New Tiki Bar Bringing Island Vibes To North Loop
As we finally start to thaw out from a long, cold winter, there’s a new little North Loop hangout bringing island vibes to the neighborhood.
Vern’s Tiki Bar, filled with bamboo, lanterns and tropical drinks, is in the space behind Public Domain (119 N Washington) where Neon Tiger used to be.
“Neon Tiger was cool, it served its purpose for a little while but I was like, let’s do something a little bit more unique,” said owner Stefan Van Voorst. “For me, it was like how do you create something that’s cozy but loose and fun, not like a cocktail den?”
Vern’s Tiki Bar has light bites from chef Nettie Colón like coconut shrimp and luau wings and more than a dozen tropical drinks and slushies.
You can get to Vern’s by walking through Public Domain, but on crowded weekends, it’s best to enter through the back alley behind Runyon’s.
They’re still waiting for a sign to go on the alley door, but for now, you can just look for the red lights.
By the way, the bar is named after Vernon Burke, a young bootlegger from the 1930s who also ran a speakeasy. Van Voorst, who’s a history buff, saw a 1932 article about Vern’s arrest, at a time when he and his brother-in-law were smuggling booze in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
“I thought that’s kind of a fun story so let’s just name a tiki bar after Vern,” he said.
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer
