Ohhh yeah, I'd been looking forward to this. Turns out you don't need a Delorean to go back in time. You just need to point your own car toward Sarasota... to Tamiami Trail, just south of University. Step inside the Bahi Hut and you're back in 1955... plus one. This local landmark dates back to 1954 and bills itself as Florida's oldest tiki bar. I'm all in for it! Outside, it's a small, cement block building with retro font lettering, right next to a vintage motel. (Perfect, if you'd had too many mai tais!) Inside, it's tiki perfection... with dim lighting, Polynesian decor and that swanky feel you can only get from mid-century modern. In my head, an instant mashup of "Bali Hai" and xylophony lounge music. When I opened the door, everyone blinked-adjusting to the sudden light-and instant realization: it's actually 2025. Well-outside, anyway. Right away, I was greeted warmly by the bartender. It was about 2pm on a Friday and fairly empty, but I know this joint is jumpin' later on. The bartender recommended the mai tai... allegedly Trader Vic's original recipe from 1944. Oh, it was good... and strong. I appreciated the presentation, history and the taste. But I opted for something different for my second drink (the laminated drink menu was a joy to behold). I went with the gorgeous blue "desert flower," which is tequila based. Ooo, that was good, too... and so pretty. Two will definitely do ya, here. I had already eaten, so didn't try any of the food offerings. But I did sip slowly and chat with the other time travelers and tropic seekers who wandered in. It was exactly what I wanted it to be. Besides bar seating, there are tables in two different areas and a great merch collection that I need to go back and study. There's also a giant thatched tiki roof (not as vintage) and patio. They need the space, since there's karaoke on Thursdays, live music on Fridays and Saturdays and drag queen bingo on Sundays. There's also a happy hour, Monday thru Thursday, from 1-6, I believe. And later this year, the Tiki Fever Convention will be held at the Bahi Hut and next door at the Golden Host motel. (November 2025) I'm not sure I can make that, but I will definitely be back. There's plenty of parking-and that big menu to work through. Cue the xylophones... and I'll see you there! read more

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Perfect old school tiki drinks and a great atmosphere! Helpful bartenders. And the drag bingo was a lot of fun. read more

Bahi Hut - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Had a nice happy hour at the Bahi Hut. Great drinks and great Old Florida atmosphere. The service was top notch. Looking forward to coming back soon! read more

Bahi Hut - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Not bad, just an odd experience. We really wanted to love this place; however the staff was off and didn't provide the hospitality that we were looking forward to. Keep your expectations low, and this is a hidden gem. I say that because we were there mid-week, and the weekends are probably way more lively. read more

Bahi Hut - An iconic sign out front. - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Looking for something offbeat and over 21? Drag Bingo at Bahi Hut is a hilarious, unforgettable night out. The bar is small but full of energy. Grab a tropical cocktail and settle in for a show - especially if Mrs. Georgia is hosting. She's fabulous, funny, and can sing. read more

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A time and thing for everyone. Outstanding old school tiki venue during the day and hopping night life spot at night. New drink menu with divergence from rum base are tasty and of course old school tiki drinks too. This place is a must stop for everyone. read more

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We love this place! What a gem. Florida's finest that everyone needs to check out. The best Mai Tai around. Food is limited but really yummy. The tiki flair is super cool. Feels like you are on vacation! A must try! read more

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What the Polynesian Bali-Hai seaside dreamscape step-into-the-past in every way possible, has this Bali-Hut been my whole life? It's the been right here. "As the nation's longest running Tiki bar, since 1954." But don't come in here with your BS and unchecked vibe; check your vibe at the door, hush your volume and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, amazing fresh strong drinks, great island music and appetizers. Paul, our bartender, crafted our drinks (1 x Hawaiian Honey Bee; 2 x Bahi Aloha) with care and brisk expertise. Good dude. Aloha and Enjoy; we will be back! read more

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I have already given this place my detailed four-star review, so I am not sure why it is asking me to review it again. I love this place for drinks and Drag bingo! read more

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Ah Bahi Hut, what a find. Florida's oldest Tiki Bar since 1954. We saw this gem right on Tamiami Trail as we departed the airport enroute to our VRBO. Fortunately for us it was only a few blocks from where we stayed because we fast became regulars. Great atmosphere and fantastic cocktails. The bartenders are extremely friendly and they gave us the entire history of the lounge and the adjoining Golden Host Resort. We told them that we were looking to move to Florida the next few years and might have settled on Sarasota. Each bartender was full of knowledge on the area and so patient in explaining what it has to offer. A must stop. Belly up to the bar and take it all in. read more

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One of the best tiki bars in Sarasota! New menu! Delicious drinks and a chill vibe. I love the Saturn and the Key Lime Daiquiri. read more

Bahi Hut - Menu - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We enjoyed the drinks, the ambiance, and the friendly staff. We can't wait to come back for another visit! Don't forget to check out the gift shop in the lobby of the hotel. We purchased lovely Tiki mug. They only do one style a year. read more

The Bahi Hut lived up to all my Tiki Bar expectations (which were high to say the least). Will was an amazing ambassador of the tiki life for someone only on the job for a month. Ownership has stayed true to the history of tiki bars. Amazing time and I'll be back! read more

Bahi Hut - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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The coolest bar. Outside doesn't look like much but inside feels like your in Hawaii or something. Enjoyed my painkiller. The tiki cup was very cute wish it wasn't $19. read more

Ok so the road appeal is not as good as it could be. Kinda looks seedy motel, but once you go into the bar and enter the old tiki bar In Florida it's very retro and tiki vibes. I had the original Mai tai and the Saturn. Nice takes on both drinks. Lots of great garnish and nice people at the bar. We went on Thursday night around 530. Only people inside some others joined but the inside was very cute. I will def go back to try some yummies for snacks. read more

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The drinks the table ordered were strong, but weren't the best tasting. They had live music, so it was nice to chill there with friends. Bartenders were nice. read more

Bahi Hut - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Great place for cocktails, really like walking into another era. Great drinks and bartender!

Very disappointed Been coming here for years, not sure what's going on there but nothing is the same. Cheap glasses, no garnishment on cocktail... Asked bartender... ran out of fresh mint, ran out of everything basically. Tasted like Cool aid with cheap rhum! Still a great atmosphere but drinks are terrible. 1944 with a slice of line, Rye Tai with a slice of orange... Poor service. Good luck! read more

Bahi Hut - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Raw chicken wings ... nuff said Drinks were weak prices way to high for what you get Tourist trap to avoid read more

TH nite karaoke = many locals & some guests. So fun. Great drink menu. Friendly bartenders.

Awesome place! Drinks were tasty, wife said strong I thought not. Ambiance was great, maybe put on the menu to keep conversations low the table behind us overpowered the mood. All and all great place, if you love Tiki this is the place for you!! read more

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We came back to see the upgrades. Hadn't been here in a few years. The last time we were here we saw construction machines in the back and company trucks filing the parking spots. Today we saw young couples and older groups coming together. The hut looked a bit cleaner, the outside was nicer too. The food truck was outside in the lot around 7 to set up. Bathrooms were clean and the place was well lit for a night of enjoyment. When I return I will come back to see how much better it gets. read more

Bahi Hut - Karaoke night. - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

What a special place! Came in during a local mini golf's group of getting rained out and was greeted like old friends and with aplomb, truly an unreplicable experience lol. Drinks were great, super boozy but not too in your face and super yummy. Shoutout to Bryan, the best bartender! read more

Disgruntled boomer Mr. Miller at the bar unable to smile or be courteous. Drinks taste like Kool-Aid. Overpriced. Tiki decorations are minimal and lackluster. Many better options in Sarasota and especially Spanish Point. read more

Bartenders Brian and Brian were both so sweet and helpful, karaoke on Thursdays are a must!!!!

The oldest tiki bar in Florida. And still going strong. It's like walking into a bar in Hawaii. Love it. Paul makes the best everything. Watch out for the sneaky tiki. It'll get you. read more

Bahi Hut - Cocktails - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I've been apprehensive about writing this review as I love tiki bars and I don't want a old gem like this to go the way of so many. However, my experience was mostly not good. It was my birthday and since my beloved Mai-Kai is still closed for renovations, I wanted to get my tiki fix elsewhere. I have known of the Bahi Hut for years, but had never had the opportunity to visit as it is several hours of driving from where we live. My (very understanding) wife surprised me with a trip to the Golden Host (which I will review separately) and Bahi Hut for my birthday weekend. We took our budding, tiki-appreciating, tweenage son with us (he himself has spent several birthdays at the Mai-Kai). We drove up after school on a Friday in time to check out the tiki cool and grab a drink (around 7:30 pm). We are aware that it was too late for our tween to sit in the bar, so we headed to the outdoor area to get a table. We were abruptly (actually, quite rudely) stopped by the bartender who told us we could not bring our son through the bar area. I asked him to let us know how to get to the patio area without getting anyone in trouble. He angrily led us out to stand by a gate that was padlocked (fire code violation?) while he went to find the key. After waiting and watching him trying multiple keys, he finally got it unlocked and let us in. While only about 3 tables were occupied, numerous others were dirty and had empty cups. We were expecting family to join us, so we ourselves cleared one of the tables that would seat us all. We were eventually assisted by another bartender who apologized for the first bartender and told us how bad the area used to be, that it was coming back, but still not there yet. She took our order and made a nice mocktail for our son. She let us know that they may get busy, so we might have to go to the bar for future orders. She also told us that while there was food on the menu, they were not serving food. But that we could bring in food from the taco truck outside. I started with the Bahi Hut Mai Tai which was way too sweet and reminded me a lot of the powdered Hurricane drink mix you can get from Pat O's. My wife got the Hawaiian Honey Bee, which she thought was decent. My son loved the mocktail. My second round was a Painkiller which was better (my wife had another Honey Bee). The bartender could not remember how she made the first mocktail, so she made a different one which my son also enjoyed. One of our family members ordered the least-pleasant drink which was the Cobra's Fang (a traditional tiki drink). It was so heavy on Pernod, it smelled like a licorice factory. All our drinks came in plastic cups which I thought was because we were in the patio area. However, when I went up to the bar to order items I noticed almost everyone at the bar was drinking from plastic cups as well. Our family members also got food from the taco truck which was good. I would say the high point of that first night was that the bar area itself had a good old-school tiki vibe. Not as immersive as most of the tiki bars I have visited, and it unfortunately reeked of industrial disinfectant, but lots of original character. I believe the experience would have been a bit better for everyone if we could have sat in there. The worst part would have to be the copious cigarette smoke that ruined the atmosphere and taste of everything in the patio area. Even though there were signs designating smoking areas outside the establishment, patrons were allowed to chain smoke mercilessly in the patio area (probably because they locked the gate back once we were inside). The experienced was saved the next day when my (post-college-age) daughter joined us with her fiancé. She wanted to see the bar and buy me a drink before we went to dinner. I had told her about how disappointed I was with our experience the night before and she wanted to make it better. She took me in (this time, since it was the afternoon, our tween was allowed in the bar area without issue). We were greeted by the afternoon bartender, Rhani - pronounced "Rainy" like a rainy day. This was laughable because she was the brightest ray of sunshine in the whole experience. For my birthday, she allowed my daughter to buy me any drink I wanted served in the volcano bowl and let us buy the volcano bowl as well. I chose the Bahi Aloha which was delicious and served with the volcano flaming. The abrupt bar tender from the night before even showed up to help her and was almost pleasant. Good thing the drink was good and approachable (for non-tiki drink people) as the bowl held over 3-drinks worth. So multiple straws were added and the adults pitched in to help. This bumped the entire experience up 2 stars for sure. If you've read this far, thank you for sticking with me. Management, please help make things better and keep this going for another 70 years. It would be a shame to lose a tiki treasure like this one. Thank you. read more

Bahi Hut - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Fun little bar. Pulled pork and Mac and cheese. Don't wear your tux. Beach wear is fine.

Fun little tiki-theme inspired dive bar in Sarasota. I don't think I have had better bar service, the guy who was making our drinks was exceptional. Creative, fun, and just super welcoming. Our family had a blast drinking the fun and tasty concoctions he mixed up for us. Prices are extremely reasonable, ranging from $7 - $13 for a drink. There is a good mix of classic tiki drinks and ones that I never heard of. For those who are not feeling the island vibe, there is also beer, wine, and margaritas. If you are hungry, there are light bites available including fries, crab rangoon, and chicken wings. The location has been around for some time so it was neat looking at older pictures and seeing how the location has changed over the years but still keeping that famous tiki-kitsch. They also sell a very cool mug and t-shirt if you are a tikiphile. read more

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Drag Queen Bingo at the Bahi is a great way to spend an evening! Laughs from start to finish ina fun and friendly environment! Thank you!!!!! read more

Good cocktails and great atmosphere! From the outside it looks closed but go inside and check it out! Happy hour 3-6 pm every day. Other events during the week. Check it out! read more

Bahi Hut - Menu - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Love love this place!!! Jordin was fantastic! Love the vibe - opened in 1954 and so sniki tiki cute! Try all the drinks. read more

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Great drinks, and great drink specials! We came in town for an event and really enjoyed ourselves here. I ended up coming back a couple times to hit up the happy hour. Al the bartenders were friendly and it's a great place to take some photos! Overall, really cool bar with killer cocktails! read more

Bahi Hut - $HH Drinks - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Such a cool spot. Authentic tiki vibe with super great service. Wish we had more time to try more of the drinks. Loved the history of this place! read more

Bahi Hut - Florida's oldest tiki - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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An amazing step back in time. Rhani was friendly, hospitable and makes a delicious cocktail. Will definitely return to this classic and historical spot. read more

Bahi Hut - Bahi coconut daiquiri - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Fantastic atmosphere. Drinks were great. Lucky to snag an awesome shirt and some sweet swag to remember our evening here. Captain Coree made us amazing drinks and set a fun, laid back atmosphere. If we were locals, we'd make this our everyday bar. Will absolutely be back. read more

Attempted to come here on a Sunday afternoon during very nice weather in Florida. Wanted to try this just because of its reputation as the oldest tiki bar in Florida... Walked in and ended up walking out almost immediately. Dark, dismal, felt dirty. Smelled of urine and feces upon entering. Two very elderly people sitting at the dark bar and that was it. Hardly any cars in the parking lot. Seems to be in a really out-of-the-way place not near anything else. read more

Bahi Hut - Outdoor entrance area looks much better than it does inside - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Looking for a happy hour in Sarasota we found this gem. An amazing bartender kept up with crazy business. Wonderful original Mai Tai. Highly recommended. read more

I like the atmosphere of the place, the service was great, AND they were nice and knowledgeable. The drinks were absolutely great, no complaints here. With that being said, I have to mention the food. I can't let this slide. That had to be the worst food that I have ever had. Nothing was home made or let alone cooked. They gave us something similar to the lunch food that is given to kids at a public school (you really don't need to use your imagination for that, it's exactly what you may be thinking). Worst of all, I was upset that I payed for that (pre frozen microwave food). We ordered 8 tacos, I thought I was actually getting 8 ., what I received was (imagine this) 8 tostito's chips folded in half with "taco meat" inside. I COULD HOLD THEM ALL IN THE PALM OF MY HAND. They costs a whopping 10 dollars. Great drinks, for is TERRIBLE read more

Bahi Hut - Lounges Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Several people told me about the Mai Tais at Bahi Hut and they did not disappoint. We went on a Saturday night and the bartender Coree helped us find a seat at the bar. She was very pleasant and makes a delicious Mai Tai! The other drinks looked good too; the couple sitting next to us ordered something else (I can't remember) and raved about how good their drink was. I am a one-drink/night girl :-) A food truck came by around 7:30 (Coree told us about it) We were able to bring our order into the bar and enjoyed the tacos. It was a nice friendly group at the bar too. Will definitely be back to try the other drinks. read more