Tiki in Minneapolis
Spending the last week in Minneapolis, MN, I felt it was my duty to seek out the last remaining tiki establishments in the city. Although Trader Vic's is gone, a new generation of bars has spung up to take its place.
Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge could very well be a successful model for the next generation of tiki bars. Suzi's has a fun and trashy attitude, with good food and more than a half-dozen signature drinks drinks. The inside is decorated in the classic tiki style, with rockwork walls and bamboo-framed original art. The outside features a large deck, which was packed on the beautiful Minnesota night I visited. With friendly service and souvineer tiki mugs that you can take home for an additional $4 (why don't more places do this) Psycho Suzi's is a must-visit on any trip to the Twin Cities.
Link to Psycho Suzi's website
Meanwhile, on the other side of town in the Mall of America, Kokomos Island Cafe is a corporatiki establishment featuring large, brightly-painted fiberglass tikis in an atmosphere that blends Florida, Hawaii, and the Carribean in equal parts. Although they only have two signature drinks (which are pretty good) the restaurant no longer has souvineer tiki mugs. The food, however, is a step above the usual mall fare. I particularly enjoyed the rum-laced BBQ sauce on my sandwich.