Tiki time: Tacoma Cabana brings rum, fun and a 600 pound marlin to downtown Tacoma

Wander into Tacoma Cabana, the latest restaurant and lounge to join the Pacific Avenue dining district, and you’ll find something I think downtown Tacoma didn’t know it needed: a tiki lounge.

I remember thinking “Huh?” when I heard this summer that Tacoma would be getting a tiki bar. Tiki bars really aren’t something we do here in this rain-drenched corner of the universe. Maybe it’s because the concept seems so bright and cheerful and we South Sounders – as sworn enemies of the sun – are skeptical of anything too flashy.

Enter Robyn Murphy and Jason Alexander, partners in business and life who have created a tiki lounge that is not at all grating and reads downright Tacoma: a little cheeky, gritty and welcoming. On a recent anonymous visit, I saw a hipster seated next to a row of politicians next to a dad with his kids. (Although kids are allowed, I wouldn’t call it exceptionally kid-friendly – there’s no kid menu.)

The menu is mostly cocktail nibbles with a few heartier entrees, all priced fairly in the $7-$12 range (scroll down for a summary). Murphy, who designed the menu, calls her style of cooking “vacation fusion.” The real emphasis is the tiki drinks – there’s a menu of more than 20 specialty cocktails, many including homemade infusions, mixers and fresh juice. Rum is prominent on the menu (see notes below about the cocktails and rum).

The creators have a history in Tacoma cocktailing. In 2010, Murphy and Alexander opened Villa Caffe and Imbibery, a downtown Tacoma sandwich cafe. They eventually tacked on a bar and started gaining a reputation for their craft cocktails. They closed the restaurant this summer before opening Tacoma Cabana in October.

Their concept restaurant is something that fits well in a neighborhood that houses another concept bar: Matador, a tequila bar and Tex-Mex restaurant. While I’ve long felt Matador catered to the under-30 crowd, Tacoma Cabana seems as if it’s making a grab for the sit-and-sip 40-something crowd. Good strategy, that.

Like Matador, the interior of Tacoma Cabana is well-tended. Murphy and Alexander spent months sourcing decor and created a look that’s layered and downright fun – from the replica of a 600-pound marlin that Alexander’s mother caught in Hawaii, to the surfboard above the bar that was a gift from City Council member Marty Campbell. Reruns of TV sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” play on the television. The soundtrack is pure Polynesian tiki fun.

Exposed brick walls, loungy furniture and a back room that feels like an underwater tiki refuge makes this a warm and inviting cocktail stop – probably the most visually interesting and most humorous concept lounge I’ve seen in Tacoma.

Here's a closer look at what Tacoma Cabana does - and does well:

THE COCKTAILS:

[caption id="attachment_12283" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="The tiki platter - veg friendly and loaded with cheese."] [/caption]

THE EATS

[caption id="attachment_12270" align="alignright" width="200" caption="A puffer fish hangs from a light fixture at Tacoma Cabana. Peter Haley/Staff photographer"] [/caption]

THE RUM:

THE MIXERS:

Trader Vic's

Don the Beachcomber

falernum

Tacoma CabanaWhere: 728 Pacific Ave., TacomaHours: 4 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays-SaturdaysContact: 253-222-4184, tacomacabana.comKids: Diners younger than 21 are seated in a family friendly section until 10 p.m. There is no kids menu.Vegetarian entrees: Not much, but the cheese-and-fruit platter is a good choiceBeverages: Mostly hand-crafted tiki cocktails with a lot of rum concoctions peppering the menu, and wine and beer

Our pledge to readers: Sue Kidd dines anonymously, and The News Tribune pays for all meals. Reach her at 253-597-8270 or sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com.

This story was originally published November 15, 2012 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Tiki time: Tacoma Cabana brings rum, fun and a 600 pound marlin to downtown Tacoma."