Aku Aku in Orlando, FL

Aku Aku opened at the beginning of 2014 and is a sister property of the adjacent mid-century-themed Stardust Lounge (Aku Aku's name is a nod to the relationship between Las Vegas' Stardust Casino and its Aku Aku

history

Aku Aku

Las Vegas, NV

Bar & Restaurant

). The back wall of the space is one large shelving unit full of rectangular cubbies of varying dimensions, filled with little bits of Polynesian Pop decor. A large Moai overlooks the room from a corner. A small selection of classic tropical drinks are available, and a longish rum list has some nicer sipping rums (and a lot of unfortunate flavored rums).

Comments

KevinCrossman

KevinCrossman has visited Aku Aku.

November 16, 2019, 2:43 PM

Best Mai Tai in Florida

Had a great visit on Sunday to Aku Aku. This was in the waning days of their original menu (pictured), though I saw a preview of the new menu launching today and it looks great and has even more cocktails. Good luck to the crew for what is expected to be a big event tonight.

When I came over on Sunday they had their Happy Hour menu going but I wanted to try my standard. I asked what rum is in the Mai Tai. Was told it is Clement blanc and Blackwell. So I asked for it just with the @blackwellrum, a dark Jamaican rum that I think is pretty tasty. In fact, this was a wonderful Mai Tai and for sure the best one so far in my trip.

Aku Aku is Tiki Bar number 49 for me this year and has a pleasant and relaxing vibe. Great exotica music and some wonderful art and decor. They have a strong rum collection, too.

Thanks to Eric and the team for a great time the other day. I will return to Aku Aku!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4kXf4MgbUK/

PineappleWhip

PineappleWhip has visited Aku Aku.

June 29, 2019, 7:41 AM

I made it to Aku Aku while in Orlando for business on a heavily rainy day....loved it enough to go back a second time.
Eric, the bartender, is awesome !!! Friendly, makes great drinks, and enjoys tiki. He had some great stories, and helped make it a fun visit.
I had the Aku Aku, which was delicious. Then of course, I had to try the Tiger F#@ker. I am not a huge fan of Jalapeno, but, after the initial taste, it mellows a bit, and is actually very delicious.
There is actually some pretty cool d�cor in here, and the vibe was cool, with some great conversations with people at the bar. Second visit ...I had to get a Blackbeards Ghost, which I had a small taste of the first visit. I Highly Recommend it. !!!....it's a great drink.
I noticed the TVs that were mentioned in other reviews. They didn't have them on, while I was there. Music was great mix of exotica, and reggae. There is a parking garage right across the street, it's fairly easy to get to.
Overall, I think this is a great Tiki Bar, that is definitely worth a trip to if you are in the area.

Whaia-Muri

Whaia-Muri is a semi-regular at Aku Aku.

June 4, 2019, 12:10 PM

I have patronized Aku Aku numerous times. I like it, but there are some short comings...

The decor is pretty good. There are a bunch of amazing artifacts in there surrounded by a bunch of junk (my guess is people give them anything "tiki-ish" and they put it on the shelf).

My biggest grievances are the HUGE TVs DIRECTLY BEHIND THE BAR which have usually been tuned to a soccer game or equally distracting visual. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I hate TVs in tiki bars! It throws the whole thing off.

The music is good. Classic exotica and the like. At their worst they at least play yacht rock.

It definitely gets the bud light and tequila shot crowd. Not their fault, but the drinks suffer as a result. The bartenders usually end up free-pouring the drinks which ruins the balance. Most of the drinks I've had were either way too sweet or watered down.

The staff is nice and I can tell it is run by a tikiphile. Just needs a little more focus.

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