"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." ~e.e. cummings, 1955
Bikini is a true dive bar. It is not a bar trying to be your local neighborhood dive, it in genuine; comfortable in it's own skin no matter how gross and disease infested that skin may be; not unlike the loveable PigPen from the Peanuts cartoons. Bikini tries to live up to no one's standards and despite the array of negative things one can say about the place, it is part of its charm and it's charm will win you over.
My friend ordered a tequila the other night.
"Do you want the Well or Jose Cuervo?"
I was shocked so I made the inquiry. "Pardon me; out of curiosity what is your well tequila? What can you possibly have worse than Jose Cuervo?"
"Two Fingers. Some peoplelike it." --matter of factly in between loud bites of her greasy fish and chips from some near by establishment. They don't give a fuck.
Tiki stuff is posted all over of course, but not like Island's or Chuy's this is some real old looking tiki stuff. It somehow avoids the tacky factor and remains dingy. Flawless execution again WITHOUT TRYING.
Even the bathrooms keep it real. Real gross so poo before you go. You do not want to touch anything in here that you can avoid touching.
There is a front and a back door. I assume this is so that if your date's sheet metal worker husband comesin the front door you can easily bolt out the back. I assume this happens all the time here. Never seen it but it looks the type of place. I like that in a bar.
The drinks are cheap and the drinks are strong.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~Dr. Seuss
P.S. Other points of note
-internet juke box
-DJ every night at 10pm
-Cash only. ATM charges $2.50 I believe.