Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Florida Fort Lauderdale Mai-Kai Restaurant
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Mai-Kai Restaurant

When you can't get to the Pacific, just go to Florida.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Added By
Hailey Shannon
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Mai-Kai’s roadside sign.   Ed Schipul/Flickr
Mai-Kai Restaurant.   Sam Howzit/Flickr
A ’50s Mai-Kai promotional image.   1950sUnlimited/Flickr
“Tiki” figures in the Mai-Kai’s gardens.   Sam Howzit/Flickr
A “tiki” figure in the Mai-Kai’s gardens.   Sam Howzit/Flickr
Dancers and musicians at the Mai-Kai, circa 1950s.   1950sUnlimited/Flickr
The Mai-Kai’s floor show, present day.   Sam Howzit/Flickr
The Mai-Kai’s floor show, present day.   Sam Howzit/Flickr
A performer with conch shell and fire stick at the Mai-Kai.   Sam Howzit/Flickr
Portion of the show   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Signature dishes at the Mai Kai   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
  dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
  leslipeterson / Atlas Obscura User
Reopening November 1, 2024!   Uncle Jim / Atlas Obscura User
“Volcano” in the valet area   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
  dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
  dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
  dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
  dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
  dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Drinks at the bar   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Portion of the show   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Before Fort Lauderdale was the spring break destination we know it as today, it was a dusty rural town. As such, people were surprised when, in 1956, brothers Bob and Jack Thornton took out a hefty loan to bring South Seas flair to South Florida in the form of the Mai-Kai Restaurant. 

The gamble paid off: The novelty spot was a hit, grossing $1 million in its first year. For those who couldn't afford to fly to Tahiti or Hawaii, a tiki bar in Florida was plenty authentic. Customers were drawn into the towering A-frame structure by the warm glow of tiki torches out front. The decor and magnitude of the place really sold it. For example, a massive Tahitian canoe from the owner's wedding was strung from the ceiling among fishing buoys and palm leaves. The bar was constructed of surfboards, lined nose to tail along the length of the numerous dining rooms.

But the floor show, which still goes strong today, was the Mai-Kai's truly unique selling point. Dancers and flame-throwers, many of whom hailed from Polynesian islands, performed nightly shows. The perceived exoticism of these performances, not to mention the fact that waitresses and bartenders alike were scantily clad in bikinis and sarongs, made the Mai-Kai's simple dinner-and-a-show format seem like a destination worth traveling for on its own.

The Mai-Kai has been placed on Florida's National Register of Historic Places. Since its opening it has almost doubled in size. The eight dining rooms are each themed after different Polynesian Islands, though in all truth, no Polynesian Island ever looked like the Mai-Kai. It's aesthetic is much like it was at the height of tiki culture in the late '60s, so a visit to the Mai-Kai is like stepping into a fantasy of the past.

Update November 2024, Mai-Kai has reopened after being closed for repairs.

Related Tags

Tiki Restaurants Bars Unique Restaurants & Bars Shops

Know Before You Go

Kids are welcome here. Be sure to tell them in the reservation that you have kids, and they will make sure you get an ideal table. There is also a kids menu. Get there prior to your reservation so that you have time to stroll the gardens, and pay the extra $3 for premium parking so that your car is available first when the show lets out and everyone in the restaurant is trying to get out at the same time (valet options only.)

Community Contributors

Added By

hcshannonart

Edited By

bryanr115, leslipeterson, Molly McBride Jacobson, howler4x4...

  • bryanr115
  • leslipeterson
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • howler4x4
  • jjonesreynolds
  • ch12ow12
  • amandajroy76 33507d04
  • Uncle Jim
  • dibbiejane

Published

August 2, 2016

Updated

December 6, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://critiki.com/location/mai-kai-fort-lauderdale-60/
  • http://maikai.com/images/stories/articlePDFS/MAI%20KAI%20HISTORY%2009.pdf
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai-Kai_Restaurant
  • https://365atlantatraveler.com/things-to-do-in-south-florida/
  • https://365atlantatraveler.com/things-to-do-in-fort-lauderdale-with-kids/
Mai-Kai Restaurant
3599 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
United States
26.172434, -80.119973
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

'Thrive'

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

miles away

Leslie Nielsen's Gravesite

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

miles away

Swap Shop and Thunderbird Drive-In Theater

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale

Florida

Places 4
Stories 1

Nearby Places

'Thrive'

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

miles away

Leslie Nielsen's Gravesite

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

miles away

Swap Shop and Thunderbird Drive-In Theater

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale

Florida

Places 4
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

Twirl Paper Umbrellas at the Vintage Tiki Bars That Taught Americans to Relax

restaurants

By Molly McBride Jacobson

Related Places

  • The Tonga Room’s pool.

    San Francisco, California

    The Tonga Room

    Tiki luxury on Nob Hill.

  • Dining room at Trader Vic’s Atlanta.

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Trader Vic's

    Mai Tais and Navy Grog served up in one of the original tiki bars.

  • The bar at the Shameful Tiki Room.

    Vancouver, British Columbia

    The Shameful Tiki Room

    A high point in Vancouver kitsch.

  • Las Vegas, Nevada

    Frankie's Tiki Room

    The best Tiki bar in Las Vegas.

  • Behind the bar at Tiki Ti.

    Los Angeles, California

    Tiki-Ti

    Established in the '60s, a family-owned tropical drink bar founded by Ray Buhen, bartender to the stars.

  • Las Vegas, Nevada

    Golden Tiki

    Keen eyes can find the Disney influences throughout this treasure trove of a tiki bar.

  • He’s definitely watching you.

    Nashville, Tennessee

    Chopper

    Feast on award-winning birria tacos from a food truck inside this neon robo-tiki bar.

  • Hoppin John Risotto

    Williamsburg, Virginia

    Chowning’s Tavern

    Enjoy dishes that founding fathers once ate at this Colonial Williamsburg pub.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.