Murrells Inlet couple travel world visiting tiki bars. Here’s where you can find local ones

Sep 25, 2023

It's 3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday and Matt and Jenny Gorman are sipping cocktails, relaxing underneath a thatched roof with a view of the ocean.

But they aren't on some island getaway. The couple are at one of their favorite Myrtle Beach tiki bars.

Known on Instagram and YouTube as RadioActive Tiki, the Murrells Inlet couple describe themselves as "cocktail fans trying to visit all the tiki bars." And that's what they do. The husband and wife duo travel the world visiting unique and vintage bars.

"There's a lot of other people that like these crazy places as much as I do," Matt Gorman said.

Tiki bars are usually kitschy themed drinking spots that serve elaborate cocktails and provide a tropical getaway from daily life.

The concept of tiki bars in the United States was created in the 1930s by Ernest Grant, better known as Donn Beach, who opened Don the Beachcomber in Southern California. He was followed by Victor Bergeron who opened his own tiki restaurant in Northern California after his visits to Don the Beachcomber. Bergeron earned the nickname Trader Vic's because he would offer guests free food and drink in exchange for decorative items. It also became the name of his bar.

The tiki bar trend was popular in the late 1950s and early ‘60s and then began to fall out of vogue. The concept was revived in the 1990s.

It's hard to nail down just how many tiki bars there are in the United States.

Gorman said there are new ones popping up all over the country.

Many of them are beach bars that embrace the tiki concept of great cocktails. But for Gorman, he tries to focus on the vintage ones – those that take "cocktails seriously and the decor has to be over the top."

The 8th Ave Tiki Bar & Grill along Ocean Boulevard downtown is one of them.

The bar is filled with Polynesian decor, including masks, shrunken heads, statues, puffer fish, bamboo on the walls, thatched roofs and other oceania items.

This is the bar's 10th season and every year there are more items added to the restaurant's tiki collection.

The Gormans have been documenting their tiki travels for the last two years.

Matt Gorman got the idea to document their visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, when his favorite restaurant closed down.

"It kind of solidified our desire to visit these restaurants while they are still there," the 38-year-old said. "We wanted to share it with people."

The couple have visited bars in Europe and the northeastern United States. Now, they are focusing on the southern coast. They take their vacations to visit different locations.

Since May 2022, the couple have been to more than 30 tiki bars in 10 different states and Switzerland and London.

Recently, they have been to Wilmington, North Carolina, and had plans this month to visit bars in Atlanta and Savannah.

Having only been in the area for a year, the Gormans are still exploring the Myrtle Beach area for those vintage tiki bars. But when they find them, Matt Gorman plans to enjoy them while they are still around.

"They’re like little time capsules," Gorman said. "I just wish they wouldn't close down."

8th Ave. Tiki Bar & Grill

The Myrtle Beach oceanfront bar at 708 N Ocean Blvd. is in its 10th season and offers a creative tiki bar craft cocktails menu. Both inside and outside seating provides a panoramic ocean view.

Coconuts Tiki Bar and Grill

A walk up beach bar and grill located at 400 N Ocean Blvd. in North Myrtle Beach. Cocktails are just one of the things served up at this oceanfront location.

Patio's Tiki Bar & Grill

Located along the Intracoastal Waterway, this Little River outdoor restaurant at 4495 Mineola Ave. includes a tiki bar and sprawling tri-level deck.

Drunken Parrot Tiki Bar

An outdoor tiki bar at 1908 N Ocean Blvd. in North Myrtle Beach. Drunken Parrot at Flantasy Island offers drinks, food and music.

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