Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge

This place is a great idea. Authentic tiki bowls, with some fire floating on a lime. I liked the vibe, and a the dollar bills hanging at the bar. With that said, I had a very bad experience at this place. Went with my GF, and their credit card machines were down. We went to a bar down the street (where we should have stayed at) and got some cash out.
When we went back in, the place was still pretty full. We had trouble getting seats at the bar, but when we did, we were ignored for a good 10 minutes. Finally, we put in our order for a scorpion bowl. For $ 20, we were both VERY disappointed. This bowl is more suited for 1 person, vs 2. We both didn’t really catch a buzz, so we paid and left.
The place was also very small. You can only pack so many hipsters in a trendy bar, so either find a way to expand it, or move to a bigger location. It felt very claustrophobic.

We ordered drinks and shared the same table as another couple right next to us we didn’t know. We finished our drinks before the other couple and the bartender came up to the table and asked the other couple if they wanted refills. Then walked away. … She didn’t even acknowledge that our cups were empty, or didn’t even check in to see how we were doing. What lousy customer service. Don’t recommend this place esp for the customer service and lack of hospitality.

Love this place… Came in Saturday staff was great and drinks on point! Drinks are a bit complicated so it may take some time, but super worth it. Will be back soon!

Alright spot. On a weekday it was slow as expected. Just wanted to drop by and get drinks after work with a friend. Service was very slow even when it wasn’t packed. I can get mixed drinks faster in the city with two bartenders than the tiki lounge which had over 4 bartenders that night.

Just moved to Oakland. And being a Tiki Enthusiast Myself, this is one of the best tiki establishments I’ve been too. Went on a Saturday night where they played rockabilly jive and was in tiki heaven. Even bought two souvenir tiki mugs to go.
If you love authentic Tiki Vibes… This is the place!!!

I’ve gone to tiki bar multiple times and never had any problems. However, last night I was wrongfully charged for their tiki bowl because it went «missing».Their policy is, apparently, that they take an ID and a card and give you back the ID when the bowl is returned. However, this policy WAS NOT stated to us. She asked for an ID and card for the transaction. That was it. It was busy so we chose to go on the patio (which from other reviews it seems is not supposed to have alcohol outside due to their license, but the same girl who did not state the policy DELIVERED the bowl to us outside… fishy, isn’t it.). When we got outside, a younger male employee was bussing another table outside. We finished the bowl and decided to move inside since the patio was closing soon. Since we JUST saw an employee bussing a table we left the bowl to be bussed when they cleaned up the patio.
I ordered a drink from the same employee who served us a bowl and then she promptly disappeared. I was standing at the bar when the man I learned later was the manager started complaining to another bartender (in front of us) about our girl taking a smoke break after he, the manager, specifically told her not to. Obviously she was not doing her job on multiple fronts. When it came time to close my tab, she was squirrelly and basically just got the manager before even talking to me about the situation. He had to call the owner apparently so it was taking a very long time for him to come out. I went to the bathroom and when I came out, the manager was waiting specifically outside the bathroom for me. Its hard to think that this was not to corner just me, instead of talking to me with the 4 other witnesses I had to the situation present. It was inappropriate and I felt bullied. Had he wanted to talk to me alone, he should have asked me and not cornered me.
When I told him that his employee did not state the policy otherwise we would have obviously brought the bowl back and avoided this whole wrong situation, he just kept saying they were trained to do so. That’s great but she didn’t. So why am I being held responsible for your employee’s mistake? The same employee I witnessed YOU complain about? They had my card hostage and were going to charge it no matter what I said. They charged me 100 dollars for their employee’s mistake without consulting her after he heard my side. She was nowhere to be found near the situation, obviously avoiding it because she knew she was wrong. Don’t you think if she had said the policy, ONE out of the FIVE people would have made sure the bowl was taken inside? That money should come out the employee’s pocket for not doing her job right. Not mine.
I am a reasonable person who also works in food service as a manager. I understand you have a policy. Had the policy been stated to me, it would have been within their rights to charge me. BUT IT WAS NOT. The situation was then handled poorly by the manager and there does not seem to be any repercussions coming to the employee who messed up. It seems ridiculous that there was no mention of cameras as well. This is 2016. Monitor your employees. If losing this bowl is such a problem, take the steps to protect it. The employees reflect poorly on the business establishment and the whole situation was incredibly skeezy. I will not ever be back or recommending this place like I have in the past.

This place is… pretty tacky. To be fair, I’m more of a whiskey bar /​dive bar kind of gal but I decided to give it a try because I don’t really go out for drinks in Alameda. The bartenders were a bit slow and the drinks took forever to come out. We were one of the youngest groups in there and I felt ignored for a while when we needed something.
I wished the drinks were stronger. My BF, coworker and I ordered blended drinks and they were a little too frou frou for me, really couldn’t taste the alcohol at all.
If you like fruity drinks and luau things it might be your jam. It had a homey vibe, as if my aunt was serving me juice on a Sunday afternoon, kind of odd. Personally not my scene, but to each her own!

Dude. Awesome drinks. Especially the monkey pod /​monkey nuts. Ladies– check out the full length mirror in the bathroom. It’s magical. But beware, the water is like lava so if you’re cold after your frosty beverage head to the potty to warm up.

saw this place on the news and we finally got the girls together to head to tiki. WE WERENT DISAPPOINTED! This place is so awesome. I just broke up with my ex and was in need so I thought I could meet some nice guys here. Maybe not the best singles bar but found myself a quality man that night. Really had a blast here and let my hair down.

The alcohol here is too over priced. But the place is a very nice spot. I just feel that their drinks are too lite on the alcohol. If you’re trying to get drunk I would say this isn’t the place but if you’re on a date and she’s a lightweight. go nuts here lol. They have pretty drinks and dim lighting so so it can impress your date. I for one, is a heavy drinker who enjoys chill music!

Came here last Friday. Location is in an odd spot but don’t judge a book by its cover! The interior is very festive and definitely has a tiki lounge feel.
The bartenders know what they’re doing and they were all so friendly except for ONE…
She took my friends order for their forbidden island drink and on the menu it says it comes with a tiki cup for 20 $. after charging my friends card for 14 $ we took it back to her before making the drink and asked why it was a different price in the menu. She said it was too late to give her a cup and charge her for the remaining 6 $. She said that if we wanted the cup it would be 15 $. I asked her why she never asked us and she yelled across the bar and said because we didn’t say we wanted it. Ummm… 1. why are you yelling at me. 2. its your job as a bartender to ask if you offer 2 different options. Then she grabs the receipt book out of my hand and says with the most sarcastic attitude «ill ask my manager but if he says no then oh well» and shrugs with a smirk. SO RUDE.
All of the other people there were soo pleasant except for her! bad night? idk. still no reason to get snappy with me for asking for clarification.
The drinks are good. The straws are a bit long for the bowls though… I think more of the drink ends up on the table then it does in peoples mouth.
Tight space so you just kind of have to hang around til something opens up.
Neat place, but wouldn’t come out of my way to go here again.

Strong drinks, cave like atmosphere. Bills hanging from the ceiling reminds me of «No Name Pub,» on Big Pine Key in FL.
Spent the evening here with friends, had 2 – 3 mai-tai’s each and had to call Über — the drinks are that strong. Didn’t break the bank, either.

Trying this place out. The décor is quaint. The ambiance is chill and causal. Great place for a millennium.
Crowded and damp inside. Bartenders are slow. My vodka cranberry is yucky… it’s the cranberry. (I can’t drink rum drinks or sweet drinks because it gives me heartburn but I’m here because a friend wanted to check it out)
Table was sticky and there was no music?

One of my favorite bars in town, hands down. You can’t have a bad night when you’re at the tiki bar. The staff is incredibly friendly and the drinks are strong and delicious. My favorite drink is the navy grog (because you really can’t go wrong with rum), but my husband has great things to say about their Old Cubans, and my mom raves about their various mai tais.
Two things to be aware of, that some may consider negative (I don’t). First, they don’t really serve food — just a few fried options like mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings. So while it’s not a place to be able to sit and enjoy a full meal with your drink, what limited options they do have are tasty. (Seriously, my husband has not stopped talking about their spicy chicken wings for well over a year. A YEAR, people. They’re that good.) Plus, the food usually comes with a cocktail umbrella, so what’s not to like?
The other slight issue — although from a business standpoint, it’s a huge positive — is that this place gets PACKED on weekends. It’s a very small bar to begin with, but after about 7.00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights, it is hard to move around, and getting a drink can take forever just due to the sheer amount of people in the room. If you like to breathe a little easier in a bar, fear not — you can still enjoy Forbidden Island! Most weeknights are very calm, and Saturdays don’t get really busy until after 6.30 or so. Plenty of opportunities to stake out the coveted couch in the corner by the tiki god fountain!

This was once among my favorite bars. Drink quality has slipped greatly in the past year or so. The first five times or so I convinced myself that they were just having an off night, but I’ve realized the drinks just aren’t as good as they used to be. Recipes are not followed carefully. My wife’s favorite drink here is the Painkiller, and on our last trip she left it as a wounded soldier on the bar. I took a taste. It seemed to be 100% coconut cream. Very odd.
It still has a great vibe and some very nice people work there. I’ll still be going there, but ordering beers and rums instead of tiki drinks.

Love the ambiance.
Live performances.
Space: have outside seating!
Drinks: Soooo good! But be careful, they may taste like a virgin drink, but when you get up, you surely will feel the buzz.
Food: yummy! Although if you don’t like a very sour buffalo chicken wings, then don’t order that. But for me, it was fine. Coconut shrimp was eh, okay. Nachos guacamole dip was good too!
Service: great!
You can put a dollar and pin it to their bar ceiling as a remembrance.

This place is awesome. I felt truly transported to some wonderful tropical place while I was here yesterday — so definitely don’t hate on it because it’s over in Alameda (you know who you are…).
I went with a group of three yesterday around 5:30pm and we enjoyed two rounds of festive cocktails and a number of snacks while listening to fun early Elvis-​era tropical music and watching 50’s beach-​themed movies.
For cocktails, we had the Island Mai-​Tai, Congo Mai-​Tai, Classic Mai-​Tai, Painkiller (three crossbones-​level), Tropical Itch (comes with a souvenir back-​scratcher!), and Chamborlada. We also had a non-​alcoholic Planet of the Apes (like a delicious banana smoothie) and Monkeypod (like a delicious key lime pie). My favorites were the Island Mai-​Tai (it was the sweetest of all of them) and the Chamborlada — which was a huge hit with the whole table, not only because it’s served in a huge frozen goblet. Truly though, we really enjoyed everything (and ¾ of the group were large hairy men — so I think this can appeal to anyone).
For food, we had crab Rangoon, corn dogs, French fries, and guacamole. I loved the crab Rangoon and we ended up getting two orders. The French fries were hot and tasty. The corn dogs were sort of whatever, and they are full-​sized, so it made it hard for a group of four to split (and they literally don’t have knives…). The guacamole tastes store-​bought and was served ice cold…
The servers were nice, though some were definitely more competent than others.
Overall, I really loved this place and can’t wait to go back next time I’m in Alameda (it’s a perfect post-​Alameda Point Antiques Fair hangout spot)…I just wish they were permitted to allow drinks on their lovely outdoor patio!

I was out Rolling with the EBC Dinner Crew and we decided to stop at the Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge .
It was a Packed House so we were held outside until some folks left. Then the Doorman let us in.
Its a pretty Fun and Quirky Bar .
Its decorated in a Southern Pacific Theme .
Theres tons of Dollar Bills Yo hanging from the Ceiling of the Bar !!!
They have Old 60s Beach Movies playing on Flat Screens and a DJ playing Beach Tunes .
They have a Great Cocktail List .
On this Visit I opted for a Planet Of The Apes. This was a Very Smooth but Creeper Drink .
I would definitely order it again.
Next Time Ill be sure to Charge my Ankle Bracelet.

When you have a hangover the next day, then you know you had a good time!
A couple of buddies of mine decided to head on over to the Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge after a Warrior game. The venue was very lively and full of upbeat music. To celebrate a Warrior win, the case of a victory drinks were in order! While walking to the bar, you’ll notice a whole lot of dollar bills hanging above your head! Sorry, that money can’t be used to purchase items at the bar!
We were looking at the menu and ran up on a drink called the «Pain Killer». This drink was a serving for two, but we ended up disobeying that rule. This lethal concoction was severed in a humongous fish bowl cup. This drink was very smooth and easy to drink. The the catch was that it did the exact opposite of «pain killing» the day after! We also had the case of munchies, so we ordered some appetizers:
— Crab rangoon
— Mozzarella sticks
— Coconut shrimp
— Chips and guacamole
— Sweet potato fries
Everything tasted great, and sort of help staving off an early hangover.
Great vibes, food, and drinks were provided at Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge. After this awesome night, I forbid myself to come here for a while. Thanks to the «Pain Killer»!

Forbidden Island is a little hidden gem in Alameda. Very fun to come here with a group of friends to try their «sacrifice bowl» drinks where the worker prepared the fire show right in front of our eyes.
They also have many signature drinks which one of them came with a back scratcher that you get to keep as a souvenir.
A really cool place with an island feel to it. They also serve food as well. Check it out!