Hiding in plain sight

Smuggler’s Cove is quite small; Broken into three floors, there are only two bartenders, one in the basement and one at ground level. Because of this, and the small size, they limit the amount of people who can be in here. So if you’re thinking about coming on a weekend, prepare for a line. I really recommend coming any other day besides Fri and Sat. You’ll enjoy yourself much better.

The Drinks

I have been here several times and I try to explore something new every time I go. It goes without saying that a couple of my absolute favorites (Zombie – Three Dots and a Dash) are fantastic here. Also the classic Mai Tai is perfect. So this trip, I gave a go on something new called the Demerara Dry Float. A bit like a Mai Tai, it’s quite sour but has some real slight different hints of flavors just hiding around. The Demerara Dry Float also comes with a sidecar of Hamilton Demerara 151. The intention of the sidecar is that you can drink them separately to balance the flavors, or mix it in, half and half, whatever. I actually tried to seek out the ingredients when I got home to make it myself it was so good (the key stuff is Maraschino Liqueur and Demerara Sugar Syrup).

I had one beverage here once called The Expedition. Martin Cate (the owner and also the owner of False Idol in San Diego) came up with this beverage that is described as representing the travels of Don The Beachcomber. The Expedition is certainly an interesting beverage (it has a coffee liqueur in it among other things). The drink also has an awesome glass you can get – it was custom designed for Smugglers Cove.

Learning is fun

The first time I came here I was pretty new into appreciating all things tiki beverage, when I was discussing with a cohort who was with me, how I had discovered the DTB variety of a Mai Tai and the recipe that I had found to try and recreate it (this was before the wonderful Total Tiki app was available). Well the bartender overheard and said that I had found everything right BUT I should replace the Cointreau with Orange Curacao to make it that much better. Helpful!

Overall

I’ll go on record as saying Smuggler’s Cove is currently the best Tiki Bar in the US (that I’ve been to). If you can’t make it here then it’s sister bar, False Idol, in San Diego will really give you the idea of what you’re missing up here. But just don’t come here on a Friday or Saturday, really!

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Reservations

I can’t speak to weeknights, but if you are going to visit on a weekend, you must unequivocally make reservations. If you don’t you will be tempting fate. I made some two weeks out for a party of four, and boy am I glad that I did, because not only was the place absolutely slammed, but we scored a table center ‘stage’. Again, reservations a good thing because this place is small – not Tiki-Ti small – but still, pretty small.

The Location

Comfortably lit with a ceiling full of internally lit faux
Japanese fishing buoys and Blowfish, there are several booths here along with a ‘U’ shaped bar and some standing
room between the booths and the bar. The entry to the bar can be tricky to find if it werent’ for the huge amount of people waiting for their turn to be escorted in. False Idol shares a building with the restaurant Craft & Commerce in the Little Italy section of San Diego. Look for the big freezer door to the left of the long restaurant bar to find your way into the tiki wonderland (and don’t even talk to the hosts for C&C, they seem annoyed that you are going to False Idol).

The Drinks

The drinks. Are. Fantastic. The Zombie is great. Mai Tai – Made Perfectly. The one other drink I had though – Victory on the Red Sea – YES! So damn good. It’s a bit on a take of my favorite tiki drink of all time – Three Dots and a Dash – but dare I say… better! Mind you, this is an advanced level tiki drink with all of the craziest flavors a true tiki beverage is known for, all mixed in to perfection.

Others at my table were all equally happy with the beverages they ordered as well – Tradewinds, Polynesian Fourty Niner, and the Pearl Diver. So happy to see the Pearl Diver on the menu as it is one of the hardest tiki drinks to make (has to do with butter and seperation and such, look up Don’s Gardenia Mix if you want to get into it), and as such you really don’t see it around except for places that are really on their game. So now the only two places that I’ve come across this beverage is here at False Idol and at ground central of the tiki beverage reawakening – Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 in New Orleans.

Overall

I really am looking forward to getting to here again, not only is it great great great – but there are so many drinks to try on the menu. Just a whole lot of fun things to try! So now get on the train down to SD right now already! Not only are there so many great places to eat, fantastic breweries and brews, and now a THIRD tiki bar!

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