The Warehouse

This place was a real mixed bag. The decor was the high point ... it was terrific! Very impressively themed. And, even if the tikiness was minimal, the theme was very tiki friendly. The food was also very good steak house fare.

Where the place fell down was in the cocktail and mood departments. The drinks were probably the worst I've had at a legit tiki destination. The rum barrel (while strong and served in a cool souvenir mug) tasted like Kool Aid and arrived warm. The Mai Tai tasted like a glass of straight orange juice. The music was loud 80s and classic rock - which I usually love, but which dramatically reduced the tiki feel. The bar was also taken over by what sounded like a frat party.

So, overall I'd say the place was very good, but lost tiki points in a couple of key categories. Fix those two drinks and the music, and come on a night with a mellower bar crowd, and this could have been a whole different experience!

Update to hours - they are open Monday - Th. 11:30 - 11, Friday 11:30 - 2 a.m. ( the lounge area turns into a salsa club ) Sat and Sunday 11:30 - 11.

Update to owners - Sadly Lee passed away last October.

The curb appeal and attention to detail of the entrance was awesome and had that Disney "here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday" affect .

Seating capacity for the restaurant is 497 and for the wharf bar 97 making this a nice spot for large parties and corporate events.

The Wharf bar features a nice drinks and apps Happy Hour Mon. - Fri. 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. (See my photos for details).
I visited at 4:00 p.m. and pretty much had the place all to myself. It started picking up around 6 p.m.

The outside patio with its commanding view of the harbor will delight the saltiest sailor.

The Mai-Tai was good served in a traditional tulip glass. The rum barrel honestly needs a bit more zing to it but as a souvenir mug... was irresistible!

I absolutely love the decor and it reminded me a bit of the Mai-Kai without tiki. The high back chairs made from Malaysian bamboo and Hawaiian cane, nautical lamps, driftwood signs, rope-work, framed pictures of old school celebs, and plethora of vintage crates and barrels were simply dreamy and I truly felt transported to another era. I was going to spend about an hour here and ended up staying for three exploring.

As a photographer/videographer that travels the world I love the story and found a kindred spirit in the original owner, Burt Hixson, who was an award winning cameraman and world traveler. There are many old photos taken in exotic places of people with a large Warehouse menu. The irony is that these were taken before the place ever opened, Marketing Genius !

The history of this place is absolutely enchanting and I hope it continues and prospers. These are the types of establishments that we want to preserve !!!

The Warehouse has more of a shipping warehouse feel than a Tiki Bar. There are shipping crates used as decorations and you can even sit in one and have dinner. Mostly seafood and steaks, which are very good. Try the $10.00 Rum Barrel, a strong rum drink and you can keep the mug.