'Blue Kangaroo' Hopping to Open Soon

The name of Barrington’s soon-to-be newest restaurant certainly grabs your attention.

Blue Kangaroo. Just where did that come from?

“I was just sitting around thinking about names,” said Steve Gelsomino, the general manager and partner of the eatery that is expected to open on March 1.

It’s not a franchise, said Gelsomino, a Barrington resident for 22 years who operated a deli-like eatery in the Providence shipyard. He hopes the eatery is a real original.

The Blue Kangaroo is moving into the vacant location that previously housed Madigan’s Café in Prince's Hill Place on County Road. The look of the interior won't change much, but it won’t be anything like that eatery, said Gelsomino.

Call Blue Kangaroo a “coffee shop with comfort food.” That description came from a good friend of Gelsomino’s, who was describing his menu.

Expect to buy locally roasted coffee from a roaster in Fall River.

“I’m getting it from an organic roaster,” he said.

There will be teas, expresso, latte, chai, and frozen drinks as well. You’ll be able to mix and match your own brew, Gelsomino said. 

Desserts will come from “exclusive family secret recipes,” he said, some with a “caffeine kick.” They’ll be made in an in-house pastry shop, which will make “cinnamon rolls from scratch all day.” 

Do you like cheesecake? He plans to sell a New York-style cheesecake whole and by the slice.

There will be plenty of soups, artisan sandwiches and salads, and vegan and gluten-free foods, too, he said.

“I’m using nothing but local and organic produce,” he said. “Meats will be roasted and cured in house, including beef, corned beef, pastrami, and turkey.”

The Blue Kangaroo will serve breakfast sandwiches, subs and wraps, gourmet pizza by the slice, and calzones. 

Gelsomino plans to hang paintings and prints on the walls for sale by local artists.

A Pop Warner football coach, Gelsomino said: “I want to get involved in local youth sports.” 

Gelsomino said he plans to open seven days a week from 6 am to 9 pm. Don't expect to see an actual blue kangaroo at the restaurant, though. It's just a name.