The Thirsty Koala

We had a wonderful Valentines Day dinner!

We were in Astoria looking for brunch and excited to try Australian food - the place sounded great and had good reviews and tons of GF options. But we walked into a (very loud) drag show performance that we didn't expect. The performer was fun, but the mic levels were so high it was uncomfortable. We still sat down as we were told the show was soon over...but it wasn't. The food was mostly mediocre fried food in large portions, and while we were excited that most things were GF we ended up having gluten reactions the next day, so not so sure how careful the kitchen cross-contamination is. It seems like the bottomless beverage brunch draws large rowdy-er crowds. Overall not what we expected, and somewhat disappointing. Service was great, however!

First time checking this place out. Calamari was great and so were our cocktails. Hangar steak was cooked exactly to a true medium and seasoned just right. Their side of mashed potatoes was generously portioned. Waitress was attentive and friendly. Will definitely be back here

Being new to having Celiac disease gives me a whole fresh set of challenges when eating out. The Thirsty Koala had amazing options for this, included gf bread for the table, delicious crunchy fried chicken and even a few desserts to choose from. I loved the atmosphere, and the server, while a bit slow in terms of checking back on us, paid attention to my special needs. I will definitely be back!

Had a great time for a laid back birthday brunch. The food was delicious and their unlimited drinks included their specialty drinks which were amazing! I will be returning again soon!

Food was excellent. Tried kangaroo for the first time and wasn't disappointed! However it was the service that really stood out. Knowledgeable and professional staff with excellent attentiveness to guest needs!

My only complain is that even though I gave the waiter my credit card, he still handed the card back to my boyfriend. I had to physically remove my card from the waiter's hand as he was holding it out for my boyfriend. Standard practice should be placing it in the middle.

Great, unique food in Astoria, which is always a plus in this neighborhood. Highly recommend trying 'The Lot' burger.

Sesame crusted salmon and kale were superb! And what’s more, our waiter enlisted the entire restaurant to sing happy birthday to me!

food and service were great - awesome apps! They had a great selection of Australian wines and IPI beers. Cozy place a bit small but comfortable.

This was our third time here and this time we weren't too happy with our meal.
Kitchen should keep up with their level of consistency when it comes to the food
Also, who serves poached eggs cooked all the way ? We definitely didn't ask for poached eggs cook well, they were supposed to be soft.
If the kitchen screws up a poached egg that's kinda like a big no no .
We like this place , we want to come back. Hopefully this review gets seen and taken into consideration.

We waited an hour for food after ordering. The food was good but not special enough to wait for that long. The place is nicely decorated and the bathrooms were very pretty. Again, did not compensate for the long wait.

I LOVE Thirsty Koala. The brunch was so delicious. They have THE BEST gluten free food and dessert options and Bloody Mary's.

Staff and food are great but the music from the stereo is way too loud.

Great place for Sunday Brunch . We all enjoyed our meal.

The wait staff is great, the food is delicious, I cannot think of anything to criticize.

Food was delicious! Very attentive staff, great cocktails, we had a great evening

Great fun place for Aussie food lovers

I come here frequently with my niece’s from Texas.
They have gluten and dairy allergies and the menu caters to them and provides normalcy to their dining experience.
The fish n chips was awesome.
Chef Catherine is wonderful. Thank you.

Loved the food. Service was also great.

Thirsty Koala never disappoints! As per usual they are super conscientious to food allergies and today the chef even sat down to talk to me. The food is great and I am always safe eating there as a celiac.

Food was OK. Cocktails were good. Wine was OK. I had been there before and felt like the food was better then. The menu isn't very extensive. I thought the lamb lollies were best. I wish they would have the lamb as an entrée. I liked the mashed potatoes as well.

The drinks were good, just a bit expensive. The food we had was good, and the service was very friendly.

Not a bad place at all, just not really anything special for the money either, especially not in Astoria.

have been there a few times. Great meals and drinks each time. Just recently went to brunch and it's menu was the most appealing out of most restaurants near the Ditmars area. Will definitely be returning

Great Meal and Wine! The eggplant Parmesan is amazing! Can't wait to go back!

Very delicious food with lots of vegetarian/vegan options. Upscale but not too fancy. Great service. Would definitely go back.

Food was delicious, great atmosphere- but felt very bad for the waitress - not enough staff - waited almost 20 minutes for coffee and took forever to come with the check - in her defense she was very busy - an extra pair of hands would have made a huge difference

Great affordable brunch spot! Despite the great prices, the food is amazing! You also get a free coffee, juice, or soft drink with every entree which is a plus.

Had a great birthday celebration. The staff was friendly and responsive since there were kids there from 9 month old to 7 year old, and you know how they can get. The food was good and tasty. We had a great time.

Food is always good and friendly service. Highly recommended =)

Food has no taste.prices are way too high for tasteless food.

Thirsty Koala used to be one of our favorite places of all time. But it has changed in little ways over the years. The mountain of fried calamari is not so tall any more. The delicious bread and tapenade they always brought out initially is only occasionally mentioned and never automatically brought out. Fries no longer accompany the sandwiches, they have to be ordered separately. The sandwiches have also shrunk a little. It's just not the same fantastic place anymore. It's still pretty good, though.

I was excited to try this place, as it's always popped up at the top of my Astoria restaurant searches. The cozy/modern atmosphere and fun cocktail list were the "highs" here for me. The definite "low" was the moussaka; the ingredients listed on the menu are all things I enjoy, but there was some kind of potent spice combination that I disliked so much I couldn't take more than one bite. Luckily our server was really accommodating - I ordered the calamari (pretty good, but nothing special) to supplement my entree, and she ended up taking the moussaka off of the bill, noting when people order they either love it or hate it - so beware :) I would recommend trying the restaurant as some of the menu items are funky and fun, but not sure I'd go back.

There are so many gluten-free options and a lot of awareness about celiac disease. They have a dedicated gluten-free fryer which is rate in NYC. Thank you!

Tasty and inventive dishes!

Restaurant is really cute and the service was outstanding!

Very nice experience. Great food and service. Interesting dishes with Greek and Aussie flair. I would go back.

Food was fresh and excellent A bit noisy and hard to hear conversation

Service and food was excellent. Noise level was high and difficult to carry on a normal conversation.

Food took a long time. It was great though