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    Tropic Thunder

    4.7 (41 reviews)
    ModerateTiki Bars

    Tropic Thunder Photos

    TROPIC THUNDER ATMOSPHERE

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    Painkiller
    Julie R.

    Love this place! Amazing service and drinks! For sure a must in downtown phoenix! Best tiki bar in phoenix, stop in to Trey he's the best bartender around.

    Vlad V.

    When it comes to bars, I've always been a huge fan of speakeasies and tiki bars. After hanging out with some friends in the area, we made our way over to Tropic Thunder on a Monday night for a nightcap. Located in Roosevelt Row close to Industry Standard, this tiki bar just opened the other week. I parked on the street right across from the bar using metered parking. Ambiance (5/5): As I walked to the entrance, I saw two large tikis outside. My type of place. Upon entering, I was immediately impressed with the classic tiki vibes. Dimly lit, awesome decor, with the laid-back feel you hope from a true tiki bar. There's an awesome mural as you walk in and some pretty entertaining pictures of some topless women on your way to the bathroom. There's seating at the bar, high tops, and tables, and some comfortable couches. Tropic Thunder makes for a cool date spot. Service (3.5/5): A good amount of people for a Monday night but they were nowhere near capacity. The bartenders weren't the most attentive, but once you got their attention, you were in the clear. Upon closing my tab, I was only given the merchant copy of the receipt rather than both the merchant copy and the customer copy. This is a pet peeve of mine. It doesn't happen often, but I've seen other bars do it too. I can always ask for my customer receipt, but it just makes things easier when an establishment is proactive with it. Food (N/A): Tropic Thunder doesn't have food, but they allow you to bring food from elsewhere if you'd like to chow down. Drinks (4.5/5): There are tiki classics on the menu like the painkiller, zombie, daiquiris. and more, along with some unique selections. It's an interesting menu overall. When I think tiki drinks, I think sweet drinks that pack a punch, a rum-heavy selection, the use of fire, and cool glassware. I opted for a cocktail with Haitian rum which was a first for me. I'm always a fan of trying new things. It was served in a really cool black tiki mug that was part tiki and part turtle. It was everything I was hoping for. Flavorful and boozy. With a cinnamon stick for good measure. Pro Tip: If you've seen the movie Tropic Thunder, you might as well check out the tiki bar (no association). Especially if you're a fan of tiki bars like me. While I won't give the whole secret away, if you order the most expensive drink on the menu, there will be some cool theatrics that come with it. Awesome to have another tiki bar in the valley!

    Outside
    Josie J.

    Service was great! I don't remember our bartenders name but she was blonde and very nice!! The drinks were a little much- I ordered the one with dates and it was good but hard on the stomach! Pisco sours were good! Would like to come back and try some other options. Decor was very cute

    Crystal Z.

    This place is still brand new. This place feels like a Quentin Taratino dialogue in the best way possible! This is unique from Under Tow, Strong Water, and other known Tiki Bars in that you enter, find a seat, if not seated at the bar you will need to come up and order from the bartender. The menu isn't vast and overwhelming like Under Tow can be--which is nice. However...I must admit...personal opinion here--I wish they had more of a menu. Two of their cocktails weren't available. We came on a Monday (so that was a bummer). I ordered 2 cocktails from their Tropic Thunder Originals--both were yummy. The vibe and ambiance is awesome! We definitely will be back. The fiance already blasted our photos to friends who now want to come check it out. Excited to see how this place flourishes

    Denise M.

    Love this new Roosevelt Row bar! I saw it described as a tiki dive bar, but I didn't see anything divey about it. There is no host, just walk in and find a place. It was pretty full when we got there, but we found seats at the bar. By the time we left, it was standing run only. The decor and theme of this place is awesome. For the time you walk up and see the tikis with glowing eyes outside, it is definitely "tiki." When you walk in there is a room with stools and a bar that runs along the wall and is super cool tiger mural. When you walk pass that entry, you'll see a long bar with seats along the edge and a grass canopy. There are high top tables with stools and some boots along the wall. There are carved tiki poles that are super cool, and the the coolest thing--a giant skull with a seat inside. The lights are all blue and magenta and they have glass balls hanging from the ceiling. As far as I can tell, the only way to get your drinks is to walk up to the bar. Because we were a little ways from where people stand in line and walk up, it took a bit of time to get a bartender to help us. We finally ordered a couple of drinks and they were delicious. They actually bought us a third cocktail on the house to apologize for the wait, which really wasn't that long. It's quite a large cocktail menu, and they are divided up into sections. The drinks were very, very good and relatively inexpensive. This is a really fun place to go. It's Roosevelt Row, so parking can be a bit tricky. They're also a lot of great restaurants around there so it's a great place to grab a drink before dinner.

    Omari D.

    Learn from one of my fellow Yelpers that this spot recently opened, and as a Tiki Bar fan, it was a must for me to try out... even on a Monday night!!! After a few of us finished up at a nearby Yelp event, we wanted to keep the party going, so we came here to support & check out the new spot. Great way to celebrate absolutely nothing, but if it was a celebration, it was a celebration of enjoying all the great things in life! They had a variety of cocktails. The owner and bartender Meg... absolutely amazing, and I love the whole vibe as I felt like I was transported to someplace different than Phoenix during that time. Looking forward to coming back and trying some more cocktails... Especially the one that said "2 Drink Max"... Yeah, I'm on that one!!! Currently no kitchen, but they are partnering with nearby spots for food delivery while there... luv it!

    Sabrina H.

    What I got: Classic daiquiri Holy cow this place is awesome been waiting a hot minute for it to open and now it's my new fav bar/speakeasy the coolest place ever the decor really on point you can tell the love and care that went into here plus the menu is huge you gotta check it out no food if you want that but alot of places close close that have that

    Menu

    This place is amazing! Excellent drinks, service, and ambiance is surreal and really well done. Well worth the visit!

    Chilling in the skull seat. Lol
    Kim H.

    My 3rd time here and I'm in love. The decor is so freaking cool. Total tiki bar vibe. Sam, Trey and the staff are fabulous! The drinks are potent and delicious. If you like rum, cool tiki decor then you need to come here

    Menu
    Rosie P.

    Super cute bar and friendly bartender. Most drinks on the menu lean on the sweet side but everything we got was well balanced. The booth was spacious and the vibes were chill. You can tell that there was a lot of love put into all the details of the bar.

    Jessica B.

    Great tiki bar in downtown Phoenix. The ambiance makes you feel like you have been swept away to an island. The bar tenders were super nice and quick making elaborate drink. They don't serve any food yet but that would be a benefit.

    Bar area
    Jessica B.

    AMAZING visuals and art for cool photos ! It was quiet and intimate , seems like a great date night spot ! I'd definitely come back

    Happy hour and mocktails
    Jennifer T.

    We missed the free alcohol tasting to Mae your own rum drink apparently but umm I would definitely come back to catch this again! The staff was definitely not afraid to help out and we all agree they probably have the hottest bouncer on this block ‍‍‍I definitely did not notice the naked boobie pics in the previous reviews so I was so shocked I had to touch them idk why this is an instant impulse for late 70s looking topless pics but they were definitely a whole vibe. It might've also just been dark but I could've sworn I saw Chrissy T in there too needless to say my friend and I had a very eventful visit

    Dark ritual

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    2 months ago

    Very nice vibes, bartender Ryan was very nice and personable, drinks were great, will definitely be back

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    2 months ago

    Great bartenders, great atmosphere, rad tunes. Undersea decor makes this a great new a Roosevelt street hangout.

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    3 months ago

    Fun tiki bar with a cool atmosphere and great drinks. I highly recommend going during HH and ordering the pain killer!

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    Review Highlights - Tropic Thunder

    There are carved tiki poles that are super cool, and the the coolest thing--a giant skull with a seat inside.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Pigtails

    Pigtails

    (261 reviews)

    $$

    First of all I cannot understate the quality of the service I received. Eulalio had other tables,…read morebut we consistently got our drinks and food quickly without errors, even when they were on the complicated side. He is a true boon to the business! The restaurant itself is hidden inside another called Coabana, but there is a door clearly labeled Cocktails to get to it. Through the door the hustle and bustle of the busy restaurant outside gives way to a cocktail bar that feels much more intimate, with dark lighting and quieter music than is playing outside. It was perfect to converse and enjoy drinks with friends! This time we went with some friends, and each of us could not stop talking about how good everything was! We started with In To The Blue shots for the table, which were so good we wished we had sipped them. Then we ordered our first round of drinks and food. We shared a plate of nachos and they had the perfect balance of toppings and chips, then my partner and I ordered some tacos and a Cubano Sammie. The sandwich was delicious, much better than the average Cubano I've come across in Phoenix. The tacos were also great, and $11 for 3 was a steal! Our friends also got tacos, which they enjoyed. My partner ordered Cupid's Dagger and the Insomniac to drink, and she loved both of them! Cupid's Dagger was also served with a bubble of smoke and it was on a little silver tray, which was cool. I ordered the Son of a Peach and Femme Fatale, and they were both delicious. The Femme Fatale was also served inside of a wooden cake tray filled with smoke, which was a very cool experience and added to the flavor of the drink. All in all this is not just a restaurant, but an experience. And if you have some money to go out in downtown Phoenix, I would say this experience is not one to miss! If you can, try to get a table with Eulalio because he is excellent!

    Tonight was my first time visiting Pig Tails, and unfortunately, it will be my last. Your website…read morestates you close at 11:00 PM. We arrived at 9:55 PM and were met with extremely rude service and were basically kicked out. There was no hospitality, no explanation--just an attitude that made us feel completely unwelcome. This is not how customers should be treated, especially during a first visit. Very disappointing experience.

    Trophy Room - Walkway to the exit adorned  by multiple bullets overhead

    Trophy Room

    (130 reviews)

    Cool small speakeasy located inside of Wren & Wolf. We went before our dinner reservations. You…read morehave 90 mins and NO PHONES. Once you're let inside a side door you have to lock your phones up. My reaction was "you're kidding, right", then I said, let's do it. You keep the key to your numbered box. This is such a perfect way to disconnect from your phone and have ongoing conversations with no interruption. I kept attempting to show our bartender the activities we did while in Arizona, but forgot I didn't have my phone lol. We had a good ole time with our bartender (male, forgot his name but I've learned he's afraid of heights and won't go on a hot air balloon ride LOL!!). He made this drink something near an old fashioned but it was topped with an entire gingerbread cookie, I had about 3. Oh, and the staff all had on Christmas pajamas as uniform. So cute & comfy! Keep in mind we have no sense of time so we were nervous about being late to our reservations for Wren & Wolf.. the hostess assured us she would come get us and escort us to the table in time. And she did. We weren't finished our last drinks but was able to carry them over to the restaurant.

    A speakeasy apart of wren and wolf. I'm a big fan of speakeasy's so I was excited to try the trophy…read moreroom. I made a reservation online, they take a payment for each person that goes to your tab. In the end you basically get 2 drinks to pay off your reservation fee. Only drinks served here, no food. You have a certain amount of time for your reservation as well. You also put your phones away before entering. Overall it was good but I'm not sure if I'll to do it again.

    Platform 18 at Century Grand

    Platform 18 at Century Grand

    (598 reviews)

    $$$

    We visited Platform 18 back in August (2025). My friend made a reservation for us. It's $12/person…read moreand the deposit is used towards the bill. Upon entering, we were transported to the Roaring 20s and it felt like we were actually riding on a train. We were seated at the bar which is where I prefer to sit. Our bartender for the evening was Remington. The menu is pretty extensive. Remington explained the layout of the menu and was great at making suggestions based on our preferences. Some of the drinks we ordered came with snacks which let me know that our selections were more spirit forward. The snacks of course complimented the flavors of the cocktails very well. I started with Beware the Papparazzi. It's a vodka based cocktail that had a sweet, tart, yet balanced taste. It also came with a surprise that I won't spoil. I also had The Film Star which is essentially a Vesper. It was good, but extremely boozy! It came with caramel popcorn. The sweet and saltiness of the popcorn complimented the drink well. Great drinks and a great vibe! Platform 18 was one of my favorite bars that I visited during my trip and I will definitely be back the next time I visit Phoenix.

    The 5 star rating here isn't by accident. They understand their craft very well. If you look at the…read moredrink prices and are uncomfortable with $16+ that's normal. Just know that here it's worth it. I am tired of going to bars that serve mules or manhattans at $15 or so. Here when you pay for a drink you are getting something rare, unique, and bold. That isn't to even cover the experience and service. Far and away this experience is one of a kind and doesn't really break the bank. We were kindly greeted and welcomed into Platform 18. Our server was Raquel, and she was amazing. Here interest in knowing what things you liked drinking, and giving a couple recommendations. She steered me towards a few tequila drinks that I love, whereas my wife loving the Banana Pudding drink. Also do not sleep on their rich "wicked city" ice cream. One of the most deeply chocolatey ice creams Ive ever had.

    Sunny's Lounge

    Sunny's Lounge

    (52 reviews)

    We went for the Halloween pop up and honestly it was great! Not too loud, fun crowd, bartenders…read morewere fast and attentive, and Anna was just the sweetest! The seasonal drinks were decent, but their classics are the fan favorite for us. There is a pool table as well and some table seating and decent enough parking. I'd love to see other themed popups here (Christmas starts around mid November), but may swing by on a normal day too!

    After attending a concert, I was looking for a bar to make a pit stop at for a drink on my way…read morehome. Sunny's Lounge was in the area, and I had passed by it before, so I decided to stop by on a Saturday night. They have a small parking lot and I was able to find a spot. If you can't find a spot, you can park for free on a side stret. Ambiance (4/5): Dive-ish is a nice way to put it. Small. But also homey and cool. There's a pool table in the corner with some seating that surrounds it. Plus some seating at the bar. Service (5/5): Friendly and attentive service. Which goes a long way. I was greeted promptly, the bartender answered my questions, and he was friendly. Everything I look for at a bar. Food (N/A): I had dinner earlier that night, so I was on a liquid diet, but Sunny's does have a limited menu mainly consisting of snacks and hot dogs. While I didn't try any of the food, there is some creativity with their food options, so I'd like to give them a try next time around. Drinks (4.5/5): While Sunny's is dive-ish, they are known for their cocktails. And they have an interesting list of creative craft cocktails to choose from. Including some tiki drinks that seem to be a collaboration with Undertow, a nearby tiki bar. Perhaps they're owned by the same people? Either way, I liked it. There's sophistication in their cocktails, which I'm always a fan of. Sunny's is a cool spot. My preference would be to go on a weekday, because if you're trying to play pool, one pool table is not enough when there's a crowd.

    Tropic Thunder - tikibars - Updated May 2026

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