Tiki cocktails and karaoke converge at The Luau, a Polynesian-themed bar in College Area, San Diego at 7123 El Cajon Boulevard near the La Mesa border. Owner Brett Rose — a former bar manager at JRDN in Pacific Beach's Tower 23 Hotel — opened the room in 2022 to bring a beach-bar format to the east side, and the result is a surf-tiki hybrid decorated with vintage surfboards, a wall of 17 vintage ukuleles behind the stage, and a banana-leaf-thatched tiki bar backed by a turquoise shelving display. The cocktail program anchors around classic tiki builds — Mai Tais, Zombies, Blue Hawaiians, and frozen daiquiris — plus house originals served in proportional tiki mugs without excess ice. No kitchen operates on-site, but the BYOB food policy means patrons carry in plates from the surrounding College Area taco shops and noodle houses, including Tacos El Panson a short drive west. A back patio called the Lanai features a Place of Refuge mural wall, palm trees, propane torch heaters, and a fountain that filters street noise from El Cajon Boulevard. Karaoke runs Thursday through Saturday from a small stage framed by the ukulele collection, and Monday nights host trivia. The 92115 ZIP and proximity to SDSU pull a split crowd of campus regulars and east-side locals, and the room's intimate footprint keeps capacity tight enough that weekend karaoke fills to standing room. Rose's cocktail list extends into bowls and shareable formats, a communal drinking style more common in the beach-adjacent tiki bars along Mission Boulevard than in the El Cajon Boulevard corridor where ramen and pho houses — Tajima Ramen College Heights among them — define the dining character. Complimentary bowls of pretzels and goldfish crackers keep the bar crowd snacking between rounds.