Trader Vic’s

I desperately wanted to like the new Trader Vic’s in Scottsdale.
The old Trader Vic’s restaurants were legendary in 20^th Century tiki-​Polynesian lore, and I was hoping that the new location would not only feature awesome food and drink, but also totally nail the oldschool tiki vibe with the right décor, vibe and music.
And on most fronts, this place succeeded. The interior and exterior was pretty awesome: more upscale and hip than kitsch. The music wasn’t old school exotica, but there was a circle of guys playing guitars and bongos in one of the exterior patios.
We ordered a PuPu platter, which was quite expensive — if I remember, about 40 dollars or so. And the servings were enough for one or two people. Maybe I’m spoiled by most of these old tiki places that mostly serve bad Chinese food, but I was hoping for a little more in the food department.
Having said that, all the food was good. The drinks were decent, not as great as I was hoping. Again, this is Trader Vic’s. Vic created the mai tai, and I wasn’t all that much impressed with theirs.
It seems that a number of the new Trader Vic’s locations (Scottsdale and Chicago) have since closed down, which is unfortunate. While I wasn’t completely won over on this place, I did appreciate it and was hoping to go back and give it another go in the future.
Bön Voyage, Trader Vic’s (Scottsdale)!

I constantly crave the Vodka Mai Tai. It is so good, they use almost crushed ice to make it so it is SO cold and so easy to drink! Especially great during happy hour for $ 6. It’s STRONG, I’m good with just one, so it’s not too much for me.
The ceviche was really yummy. I was sharing but I wanted it all for myself. I had the hummus as well, that was ok, nothing special. Overall, a fun environment for happy hour.
The waiters are really nice and FUNNY in the bar.

I came here last night for happy hour. They have happy hour from 3 – 6 p.m. and a reverse happy hour from 9 – 12. I heard that they are closing down this location of Trader Vics, and I think they are going to redesign and renovate to a different theme.
I got a chance to try almost everything from the happy hour menu, and everything was delicious. The highlights were ceviche, sweet potato fries, mango pineapple cocktail, and mai tai. The appetizers are $ 5 and well made drinks are $ 6.
I would recommend coming here again, but only problem is that it will be closed soon…

We came in without reservations on a Saturday night and quickly got a table. I’m a fan of Roy’s Hawaiian fusion, and so when I saw the menu closely resembled it, I was happy.
I got a mai tai, and was only able to drink about 1 centimeter of it. This drink was way too strong! I’m not normally someone who says this, or wastes alcohol, but there was just something wrong with the way it was made!
I ordered my favorite fish — the butterfish. Needless to say, it was not so buttery. I suppose I should not have expected much, because I should not be ordering fish in when I’m in the middle of a desert. How can anyone overcook butterfish? My butterfish was so dry — OK not dry like mahi mahi, but way too dry to be butterfish. About 1 square inch of the center of my fish had the right buttery good soft flavor that should have been the entire fish.

We just went for happy hour — great drinks, nice décor and very friendly bar staff. The Mai Tai and Suffering Bastard are both killer and our bartender kept giving us tastes of other drinks too.
Only slight downside is that one of the happy hour apps were curried chicken wings that just smelled awful whenever anyone near us got an order of them.

Happy happy hour
Both drinks and food, blew us away at this little gem. We had a great time. Staff is great, décor is very tastefully done. Perfect little getaway. loved it. try this sometime
Have fun

I love Trader Vics! I have been to several locations and it is ALWAYS a great time. The atmosphere is great, the drinks superb and the food spectacular! Their happy hour can’t be beat and their outdoor seating area is super sexy.
Service is always friendly and the crowd is pretty cool.
Great place for dinner or just some cocktails! So put on your heels ladies. its Tiki time :)
Enjoy!
XOXO

I will preface this review by stating that it is an evaluation of the bar portion of this establishment. I have yet to actually eat in the restaurant or even wander through it. With that said…
AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME!
I had a very pleasant evening at this Hotel Vally Ho adjacent watering hole. The service was fast and friendly, offering suggestions and reviews. I indulged in a burger on the Happy Hour menu that was absolutely delicious. It came on flat bread with a melt in your mouth cheese accent and sweet potato fries to top it off. A definite winner in my book. My indulgences did not end there… I introduce you to the swizzle. Long Island-​esk in nature, its a delicious, refreshing, and quite a bang for your buck drink. The perfect economically savvy choice to start your evening whether you are hitting the town hard or simply plan on wetting your whistle with one drink.
I want to make special note of the entertainment provided by the live band that plays every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from 8pm-​11pm. They are a phenomenal trio that provide the bar with a fun and hip vibe. If you have a song in mind, it is likely they can provide. They are open to requests and love interacting with the crowd. You also don’t feel overwhelmed by the music due to the open air facility and conversation is actually possible, unlike many other live band bars.
My first experience with this bar only left me searching for anyone and everyone I could drag along with me to share in the experience. Can’t wait to go again!

Great menu for restaurant week last month, but honestly not the least bit exciting in the food department (I had a boring salmon dish, my wife had a boring overcooked and over-​seasoned steak with mashed potatoes). I felt that we got a decent enough value for our price, paying more for the classic tiki ambiance than anything else, but I don’t think I’d return ever again to order off of the regular menu. *Note on value: awesome half-​off wine list.
That said, the after dinner coffee cocktail I tried was a solid standout from the bar (and this place is primarily known for its bar), and the coconut desert thing they served was pretty tasty as well. *Note about dessert: had it cost anything extra, I wouldn’t have ordered it – I never get dessert when I go out — so at least I got the chance to try something different and enjoy it, I suppose.
But the service… Thankfully our server was totally cool. When I first called the restaurant with a question prior to arrival, the guy who answered was a total jerk and so he got jerkiness in return. I was in a much better mood upon meeting up with my wife and a couple of good friends when I got there, though, so I let it go.
Then, throughout our dinner, we kept hearing the sound of crashing plates and glasses from the bussers (pretty sure this was a record for broken dishes outside of a Greek celebration or a fight) — not too disruptive, but also kind of uninspiring albeit slightly comical.
And for the grand finale, as we were about to leave, the chef came out to meekly say hello to his tables. This did not seem like the kind of chef who likes to be out in front of the public, which is fine by me, but it’s probably required by corporate. So it seemed awkward — I felt bad for the guy.
All in all, it was a pretty good night, but I wouldn’t particularly blame Trader Vic’s for it. They were just good enough.

This review is only for the Sunday happy hour, and I was only here for like an hour, but I really liked what I saw and wanted to write a review.
I couldn’t leave AZ without getting one last drink in my system. Seriously. A couple friends of mine who I didn’t get to see much of on a recent weekend trip to Scottsdale wanted to see me one last time before I left and a couple hours before I needed to get to the airport we met up at Trader Vic’s since they have Sunday happy hour.
I had heard a lot of great things about Trader Vic’s happy hour and I’ve always wanted to stop in when visiting the folks, but it seems like something always comes up or someone always suggests someplace else when I’m in town. From what I understand the Sunday happy hour is a little bit different from the weekly happy hour in that it goes from 4 – 9 pm (or maybe it starts even earlier? I forget.) and there’s a different drink menu (there’s about 6 or 7 specialty drink for $ 6 plus $ 5 wine specials and $ 3 pints of Stella and another beer… I believe Blue Moon but don’t quote me on that). The same AWESOME/​CHEAP food menu (2 & 3 bucks for several appetizers) still applies.
Anyway, I had been drinking all weekend and wanted something fruity & refreshing so I got some sort of raspberry cooler. Honestly, I can’t remember all that was in it, but it was delicious! My friend got a mint julep w/Maker’s Mark, which I tasted and loved it as well!
We weren’t planning on eating anything, but we figured since everything was cheap, why not? We got the bruschetta (it had pesto, which added a kind of creamy texture that I LOVED) & the hummus, which was tasty as well.
I like the atmosphere at Trader Vic’s, and the band they have playing near the entrance adds a cool vibe. We sat at the bar and the two guys tending there were cool as well.
Next time I’m in AZ I’ll be back to Trader Vic’s for a happy hour… I wanna try a burger and sweet potato fries!

Great food and great staff. All Happy Hour food is $ 1 $ 2 or $ 3 for full size portions. Also $ 3 draft beers and half price specialty drinks.

Yay! I got to try the happy hour finally! They even had a sweet band playing in the dinning room, great ambiance.
On 4^th of July weekend the girls and I got a room at the Valley Ho and ventured over to Vic’s for some much need food around happy hour time. The fun drinks were totally wroth it! I got the burger on the HH menu, it was sooo yummy, huge and came with a bunch of fries and was only $ 3. Crazy right?! We were pretty tired so we couldn’t stay long, but next time I want to try the calamari, hummus and other fun drinks.

Getting here for some reason was such a challenge! We kept going around in circles before we were greeted by valet at Trader Vic’s!
Me and my friends got seated right next to the famous wood fired oven. Major plus! I was amused the whole night while drinking fruity drinks with umbrellas/​parrots/​you name it! Not a fan of mai tai’s to begin with but I did try it since it is home of the original mai tai. Still not a fan but that’s just personal preference as my friend got a refill. The rock candy drink is also really good! Their drinks menu is VERY extensive… and oh-​so-​appealing! Portion sizes are very filling. I had the Hawaiian butterfish w/​steamed rice, daikon slaw and truffled yam vinaigrette. And yes, you can really taste the difference by the fish being cooked in the Asian wood fired oven. The pecan and oak woods add such a great flavor. End the night with a «snowball»! Coconut shavings over vanilla ice cream! Great atmosphere, great food, great drinks = a great time! Definitely will return when I’m in the area!

Carl’s Junior talks about its five dollar burger… Let’s talk about Trader Vic’s and its three dollar Maui burger with sweet potato fries during happy hour. All of the flavors melted together in perfect harmony… the sweet potato fries were crinkled and perfectly salted… Calamari was well liked (super light batter!!)
Nice atmosphere and very accommodating hostess.
If barrels of alcohol are your thing with long straws that could poke your eyes out then this is your mecca… I love their drink names and the fact there is little or no explanation of what they are (guessing game!)…
for us non alkies we had a coral reef which was like a coconut mango and strawberry smoothie… a little sweet but everyone needs some sweetness in their lives…
yes… it is a chain but considering we were low budgeting the food today it was a perfect way to end the day.

Trader Vic’s is one of my husbands favorite restaurants. We decided to come here for a romantic Christmas Eve dinner.
We go to Trader Vic’s in Emeryville all of the time.
The décor is way more modern than the one in Emeryville. It was only established in 2006. It doesn’t have that old school feel that the original has. They also don’t play old time Hawaiian music. They play modern new age almost dance like music.
The pluses, they have more amazing drinks than what is on the regular menu. That is something that the old Vic’s doesn’t offer.
The best drink, and only drink, I had was the Money Honey or Honey Money. I honestly cant remember what it was called. It doesn’t matter because it was quite possibly one of the best drinks I have had yet.
Of course my husband always has the Mai Tai.
For food I had the Crispy Duck, Aromatic Half Duck with Moo Shu Pancakes, Scallions, Cucumbers, & Hoisin Sauce. The duck was dry but was good with the sauce.
My husband had the Roasted Pork Porter House, Whipped Potatoes, Sesame Vegetables & Maui Onion Demi Glaze. We saw a guy at the bar eating this and he could not resist ordering it. He was very happy with his dinner choice.
We also ordered Crab Rangoon as an appetizer and they forgot it. However, they comped us free dessert. I got the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. FABULOUS!!!
My husband got the Snow Ball. It was his Grandmas favorite dessert and he wanted to honor her by ordering this and by drinking a ton of Mai Tai’s because she loved those too.
This location would have gotten 4 stars for outstanding service and amazing cocktails, and I didn’t even care they forgot our appetizer, but…
They called us a cab for our trip home and it was twice the amount of our cab ride there and the driver took the exact same road. Now I know to never have a restaurant call us a cab. It was just strange and almost like the two were in bed together. I was pissed!
I probably would only come back for the cocktails. I am lucky enough to come to the Trader Vic’s near me any time I want, so the food really doesn’t matter to me.

It’s the Tiki Room with Rum and less plumage. A great way around the «higher prices» is to exploit the happy hour. You are able to navigate several decent dishes, the better ones being the Duck and Ribs, at a price that won’t affect your budget for your real trip to Tahiti. Good ambiance even if most of the crowd is the cream of the superficial Scottsdale elite.
The only real complaint is typically the service. Maybe in their effort to recreate the easy going vibe of the Pacific they instructed their staff to minimize their efficiencies. We waited nearly 20 minutes from the time the waitress took our credit card to the time she sauntered back to the table with it. No significant worries as the place had mellowed us far beyond really caring.

This place is definitely overpriced for what it is. I knew it was expensive going in, but I thought the food would be much better. I am cool with paying 100 plus for 2 people for dinner if the food is very good, but that is not what I thought of my meal at Trader Vic’s.
I do think they have a cool drink menu and the ambiance is very different. It does feel as if you left Scottsdale when you are at this restaurant and went on vacation. I just wish the food was better for the price of this place.

I had some visitors from corporate in town — one for our annual operations inspection, one to have a look at some of the tactical marketing we’re developing in my region. Anyway, they wanted to eat here so…
Here we were at Traders Vics. The atmosphere is nice, island themed opulence and texturally pleasing. We were greeted very warmly and sat in the bar for cocktails and a snack before dinner. The drinks were tasty. The appetizer «tidbits for two» varied from good to uninteresting.
We moved on to the dining room. It was a Thursday night and the place was D ecidedly E mpty A nd D evoid (DEAD) of customers. I tried one of the specials which was some sort of Thai inspired noodles with curry and some seafood and peanut and some mild pepper spiciness and… and…and…I frankly don’t remember what it was supposed to be because it frankly wasn’t anything. Too many things going on, nothing made a big impression.
The other diners apparently chose better because ²⁄₃ of them were happy with their dinner. Wait, if there were 4 of us and I wasn’t thrilled and only 2 of the other 3 diners were happy that means that 2 of the 4 or 50% of the diners were underwhelmed. Now if Trader Vic’s had been traveling north on a train at 75 mph and had 160 miles to travel… wait I think I just had a flashback to sixth grade math.
Ok, my bottom line impression of Trader Vic’s — kind of cool atmosphere, interesting history (I think they were owned by Merv Griffin) and the food was average at a premium price. Oh and the bathrooms were very nice.

Not sure if we went on a really off night, but I was extremely disappointed with TV’s. As Andrea wrote below (damn her for writing her review before me), our bill came to $ 90 for dinner and it was $ 90 too much!
The waiter (Tyler I think) said that their version of pad thai with halibut was his favorite dish on the menu… favorite dish? really? it was pretty bland — nothing special at all! We also went with the macadamia crusted mahi mahi — not so much — pretty bland as well. The steamed asparagus was fine but how can you really screw that up? I had a spoonful or two of Jared’s wonton soup — that was actually decent… but not enough to bring me back.
Sorry, TV’s — I won’t be seeing you again anytime soon but good luck to you!

An empty restaurant is never a good sign so perhaps Gabi K, Jared M, and I should have found dinner elsewhere, but we decided to give Trader Vic’s a chance.
Our meal started off on a good note…
Attentive service, although then again we were the only people to really give attention to. And we did enjoy the bread basket… although I could do without the bread with chunks of pineapple in it.
Gabi and I decided to share 2 entrees– both highly recommended by the waiter. In fact, he said they were 2 of the most popular dishes on the menu. What you ask? Hold your horses Unilocalers… I’m getting there! Macadamia crusted mahi mahi and some lo mein like dish topped with halibut. Jared was eating his 2^nd dinner of the evening so he decided to keep it light and ordered the won ton soup. And it turned out he ordered right because the won ton soup was apparently better than anything else that came to the table.
The mahi mahi and halibut (on top of the noodles) was beyond bland… it tasted like one of my flavorless weight watchers meals I make at home. And it’s really a problem when Trader Vic’s cooks like the gal who burns pasta (yep, guilty of that last week). The mashed potatoes that came with the mahi mahi were decent, as were the noodles… but that was pretty much it. Our bill came to $ 90– $ 90 too much!
We skipped the drinks after having our fair share of them at the hotel bar beforehand, but if I ever have to come back to Trader Vic’s (which I don’t plan on) I’ll have to mask the bland taste of their food with lots of their specialty drinks.