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Categories: Lounges, Hawaiian [Edit]
Neighborhood: Nob HillRevelers seeking a tropical getaway can head to the Tonga Room this New Year's Eve Luau.
http://www.tongaroom.c...
Wed-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Why I love the Tonga Room:
* Kitsch, but Original Kitsch
I hate those comparisons to the Rain Forest Cafe. This place opened in 1945. So WHO is biting WHOSE style, huh?
* Happy Hour!!!
Where else in SF can you feed AND distract a bunch of your cousins' kids for under $10 while you get bombed on Mai Tais and laugh your butts off at the expense of other relatives with bad judgment.
* I LOVE my Gram
The Fairmont was my gram's favorite SF hotel. And one of my last and most treasured memories of her was sharing a Scorpion Bowl during a hurricane while my Grandpa said, "Hell, that ain't no hurricane! Why, when I was in Korea...blah, blah, blah"
*Cover Bands
I am always secretly super psyched to see the bandstand float out into the middle of the water. Sure they're going to sing cheesy songs, but chances are I'll know them all and even be compelled to dance to at least one. Especially if the Lava Bowls are stiff that night,
* Rooftop Garden
Once the clock strikes 7 and happy hour comes to a close, you can saunter out to the rooftop garden for the flippin' amazing view. SImply priceless! You can watch the cable cars scoot by beneath you, the TransAmerica pyramid in the distance, and cuddle your sweetie in almost complete privacy.
http://images.travelno...
So first off, I found out about this place because of the Travel Channel. A lot of times, television has a way of making places look better than what they really are, but in this case I was not disappointed.
First thing, depending on what you day/night you go, there will be a cover which will be included on your bill. I was a little irritated at first, but it turned out to be worth it. Their drink selection was very good and very extensive. As far as taste is concerned, their drinks had the right amount of alcohol, if not more (which is never a bad thing).
The reason a cover is charged is because of the live entertainment, which I must say was very good. A lot of dancing from different age groups, which I thought was cool. On top of that, you have the occasional rainstorm being getting lei'd. Very cool place. I would definitely go again.
I challenge anyone to find a cheesier or kitchier place in San Francisco. This place is AWESOME. Band in a boat! Fake thunderstorms! People getting lei'd everywhere! Sure, the drinks aren't that good. In fact, they're downright awful. I couldn't finish mine. But the Tonga Room experience is something hard to beat.
We ended the night here, but I could see myself being entertained and enjoying an entire evening people watching and singing along to the effing awesome cover band. The crowd is a mix of local 20-somethings, hotel guests not knowing WHAT they got themselves into, and a few mail order brides (not kidding). Supposedly this used to be the place to be, and I can see why (other than the slightly inconvenient location allllll the way up the hill). Rumors that Tonga Room is closing soon? Noooo! Get there soon!
$7 cover charge is kinda shitty, but it's worth it if you're staying for more than a drink or food.
Loved the 80s music that the band sang on a floating tiki boat in the middle of the pool in the restaurant. The decor is pirate ship meets Hawaii. Very cute, clean and classy (but in a nice, casual way). The food was not too memorable except the large, juicy scallops, skirt steak and the forbidden rice (real buttery and good texture).
We had a table of 16 people so we bascially ordered almost everything on the menu except dessert since we had a cake. They charged a cake cutting fee of $26.25 for 15 people (they didn't count the newborn - how nice of them). Almost half of our bill was alcohol, yet they still charged a cake-cutting fee! Would never come here with a cake or for the overpriced food. The Tonga platter serves 2 and it's $25 for two pieces of rib, two fried shrimp, two small chicken skewers, two mini eggrolls and one other thing, I forgot. The food is really overpriced here, but what do you expect at the basement of the Fairmont!
Also, parking is a nightmare. You can park at the AMPCO parking lot for $4.75 for 15 min or something ridiculous like that. Would not recommend for large parties unless you want people to be mad at you!
So I heard about the Tonga Room from a musician friend who plays alot of "voodoobilly"music and told me all about the famous Tiki Hide-away. Well, I was super excited to see and expierence it and when friend from San Francisco made me aware of cheap flights I booked one. I was Tonga Room bound.
I made a reservation on their website and recieved 3 confirmations and also forwarded them to my friend who would be joining me. I had peaked at their menu and knew that their prices were outrageous but figured it was a one in a lifetime expierence.
I get there and found the door and host staff to be VERY RUDE! VERY VERY RUDE! If I am going to spend alot of my hard earned money, then you need to talk to me with respect. Their was a couple in front of us, whom apparently later where going to have a group of 10 more people later joining them. The host said they couldn't find their reservation and was not accomedating at all to the couple. Next we walked up, I knew I had a reservation, and they said that I did not.... Next the RUDE asian host insisted I had no reservation, and apparently I could not be seated in the area I wanted without one. I stated that I made one online... and he had the nerve to tell me that he didn't know what I did but I did not make a reservation, then he said that online has nothing to do with them????? WHAT?????? I made it on your website.... I got a billion confirming e-mails.
Annoyed that my beautiful expierence was shattered and I was made to feel like a low class citizen, I took a seat in the bar area.... with no view to anything. I ordered the pu pu platter and it was very good... but it was also 25 bucks.... I also ordered a lava bowl for 2, which was small but strong... typically a lava... or volcano bowl is in a big bowl with a flame in the middle.... most tiki bars serve that for 2.... there lava bowl honestly was tiny.... perhaps their $30 lava bowl for 4 was what most places serve for 2?
The atmosphere is nice, the people are really rude, even the waitress, and bartender.... they yell at you... all of them.... asian.... yelling like... "No, No... you get this... No, No... you do this.... no, no... you pay this".
You can't help but wonder what you are paying so much money for... the location is nice, but with high prices, rude staff and smnall drinks... it's not an enjoyable expierence. I say... ask if you could look around... be rude back to them... don't pay all your money for rude service.
I've gone there a few times now, and over all, I enjoy myself, but it is not cheap, and the menu seems to have few choices each time I go there!?! The food is good, and the staff is ok. the other night I stopped in with a date, we did not have a reservation, but they were 40% full (at best) and we got seated in the back by the kitchen door???? My date and I were "dressed-to-the-nines" and I've ALWAYS left a nice tip, so this last time makes me think twice about going back there. We didn't eat much this time, but for spending $160 for a meal, I would like to not be hidden behind the plants in the back of the room...
Expensive (bad) drinks.
Cover charge for a bad cover band.
"Interesting" moves on the dance floor.
I want the Tonga Room to be better so I can hang out more, but not sure it's gonna happen. I really like the cheesy island and rainstorms, just nothing else.
Came here last week on Sat. Great place to hangout with friends and awesome interior decor.
However their drinks totally lack. Poor selection of Beers and their hawaiian drinks taste like shit.
I finally visited the vaulted Tonga room. We went for happy hour. Just be warned that happy hour drinks aren't cheap, I think 7 dollars was typical for a beer or glass of wine. We ended up drinking mai tais at the bar. In hindsight, they really packed a punch and are large, so it's almost like a 2 for 1 special.
It actually seemed a bit stuffy in there, but maybe because it was during the president's cup golf thing. Lots of secret service guys hanging out everywhere. I'll go back and give it another try.
The atmosphere here was awesome! I love the way they did the decor. It looks like you're really dining in a tropical hut.
The food was ok, nothing special. I'm not sure I would go again, but I think it's definitely worth it to go there once, just to see what it looks like inside.
I think this place is even more fun if you go with a group of 5 or 6 people.
This place is hella overpriced. But, it's cheesy in the best way possible. The food is tasty and fried, etc. and the drinks are cloyingly sweet. But, the ambiance, think fake thunderstorm every 30 minutes, is so endearing. Much classier than, say, Rainforest Cafe. The space is beautiful. You should go. Once in a while.
I'd realistically give this place 4.5 stars. But anyway, this place is fabulous! I came here for my cousin's birthday dinner and I'm glad that it was held here.
You come here for the experience, maybe not so much the cuisine. (The food was pretty good though, especially the pineapple upside down cake & sorbet!) The room is like an old pool room converted to an attempt at tropical paradise with huts, tiki decor, and leis.
We had a pretty large sized group and the staff did a very, very good job ensuring great service. The dancing was what did it for me! They played oldies! I couldn't stop dancing. Well until my feet hurt.
I recommend going if you're into the dinner and dancing scene. Great for a date night!
I love the vibe of this place. Food and drinks are good and its just a really cool place to get together with friends. It's a great place for the younger crowd as well as older.
This place was alright. I loved the ambiance of the venue: being at the Fairmont hotel; having creative tropical decor and the setup of the tables and bar. When I was told it would "rain" randomly throughout the night, I thought it would be scattered rain, or at least :not: a rectangular line of rain around the pool~ Maybe I was expecting too much...but I thought the rainforest cafe was more inventive. I actually did like that there was a floating stage for the band in the middle of the rain pool~
I felt like the service could have been nicer for being known as a pricey place to eat~ and the drinks should have been better in general. We came for the happy hour, and weren't that impressed. We had the "buffet" which I expected to be more spectacular than the limited selection of:
Fried shrimp chips
Fried wontons
Seaweed salad (not very good considering you can buy it tasting a lot better in a prepackaged ready to eat bag)
Spring rolls
Macadamia Pineapple Fried Rice (only good with the sauces)
Garlic Noodles (only good with the sauces)
Fruit Salad (only special with the sauces)
The drinks were definitely not shaken, probably not even stirred but poured straight into the bowls. We got the two large bowl drinks -for two- and they were unbalanced, where one was so strong in hard alcohol that it ruined drinking for me for the rest of the night.
I think this place would be more fun for a group outing, happy hour style~ but not for two.
disclaimer: this review is based on one visit, for drinks and apps only.
went on a Sunday evening. had two drinks: piña colada and mai tai. ate the fritters and the saimin.
There was no show. Only the fake lightning/thunder and rain. The rain was cool, but the thunder/lightning was just cheesy.
The music being played over the sound system was Hawaiian "contemporary traditional" -- Iz, Raiatea, Brahs Caz. Now, I like this music ok, but it's not the kind of stuff that evokes the "tiki" vibe which would have been more appropriate. I think they should be going more "exotica" - Arthur Lyman, Martin Denny, Kava Kon, Don Tiki.
The drinks were good: the piña colada was perfectly delicous, and the mai tai was jet fuel. :-)
The "saimin" was a HUGE disappointment. It's like these people had only read a brief description of saimin but had never actually seen it, let alone eaten it. The noodles were completely wrong. I think they were udon. The broth was ok, but overall the dish -- or, I should say, cup -- was boring: broth with some noodles and few chunks of chicken. It was like plain old boring chicken noodle soup, but with udon instead of egg pasta.
The fritters were pretty good -- the outside was really nice and crispy fried -- but the inside was maybe more gluey than should have been.
The waitress I had was expeditious but not friendly. Not even fake friendly.
I'd go back for some stiff/delicious drinks. And I'd be willing to try the dinner menu.
I don't think I'd go back just to catch the show. I've heard that the music they play doesn't have anything to do with the tiki theme of the place anyway.
We stopped here for a drink on the way home from dinner.
The place was a lot bigger than I'd ever imagined, and it was Tiki Paradise too! Waterfalls and bamboo huts and, oh my! I think I'll have my mail forwarded here...
Drink prices are surprisingly reasonable. My non-alcoholic banana daquiri (give me a break...I was driving!) was only $6.50, and my wife's Zombie was $10.00.
With it's impressive food menu and comfortable surroundings, I think we'll make the Tonga Room our prime destination next outing...
I would give this place 4.5 stars if possible. The atmosphere here is really fun! The food was decent, i had the vegetable tempura and thought it was delicious. The only complaint was that the place was pretty dead! I guess this isn't the place to be on a weekday? The band was fairly decent but I was a little irritated we had to pay a 5 dollar cover especially since we had dinner and drinks. This place has such a fun ambiance though so I got over it fairly quickly. The thunderstorm and rain made it cool too. The drinks are pretty good and I wouldn't mind coming back just for that and hanging at the bar. I just wish at least someone was dancing! I would come back here on the weekend. Overall, a fun place to come for a celebration or just for some drinks and live music!
I took my friend here for a late birthday celebration on Sept 19. I didn't think of making reservations because there was just the two of us. We got there and they made a fuss about how we didn't make reservations and it would be really hard to seat us. After a total of 5 minutes staring at the guy trying to find us a table we were escorted to our table while the restaurant was half empty. We were there for over an hour and it never got more than half full.
We ordered a pina colada. That was what the waiter suggested. My friend didn't like it but I thought it was pretty good. We ordered the chicken kabob and egg rolls both like $12+ each plate. Each plate came with 4 pieces. Definitely not worth it.
We got there around 6.30pm. Only thing we saw was the fake rain. We didn't think it was worth 7 bucks for the live entertainment which started a couple hours later.
well after coming here for years i finally decided to write a review.
I love this place, the decor always reminds me of the restaraunt that you float through in the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Enchanted tiki room at disneyland, but for adults.
This place is one of the oldest if not the last of the OG tiki bars in the states. I mean where can you go wrong with a hotel pool room that was coverted to a bar/restaraunt just after WWII? Thats 1945 for you non-history minded folks. The pool is still there and has a floating houseboat which features a cover band playing the smooth hits of the 70's and 80's. YES!
The drinks, well thats the reason you go here, they have all the classic Tiki Drinks from Pineapple Royale's (served in a fresh Pineapple), Bora Bora Horror (for banana lovers) my personal fave the Singapore Sling, Scorpions (gigantic) Lava Bowls (gigantic), Zombies, and a whole bunch of other super sweet-tiny umbrellas-cornucopia of fruit-massive amounts of rum in crazy glasses concoctions for you to enjoy!
The food is asian or pan-asian depending on what you order and while not the greatest believe me your not going there for the food only. Its an experience. Thurs and Fri from 5-7 they have the happy hour extravaganza so for 9.50 plus a drink you get all you can eat appetizers, which are surprisingly pretty dam tasty.
Fellas if your looking for a first date experience or just looking for a change of scenery this is the place!
So whisk your girl away to the tropics for the night! remember it does rain every hour or so but no need for an umbrella, there's bound to be a few in your drink.
Everyone loves the Tonga Room! If you don't you're a grump!
Lava bowl, yes please (the Lava is better than the Scorpion)! Kitchy entertainment, yes please! Interior rain storm, oh yes please!! Historic haunted hotel with great Tendernob charm - definitely.
But beware of the kitchen. Not incredibly tastey, it is a hotel kitchen after all. The few appetizers I've had were a let down, and the kitchen itself is scary looking.
The best way to navigate there is to enter on the California Street side, not through the front hotel entrance. You don't want to go in the doors nearest to Powell where the signage is, but actually the doors mid street up - a little confusing.
Minus one star for the entertainment price.
Visited the bar last weekend and LOVED the vintage decor!
A must for a first timer..
Came here on a whim - definitly not your everyday spot but we had a blast. I think if you're in the mood for something sill you should come here. I felt like I was on vacation in a Waikik at a cheesey touristy spot but with the right group of people you can have a lot of fun.
I love that every once in a while you hear thunder and it starts raining in the middle "river" area (sort of like when you're in Safeway and it's time to wash the produce!). The sound of the rain is so relaxing. Order the totally cheesey drinks and you have it do it in the scorpion bowl things. After polishing off a lava bowl and scorpion bowl we order bud lights in the bowl!! Everything is more fun when you get to drink out of a really long straw out of a communal bowl!
One thing I could live withought would be the cover charge - I mean the band is funny but I don't think it's worth paying for. Be prepared to witness some bad dancing a la cruise ship style, but go with a silly attitude and you'll have a fun night!
Dance, prance, and relax
A unique experience
At the Tonga Room
_____
The first thing I thought as I walked into the Tonga Room was, "Wow, this place is awesome! Why haven't I ever been here before?"
The second thing I thought was, "Holy crap this place is the most expensive bar I've ever seen! No wonder I've never been here before."
But in all honesty, I recommend it. My SO couldn't make it this time, and I can't wait to go to the Tonga Room with her so we can dance and relax and have an all-around great time. I wouldn't be able to go here too frequently because that kind of decadence seems somehow immoral, but it seems like a great place to go with a group of friends once in a while when you get tired of the dive bar scene.
The drinks and food are pretty good--not exactly amazing--but way, way, way^2 too expensive. Maybe it'd be a good idea to grab a cheap early dinner first, then roll over to the Tonga Room and have some late night snacks while you enjoy the atmosphere.
I hear they're considering tearing it down, and that would be a crying shame. *tears* Stay in business long enough for me to go a few more times, okay?
What a find.
I was on a full day adventure with a few buddies when we stumbled into the Tonga room. I honestly thougth they were shining us on because we were not dressed for this place. Flip flops, shorts, baseball hats. Not what the suited hotel guests expected to walk through the door. When security came over to check us out and said "take the elevator down, then go to the back of the basement, " I was sure we were getting the boot.
Big surprise when I saw the tikis welcoming me to my new home in SF.
Since that fateful day, I've been back with my wife, her family, sent my friends, talked about it with long time locals, found history on the place........
You get the idea.
If you like tiki, this place is a must stop.
$7 all you can eat pupus, and band on a floating stage/boat in the old swimming pool in the evenings, and the occasional tropical storm.
The drinks are pricey, but good at happy hour, but you have to get the senior bartender to make your mai tai from scratch.
Was watching the Travel Channel and saw this as a highlight spot on "Extreme Bar Hopping." Because if it was on TV, i was immediately attracted to go up to the city to check it out.
A friend and I made our way to the Tonga Room for some cocktails on a Sunday night. With her previous experiences from the themed restaurant, I trusted her to navigate through the historic Fairmont Hotel. If I wasn't with her, I wouldn't have known which of the many elevators to catch to get down to this gem.
Secluded on the bottom floor with the lights very dim, I got shivers from seeing the indoor thunderstorm over the pool. I was amazed to hear the cover band playing as I looked at all the very decorative interior. As we got to our table next to the Hurricane Bar, a very cool Tiki feel to it.
The two of us ordered a Lava Bowl for four. I know, right? Well, we were thirsty. Wasn't planning to eat, but we ended ordering their Appetizer platter, which was perfect for two people, but not really a "platter" size I expected. The platter was decent with its coconut shrimp, chicken kabob, egg roll, pork ribs, and something fried. The $25 price was outrageous for my usual expectation of a platter, which to me, should feed 3-4 people or so.
The Lava Bowl came out to our table and it felt like it took more space than our appetizer platter. Pineapples, cherries, umbrellas, and straws were burst out of the ceramic coconut bowl. The $27 Lava Bowl for four definitely hit our indulgence that night, which made me forget about the price of the appetizer.
Note: When the cover band is playing, a cover charge is automatically added to your bill.
The live music from the cover band influenced the 4th star on my rating. I loved the karaoke songs the cover band played, secretly we were both singing along at our table. Very relaxing environment to grab some tropical cocktails.
I'll find myself back here for a possible happy hour session or nice dinner occasion.
If I could give this place no stars I would. I'm sad because back in the day this was a nice place where service mattered. I went there for a special birthday , my daughter's 18th. They sat us next to a large group they had tucked away. Why would they seat 2 people having a special birthday next to a group that took up 2 large tables? There were others who arrived at the same time that did NOT have reservations as we did and they got the better table. I hate this place. They ruined the evening.
The Tonga Room Restaurant & Hurricane Bar in the Fairmont Hotel
offers a retro-kitschy tropical atmosphere w/ live entertainment, dancing, & rain storm, replete w/ bamboo & palm frond decorations galore.
Rainstorms, thunder, & lightning enhance your dining experience & can be controlled at your request for special events/occasions. It is available for private bookings.
The Tonga Room serves Pacific Rim Asian Cuisine along w/ their locally famous Mai Tai.
The all-you-can-eat buffet is a pretty good deal at $9.50 per person w/ a one drink minimum. Non-alcoholic beverages count. I know, since I don't drink. :) Desserts can be had for $10.00 a pop.
The Tonga Room features live music Wednesday, Thursday, & Sunday from 8:15 pm to 11pm & Friday & Saturday from 8pm to 12:45am. There's a gleaming dance floor for those who wish to dance the night away to the combination of current hits & classics. If you get onto the floor before 8pm, you avoid the $5.00-7.00 "entertainment fee".
The Tonga Room is open seven nights a week.
The cocktail lounge opens nightly at 5:00 pm & the dining room at 6:00 pm.
Happy Hour Buffet is available Thursday & Friday 5:00-7:00 pm (excluding holidays).
Dress code is casual. (Hawaiian shirt not included or required). ;P
Santa's Yelper sez: "Stereo-typical island deco, fusion-y Pacific/Asian food, & scary weather!"
Here's the deal....following a panel that I co-organized at the anthropology meetings, held that year in the city, a group of us went out to the Tonga Room. Our panel was on theming, so we, of course, loved this place. The theming--dead on and amazing. The boat with the singers on it that moved into the center of the small pond--timeless. The problem is: bad and overpriced food and drinks that are the same (as well as not that strong). Theming uber alles!
Tacky . Overpriced . Tourist Trap .
Yet you still want to go.
Why?
The Tonga Room is a San Francisco legend. A historical landmark. An excessively decorated tropical treat. An excuse to have an umbrellaed drink and an easy way to get "lay-ed" after you eat.
Behind the Fairmont's fancy doors you'll find a gilded head of a three-faced goddess. Enter into the dimly lit space filled with electric tiki torches. Thatched roofs over the tables. Acres of plastic orchids hanging along the walls. And every thirty minutes, an indoor rainstorm, complete with thunder and a cooling breeze.
The atmosphere is unbelievable - a mini theme park hidden inside a stuffy San Francisco hotel. A Pacific Rim / Asian inspired cuisine ties in perfectly to fit the setting. Appetizers feature macadamia nut flatbread spicy chicken skewers, and coconut shrimp. Feature entrees include both small and large plates - a well rounded mix of dishes to delight every diner. Do not miss the pork lettuce cups, "huli huli chicken", or the delicious "forbidden blend" fried rice. And if you're looking for a treat to top it off, try the "Flaming Tonga Volcano" to complete your meal with a festive flair.
A mini vacation into the tropics of San Francisco is a must. I can't wait to return and enjoy a syrupy sip, a simulated storm, and a lovely lagoon. Give this place a try..... you're one cable car ride away from a fantastic summer getaway!
Mahalo!
Surprisingly good food, great service, and drinks that directly attack your liver.
The Tonga Room is a restaurant/bar/lounge in the Fairmont hotel. As it is deep within the hotel, it is a very very large windowless "room", decorated in a hawaiin theme. All the chairs have "leys" on them, and the center of the gigantic room is a floating stage on a pool of water. They float the stage out into the middle of the room while the band is playing, and retract it when the band is on break.
Service was top notch. My water glass was always full, and they were very quick on the drink refills. A note on their drinks, I had some strawberry frozen margaritas that I think I could have put back all night if cost was no object, and the rum based drinks were quite potent.
The food itself was surprisingly tasty, and fresh, and was served 15 minutes after we ordered it. I was pretty stuff.
There's a dance floor as well designed to look like the deck of a ship...kinda annoyingly placed as you cannot walk to and from your table without passing through the dace floor...as the restaurant is in a hotel, the bathrooms are a good 5 minute walk outside of the restaurant down a hall.
All in all, a great time for my friend's birthday and a change of scene. The music was great too, but they did all covers of slightly older/classic tunes.
As a lover of all things cheesy, the Tonga Room warms my little ol' heart.
Most recent excursion was for date night on a Friday. Grab dinner in Nob Hill and head on up the hill for at least one Scorpion Bowl. Tip: there's no entertainment fee if you say you're just going to the bar to grab a drink. Saddle on up to the bar and order something extra fruity (you'll have plenty of options). Enjoy the decor and fake thunderstorms that are something out of Disney World. Be sure to leave your seat to shake your groove thang on the dance floor, to the 70s cover band playing in the middle of the lagoon. Watch your step -- there always seem to be plenty of semi-pro ballroom dancers there that love to show off and take up tons of room in the process. Laugh at the mixed crowds of middle-age tourists, yuppies celebrating rehearsal dinners, and grandpas dancing with their small granddaughters.
So glad the closing of this place is moving slowly. I plan on hitting up the TR several more times before it closes its doors for good. Suggest you do the same.
Like going to Disneyland....
expensive
fake Hawaiian stuff
greasy food
when your done, your done
Been there, done that....
P.S. We ordered the vegetable tempura and it came with 7 pieces of okra tempura and one piece of zucchini How does that happen????
The Tonga Room is one of the best places I've ever been.
It rains inside.
They have a cover band on a floating barge in a fake ocean.
The food is mediocre, but the drinks are great.
I wish I were there now. NOW!
Totally touristy, totally kitschy, totally lovable if you can get up here! The tiki Polynesian themed restaurant goes all out in its decor: grass hut roofs, tropical drinks served in pineapples and coconuts, a "rain shower" every 30 minutes and a live band that plays on a little moving stand on the lagoon. The place has theme down pat!
Since it's located in the Fairmont, the couple of times we have been there are always folks who come after the wedding and you know those folks have had a bit to drink already.
It's a fun place where geeky dancing seems appropriate and there's a dance floor on what appears to be a deck of a ship. The band plays your classic cruise ship favorites and everyone just wants to have a good time.
Getting up there is hard though, parking in the hotel can run you up to $50 and nearby parking isn't that easy to find unless you park down the street and walk up.
Oh, ignore the " $7 service charge" the lady tells you about in the front. They don't collect on it if you get drinks.
For those who love a good themed bar, this is definitely the place to go!
Enough said.
We went to Tonga room recently for a friend's birthday, because we thought we would have some happy hour fun in its famous "kitschy" environment. Needless to say, we didn't.
First, there was a line a mile long in front of the door, ostensibly because the place was "past capacity". NOT. The place wasn't even a quarter full. I didn't think a 2nd-rate basement restaurant would stoop to the old conceit of keeping people out of the club to make it look full - but apparently management didn't get the memo that we are in a recession.
We finally get in and order a drink from the bar to save some time (our friends who had gotten in ahead of us already warned us of the slow and snooty service). The bartender looks at us and says "are you with that table? Because if so you have to order from the server". Again, are we or are we not in a recession? And do you or do you not want our money?
We get to the table and the waiter appears in 10 minutes (had any of us been experiencing a medical emergency we would be dead by then). We order drinks and ask that it be put on a separate tab so we didn't end up with 1,000 drinks on one credit card. Surprise surprise, the server (who maddeningly called me "Miss" the entire time) refused. "It's our policy, miss" he says. I then ask if I can just order from the bar so that I can just pay for my drink. "You can order from there, miss, but if you order from there, you can't come back to the table". REALLY? I can't come back to where my 20 friends are standing, waiting for you to take their money, just because I have ordered a drink from the bar? "That's right, miss."
And if that wasn't bad enough - the drinks were weak and overpriced even for Happy Hour standards, the "buffet" was oily and had the variety of a McDonald's kids menu, and did I mention the service was inexcusably, epically terrible?
Keep your fake thunderstorms and rainshowers, Tonga Room. If I wanted to get hosed, I'd use my lawn sprinkler.
The night before our wedding I brought the entire wedding party and all the out of town guests to the Tonga Room and they loved it.
Sure, its a little cheesy with the Tiki stuff, but that's the fun of it.
Big syrupy fruit juice drinks with variations of rum or vodka in funky glasses.
You'll get a headache from the combo of sugar rush, brain freeze and alcohol, but it's worth it.
Stop #2 for Friday night's Happy Hour.
I used to love the Tonga Room. I still do, in a nostalgic way, but it's not the same. I used to come here for their $3 happy hour buffet & cheap tropical drinks. I still think that the HH buffet is a bargain at $9.50 (esp. on Nob Hill) but we skipped it this time. No time for eating! I just had a beer but my friends ordered the Scorpion Bowl for 2. Now I am sure that these used to be bigger, they are still served in a bowl but it's pretty tiny. They give you 2 ridiculously long straws that make it seem like you are sharing a drink for 2 when it's really the same size as any other drink on the menu.
The staff is overly unfriendly & we had to practically beg for a bowl of mixed nuts. Then they gave us our bill without asking if we wanted anything else.
I was so sad when I heard they might close the Tonga Room. Now I don't really care much either way.
This is a review for drinks and atmosphere only.
I met up with some friends at the Tonga Room during the recent holiday weekend. I used to come here a ton for happy hour over ten years ago. Not much about the restaurant seems to have changed since then with the exception of the prices. (The HH buffet was $5 back then.)
I sampled a mai tai, a pina colada and a strawberry daiquiri from the drink menu. The mai tai was great but the pina colada was exceptional. All three were strong. The service was indifferent, but that is to be expected at a place that caters primarily to tourists.
The thunder and rain seems to happen only once an hour now, but it's all fun. Many of the clientele this evening seemed to be on their honeymoon. Several couples were wearing leis.
If you come here with the right attitude, you can actually have a good time. Pretend you're on vacation and just go with it.
If you're into over the top gimmicks, this place is for you. The Tonga room is a tiki bar complete with straw umbrellas, rain storms, and a live band playing in a lagoon. Drinks are served in tiki mugs, porcelain coconuts, and hollowed out pineapples and cost about $9-$10 for most with two person scorpion bowls at $18.
Great fun if you like a good gimmick.
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Bars
Berkeley, CA
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Lounges
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