Tucana Tiki Bar — Restaurant in Birmingham

This place is a bunch of hits with a few misses. Came here the other night with a few friends and had a pretty decent time. The bar has two floors and is sort of a weird mixture of classy and tacky. Kinda reminded me of an upscale tiki bar in S. Korea if you've ever been to one. My friend commented that the disco balls were cheesy, but otherwise it was really swanky rattan furniture.

The music was great as far as it being a Millennial paradise from the early 90s to early 00s, but it definitely was catering to a certain demographic only after about 9:30PM. Either way, it was fun to sing along.

The drinks were expensive. I mean, not just for Bham, but just in general. $14 for the Army Navy cocktail (was too sweet) and it was this tiny cocktail glass with no decor to speak of save for a slice of rind in the bottom displacing more alcohol anyway.

That aside, our friend ordered two "ammo bowls" as we call them in the military in the ROK. One was a flamingo with a bunch of ingredients (I remember green tea being one because I hate it but could barely taste it, the drink was so good). It was the equivalent of 6 drinks for $90.

Then, he ordered one with monkeys and Runts bananas on top which was adorable and absolutely delicious. I was worried it would be nothing but banana aftertaste but it definitely wasn't. The drinks (save for the Army Navy one) were all top-notch, they're just too expensive. This is AL, not DC. You can't expect to charge DC prices when people are surrounded on all sides by.....well, Alabama.

Aside from the great drinks and decent atmosphere, our server was rude. I don't mean like, we were mean to her or disrespectful to her and it warranted a response. I mean, from the moment we walked in and she sat us, she was rude (white brunette chick with lots of piercings, in case anyone's wondering). We were so friendly with her, despite her aloof attitude, tried to joke with her, apologized profusely after our friend accidentally knocked over a water glass, etc., and she never once smiled and never said goodbye back to us as we left and thanked her but, instead, turned her back to us as we walked past.

She kept rushing us out of there or maybe to pay because our friend ordered us $200 worth of drinks. It was like people being followed by an employee at a department store. I wanted to say, "Sweetheart, he retired in his 30s. He's got the cash, TRUST." He even tipped her 20% on that tab despite her piss-poor attitude. She doesn't need to be in customer service, so y'all should reconsider her employment there.

I don't think we'll make it a regular spot but maybe we'll try to come back when our super friendly waitress isn't...

If you haven't been to Tucana in Birmingham, you're missing something very special. We had dinner at a Cuban restaurant, then went to Tucana afterwards. From the minute we walked in the door, we were made to feel like VIPs. The bartenders truly know their craft, and seem super happy to be there. If you need an intro to tiki cocktails, it's perfect. The menu changes, but always includes classic tiki recipes from the 30s and 40s (Zombie, Cobra Fang, Demerara Float), along with fresh and inventive takes on the genre. While it's not decorated in what I consider a "classic" Polynesian pop style, Tucana feels tropical and fun. It's just the right balance of old and new school tiki that's needed to bridge the age gap from our parents' generation to a fresh, young crowd. Pro tip: get the Chex mix. (You're welcome!)

Additionally, the owner and self-described "Chief Concoction Officer," Nicky Tisdale, clearly loves her calling. What an incredible young woman! Her hospitality is second to none, and you can tell she's poured her heart and soul into Tucana. I am proud to support this woman-owned business and can't wait to return. MAHALO,...

Had such a great experience at Tucana Tiki Bar! The atmosphere is fun and welcoming, the drinks are fantastic, and the staff works hard to make sure everyone is taken care of, even on a packed Saturday night. My group was seated at the bar first and then moved to a table as soon as one opened up, and the transition was smooth and friendly. It’s clear they do their best to accommodate everyone fairly. If your party is seated somewhere undesirable (like the stools for instance) you are only there temporarily until other seating opens up! The staff will happily communicate this with you and try to make you as comfortable as possible until a group that arrived earlier leaves. A group of 3 got frustrated with this and left missing out on a night of wonderful tikki fun after waiting less than 10 minutes at the stools in front of my group. Can’t wait to come back for another round of cocktails...