our Press Kit here. - Kickin` Boot Whiskey Kitchen

ABOUT
Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen offers exceptional eats + drinks, graceful + hospitable
service, and an attractive + inviting atmosphere in which to enjoy both. Food and drink are
made in house, from scratch and served with generous helpings of Southern hospitality.
LOCATION
5309 22nd Ave NW
Historic Ballard, WA 98107
CONTACT
206+783+2668 (BOOT)
[email protected]
www.kickinboot.com
facebook.com/kickinboot
SERVICE
full service dining room, bar area, and patio
counter service for to-go menu
The robust lunch and dinner menus feature house-smoked meats, wood-fired steaks, and
hearty Southern fare. An extensive whiskey selection, plenty of wine and beer, and small
batch sippers promise libations to complement every meal. The full-service restaurant and
bar serves lunch, dinner, and late night meals, and offers happy hour seven days a week.
EATS
Kickin’ Boot brings the best of Southern cuisine to Seattle: house-smoked BBQ, mesquite-grilled steaks, and
savory favorites like Seafood Gumbo and Fried Louisiana Catfish. Fresh salads and slaws balance the heartier
options and a slate of Southern sides like Fried Green Tomatoes and Collard Greens rounds out the menu.
HOURS
DRINKS
sunday - thursday 11am - midnight
friday + saturday 11am - 1am
happy hour everyday 3:30pm - 6pm
full menu ‘til 10pm | late night menu ‘til close
An impressive whiskey collection, heritage cocktails, and scratch sippers meet the savory smokehouse menu.
Kickin’ Boot serves up Southern classics such as the Mint Julep and Whiskey Smash, brown-liquor libations
like the Manhattan and Old Fashioned, and Northwest beer and wine on tap.
SEATING
AESTHETICS
50 - dining room (all ages)
50 - patio (all ages)
75 - bar area (21+)
PRICE
$-$$ entrées
PAYMENT
Cash, VISA, Mastercard, American Express
CREATOR
Opper Melang Restaurants
Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen revives the Henry Gowan Whyte Building, a former millhouse, that overlooks the
Lake Washington Ship Canal and dates back to the 1920s. True to its industrial roots, the Kickin’ Boot space
boasts exposed steel, preserves turn-of-the-century Redwood trusses, and repurposes original fixtures.
The metal-heavy interior, barn wood accents, and house-designed + crafted furniture recall an industrial
past and create an ambiance of comfort and nostalgia.
EATS
Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen believes in taking the time to do things right.
Menu items are made fresh daily, from scratch and with quality ingredients.
HOUSE-SMOKED BBQ
SOUTHERN FARE + SMALL PLATES
Barbecue is the backbone of the Kickin’ Boot menu. House-smoked meats
add savory depth to dishes like the Texas Brisket Chili and Smoke Master
Chop Salad. Two custom-built smokers from Mesquite, Texas cook ‘round the
clock to ensure plenty of ‘slow and low’ ‘cue.
From crispy Fried Chicken with creamy mashers and scratch gravy
to Spicy Shrimp + Grits with stone-milled white hominy, garden succotash,
and pan-seared shrimp—Kickin’ Boot prepares its Southern plates with
utmost pride and patience.
HOUSEMADE SAUCES
Sides are no exception—fries are hand-cut from kennebec potatoes,
cornbread is baked fresh and served with bourbon-kissed honeybutter, and
even the Smoky Baked Beans start from slow-cooked pork shoulder.
Kickin’ Boot welcomes all BBQ fanatics—dry-rub diehards and saucesmotherers alike. The restaurant has six house-made sauces: HOUSE, a
traditional tomato-based sauce; its sidekicks SWEET, with orange and
tamarind, and SPICY, with habaneros; WHITE, the house take on an Alabama
sauce; GOLD, a North Carolina yellow mustard; and HOT, a habanero sauce
that packs some heat and makes a Pulled Pork Sandwich sing.
MESQUITE-GRILLED STEAKS
From the 8 oz. Filet Mignon to the 24 oz. T-Bone, Kickin’ Boot steaks
are cooked over an open-flame, mesquite-wood grill. The distinct flavor and
high burn temp of mesquite make it the ideal wood for searing steaks.
SWEET TRADITIONS
Every meal deserves a sweet finish. Kickin’ Boot makes damn fine treats:
Key Lime Pie with house graham cracker crust and marshmallow meringue;
Sweet Potato Pie with house-whipped cream; seasonal Peach Crumble,
and Banana Pudding Parfait with layers of house-made peanut butter and
scratch whiskey caramel sauce.
DRINKS
Craft whiskeys + spirits, classic cocktails, Northwest beer and wine,
and scratch sippers complement the Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen cuisine.
WHISKEY COLLECTION
BEER + WINE
The hand-picked selection includes well-loved labels, local distillations, and
tasty rarities from far and near—Scotland, Washington, and the American
Heartland. Of course, Kickin’ Boot holds Kentucky Bourbon in the highest
esteem for its storied history, impeccable flavor, and unsurpassed pairing
with BBQ.
Kickin’ Boot offers a healthy crop of beer and wine by the bottle and on tap.
A wide selection – from Northwest microbrews to classic Americana ales –
is available to wash down a Cat Fish Po’Boy or Chipotle Pork Cheeseburger.
HERITAGE COCKTAILS
Whiskey Kitchen signature drinks are time-honored cocktails. The hooch-heavy
bar serves up Southern classics such as the Mint Julep and Whiskey Smash and
brown liquor-libations like the Manhattan, Old Fashioned, and Paper Airplane.
In addition to whiskey drinks, Kickin’ Boot slings gin-based classics like
the Vesper and French 75 and refreshing concoctions such as the sweet
Hemingway Daiquirí or the fruity Southern Punch. The well-stocked bar
promises something for everyone to sip.
The wine program promotes Northwest wines, and its strong red list caters
to the protein-rich menu. Kickin’ Boot also pours half a dozen, seasonallyrotating cask wines, which make higher caliber wines more affordable.
Fortified wines – from late harvest and ice wines to a variety of ports –
complement Kickin’ Boot desserts.
NON-ALCOHOLIC ELIXIRS
Kickin’ Boot pours plenty of Sweet Tea and Scratch Lemonade. Crafted from
whole ingredients and real sugarcane, the house sippers are the real deal.
BO MAISANO
KRIS MOSER
Chef Bo grew up in the food and drink-crazed city of New Orleans and first
learned to cook in the French Quarter. He has made the rounds in the food world,
from mom-and-pop shops to five-star restaurants. Bo has opened numerous
restaurants in Seattle and most recently showcased his talent for ramen-making
in a series of pop-ups around town. At Kickin’ Boot, Bo does BBQ and
Southern eats from scratch and his delicious home cooking is sure to delight.
Kris Moser earned his start in the restaurant industry as a 12-year old
scrubbing pots and pans in a Vermont diner. He has worked in restaurants
his entire life and most recently managed renowned Seattle restaurant
Il Terrazzo Carmine. From owner Carmine Smeraldo, Moser learned the
importance of hands-on leadership, superior product knowledge, and
exceptional service. At Kickin’ Boot, Kris loves the Smokestack Sandwich
and Southern Punch.
EXECUTIVE CHEF
GENERAL MANAGER
NATHAN OPPER
ZAK MELANG
Nathan Opper leads the culinary direction and operations of Opper Melang
Restaurants. His responsibilities include organizational management, menu
engineering, and recipe development. A Michigan native, Nathan ventured
to Seattle in the early 90s – a move that introduced him to fresh ingredients
and sparked his interest in diverse cuisines. In order to learn more, he took
to reading cookbooks, practicing family recipes, and working in food service.
He has since traveled far and wide in pursuit of further culinary knowledge
and exceptional flavors.
Zak Melang offers the creative inspiration for Opper Melang Restaurants
and is responsible for the design and décor of each concept. He leads
the design process – from scouting restaurant locations and envisioning
interior layouts, to building furniture and hand-crafting aesthetic features.
His appreciation of quality materials and superior craftsmanship paired with
his restaurant industry experience explain his innate aptitude for commercial
interior design.
OWNER
Despite having traveled the world, Nathan always heads back to the American
South for its delicious BBQ and whiskey. His passion for this regional cuisine
led him to create the Whiskey Kitchen concept, which brings the best of
Southern fare and hospitality to the Northwest.
OWNER
Creative inspiration for Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen comes from the
building that houses the restaurant as well as the industrial past of the
neighborhood in which it is located. To craft the vintage industrial ambiance
of Kickin’ Boot, Zak preserved original building features, left raw materials
exposed, and decorated with era-appropriate fixtures. His passion for design
and attention to detail have come together to create a restaurant with
an atmosphere as unique and memorable as its cuisine.
PULLED PORK
SPICY SHRIMP + GRITS
MAKER’S MARK
PAPPY VAN WINKLE’S FAMILY
RESERVE 20 YEAR OLD
Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon
NATHAN’S CHOICE
ZAK’S CHOICE