We land-locked Coloradans sure do love a taste of the islands! Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant in Longmont is a perfect example of that. Writer Ron Stern shows us what to expect when we visit.
Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant and Bar: Tropical Island Escape in Longmont, Colorado
Have you ever wished you could dine in an island paradise without traveling to the South Seas? A place where gentle tropical music soothes away stress while you enjoy an exotic rum cocktail and ocean delicacies in your own thatched beach hut. Look no further than Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant and Bar, where everyday daydreams like this are now commonplace.
Owner Sean Gafner grew up on a farm and cattle ranch where he learned the value of hard work and food sustainability at a young age. This was followed by culinary school and years of working in the fine dining industry. A change in his thinking occurred after watching the movie Chef which featured a gifted chef swapping the corporate mentality for a food truck, thus finding true happiness. In a similar fashion, Gafner transformed his fine dining background into his vision of inspired casual restaurants in Swaylo, slang for Southwest Longmont.
After enjoying huge success with two other restaurants–Jefe’s and Roost, he opened family-friendly Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant and Bar in March 2022. To say Gafner is passionate is an understatement. “I love everything about the restaurant industry,” he says.
Gafner spent months remodeling the stand-alone space with his wife and co-owner Rebecca and the results are pure fun. Stepping inside the dimly lit space, it took a few seconds for me to adjust to the sensory overload. The Hawaiian guitar music transported me to earlier days walking along the boardwalk in Waikiki, listening to the music emanating from the multitude of restaurants. Above, colorful buoy lights hung from the ceiling in nets. Authentic Witco furniture, blowfish lamps, nautical décor, and thatched bungalow seating completed the mood and feel of dining at the beach.
The centerpiece, however, is a show-stopping recreation of a 1000- square-foot pirate ship complete with a large bow and black side paneling. The ship’s interior is a treasure chest of thought and imagination. Lighted rum bottles adorn the walls and they feature more than 100 from 15 countries. Every nook and cranny contains something to see like Tiki mugs, shells, diving gear, and old lanterns.
Gafner brings the same level of enthusiasm to every aspect of his eclectic eatery. Featuring 20 types of seafood, flown in five times a week, he sources his other proteins, notably beef, pork, and lamb from local farmers. Every recipe has been carefully thought out and tastes like gourmet food at casual prices.
You can start off with any number of cocktails with fancy names like Blue Hawaii, Zombie, or Jungle Bird. I would recommend trying their classic Mai Tai. Prepared with a blend of aged Jamaican Pot Still Rums, Martinique Rhum, Grove Street orange liqueur, fresh lime, and almond orgeat, this is knock-your-socks-off good! ($14).
For a starter, Gafner suggested a dish a couple of his employees loved from their childhood in Hawaii–The Spam Musubi. This traditional island favorite is prepared with grilled Spam, rice, nori, teriyaki and pickled ginger. This colorful work of art is worth a photo and post to your favorite social media channel.
I had a hard time deciding on my main entrée as everything sounded delicious, so I settled on two of his most popular dishes. First, I tried the gluten-free Chicken Teriyaki Sticks as they are called in Hawaii. Quality Red Bird Farms chicken is marinated in teriyaki, coconut milk, and accompanied by some simple but flavor-intensive jasmine rice with hints of Thai basil. Even the accompanying mango-cucumber salad was delicious. ($16).
Next up was their house specialty, the Crispy Skin Barramundi (GF). The fish is grilled to crispy perfection on the outside while preserving the tender, flavorful inside. They pair it with a citrus-vanilla bean sauce and Thai basil rice & mango-cucumber salad. You have to try this as it can be a life-changing experience, in a seafood kind of way. ($23).
Everything is made from scratch here, including the desserts so save room. You have choices ranging from P.O.G ice cream (pineapple-orange-guava) and Dole Whip, but my recommendation for your first visit would be their Haupia Pie. This slice of heaven is made by layering chocolate and coconut cream and topping it with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and toasted coconut. This is a sweet ending to a dreamy meal. ($8).
Reservations are a must on weekends as the wait times can come close to three hours. Even though they just opened, diners hungry for something different are discovering this tropical escape. Gafner, in my opinion, is The Pied Piper of Swaylo, luring the unsuspecting to their culinary nirvana.
-Story and photos by Ron Stern, The Global Gumshoe
Please note: This was a hosted meal; however, all opinions are based on the author’s honest assessment and opinion.
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