A Collection of Hala Kahiki Tiki Bar & Lounge Media and Press over the years
Chicago Magazinze
“The Realest Damn Tiki Bar”
March 2019 Issue
By Ali Barthwell
Supercall Publication
Seven Oldest Tropical Watering Holes in America
“Illinois might not be the first place you’d expect to find a renowned tiki joint, but Hala Kahiki celebrated its golden anniversary in 2014 and isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Located just outside of Chicago, the bar was opened by Rose and Stanley Sacharski, who originally named the tavern The Lucky Start. By 1964, though, it had morphed into a tiki den and changed locations and its name. If you plan to visit, be prepared to make some tough decisions—the menu is divided into 17 categories of cocktails, including “Coconut Drinks” and “Drinks for Two,” with scores of classic and original recipes from which to choose.”
Read Full Article on Supercall
TimeOut Chicago
The Best Tiki Bars in Chicago
August 10, 2016
“The motto here is, “We were tiki before it was cool,” and it certainly rings true from the moment you walk into the doors to this massive, yet somehow intimate, tiki bar, just on the outskirts of the city. There’s not a hipster in sight, just very boozy tiki drinks in a setting that takes you further away from Chicago than the River Grove location actually is. Open since 1964, the enormous space is met with an equally giant cocktail list, boasting well over 100 drinks concocted with any combination of booze you can imagine. Since the overwhelming menu isn’t for the faint of heart, try ordering a tiki flight to sample your way through the list. Semi-regular Hula shows take place at Hala Kahiki and it’s the only night the bar serves up more than a bowl of pretzels with its tropical drinks, guests can enjoy a full Hawaiian dinner with the show. Pop into the attached gift shop before heading home to take a bit of the tiki kitsch home with you.”
Read Full Article: TimeOut Chicago – Tiki Bars
National Pina Colada Day
Radio Interview with James Oppedisano
On July 10, 2016, we were invited to take part in a Radio Interview with WGN Radio in Honor of National Pina Colada Day.
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You can view the article here: WGN Radio.
Chicago’s Best: Cool Treats
“…Outside of Chicago is this gem, the Hala Kahiki, founded in 1963. Originally the bar was built as a simple road-side lounge. But when owner Stanley Sacharski began adding some bamboo-siding he bought from Sears to repair the walls, his customers became enthused. Seeing an opportunity Stanley completed remodeled the place to embrace the Polynesian theme and they’ve never looked back.”
Originally published by Steve Baron in WGN’s Chicago’s Best series on July 22, 2011.
5 Oldest Tiki Bars in America.
“Outside of Chicago is this gem, the Hala Kahiki, founded in 1963. Originally the bar was built as a simple road-side lounge. But when owner Stanley Sacharski began adding some bamboo-siding he bought from Sears to repair the walls, his customers became enthused. Seeing an opportunity Stanley completed remodeled the place to embrace the Polynesian theme and they’ve never looked back.”
Originally published in Bucket List Bars in October 2011.
Aloha from The Hala Kahiki
How a Midwestern family built an enduring Tropical Oasis: “…The bar hasn’t made many concessions to the end of the original Tiki wave…”
“…The lounge is also known among Tiki fans for its extensive collection of Witco, dark wood carvings produced during the mid-twentieth century by the Washington-based Western International Trading Company. The bar’s pieces inspired Tiki historian, Sven Kirsten, author of the 2007 book “Tiki Modern,” to call the Hala Kahiki the “King Tut’s Tomb of Witco.”
Written by Wailin Wong and published in The Distance in July 2014. Definitely a great read – check it out.
Truly Old School
This is a photo from the 50’s featuring the Original Owners of The Hala Kahiki Tiki Bar & Lounge – Stan and Rose Secharski. They are standing in front of the Funeral Home they ran before they decided to get into the bar business.
For a bigger snippet of the story of our Tiki origins, check out our About Us page. Need to know even more? Well, come on in and ask someone.
A Video from 1999 on NEXTV
Featuring James Ventrella of Ez Livin’. This video does one thing – and that is show everyone that our Tiki Bar & Lounge was cool even in the last millennium. Yep.
Tiki Harlem Shake Video
Remember that annoying trend of making “Harlem Shake” Videos? Well, we totally did that way back then (Summer 2013).
Point being: our Tiki Bar was cool even way back when the Harlem Shake was…
Thanks for the video, Scott W!
Chicago Tribune
” Tiki Bars offer Tastes of the Tropics “
“…Long beloved by Chicagoans, both Tiki enthusiasts and those just looking for a taste of the tropics, this rattan and bamboo-bedecked lounge has more than 100 cocktails to choose from. Some are classics, like the strong and sour mai tai, while others are offered as variations on a theme, such as the Kokomo, a sweet and coconut-y concoction described as an alternative to a pina colada. It seems every surface is adorned with bamboo, hula girls and tiki masks…”
“…For ages, Hala Kahiki only served pretzels for snacking, but the Tiki Bar recently added taro chips and salsa, either pineapple or mango, to its food offerings…”
Article Link: by Meghan Murphy-Gill and published in August 2013.