The tiki bars Fort Lauderdale is known for range from a restored Polynesian supper club on Federal Highway to a newer two story room near the convention center. This guide also covers the best tiki bars in Miami, Palm Beach County and the Upper Keys, with live music nights taken from each venue’s own site.
Quick Picks
- Best for classic tiki cocktails: The Mai Kai, North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale.
- Best for live music every night: Square Grouper Tiki Bar, Jupiter Inlet.
- Best for a hidden cocktail room: Kaona Room, Edgewater.
- Best for sunset with a band: Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar, Islamorada.
- Best for history: Caribbean Club, Key Largo.
- Best for free weekend afternoon shows: Guanabanas, Jupiter.
Tiki Bars in Fort Lauderdale and Broward
The Mai Kai
The Mai Kai at 3599 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 is back in full swing after a long restoration, with the Polynesian Islander Revue performing nightly for dinner guests (reservations required) and the Molokai Bar, styled as an old seaport saloon, opening at 3pm daily. Book the show on a first visit. Its annual Hulaween party lands on Friday, October 30 this year (get directions).
Hula Kai Tiki Bar
The newest name here, Hula Kai sits at 1075 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, close to the Broward County Convention Center. The menu leans Polynesian and Hawaiian with shareables like a pu pu platter, and the Ohana rooftop lounge sits on top of the main bar. It opens at 4pm on weekdays and at noon on weekends, closing at 11pm (get directions).
Mickey’s Tiki Bar
For zero pretension, Mickey’s Tiki Bar at 350 SW 12th Ave, Pompano Beach, FL 33069 has been pouring for more than five decades and is open daily from 8am to 2am. Sunday is the day to go: Bloody Mary Sunday brings live music from 1pm to 7pm, and the crowd skews local and biker friendly (get directions).
If you want more bands on the water in Broward, our guide to waterfront restaurants in Fort Lauderdale with live music picks up where this section ends.
Tiki Bars in Miami
Monty’s Raw Bar
On Biscayne Bay at 2550 S Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33133, Monty’s Raw Bar is Coconut Grove’s waterfront bar, with boat mooring through Bayshore Landing Marina. Live music runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm and Tuesday and Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm, house DJ Reign plays Thursday through Saturday from 6pm to close, and happy hour is weekdays from 4pm to 7pm. It pairs well with the rest of our Coconut Grove bars (get directions).
Kaona Room
Tucked inside The Leinster Irish Pub at 1600 NE 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33132 in Edgewater, Kaona Room is a 45 seat tiki speakeasy with a rum list of more than 50 bottles. It opens Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 1am and Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 2am. There is no live music; it is a date night pick, and weekends sell out, so reserve ahead (get directions).
Tiki Bars in Palm Beach County
Square Grouper Tiki Bar
On the Jupiter Inlet at 1111 Love St, Jupiter, FL 33477, Square Grouper Tiki Bar books live music every night, usually an evening set from 8pm to 11pm with extra afternoon sets on weekends. It is 21 and over with a scannable ID (get directions).
Guanabanas
Nearby at 960 N Highway A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477, Guanabanas is fully open air, with woven tiki huts and waterfront tables. The calendar has a Friday show at 8pm, a free all ages Saturday show from 3pm to 6pm plus a Saturday night show at 8pm, and a free Sunday show from 2pm to 5pm. Happy hour runs weekdays from 3pm to 6pm (get directions).
Tiki 52 Bar and Grill
A few minutes north at 18487 SE Federal Hwy, Tequesta, FL 33469, Tiki 52 is a water view bar and grill with woven tiki huts and its own marina. Its calendar lists weekend sets, such as a steel band on a Sunday afternoon followed by an evening act, and weekday happy hour runs 3pm to 6pm with $3 domestic beers. Closer to the city, see our guide to live music in West Palm Beach (get directions).
Tiki Bars in the Florida Keys
World Famous Tiki Bar at Three Waters
At Three Waters Resort and Marina, 84001 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036, the World Famous Tiki Bar opened in 1969, bills itself as the first tiki bar in the Keys, and claims the Rum Runner as its invention. Live music plays Thursday through Sunday from 6pm to 9pm (get directions).
Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar
On the bay side at 96 Madeira Rd, Islamorada, FL 33036, Lorelei has seating on the sand, the deck and the bar, a nightly sunset celebration, and live music seven nights a week. Happy hour runs daily from 4pm to 6pm (get directions).
Snook’s Bayside and Grand Tiki Bar
At mile marker 99.5, 99470 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037, Snook’s Bayside has a big paver patio and a bar ledge right at the water. Live music plays nightly from 5:30pm to 9:30pm with afternoon bands on weekends, happy hour runs 3pm to 5pm at all three bars, and Wednesday is trivia (get directions).
Caribbean Club
Open since 1938 at 104080 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037, the Caribbean Club calls itself the oldest bar in the Upper Keys and says scenes from the film Key Largo were shot here. Bands play Thursday through Sunday on a waterfront stage over Florida Bay, Wednesday is karaoke, and it opens daily from 7am to around 1am. It is cash only, with an ATM on site (get directions).
Continuing south, our guide to Key West bars with live music covers the end of the road.
Planning a Tiki Bar Night or Keys Drive
In Broward and Miami, rideshare is the easy option for every stop on this list. In the Keys, plan on driving: the four Keys bars here sit between mile markers 82 and 104 on US 1. A good day trip is lunch at Snook’s, a stop at the Caribbean Club, sunset at Lorelei and a set at the World Famous Tiki Bar. Thursday through Sunday is when every Keys bar on this list has music, so aim for those days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best tiki bar in Fort Lauderdale?
The Mai Kai on North Federal Highway, for its nightly Polynesian revue and the Molokai Bar. Hula Kai on SE 17th Street is the newer option with a rooftop lounge.
Which tiki bars in Islamorada have live music?
The World Famous Tiki Bar at Three Waters has bands Thursday through Sunday from 6pm to 9pm, and Lorelei has live music seven nights a week with a nightly sunset celebration.
Where are the best tiki bars in Key Largo?
Snook’s Bayside has live music nightly from 5:30pm to 9:30pm, and the Caribbean Club has bands Thursday through Sunday plus karaoke on Wednesdays.
Are there tiki bars in Miami?
Yes. Kaona Room in Edgewater is a hidden tiki cocktail room open Wednesday through Saturday, and Monty’s Raw Bar in Coconut Grove has waterfront live music and DJ nights.
Is there a tiki bar with live music near West Palm Beach?
The strongest options are in north Palm Beach County: Square Grouper in Jupiter has live music every night, Guanabanas has free weekend afternoon shows, and Tiki 52 in Tequesta books weekend sets.
Header photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
