MAI TAI restaurant indianapolis

MAI TAI restaurant indianapolis A OLD POLYNESIAN RESTARANT TIKI BAR that is no longer around Mai Tai Restaurant also went by the names Kahuna, and Knobby's Mai Tai—the chronology is not clear.

During the time it was Mai Tai, the name Kahuna Lounge seems to have been used for the bar area within the restaurant. The restaurant is perhaps most notable as an excellent example of the sort of design theft that happened during the height of Polynesian restaurants: all of the graphics for the restaurant, including Mai Tai's logo tikis, menu design, even the lettering used for the Mai Tai logo,

where lifted completely from the Tahitian. The Mai Tai's building has a tall, peaked A-frame roof. The building still stands today, and houses a karate school.

12/09/2025

The original Knobby’s, located at 52nd and Keystone, was founded in 1951 by William A. “Knobby” Knoll, a veteran who served in the Navy during WWII. A second location, at 38th and Shadeland, opened later, and featured a Polynesian-themed menu. The Knobby’s at 52nd and Keystone closed in 2001, and a BP is now in that location. The 38th and Shadeland location changed names and management for a few years but is also closed, and for a time served as a location for Steven Anderson’s A-OK Karate. Mr. Knoll passed away in 2010, and is interred in the Washington Park North Cemetery.

12/07/2025
11/22/2024

Knobby’s Mai Tai Restaurant – A History In Bits And Pieces Compiled By Bob Cripe Posted by Ray on March 11, 2021 in Tiki Bars 4 Comments There have been many tiki bars/restaurants that have come and gone over the years. Sometimes the building is demolished and something new is built, sometimes t...

06/30/2024

Indianapolis Chinese restaurant House of Cheung is closing at the end of June after 46 years at 71st St. and Keystone Ave.

08/08/2021

There have been many tiki bars/restaurants that have come and gone over the years. Sometimes the building is demolished and something new is built, sometimes the building gets “repurposed” and becomes another business entirely, or the building is just abandoned and left to rot away. Sadly, when ...

I finally got my photos of the inside of the place☹️
04/19/2021

I finally got my photos of the inside of the place☹️

history of
03/11/2021

history of

There have been many tiki bars/restaurants that have come and gone over the years. Sometimes the building is demolished and something new is built, sometimes the building gets “repurposed” and becomes another business entirely or sadly the building is abandoned and left to rot away. Sadly, when ...

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3815 N Shadeland Avenue
Indianapolis, IN
46226

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