Tong's Tiki Hut

Awesome decor - but the food is not so great.

I really really like this place.

OK, so the food is not at all Polynesian -- it's standard American-style Cantonese. And the drinks are just so-so (our Mai Tai was definitely made from a mix, not horrible but not splendid and zing-y).

But the Tiki decor is fun and fabulous. I love the thatched-roof booths and the over-the-top exuberance of it. The bar has leopard-skin coverings and there's a big mural of a Hawaiian beach on one wall. At least one fountain and bamboo wind chimes and floats and nets hanging from the ceiling. Someone put loving care into this decor.

Our pu pu platter had not-terribly-memorable food (standard egg rolls and spare ribs) actually came with a flaming iron pot. A real flaming pu pu platter! The drinks came in real tiki mugs and there's a nice variety of different tiki mugs on the menu. The staff are very friendly and attentive. And the prices are terrific. Really, really terrific.

No, I wouldn't go there to introduce a true rum-aficionado to a tiki drink like he's never had. But for a really fun night at a place that's easy for suburbanites to get to, with great decor and fun vibes, at a remarkably awesome price, it is perfect.

We need more places like this. We need to support the remaining places like this. I will definitely be going back.

If you're in the Chicagoland area, it's worth a pop-in as you visit some of the other Tiki places. Not the most memorable part of my trip, but still worth the price of a cocktail