Our Hawaiian Tiki Bar has had a long history of meaningful reviews from our loyal customers.
You can see even more reviews on our Yelp page.
Also, check out our Media & Press page.
“Fantastic Atmosphere!! Made me feel like even though there were tons of people, we were in a private area the way it is arranged…the outdoor area was also very beautiful! I will be going back for sure!”
Jaime P. of Chicago, IL
March 2016
“I loveeeeeee this place! Been to Hawaii many times, this tiki bar truly makes you feel like you’re out of Chicago and on the beautiful islands of hawaii! Drinks rock, good beers, awesome shots. Never had a complaint about this place! Looking forward to my next time there!”
Shannon M. of Chicago, IL
January 2015
“Hala Kahiki is one of the rare, last meccas of Hawaiian kitsch. Every time I take a new person here, this is my description: “Tiki bar in the middle of an industrial strip. Amazing drinks, pretzels from a clam bowl and a gift shop which is your grandma’s closet circa 1973, complete with a vast array of mumus”.
I frequented the bar years ago while living in Oak Park, but still drive the hour on occasion from the north side of the city because there simply isn’t another place like it. I agree with the other reviewers – the drinks are consistently good/strong, the pretzels out of a clam bowl are epic, the decor clearly came from the owners winning both Hawaiian showcases on “The Price is Right” back in the 70’s and the people are so nice and chill.
I truly hope this place never changes – it’s one in a million!”
“Hala Kahiki is one of the rare, last meccas of Hawaiian kitsch. Every time I take a new person here, this is my description: “Tiki bar in the middle of an industrial strip. Amazing drinks, pretzels from a clam bowl and a gift shop which is your grandma’s closet circa 1973, complete with a vast array of mumus”.
I frequented the bar years ago while living in Oak Park, but still drive the hour on occasion from the north side of the city because there simply isn’t another place like it. I agree with the other reviewers – the drinks are consistently good/strong, the pretzels out of a clam bowl are epic, the decor clearly came from the owners winning both Hawaiian showcases on “The Price is Right” back in the 70’s and the people are so nice and chill.
I truly hope this place never changes – it’s one in a million!”
Todd K. of Chicago, IL
January 2013
“I’ve been going to the Hala ever since I was old enough to drink! That’s 18 years! I’m also old enough to remember the House of Tiki that used to be in Hyde Park and it paled in comparison to the Hala. Hala’ s been around since the 60s and hasn’t changed too much.
So a *lot* of complaints about the hat “dress code.” Do you know why they forbid wearing hats? I talked to the owner once about it and his “dress code” is a throwback from the 90s and you can blame the gang bangers for it. They used to come in with tilted hats and there would be problems, fights, etc. So they just banned hats.
I sometimes wish they served food but then what’s the point of having Gene’s and Jude’s right down the street? Regulars like me know that you get drunk at the Hala and *then* trek over to Gene’s and Jude’s, or vice versa. Most bars I’ve gone to don’t serve much else than chips or pretzels so I don’t know why people are surprised when they don’t server food…..in a bar. And as many times as I’ve been to the Hala, the music has NEVER been blaring loudly. I’ve been there on week nights and I’ve closed Hala down many a Saturday night. It’s always been mellow Hawaiian music. Maybe I’ve just been lucky.
People who make Brady Bunch references to a Tiki bar—much less the Hala—are just morons. Stick to Kuma’s Corner or some other bullshit hipster joint for the sake of us all.”
Arthur K. of Franklin Park, IL
July 2012
“My only complaint would be that this place is not within walking distance from my house. This place has everything that I want in a tiki bar. The place is a little kitschy, but that is definitely part of the charm…
…To drink, you will be greeted with about 10 pages of tropical drinks. If you are used to a pina colada or daiquiri, you can find those, but be sure to look before you order. I ended up with a lava bowl (volcano bowl?) that came with a shot of 151 on top lit on fire. My wife told me to blow out the shot and pour it into the drink (she’s pretty and smart!). I also got some cocomo drink (coconut liquor, vodka, cocout cream, and maybe amaretto). But after these I was drunk. Thankfully my wife volunteered to be DD.”
Jonathon C. of Deerfield, IL
October 2014
“FUN! I loved this place…I went to a tiki bar and I’ve fully grasped the concept of Location, Location, LOCATION. I paid for another place’s stupid LOCATION. (Fuck you and your alley….you know who you are). I met up with a friend on a Friday in the early hours of the evening rush. I cannot get over what a gem this place really is!
Ambiance: the place is set-up like a tiki hut. It’s cool. It has surfboards, and a gravel parking lot. I don’t think that was adding to the experience but in my mind, it did. LOL. This place is perfect for almost everything: date, catching up with friends, pre-gaming the girls’ night out or clubbing, making a drug exchange (okay, don’t do that!) but it is very lively. Although it has very VERY dim lighting, I think it’s cool that this place tries to set up an almost “private” space at every table. There are hanging paper lamps, Leis, pictures of hawaiian and polynesian motif, tiki masks and anything colorful and pretty that is Tiki-party themed. Luau is the proper word here of course.
My personal experience: I liked that the drink menu is exactly what it is…a DRINK menu. It was about 6 pages long. The drinks go from very VERY strong to super sweet to ice-cream based to COFFEE based! It’s very well thought out. The price is very good for what you get. The most expensive drink is probably around $15 with tax. I had an ice-cream based drink with Kahlua and coconut rum and Liqueur. It was AWESOME. a boozy ice-cream shake with a pirouette cookie. Hell YEAH!They even have a house liquor…I can’t remember off the top of my head if it was a Rum or a coconut something…but it’s great!
Service: GREAT! I think it’s cool that some of the waitresses do enjoy being in their luau attire and they look so pretty with hibiscus flowers in their hair and long skirts. It’s also AMAZING that the drinks are made QUICKLY and so tasty! Our waitress was training another waitress and she was very nice to her and they were un-intrusive and VERY attentive.
YES…YES! I will come back!”
Karla Q. of Cicero, IL
June 2015
“I have loved this place for years. I see some people complained about how busy and packed it is on a WEEKEND which results in you having to flag down your waitress….. that would be correct. It gets VERY packed here on weekends. So yes, like a typical bar/club/lounge, you will have your typical struggle with the service, but I mean, its to be expected, so chuck it up!
The place is very low key, very tacky, and the low playing Hawaiian music is only meant to convince you that it really is indeed a tiki bar, but thats whats so great about it. Every time I come here, I always leave with a story that has to go down in my book of “what happened here, stays here.”
Stick with the drinks that are strong to avoid the complaints that others have of too much whip cream ad crazy flavors – Zombie (topped with 151 proof rum), Skip and run naked, navy grog, scorpion, or the volcano which is made for two people and lit on fire in the middle.
If you want to enjoy it minus the craziness, just go during the week, its that simple. Or enjoy it on the weekend and just have some patience.”
Sabrina C. of Uptown Chicago, IL
August 2014
“…Lots of choice in drinks and way better flavor and quality than some of the other Chicagoland Tiki Bars. They even have Tiki flights so you can sample a bunch and then order your favorite. The decor was great and they have a patio area too. Service was fine. It’s a bit divey, but I like that in a tiki bar. Warning: no food menu!”
Heather H. of Oak Park, IL
August 2015
“If it was possible to give this place six stars, I would. If it was possible to give it 15 stars, I would. If it was possible to give it as many stars as there are in the Milky Way Galaxy, I would. It is something akin to a crime against humanity that it does not already have a 5-star rating on Yelp. Simply put, this is not only the greatest tiki bar in America, it is the Platonic ideal of a tiki bar, the very form and image of what enters the imagination when one’s mind hears the words “tiki bar“. They don’t fuck around with food or trendy craft stuff, just straight-up loony tropical drinks (the dink descriptions on the menu alone is worth driving across town for) that are loaded with booze and cheap as hell. Throw in some amazing decor, some Don Ho on the juke, a beautiful back patio, and an absolutely incredible gift shop (!) staffed by friendly old ladies, and this isn’t just the kind of place you should drink at, but the kind of place you should move in next to just so you can drink there more often. No matter how far away from Chicago I get, I will never, ever stop loving Hala Kahiki.”
Leonard P. of Chicago, IL
September 2014
“If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. I’ve heard this called the best Tiki bar/lounge in the US, and possibly the world, and I tend to agree. If you “get” Tiki bars, or cocktails, you will love this place.
The building looks incredible. I bet it has not been remodeled in 60 years. There are tikis everywhere, thatch, carved wood…. in every room. It looks like a restaurant, but the only thing on the menu is BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE ! Every tropical drink you can think of. You sit at small, low cocktail tables, and order drinks from a menu. (Mainly you will socialize with the group you showed up with, and sit with.) The prices are very reasonable for tropical drinks.. which are really strong.
The drinks are great, and I’ve never had one that was less than perfection. I’ve never found the wait staff to be anything but excellent, but I’m always so happy to just be inside this place… they could probably spill a flaming zombie on me and I’d just laugh…”
Elaine W. of Los Angeles, CA
December 2012
“I remember the first time my man told me he wanted to take me to a “Tiki bar” – I cringed and thought, ‘I’ll NEVER like something so cheesy’.
BUT, Hala Kahiki is not a tiki bar.. it’s so so much better than a tiki bar. Think more “bar found along the beach near you’re favorite tropical tanning spot” and less “plastic palm trees and goofy totem poles”
I love that the owners went all.the.way. with the decor- it’s not so much a theme as it is like stepping out of Illinois and into Hawaii. The drinks are good and a fair price (neither of us have ever finished more than 2 rounds..they’re strong!), waitresses are friendly, and they have a great outdoor patio.
It’s never been too loud when I’ve been there, but there always seems to be a good sized crowed. Even if you’re like me and themed bars aren’t your first choice, once you make the trip there once you’ll be glad you did.”
Brianna C. of Oakland, CA
May 2012
“What could be better than going to a Tiki bar in the dead of winter with a big group of friends? You know, besides the fact that it is winter, and did you see before that I wrote the dead of winter? Brrrr!
Any who, Hala Kahiki is surely a place of awesomeness! How funny is this massive house across from the Forest in River Grove is a Tiki bar theme park? I never knew it existed until a day or two before we went, and I was both awestruck and amazed at my first visit…”
Brianna C. of Oakland, CA
January 2011
“Oh, how I love Hala Kahiki. Coming from Logan Square, it’s actually not far at all (a straight 15 minute drive down Fullerton). And I feel like I’m stepping back into 50’s Hawaii when I go here-the decor and ambience are kitschy, but awesomely kitschy, the way an authentic 50’s tiki bar would be. I would love to have a room decorated in the same warm tiki vibe as this place. The drinks are delicious and the prices are great. This place is a treat any time of year.”
Bahareh H. of Chicago, IL
November 2009
“Fun tiki bar! It’s much better in the summer time, especially at night. the environment is really fun, and the drinks are good…I’m not used to “girly” drinks, but they were delicious.”
Leocris L. of Chicago, IL
January 2010
“Fun tiki bar! It’s much better in the summer time, especially at night. the environment is really fun, and the drinks are good…I’m not used to “girly” drinks, but they were delicious.”
Leocris L. of Chicago, IL
January 2010