Tiki Tolteca

Wandered over after dinner and drinks at Latitude 29. Had a pretty good house drink which I cannot remember the name of in their signature mug (fly over something or other?). Friendly staff but the bar was pretty empty which made for a weird atmosphere. Decent decor. Would go back for sure.

I visited Tiki Tolteca immediately after having been at Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29, and that may have affected my perception a little bit.
Tiki Tolteca is located above a chain taco shop. The door is around the side of the building and marked by a simple placard. The walk up the stairs feels almost like sneaking into a speakeasy, and that's almost what it is.
While the stairwell is bright and industrial, Tiki Tolteca is comfortable, airy, and open. The mix of central American and tiki imagery is compatible (and appeals to me in a particular way I didn't expect) and ubiquitous. The tables, chairs, sofas and booths are spread out and feels more like someone's living room than a bar.
The drinks were tasty, exotic, difficult to choose from. It's clear that the staff has taken some liberties with classic tiki cocktails, but the sentiments of tiki style are still there. The drinks are complex, often fruity, and presented well. Flame and pineapple leaves abound.
The downside of this place is that it isn't quintessentially tiki. It isn't exactly classic, and the blend of cultures might not be to some peoples' likings. Furthermore, it's only bar service and the bar is quite small, comparatively speaking. As we know, tiki drinks can take time and space to craft, meaning that even when it isn't particularly busy, you may have to spend some time standing and waiting before the bartender can get around to you.
That being said, the bartender who was working during my visit was an absolute madwoman. She was working left and right, shaking and straining and pouring. I was deeply impressed.
All told, I enjoyed the experience, and I may plan another trip to New Orleans and spend all my time between Tiki Tolteca and Latitude 29.

I went back in Sept 2014. The wife and I stopped in NOLA on our way to Florida from Austin. Latitude was supposed to be opened by then but they were delayed a couple months so we figured we'd check this place out. Was greeted by a 3 or 4' Moai going up the stairs and the sounds of Patsy Cline. Entered the main room and thought the decor was done sparsely but tastefully and created a good ambiance. The soundtrack for the evening was 50s and 60s country, which I enjoy, but didn't feel was entirely suitable for the environment. At one point the bartender changed to a doo wop channel which is also fine, but it seems like a traditional Hawaiian or exotica playlist would better set the mood. The menu looked nice with many of the standards you'd expect and pretty pictures of the drinks. I was about to order an Aku Aku Zombie when I noticed they had a $5 happy hour Mai Tai. I asked the bartender what rums she used and she said El Dorado 5 and Appleton V/X. Good enough blend for the money so I went with that to start. I didn't see her make the drink but after two quick shakes, she poured the contents into a double old fashion glass and served it with a teeny tiny lime wedge on the rim and no mint. I asked if I could get a sprig and she replied, "oh yeah, that should have mint in it, hold on!" She looked around frantically and couldn't find any, explaining their mint keeps turning black. Well, so much for the aromatics, let's see how it tastes... Not good. Mostly tasted of rum and curacao. Don't think there was any orgeat in it at all. My wife had a "What Aspirin is for" or something like that (their version of a Painkiller) which was served in a tiki mug and was quite delicious (it's hard to screw up a painkiller). I intended to get a Zombie next but the Mai Tai was so unbearably bad and took me so long to drink that I didn't have confidence in her ability to make such a complex drink correctly so we decided to split. In hindsight I should have just returned the drink or complained.

The following year I was back in New Orleans with some friends and after some drinks at the now open Latitude, we decided to head up to try Tolteca again. There was a sign downstairs about a private event at midnight. It was ten 'til. So we went up stairs hoping to get in one drink. When we got to the top of the steps someone started waving their hands at us and screaming "What are you guys doing, we have private event about to start!" We explained we just wanted a drink and he told us they could make us one, to go. No thanks. I won't bother returning.