Purple Orchid

Does El Segundo conjure images of low-flying planes and plumes of smoke coming from the Scattergood electric plant? It should. There’s a heavy industrial feel to this city, but the Purple Orchid, a divey tiki bar just around the corner from Main Street, brings a lighter touch to the area. Pass by regulars smoking under the neon purple sign and enter a tropical mecca of fruity drinks and kitschy decor. There are the requisite bamboo-lined walls and tiki lamps, but the Purple Orchid also does tropical with a twist: yes, tiki masks hang throughout the bar, but there are Barbies dangling from their mouths as sacrificial offerings, and a cage with tiny heads hangs by a big-screen TV (nope, we don’t want to know their origins). The drinks don’t always take such a creative turn, but you can order a mai tai, scorpion, Blackwell daiquiri and various coconut-infused libations. You may or may not get an umbrella depending on who is working, but this longtime neighborhood haunt is a worthwhile destination for anyone seeking a boozy tropical escape in the South Bay.