HFS is frankie’s better than golden tiki??
🍸 The Dazzle Dispatch: A Tiki Turnaround
I moved to Vegas about six months ago, and let’s just say — this desert daddy hasn’t exactly been drinking alone. Friends, chosen family, and a few flirty houseguests from Seattle have all rolled through, giving me the perfect excuse to go bar-hopping like it’s my full-time job (it’s not, but maybe it should be?).
Now, for years, Golden Tiki was the moment. And I mean, come on — animatronic birds, swirling fog, an actual pirate ship’s worth of décor? She’s giving full-blown Disney dark ride, and I love her for that.
But on a recent return visit, something felt… off. Still stunning to look at, but the drinks? Baby, they were giving liquid candy. Gorgeous menu, sure — pages and pages of promise — but what landed in our mugs was so sugary I ended up crashing hard. Like nap-at-7pm hard. For a second, I wondered if I got roofied — but no, it was just a tsunami of simple syrup. (And let’s be real — no one needs to go that hard to take me home.)
Enter: Frankie’s Tiki Room — the no-frills legend with low lighting, strong pours, and no fear of a good time. The drinks aren’t precious, they’re powerful. Sweet? Yes. Measured? Absolutely not. But they hit. Think: juicy, boozy, and just dangerous enough to keep it interesting. Not quite as refined as the cocktails at Stray Pirate, but definitely serving up bold island magic.
And I’m clearly not the only one catching the wave:
“Attentive service, the drinks were better, and there was no pretension.” — Reddit
“The drinks are better tasting and more boozier than Golden Tiki. I prefer Frankie’s…” — TripAdvisor
“Frankie’s offers tiki classics, too, but a point of pride is the 24 original drinks on the menu, most of them crafted of house‑made ingredients.” — Vegas Review-Journal
Now don’t get it twisted — Golden Tiki is still an absolute must-see. If you're visiting Vegas and haven’t been, go. It's theatrical, immersive, and dripping with mid-century kitsch. But if I’m being honest? Frankie’s might be quietly winning the cocktail war — one unhinged, rum-soaked creation at a time.
