Trader Vic's in Oakland claims to have invented the ultimate tiki cocktail in 1944: the Mai Tai. Though this is still in dispute there is no argument that they make a mean Mai Thai. Read more
I love a good tiki drink, but these err on the side of drinkable diabetes. Keep it simple with a spirit-forward beverage or wine and definitely order off the Polynesian-inspired dinner menu.
I can only talk about what is not good. Trader Vic's is no more. The legendary bar in The Beverly Hilton was replaced in Feb 2017 by a cold, non-descript bar you would find in an airport. Dull, dull.