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Kickoff
Category: Nightlife Bars Sports Bars Sports Bars [Edit]
170 University Ave WWaterloo, ON N2L 3E9
(519) 888-9699
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
4 reviews for Kickoff
4 reviews in English
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Review from Jonathan C.
Oakville, ON
1/8/2012 1 photo
If you like cozy, unpretentious bars with friendly service in an atmosphere where you can enjoy a night talking to your over great beer - and by great, I do not mean Canadian, Coors, Blue, Bud, or any of that - then you will LOVE Kickoff.
Do not come here if you're looking for a club or lounge atmosphere. Do not come here if you want to dance. But do come here if you want a freaking amazing beer selection. And the fact that they have this selection at a small little bar in University Plaza is astounding. Frankly, I'd take this beer selection over virtually any bar in Toronto.
Spearhead, Smashbomb and Dead Elephant for those who want to try IPAs.
Grasshopper, Weihenstephan Weisse for those that like wheat.
Cobblestone, Czechvar for those that like Lagers.
And that's just on tap! There's a horde or other stuff in the fridge that I've yet to try (sadly, I get much too drunk, much too quickly to sample everything in the fridge)/
Compliment that with friendly service (Bill's a friendly guy who's the epitome of your neighborhood bartender- Bill if you read this - you're great) and no loud music - it's a perfect atmosphere to just hang out with friends.
Prices are average, there's a few tv's to watch the game, and there's a foosball table if you care to play.
The decor is what you'd expect of small bar in a university town - and there's nothing wrong with it. My sole complaint would be that those stools can get mighty tiring to sit on after a few hours if the place is packed and you don't have a proper chair.
P.S. they just created a FB page where they'll post when they tap new kegs. You'll have to search for "kickoffwaterloo" - not intuitive, I know. Being next to UW, you'd think whoever set that up would get that right - to find it. -
Review from Gaelan D.
Toronto, ON
5/6/2010
This may as well be a Cheer's for disaffected computer scientists.
There are a bunch of other demographics I can't speak for, but this is where me and my friends during my undergraduate (or I guess me and my undergraduate friends now) would go to drown our sorrows, break from assignments, drink excellent beer, and chill with the magic personalities that comprise the KickOff's bar staff.
The excellence of the beer cannot be understated, this is possibly the only KW joint that can genuinely place pride in its beer selection. This was the place where I was introduced to Maudite, to Doppel-Hirsch, to Innis & Gunn, where I learned that beer does not have to taste like Moosehead or below. Yeah I'm an atrocious snob, it's true, but I when I come here I don't only drink but I _savour._
The staff is a textbook example of good bartending, to the point where newcomers get confused when this older gentleman we have been laughing with and trading barbs with gets up from a barstool and finally asks us what we'll be having.
Possibly because of it's sports-bar face, I am saved from the loud and obnoxious crowds that full up any other university bar around here. If you are looking for a clean, well lighted place to drink, this is exactly where you want to be. -
Review from Graham H.
Waterloo, ON
1/21/2010
The one thing that Kick Off does well is providing a wide variety of beer. Over 60 brands in bottle and tap. Fourteen taps of constantly changing draft makes for a pleasant change to the mega brew pubs.
The new Tapas Menu will be coming soon. Big screen HD TV's have all the important games on. Soccer to hockey. The season is covered. -
Review from Matthew E.
Waterloo, ON
1/31/2011
This is very much a place that if you go a few times, they will know your name, your taste in beer. Where you can meet with friends or just read/browse/watch the TV at the bar.
Hands down this is the best place to drink near campus. Excellent beer selection both on tap and in the bottle fridge that is changing regularly.
The staff is awesome and easy to get to know, more then happy to talk beer or scotch with you if your looking for something new.
In terms of food, there is a small menu, all stuff that goes good with a drink, but they are also not against you bringing in your own food from elsewhere in the plaza, the staff would rather be serving you beer and chatting with you.
On word of caution, it is at its heart a sports bar, so if there is big game going on, the place will be packed, so either keep that in mind and show up early, or steer clear if your planning on showing up for a quite pint and to catch up on your book.
This is one of the few places I miss when I am away on coop.
