Looking for a place to drink that’s different from a brewery or some of the regular bars in the downtown area? Lava & Tonic might be right up your alley. It’s discreetly placed in the Douglas Design District in the same strip that holds Donut Whole and Hopping Gnome Brewery.
Lava & Tonic is a tiki bar that offers many rum-based drinks and craft cocktails served in tiki glasses. They offer a completely different vibe compared to many of the other drinking holes in Wichita.
===========
1716 E. Douglas
Wichita, Kansas 67214
316-364-4141
Wednesday – Saturday: 4pm – 2am
Sunday: 1pm – 7pm
Closed Monday & Tuesday
Cash/Card Accepted
===========
Lava & Tonic recommends that you make reservations. While they do allow walk-ins, it’s probably best to make a reservation if you have a party. When you do, you’re given a two-hour time frame to sit in a lounge area/tiki hut. We stopped by with a handful of friends and were placed in a dimly lit lounge that seated 7 comfortably. Once the two hour-limit is over, you’re welcome to sit at the bar or be among the general standing room area.
We all loved the ambiance and atmosphere. It was very chill, laid back and a great spot to have drinks and conversations with friends.
The menu consisted of many rum-based cocktails. The heads on the menu (seen below) gave everybody an idea of how strong the drinks were; more heads meant stronger drinks. Between the seven of us, we tried I believe every drink on the menu. Everyone had a drink they enjoyed. Some drinks that stuck out included the Jalisco Headhunter which came out lit on fire, Shark Bite which came in a cool shark head glass, Teak 9, Tradewinds, the Piña colada. Honestly there wasn’t a drink anybody hated. Well there was one drink called the Zombie which was rated four heads where there was a 2-drink limit per customer. Our server warned a friend that it was very potent which it was. A friend ordered the drink and said he could feel it burn all the way down while another said it was delicious. Needless to say both grew some hair on their chest that night.
Some people may look at the prices and question whether it’s worth it. We found it to be well worth it. The drinks were stiff yet tasty. It’s not like they were serving $8-14 watered-down drinks. You definitely get your money’s worth.
Here’s a look at what we had. I apologize for not getting the names of every drink. My focus was more on hanging out and enjoying my evening.
Lava & Tonic has a limited food menu that consists of pizzas from LMNO Pizza. Considering eating is a passion of mine, I had to order at least one pizza right? I went with their Lilly’s Luau which had sweet chili mango, BBQ sauce, pulled pork, red onions, pineapple, goat cheese, mozzarella and cheddar.
It’s a smaller pizza cut into eight pizzas that is good for one maybe two people. I loved the toppings on the pizza and how they all complimented each other. Of course some people say pineapple doesn’t belong on a pizza but I’m like, bring on EVERYTHING! The crust was the only underwhelming part for me as it was too soft and very doughy for my preference. I would have preferred it to be cooked slightly longer to provide a crispier crust. For those wondering since the price isn’t listed on the menu, the pizza cost $12.
All in all, we really enjoyed our visit to Lava & Tonic. We went for a birthday and the bar gave us a great spot to celebrate. Our server did a phenomenal job. She even told us that she recently started there but did a fantastic all evening taking care of our table.
Here’s their menu:
Happy Dining,
Eddy
To nominate your restaurant or event to be considered for a review, please email us with your restaurant information. We are always open to suggestions.
