Tiki time
We might not be near the beach, but you can pretend you are at one of these tropical-themed watering holes
After buying the space, Hamelburg decided to take a trip back to New York to investigate potential restaurant concepts. His background — working the industry in almost every position imaginable — helped a lot, but he wanted to create something totally new for the Atlanta community. “I actually called up a friend, you know, ‘What should I do?,’ and she told me, ‘well, everyone’s going tiki here in New York,’ and I remembered it being hot 50 years ago,” Hamelburg recalls, “and sure enough, Hell’s Kitchen to Alphabet City! Everyone seemed to be incorporating a tiki concept, or rather a tiki-style of some sort.”
Back in the ’50s and ‘60s, tiki fever swept the States. Tropical drinks and Polynesian-inspired decor — from rattan furniture to palm plants to nautical odds and ends — could be found in bars, restaurants, night clubs and stylish homes across the country. The trend eventually faded with the start of the Vietnam War, but has since experienced a resurgence. And Hamelburg is ready to cash in. In 2016, he opened Match Bamboo Lounge in a historic Castleberry building, renovated slightly to add Polynesian flair.
Most of Hamelburg’s personal favorite aspects of the building’s pre-existing architecture are still in place, including a rooftop that aligns with the downtown skyline. Before opening, he imagined how it could be filled with seating, perfect for sipping mai tais at sunset, and so it is today. Although the food is mostly bar bites, dishes are fulfilling and carefully crafted. Mini Philly cheesesteaks, jerk lamb lollipops with mango chutney sauce, and blue crab rangoons served with sweet chili sauce top the list, followed by braised ribs and wing platters. Skilled and friendly staff consistently create the tiki-styled cocktails. The centerpiece is a Flaming Margarita, which holds a 151 floater just for the (literal) kick of it.
Match’s timing is good; tiki is definitely trending here in Atlanta, and likely to spread in the months ahead. Last year, Hamelburg visited New York City again only to find the trend still flourishing three to four years later. “I’m no genius, and although it’s not an original idea, I just wanted to make it happen,” he says of bringing the trend to Atlanta. “It’s unique for everyone trying it and it’s transformed tiki from a mere habitual concept into a style that can diversely adapt, as well as fade in and out as it pleases — like it seems to have done the last three generations.” He smiles. “It’s always welcomed back.”
Match Bamboo Lounge 199 Walker St. 404-228-1078.
Need more tiki? Check out these other tropical Atlanta hotspots.
Trader Vic’s: Located at the Hilton Hotel downtown, Trader Vic’s is the OG of Atlanta’s tiki scene. The once-thriving franchise, started in 1934, today has only two remaining U.S. locations, and one of them happens to be in the basement of Atlanta’s Downtown Hilton Hotel. To enter is to step back in time and into full-on kitsch; Tiki man wood carvings, ratan furniture and low bamboo ceilings complement fish bowls dashed with colorful garnishes. Cambodian chef de cuisine Cheing Phour serves up coastal Asian-inspired eats like volcano shrimp, Indonesian short ribs and coconut-crusted crab cakes. An overly abundant tropical cocktail list sets the tone to easy, breezy but the star is the mai tai, a nostalgic and saccharine blend of rum, mint, orgeat syrup, Cointreau and lime. 255 Courtland St. 404-221-6339. www.tradervicsatl.com
S.O.S.: Tucked beneath Victory Sandwich Bar’s Decatur location is S.O.S., an underground tiki bar that fully embodies the hipster irony of the trend’s resurgence. Here, it’s all about the rums: pineapple, dark, tea-infused, aged and Jamaican pot stilled; blended or stirred with simple and innovative ingredients specific to the South Pacific. Try the Trinidad Sour with angostura bitters, aged rum, orgeat, rye and lemon or go big with the Cash for Gold, featuring pineapple rum, ancho reyes, coffee liqueur, banana, pineapple, lime, suga, and bitters (“it won’t help your figure, but I figure it will help you,” the menu quips). All cocktails can be purchased in individual sizes or in bowls suitable for two to four people. There are also drinks on fire and $100 punch bowls that quench six to eight, as well as a few tropical light bites like Polynesian style spare ribs, coconut shrimp and empanadas. Mugs and souvenir glasses are available for purchase, so don’t steal them! 340 Church St. 404-377-9308. www.vicsandwich.com/sos
The Bookhouse Pub: At Ponce’s cozy Twin Peaks-themed standby, traditional Taco Tuesday get an upgrade. Meet Tiki Taco Tuesdays, a weekly shindig offering up a menu of specialty tacos that changes each week. Blackened salmon doused in corn salsa with lime cilantro and fried avocado with radishes and a spicy guajillo aioli pair well with sugary, tiki-themed adult beverages. The bar, which always boasts an impressive selection of booze, keeps the tropical vibe strong with a truly fruity tropical sangria, three kinds of mojitos, a refreshing vodka punch and sonic screwdrivers. 36 Ponce De Leon Ave. 404-254-1176. www.thebookhousepub.net
Flip Flops: Although the experience kind of resembles a frat party in an early ’00s movie, Flip Flops (founded by a former cast member from MTV’s The Real World) knows how to bring the beach to Midtown, and mixes up an army of flavored frozen drinks. Things you can count on here: live music, a two-story outdoor patio area, and nine frozen daiquiri machines spinning wicked hangovers all night long. 1140 Crescent Ave. 678-705-3891. www.flipflopsatlanta.com