The Zookeeper’s Son

The food is delicious. The service is catch as catch can. The taps are pretty nice. That all said, they are currently serving «St. Louis toasted ravioli». Hailing from the 314, I am pretty offended by the current vegetarian ravioli option. Being an Auckland resident and from St. Louis, I will happily spend time with the chef to teach h/​er the ways of proper t-​ravs. Let me know if you want this. St. Louis =/​= vegetarian.
Other than that, the food is always great.

I had heard mixed reviews about this place, so was a bit wary going for a group meal. Just as we were about to start ordering, we were advised that the pizza oven had broken down, so no pizza’s tonight, back to recheck the menu for a second option…
We the meals did arrive, almost everybody commented on how small the portions were for the price charged. Me, being an Englishman had ordered the Mushroom Burger expecting a meat burger topped with mushrooms in the ciabatta bun. Needless to say I was surprised and disappointed when my burger was MIA, just a pile of portobello mushrooms. Even those that had the spare ribs specials commented that there was not much meat on them.
The birthday girl was presented with a chopping board with «Happy Birthday» in chocolate sauce and a piece of brownie on with a few jelly sweets.
Half of the battery powered candles on our table had flat batteries.

The zookeepers son is a firm neighbourhood fave, almost packed with mostly Friday night after work drinks.
We ordered a main meal (pork belly) n two sides (beans n brocoli & hot chicken wings) which was more than enough for two.
The pork was well cooked but missing a crunchy crackling!
The broccoli was inch n crunchy but the beans were very well done for my taste. And the hot chicken wings diff. Lived up to there name with a spicy Tabasco coating. I appreciated the warm dish of water to wash off after digging into the wings.
Service was great, beer cold– what more do you want on a Friday night…

Went here for a catch-​up with some friends, and it did the job. Great drinks selection, and the food was good (we had some chips and pizzas).
The tap beer selection is decent, but the prices are along the lines of what I’d expect in the CBD, not Royal Oak. I tried the Black Dog Chomp, and the bartender asked me if $ 11.20 was really worth it, as opposed to the $ 9 options (Tui, Export Gold). While I do think it’s worth it, I found it a bit odd to have the bartender calling me out like that.
I like this place because it’s close to my house, but if one of the other bars nearby cleaned up a bit I’d switch in a heartbeat.

A local pub, definitely the best the local area has to offer if you find yourself in Royal Oak of an evening.
The Zookeeper’s caters to all comers. Inside there are tables for large and small groups, space to lean at the bar, it also has an extensive menu with a dedicated restaurant area that is a bit quieter that the rest of the bar. They have a few tables outside with heaters and some shelter from the rain. Large TVs are well positioned and they usually show the major sporting events. A pool table and pokey room may also provide distraction for some. A small stage provides a venue for live music on Friday and Saturday night.
The food is decent pub fare, pizza’s and burgers are good, they also do steaks and other grilled dishes. I’d generally suggest sticking to the classics.
The bar has a number of draft beers, mostly the Monteiths range, no guest ales or craft beers to speak of on tap. They’re fully stocked for spirits and have a decent range of wines.
Outside or Friday & Saturday there is usually a drink or food offer to be had; look out for the $ 7 mojitos.
We always have fun at the Zookeeper’s, it’s a friendly pub (both staff and customers) with plenty to offer in an area of Auckland that’s otherwise lacking in good options for a quick drink and a casual bite to eat.

I was tossing up between three and four stars. It gets four for Royal Oak, as you will not find any other decent bar within a 5k radius. And it is pretty decent, nice food, wine, looks good, good atmosphere, lots of good things going on. In fact you could transplant this bar to Takapuna and it wouldn’t be out of place. I did notice a little alcove of pokie machines tucked to one one side, so this place is not quite out of South Auckland just yet.
One thing that intrigued me was the name and the backstory of the first zoo in Onehunga. The bar does not claim to have housed the first zoo but been inspired by its presence in the vicinity. As they say, they named it estabilishment The Zookeeper’s Son, as a reminder that sometimes you need to be let loose…

We kind of happened upon The Zookeeper’s Son. We needed a place to take a bunch of out-​of-​towners after a sports event in Onehunga, and Onehunga had nothing in the way of relaxed beer garden bars to chill at. A quick google search came back with The Zookeeper’s Son, and off we went. The beer was cold, the sides were quickly served and the mid-​afternoon sun was sitting just right for us to have a bit of a winter sunbathe.
My next trip to The Zookeeper’s Son was with a couple of Americans who had been foolishly trying to figure out the best New Zealand beers on their own. They bought Tui because it said it was an IPA. Woof. The Zookeeper bartender was extremely helpful with the yanks — told them what he liked, ascertained what they liked, and then came up with a beer they would enjoy drinking. It was a hit!
As for the décor, this place is a bit like all of the other bars owned by The New Zealand Pub Company (like the Elephant Wrestler on the Shore, which is decked out similarly to this place). The cheesiness of a themed bar often elicits a groan out of me, but the New Zealand Pub Company does it with enough camp that I’ll let them get away with it.

I went to the Zookeeper’s Son on a double date and wasn’t too sure about it at first to be honest. It’s a pub and I’m more of a city girl but I thought I’d go along for the ride. I’m so glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised! We had so much fun.
It’s quite a big place but there were loads of people eating, laughing and having a good time so it didn’t feel too big at all. We had a really intimate corner where we ate which was really nice. The menu is amazing. It’s pub food but not as you know it. There’s loads of twists on the traditional meal. For example we ordered the roast but it came out on a chopping board for us to share with the whole table. A brilliant approach to an old favourite. Their Yorkshire Puddings were SO good, good enough to break any diet for.
There was a live band playing and at the end of our meal which was a really nice addition to the atmostphere. We had loads of delicious drinks but my pick would be their Long Island Iced Tea, it was so good.
So as it turns out I was completely wrong, this place is a winner.

I came here for the first time last night for a couple of drinks on the way home with some friends. The atmosphere was great with a live band playing, the rugby on, pool tables and even a few pokies, there is literally something here for everyone to do. Quite a well-​rounded pub I would call it. We ended up residing to the outdoor area as there were a few people in the group that smoked. Although it’s more a place to come for a drink than to go for a dance, there was plenty of room for us girls to get up and have a boogie to the live band playing.
I quite enjoyed coming here even though a blokey pub isn’t usually my scene. But if you’re not fond of a very loud atmosphere, this may not be the place for you.

Quick back story and fun fact: In 1911 there was a Zoo in Royal Oak! Of course, everyone complained about the smell and the sound and never really embraced the beauty of the whole operation until the animals escaped and everything was eventually shut up and sold off.
So now we have this voluminous pub with a fun, purple branding that doubles as a throw back to Auckland’s past. There is plenty of seating (including the small cluster of outdoor couches everyone is vying for) and plenty of beers on tap. Inexplicably you are only allowed to smoke on one half of the outdoor seats. Staff seem to stay behind the bar unless they are trying to top up your barely finished drinks, which they do with hunter-​like efficiency and a portable EFTPOS unit. Slightly too overpriced to be your local-​after-​work.