Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen

Food was good, and prices were okay. Portions are large! I’d like to come back for brunch and try it out!

I love Ballard, but I hate getting there when I live in the dark soulless place Washingtonians like to call Everett.
The Whiskey Kitchen is a decently priced restaurant right in the thick of things. They’ve changed a bit over the years but their core is the same. This time around my wife and I ordered the Applewood BBQ to share with brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, macaroni and cheese, cheddar and potato gratin, and the potato salad.
No complaints for this carnivore on the meat, however, the macaroni and potato gratin were cold. Somebody needs to tell the kitchen staff to warm that up before they serve.
A bunch of whiskey there as well. I had my fair share of drinks and all were super tasty!
The service here was also pretty awesome. It was a packed Friday and our server always checked on us to see how we were doing.
Overall, I recommend this place, beautiful place, in a great location, good food, and great service.

This place kicks ass!
The only advice I will give… whatever you order, whatever you like, whatever seems like a good idea to eat, do your taste buds a MASSIVE favor by getting the smoked chicken wings. This dish alone is worth the trip to Ballard from south King County.

Yee Haw!!! Talk about some good ‘ol classic BBQ. Kicking’ Boot offers good southern BBQ with a wide variety of local and imported Whiskey. All of the food at Kickin’ is made from scratch and it is clear the difference that makes when you take your first bite. I personally tried the Applewood BBQ with pulled pork, brisket, and sausage. The briskets was so deliciously rich I was disappointed when it disappeared so quickly from my plate. I understand the brunch chicken and waffles is too die for. For those who use Unilocal as their only informer for where to eat, the menu has recently changed so don’t get too hung up on photos you see here on Unilocal.Visit their website for an up-​to-​date menu.
Aside from the food the service was great and although we did not indulge the whiskey selection looked decent. Consider going on Whiskey Wednesday where they offer ½ off all whiskeys.
As far as the interior I personally liked the wood accented décor which I felt added to the BBQ/​Whiskey feel. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for good, simple BBQ.

I’ve been here twice now, and both times walked away feeling very «meh» about it. One time I had ribs. The other, it was a po boy sandwich. Both were meh. I guess that about sums it up. Kickin’ Boot: Meh.

What a beautiful location!
I loved all the wood accents, the ladder leading to the whiskey selection and the outdoor seating option. Great prices (1 meat + 2 sides = $ 11). We skipped the BBQ but will come back another time to try it. However, we got a shrimp dish which was terrible. It tasted like boiled eggs and cayenne. Barely edible. The potato chips were OK (I mean, they’re chips… They were good chips) but they come VERY VERY quickly (like w/​in 30 seconds of ordering). For $ 4 I recommend those if you’re hungry right then & there.
Service was friendly. Around 6:30pm on Saturday we walked in easily but a line started to form right afterwards.

Walking around Ballard looking for a restaurant to have dinner at can be a tough time with soooo many great choices. My husband and I decided on this place because the menu seemed pretty good. Unfortunately we were under whelmed. The service was great but the food not so much.
— Egg salad and pimento cheese pick ups: Very tasty, not enough bread.
— BBQ shrimp: The favorite dish of the meal. Very spicy and saucy.
–Fried chicken: The chicken was really good and crispy. However the coleslaw that came with is was overly dressed and soggy and the potato gratin was cold.
–Brisket and ribs: The brisket was so tough, not good at all. My husband couldn’t even eat it. The ribs were just ok. The mac and cheese that came with it was cold. The fries were nice and crispy.

I liked this place. Stopped in for HH and ordered the pulled pork sandwich, loaded baked potatoe, chicken strips, and some drinks. The pork was okay, but nothing memorable. Surprisingly, the chicken strips were my favorite. The chicken came out hot, crispy, well seasoned, and didn’t feel overly heavy w/​just the right amount of breading. Portions for HH are generous and the drinks were as expected.

The food is good. The service is good. They’re accommodating to families and crowds. I’ve been coming here once every few months, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I even enjoyed some of the changes to the menu! These are things I don’t have a problem with, but when we got the bill for our last time we visited, I was offended.
I totally believe that all workers deserve a living wage, and I’m glad that Seattle has been at the forefront in advocating for a living wage for all! I know that a few restaurants have grappled with how to do this and be fair and cost-​conscious. Some have eliminated tipping, which at first, I was dubious of, but since then I’ve grown comfortable with the idea. Tipping has always been a way to conveniently deny a living wage by relying on customer’s generosity. I get that. The other thing I’ve seen is a raise in prices, with a polite explanation as to why. This is also a-​ok by me! Put it front and center, «we’re raising prices because we’re paying our staff more!» is a great way to handle it. I’ve also seen a mix of the previous two.
What got me about Kickin’ Boot was I was blindsided at the end of the meal by a surcharge for a «living wage adjustment.» They just printed new menus, so it’s not like they couldn’t have just added to the price of the food to cover the «living wage adjustment.» By putting it on the bill, with no mention later, it makes a person a bit put-​off when it comes down to tipping. These servers are still needing a tip, and what’s a customer going to do when blindsided by an extra charge? Give only 10% tip when they would normally 15%? Maybe they choose to not tip at all, figuring that the surcharge just takes care of it.
The whole thing stinks as a middle finger to living-​wage seekers. Despite all the good about going to Kickin’ Boot, I have serious reservations on returning so long as they put the weight of a just and appropriate living wage on the backs of their staff and the generosity of their customers. It just feels spiteful.

Hold up, can we talk about the 5% «living wage adjustment»? Listen folks, at first glance I thought this tax had something to do with the staff’s wages going up to $ 15 an hour. I almost didn’t tip the super sweet waitress. I asked her about the 5% undisclosed tax and she assured me she wasn’t making that much. She tried to explain the extra money «went to the house» but couldn’t really articulate why. We asked to see the manager and he was not on the premises. As far as I can tell, the 5% increase is a hidden tax so the cost of the entrees doesn’t appear to go up. Is that even legal? Can you arbitrarily charge a tax without telling a patron? Forget it, kicking boot… I’ll go to bitterroot.

I am sad. Kickin’ Boot used to be great! They have taken some of the core items off of their menu and the tap selection is terrible. They used to have good alternate bottles and cans… but not anymore (cider and beer specifically).
We were regulars here, came back twice a week– sometimes more. Unfortunately, since the tap cider is now Angry Orchard (gross!) — Schilling and Seattle Cider are both gone from the menu — and the Smoked Wings are gone. there is not much incentive to visit KBWK — We tried, but the new menu is just OK.
There are so many great places in the area — and this used to be one of them. Now, it’s just ho-​hum.

I love Kickin Boot. Environment, staff, whisky, and bbq are all great. My buddies know it’s my favorite bar, hands down.
Buuuuuut, why, oh why, did they take the best chili I’ve ever had off the menu? Seriously, I’ve told so many people about their brisket chili. It’s a comfort food like no other. So. Flippin. Good. Sadly, it’s not on the menu and the bartender said it’s not an option anymore. What the what?! Bring back the chili, KB!!! Bring back the chili!

We took my mom and her boyfriend here for lunch today. Robert was our server and was AMAZING, super friendly, helpful and very attentive.
My boyfriend and I shared the smokestack sandwich with 2 sides of Mac and cheese. Everything was so good! The sandwich, the seasoning on the fries, Mac and cheese and the additional hot sauces Robert brought us were so good I ended up pouring them on my sandwich. My mom ended up ordering another side of Mac and cheese it was so good.
Nice place, awesome service and great food! We will be back

The Food: The Chicken wings are great! If I go back, I would just get these, as the rest of the food is not so great. Our group tried all of the BBQ options and the chicken was the best, but none of it was that great. It was dry for the most part, and could not stand on its own flavor-​wise. The Chipotle Pork Cheeseburger was recommended to me by our server, and it was dry and lacked flavor. The Shrimp and Grits was recommended to my wife, and it was mediocre. We also tried the collard greens and potato salad. They were both ok, but I wouldn’t recommend them.
The Service: Our service was really good for the most part. Beyond the bad recommendations, she was quite attentive and we were well-​served.

Need to get your whiskey fix? This is your spot. Kickin’ Boot is a restaurant/​bar on a side street in Ballard. Their selection of whiskey is on point. I love whiskeys when I want an alcoholic beverage. My choices are slim when I want to sip on Japanese whiskeys, and are usually exclusive to the high end restaurants or bars that specialize only in whiskey. Kickin’ Boot has Yamazaki 12, which is one of my most desired whiskeys to date. They also have a single, big cube the fits perfectly in your whiskey glass if you want it chilled.
Their BBQ is also great. The last time I went, I ordered the Texas Brisket Chili. The chili was filled with meat, and it was so rich and full of flavor, I couldn’t even finish it. The cornbread was perfect, and I wish it had more.
On another occasion, we ordered a Smoke Master Platter, which would made to perfection. It’s the perfect dish to share if you want to try all their bbq items.

I come here for lunch every once in awhile with co-​workers and it’s usually pretty easy to get a seat. The food is good but not great — I generally order their chicken salad with a side of beans or fries, sometimes a sandwich if I’m feeling like the extra calories. I like this place because it is reliable and there are like 6 different sauces you can use to douse your food in readily available at the table. Love me some condiments!
I’ve been in on a weekend evening and the vibe is generally hopping so it can be fun to sit at the bar and grab a drink with friends.
The space itself is great and the staff are always super friendly.

Despite the delicious food, I will not be returning to Kickin’ Boot. No way, no how.
The ambiance is great. I enjoyed the décor and laid back atmosphere. There are 4 – 5 TVs in the restaurant– enough to keep your eye on the game without being overwhelmingly «sports bar» esque.
We arrived at Kickin’ Boot around 2:00 pm on New Year’s Day for a late lunch. Our unfriendly and standoffish waitress came to take our drink orders. We had been waiting a while for her, so we knew our drink orders and our food orders. Our drinks didn’t come out until our food did– almost an hour later! This includes my friend’s Coke. The waitress doesn’t even need to depend on the bartender for soft drinks. No apologies for the forgotten drink.
I am not one to blame servers for how long it takes for food to come out. I know it’s tough to be the bearer of bad news. This was just beyond unacceptable, though.
One person in our party received her salad about 30 minutes before the rest of us– she had to start eating without us, or else the chicken would get cold. I watched my meal sit under the lamp in the window for a solid 12 – 15 minutes. When it finally came over, I mentioned to the manager, who brought it to me, that I was displeased. He came back later to check on us, which I appreciated. He was pleasant. Our server, on the other hand, didn’t check on us once.
I asked for my leftovers to be boxed. Not only did it take several requests and a long time for get said box, but she didn’t bring anything for my to put my remoulade in. When i asked for a condiment cup, she brought me a soup bowl. This was for less than two tablespoons of dipping sauce. She acted like it was a completely ridiculous request for me to want a box. Also, since she had taken the silverware, I asked that she take it and box it up for me, which she refused. So… I scooped my pulled pork and hush puppies into the box with my hands.
I’ll tell you about the food, which was delicious. Four stars actually. I had the BBQ trio, which included brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and cornbread. All absolutely perfect. The hush puppies were excellent, too — the size of tennis balls! The drinks were excellent too.
But…despite the good food, this place is a flop. I’m extremely disappointment that management didn’t seem to have their finger on the pulse of the needs of the customers or the poor service being provided (not provided) to us.
Womp, Womp. Kickin’ Boots, you’re no good.

Good ambiance. Can’t wait to try the bar. Didn’t get a chance to do so today.
Had some good food. the red beans and rice was awesome. country fried steak was good.
Good place to get some grub.

Went here for dinner last night, Saturday night, and it was great. First off the place smells amazing with the smoky BBQ aroma and I was excited to try out a few items from their menu.
We ordered a bartender’s margarita, a beer and of course some whiskey. Tried the shrimp hush puppies, the catfish with greens, beans and rice and the BBQ pulled pork with coleslaw and a baked potato. All the food was delicious. Not much spice in the catfish dish but it was still great.
Service was good and we were able to get a seat outside as the sun was setting, beautiful sunset. We would go back.

Been to Kickin’ Boot a few times to watch some Husky Football. The restaurant is a great place to get together and have some drinks and food and watch the game. Great TV views from anywhere in the bar and lots of large tables to accommodate bigger parties. The BBQ and Burgers decent and reasonably priced. Appreciate that they have several different BBQ Sauces on the table to try. Personally I like the atmosphere of the place more than the food. Parking can sometimes be difficult because… Ballard.
Bonus Points — I saw Russell Wilson there.