A must for serious tiki-philes and fun-seekers alike, this small but vibrant spot feels like a tropical island in the middle of downtown Ventura. Patrons enter through a patio decorated with plants, tiki gods, a fire pit, and thatched overhangs. Inside, bar stools are ringside seats for the show put on by the bartending crew as they whip up tiki cocktails from recipes that date from the 1930s to the present. (The VenTiki Mai Tai is made with fresh lime juice, hold the grenadine and pineapple juice.) Head chef Anthony Longoria oversees the menu of salads, poke bowls, tuna en fuego, shrimp skewers, and kalua pork sliders, the latter served on King’s Hawaiian rolls.