Ventiki

VenTiki

701 E. Main Street

Ventura, CA

With a collection of Aloha shirts that would fill a fair size Hawai'ian shirt shop and enough ukuleles to cover the ukulele section of Guitar Center, I believe that I do have some of that "Tiki Vibe" that is necessary to live the kitsch-ee lifestyle of the 50's Tiki Trader. And when VenTiki opened up last year, I knew that I wanted to try it out.

So why did it take a year?

A modest friend

A couple reasons. First, I just don't hit the bars that much. Second, and more importantly, my wife didn't want to go.

But after the Ventura ArtWalk, a pleasant Saturday evening of strolling Main Street and looking at art, we decided to give VenTiki a try. 

Most of the activity at VenTiki takes place on the lanai out front, and just at the edge of the business district, the lanai makes a great location to people watch and enjoy the sunset. I especially enjoyed the blue glass fire pit that was lit just after we sat down, a feature that I'd like to someday put in my own backyard. Bamboo tables and chairs placed under large umbrellas and an aluminum awning create a comfortable outdoor space.

Though we split the ahi tuna roll, and it wasn't bad, I wouldn't consider this a food place.Like most of Hawai'i, I don't think the food goes beyond edible-my apologies to those who think that Spam, eggs and rice are the pinnacle of tropical cuisine. It was an ahi tuna roll, no more, no less. The other food I saw coming out of the tiny kitchen, which I could look into from my seat, seemed the same way. 

But it's not the food you're here for. In the tradition of Trader Vic's, (quoted on the VenTiki website) VenTiki is:

"Dedicated to those merry souls who make drinking a pleasure, Who achieve contentedness long before capacity; Who, when they drink, prove able to carry it, enjoy it, and remain ladies and gentlemen."

VenTiki is a drinking bar, but in a good way. The drinks are a bit expensive, and also a bit strong. The idea is that you're going to be there awhile. Though my wife and I were at a table for two, the lanai is conducive to larger groups, and there were groups in attendance.

In hindsight, I wish I'd have tried a traditional tiki drink, which is generally rum based, and I will on my next visit. Instead, my wife and I both had the 'modern' tiki drinks. I had the 'Shrunken Head,' which is whiskey based, while the wife went with 'The Fuzz,' which is a hibiscus fused, tequila drink. Both were strong but good. Still, when you think of classic tiki drinks like a mai tai or a zombie, you're thinking of a combination of light and dark rums. Again, at about $10 a drink, they were on the high side.

Rumor is that VenTiki is going to expand, and though I'd like the cocktails to stay the same, a more adequate 'tapas' style kitchen would be a welcome addition. 

A great place to spend the afternoon.

VenTiki II

Let's start with this-I like VenTiki. I like the look and feel of the place. I like the vibe from the employees, and the idea of tiki lounge and lanai in the beach city that I live in. The place goes well with my collection of Aloha shirts and ukuleles, and I really, really, want to like the drinks.


And that's the issue. The drinks are not cheap, and I find the drinks to be, well, something to drink. You might make a case that I'm drinking the wrong drinks, and that might be true. But with VenTiki, I've ordered drinks based on a few things. I know that I like rum and whiskey. I'm okay with tequila and vodka, but don't really care for gin. So using that bit of information, I stick with rum, whiskey, tequila and vodka based drinks, and VenTiki has several of those. And then I check the name. A good name-like say "The Alter of Sacrifice", should lead to a good drinking experience.

But it doesn't quite seem to. The drinks are generally a bit too much of something-usually sweet, but interestingly, occasionally too strong.  And you'd think too strong would be a good thing, but this is a cocktail bar, and I'm ordering a cocktail, not a shot.

Yes, the drink is on fire!

The food on my last visit was better than before, and generally seems to be improving, so that's a good thing. It's fun food, but not great food. And your really only ordering food to have something in your hand between cocktails.

There's always a crowd, and I'd be lying if I said my complaints were enough to keep me away. The outside sitting area is comfortable, and they'll light the heaters on cold nights, as well as keep the fire pit going. The inside bar area is tiny, so outside is the place to be. I'd recommend going on Tsunami Tuesday for the all day Happy Hour, and bring friends. I also like their gift shop next door, but I can't quite figure out when they're open-the gift shop hours seem to be a bit random.

And if you get the $25 Mai-Tai, it comes in a custom VenTiki mug!

I really haven't blogged much lately, and I'd forgotten that I wrote about VenTiki back in 2014, when they first opened. My opinion hasn't changed, and like I said, I'd go back again.