Fort Lauderdale’s Historic Mai-Kai Reopens After a $20 Million Renovation | Eater Miami
"Reopening Thursday, November 21 after a four-year closure and a $20 million restoration, this historic Polynesian restaurant and dinner theater returns with its immersive experience intact — tropical gardens, Polynesian dance shows, and plenty of rum-filled cocktails. The space originally opened in 1956 when brothers Bob and Jack Thornton spent $350,000 — making it America’s most expensive restaurant project that year — and helped put South Florida’s dining scene on the map long before the region’s current restaurant boom; plumbing issues forced closure in October 2020. Managing partner Bill Fuller emphasizes authenticity, saying, "We are not a tiki bar and don’t consider ourselves a tiki bar. We are a Polynesian venue," and noting that the goal has been "to honor and preserve the rich culture and traditions that the Mai-Kai has celebrated over the last 50 years. Every detail is authentic and tells a story that is respectful and appreciative of these traditions." Working with cultural arts and entertainment director Teuruhei Buchin, the program aims to celebrate rather than appropriate Pacific Island traditions, staging twice-nightly performances of traditional music and dance that tell stories from Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, New Zealand, and the Philippines. The menu blends longtime classics with Southeast Asian–inspired additions: classic offerings return, including the Mai-Kai Pupu Platter (Shanghai chicken, crispy pork and snow crab egg rolls, cheese tangs, and crab Rangoon), barbecue ribs, Peking duck, and Shanghai chicken; new dishes include a wagyu strip steak inspired by the restaurant’s former beef, broccoli, beef, and mushroom dishes and a Kona beer‑glazed short rib utilizing island ingredients. Desserts emphasize tropical influences, such as Asian pear upside-down cake with Vietnamese coffee ice cream, Mauna Loa macadamia nut pie, and the Angry Tiki Tower (mochi, macadamia ice cream sandwiches, lychees, and grapes). At the Molokai Bar, bartender Cory Starr (previously of Chicago’s Three Dots and a Dash) refreshed the cocktail program, drawing inspiration from original bartender Mariano Licudine, a protégé of tiki legend Donn the Beachcomber, and has crafted a 57-drink menu that honors classics (including the mai tai and Black Magic) while introducing his own creations. The 26,000-square-foot building and its eight themed dining rooms were modernized by a team of theme-park veterans led by Tom “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller and artists with backgrounds at Disney and Universal: mid-century A-frame features and island artifacts were preserved while modern upgrades like DMX-controlled lighting allow customized spotlights for each table. Fuller adds, "Each guest that walks through the door will feel the energy that Bob and Jack Thornton originally created." - Olee Fowler
