Restaurant Review: Kush

After a long walk in the heat, Kush was a very welcome sight.  It’s on the cusp of a fully industrial area and Wynwood and very easy to spot on its corner by the train tracks.  

From the outside it’s pretty plain looking  (it was so hot out that I forgot to snap a picture) but the inside is a cool oasis out of the sun.  It feels like an upscale dive bar with craft beer, locally sourced food, and are. The lights are dim, it’s moderately crowded and everyone is friendly and ready for a refreshing beer.  The art of the walls fit right in with Wynwood.

It’s a small space but doesn’t feel crowded. It feels cozy.  

We were greeted promptly by a friendly waitress and were seated at a barrel table (we had a choice to sit at the bar and we chose our barrel). My knee was a little squished but overall I was comfortable.  I could maneuver my knees to one side and sit back in my comfy couch chair.

The vast menu: the green is only beer on tap!

Getting there, we knew we were going to order the gator bites since it was one of our goals for the trip, but there were so many choices on the menu for both food and beer. It’s a really cool menu because everything on it is locally sourced and fresh, even the beer.

After much debate, we decided to keep our meal simple and light since it was so hot outside.  

We ordered the Homestead Guacamole which comes with homemade salsa and tortilla chips, as well as the Florida Alligator Bites so we would have room for dessert.

The Kaptain Kush came with its own card!

We also tried two different beers on tap (They have 18!).  One was the M.I.A./Kush Collab Kaptain Kush (6%), the beer specifically brewed for Kush. It is a pale ale with Guava.  We also tried the Twisted Trunk Watermelon Saison (4.2%). Both were brewed in Florida. We enjoyed both of them although Baros preferred the Kaptain Kush and I loved the Twisted Trunk

The Kaptain Kush was slightly heavier than the Saison. It wasn’t overly hoppy thanks to that hint of guava but importantly it wasn’t sweet.  It was lovely and really paired well with our food.

I loved the Twisted Trunk since it was so refreshing and light.  It had a hint of watermelon without being overwhelming. I think we made some really delicious beer choices that day.  

When our food arrived, it really hit the spot.  

Hubby with our chips and guacamole

The Guacamole was smooth and acidic.  The avocado is mixed with finely chopped white onions, red peppers, cilantro and pickled relish with a squeeze of lime. It was well balanced and really perfect for the heat.  The chips were crispy and not overly salted. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that pickled relish really added to the great balance of flavors.

Finally we got to trying our gator bites!  I was excited to try something that you don’t find in Jersey. Baros and I wanted to have a food adventure and try something we’d never eaten before (at some point I’m going to post our Food Bucket List).  Gator feels like an exotic southern specialty and we were happy to find a restaurant serving it nearby. Most of the places I found serving alligator were closer to the Everglades, but on such a short trip we didn’t want to go that far out.  

Kush serves alligator in two ways.  The first is the Florida Alligator Bites that we tried and the second is Florida Gator Tacos.  We decided to go simple since we really wanted to get the taste of gator and not just the flavors of delicious taco-esque seasoning.    

I’m definitely glad we got the simple gator bites.   The plate was beautiful and presented in a really fun way.  The gator itself was battered and fried and served on a plate with old bay seasoning decorating the rim of the plate in patterns (I actually thought the seasoning was part of the plate because it was so perfect).

Florida Alligator Bites with its two sauces and a delicious beer

It was delicious. The batter was lightly seasoned and had fried crisply so it wasn’t soggy or greasy. The alligator meat itself was tender and juicy.  It kind of tasted like a cross of chicken and fish. Texturally, it was very similar to chicken, but it had just a hint of that sea taste often associated with fish.  It was delicious on its own, but you could also dip it into the old spice or the plate or dip it into a creamy garlic and spicy mayo that came on the side. The dips really just added to the flavor experience.  Baros and I would definitely recommend trying some gator whenever you can.

The last thing we tried was quite indulgent but somehow light.  We tried the Florida State dessert: Key Lime Pie. It had a graham cracker crust with pecans, key lime filling, and was topped with chopped nuts and fresh whipped cream.  It was beautiful perfection. I almost felt bad to take a bite.

And then we ate every last bite of it.  

The Key lime was sweet but not overtly so with an acidic kick that was cut by the whipped cream.  The crust was buttery but still had a crunch to add some texture and the flavour was great in contrast to the key lime acidity.  Even the whipped cream was fresh. Baros is not a cream fan so he didn’t eat his portion… but I did. It was quite lovely.

If anywhere near the Wynwood Walls, definitely try out Kush!  It’s got a lovely atmosphere, friendly waitresses and bartenders, and deliciously fresh food.

Key Lime Pie Closeup