Bar Buddies: Tiki Lounge

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t go out to a new bar every weekend. But lucky for you guys, I’ve been to enough bars in Pittsburgh that I could write this every week for a year and never leave my home.

So let’s reach back into my archives of nights out and talk about Tiki Lounge in Southside. I went to this exciting, tiki-themed bar on Halloween and it was certainly a night to remember.

The location: Tiki Lounge is located on E. Carson St. This place is a considerable distance outside of the Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Shadyside bubble. I hope you’re going with at least four friends because while the Lyft there may not cost more than $10, I guarantee you that the one you call at 2 a.m. when everything closes will come with skyrocketing surge prices. E. Carson St. quickly goes from a place to bar hop to a parade with no floats as everyone floods the streets figuring out what to do now that the bars are closed. Maybe this is just because I went on Halloweekend, but it was absolutely packed and it took forever to get a Lyft.

This outside post-party can still have some excitement though. I met quite a few characters out there including a guy who asked if he could marry me and take me to Australia. I politely declined.

The drinks: This is not the place to get drunk. They’ve got a vast menu of tasty and delicious-sounding drinks. It’s worth it to order at least one, but at around $10 each that was about my limit before I had to switch back to mixed drinks. Their mixed drinks were fine but definitely on the pricier side. I would suggest not making this place your only stop for the night, you’ll find cheaper drinks somewhere else.
The vibe: The best way I can think to describe this place is an adult Rainforest Cafe. There was a waterfall in there. The front of the place has a bar and a few tables and the back has a dance floor. I’m not sure if this is a regular thing or if that was just the Halloween special, but it certainly made the place more exciting. With the bar area in the front and the club deeper in, it felt like the mullet of bars, business in the front and party in the back. It won’t be your go to place every weekend, but it was a good place to go for one weekend.

Lit or nah: This place teeters between being annoying and being super fun. It was Halloween so I was totally into the decor and over the top luau feel, but if it had been a normal weekend I can’t say if I would be. The lituation depends on how into cheesy bar themes you are. The litential is there, you just have to match this bar’s excitement.