The Tiki Terrace

This tiki-themed bar and restaurant has relocated from its former Prospect Heights digs to a new location with double the seating in Des Plaines. This place is serious about the theme, with bamboo and thatching cover every inch of the walls, and lush tropical greenery, palm trees, Maori statues and carved-wood tables and booths. The bar serves up more than 100 tropical drinks, including traditional mai tais and zombies, all poured into various tiki glasses and garnished with fruit and umbrellas. Groups looking to kick-start their night out should zero in on the volcano bowls, massive four-person drinks set aflame and served with 18-inch straws. Chef Rich Lazaro cooks up dishes such as tasty shredded pork, chicken with traditional tonkatsu sauce, Korean barbecued shortribs and a plate of garlicky chicken wings with a sauce so secret he's been known to peel the labels off jars of ingredients in the kitchen. Friday and Saturday night, expect a reservation-only a fixed-price dinner with a Polynesian dance show that's interactive enough to keep groups and special-occasion parties entertained. After 11, DJs spin to lend a nightclub vibe.

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Chicago restaurants, Des Plaines restaurants, Chicago bars, Des Plaines bars, Hawaiian restaurants, Pacific restaurants