Tiki Restaurant and Lounge Stinks!
Picture it...Valentines Day, 2004. It just happens to fall on a Saturday of a three day weekend for many (Presidents Day fell on the following Monday). People everywhere are going out to eat for the occasion. The tourists are in the area in droves and the hotels and casinos are largely filled to capacity. Trying to get dinner reservations is impossible at the Tiki because they don't want to take reservations for the Valentines Day holiday. Now, picture taking your 85 year old parents out in the pouring rain, roads flooding, tourists packing the highway with bumper to bumper traffic. Picture driving 35 miles to this restaurant in those conditions, passing many other restaurants with along the way. It takes over an hour to get to the destination. Did I mention the parents were celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary?

Here's what happened. We were seated almost immediately and there were vacant tables. (The restaurant never was filled to capacity during the hours we were there.) It took 20 minutes before anyone brought us water and menus. The restaurant had the air conditioner running and it was 40 degrees and damp outside. The two tables on either side of us were complaining and we all asked the hostess before she left if they could do something about it. The request went in one ear and out the other. Nothing was done and no one returned to tell any of us they even tried to do something. We were told a waiter would be with us soon. 20 minutes later, after having to get up and ask the hostess to get us someone, the waiter shows up and takes our orders and brings us our iced tea. He tells us he will hurry. An hour later, after we complained several times to the hostess, the waiter returns and tells us they're just starting to fix our meal. He has never bothered to bring us more water or refresh our glasses of tea. When asked why there is such a hold up given four tables full of people that were seated AFTER we arrived had already been fed and had left, the waiter snottily replied that he guessed he should have gone in and fixed the food himself since we weren't happy. He said he checked with the hostess and we could leave without paying if we wanted to. (We would have done it with or without his permission!) He said he promised that in ten minutes we would have our food. I looked at my watch and he looked at his. Ten minutes went by...nothing. Everyone at the table wanted to leave but I said to wait five more minutes. I wanted to see what this guy did. I looked up and saw him coming with a load of food. He took it to a table in the corner of the room. The people there had only been seated for about 30 minutes as we watched them sit down and saw this particular waiter take their order. Evidently he had told the cooks in the kitchen to rush their order and not ours. Obviously, we got up to leave. It had been over two hours and we never got to eat. The waiter had lied and came over to the table when we stood up and said "Thank you for coming. Come back again." Needless to say, my 85 year old father went off the deep end on that one. We were not adequately apologized to nor were we treated well. We never raised our voices, we were fully in control and never acted rudely. I had never been treated so badly in my life. We never got to eat the entire evening. We went straight home. No one was hungry after that incident. Isn't that a wonderful 58th Anniversary memory for my parents and us?

I fully plan on contacting the owners (who were supposedly in the kitchen cooking) and let them know what we think. I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone. It is somewhat out of the way, the service is poor and slow and frankly the food didn't look that great. We were taking the folks there because it had been a long time since they had been there. They used to live in the area and we thought it would be a nice gesture. We will NEVER return. The waiter and hostess should be fired too for telling us untruths and blaming the owners for their shortcomings. By the way, a waitress for another table dropped sour cream on the floor and all over a nearby bar when she placed her tray on the bar on her way to deliver food to a table. All of the sour cream for someone's baked potato went on the floor, down the side of the bar and down the waitress's pants. She wiped the sour cream off the side of the plate and off her pants, had another person scrape it off her shoe, she then moved the food around and served it up. We never did see anyone clean the sour cream off the side of the bar. It was there for someone to rub up against and mess up their clothing. It was a nasty thing to stare at for an hour!    [18 Feb 2004 00:44:31]

Food: -   Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Nothing-we never got to eat after two hours!

     ­LBs   

We Love the Tiki
The Tiki is our favorite/romantic place to go! We drive 60 miles (one-way) to enjoy a night of dining/dancing. We love the Tiki so much...we had our wedding outside 10/26/01. Alot of "seniors" enjoy the easy listening/dancing music provided by Sonny. Mrs. Norma (owner) exhibits true Southern hospitality. Our wedding was so special and romantic. The staff served all our guests dinner in an exceptional timely manner (75 guests) as well as the other patrons that evening in the restaurant. Upstairs they alway have first class entertainment for a younger crowd. Just recently "NibbleFeat" has been playing. You ought to see Lisa play the electric guitar.

We have been going to the Tiki since the '70s. We have never experienced anything like the previous review. I feel so bad for their experience since we have such wonderful memories of the Tiki.

I just pray the Tiki, waitresses, entertainment and Mrs. Norma are all okay after Hurricane Katrina!    [05 Sep 2005 23:43:32]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Snapper Cone

     ­D Hudson   

Great Restaurant
We had our wedding rehearsal dinner here 4/29/05. It was an unforgettable experience that led to the perfect wedding. Mrs. Norma and her staff accommodated and served our every request, and the food was great. My dad wants to return as soon as he knows they've reopened from the Hurricane. I'm sure they have, but if anyone knows for sure, please post the status to a review. Also inform GCIS who is keeping tabs on reopenings of restaurants and other businesses on the Gulf Coast at this site http://www.gulf-coast.com/General/Dining/dining.html

In response to the negative review above, I'm really surprised any incident like that took place at this restaurant, not to say you're lying, but it's almost the complete opposite treatment that we received there. If individuals there did treat you that way, I too hope something was done about that. Had to be wrong people, wrong day, wrong time, and hopefully a change came to the effect of that.

Mrs. Norma, we love you, hope the business is back up and running and doing well!    [19 Apr 2006 10:57:52]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: The buffet - all the great Gulf Coast classics

     ­The Gongs   

The Tiki Restaurant after the Hurricane
I would like to tell everyone on the coast that sadly the Tiki will not be opening back up since the storm. The restaurant was very badly damaged with almost all the windows being knocked out in the dining room and a flood water height of 15 to 17 ft in the kitchen and about 7ft in the supper club at the furthest end where Sonny used to play in front of the dance floor. By looking outside the water came up to the second deck where the bar is outside, almost twice as high as hurricane Camille. The reviews made by others on the concern of the owners, they are both doing fine and still in business with their seafood gumbo business they had on the side, which is located south of the restaurant on River Oaks. Thanks to all who have come and enjoyed the Tiki for all these years!!!    [27 Apr 2007 10:44:36]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Anonymous