While storms may have lured surfers out to the beach this past weekend, it’s a good thing Greg Paul’s new tiki bar was tucked away from the waves when it opened Friday on North Fourth Street in downtown Wilmington.

Paul, who has been in the surfing business for 45 years, has traveled the world in search of waves and along the way enjoyed many a funky tiki bar.

“I always talked about opening my own tiki bar,” Paul said. “And while most tiki bars are on the beach, I figured I’d bring a little bit of the beach to downtown.”

The bar, which offered a balmy alternative to the weekend storms, will specialize in tropical cocktails served in ceramic tiki mugs. There are six draft taps as well as a walk-up cooler where patrons can select their own bottles.

The interior is decorated with Mexican thatch, bamboo and handmade masks and paintings from Bali. Outside Paul has created a “beach” with truckloads of beach sand, hammocks, an outdoor bar and games such as corn hole and bocce. There’s also an area for food trucks to park.

“We’ve got four rooms of freaky inside,” said Paul, whose eclectic space offers free glow-in-the-dark pool, darts and a small stage for acoustic music.

Paul hopes to lure an after-work crowd with music, trivia and karaoke that begin around 5 p.m.

Freaky Tiki County Club is located at 723 N. Fourth St.

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at: [email protected]