Kangaroo & Kiwi
Australian restaurant · Ballard ·
Australian sports bar in former library with patio, darts, shuffleboard
Australian sports bar in former library with patio, darts, shuffleboard
"Kangaroo & Kiwi is an Australian-themed partytime bar in the shell of an old library, and it’s a fun place for day drinking. Instead of bookshelves, the digs have shark carcass replicas, maps of the land down under, and bathrooms for “blokes” and “sheilas.” But the real beauty of Kangaroo & Kiwi is their patio. Up some steps and overlooking a busy Ballard sidewalk, it feels exciting to people-watch in the sun until you’ve blinked and suddenly it’s 8pm. Signature cocktails—as well as the menu of pub snacks—are not very good, but that’s why beer and cider exist. Grab a round and play darts or hand shuffleboard while the rugby game blares. Food Rundown Your Sister's Mister Your bartender will begin by grabbing a fistful of ice with their bare hands from the freezer. Then, they'll muddle a dilapidated lime with Olympian force until every last drop of juice and pulp has been extracted, and dump in some Sprite and strawberry lemonade along with tequila. Please just get a beer. Buffalo Cauliflower Even though the batter is far too greasy and the larger pieces are far too undercooked, they’re the kind of just-fine fried nuggets you could mindlessly pop after a few drinks—and we appreciate that the buffalo sauce is on the side, which keeps the exterior crisp. photo credit: Aimee Rizzo Sweet Potato Fries They’re sweet potato fries—you get what you sign up for. Just dip them in anything other than the proprietary aioli, which has been ruined by a raw garlic surplus. photo credit: Aimee Rizzo" - Aimee Rizzo
"Kangaroo & Kiwi used to be a library. But now, instead of reading books and pretending to be a Hogwarts student, you can drink pitchers of beer outside all day while ignoring your other responsibilities. Saturday afternoons feel like a party here, whether you’re playing games on the lawn or sitting under an umbrella watching pedestrians walk by who are for sure having a worse day than you." - aimee rizzo
"Nostalgia is a powerful force. And if you get nostalgic about pounding cheap beer in the great room of a fraternity house while screaming profanity at some sports match on TV and almost poking someone’s eye out with a dart, Kangaroo & Kiwi is where you need to go. It’s an Australian-themed bar in a renovated library with rugby streaming on the screens, a good draught selection, and hand shuffleboard. As long as you bring your friends to party and don’t expect phenomenal service or gourmet food, it’s going to be a great time." - aimee rizzo
"Kangaroo & Kiwi is an Australian-themed bar in the shell of an old library. Instead of bookshelves, it has shark carcass replicas, maps of the land down under, and bathrooms for blokes and sheilas. Come here to drink beer and cider and play darts or hand shuffleboard while the rugby game blares. They serve things like toasties and Aussie-style pies, but we’d pass on most of the food—head next door to Li’l Woody’s instead." - aimee rizzo
"Ballard’s Australian-themed bar (housed in a former library) is mainly known as a hangout for rugby fans, but it’s all-in on the Sounders Sunday, with a full menu available and brunch running to 3 p.m. The food includes very soccer appropriate meat pies with “brekky spuds” and a spicy avocado toast served on a pub roll. And, for those who can’t get a babysitter, kids are welcome." - Gabe Guarente