Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #136 Hidden Jungle Lounge – Arlington WA

The family that Tiki’s together, drinks Mai Tais together!

The Hidden Jungle Lounge is located in a little town about a solid hour north of Seattle called Arlington. Bill Gray, his wife Bridget and their son Max, have created what I’d to call a tiki bar on a pirate ship. When you first walk into the Hidden Jungle Lounge bar but if you go to the left and head down a couple stairs, you will enter a room that literally feels like the inside of a pirate ship!

Normally when it comes to tiki bars, you want to block the outside world from coming in, but in the Hidden Jungle Lounge there’s a giant open window that lets you look out into a beautiful deck with a fish pond and skeletons, what a combination! Here is the backstory of the Hidden Jungle Lounge told from Bill’s son, Max…

What is the tiki scene like where you live?

Bill- We are in between both Seattle and Bellingham where there are a few tiki bars (Rumbu, Red Rum). Around where we live in Arlington, we are unaware of any. We believe we’re the only tiki bar in the area. 

What brought you into the tiki lifestyle and how long has it been part of your life?

Bill- As a kid until now, I’ve listened to Jimmy Buffet, watched Gilligan’s Island, loved going to Disneyland to visit Adventureland, took trips to Hawaii, watched Elvis movies, and have been fascinated by pirates! I always liked tropical things and rum! So, when I discovered Rumbu in 2014, I was intrigued by the idea of creating a place to drink rum and tie in these interests in a place closer to home. Tiki has seemingly always been a part of my life in a way, but really took off in 2015 with the creation of our home bar.  

Can you give a little history of how it all came together?

Bill- In 2015, my son was home from college. I threw him a shovel and we started digging a small area in our backyard. I told him I had an idea of creating a small bar that would be tiki themed. We weren’t entirely sure what that exactly meant at the time. I only knew that I wanted a getaway, an escape from reality that my family and friends could go to at any point. The process was quick at first. We got the floor finished and the walls up and then came the never-ending task of decorating. Our first version of the bar lasted about eight years. It was full of pirates, Disney, surfing, tiki masks, license plates, pictures, and everything that could possibly represent the tropics, a paradise, and of course rum. Although there wasn’t much direction, the bar was a unique place of cool things and good times.

In 2024, I realized I wanted to renovate the place. My family and I had traveled all over America and Europe the previous years visiting some of the best tiki bars in the world. We realized that the chaotic “Jungle Bar” needed a change. We started removing all the decor, the alcohol, and even tore apart the floors and walls. We made a stronger and more comfortable building and got to work on creating The Hidden Jungle Lounge–a retreat with a closer tie and vision to Tiki. Everything that could be handmade would be handmade. The decor and style would be cleaned up and more authentic. There would be a mascot, a story, a social media page. The bar would focus mostly on one type of alcohol: rum. Ultimately, I wanted our bar to be accepted by tiki enthusiasts, and I wanted to have a bar that I was proud of. The bar we have now took over a year of renovating and has doubled in size with the addition of Captain Blackthorn’s Sunken Ship–a dark, cozy room filled with history and personality. And it all came from three main ideas that we wanted from the start: rum, pirates, tiki. 

Any story behind the name of your bar?

Bill- The original name was “The Jungle Bar,” which was inspired by Disneyland’s The Jungle Cruise. When we renovated, I noticed how secluded the bar had become. Our plants, especially the bamboo, had completely covered the place and truly made it hidden–The Hidden Jungle Lounge.

How far have you driven to buy something tiki that you saw online?

Bill- We have never traveled for an online purchase, but we do go to antique stores as much as possible. We especially like visiting Washington and Oregon antique stores. 

What is your favorite Tiki drink? What do you think makes the perfect cocktail? 



Bill- “The 44” Mai Tai

Bridget-” Spice of the Jungle” (The Hidden Jungle Lounge’s version of the Nui Nui)

Max- “The Lost Voyage” (a Hidden Jungle Lounge special!)

What is your favorite Tiki bar? Not including your own!

Bill- Devil’s Reef

Bridget- False Idol

Max- America: Hale Pale, Europe: Rita’s Tiki Room (Italy)

Outside of great drinks, what do you think are essential elements in creating the perfect Tiki environment?

Bill- I believe that a perfect tiki environment gives people a sense of friendliness, comfort, and curiosity. It’s up to the creators to find unique abilities to stand out and express their version of tiki but at the end of the day the final product needs to bring exactly that. Great tiki bars are designed and created with a vision and focus. They develop this feeling for guests through fun and creative stories and all the small details throughout the bar. The more the bar and its creators are bought in, the more the guests will be too. 

What does the future hold for you and your home tiki bar?

Bill- More relative details. More traveling, research, and experimenting. More searching for THE piece every tiki enthusiast is constantly after. We would love to keep developing what we have and inviting people to come see what we have created. The ultimate goal is to get more people here and make new friends. We want to share our story, the bar’s story, and have a few great drinks as we do it. 

Anything else you would like to add?

Bill- In the near future, we are planning on having a Gilligan’s Island themed party at The Hidden Jungle Lounge!

Links:

Instagram: @hiddenjunglelounge

Just created and content coming soon:

YouTube: @HiddenJungleLounge

TikTok: @hiddenjunglelounge