Spring Break 2022 - More Photos of the Bikini Lounge

Tuesday, April 6, 2022

Spring Break 2022 - The Bikini Lounge

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Dale and I hit the Bikini Lounge today. It opens at 3 pm and we arrived not long after that. The front door was propped open which was nice because it made it a lot easier to see. I know tiki bars are supposed to be dark but it was nice to have the decor more visible. 

The back door to the patio was open as well and there was a glorious breeze running through the place.

Dale ordered beer. I asked for the tiki drink menu. 

I started with the Painkiller which consists of dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut. I loved it. 

I put some Orville Peck on the jukebox. Dale told me to quite down because he thought I was singing along too loudly (I didn't think so but I decreased my volume anyway). 

For my second drink I went with the Freaky Tiki which the bartender said was his favorite and that it's basically a variation of Sex on the Beach. It was made up of coconut rum, peach Schnapps, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and lemon lime soda. Although it was very well made it wasn't my favorite. It was a  bit over sweet for my taste and the cranberry juice made it taste like a punch which isn't to my liking. 

The place was much busier than when we were here a few years ago. There were about nine of us in the bar as compared to only three people back in October of 2019. Because of the busy-ness we didn't get as much attention from the bartender compared to last time. This fellow was a great guy and a great barkeep but I was hoping to catch his name and have more time to chat like last time and get some stories out of him but, alas, it wasn't meant to be. 

Dale really loves this place so I'm glad we checked it out a few years back. We would have returned sooner but Covid got in the way of that. When we left our bartender thanked us for stopping in. We told him we'd be back. 

The Bikini Lounge - Phoenix Arizona

Friday, October 19, 2019

Can I just say I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this place. 

Dale and I are in Phoenix visiting family and decided to give the Bikini Lounge a try. Last year we visited Under Tow, and on Spring Break of this year we hit Hula's Modern Tiki. 

Tiki snobs need to check their attitudes at the door. Comfortable, kitschy, unpretentious, fun, and friendly are all words that come to mind as I try to sum up the place. 

Yep, it's a dive and that adds to the charm. If you can't appreciate that then you really don't belong. We arrived shortly after it opened at 3 p.m. so it wasn't anywhere near crowded which allowed our bartender, Michelle, to give us lots of attention and tell us stories about the history of the place. 

The place has been open since 1947. It's been mostly a beer joint for most of that time but more recently since the tiki revival actual tiki drinks have been added to the menu. 

I started with the Mr. Howell which, according to the menu, contains coconut rum, spiced rum, mango puree, pineapple juice, and sweet and sour. 

Michelle told me I could make it a Mrs. Howell by drinking it half down and adding champagne to top it off. I tried it. That was pretty awesome too.

The place was ready for Halloween. Spider webs had been put up all over the place. Michelle told us the place was laid out pretty much the way it originally was when it opened and that a lot of the decor is original too. 

I believe some of the paintings are newer. 

For my second round I went with the Blue Hawaiian. Dale stuck with beer. The menu describes it as light rum, blue Curacao, pineapple juice and cream of coconut. I remember one of my first if not the first tropical drink I had was the Blue Hawaiian. I ordered it back in college when it was legal for me to drink. Not sure what prompted me to order that particular drink and it was the 80s and I not sure where I heard of it. Any way I loved it. I don't remember it having cream. However, I think that's was made it especially good. Michelle told me they mix coconut milk and coconut cream. It made it hearty and rich. 

The place had a pool table toward the back. 

And a vintage condom machine in the bathroom. 

Michelle told us the story about the ledge to rest your feet on while sitting at the bar. It used to be a urinal trough so men could drink and pee and never have to leave the bar. The grating that used to be over the trough was replaced with a floor covering so now it just looks like a foot rest. Go figure. 

I loved the place and as did Dale so I'm almost positive we'll be making a return trip! 

So much more to see.

And so many more drinks to try.