Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show: So much more than a tiki bar

By Marlee Card and Brielle Aguayo •

Established in 1956, The Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show has been a landmark for locals and tourists, known for the dinner performances, cocktail menu, and Polynesian themed architecture. When it closed in 2020 due to structural issues, guests waited four years for the re-opening.

Elyse and Randy Rasmussen have lived in Fort Lauderdale for more than 50 years, and The Mai-Kai has been their go-to spot. When they heard about the re-opening, they jumped on the opportunity.

“Randy has been tracking the movement of resurrection, shall we say, in the paper. When he saw Mai-Kai was reopening, it was just like, OK, go make reservations,” Elyse Rasmussen said.

The reopening of the restaurant was recently before the Rasmussen’s Anniversary in December 2024, making it a special dinner for them.

“Periodically, on special occasions with the parents, etc, we would be here. And we’re actually celebrating our 41st anniversary,” Rasmussen added.

Upon stepping inside, the Mai-Kai reveals the restored 1950s’ architecture, decorated with authentic Polynesian cultural elements.

Kern Mattei, manager for more than 25 years, took meticulous care restoring the original architecture while modernizing some parts of the restaurant.

“We want to bring a new life to an old restaurant. Our [tiki and artwork] are real artifacts that we’ve collected from those islands, and some of the pieces are very rare. The original owners were collecting pieces back in the ‘50s,” Mattei said.

Before guests gather in the main dining rooms to watch the fire shows, they are invited to sit at the newly restored Molokai Bar, where they are greeted by Molokai girls, dressed in authentic Hawaiian sarongs.

“On the weekends, we have three shows a night. During the week, we have two shows a night,” Molokai girl Avery Krizanovic said. The seating for the first show starts at 5 p.m., and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. “They [servers] give you an hour and a half to eat and drink and whatever before the show starts.”

Mattei said the Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort took inspiration from the Mai-Kai, specifically the bar, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.

“The designer who designed [Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto] actually came here. I gave him a tour to give him inspiration to design that tiki bar. So they are inspired by us. Disney is like us,” Mattei said.

The restaurant has more than 50 tropical drinks with recipes that have remained the same since the fifties. The drink menu includes everything from Mai-Tai, Zombie cocktails, to the classic Piña Colada.

“We’ve been making them here since the ‘50s. Same recipes. So people who are into tiki cocktails and creative stuff like that will come from all over the country just to taste our cocktails,” Mattei said.

The menu consists of Polynesian inspired food, where the chefs take classic American dishes with a Polynesian or Pacific Islander twist.

Mattei said the menu also takes from Asian inspiration.

“We do a New York strip, with an Asian glaze. We can do a Hawaiian maple mashed potato. We do some stir fry dishes. We do egg rolls and fried bread noodles, which we get in most Chinese restaurants,” Mattei said. “I love our bao buns, which are new. We do a pork belly with [the bao buns] with the homemade coleslaw in there and a spicy mayo on top.”

Rasmussen said she and her husband appreciate everything about the restaurant.

“The food is good and the show is fantastic. It’s just a fun place to come and celebrate,” Elyse Rasmussen said. “Just the uniqueness. You know, it’s iconic, there are not too many other places like this around.”