the ships wheel and it gets congested when there is a line. I'll definitely be back to try the other drinks on the menu. read more

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My wife and I have been on a huge Tiki drink vibe for the past year. However, the only place that had a wide selection that we liked was Undertow, which is quite the drive. So when we saw Tropic Thunder open up right down town, we were super excited to visit it with some friends. Love the vibe! It's definitely a wider space than some of the other bars on Roosevelt, though in the weekends it still sometimes gets pack. But all the drinks we had were awesome! Glad to have a new great bar! read more

Tropic Thunder - Outside - Tiki Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Cute place! Loved the decorations they really committed to the tiki theme. The drink menu was a good size too- not too overwhelming and the staff was super friendly. Sometimes you go to bars on a Friday night and you can tell the staff is stressed and busy and just want you to go away but everyone seemed to be having a great time including the workers. My friends and I all tried different drinks. The Fog Cutter and the Zombie (2 in the tall glasses) were very alcohol forward and didn't really have a taste other than that. Definitely try the pain killer that was all of our favorites. Very refreshing and coconutty. For a cocktail bar, the drinks weren't pretty reasonable priced as well. Even though the drinks weren't my favorite we will definitely be bringing our other friends back here! read more

Tropic Thunder - From left: Painkiller (best one!), Zombie, Fog Cutter, Halekulani - Tiki Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I would expect a new spot on Roosevelt to be hip, fun exciting and Tropic Thunder nailed it! I usually stick to tequila but decided to try some fun cocktails and wow! Amazing flavors and thoughtful mixology are on the menu. Super cool bartenders making you feel like you're in the spot and they are happy to have you here. Naked pics in the bathroom complement the awesome and creative decor, you'll have to see for yourself. An amazing spot to grab a drink. read more

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When it comes to bars, I've always been a huge fan of speakeasies and tiki bars. After hanging out with some friends in the area, we made our way over to Tropic Thunder on a Monday night for a nightcap. Located in Roosevelt Row close to Industry Standard, this tiki bar just opened the other week. I parked on the street right across from the bar using metered parking. Ambiance (5/5): As I walked to the entrance, I saw two large tikis outside. My type of place. Upon entering, I was immediately impressed with the classic tiki vibes. Dimly lit, awesome decor, with the laid-back feel you hope from a true tiki bar. There's an awesome mural as you walk in and some pretty entertaining pictures of some topless women on your way to the bathroom. There's seating at the bar, high tops, and tables, and some comfortable couches. Tropic Thunder makes for a cool date spot. Service (3.5/5): A good amount of people for a Monday night but they were nowhere near capacity. The bartenders weren't the most attentive, but once you got their attention, you were in the clear. Upon closing my tab, I was only given the merchant copy of the receipt rather than both the merchant copy and the customer copy. This is a pet peeve of mine. It doesn't happen often, but I've seen other bars do it too. I can always ask for my customer receipt, but it just makes things easier when an establishment is proactive with it. Food (N/A): Tropic Thunder doesn't have food, but they allow you to bring food from elsewhere if you'd like to chow down. Drinks (4.5/5): There are tiki classics on the menu like the painkiller, zombie, daiquiris. and more, along with some unique selections. It's an interesting menu overall. When I think tiki drinks, I think sweet drinks that pack a punch, a rum-heavy selection, the use of fire, and cool glassware. I opted for a cocktail with Haitian rum which was a first for me. I'm always a fan of trying new things. It was served in a really cool black tiki mug that was part tiki and part turtle. It was everything I was hoping for. Flavorful and boozy. With a cinnamon stick for good measure. Pro Tip: If you've seen the movie Tropic Thunder, you might as well check out the tiki bar (no association). Especially if you're a fan of tiki bars like me. While I won't give the whole secret away, if you order the most expensive drink on the menu, there will be some cool theatrics that come with it. Awesome to have another tiki bar in the valley! read more

Tropic Thunder - Tiki Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This bar is great! They have a menu which is very helpful with lots of unique drinks. We got the Saturn which was sweet and was gin based. I would def recommend. The interior was very unique and well done. Lots of places to sit and was dark for the vibe but not as dark as other places so you can still read the menu and stuff. I look forward to coming back! read more

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Service was great! I don't remember our bartenders name but she was blonde and very nice!! The drinks were a little much- I ordered the one with dates and it was good but hard on the stomach! Pisco sours were good! Would like to come back and try some other options. Decor was very cute read more

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This place is still brand new. This place feels like a Quentin Taratino dialogue in the best way possible! This is unique from Under Tow, Strong Water, and other known Tiki Bars in that you enter, find a seat, if not seated at the bar you will need to come up and order from the bartender. The menu isn't vast and overwhelming like Under Tow can be--which is nice. However...I must admit...personal opinion here--I wish they had more of a menu. Two of their cocktails weren't available. We came on a Monday (so that was a bummer). I ordered 2 cocktails from their Tropic Thunder Originals--both were yummy. The vibe and ambiance is awesome! We definitely will be back. The fiance already blasted our photos to friends who now want to come check it out. Excited to see how this place flourishes read more

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Love this new Roosevelt Row bar! I saw it described as a tiki dive bar, but I didn't see anything divey about it. There is no host, just walk in and find a place. It was pretty full when we got there, but we found seats at the bar. By the time we left, it was standing run only. The decor and theme of this place is awesome. For the time you walk up and see the tikis with glowing eyes outside, it is definitely "tiki." When you walk in there is a room with stools and a bar that runs along the wall and is super cool tiger mural. When you walk pass that entry, you'll see a long bar with seats along the edge and a grass canopy. There are high top tables with stools and some boots along the wall. There are carved tiki poles that are super cool, and the the coolest thing--a giant skull with a seat inside. The lights are all blue and magenta and they have glass balls hanging from the ceiling. As far as I can tell, the only way to get your drinks is to walk up to the bar. Because we were a little ways from where people stand in line and walk up, it took a bit of time to get a bartender to help us. We finally ordered a couple of drinks and they were delicious. They actually bought us a third cocktail on the house to apologize for the wait, which really wasn't that long. It's quite a large cocktail menu, and they are divided up into sections. The drinks were very, very good and relatively inexpensive. This is a really fun place to go. It's Roosevelt Row, so parking can be a bit tricky. They're also a lot of great restaurants around there so it's a great place to grab a drink before dinner. read more

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Learn from one of my fellow Yelpers that this spot recently opened, and as a Tiki Bar fan, it was a must for me to try out... even on a Monday night!!! After a few of us finished up at a nearby Yelp event, we wanted to keep the party going, so we came here to support & check out the new spot. Great way to celebrate absolutely nothing, but if it was a celebration, it was a celebration of enjoying all the great things in life! They had a variety of cocktails. The owner and bartender Meg... absolutely amazing, and I love the whole vibe as I felt like I was transported to someplace different than Phoenix during that time. Looking forward to coming back and trying some more cocktails... Especially the one that said "2 Drink Max"... Yeah, I'm on that one!!! Currently no kitchen, but they are partnering with nearby spots for food delivery while there... luv it! read more

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What I got: Classic daiquiri Holy cow this place is awesome been waiting a hot minute for it to open and now it's my new fav bar/speakeasy the coolest place ever the decor really on point you can tell the love and care that went into here plus the menu is huge you gotta check it out no food if you want that but alot of places close close that have that read more

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My 3rd time here and I'm in love. The decor is so freaking cool. Total tiki bar vibe. Sam, Trey and the staff are fabulous! The drinks are potent and delicious. If you like rum, cool tiki decor then you need to come here read more

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Super cute bar and friendly bartender. Most drinks on the menu lean on the sweet side but everything we got was well balanced. The booth was spacious and the vibes were chill. You can tell that there was a lot of love put into all the details of the bar. read more

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Love this place! Amazing service and drinks! For sure a must in downtown phoenix! Best tiki bar in phoenix, stop in to Trey he's the best bartender around. read more

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Great tiki bar in downtown Phoenix. The ambiance makes you feel like you have been swept away to an island. The bar tenders were super nice and quick making elaborate drink. They don't serve any food yet but that would be a benefit. read more

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AMAZING visuals and art for cool photos ! It was quiet and intimate , seems like a great date night spot ! I'd definitely come back read more

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This is such a fun, new tiki bar downtown! They really went out all out with the theme and decorations inside! There's a wild tiger mural when you first walk in and a giant skull you can sit in. I got a painkiller and it was a solid drink. Service seemed good. read more

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We missed the free alcohol tasting to Mae your own rum drink apparently but umm I would definitely come back to catch this again! The staff was definitely not afraid to help out and we all agree they probably have the hottest bouncer on this block ‍‍‍I definitely did not notice the naked boobie pics in the previous reviews so I was so shocked I had to touch them idk why this is an instant impulse for late 70s looking topless pics but they were definitely a whole vibe. It might've also just been dark but I could've sworn I saw Chrissy T in there too needless to say my friend and I had a very eventful visit read more

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Such a cool new bar in the Roosevelt row area. Fun tropical cocktails between $14-18 and the bartenders were helpful with the drink recommendations. There's also a giant skull with a chair under to take a fun picture read more

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Listen, if you don't like it here then you don't like tiki bars and you don't like tiki drinks. This place is freaking awesome. Decor is vibrant and fun. Drinks are seriously amazing. I love that they have a few rotating specials. My personal preference would be to belly up to the bar. The bartenders are absolutely the star of the show. Captain Dave and Meg flat out kill it! My new fav cocktail bar! Cheers. read more

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Not overly crowded on a Wednesday night, which is to be expected. A tiki bar with a bit of an edge is exactly what downtown Phoenix needed. The decor and atmosphere are on point, the place is very aesthetically pleasing. Fun bathroom decor. Pretty typical tiki drink menu with some old classics, no complaints! Drinks are around $15 a piece, some have a 2-drink limit. Good music, too. I hope this place does well. I would have given it 4.5 stars if I could, because the service sadly wasn't very attentive, but I'll throw them a bone because they did just open and are probably still working out the kinks. Two people left a booth not too long after my friend and I arrived. We took over and moved their drinks, napkins and other stuff left behind, to the front of the table to make it easier for the staff to clear it. We sat there for a good 15 min without anyone acknowledging us or coming to clear the table. We did see staff walking over to another table after these people left, to grab the empty glasses. They walked right past us a couple of times, and our booth was facing the bar. Finally, my friend had to stop one of the staff as he was walking by and ask if someone could clear our table. We also inquired whether we had to go to the bar to order drinks (we did, it is bar service only). Surprised that we had to sit there for this long with the place not being crowded, without anyone acknowledging us, removing the dirty glasses / trash from the previous customers, or letting us know to order at the bar. Not a huge deal, I'll give them the 5 stars because it was still a fun visit, and the place is really neat. And of course, we could have easily walked up to the bar on our own, we were simply catching up while waiting for the stuff from the previous party on our table to be removed. read more

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This tiki bar is amazing!! The atmosphere is well done and the staff are super welcoming. They have a great drink selection. Some drinks are marked as "2 drink max". I appreciate that they look out for their patrons and the alcohol content! I will be back! Thank you! read more

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Great ambiance....we are always so happy in a tiki bar! A lot of attention was placed on the decor...tiki's, lighting & beautiful glassware. The drinks ( Zombie & Sidewinder Fang) were spot on. The bartender is & should be proud of his craft! No food here, but that is ok by me! Plenty of places nearby for a food following experience read more

This place is amazing! Excellent drinks, service, and ambiance is surreal and really well done. Well worth the visit! read more

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Such a cool vibe! Definitely a smaller space so it's pretty intimate inside but also made it feel like we were in a different place outside of Arizona. The drinks were yummy, pretty strong but full of flavor and the bartenders recommendations were spot on. read more

Tropic Thunder - Tiki Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

As a big tiki girl is bar is full tiki still cute and a good welcome into tiki world. The service was super fast, in and out in 30 minutes.

So much fun!!! Everyone is amazing. Good vibes and the drinks are delicious!! Will be back soon! read more

Tropic Thunder - Tiki Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Wow! We wanted some good cocktails and i was looking on Yelp to find places downtown. This place is fairly new and had promising reviews and I love tiki bars so we decided to check it out. To our surprise it was our favorite bartender David who previously worked at the Captains Cabin! This man is very educated in making tasty, fresh drinks and is very personable. We had noticed that the Captains cabin wasn't open as often but loved David's drinks so we were happy to find him bartender on a Wednesday. This place is Tiki'd out to the max, there is something new to see all over. Its a little small and was really warm so it would probably be overcrowded on weekends. The only think I didn't care for was the smoke machine; I guess it supposed to add to the effect the bar is going for but I have sensitive lungs and didn't care for it. It didnt go off an overwhelming amount of times so it was still tolerable. Some drinks that were on the Captains menu are on this one as well. We will definitely be back in to see the best bartender in Phoenix (in my opinion)! read more

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What a vibe this whole place was- from the decor, to the amazing bartenders (shout out Captain David), to the amazing drinks. Check out this spot asap before it becomes super popular. read more

Tropic Thunder - Front entrance - Tiki Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Excellent craft cocktails! Great ambience. Not for tall people because of the dangling decor lol. I wouldnt come when it was crowded due to the length of time to make the cocktails and the small room capacity. read more

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Super cool bar. The vibe here is very unique and one of my favorite things . It's pretty small in there I went on a Saturday at like 10pm and I waited like 5-10 minutes to get in so not bad at all . Their menu is filled with unique mixed drinks all matching the theme . Personally not a fan or these kinds of drinks but we tried the zombie one and their only drink with mezcal . All solid cocktails . I would come again to be in the ambience read more

Everything here is perfect. Exactly what Roosevelt, and YOU, need(s) for a perfect night out. The drinks are divine and they went all in on the vibe. Cool people and cooler bartenders. Go!! read more

Wow, fun night and the place was very busy. The painkiller is a must as are the other rum drinks. Great atmosphere and vibe to the place and the service was spot on. read more

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Cool ambiance, the staff are all very friendly, and the painkiller drink was excellent. The only thing that was bothersome is the smoke machine that goes off on a timer. Since the bar is small, it makes it hard to breathe and starts to smell funky. read more

What we ordered *drinks: pain killer, zombie, hotel Nacional special, missionary's downfall Review: the ambiance of this place is top tier. The drinks were decent, the pain killer and the zombie weren't as strong as weve had in the past, and others, from reading the description, I was expecting a mixed drink, and got more so a mixed drink-Martini. Overall a fun bar to go to for the ambiance alone with the perk of decent drinks! Service: bar service only, so once it gets busy, its hard to get a drink, bartenders were nice though Ambiance: great ambiance, but very small place that I can see it getting packed quick - but the themeing that went into this place is immaculate read more

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Like Frankie's Tiki Room or The Golden Tiki in Vegas? How about False Idol in San Diego? Tiki Ti in Los Angeles? I get all those vibes here. Excellent cocktail program, solid music, immersion, service, and all central to the valley in downtown Phoenix. This is the tiki hangout with the casual vibes but the drinks are actually good we've needed. Right off Roosevelt so if you're bar hopping, looking for a night cap, or want something that just feels fun this is the spot. read more

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It brings the best of an up-scale historical tiki bar and a local's favorite dive bar into one. The drinks are incredible, and everyone from the hot security guards to the bartenders are so kind and fun. Definitely going to become one of my go-to spots!!! read more

Tropic Thunder - Tiki Bars Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Cool new bar in dtphx. Very unique and high quality cocktails. Service was a tad slow but also it's a new place so they are probably just working out the kinks. Plus all their drinks are super like complex so that probably is why it takes longer. $16 for my cocktail which is on the pricer side but it was definitely worth it. Great decor and overall super fun vibe! read more

Very nice vibes, bartender Ryan was very nice and personable, drinks were great, will definitely be back

This was a great find. Amazing tiki bar with great drinks and service. The decorations are too cool, especially the shrunken heads and the huge skull chair for a photo op. You have to visit this one. read more