A new tiki bar is planned for Detroit's east side

Months after the Mutiny Bar opened in Southwest Detroit, a new tiki bar called Lost River is in the works on the city's east side.

Eater reports owners Matt Mergener and Karen Green will take over a roughly 1,000-square-foot bar formerly called Memories Jazz & Blues Lounge at 15421 Mack Ave. When it opens, you'll find a mix of signature drinks appropriate for a tiki bar and Lost River's takes on classics.

That means libations like mai tais, painkillers, and fogcutters, and a drink called Strip and Go Naked — a mixture of orange juice, lime, gin, vodka, grenadine, and Stroh’s. Another — Rose’s Gin and Tonic — will be served in a “bathtub mug," which is a tribute Green’s great grandmother who was involved in bootlegging.

The bar will feature items Mergener collected from Detroit's classic tiki bars like Mauna Loa and Chin Tiki. Lost River should be open sometime this spring.


So many restaurants, so little time. Find out the latest Detroit dining news with our weekly food newsletter delivered every Friday morning.