It’s the dead of summer in South Florida. The temperature hovers around 90 with humidity near 75 percent if we’re lucky. Most of us just hunker down, waiting for fall and winter. But that’s not happening at the Mai-Kai. The historic Polynesian restaurant continues to ramp up events, add new specials and entertainment, enhance its menus and merchandise, and basically create the perfect escape to paradise.
The Molokai Maidens and Mai-Kai Islanders are captured on film by Marina Anderson, aka Medusavision. The photographer, also known as Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, is back at the Mai-Kai as Malia, Molokai Lounge ambassador and publicist.
July, which featured a full schedule of Tahiti Fête events and expanded live music schedule, was just the beginning. In August, we “Return to Paradise” with an emphasis on classic Polynesian Pop, including live Tiki carving demonstrations, “Tiki Talks” by The Atomic Grog, cocktail workshops, Tiki trivia and “paint and sip events,” plus a curated Mutiny at the Molokai experience at the end of the month. There might even be a surprise we’re not allowed to reveal.
This all comes on the heels of new and updated food menus, the return of signature Tiki mugs, and a new round of cocktails ready to launch any day now. It’s a great time to be a Mai-Kai regular. Click on the links below to go directly to our full coverage. We hope to see you Aug. 9 and Aug. 23 in the Bora Bora Bar!
Also, be sure to follow manager Kern Mattei’s new Instagram page, launched in June. The 33-year veteran of the restaurant shares photos of Mai-Kai alumni when they return to visit. These posts often include vintage shots of the employees in their Mai-Kai days.
The Mai-Kai is embracing the season to be jolly like never before with a Christmas overlay featuring extensive decor, a limited-edition mug, and a new menu of 12 creative cocktails that celebrate spirits and flavors from around the world. RELATED:Mai-Kai legends return to the stage for 69th anniversary celebration
The Mai-Kai’s holiday lights and theming immerse guests from the beginning to the end of their journey to the Polynesian wonderland. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, December 2025)
The minute you arrive at the historic South Florida restaurant, you’re swept away to a tropical winter wonderland, surrounded by giant wreaths and swaths of palm trees clad in holiday lights. Santa hats adorn the signature cannibal carvings under the banyan trees, and a large wreath hangs from the signature water feature, the bubbling caldera in the center of the vehicle roundabout.
The Bora Bora Bar and main entrance are awash with lights and festive touches, including the outdoor space’s own Christmas tree looming above the bartenders. Presents surround another tree high above the front doors under the restored porte-cochère.
Chelsea and Avery welcome you to the Molokai Mistletoe Lounge, where the servers clad in their holiday sarongs treat guests to the Twelve Drinks of Christmas. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Dec. 7, 2025)
Inside, the Molokai Bar is ground zero for the holiday cheer, nearly every available space covered in lights, ornaments, and lots of mistletoe. It’s over the top but tastefully done. The “Molokai Mistletoe Lounge” servers have joined the fun with their cheery new outfits. Just don’t try to catch one of the sarong-clad servers under a mistletoe … they move fast. More below:Photos, video of the Mai-Kai’s holiday theming
Just as robust as the decorations, the events calendar started Dec. 1 with the launch of the new “Twelve Drinks of Christmas Around the World” menu. The new craft cocktails (plus a Christmas Mystery Bowl), take center stage on the main cocktail menu, available in both bars plus the dining rooms.
The good cheer extends to the late-night hours in both bars, which host special happy hours from 9 to 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday throughout December. Like the regular happy hour, which runs seven days a week from 4 to 7 p.m., most signature cocktails (including the 12 Christmas drinks) are 50 percent off the regular price. There’s also a special late-night food menu. Check the reviews and photos below as we taste our way through the cocktails. Christmas cocktail guide: Analysis, ratings, insights from bar manager Michael DeMahyUPDATED
Mai-Kai fans and collectors received an early Christmas treat on Wednesday, Dec. 3, when a limited Christmas Rum Barrel mug was released at a special event attended by Florida artist John Mulder. His merry holiday version of the Mai-Kai’s signature mug, limited to 250 numbered pieces, sold out by mid-December.
The grand reopening year at the Mai-Kai reached a fitting, frightfully fun climax on Halloween night with the Polynesian palace’s signature Hulaween party. Hundreds of revelers, many in creative costumes, enjoyed the event’s 13th edition, the first held inside the restaurant since 2019.
South Florida rockabilly favorites Slip and the Spinouts made their 10th Hulaween appearance, jamming all night in the Molokai Bar. Meanwhile, DJ Banzai Bill played an eclectic mix of tunes outside in the Bora Bora Bar, where the highlight was a costume contest with dozens competing for the $1,000 grand prize.
Slip and the Spinouts kick off Hulaween 2025 on Oct. 31 while the Molokai mermaids prepare to serve thirsty guests. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, the Mai-Kai)
Oct. 31 was the highlight of a month filled with Hulaween-themed events, including Wicked Bingo, the Blue Hawaii Elvis Show with Dan Cunningham, a ’70s disco night, and a party for kids. This monthlong celebration was a first for the Mai-Kai, featuring elaborate decor throughout the grounds continually updated in the lead-up to Halloween night.
The two artists responsible for the highly themed artwork – Tom Fowner and LuRu – got into the spirit of the event, both earning a spot in the costume contest finals with their significant others.
The six finalists lined up under the porte-cochère in the new Bora Bora Bar, competing not only with their inventive creations but also joining an impromptu dance-off when Michael Jackson’s classic Thriller blasted out of the speakers before the winners were announced. If was definitely a scene to behold, one of the few times of the year when the Mai-Kai sets aside decorum and lets loose with abandon.
No doubt, the shenanigans were well-deserved and long-anticipated. It was the first Hulaween bash in five years, when a drive-in movie party was held in the parking lot on Oct. 30, 2020, amid the COVID pandemic and just days after the restaurant’s closing. Caused by a catastrophic roof collapse over the kitchen, this disaster was as scary as any horror movie. But, luckily, it has a happy ending.
An ominous sea monster and Tiki deity welcome you to Hulaween at the Mai-Kai in October 2025. (Official photo)
A sale to new ownership in 2021 led to a $20 million restoration and reimagination that consumed 2022, 2023 and much of 2024. But, like a classic creature that can’t be stopped, the Mai-Kai emerged bigger and better than ever last November. Hulaween 2025 fittingly served as a celebration of the Mai-Kai’s first year back from the brink of disaster.
The immersive decor and elaborate story only added to the anticipation of the Halloween night finale. In an alternate tale of the Mutiny on the Bounty, the Mai-Kai became ground zero of a battle between skeleton pirates and a giant sea monster. The scenes played out all along the entry driveway, the bubbling caldera, the walkway and Bora Bora Bar, the Molokai Bar and its new front deck, plus the sprawling rear tiki gardens.
Fowner estimated that the artistic team installed 60 pirate and 10 mermaid skeletons, plus 40 kraken tentacles containing 2,100 suckers. As he explains in a video walk-though we filmed three days before Halloween, you never see the actual monster, just the tentacles. Which is even scarier because it means its so enormous, you can’t see it all. “He’s everywhere,” Fowner warned.
Tom Fowner and LuRu are responsible for the elaborately themed decor during Hulaween 2025.
The Hukilau 2025 – June 5-8 at the Beachcomber Resort & Club in Pompano Beach and Mai-Kai restaurant in Oakland Park. Featuring live music (The Untamed Youth, The Swingin’ Palms, The Sound Minds, The Hilo Hi-Flyers, Slowey and the Boats, Eva & Kully, The Intoxicators, The Disasternauts, Skinny Jimmy Stingray), special guests, symposiums and classes, guest cocktail bars, pool parties, Tiki Treasures Bazaar, plus more.
• The Hukilau on social media: Instagram | Facebook page and group
It’s hard to imagine more interest in a restaurant reopening than the hoopla surrounding the return of the historic Mai-Kai after its $20 million rejuvenation in November 2024. More than three years in the making, the restoration and reimagination not only returned the 68-year-old Polynesian palace to its vintage 1970s-era look, it also created an entirely new experience outside and around the grounds. Just as important, it created a solid infrastructure that will ensure its survival for generations to come.
Photo and video tour: The 16 most iconic photo spots at the Mai-Kai Learn how to get those classic shots on your next trip to the historic South Florida restaurant. We take you on an adventure via new and historic photos, plus video from Spike’s Breezeway to document the top locations inside and outside the historic Tiki temple.
When you cross the rumbling wooden bridge to enter the Mai-Kai, you’re immediately redirected onto what looks like a red clay road in a South Seas paradise filled with lush tropical foliage and dozens of tiki torches. As you exit, look for the new carvings by South Florida artist Tom Fowner, based on the signature “cannibal trio” that has appeared on Mai-Kai signs and menus since 1956. “Mahalo a hui hou” means “thank you and until we meet again.” (Photos by Hurricane Hayward / Nov. 15 and Nov. 20, 2024)
The following FAQ was created for the Friends of the Mai-Kai group on Facebook, which includes nearly 24,000 members and continues to grow. Due to the overwhelming response, we wanted to provide the most official information we can find, along with our own tips and advice. MaiKai.com:Check out the official FAQ here
If you’re looking for more extensive coverage, including photos and video, just check the AtomicGrog.com homepage and our page dedicated to the Mai-Kai restoration and reopening. There you’ll find news and info going all the way back to the temporary closing in late 2020, along with lots of features in the works.
This page will be updated in tandem with Facebook, containing the latest helpful info for anyone planning a visit to the Mai-Kai. Feel free to follow either, or both. As always, go to MaiKai.com for the most official info and sign up for the email list to receive the latest news. If you have any other questions, join us in the Facebook group or post a question in the comments below.
The outdoor Bora Bora Bar is a new feature added during the Mai-Kai’s $20 million restoration project. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, February 2025)
A highly immersive Polynesian-themed restaurant, dinner show and tropical bar that reopened in November 2024 following a four-year closing, refurbishment and reimagination estimated to cost more than $20 million. Located in Oakland Park, adjacent to Fort Lauderdale, in Broward County on Florida’s southeast coast. Established in 1956, the Mai-Kai is both a local and national historic landmark. The address is 3599 N. Federal Highway on the west side between Commercial and Oakland Park boulevards. [Google map]
• For more on the history, check out this page at MaiKai.com.
• Go to MaiKaiHistory.com for deep dives and order the book Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant by Tim “Swanky” Glazner.
• The Atomic Grog features detailed information on the historic cocktails.
WHEN IS THE MAI-KAI OPEN?
The bars and restaurant, including the dinner show, is open seven days a week from 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday, and noon on Sunday.
HOW DO I GET OFFICIAL UPDATES?
Sign up for the email list at MaiKai.com and follow the official social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Seating for the Mai-Kai’s long-running Polynesian dinner show includes prime seats in the New Guinea Room (left foreground) and the Hawaii Room (left top). To the rear of the showroom (right), the elevated Tonga Room offers sweeping views. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward / Nov. 22, 2024)
DO I NEED RESERVATIONS?
You can reserve seats for the daily dinner shows (up to 45 days in advance) via the booking engine at MaiKai.com. The reservation system asks you to choose from three three pricing tiers and select your seats (exact location not guaranteed). If you can’t find seats on a particular date and time, try a different party size or a different time/date. Before you make a payment, you can alert the Mai-Kai to any dietary restrictions or special occasions. Reservations open up occasionally, so please make sure to check back! Groups larger than eight should contact the Mai-Kai to make arrangements via the form on the website.
• Click here or the image below to see the seating chart
Walk-ups may be accommodated, space permitting. Inquire at the front desk upon arrival. There is also plenty of seating available in the bars and Lanai dining area in the outdoor gardens, no reservations needed. You also have the option of booking non-showroom dining in advance.
The Hukilau made its 21st live appearance in South Florida last week at the scenic Beachcomber Resort on the Pompano Beach oceanfront. The idyllic setting was perfect for a Tiki weekender featuring four days of nonstop music, cocktails and education on modern and historic Polynesian Pop. RELATED:The Hukilau 2023 live coverage, photos and video from social media
The Hukilau 2023 – June 8-11 at the Beachcomber Resort & Club in Pompano Beach. Featuring live music (The Hula Girls, The Intoxicators, The Disasternauts, Shorty’s Swingin’ Coconuts, The Swingin’ Palms, Skinny Jimmy Stingray, Dan Cunningham, The Ohana Hawaiian Jazz Trio), symposiums and classes (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, David Wondrich, Matt Pietrek, Garret Richard, Spike Marble, Tiki Tom-Tom, Doc Parks), guest bars and industry professionals, pop-up cocktail bars, pool parties, Tiki Treasures Bazaar, plus more.
* TheHukilau.com | Instagram | Facebook page and group
The Atomic Grog’s photos and memories from June 8-11 at the Beachcomber Resort
It may sound and look intimidating, but the whopping Sidewinder’s Fang is the perfect cocktail for a couple to share while enjoying a romantic evening at Fort Lauderdale’s landmark Mai-Kai Polynesian restaurant. Typically served in a giant snifter, it’s a fun and accessible cocktail that should appeal to newcomers and tropical drink aficionados alike. Featuring six ounces of rum, it’s suitable for an even larger party.
Molokai Bar server Ashley treats a guest to a Sidewinder’s Fang at The Mai-Kai in February 2019. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
The distinctive snifter is sometimes in short supply, so you may receive this giant cocktail in two smaller versions (see photo). But it’s been a long time since we’ve noticed a shortage of glasses, so this unique cocktail experience will live on exactly as it has for more than 60 years. The Mai-Kai is one of the few restaurants in the world to use this rare 64-ounce glass.
The cocktail itself is a classic communal Tiki drink, dominated by fruit juices and similar to the Mystery Drink, just not quite as complex. Many Polynesian restaurants served a Sidewinder’s Fang when exotic drinks flourished in the mid-century. The tribute recipe below is thought to be the original.
