If you haven’t heard about our Outback Tap Shack, it’s a must-stop during your next visit to our Westford location. It’s tucked “out back” near the Batting Cages and Soaring Eagle Zipline, and is the perfect place for a snack or drink break between activities, or as the chillest place to hang and hear some live music on a warm summer night.
Meet John Diaconis, Manager of the Outback Tap Shack, and get the inside scoop on our live Music Series, and find out what the most popular menu items are — as well as some creative menu requests that have come in over the years!
How long have you worked at Kimball Farm?
I started here in 2019 — so that makes 2024 my 6th year!
What do you love most about your job?
Definitely the people. Every day I get to come to work with a great group of people who also love where they work.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Most of our staff consists of high school and college students, so it’s always tough to see everyone go at the end of the season after a great summer.
What’s the most fun thing you think people should know about the Outback Tap Shack?
Number one is definitely the live music we host every Thursday and Friday from 6-8pm. Every week we have different local bands come play. It’s nice to see people of all ages come out to enjoy music, food, and drinks.
Which menu item is most popular? And which do you think is the “best kept secret” that more people should order?
Our most popular item is definitely our tater tots! You can order them plain, loaded with cheese and bacon, or you can order our poutine tots with gravy and Wisconsin cheese curds. Some of our best kept menu secrets include our fresh squeezed lemonade, ice cream taco, and chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. We make our lemonade fresh every morning and the ice cream taco and ice cream sandwich are made with our homemade Kimball Farm ice cream!
What’s the vibe like during different times of the day? What about during a Music Series Show?
The Outback Tap Shack is open from 11-7 Sunday-Wednesday and 11-8 Thursday-Saturday. There’s always a fun, laid-back vibe back with people playing cornhole and Connect Four, and enjoying food and drinks. During our live music shows there are always folks up dancing and enjoying the evening.
Are there any particular types of music or bands that you’ve seen really get the venue going?
We host all different genres of music, and to be honest they’re all great. So we have something for everyone’s taste!
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being very excited), how excited are parents when they realize they can order a beer at the Tap Shack and relax while their kids are at the Batting Cages or in line for the Soaring Eagle Zipline?
100% 10/10. We often see some very happy parents when they realize how perfectly spaced the Tap Shack is to the activities out back! We serve High Noons and a variety of wine and craft beer. All of the beers we have on tap are brewed locally here in New England!
Do you ever get strange menu requests while working at the Tap Shack?
We’ve had some interesting requests for sure! We used to have chicken and beef tacos on the menu, and once an employee on break requested that we substitute the meat for a chopped-up hot dog. They said it was good, and I’m not one to judge 😂. We’ve had several guests request a 50/50 mix of an IPA and hard cider. Many guests are under the assumption we serve mixed drinks in addition to the hard seltzers, beers, and wines so we’ve been asked to make a variety of intricate drinks.
What’s your favorite thing to order at the Ice Cream Stand?
I always go for the Strawberry Kiwi sorbet!
You can check out our Outback Tap Shack menu here and our Music Series Schedule here. Next time you’re visiting our Westford location be sure to stop by the Tap Shack, say hi to John, order yourself some loaded tater tots and an ice cream taco! See you soon!
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