In tornado alley, a basement is a must. And if you have to go down to the basement for the inevitable tornado watch or warning, Jordan and Morgan Waterman’s house is the place to do it. Because if you have to shelter from the storm — well, wouldn’t you want to do it in a tiki bar?
Pull up to Jordan and Morgan’s 1920s house in their quiet Northtown neighborhood, and you wouldn’t suspect anything out of the ordinary. A step into their living room gives a peek at their affection for tiki, with a bit of Polynesian flair on the walls, but it’s nothing over-the-top. Even as you step into their backyard, you wonder, “where the heck is this tiki bar?” and then you’re led down the unassuming concrete steps into a true oasis.
Jordan has rented his home in North Kansas City since 2018, but the tiki bar didn’t start to take shape until his favorite bar closed. TikiCat, an award-winning tiki bar in the basement of HopCat in Westport, shuttered in 2020, and Jordan, eager to recreate the same feel of TikiCat in his own home, bought some of the fixtures and started converting his basement space with the approval of his landlord.
The space, dubbed The Black Flamingo — Underground Oasis, has evolved a lot over the past five years, and is so impressive, it’s even featured in a book, “Polynesiacs: Tiki at Home.” The book by Tom Jaynes, or “Tiki Tom-Tom” spotlights impressive home tiki bars across the country, and The Waterman’s space is showcased alongside home bars of all shapes and sizes.
The Waterman’s basement is small, but it packs a punch of impressively layered decor, so your eye is constantly finding new things at which to marvel.
“The best compliment you ever get in tiki or collecting, I would say, is, ‘Oh, you know, last time I was here, I didn't see you had that,’” says Jordan. “And I'm like, ‘Oh, I had that for four years, and, you know, you touched it last time, but you don't remember because there’s 19 new things around it.’”
Many tiki spaces have their own spin, whether it’s clean, opulent spaces that look like a Trader Vic’s restaurant or cluttered spots with flotsam and jetsam everywhere. The Waterman’s space has a Midcentury flair, filled with vintage pieces like a Witco magazine stand, 1970s swag lamps and, of course, Jordan’s prized tiki mug collection. He also loves pop culture references, and if you look closely, you’ll see the creature from the black lagoon or Sleestaks from the cult movie “Land of the Lost.”
As with many niche obsessions that involve collecting, there’s a big community of folks who love tiki, even if the definition of what is actually “tiki” can vary from person to person. Jordan, along with other tiki aficionados in Kansas City, has cultivated that community locally, even if the Midwest isn’t at the forefront of people’s minds when they think of tiki spots.
“I think it's cool to see that even though we're kind of a desert of tiki, we're really not,” says Jordan. “You have to look to find it. It's not going to be a Google search. You have to go to the rum tastings. You have to look for it.”
This September, Jordan will help host the third annual Lei Away event, of which he’s a co-founder. The 3-day event celebrates all things tiki, featuring parties, vendors, seminars and more. Jordan is excited that Kansas City is continuing to make a name for itself in the tiki world, and hopes to continue to foster that.
The Waterman’s Black Flamingo space is proof that no matter where you are — whether it’s flyover country, a place where there’s no ocean or palm tree in sight, a dark basement, or, in their case, all three, tiki is truly a state of mind and a spirit that can be appreciated anywhere, anytime.
Join Jordan at Lei Away in Kansas City from September 26-28. You can find tickets and more information at theleiaway.com. You can also find The Black Flamingo on Instagram at @the_black_flamingo_nkc.
Keep the Vibes Going
Want to explore more of the tiki culture Kansas City has to offer? Consider these spots:
1599 Iron Street, North Kansas City
A tiki bar with a pop culture flair located in the Iron District
519 E 18th Street, Kansas City
A coffee shop in the Crossroads offering Hawaiian-themed drinks and vibes
1922 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City
A mid-century tiki lounge in the Crossroads that pairs tacos and tiki drinks
204 Orchard Street, Kansas City, Kansas
A tiki bar located in Strawberry Hill with some of the best tiki drinks in the city
A Cal-Mex taco place with multiple locations throughout the city, such as near KU Med, on Troost, downtown Overland Park and Olathe.
306 Armour Road, North Kansas City
While not a tiki place, this liquor store is one of the best places in the Northland to get the ingredients you need for tiki drinks. They also have a bar inside and host tiki nights, like Tiki Tuesday.
2041 Broadway Boulevard,, Kansas City
This Crossroads Bar isn’t a tiki bar, but is modeled off the fern bars (like T.G.I. Fridays) that were popular in the 70s and 80s and has many drinks inspired by tiki drinks.
4117 Mill Street, Kansas City
Find tiki drinks and laid-back vibes at this Westport bar.