The Bali Ha’i was Harry Batt’s Polynesian restaurant and was adjacent to his Pontchartrain Beach amusement park. When it opened in 1958, the restaurant was called Pontchartrain Beach-Comber, but within a year, the name was changed to Bali Ha’i due to a conflict with the original Don the Beach-Comber restaurant in Los Angeles. The Bali Ha’i quickly gained popularity due to its Tiki drinks and Asian food. The Bali Ha’i closed its doors in 1988.
The unusual drinks in their exotic serving pieces became—and remain—highly collectible today. A few are shown here, including one from the short-lived Pontchartrain Beach-Comber.
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