The tiki bar is a sadly dying breed in the surviving American kitsch scene, and the Tonga Room is the Graceland of tiki bars. Scurrilous rumors are currently circulating around San Francisco that the Tonga will be closed at some point to make way for luxury condos, and this has only heightened the Tonga’s popularity.
Situated in the basement of the Fairmont Hotel, the Tonga Room is a San Francisco institution, most notably for the hangovers it cheerfully administers, but also for its kind staff and amazing decor. Did I mention the rainstorm, replete with thunder? Yes, it rains indoors at the Tonga.
You can even conga in the Tonga when the band plays, which is usually Thursday through Saturday evenings. The musicians come out on a barge on the old swimming pool and play the most rocking of disco beats from the 1980s.
You can shake your tiki goodness on the dance floor, which resembles the deck of a schooner.
Though it can be fun to go dancing here as a couple, the Tonga Room is the most fun when you’re with a group of friends, all devoted to worshiping the Gods of Tiki, Mai Tai, & Scorpion Bowl.
Tiki it up at the Tonga. Before you go, check on hours and musical schedules: http://www.fairmont.com/sanfrancisco/guestservices/restaurants/thetongaroomhurricanebar.htm
For your one-way trip to Polynesia, take the cable car or cab up to 950 Mason Street, right off California.
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