The Thirsty Koala

LOVE this place!
Great to see more Vegan options popping up in Queens !

This was my first time ever dining at an Australian restaurant and I was absolutely in love! If you are looking for a laid-​back, cozy, casual, «down under» atmosphere then you need to eat here!
I wasn’t brave enough to try the kangaroo meat, but it looked great; may go back and try (details to follow). Their meats are also free ranged, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free and they also use their own farmer’s cheeses made from organic milk, which was a huge plus and all for an affordable price! The staff were also warm and friendly. They can get busy, so make sure to call for a reservation ahead of time!

The service amazing! The food was so terrifically good. I love that my vegan friend and I can both enjoy delicious entrees with neither of us having to sacrifice. Total win! I will be back.

Wonderful place!
The food was great, lots to choose from and especially appreciated the healthy options. Strongly recommend the filet mignon, koala sliders and the salmon. We got the salmon special with olives and tomatoes and it was delicious!
Best part of the meal was the service — the chef and owner came by to check on our table and we really felt valued.
Will return!

Found this restaurant here on Unilocal,as I was looking up places that had a vegan menu for my girlfriend — very happy at the selection for myself as well, as I am not opposed to meat or Dairy :)
I ordered the special, eggplant parm & chose «chips» as my side (fries) both were very tasty, would order again! She ordered the vegan tacos and was very pleased as well.
Waitress was very nice and made sure we were happy. Total meals just food came out to 29 $ for two entrees including tax. Will definitely eat here again!

Good service, but so noisy couldn’t hear myself or wait staff. Food delicious, and great to try new spice combos. Not organic but did have some grass-​fed meats and they seemed to know every ingredient and had good selection for gluten-​free and people with food allergies. Great non alcoholic drink selection. Wouldn’t recommend to go with children in evening, too crowded.

I came here with a group of friends on a Saturday night. Parking is a bit tough, but if you go two blocks down, you’ll be able to find more parking than nearby. It’s a busy street.
The staff there was really really REALLY friendly. They did all they can to accommodate a group of 7 by pushing tables together and making sure all of us had enough space.
I had the chicken burger on a lot. The burger is big– huge. I couldn’t finish it.
My friends had the kangaroo on a lot. We also had calamari to start with.
There was a lot of calamari for the group.
I heard that their lamb lollies were amazing but I’m not a huge fan of lamb :3
Everything here seems amazing!

My friend and I were delighted to have come in time for the brunch special — our lovely sweet and savory dishes came with an included drink of either a coffee, tea, mimosa, or Bloody Mary (we chose the cocktails of course. why not!) My Fresca omelette was a delicious combo of spinach, garlic, shallots, and amazing homemade ricotta cheese. Plus, the fries that it came with were so tasty that I had to break my diet rules and nibble on a few. I also tasted my friend’s Pain Perdu French toast (which was made with croissants, topped with bananas and strawberries, and drizzled with chocolate sauce) and it was heavenly… she agreed. If you’re debating whether or not to check out this cute Australian café, I would definitely suggest you check it out. The wait staff was also wonderful. I will definitely return!

Wait a second, I’m sure I wrote a review for Koala months ago! (Wonders if it got deleted somehow)
What can I say that others haven’t?
Koala is amazing. People go for the kangaroo — but I didn’t. I went for the lollies and the vegetarian chili. So good! I had the ‘roo too but wasn’t thrilled by it. Gamey and lacking in fat — which is typical for ‘roo. But that doesn’t change my 5-​star!
The service is great and I’m glad to be able to get to know Chef Fuchs. She is the only chef in the area that table touches and is genuinely curious about who her customers are and what they think. The rest of the staff is also pretty amazing. Feels like home.
Until the next.

Reservation for 18 on a Sunday night? No problem!
The staff here are really, really, really friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. You can literally disregard this review and go in knowing nothing and they will explain to you how to make the most of your time there.
I decided to come to the The Thirsty Koala because of the infamous Kangaroo burger (peep the picture). As warned by the staff, don’t go past medium rare for the burger as it tends to become a tad dry. To this day, I still wonder how I finished that burger in one sitting.
They have a pretty diverse drink menu (alcoholic and non-​alcoholic) that is constantly changing so definitely take a look when you get there.
In terms of appetizers, if you have a few friends with you order the calamari (the portion size is legit).
In short, I had a great experience enjoying great food with great people. Will love to be back.

I came here for a friend’s birthday celebration and had a great experience. We were a party of 16 and I showed up half an hour early and our table was there ready for us. It’s a dimly lit place and parking was a little hard since it’s Astoria.
The service was great. The waitress take the time to explain the menu to you and answer any questions that you may have about what it on it. They know their menu very well and smiled all throughout our 20+ questions. I wasn’t sure what kind of drink to get so I told the waitress what I liked and she was able to recommend something for me. She attended to me and the rest of my 15 friends very well and constantly checked up on our table to make sure that we were good and well taken care of. Props to her (I think her name was Dana or Diana??) because I know big parties can be a lot.
I shared the calamari appetizer with four other friends (which was enough for us) and it was excellent. They had two sauces with the dish. I highly recommend drowning your calamari in their sweet chili sauce. So good.
Their Kangaroo burger with the Lot was great as well. It was very very big. So a lot of my friends had a hard time holding it let alone taking a big bite out of it. NUMBER ONE RULE: DON’T PUT YOUR BURGER DOWN! Once you pick it up, keep it in your non-​dominant hand and take your bites as you wish. If you put it down, then you basically committed a sin as you most likely won’t be able to pick up your burger in one piece again. The burger comes with sweet chili sauce on the side so dip your burger in it every once in awhile! The Kangaroo meat was good, just the right about of «gamey» taste. I ordered it medium rare, which I would recommend.
I got a 10% off discount for checking into the place on Unilocal so I’ll definitely use it the next time I’m there. My friends ordered other items on their menu and it looked delicious. I’ll definitely be back to try some of their other things!

We had a great experience here!
Came on a Sunday evening (6 pm, 4ppl) after seeing how popular it was when walking by a few times.
The ambience was great. Modern furniture and background music.
We ordered the octopus and fried calamari (gluten free). Both were delicious. The octopus came with tomato and feta and the calamari came with two sauces, one spicy and the other was a yogurt basil sauce.
For the main courses we had fish tacos, the arugula salad, filet mignon (with the Australian steak sauce) and the kangaroo sliders with fries. The food was wonderful! The salad was really big, the homemade steak sauce was a pleasant surprise and the sweet chili sauce was our favorite.
The service was very attentive. The owner (from Sydney) talked to us about the menu and was very knowledgeable. At the end of our meal the chef came out and asked us how everything was.
We all shared their tirimisu for dessert — it is like no other tirimisu you have had before! It was the petfect mix creamy and crunchy. Tasted like a piece of heaven!
Overall, we had a lovely evening and would definitely come back again!

Things I love at The Thirsty Koala:
–GRILLED AUSTRALIAN HERB & WATTLESEED CRUSTED LAMB LOLLIES
(these are amazing. Really)
SALTED CARAMEL SLICES
(amazing)
I love the owners of this place and how hard they try. The lamb lollies are pretty good too. I wish there was one more on the plate. I am sure most people in the area don’t realize these are on the menu.

100^th review!!! I’ve been saving it for something special and Thirsty Koala definitely delivered. I’ve been meaning to try it for a while now, especially since I met Chef Kathy Fuchs at the Queens Theatre Unilocal Elite event. Chef Fuchs happens to be gluten-​free like me so Thirsty Koala offers tons of GF options. Dinner was truly phenomenal and I’m so glad I finally got to try it. Soooo let’s get to it!
We started with the calamari and the soup special which was sweet potato and ginger. The calamari was seriously on point. I can’t tell you how long it has been since I’ve had calamari (which is kind of funny since I actually just had it again tonight at Senza Gluten). For $ 11.50, you get a ginormous helping of calamari cooked to perfection in a perfectly seasoned, light, gluten-​free breading. It also comes with a yogurt tartar sauce and a sweet chili sauce, both of which were divine, but I took a particular liking to the sweet chili. My dad is a calamari connoisseur of sorts and ALWAYS orders it when it’s on the menu and he was super impressed by the calamari as well. We couldn’t even finish it all because the portion was huge so we happily packed it up to take home. The soup was also very good. Served steaming hot and with a side of GF ciabatta. They also served GF rolls, which are apparently a new brand they’re trying out. Honestly wasn’t a huge fan of the rolls. They were fine, but not something I would seek out.
For our main courses, my dad got the fish special, Mahi Mahi, while I tried the Lamb Lollies. My dad wasn’t particularly impressed with the Mahi Mahi and kept going on about Mahi Mahi he’d had when he lived in Hawaii and I’m like ummmm you’re comparing fish in New York to fish in Hawaii? Hello? Anyways, I actually really liked the Mahi Mahi, but I could see why he thought it was a little too dry. The chef stopped by our table later in the evening (she had been stopping by a few other tables to see how people were doing) and thanked him when he let her know his honest opinion about the fish. The lamb lollies were excellent. Perfectly seasoned and paired nicely with the side of curried pumpkin and arugula. They actually came out underdone to my tastes the first time. I had asked for medium rare, but they were more like blue and I just couldn’t do it. They were quick to remedy the problem and were very apologetic so no lost stars on that front. I’m looking foward to eating the leftovers I have as I was unable to finish the entrée due to stuffing my face with delicious calamari.
Even though I was absolutely full, I had to try dessert. We decided to go with the Key Lime Mousse which is made with avocado. I’ll admit, it didn’t exactly look appetizing when it came it as it has a truly unfortunate green hue that just doesn’t work at all, but it was mighty tasty and didn’t leave me full of regret as most desserts do. I’ll have to go back to try the Pavlova at some point.
Service was on point. Everyone was super friendly and attentive. I thought it was great that the Chef came out to talk to tables. It’s obvious that she truly cares about the food and the restaurant. I love when restaurants are run by passionate people. I will definitely be back in the future. Probably the next time I have a hankering for calamari! Seriously, try it out. It’s worth the trip to Astoria, especially if you’re gluten-​free like me, but the food is great for anyone. They even have Vegan dishes marked out on the menu. Ok, this review has turned in to an essay. Over and out!

The customer service was okay. The food was okay. The tourlou was good but I found my fish to be overly cooked. The salted caramel slices were good.

Remember those report cards you got as a kid before you started receiving grades? «Needs work», «meets expectations», «exceeds expectations/​goes above and beyond what’s asked», etc??? Well The Thirsty Koala successfully went far, far beyond anything that I could’ve ever asked for. The food was great, but the real story here is the unbelievable service. I have never experienced the amount of hospitality that I did here, and this alone deserves five stars.
**10% off your entire meal if you check in on Unilocal**
Came here on a Saturday night around 7:30. Sadly, there was what they initially said to be a 30 minute wait if we wanted a table. We figured we’d put our name on the list and that would be that. They offered us a seat at the bar while we waited, which we graciously took. The bartender was very very friendly and we had a nice chat. I knew that there had a recently been a Unilocal Elite event at Thirsty Koala, so I figured I’d ask about it. Not sure if she said what she said in such a glowing manner because I said I was a Unilocaler, but the bartender seemed genuinely enthusiastic/​pleased about the event and said she really enjoyed having Unilocalers come by. Off to a good start here! Much to my dismay, they were out of my desired beer, but my second choice was still great. Along with their fully gluten-​free food menu, Thirsty Koala also offers a number of gluten-​free beers, which I decided to take advantage of. Not bad! I’m not gluten-​free but I still thoroughly enjoyed my order.
Well, our wait ended up being more like an hour and we were starting to get a little antsy. Finally, one of the servers approached us and apologized profusely for the delay. They were waiting for reservations to arrive, and it seemed like there were a bunch of no-​shows. As we were led to our table, the server gave us the great news that we’d be rewarded for our patience — an extra 10% off our meal! 20% off a meal for two people who really really like to eat… well that’s just a gift.
Now, for the menu. This menu is huge, diverse and ALL GLUTEN FREE. After speaking with our bartender a bit, we learned that for a while, the menu was mostly gluten free but that some options — the tacos for example — weren’t. At this point, everything on the menu is either gluten-​free or has a gluten-​free option (burgers/​sandwiches all can be ordered gluten-​free). There are also quite a number of options for vegetarians and vegans.
What we ordered:
–Grilled Octopus w/​tomato and feta, served w/​sweet chili sauce and yogurt sauce (A)
–Chorizo tacos w/​avocado salsa, cabbage, caramelized onions, peppers, cilantro, chipotle aioli (A++)
–Vegan Moussaka w/​non-​GMO organic tofu, portobello, potato, eggplant, tomato, carrots, garlic, lemon, coriander, chili, cumin, fresh herbs with your choice of side (we got the tourlou to be as «traditional» as we could). (B+/A-).
The chorizo tacos were absolutely unbelievably. The star of the meal, for sure. The octopus was close, but the chorizo stole it for me. Nothing too complex, but the flavors and colors were strong and vibrant. Instead of getting ground or cut chorizo, you get one big olé slab of it on a taco (see picture). I don’t eat red meat too often, but this was totally worth it. It’s also nice that you get two tacos per order — perfect for sharing!
Octopus was cooked beautifully — tender and meaty. Some of the best octopus I’ve had in quite a while. It came with two incredibly HOUSE-​MADE sauces — a sweet chili sauce and a basil yogurt sauce. Both were really really tasty. The octopus was great on its own, but the sauces took it to another level. The tomato/​feta wasn’t just «there» to «be there» — it actually fit quite nicely into the flavor profile of the dish.
The Vegan Moussaka wasn’t write-​home-​to-​parents amazing, but it was still tasty. Didn’t help that we received it after the tacos and octopus. As far as vegan options go, this is a pretty good one. My only issue with it was that it lacked in tofu. Just a pad of it on top and that was it. I’d actually recommend NOT getting the tourlou with this particular entrée, because the flavors are way too similar to the moussaka. I think I would’ve appreciated both on their own, but together it seemed like overkill.
Lastly, I want to talk about the chef here, because she is an absolute delight and deserves more than just one paragraph of praise in a Unilocal review. She came out and asked us how the food was TWICE during the meal. Not in an annoying way — she genuinely wanted to know how we were liking the food. I saw her going around to all of the tables, so this wasn’t some out-​of-​nowhere occurrence. We spoke with her for a while at one point — she genuinely wanted to know our likes, dislikes — pretty much any feedback we could think of. She told us that she likes to come out as often as she can so the experience can operate in two ways. She was so humble and welcoming… I was in total admiration for this woman. Thank you, Thirsty Koala, for going ABOVE AND BEYOND

Returning to The Thirsty Koala on a Sunday evening for dinner with my crew after attending a fantastic Unilocal event on that Monday. Let’s just be clear, koala bears are off the menu but kangaroo is all over it.
This is the first time we tried kangaroo. We picked the sliders and shared it so that each person would get half or less of a slider — just enough to get a taste.
I was feeling brave to try something new and strange. Oh how wrong was I! The kangaroo sliders were to be cooked only one way, medium rare as the waitress explained. It is more gamey than lamb and has a natural stinky smell that not even the sautéed shallots can cover up. I took a bite and putted my hands up. «I’m done.»
I quote my friend DL: «This meat tastes like it’s not dead yet.» Kangaroo is not a staple at all in Australia. Now we know why!
When chef Kathy came around to ask the customers «how is everything?», I didn’t have the heart to tell her that my beef burger was cooked to literally half-​medium, half rare — instead of medium rare. I ate the medium but couldn’t finish the «rare» part, because it looked very unappetizing.
Most of our food came out cold and our fries were soggy which meant the food had been made and sitting in kitchen for a while before the waitress brought them out to us. The waitress who served our table was polite and pleasant but when she wasn’t around and we seek the attention of another waitress, she ignored us at least twice.
The ginger braised citrus salmon fillet saved the night. The portion was generous and my friend said it tasted delicious. Certainly, aside from her, none of us can say our food was delicious. My friends didn’t finish their skirt steak tacos and Banjo Patterson jaffles (sandwich).
Cons: Slow service, poorly-​made burgers, and average-​tasting food.
Pros: Friendly staff (except that waitress who ignored our table whole evening), warm ambiance, reasonably priced cocktails and food, and delicious salmon.

Great prices for NY. Portions are very filling & brunch comes with a free mimosa/​bloodymary. $ 11 for smoked salmon eggs benedict that comes with a side of potatoes, toast, and guacamole. THIS CAN FEED A HUNGRY HUNGRY MAN. The corn fritters were yummy! Kangaroo sliders were interesting!
Not the BEST brunch I’ve ever had on the culinary side (this is NY, so competition is fierce), but definitely good food for a great value.
I also was a fan of their calamari.
Service was great, as was the atmosphere.

Great place… Here’s why…
After reading reviews, we decided to go here one weeknight. It wasnt that crowded when we came around 745ish, but got bustling soon after. We got seated and got water rather quickly. The waiters were very attentive at the beginning making sure we got our orders. They asked if we wanted anything to drink and also told us the specials for the night. Since it was happy hour ($ 5 cocktails/​select wine & $ 4 draft beer from 4pm to 7pm), I decided to get a popular drink, the gingeraroo… I didnt like it, but I still stayed with it. The waiter was very considerate and said I could switch it if I wanted to… I didnt like it because it was a weird ginger taste with vodka. Not tasty to my taste buds…
Since I read that a lot of people liked the calamari here, we decided to try it. For $ 10,95, this appetizer is a great deal. They give us two sauces, a yogurt tangy one and another one like a sweet and sour like sauce but less thick. They’re both great sauces to go with the calamari. It’s a great portion for two people. Along with the appetizers, we saw everyone BUT US GET BREAD AS A STARTER… Maybe they thought we had received bread already, but we didnt… It would have been nice to get the FULL experience as it was my first time here… For the future, be sure to ask for it if they dont give it to you! :)
For entrees, we got the kangaroo burger with fries and steak hangar sandwich with salad. You can opt to put less ingredients like pineapple and add more toppings like cheese for $ 1.50 each for the burger. The burger is cooked MEDIUM RARE. The burger is good, but a bit pricey for $ 16.50. Since we added cheese, it was $ 18 and it was a bit dry. I liked the steak sandwich I had. They put lemon potatoes, feta, steak, mushrooms, and onions in there and it was DIVINE! They give a good portion for the salad which has onions and mangos!
The specials they tell you arent really specials. They’re the same price… I think theyre just highlighted that night because they have a higher supply of those items than usual.
All in all, great dinner and place to eat. Atmosphere is very date-​like and sociable. I dont feel any sort of australian vibe to it, but still great place to eat at. Waiters were nice and knowledgeable.
Would Def come here again!

This is my go to spot, I am a frequent patron of the Thirsty Koala… What went wrong today lets start shall we;
Our waitress ISA really didn’t want to be there today! Never once checked on our table to even take away dirty plates, till I had to physically call her over to hand her the finished plates to take away. This girl had that I hate my job face & work ethic to match, she prefers to just hang out in the back and do whatever else.
Appetizers:
The Calamari has always been one of my favs here & today it was good as usual. The Grilled Octopus was banging also!
Entrees:
The Arugula Salad w/​Salmon was served with avocados that had patches of BLACK & that is a no no to serve! The salmon was dry & nothing to brag about.
The same goes for the Beef Burger, the beef was bland & even more BLAND. I use to swear by there Burger *NOT NO MORE*!
The Lamb Lollies were off the hook Fatty & Cooked perfectly! It was heaven in every fatty bite. Just like how I remembered them.
Thirsty Koala was my no question go to spot. In my book FOOD & SERVICE goes hand in hand, in a establishment such as the Thirsty Koala & today was just a disappointment.