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Tue-Sat 5pm-9:30pm
Opened in 1960
Defunct tiki not included,
distances are as the crow flies.
ad, 153
Front room at The Omni Hut in Smyrna
May 2010, photo by ArrGounaut Jason
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Add it to Critiki! Humuhumu’s description:
A charming tiki restaurant, where employees and customers alike are treated like family. The Omni Huts creator, Jim Walls, started the Omni Hut after taking up cooking as a hobby and second job while stationed in Honolulu as a pilot before World War II. The military took him all over the world, and he picked up culinary tricks wherever he went, and it when it came time to retire, he decided to open a restaurant. He chose this location in Smyrna, near Ft. Stuart, and opened a restaurant called "Chinese Cuisine," which soon became the Omni Hut. Walls also owned the nearby Mahi Mahi for a short time. The Omni Hut suffered a fire in 2000, but luckily the restaurant has been able to reopen with the decor largely intact. The Omni Hut does not have a liquor license, but customers are encouraged to spike their own drinks -- the Omni Hut has a "Hawaiian Tea" drink that is perfect with a little rum added.
To celebrate 50 years in business, the Omni Hut had two special souvenir mugs created by Tiki Farm, and they can be purchased at the restaurant (their special teriyaki sauce, too!).
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We sure have made up for lost time though! The Omni Hut reminds us of a Tiki spot in San Francisco long gone...South Pacific. It has all the great Tiki items you'd expect...great Tiki Gods, tapas, neat light fixtures, the whole nine yards. You can easily forget you're land-locked in TN really fast when you step into the atmosphere of the Omni Hut.
We normally dive into the Bora Bora (bacon wrapped pineapple chunks), and the incredible Tahitian Tid Bits ( little rib pieces cooked in the Omni Hut's own teriyaki sauce which you can buy...we take home the gallon size...no kidding!). Then you get a great salad, soup, bread,and a nice entree that comes with a baked potato and veggies. I promise you won't go home hungry! It's a ton of food and the pace is nice and relaxing...they do 2 setting a night...so service is very good and paced, so you can enjoy the meal and the awesome piped in Hawaiian and Exotica music.
Polly is the best hostess, too...an evening visit to the Omni Hut is a step back in time, and a fantastic dining experience, too. I think I'll make a reservation right now!
Had no clue it was in a dry county when I walked in, but even if you're a die-hard drink enthusiast, don't let that stop you. It easily makes up for the lack of alcohol in it's drinks with the food and ambiance (bring your own alcohol if you like). The food is fantastic! We dove into the Tahitian Feast (a little bit of everything), and loved every bit of it. The presentation was fantastic (pu pu platter with fire in the middle, skewers sticking out, food piled on top of food)
The decor is great. Clearly they've been collecting for a while. The only part that I wasn't a huge fan of were the black-light style murals... but that was a minor issue for sure. The music was exactly what I want out of a tiki restaurant... classic exotica, vintage hawaiian... the real deal.
I'm definitely going back, I can almost taste those Tahitian Tidbits now.