The Kewdale

I came across The Kewdale a few times when I was searching for places to eat when I was first diagnosed. It just didn’t seem to add up. For those of you who don’t know, Kewdale is right near the airport and smack bang in the middle of a semi-industrial area.

The Kewdale, or “Kewie”, was once known for its Friday afternoon skimpies, big trucks and cold beer, rather than its gluten free food. So as you can imagine, I was interested. I sent them a message via Facebook and surprisingly received a message back asking if they could call me. So within minutes I was speaking with the chef and I believe part-owner (I could be wrong there). He was super friendly and ran me through everything. He himself was a coeliac and decided to make the kitchen totally gluten free where possible. He said there was still gluten used in some dishes, but there were separate areas for preparation, separate utensils, separate fryers. You name it. This sounded pretty good. So I gathered some crew and set out for Kewdale.

The first thing that greets you is the bottle shop. It is huge. We’re talking a 4.6m truck clearance so you can drive your big rig through it. It’s very, very cool. I want to learn how to drive a truck so I can go through it sometime. The pub itself has been done up but isn’t overdone and still has a good feel about it. The dining area is really nice and comfy, but the pub itself still has a section with a pool table and multiple TVs showing sport – just the way a good pub should be. In short, this place rocks. The staff are really knowledgeable and really friendly. The food is amazing. The serves are huge and not crazily overpriced. They have daily specials including curries, steak and ribs and a massive parmi which could feed an army. Since my first visit, the chef has moved on, but has been replaced by Fred Atienza who has the same attention to detail. Fred is Phillipino born, so there have been the addition of some Asian influenced dishes which suits me fine! The menu does change a bit, so make sure you check it out on their website. On there you’ll also find the daily specials.

All dishes are clearly labelled which is great. They have a good range of GF beer in the bottle as well as a heap of standard beers on tap. But, last time I was there, they did carry a couple of American beers that fell into the American safe range of 20ppm but don’t conform to the Australian standard of 0ppm (no detectable gluten). So watch out for that.

What else can I say? Go check it out. It’s in the most unlikely place, and a bit of a drive depending on where you live. But if you are craving really good food it’s worth it. Last year I actually visited there with my friend Liz who writes for the West Australian and her sister who is also a coeliac. So we went on an all-expenses paid trip out there, which was pretty damn good. You can read the review in WA Today here.

On an end note. If anyone has a truck or knows someone with a truck, can you ask them to get in touch. I’d love to take a drive through the bottleshop one day.

What: The Kewdale
Where: 139 Kewdale Rd, Kewdale WA 6105
Website: http://www.thekewdaletavern.com.au
Contact: (08) 9353 1100

** IMPORTANT **
As we all know, coeliac disease is a serious condition. People have different tolerances to cross contamination and different allergens. So as always, please be vigilant and do your research before eating or drinking anywhere. The information on this website is accurate at the time of publication.