If the “Gilligan’s Island” crew wanted to grab a few drinks in Cudahy, they’d likely head over to Trader Nick’s South Shore Inn, 5483 S. Lake Drive. A stylish mashup of nautical and Polynesian décor is abundant throughout the bar, and the tropical drink menu is a rum lover’s paradise.
Owners Nick Estes and his fiancée, Sara Zmudzinski, had both worked in the service industry and had talked about opening their own place. Estes worked for eight years at Foundation, Riverwest’s famed tiki bar. While heading to Grant Park to walk their dog, Estes and Zmudzinski noticed a charming one-story brick bar and motel for sale on Lake Drive. Intrigued, they began the process of purchasing the property.
Estes’ former boss at Foundation had called him Trader Nick, and since the Lake Drive building was the South Shore Inn for a long time, they named their new bar Trader Nick’s South Shore Inn. Unlike many tiki bars with dim interiors, he and Zmudzinski wanted to brighten up the place, especially with the lakefront being right across the street. They had the main bar area painted a Caribbean shade of blue. They redid the bar with seashells and bamboo accents, and opened up the secondary room, which was previously used only for private parties. Their extensive tiki mug collection is on display, and they added maritime touches such as an SOS ring and a photo of Zmudzinski’s grandfather, who was captain of the USS Des Moines while serving in the U.S. Navy. They also have on display the bell from that ship, which was scrapped in 2007 after a failed attempt to turn the vessel into a museum ship in Milwaukee.
Since opening in February, Estes and Zmudzinski said their tiki bar has been well received. “There’s an influx of people moving to Cudahy, and they, along with long-time residents, are looking for something a little different,” Estes said. When they first opened, many people just ordered beer, but eventually the tiki drinks caught on.
A chalkboard menu displays an impressive selection of tropical drinks. Estes said they would soon expand the menu to about 30 drinks. There’s a large array of rum behind the bar, from commercial brands such as Bacardi, to locally distilled Twisted Path and Great Lakes Distillery’s Roaring Dan’s Rum. There’s a “daiquiri of the day” and happy hour specials from 4-6 p.m.
Customers can get exotic tropical classics like a Mai Tai, Zombie or Blue Hawaiian. Estes also added his own creations such as McCoy’s Death and Creole Punch. The Kill Devil is from Foundation. A kickin’ tiki drink doesn’t necessarily need rum; Estes is happy to whip up gin-based tropical drinks like the Saturn or the tart Sing Sling, a take on the Singapore sling, with gin, cherry and lemon.
An outdoor patio will be completed in July, and they offer packaged foods like frozen pizzas and chips. There are several pinball machines for customers to enjoy while sipping their frosty drinks. Zmudzinski said Trader Nick’s South Shore Inn appears on a pinball app that has drawn in some customers. “We like our pinball people,” she said.
Trader Nick’s South Shore Inn is open Tuesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. If people are still in the bar having a good time when the clock strikes 1 a.m., they’ll stay open until closing time.
For more information, visit facebook.com/tradernickssouth.
