"After walking through a refrigerator door, a fog-filled lava rock tunnel leads the way into a spacious tropical bar filled with booths, fire pit tables, and swings. Paired with small plates and snacks — such as the shrimp lettuce wraps with cucumber and avocado, and the tuna tartare cones with black truffle — the cocktails range from the classic to tiki favorites and shareable punch bowls. Served in tiki cups and elegant glassware, more interesting cocktails include the Banana Beach Bonfire with mezcal, pineapple, and a hibiscus amaro float. Larger parties often ask for a punch bowl for sharing — Hamilton’s Hornblower is a concoction made of rum, champagne, pomegranate, cinnamon, and other island flavors." - Roxana Becerril
"Sippin’ Santa returns to the Pacific Beach tiki bar through December 31. The tropical space has been thoroughly decorated for the holidays, providing a festive setting for holiday favorites like the Jingle Bird and original Sippin’ Santa as well as new cocktails like a Snowball’s Chance in Hilto, a shareable tiki drink, and the Silent Nightcap, a shot featuring dark chocolate, espresso, and mint and orange liqueurs." - Candice Woo
"Since 2016, Pacific Beach’s not-so-secret freezer door has led to a cozy tiki bar with flaming head fireplaces, bamboo, and pineapple skull accents. It’s a core spot for San Diego’s second wave of tiki bars, blending Polynesian decor with an American twist. It is an undoubtedly cool space to enjoy the rum rhapsodies of the past and the present. In 2022, owner Matt Spencer expanded by opening Captain’s Quarters, a life at sea-themed cocktail bar next door." - Kelly Bone
"Tiki culture has always been a thing in San Diego, from old-school favorites that serve up classic (read: strong) mai tais, zombies, and scorpion bowls, to new wave tiki bars like The Grass Skirt that bring modern tiki interpretations ranging from plush and fruity to refreshing and crisp. Dive into its updated take on the time-honored daiquiri with the Grass Skirt Daiquiri featuring its own Grass Skirt Jamaican rum, Grass Skirt overproof Belizean rum, lime, saline, and sugar, and you’ll be dancing the hula in no time." - Mary Beth Abate
"Good Time Poke, which formerly fronted the popular tiki spot, is being transformed into a shared entryway that’ll also lead into an adjacent 1,472-square-foot space dubbed the Captain’s Quarters." - Candice Woo