Tiki Tolteca

Comments about Tiki Tolteca

timeinhell

timeinhell has visited Tiki Tolteca.

April 16, 2018, 3:04 PM

I came here soon after they opened for the day. It was a nice respite from the chaos outside and downstairs. There was one other patron there. He and the bartender were great conversation. Drinks were good. The alcoholic Gummys pretty interesting. The music wasn't Exotica but relaxed (I heard a couple Elvis ballads in the mix. I enjoyed it alot.

KevinCrossman

KevinCrossman has visited Tiki Tolteca.

April 4, 2018, 8:08 PM

Tiki Tolteca in NOLA! This is New Orleans’ lesser known tiki bar, located on the same block as that “other place”...
They’ve done a great job closing out the outside environment, especially important in New Orleans compared to most other cities. Lots of drapes and curtains but still a tropical vibe with plenty of tikis. Some mix of Mexican elements playing off the “Tolteca” in Tiki Tolteca as well.
My Mai Tai was delicious and made with El Dorado 5 and Smith & Cross, so two excellent rums!
I also tried their original Two Ton Swizzle with a couple rums including Hamilton 151, Allspice Liqueur, Lemon, Grapefruit, and bitters.
Music is was a mix of groovy 60s and 70s pop/rock, including some surf. When I arrived it was a very mellow Wednesday night vibe. Then a group of 18 arrived and the bar staff went into frenzy mode to serve all the guests. The staff definitely worked well together. The staff was friendly and professional but would benefit from a more tropical attire or some sort of uniform/common dress.
I had a great time at Tiki Tolteca and will try to return later on my trip to NOLA.

chansuck

chansuck has visited Tiki Tolteca.

March 1, 2018, 11:04 AM

Went here cause Latitude29 was being remodeled at the time. A nice surprise of a bar- love the Moais and the amount of lounge area. Only negative was the bartenders were standoffish that night. Wouldn’t keep me from revisiting though.

Tikiwinebarn

Tikiwinebarn has visited Tiki Tolteca.

December 8, 2017, 10:11 PM

My wife and I, along with a couple friends visited 12.5.17. There were only a few other patrons there and surf music was playing. I asked the barman if we were going to hear some Exotica, but he just gave me a bored look. He was not the friendliest guy, but he did make a great-tasting Painkiller and Mai Tai. Unfortunately neither seemed to have much booze in them.; none of us felt very buzzed after two drinks. Maybe we hit an off night, but the place did not rock our world the way we would have liked it to.

AzMexFuji

AzMexFuji has visited Tiki Tolteca.

November 14, 2017, 5:38 PM

Popped up here through the inside side door of taco place. BF didn't believe me that there was another hidden bar up there. Very dark. Tranquil. Plenty of seats at the small bar when we went Sunday early evening. Bartender really chill, downhome, master of his domain. All drinks were really super nice. I tried ancient mariner and Dr. Fung, both awesome. They also have tiki shots in a little miniature tiki mug. Me and this other person at the bar were like Must Have One when we saw a local bartender escorting other visitors there and ordering them. I'll post pic. That visting bartender came back a 2nd time with a different party, so he really likes to take people there. We ended up staying quite a while and chatting with good company at the bar. It is also a starting point for Doctor Gumbo tours so, to me, that said something very specific. My critiki rating ended up being 9.4. I really enjoyed my visit here compared to other tiki places and other nice bars in town. The bartender says he's retire if he wins the lottery. I understand, but he's one of the best. Ever.

JP

JP has visited Tiki Tolteca.

November 11, 2017, 2:14 PM

We visited twice during a recent trip to NOLA (Nov. 2017) - both times during the day, so it wasn't packed or busy (or full of drink folks who stumbled off of Bourbon St. and got lost)

The bartenders were really great, knowledgable and fun to talk to.

Plenty of space inside the bar, with ample decor.

No idea what the vibe is like in the evening, but I would recommend hitting it up after they open and starting your day off with a stiff drink!

Shop99er

Shop99er has visited Tiki Tolteca.

November 8, 2017, 2:00 PM

Much prefer Tiki Tolteca over Latitude 29. This place has the feel of the old days (60's-70's), and not the current touristy spin.

Drinks were great, and the bartenders were a hoot.

I wouldn't say the decorations were sparse, they just aren't packed in so tight that they start to blend together.

Assuming I ever go to NOLA again, we'll certainly come back here.

Kyle

Kyle has visited Tiki Tolteca.

May 31, 2017, 11:48 AM

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.

H.P. Hovercraft

H.P. Hovercraft has visited Tiki Tolteca.

March 31, 2017, 10:04 AM

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.

mikehooker

mikehooker has visited Tiki Tolteca.

March 8, 2017, 4:08 PM

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.

gellyfish

gellyfish has visited Tiki Tolteca.

December 28, 2016, 7:43 PM

My first visit to Tiki Tolteca was forgettable. The bartender on duty looked bored and disinterested, and I never once saw a smile from him. The drink he made was ok... To be honest, I don't think it was as good as it could have been.

My second visit was much improved. The bartender that night not only smiled and joked with the patrons, but he took the time to show us rums he used in the Mai Tai. I was very impressed, and the drinks were much better tasting and we'll presented.

805tikiTRCH

March 14, 2016, 9:14 PM

Drink menu is not extensive, but don't be shy about asking for something not on the menu. Fantastic well crafted drinks. Wheel is a fun way to select a drink, but I would never try it as long as the Smirnoff Ice is on there (satirically)--I'm pretty sure that counts as cruel and unusual punishment! I was there on a quiet Monday night, but the bar tender was engaging and a nice group assembled and had some fun banter. No merch to buy but that's ok--NoLa has plenty of kitsch so it's ok to leave with just some nice memories. The food is from the Mexican place downstairs which is not tiki, but the food was good so can't complain. Nice place, hope it gets a good following and sticks around. Definitely need some sort of "passport" or loyalty program for regulars.

Regulars and Visitors of Tiki Tolteca

Regulars

People who go to Tiki Tolteca at least a few times a month.

• Kedex
  Friday or Saturday nights
• Silly Idol
• pbjnecrome

Semi-Regulars

People who go to Tiki Tolteca at least a few times a year.

• 
  BravoNavo
• 
  sawalker
• 
  ANTIPANTS
• 
  mobyneville

Visitors

People who have been to Tiki Tolteca at least once.

• 
  wayne-tiki-tiki
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  monkeyskull
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  Matango Derek
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  Rugby Matt
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  tikitabby
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  geedavee
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  yesyesyes
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  phynix
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  djmagus
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  KeithH
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  slickster
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  gooneybird
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  Tiki Finky
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  Bruce
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  KevinCrossman
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  BuzDeadwax
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  Tiare62
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  BankyScout
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  Grog_Zombie
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  BitnerDesign
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  A'Pau-ling
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  Test_subj
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  mermaid1111
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  enchantedtikilounge
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  Textiki
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  chansuck
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  Jon-Tiki
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  atomicginger
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  Shop99er
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  Cheap bastard
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  TikiKeith
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  LonePalmBJ
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  oneparticularparrot
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  IndyEdward
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  neverclever
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  Adam Bomb
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  soldiersdisease
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  maxelman
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  Doctor Ti
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  twitchylizard
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  Monster A GoGo
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  tikibandit
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  KukePuluke
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  igneoussurfer
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  Martiki71
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  Badgersan
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  Gwendolyn
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  Trader Trace
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  JumperBones
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  davidphantomatic
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  Punga
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  michaelsouellette
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  Harpe13
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  Rumjourney
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  Kungaloosh
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  kylelankford
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  Claymontgomery
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  gellyfish
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  Jthepburn76
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  Tbizbuz
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  amy
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  Guitiki
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  Disarmed
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  DaveValdez
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  BeccaSchmecca
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  mikehooker
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  littlemissfelina
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  Kyle
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  Thorn.atropa
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  Misterkingdom
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  CamTiki
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  ChicagoTiki
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  Vanillagreaze
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  DanieStubbs
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  CancelledHoneymoon
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  MichaelCharming
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  Hexi Lee Voodoo
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  DottieDeville
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  Laguna
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  wildjlove
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  theshrew77
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  Kommodore_k
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  fgagnon
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  precurser
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  dfpratt09
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  galaboutmidtown
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  kemika_popoki
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  Citizenskip
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  JayTiki
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  H.P. Hovercraft
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  adriancardwell
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  timeinhell
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  StrangeLibations
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  Cape FM
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  Tinman Tom
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  Auntie_Meeshee
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  Tiki-E
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  Anntiki
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  Cap'nHaddock
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  siobhan689
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  Miss Bamboo
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  tikitikidumke
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  Courtney Crave
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  Ogopogotiki
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  Tikiwinebarn
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  JTiki
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  JayBird
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  Megatron
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  AzMexFuji
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  TikiKev
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  LoaLaur
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  Shaker of Rum
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  ReddBoss
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  AlohaEric
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  Jeff Bannow
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  ottawatiki
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  Mik-Tai
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  TikiElee
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  Voodoo Rae
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  BoschTiki
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  jotiki
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  TikiBert
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  sangsterrific
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  MaryLuau
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  BambooForrest
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  JP
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  Goyojimbo
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  Alidactly
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  Frenchy
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  sanshands
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  alohaAnneEO
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  squares
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  tikiobsessed
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  SouthernFriedTiki
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  ladyandguy
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  Brittiki
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  LoveCraft_Cocktails
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  cjane143
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  jhilla