r/Tiki • u/artguydeluxe • 1d ago
What’s your favorite tiki spot in Denver?
Pic for attention, from The Grass Skirt in San Diego.
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u/corgerpants 1d ago
In Denver we are blessed with two nice tiki joints: Hell or High Water and Adrift.
Adrift is classic, HOHW is more experimental but equally delicious. Also, the food stall (Samosa shop) downstairs at HOHW is sensational late-night food.
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u/no_maj 1d ago
Hell or High Water.
It’s a haunted gay pirate tiki bar. Their motto is “Eat ass, drink rum, hail satan.”
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u/chriskramerpr 1d ago
I couldn't even post my photos of my "cock"tails from HOHW last week because I would have immediately been deplatformed from Instagram lol
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u/department_2072 1d ago
Their mug was a snail with a phallus for it’s head! They were sold out when I went which was a bummer. Great drinks. Try the rum barrel.
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u/theFUNtes 1d ago
Thanks for this post because I go to Denver in two and a half weeks!
Edit: and I just noticed my hotel is literally 800 ft from Hell or High Water.
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u/GeneralDisarray25 1d ago
Swaylos in Longmont too!
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u/chriskramerpr 1d ago
Any good? I saw a sign as we headed towards Westbound and Down
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u/GeneralDisarray25 1d ago
Yeah. Thats why I mentioned it. Its more traditional and a restaurant with a giant ship bar. Food is really good and so are the drinks.
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u/Terrorsaurus 1d ago
We didn't care for our drinks at Adrift at all. Too sweet and not balanced. They have the classic tiki decorations though, and the only one to serve food.
Hell or Highwater is my favorite. Drinks are all awesome, and the bartenders are a ton of fun.
Electric Cure isn't pure tiki, but it's adjacent. Lots of fire, showmanship, and fun glassware. They do also offer some classic tiki drinks if you dig deep enough into the menu, but the bar aesthetic is more divey. Fun place.
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u/GeneralDisarray25 1d ago
When did you last go to Adrift? They hired some new bar staff and revamped the drink menu since about Spring. Much better.
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u/SnooEpiphanies1215 1d ago
Hell or High Water! Must not be easily offended but the drinks are fantastic and creative - they have a mai tai with Malort that sounds scary but was great!
Adrift also had some really great drinks, but we enjoyed the atmosphere of HoHW more
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u/artguydeluxe 1d ago
Going there as a pair of straight couples, still cool? None of us are gay but it sounds pretty awesome!
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u/GeneralDisarray25 1d ago
Yes. Just be very prepared for a different experience. Its very in your face.
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u/xoxnothingxox 1d ago
i just went to denver for the first time and we hit Adrift, Hell or High Water and Electric Cure. they were all awesome, but Hell or High Water was our favourite. we had the most fun there sitting at the bar.
That being said: Adrift was really great, and maybe a better choice for the more strait laced folks.
We also went to Casa Bonita and had the greatest time ever there.
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u/artguydeluxe 1d ago
Casa Bonita is first on the list!
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u/xoxnothingxox 1d ago
it blew my mind! i hope to make it back one day for another visit.
we did Electric Cure after, took an uber there, it was pretty close.
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u/tarrall 1d ago
Is Bernard’s Tiki Room still operating? If so, not Denver proper (Arvada) but worth an honorable mention.
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u/HippieBeholder 1d ago
Personally I really disliked my experience at Bernard’s Tiki Room. Hell or High Water blows it away
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u/BakerofHumanPies 1d ago
No one has answered the question, but Arvada Tavern comes up when I search for Bernard's, so I'm guessing it's gone.
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u/jadeoracle 1d ago
I remember taking my boss and a Day 1 co-worker the week HOHW opened, not exactly knowning what we were in for. haha thankfully it was an open minded tech company so we had a blast.
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u/phdpinup 1d ago
I visited Denver once for a conference a few years ago and went to Hell or High Water. Absolutely loved it!
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u/TronLikesReddit 1d ago
As someone who is a Tiki bartender, pretty much says it’s my career and I’m outside of Denver. Hell or Highwater is #1 on my list to visit due to their cocktails and hilarious marketing
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u/HippieBeholder 1d ago
Lots of mentions of HoHW and Adrift, but there’s also Jungle in Boulder which has the perks of being walkable to a bunch of other spots. Also has the best food of the restaurants listed here (though I haven’t tried Swaylow yet)
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u/dat-__-boi 1d ago
Everybody shitting on Adrift but I still think there’s plenty of good stuff on their menu. HOHW is great too though, especially around Halloween.
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u/casimir-pulaski-day 1d ago
Selling mugs at either of these outfits?
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u/HippieBeholder 1d ago
Hell or High Water has Gary, but they get them in batches of 5-10, and they sell out in a day or two
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u/Headhunters_Cove 23h ago
Adrift! While Adrift did go down hill for quite awhile they have completely righted the ship. There was a point where I wrote them off but they are back better than ever. I have been going a few times a month for the last several months and loved it every time. The staff has become friendly, drinks are great, even started playing good tiki bar music. Bonus, if Vince is working, he makes some amazing drinks but all of the bartenders are good. Waiter Will is great also. I don’t know what changed but it’s been such a friendly staff lately.
Hell or Highwater is pretty good too. BEWARE, they auto charge a 22% time and never tell you about it when they hand you the bill. I don’t mind an auto gratuity but 22% for a place that you do not get waited on and have to leave your date sitting at the table while you wait in line, is ridiculous IMO. Also, I have been to plenty of places that add a tip (usually 15%, with option to tip more) but they always point it out when handing over the tab and I always add additional tip. To not tell you in a dark bar is a little shady. With that said, I do like their drinks, and their bartenders and usually very nice.
Swaylos is pretty good. Most drinks are on tap and it’s more of a restaurant vibe than a tiki bar but it’s worth going after Adrift and Hell or Highwater.
Shrunken Head in Colorado Springs is more cruise ship tiki.
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u/Captspiff14 1d ago
Hell or High Water. Adrift still has some great bartenders, but the overall experience has gone downhill enough for it not to be the “obligatory Denver tiki bar” in my book.
Honorable mention outside of the Denver area: Swaylo’s. 1000% worth the trip if you can make it.