About a decade ago, Jenny and Chad Martens had it really good. They lived in Alameda CA, a block away from Forbidden Island, and Baby Doe and Otto Von Stroheim were their neighbors. Then Jenny and Chad got some bad news, that Baby Doe and Otto were moving away. But the good news is that they gave Jenny and Chad some of the lauhala and bamboo poles from their tiki bar! Jenny and Chad used their newly acquired materials to build their very own tiki bar called The Atomik Tiki Lounge.
Jenny and Chad have since moved out of Alameda and now live in San Lorenzo. They tore down and rebuilt The Atomik Tiki Lounge in their new home and it’s bigger and better than ever! Here is their story …
What is the tiki scene like where you live?
Jenny – We are absolutely spoiled here in the SF Bay area. We have many tiki bars to choose from less than 45 minutes away. A couple hundred tiki-loving friends that have beautiful home bars are passionate about tiki cocktails, and throw amazing parties. A lot of venues, like Forbidden Island of Alameda, and Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, host both local and far away surf bands and traditional Hawaiian music. These venues also host tiki events like F.I.’s annual Parking Lot Sale (my favorite event of the year), Trader Vic’s/Retro Diva’s fashion show, and Bi-Annual events featuring vintage Aloha wear, local carvers, mug makers, etc. These events let us dress up in our tiki-best, see friends who travel from So-Cal, enjoy good music and truly have a fun time. There are at least two Hawaiian Festivals a year near us, which helps us with our Hawaii cravings.
What brought you into the ‘Tiki lifestyle” and how long has it been part of your life?
Jenny – I was first introduced to the tiki scene back in 2001(?), some friends brought me to The Conga Lounge, formerly of Oakland, CA. The staff treated us well and our livers even better. My husband, Chad and I had one of our 1st dates there in October ’03! But it wasn’t until Forbidden Island’s opening that Chad, and I got hooked, making weekly trips to F.I., and branching out to explore nearby Trader Vic’s, Kona Club of Oakland, Tonga Room of San Francisco, etc.
Chad – I’ve been into Hawaiian culture and music since I was 12 (1980). I’ve always loved aloha shirts and the music of Don Ho as long as I can remember.
Can you give a little history of how it all came together?
Jenny – Around 2006/2007 we moved to Alameda CA, about one block from Forbidden Island and our upstairs neighbors were none other than Tiki Oasis’ Baby Doe & Otto Von Stroheim. They had an indoor bar and a shared outdoor tiki nook. Around late ’09 early ’10, Otto & Doe moved, tearing down their indoor tiki bar. I happened to go home super sick from work and found a huge pile of lauhala and some bamboo poles. I hurriedly lugged the free materials to our backyard (cold and all). Chad used those to spruce up the outdoor tiki space and the Atomik Tiki Lounge was born. Then in ’04, when we tore down the space, we gave the materials to our good friend, Joe Kent, for his outdoor tiki space.
Any story behind the name of your bar?
Chad – The Atomik Tiki Lounge’s name was inspired by Fezzilla the Atomik Tiki Monster. Fezzie, as we call him at home, showed up in ’09 just before Tiki Oasis of that year. Fezzie is a Godzilla’s 2′ tall cousin, with an atomik powered fez on his head and his favorite tiki Bob mug in his claw. The Atomik Tiki Lounge moved in 2014 to an indoor location, in our new home in San Lorenzo, CA.
What is your favorite Tiki drink?
Jenny – For me it’s a QB Cooler. Former F.I. bartender, Becca Morris, made an amazing one with a candied ginger garnish. It’s bright, refreshing and well balanced.
Chad – The Zombie – because it’s a classic drink with many interpretations. It’s always fun to discover someone’s new version of that classic cocktail.
What is your favorite Tiki bar? Not including your own!
Jenny – I have to pick just one?!? Well, it would have to be Forbidden Island, but a close second would be Tiki Ti, in West Hollywood, CA.
Chad – Forbidden Island, it’s like home.
Outside of great drinks, what do you think are essential elements in creating the perfect Tiki environment?
Jenny – Interesting lighting (not too bright), Polynesian elements (tapa cloth, carvings, materials like bamboo), tiki mugs, music (Exotica, Surf, Hawaiian traditional), comfortable seating, artwork from your favorite tiki artists, tikis (!) and good friends to help you enjoy it.
What does the future hold for you and your home tiki bar?
Jenny – Our bar is ever evolving, but the biggest change would be our future deck extension that would be off our indoor bar, giving us additional seating for our cocktail parties and annual luau.
Anything else you would like to add?
Jenny – Check out my Facebook group “I Love Tiki!”, established in 2009. We just passed 9,000 members!
Very cool! Love to visit some day.
As a frequent patron I was going to post a review on Yelp but here is just as good:
The Atomik Tiki lounge is an exclusive establishment, don’t even think about going without an invite. Here’s a tip, the password to get past the door-woman (Jenny) is ‘Dario Argento.’ Watch out for Chad, he’s in charge of security. Slipping him 20 usually does the job. I suggest trying the dark ‘n stormy and, remember, tip your bartender!
great review, Brendan!