The Sip ‘N Dip Lounge

The Sip ‘N Dip Lounge

The Sip ‘N Dip Lounge is located in the O’Haire Motor Inn in downtown Great Falls, Montana, Despite the passing of time, the lounge has stayed true to its original kitsch beginnings when it opened in 1962.

It was only a matter of time before I was at it again. First it was the Kon Tiki in Tucson, Arizona. Then it was the Shameful Tiki Room in Vancouver, BC. Now I present for your consideration: The Sip n Dip Lounge.

From the nightly keyboard performances paired with mermaids swimming around in a pool behind the bar, this bar has reached a perfection I never knew existed.

They were even named the #1 bar on earth worth flying to by GQ Magazine in 2003!

Keep scrolling for your tour of the Sip ‘N Dip Lounge.

Expect the classics from any standard American bar but an added list of their signature tiki cocktails. What the drinks lack in inspiration, the ambience of the room more than makes up for. 

At the very least, it’s affordable and comes in a cute plastic cup (sponsored by Bacardi). I say this with love. All of these things only added to the charm of the place for me.

Piano Pat if a musical fixture at the Sip ‘N Dip Lounge and she’s perched in a place of prominence in the central part of the tiki bar.

She’s the first thing you see when you walk in and the only thing you’ll want to listen to while drinking some blue cocktail. Her cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” moved me in ways I still cannot explain.

UPDATE: Sadly, Patricia “Piano Pat” Sponheim passed away in 2021. If you missed out on her magical performances, I suggest watching this YouTube video about her.

Piano Pat’s music paired with the flirty mermaids was entertainment on another level. I have never seen an underwater kiss blown with such zeal! 

I kept trying to enjoy their swimming prowess but was simultaneously hyper aware of what an exhausting job that must be. They were spectacular!

If I am not mistaken, I would be bold and say that the decor has not changed at all since 1962. This brings me great pleasure that even the bar table tops are still the seahorse patterned formica. 

The only thing I would bet has been replaced is the carpet. Like all good tiki bars, it has the straw thatched ceiling coverings, sassy velvet paintings, and lots of sealife lighting. That’s a recipe for success.