Photo via Don the Beachcomber
Don the Beachcomber's indoor seating comes complete with a small lamp for each table setting and ocean-green tufted booths encapsulated with ceramic tiles reminiscent of breeze blocks.
A new tiki bar and restaurant based on a nostalgic concept that started in Hollywood, California in the ‘30s recently debuted at 15015 Madeira Wy. Suite 100.
Don the Beachcomber is on the bottom floor of the Cambria Hotel and promises to bring paradise to all who walk through the doors. Every inch of the place pays homage to the tiki concept, from the Polynesian music and decor to the Hawaiian staff shirts down to the bamboo bar and tableware. Although the theme runs deep, it does so in a thoughtful and immersive way that avoids feeling campy and instead offers patrons a welcome moment of escapism.
The open-air concept contributes to the tropical ambience, as does the thatched roof that extends over the outdoor patio, which fittingly has a view of Boca Ciega Bay. The intimate indoor seating comes complete with a small lamp for each table setting and ocean-green tufted booths encapsulated with ceramic tiles reminiscent of breeze blocks. The walls are engraved with Polynesian carvings and there’s a small yet enviable collection of traditional tiki mugs behind the bar. The adjacent gift shop has a light selection of souvenirs to take home that ranges from hats and T-shirts to postcards and coconut shaped tiki mugs.
The origin of Don the Beachcomber is an intriguing story of adventure and an interest in all things exotic. The man who inspired the concept, born Ernest Gantt, developed a passion for travel early in life and was especially drawn to the tropical climates of the Caribbean and South Pacific His nomadic lifestyle gained him the nickname of “Donn Beach,” and he opened his first namesake tiki bar in 1934, undoubtedly pioneering the tiki cocktail movement in the U.S. He is credited with creating many drink recipes that are now staples of mixology and was a firm believer in using only fresh juices and multiple spirits, a move which was highly unusual at the time.
These founding principles of traditional tiki drink culture have been meticulously preserved at Don the Beachcomber. The extensive drink menu, which has a hand-drawn look that's becoming popular in new concepts, features traditional rum tiki drinks like mai tais and painkillers in addition to new twists with gin and tequila. There are also non-tiki classics like old fashioneds and the trendy espresso martini, as well as a limited selection of beer and wine and a mocktail list.
The food menu is equally as impressive, and it’s recommended that first timers order the pupu platter to experience an appetizer portion of several of the kitchen's most popular dishes. The platter, which comes complete with an active (and safely covered) flame to complete the tiki vibe, includes succulent sticky rib skewers that melt in your mouth, house-made coconut shrimp and some of the best crab rangoons you’ll ever have. No offense to the beloved hole in the wall versions, but these actually taste like fresh crab meat and less like a fishy cream cheese paste. Vegetarians can substitute any of the options with tempura cauliflower.
Photo via Don the Beachcomber
Don the Beachcomber's menu is equally as impressive, and it’s recommended that first timers order the pupu platter.
Don the Beachcomber offers a weekday happy hour from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. with $2 off house wine, wells, and drafts. The kitchen is open until 11 p.m. nightly, but the bar stays open until 1 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. As is often the case with beach towns, parking can be a little tricky, so your best bet is to valet at the Cambria Hotel for a three-hour rate of $7.
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