Hawaii West

Name: Hawaii West
Address: 729 Vallejo St., San Francisco, California, 94133, US
Telephone: (415) 368-9183
Price range: $
Rating: 4

$ • Tiki Bar, Hawaiian, Cocktail Bar

Hours:
729 Vallejo St., San Francisco
(415) 368-9183

Menu Order Online

About Hawaii West

Hawaii West is a longtime watering hole that has seen better days. While it was once a legitimate tiki bar, the current decor is a mix of vintage elements, including an Elvis photo and a provocative boudoir blow-up. The ambiance is more akin to a garage sale than a tropical paradise, with a rustic tiki statue and a tropical cocktail menu as the only nods to its tiki roots.

The bartender is attentive, and the cocktails, such as the Pina Colada and the Hawaiian Volcano, are serviceable, though they lack the fruity accoutrements one might expect. The overall approach to the establishment is one of laissez-faire, with a faux-leather couch, a pool table, and a pointless rock wall covered by a jukebox that may or may not work.

Despite its shortcomings, there is a certain charm to Hawaii West, a tiki heart that beats beneath its shabby exterior. It's a place where the who-cares attitude is part of the appeal, a dumpster fire of a dive bar that transports visitors back in time to when bars were nothing more than bars.