Tiki Underground Fires Up Great Cocktails in Cuyahoga Falls

Husband-and-wife duo Sean and Jessie Coffey caught the tiki bug in 2017. For them, the cure was opening Tiki Underground, a Polynesian-inspired dive bar originally located on the border of Hudson and Boston Heights. The couple moved the bar to Cuyahoga Falls in 2023, and the new space transports patrons to the interior of a fictional ship adorned with grass skirting, hand-carved Witco furniture and nautical netting. 

Sean Coffey says his interest in tiki culture began while decorating his basement bar at home. A Google search led him to Don the Beachcomber, a Hollywood bar that opened in the 1930s soon after Prohibition ended. The establishment melded strong rum drinks, tropical vibes and immersive decor into the tiki bar culture we know today. 

“I found this whole world of tiki. Thousands of people follow [it],” he says. “They still, to this day, have conventions and get-togethers. … It’s an entire universe on its own.”

Tiki Underground’s drink list spans over 25 cocktails while also including draft beer, wine, spirits and alcohol-free options. Bartender Travis Bergman’s lineup includes classics like the Kahiki Kai (a drink from Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas that is made with coconut rum, coconut cream, banana spirts and pineapple with a dark rum float) and the Tropical Itch (a 1957 Hilton Hawaiian Gardens favorite featuring bourbon, rum, orange curacao, passion fruit, pineapple, lemon and a dark rum float). Then, there’s the Luau Scorpion Bowl, a 1958 concoction made with rum, gin, orange, lime, brandy and orgeat syrup. It’s meant to be split between two to four people and arrives at the table on fire.  

“We’re not just rum; it’s rum, bourbon, tequila,” Coffey says of Bergman’s ability to merge a variety of spirits into a tasty result. “He’s got a very inventive way of making cocktails, and they turn out incredible.” 

Because the drinks here are seriously strong, be sure to order from chef Justin Collins’ menu at the on-site One Bite Kitchen. Collins’ tiki bar-inspired fare ranges from panko-crusted Crab Rangoon Mozzarella Sticks to Tiki Tots to the customer-favorite Luau Sandwich (slow-roasted Kalua pork with jicama slaw and pineapple on a pretzel bun). 

1832 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls 44221, 234/380-5398, tikiunderground.com

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