American food is more than McDonald’s; It’s clam chowder; It’s quality barbecue; It’s TexMex and rich southern food.
United States-born Aryn Perryman aims to prove this through a diverse menu and cocktail list at AJ’s Bar and Kitchen, Prospect Road’s newest dive bar and smokehouse.
“When I moved here, I was a bit disappointed in the ‘American-style’ food that Australians think we normally eat,” she says.
“I hope AJ’s can change that.”
The dive bar and smokehouse has a range of rich American dishes, from the meaty to the sweet. The bar will serve up stacked burgers, juicy ribs, rich corn bread, southwestern salad loaded with corn and black beans, a smoked pulled mushroom sandwich, and fried chicken. There is also an American-style dessert consisting of a potato chip and chocolate chip biscuit filled with homemade peanut-butter-and-jelly ice cream.
In the future, AJ’s will continuing serving up innovative USA faves such as Coca Cola cakes, clam chowder, and lobster rolls, and they will introduce a cocktail list and Sunday brunch menu, both of which will be United States-themed.
Upcoming drink offerings will include a New Orleans sazerac and the “Madaket Mystery,” a sunrise-inspired drink named after a legend from Perryman’s hometown of Nantucket, a small island off of Massachusetts. The Sunday brunch menu will also have popular American breakfast dishes such as corned beef hashes and juevos rancheros.
“It won’t always be healthy, but it’ll always be delicious,” Perryman jokes.
Perryman, who has lived in Australia for 21 years, started AJ’s with her partner, Alani Na’a, who was raised partially in Los Angeles, making the spot truly authentic in its U.S. influence.
The fit out also stays true to its international inspiration, repping memorabilia of American rock bands on the walls. Perryman and Na’a built everything themselves, making for a rustic and authentic American bar feel. They encourage customers to come and visit.
“It’s a good place to relax, unwind, and come for a bit of banter,” she says.
“We think it’s the coolest local dive bar in town.”
Find AJ’s Bar and Kitchen at 477 Prospect Road.
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