Hale Pele

I’m a sucker for happy hours, rum, and kitsch, so when I found Hale Pele on Unilocal,I knew I had to see it for myself.
My boyfriend and I came in around 4:30 on Saturday and were surprised to find the place almost packed full. A secret getaway it is not! The drinks menu is extensive and reads like a novel, but it is nicely separated into flavors and levels. One page for coconutty, one page for rum lovers, etc. and then the drinks are ranked from 1 to 4, tame to deadly.
My boyfriend chose the Blue Hawaii, a coconut rum concoction, and I got the Queens Park Swizzle with rum and lime and bitters. Both came in ostentatiously wonderful glasses, and his came with a flower. I had decided at this point I wanted to be a regular at this joint!
We quickly realized it wouldn’t be smart to drink this much rum without a snack, so we ordered the ahi poke and the mahi mahi tacos.
The ahi poke was delicious — fresh and flavorful. I could eat this for days! I was disappointed that the mahi in the tacos was very dry, despite the slaw beneath adding some great crunch and flavor.
I loved the atmosphere. Sitting in Hale Pele made me start planning a tropical vacation — but who needs to spend the money on a fancy island trip when a sweet tiki bar is in the neighborhood?
Hale Pele is a great tropical diversion in the midst of a gloomy hipster city.

Loved this tiki bar and so glad to have found it and stopped in here. I can’t wait to return on my next PDX holiday.
Large booths looked great for big groups to have some fun and enjoy the atmosphere; sitting at the bar was a nice experience as well. It was great to sit at almost eye-​level with the bar tenders and see them making the drinks. The happy hour menu was full of drink and food specials that all sounded excellent! The hawaiian bread was simple yet yummy; toasted bread with guava jam. Salty sweet gets me every time!
Stop in for fun and a great experience :)

Oh my this was fun… we found this place on a whim… passed by and had to turn around and come back. Got to the place and checked in with the hostess., it is a small place. Lots of bar seating, and a handful of tables., we got there right before happy hour ended., ordered drinks and food… service a bit slow, but the people watching was top notch. Loved when the thunder and lightening rocked the bar… and the fog ;). The hub ordered an expensive drink for two., they brought it along with a «sidecar“that wouldn’t fit in the pineapple… we were all able to indulge. My first drink was subdued and ok… I can’t remember the name… the kid has a shrunken skull — very nice… we had some bread and eggs and other happy hour treats… the next round was a jet fuel on fire cocktail… little sprinkle of cinnamon and the flames went higher… kind of smelled like Christmas for a minute…
Long story short this place was a cool find… not too tiki and not really dive bar… we hope to return.

Still my favorite bar in pdx with the bestttttt cocktails ever. I’m from Seattle but whenever I am in pdx, this bar is a must. The prices are reasonable and the pours are generous and most importantly all the cocktails are expertly crafted. Check out my photos! My drink is on fire! How awesome is that

I love the kitchsy Tiki décor inside Hale Pele, but the real reason to come here is for the stellar, old school, traditional 60’s Tiki drinks. The bartenders are very friendly and will help you figure out what to get from the huge menu of classics. The Hawaiian fried bread is NUTS and you’ll want 5 – 25 orders of the stuff. Just be prepared for a long wait if you have a group of more than two people.

This place is amazing, it gives you a feel of hawaii especially the décor and drinks. The drinks are awesome but they dont have much to offer if you are looking to eat alot.

This gem lives up to its theme. If you’re gonna do something, do it right. They do! The Tiki spot to be, Hale Pale is absolutely in the book of where to go. Get some bread, the chutney dip takes it over the top. The pulled pork was so tender and uuuuh, the opposite of dry, smoky, plentiful and certainly the best I’ve had on bun in uh-​Hhwhile.

A great tiki bar. The drinks are well made and strong. The service is friendly. The atmosphere is dark and mysterious. This was on my must see list in Portland and glad I made the trek. Some of the best cocktails I had in a city with fierce competition.

My husband and I herd about this place from a patient. Had to try it. Now on our third trip here. Can’t get enough, super excited to be here this Saturday night. Highly recommend the fugu for two. Yummmmm

As others have stated this is one great little tiki dive bar;
Kitschy, quirky, fun and a nice diversion from the norm.
We have visited Hale Pele 4 times now and each time the servers were very friendly, the atmosphere upbeat and the drinks awesome.
The only food item we have tried on our visits has been the Salt&Pepper Taro chips which are always a treat.

This is a tiki dive bar. True to tiki, this bar has flaming drinks, cocktails served inside of a pineapple, and even the occasional tropical thunderstorm. The food is pretty good. If it’s your birthday, let them know – the surprise is amazing!
If I haven’t done enough to convince you to go, the decorations alone are worth checking this place out. They do a great job of accomplishing tiki without tacky – well, it is still a tiki bar. Treat yourself to a sweet drink and escape to at topical island for a couple hours – you won’t be disappointed!

As someone who has been to dozens of great tiki bars, It’s always exciting and refreshing to find a new one that completely blows me away. Hale Pele is so good, I would call it a destination tiki bar for tiki lovers. The short of it: It’s absolutely AMAZING in every way. For more details, read below:
DRINKS: A++
Hale Pele offers everything you could want. 50 cocktail recipes including classics, modern recipes, and house recipes. They are mixed with expert accuracy and beautiful presentation (check out the flaming Krakatoa). They also have an assortment of nearly 400 runs to sample. Of course, they have a club for those who dare to tackle all 50 cocktails and all 400 rums. Sounds fun.
DECOR: A++
As soon as you walk in, you’re hit by the immense care and craft put into Hale Pele. Lagoon-​lighting and a fake bridge way adorns the front, amazing Tiki Totems flank the bar and entry, beautiful exotica lighting splashes the walls, while fun and kitch lamps of every design illuminate the space. No stone un-​turn
ed, every inch is designed with the goal of creating a fantasy space to escape into.
AMBIANCE /​CLIENTELE: A+
As any good Tiki bar does, music in Hale Pele is true to form, exotica and neo-​tiki bands. Audio experience helps tie the visual experience together. The bar has been open for a little while, and the customers and servers are all great (Justin, you’re awesome). People seem to have a great time there and appreciate the environment.
FOOD: tbd
Didn’t get a chance to have the food yet, I’m sure it’s great but, can’t judge it personally.
BONUS:
This place hits all my bonus spots. There is a special room in the back called the Chieftan’s Hut, seats a fairly large group, great place to have a get-​together for a special occasion. Ordering a volcano bowl sets off a special eruption of steam & fog, along with sound effects and light show. Besides that, there is also a lightning storm that happens every hour or so. The two drink-​clubs are a great bonus as well.
Folks, this is as good as it gets, Hale Pele is a major win for the tiki community. You will not be disappointed.

I had this place bookmarked for a reason. A very cool retro tiki bar in NE Portland complete with kitch. Amazing and STRONG drinks, «thunderstorms» inside, puffer fish lamps, friendly bar staff and some tasty pickled eggs.
I’m a fan of most anything Hawaiian and they have that 1960s Brady Bunch era thing going on here and it just works. Hale Pele is not a large place so it can fill up quickly. We found two spots at the bar and took a look through the rather large drink menu. The drinks have their strengths (1 – 4) next to them depending how brave you feel. There are also some pretty amazing and intricate couples drinks that just looked simply unreal and could probably knock most mortals out.
It was a fun little experience and I hope to get back soon to try more of the food and actually have the time to enjoy more than one cocktail.
Enjoy.

I’m not really a «tiki» type of person (rum isn’t my fave, nor are typical tiki flavors like coconut and extensive floral garnishes), but this place is alright. They have happy hour 4−6pm with a handful of $ 6 drinks and a few $ 6 sandwhiches (cuban or pulled pork) as well as random items like a pickled egg, sweet bread and edamame. I’m not exactly sure what tiki food is supposed to be like, but these offerings appear to be a bit all over the place (but still yummy).
My friends and I were sat immediately and given menus/​water/​napkins. However, it did take a bit of time to place our order (thank goodness our server came back before HH ended!) and also to pay the check. As my husband would say «you’re on island time!» But to me, that just means things are late. Tomato, tomato!
The décor is pretty cool, though. Real puffer fish lights, a back bar tiki area to reserve for privacy and dark lighting make for a cool ambiance. I’m glad I checked it out, and I’ll happily recommend to friends, just don’t think it’s my cup of tea (or rum!) :)

What can I say?
We love our favorite tiki bar!!!
Flaming drinks.
Extensive rums.
Best bar nosh.
Great people.

I would love to tell you this is simply the greatest place in Portland however after imbibing a drink of uncertain mixture via a straw my memory is fuzzy. Do not take this review to the bank since I am remembering through a fog.
1. Drinks arrive in a flaming bowl, taste like punch and will challenge your memory.
2. Drunken noodles, the Basil fried rice and another dish of uncertain origin were all excellent. I ordered none of them but helped myself to all of them. (See number 1 to understand my behavior)
3. The atmosphere is interesting with smoke, lights and other assorted entertainment going on around you.
4. I paid the bill but am unsure about the price (See number 1)
I think this place is great but I will need to return to refresh my memory to be certain.

Came in expecting a cliché tiki experience. Left with a card ensuring I will return in an attempt to drink all 51 cocktails on offer to become a «Water Bearer.»
Also, Hawaiian bread is amazing.
Thank you Hale Pele, from the bottom of my Haole heart.

So this place is super cool!
To start off this is like a legit tiki place, I really love the décor, just the décor itself makes me want to stay and hang out! Really intricate tiki stuff everywhere, it smells like cinnamon (from the volcano bowls) and is colorful and great.
They have quite a few people for such a small place which keeps things rolling and you can tell they work really hard. My bf and I got a couple drinks and all were amazing. i can’t imagine any of the drinks on their menu (which they say that have over 50) tasting bad. on the menu they also tell you ho strong each drink is with a rating, which is cool too if you’re sensitive to alcohol.
when we got there there was a wait so we had put our names down and waited for a while. While we were finally seated we saw that these 2 guys come in and they were supposed to put their names down but actually got seated right away because they knew someone… so that wasn’t fair to the people waiting outside I didn’t think
I had ordered some food with our drinks but it never came until we were ready for the bill. I think the bartender just forgot to put it in. which is fine with me just make sure I still want it when you do put it in. cuz as soon as it came I had to ask for a box with the check and I didn’t get to eat it
with that, I ordered the bim bap plate. it was filled with pickled carrots, seaweed, tofu, a pickled egg, and kimchi. The portion was a lot but it just didn’t float my fancy. there were ALOT of pickled carrots and they weren’t too amazing for my taste. and the kimchi wasn’t as «fresh» as some kimchi that I’ve had before. but still not the worst.
this is a fun place to bring friends or come for an event deifnitely. can’t wait to bring in visitors!

Hale Pele is a little gem of a tiki oasis, tucked into the middle of an ordinary Portland neighborhood. It’s not too hidden, as we basically planned our vacation around it but once you step through those doors, you are transported to an entirely different world. A dimly lit world, surrounded by island sounds, bursts of fire, libation, and laughter. The Polynesian boom that captivated those looking for an escape from the heaviness of WWII and attracted the likes of the Rat Pack is well preserved here. It truly feels like you are on vacation, even though you will only be staying for an hour or two.
I loved the A’a’po’e. To be able to take home the Munktiki mug with it for $ 30 = happiness. It’s a beautifully well rounded drink with a kick. I wasn’t a big fan of the jet fuel but that was purely a personal thing. Just too rich with cinnamon but the presentation is ridiculously fun. The man & I shared a Boo Loo, which was also delicious. I honestly don’t remember what I had after that, ha!
I was so in love with the Kaluha Pork that we came back for a second visit, even though we were only in town for a few days.
I miss you Hale Pele!

You had me at chichi!
Want a tiki bar? Some island loving? And all kinds of fun tropical drinks with major kicks? Why yes. You must come here. When in this area anyways!
Bar itself is on the smaller size but it’s perfectly casual, fun and funky as a tiki bar should be. Drinks come with choice of shot counts! That was pretty cool I thought.
Do you want a classic chichi? How many shots? 1,2,3,4? Yes they can do it!
Painkillers with 4 shots? $ 16 only! It’s either $ 12 for one shot or $ 16 for 4! Obviously, you’re not gonna just have one!
And the volcano? That’s the best!!! Shareable for the table! Comes with fireworks and all that fun jazz. Pretty tasty too!
The wait time will always be there. We had an hour wait on an early Saturday evening. It was raining outside but they let us order drinks outside so we didn’t mind. Plus, it’s a good people watching spot outside if it isn’t too cold. Regardless the wait, I’ll be back! It has the perfect elements you need for a good vibe and a good night! What else do I need?!