Home Page

Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge

Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge is a refreshingly whimsical oasis in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. Well-known for its exotic drinks and inventive sushi Mister Tiki has recently expanded its menu to include a variety of entrees for a more complete dining experience. Combining the earthy, fruity, and spicy flavors of Pacific Island cuisine with fresh mainland ingredients, Mister Tiki crafts concoctions that are approachable and novel. The Mister Tiki décor also blends the bold with the familiar: bamboo wood tables and invitingly expansive booths radiate a refined exoticism while towering Tiki sculptures, lava lamps, and vintage surfing videos evoke a playfully kitschy nostalgia that is both accessible and hip.

Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge

When Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge opened in the Gaslamp in 2004, it brought a refreshing playfulness to a block filled with serious dining destinations. Taking cues from the mid-century fondness for Island culture, the restaurant aimed to offer a hint of the exotic and a lighthearted vibe that would let guests feel as if they had been swept across the Pacific. But while the restaurant has cemented its reputation as a playful, vacation-like dining destination, it recently stepped things up a notch, debuting a revamped menu and an array of culinary offerings that are making guests swoon.

The interior of the restaurant is an urban refuge, a transporting escape that has all the elements of an island cabana except for the surf and the sand. The vibe begins at the corner entrance, when guests step between two Tiki sculptures to enter the bar area. Suddenly, Tiki structures are everywhere—mounted to walls, standing between rooms, watching over the vast, open space. Many of the pieces are the work of Escondido-based Tiki artist Bosko Hrnjak, but Tiki aficionados will recognize sculptures from New Zealand, Hawaii, and the Easter Islands.

Amid Tiki relics, the room is awash in pale, muted earth tones. The décor is testament to the beauty of natural materials, utilizing wood, leather, and woven fibers. Much of the design is sustainable, including floors made of polished reclaimed wood and tables artfully constructed of bamboo. Cabana-like walls stretch up toward high ceilings, while palm frond fans lazily churn in the space above. It seems impossible not to relax here.

The seating itself is divided into two main spaces—the bar and lounge area and the main dining room. Both offer booths as well as freestanding tables; the bar area boasts views of the sushi bar while the dining room affords views of the open kitchen. In each there are a handful of oversized booths whose curved forms offer near-complete, highly coveted privacy.

If the setting isn't enough to convince guests they're on vacation, the beverages will. Nearly every drink on the extensive cocktail list is worthy of sipping poolside. Bar Manager John Boyle is a talented mixologist, infusing tropical juices with exotic liquors and herbs. His sweet, tantalizing creations tend toward the playful, with names like "Cool as a Cucumber," "Dragon's Fire," and "Blushing Buddah." The Lilikoi Mojito is a refreshing treat, a blend of rum, mint, and passion fruit juice that puts a traditional mojito to shame. And how can you visit without a mai tai? The restaurant offers two, a sweet version made with pineapple juice and grenadine and a stronger version sweetened only with lime juice and almond-flavored syrup. Those enamored with the cocktails may want to visit during the daily “5 on Fifth” happy hour, when from 5 to 7 select cocktails, appetizers, and sushi rolls are just $5 each.

The entire menu is filled with a creative blend of "mainland" and Polynesian flavors, with dishes that infuse traditional American ingredients with exotic flavors. Take, for example, the grilled crab legs, a seafood standard that gets an exotic twist with an accompanying bowl of shisho-leaf drawn butter. Two enormous crab legs sprawl across the plate, each conveniently filleted for easy and elegant access to the tender meat inside. Telltale grill marks cover the crab shells, while inside, the pearl-white meat proves plump, moist, and succulent. The crab barely needs the accompanying butter, but a quick dip lends a decadent richness and a hint of elusive, fennel-like flavor from the Japanese herb.

Crispy Shitake and Goat Cheese Wontons are a house favorite, featuring plump, crisp wonton shells filled with a fluffy blend of creamy goat cheese and earthy mushrooms. The presentation is enticing, each golden-brown, bulbous form rooted in a bed of tangy ponzu sauce, and surrounded by a colorful garnish of carefully shaved cucumber, vibrant carrots, and a stunning purple orchid. A bite is sublimely comforting, the velvety filling proving an intoxicating blend of creamy, tangy, and sweet, surpassed only by the sweetly rich crunch of the delicate shell.

The Stuffed Sashimi Trio, a dish from the sushi section of the menu, offers a light way to begin a meal. A creative twist on sashimi, the dish features three flavorful sculptures made from glistening raw fish and varied accompaniments. In the first, pink ahi wraps around a pale white, creamy crab on a bed of rice, offering a soft, comforting introduction to the dish. Beside it, the presentation is reversed: a pale piece of yellowtail embraces a salad of bright pink ahi cubes tossed with mango and garnished with paper-thin scallions. A dollop of spicy mayo leaves a lingering spice, which transitions into the last delicate sashimi sculpture—two thick pieces of ahi sandwiching a tender shrimp coated in a textured, sriracha-flavored sauce. Each bite-size sculpture is subtle in flavor and delicate in texture, with a small kick of intrigue.

The sushi menu is peppered with many such creative combinations. "The Bomb Tuna Special" is easily a favorite, a plump spicy tuna roll topped with a festive medley of fresh ahi and mango, topped with a spicy mayonnaise and daikon sprouts. The Lobster Fantasy roll is another winning sushi combination, featuring a crispy interior of tempura lobster and cucumber, delicately wrapped in rice paper and topped with a small but feisty spicy shrimp. Sushi fans will want to visit Mister Tiki on Monday evenings, when the restaurant offers its $19.95 all-you-can-eat sushi special. The weekly event offers a rotating selection of at least six different sushi rolls, starters such as edamame and miso soup, as well as a selection of hot dishes.

Any other day of the week, it's hard to pass on the main courses. Ahi Tuna Two Ways offers a lighter entree, featuring sushi-grade Ahi served both grilled and tempura-battered alongside a citrus mint salad. Encircled in a crispy wonton shell, the salad is a lively blend of mixed greens, slender cucumber slices, and pulled pieces of orange, with a light mint dressing that lends a refreshing tang to each bite. The playful array of colors and textures combined with the sweet, vibrant flavors demonstrate the kitchen's mastery of fresh ingredients.

Wasabi-Crusted Filet Medallions is a hearty, satisfying dish. A thick, perfectly round filet mignon is served on a bed of pale wasabi mashed potatoes amid a pool of steak sauce. Even before slicing into the tender filet, a dark sear and a textured crust of wasabi and salt suggests the meat will be full of flavor—a hint that proves satisfyingly true upon just one bite. The filet cuts to reveal a glistening pale pink interior, which marries with the salty crust to bring the satisfaction of both tenderness and flavor. While the wasabi moniker may turn away the spice-wary, the dish is surprisingly tame, with the wasabi lending more flavor than heat. Nevertheless, if a drink pairing seems in order, the Yangtze Rainforest martini—an elusive blend of Absolut Pear, lychee syrup, apple liquor, and mint—is refreshing, and just complex enough to match the bold flavors of the dish.

The Pan Seared Jumbo Scallops are stunning and sublime. Plump U-15 scallops sit amid crisp shitake mushroom slivers, crowned by a deep, woodsy Chinese sherry sauce. The dish is as decadent as it is gorgeous, the flavors a carefully chosen marriage of silky, buttery scallops and resonant, hearty mushrooms. Textures are intriguing as well, the predictably soft scallop contrasting the uniquely crisp mushroom slivers, so that each bite seems both familiar and delightfully new. The dish pairs ideally with the Coconut Kiss martini, each refreshing sip of the libation leaving the palate in sweet repose for the next bite.

The sweetest treat of all comes at the end of the meal, when a tower of mousses arrives at the table. The flavors here are as playful as the mixed drinks, with concoctions that are both tame and extraordinary. Those who like their desserts traditional might opt for Kona Coffee Tiramisu or Dark Chocolate Raspberry mousse, both of which prove classic and satisfying. A bit further down on the adventure scale are Orange Strawberry Cheesecake mousse, which offers a subtly fruity finale, and Mint Chocolate mousse, which boasts a sea-foam green color, a crushed Oreo topping, and a flavor that explodes on the palate like an Andes mint. For the extremists out there, there's the Rocky Road mousse, complete with miniature marshmallows, and the Peanut Butter mousse, which tastes like a peanut butter sandwich pureed with fresh cream.

Languid conclusions are my favorite kind, and it doesn't get more languid than slowly savoring a sweet dessert in a cabana-like setting. The only thing difficult about a relaxing, exotic meal at Mister Tiki is the very end, when it comes time to return to the hectic world outside. But there is reassurance in leaving—once you relinquish this slice of paradise, you know you can always return for more.

Hide Review

Copyright © Restaurant Agent Inc.


  Buy Online Gift Certificates

Buy restaurant gift certificates online and save 20%

The perfect gift for any occasion. It's Quick & Easy!


Reservations


Photos


Restaurant Info

  • Address: 801 Fifth Avenue, San Diego CA 92101
  • Cross Street: F Street
  • Location: Downtown | Gaslamp Quarter
  • Cuisine: Pacific Rim |
  • Cost: $$ | Inexpensive | $25 - $50
  • Category: Fine Dining
  • Star Rating:
  • Reservations: Recommended
  • Dress Code: Casual
  • Meals Served: Dinner | Late |
  • Parking: Street | Valet Parking |
  • Payment Options: VISA | Amex | MasterCard | Discover | Diners Club |
  • Corkage Fee: 10.00 | per bottle
  • Phone: (619) 233-1183

Business Hours

Monday
Main Dining Room | Happy Hours 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Tuesday
Main Dining Room | Happy Hours 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Wednesday
Main Dining Room | Happy Hours 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Thursday
Main Dining Room | Happy Hours 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday
Main Dining Room | Happy Hours 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Bar midnight - 1 a.m.
Main Dining Room | Late Dining 10 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday
Main Dining Room | Bar midnight - 1 a.m.
Main Dining Room | Happy Hours 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Late Dining 10 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday
Main Dining Room | Happy Hours 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Features

  • Full Bar
  • Late Dining
  • All You Can Eat
  • Catering Services
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Prix Fixe Menu
  • Smoking Area
  • Takeout Available
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Valet Parking

Occasion

  • Dining Alone
  • Business Dining
  • Meet for a Drink
  • People Watching
  • Special Occasion
  • Trendy / Hip

 


F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions


Menus

Dinner Menu

  For your convenience, a voluntary 18% gratuity has been added to your party of 6 or more. If requested, a manager would be pleased to remove this voluntary gratuity.


HOT POTS & SALADS

PUPU'S AN' DEN SOME

Kamaaina Dishes

ISLAND PLATES

Haole Rolls

Happy Endings

$5 on Fifth Happy Hour

  Come enjoy our $5 on Fifth Happy Hour special! We offer this special daily from 5-7pm


DRINKS

SUSHI ROLL SPECIALS

PUPU SPECIALS

Cocktail List

  Our award-winning cocktail list features the best Mai Tais around and a selection of other exotic libations.


Sake

Da Kine Libations

Martikis


Map

Restaurant Address: 801 Fifth Avenue, San Diego CA 92101

User Reviews

Delicious!  

The food was delicious! The surroundings were relaxing and tropical! The service was very friendly and prompt! The price for all the above... very reasonable! The restaurant is definitely worth the trip.

Excellent  

Great Food, Great Service, Great Atmosphere! Highly Recommend.

Loved it!  

They had a wonderful friendly atmosphere. Excellent food and a we had a wonderful waitress. Absolutely would go there again!

Mr. Tiki's is Delicious  

I have been to this resturant on numerous times for different occasions and it never fails to impress. The food is always delicious and the serverice is always impecable. The only problem with they get really busy of the weekends so a reservation is a must.

Great Food!  

Mister Tiki's had a great meal for us. It was a fixed price" menu that night and all three courses were excellent. The sushi and goat cheese wontons were to die for and the macadamia crusted amhi mahi was exquisite. And the desserts were beyond compare. The flourless chocolate cake was delightful to the palate. Can't say enough about the quality and price of the dinner!

Great food, fun place  

My husband and I went for dinner at 6:30pm on a Saturday night and found out that our reservations were not needed that early. The place did not start getting busy till 7:30pm. I had the orange ginger chicken rolls as a apetizer and the Haole MaiTai. The rolls were amazing and would have been a good meal just by themselves! My husband ordered some sushi which was made with very high grade tuna, best he has had since a trip to Hawaii. For our meals he got a peppered noodle dish and I got the Ahi Fish and Chips. Mine was a seared ahi with sweet potato fries that was very yummy. His dinner was good and was one of the only vegetarian options at the resturant. Our entire meal with two drinks, two dinners and two spetizers came out to $90. My only complaint would be the fact that there were not more vegetarian options. The menu is actually quite limited.

Try the polynesian lemongrass coconut soup!  

This place had a great feel to it, very lively. The soup was the best combination of flavors I have ever had. I am going there again soon to try some more of their menu. Four Stars for mister tiki...

Yummy...  

I ordered about 5 plates of the various appetizers, which made for a nicely varied meal. All were excellent. The only one I didn't like was the Chicken Satay which had an unusual spice flavor. It was nicely prepared and presented. But it tasted different than the usual Thai restaurant Chicken Satay and it was my least favorite. However, it's probably just something taste-wise that I don't like.

SUPER FUN PLACE TO GO!!!!!  

My daughter was turning 13 and wanted to go somehwere cool for dinner....I found Mister Tiki's on this website and made ONLINE RESERVATIONS for 5 people. We actually ended up having 7 people and were wondering what was gonna happen when we got there....

To our delight, they said it was no problem and promptly seated us. Our first impression was great, the place was lively and fun and the decor was really fabulous - kinda like an upscale polynesian hut. There were lava lamps at the tables and really awesome blown glass fish lights hanging above the tables that were so cool and unique! The music was really upbeat and immediately set the mood for a good time. Our waiter was so friendly and was very accomodating to the fact that we had a 4 year old at our table and was ready to attend to all of our needs. W

e started out with the Appetizer sampler (Boat) and thier famous SWEET POTATO FRIES with Maui Onion Katsup and let me tell you...... IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!! I would go back there just for those fries!! In fact I am craving them RIGHT NOW!! We also tried a few of the Mai Tais...I had the Mango Mango and my husband and mother in law had the Mister Mai Tai and we all LOVED our drinks!!! I saw one go by our table that came in a bowl and had a flame in the middle and could be shared... it looked like a fun one to try!! Hmmm, maybe next time! Our dinners were great, although Mine was much spicier than our waiter explained (Kung Pow Shrimp) and I had to trade with my husband (He had the Mahi Mahi Skewers) My mother in law got the grilled salmon with mango and crispy fried plantains drizzled with Macadamia nut butter and hers was by far the BEST!! My daughters both got Rolls off the sushi menu and they loved them.

At the end of the evening the waiter brought out the dessert which was the MOST IMPRESSIVE PRESENTATION I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! It was a Tall iron rack with holders that held 6 different flavored Mousses in glasses!! Each person at the table picked a flavor and they were so delicious! We had a very fun a and unique dinner and we will definately go back. This resturant is truely a breath of fresh air on 5th street in the downtown area where many of the resturants are alike!!

Great bar!  

The four of us were downtown after a show at the Spreckels theater and needed to kill some time before our dinner reservation. We wandered into Mister Tiki's on a whim for a drink at the bar. The decor is adorable (assuming you are amused by kitsch). But even better are the bartenders! We stayed for a couple of rounds of drinks and watched them in action. Despite being very busy, they took the time to chat (always appreciated) and make some excellent drinks. We ordered quite an array, from mud slides to mai tais to cosmos, and all were executed with aplomb. They even improvised yummy shooters for a bachelorette party on the spot. We also had a couple of appetizers that were phenomenal -- be sure to try the goat cheese & shiitake mushroom wontons when you go. We can't wait to return and try the dinner menu, but even if it's god awful, we'll have great drinks and a good time.

Outstanding service!!!  

I went to Mr. Tiki Mai Tai twice this year. The first time was when I celebrated my bday with friends and the second time was with my boyfriend. For both of my visits, the servers were really nice and friendly. On the first occasion our server knew it was my bday so she hooked us up with an appetizer and dessert. That was very generous of her. =) On the second occasion, we arrived 15 minutes late and it was a very busy night but they still took us in. We didn't get to seat exactly where we wanted to, they sat us outside instead which actually turned out to be better because it was really loud inside. The drinks are always awesome! I got the polynesian paradise and in all honesty, I'd say it's one of the best drinks I've ever had. My boyfriend and I had the crispy shiitake and goat cheese wontons for appetizer, I had the pink cadillac sushi and he had the far eastern lettuce wraps. The food was really delicious, I actually liked the lettuce wraps more than my sushi. My only complaint would be that the food that they serve, especially the sushi plates are good for only one person. They encourage you to share but there's not enough to go around. I would go to Mr. Tiki Mai Tai again.

Fun, but needs improvement  

Drinks are fun and good, appetizer canoe is very good, swordfish is wondedrful! Don't get the chicken overzealous bussers will take your plate before your done Don't assume that just because you have a reservation you'll be seated in the dining room. We were seated in the bar side of the restaurant and had to plead with the girls to move us to the dining room. They told it would be an hour wait for a table and when we pointed out several empty talbles we were seated. Ask for the dining room, it's much better!

Eh...It Was OK  

I was expecting a lot more than we got as far as food quality goes. The portions are HUGE and it is a fun place to go in a group I think...but the won ton soup was SOOOOOOOOOOOO salty that we actually had to send it back, and I have never returned food to the kitchen before, ever! Also, the veggie chow fun was bland. BUT...the lumpia was AWESOME...so if you go there definitely get this.

First impressions are everything  

My overall experience at this establishment was better than average, but the rudeness of the hostess gives this review a sub-par rating at best. The hostess/host of any restaurant should be aware that they are the first impression of the restaurant that patrons see prior to anything else. Unkempt appearances and rude behavior in the service industry are not acceptable by any standards and the behavior exhibited by the hostess on night of my reservation left a foul opinion of this establishment in my memory as well as the guests I invited to dine with me. For all of those thinking of dining at this establishment, please keep in mind that the clocks in their restaurant are set 10-15 minutes fast and will effect your reservation. Essentially you need to arrive 30 minutes or so early to the restaurant or you will be berated and talked down to for not arriving by their time standards which they are fully aware are 10-15 minutes faster than normal time. If I would have been aware of the obvious time zone difference that exists between my home and the restaurant I would have made better accommodations. To ensure that the hostess got her message across to my dining party, we were rudely told we would need to wait around 30 more minutes to be seated, when there were no other patrons waiting, no other reservations marked and open tables were visible from the front door that had just been cleared. Although my experience was average, the service from the wait staff was excellent. The server we were fortunate enough to have that night, did an outstanding job of providing friendly service and attentiveness to our dining needs throughout the night. There is a level of excellence that she portrayed to my dinning party that evening that I wished I would have experienced as a first impression verses a second impression of the establishment. I would recommend this restaurant to other patrons wishing to enjoy the menu that is offered at this restaurant, but please arrive with patience and alternate reservations to another restaurant if you receive the same initial behavior that I received on my first and more than likely only visit.

Disappointed  

Watered down drinks & food was ok not a lot of selection. Service was good & decor is nice but a little too stuffy. Was expecting a more FUN place. The street was more happening than the restaurant.

Good but not Great  

the atmosphere was good. but the food was a little too exotic for us. Our swordfish was advertised as being the best on the menue but it was completely under cooked. The mixed appetizer was good and is recommended. Don't expect too much from this restaurant. It's service was a little slow and tacky.

Could have been better  

We love most of the Cohn restaurants but the Mr. Tiki was not up to their usual standard. Some of the entres were very good and others were inexplicably taste concoctions that left us puzzled as to the chef's intention (i.e. the miso soup). Service was mediocre.

Poor Service, Mediocre Food  

Service personnel was horrifically slow. Yes, they may have been friendly, young, attractive, and fresh out of high school, but they sure did not know a thing about what it takes to create an experience to remember for newcomers. I can't really blame it on the servers though. It's poor management. The food was good, but not that good. Overpriced for what you get. In the end, I would not recommend this restaurant and would not visit it again.

fun decor, but bland food  

We thought we'd try something new and fun for dinner in hopes of finding another winner in the Gaslamp. Not to be. The decor was fun and creative, definitely set an atmosphere for a Tiki lounge (they missed out on island music though - could have added a nice touch), but the food was hit and miss. We had chicken lettuce wraps (always a favorite) that were flavorless and dry and also had duck spring rolls that were delicious. The mai tais were made from a mix without any fresh ingredients (except the underripe slice of pineapple scewered with an umbrella)but were quite large and generous with the rum content. Overall, a disappointment.

"10" for Thought  

I was soo looking forward to our reservation, as I had seen it being developed and loved the concept! Unfortunately... rather dissapointing. The service is fine not exceptional, ambiance needs much work, and the food dissapointing... I had the Thai chicken Lo Mein and was unimpressed, the won-ton soup very salty, the pork "spring roll" very minimal (2 pieces only and no dipping sauce), but good. The best thing was the TWO person Mai Tai!! It was fantastic! Brought to the table ON FIRE and with two extra long straw so you need not worry about how you are going to lift it. Again, more emphasis on the atmosphere would work well to minimize the other dissapointing features- some vegetation and more creative seating/intimacy.

just okay  

I've always wanted to go there since it looked like a fun place to hang out with my girlfriends for dinner. When we first arrived, we really liked the inside because the interior decoration had a very creative touch. When we ordered the food, however, we were quite disappointed because the fried rice we ordered was very salty smothered in soy sauce and the fish (ono) that came with the rice tasted very bland. Only dish we really enjoyed was the calamari dish that came with the special sauce on the side.

Go somewhere else  

I wish they paid as much attention to the quality of the food as they did the decor. The restaurant had a great atmosphere and the theme of the restaurant was interesting. But my food was far from impressive. The chicken was overcooked and tasteless. As was the ribs. The meat quality just wasn't there. The fries were undercooked. Needless to say I was disappointed...and hungry.

Not that great  

Sorry, but I wasn't satisfied at all. The hawaiian theme really had me excited, but we were soon disapointed with the food. The wine, mai tai's and dessert were the only things that we liked. And they were great! But I would never go there to eat appetizers or dinner ever again. Every thing came out as if it had been sitting under the heat lamp too long. Nothing had fresh or unique flavor. The service we received was friendly and relatively good in comparison to the food. It was supposed to be a birthday dinner for my boyfriend and I told him I would take him out again to another restaurant, because this one was such a let down.

Mr. Tiki  

Well I had to write a little update to my review I did awhile back on this restaurant. They have changed the menu and now one of their signature dishes is gone. "Ahi Fish and Chips" was the only reason I went here to eat. 4 of us went to dinner there last week and after being disappointed by the menu changes we got shocked by the huge prices. While I love the decor the music was not appropriate. The service was slow and hard to get a hold of. We will not be back.

Somewhat of a disappointment  

My husband and I went to Mister Tiki's for dinner on Saturday night. The service was slow and I had to ask for basic things like silverware and a napkin. Although the food and drinks were good, beware of nickel and diming. I understand paying extra for extras, but our server did not care to let us know about additional charges when we placed our order which I felt was misleading and this left a bad taste in our mouths about the restaurant.

MARGINAL  

WENT ONCE, WON'T HEAD BACK UNLESS OUT OF TOWNERS WANT TO GO. SERVICE WAS SLOW AND INDIFFERENT. FOOD WAS MARGINALLY OKAY, HAD A MAI TAI THAT WAS MORE OF A "MAI TINY" - RELATIVELY FLAVORLESS WITH ALL THE KICK OF A GLASS OF FLAT SODA WATER. SEMI KITSCHY, FAIR ATMOSPHERE. BARTENDER WAS AS FRIENDLY AS A DOOR KNOB. NOT NECESSARILY WORTH REPEATING. COHN FAMILY DOES MUCH BETTER AT OTHER LOCATIONS.

MARGINAL  

WENT ONCE, WON'T HEAD BACK UNLESS OUT OF TOWNERS WANT TO GO. SERVICE WAS SLOW AND INDIFFERENT. FOOD WAS MARGINALLY OKAY, HAD A MAI TAI THAT WAS MORE OF A "MAI TINY" - RELATIVELY FLAVORLESS WITH ALL THE KICK OF A GLASS OF FLAT SODA WATER. SEMI KITSCHY, FAIR ATMOSPHERE. BARTENDER WAS AS FRIENDLY AS A DOOR KNOB. NOT NECESSARILY WORTH REPEATING. COHN FAMILY DOES MUCH BETTER AT OTHER LOCATIONS.

Pay Attention  

Used this website to reserve a nice table. Wedding anniversary and birthday were being celebrated. This restaurant either forgot or didn't care. Lousy table. Service was OK. Soup arrived luke warm and wasn't very good. Sushi was fishy tasting. Food had the quality of neighborhood sports bar but much more expensive.Nothing about this place impressed me. Lots of restaurants in Gaslamp district; Don't choose this place.

Don't bother with this place if you want Sushi  

The place is a trendy pseudo-hawaiian, pseudo-sushi american cuisine. My girlfriend and I were looking for a place to eat sushi after 9pm. The place didn't look great but we thought we would give it a shot. We ordered a catapillar roll, a sexy roll, salmon nigiri, and a carafe of hot sake. The salmon was fresh and rather good. The catapillar roll was mediocre but quite edible. Forget the sexy roll. It is described as having crabs, shrimps, cream cheese. The thing is tiny (and 5 maybe 6 pieces not even a centimeter thick) a bargain for $12. The taste is well.. completely forgetable. Sake was served at a good temperature but it was very poor quality. Though the carafe and cups were rather nice. Service. The service was poor. Our waitress neglected to let us know that the sushi bar was still open when we asked whether there was any other food available other that which was listed on the "Late Nite" menu. When we asked for recommendations for sushi rolls. It was clear that she has either never eaten at the place or was making a special effort to pickout the most expensive items on the menu. Unless you want to pay a premium for the trendy decor, I would skip the place. There are far better places to get sushi.

Overhyped  

This place is all glitz and looks and hype, sorry to say. It has lovely decor inside, but the food is not that good. My boyfriend and I were both really disappointed with our choices. I had the kung pao chow mein, and he had the mongolian beef stir fry dish, and I can tell you, I've had better food at Pick Up Stix. They really need to work on the quality on their menu. Unfortunately, because it's on 5th in the Gaslamp district, and it's flashy-looking, they probably figure why bother, people will just be drawn in anyway. This place would be fine for a drink before going someplace else. It's hard to believe the same large conglomerate owns the Prado as well. The Prado restaurant, on the other hand, has excellent food. Back to the drawing board, folks.

Terrible!  

So I thought being part of the Cohn group of restaurants, this would bee a safe and good place to eat.NOT! The sushi rolls were bland, small and looked like they were made by an 8 year old! The potstickers were microwaved and hard...also bland! The sashimi was old and limp with little flavor. The service was terrible! The waitresses were more interested in gossiping around the bar area then serving customers. This was such a disapointment! The only good thing was the $5 beers and wine at happy hour!

What you get for $5  

Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge needs acomplete food overhaul....for $5 you get rubbery calamari, day old sushi and the worst wontons I have ever eaten. Pureed goat cheese and shitaki mushrooms in a doughy wonton skin. When you cut into the wonton, the brown puree squirted out. (lets just say it was not very appealing) The dipping sauce for the wontons, well my partner and I along the the other guests at our table are still trying to figure it out. I do want to compliment the bartender...the $5 mai tais are well worth going to Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge.

Rating Food Only!  

Very unimpressed by the food!!!!My boyfriend and I had CA rolls, miso soup, Fish n chips, and the pineapple glazed pork on top of mashed potatoes. The CA rolls were not fresh and the rice was very dry. The miso soup was so watered down, it tasted like water and tofu drops. The Ahi fish wasn't cooked all the way and the (chips)fried sweet potatoes were not cooked all the way either. The pork was okay, but you couldn't tasted any pinapple marinade. The only nice part of the evening was the scenery!!!

Horrible Bar Service  

DO NOT EAT HERE!!! I went to Mister Tiki's on a Saturday night for dinner. It was busy so we understood a wait time for a table. In the meantime, we thought we could get drinks from the bar to pass the time. I waited patiently at the bar for over 15 minutes without one nod or word of acknowledgement from the bartender (Tony). I finally asked him if he "didn't mind if I ordered a drink." He took my order and went I left him a tip that corresponded to the level of service he gave, he pushed it off the counter as if digusted by such a minute amount. Even with poor service, I generally tip 15%... and I've eaten at hundreds of restaurants. This was the worst dining experience I've ever had. The food was over priced and the sushi was not fresh.

Rate This Business

Please rate your experience on scale 0-10, with 10 being the high rating.

Overall Experience


Food


Service


Ambience


Value


Review