Shot In The Dark: Kangaroo & Kiwi
Posted Nov. 14, 2008 at 8:16 am by Brian J Barr
You’d have to be an idiot to not be able to figure out that Kangaroo & Kiwi is an Australian pub. The sign outside features a smiling kangaroo raising his mug of beer and welcoming his fellow patrons from Down Under. The bathroom doors are labeled “blokes” and “sheilas.” The walls are adorned with rugby jerseys, stuffed animals (koalas and kangaroos, of course) and my personal favorite, a shark chewing a bloody leg mounted above the bar. Kangaroo & Kiwi borders on ridiculous with its abundance of stereotypical kitschy décor. Yet a majority of its patrons are true Aussies who gather to watch rugby, gobble down meat pies, and drink some—okay, a lot—of beer. It takes us a good 20 minutes to find a table on a Wednesday night and the server needs another 10 to clear the massive tower of dirty glasses. Holy shit. Do Seattle-based Aussies work? Yep. Apparently they can drink like fish and still function the next day, thanks to a secret weapon: Berocca. K&K conveniently keeps a stash of the multivitamin tablet that Aussies hail a miracle hangover cure. “It’s about as common in our households as a jar of vegemite,” the bartender enthuses. “It makes you pee fluorescent yellow… but it’s all natural.” I’ll stick with water and Ibuprofen, thanks. ERIKA HOBART 7305 Aurora Ave. N. 297-0507, www.kangarooandkiwipub.com
