Kairoa Brewing Company is a New Zealand-owned brewpub and restaurant in University Heights, San Diego at 4601 Park Blvd, opened in January 2019 by co-founders Shanan Spearing and the Peach family — all originally from Christchurch, New Zealand. The name combines two New Zealand coastal towns, Kaikoura and Akaroa, that hold personal significance for the ownership group. Head brewer Joe Peach, who previously brewed at Lightning Brewing and Bitter Brothers for a combined 12-plus years, runs a 24-tap system that blends New Zealand and American hop varieties, including experimental hops from a family-connected farm in central Otago that have never been grown commercially outside New Zealand. The two-story, 10,500-square-foot space at the corner of Park Blvd and Madison Avenue includes a ground-floor industrial brewpub, a rooftop patio with fire pits overlooking the University Heights sign, and a semi-private event area with elevator access. The 92116 address sits on the same Park Blvd corridor where all-hours coffee institution Lestat's on Park draws its own following a few blocks south, anchoring the boulevard's mix of dining and nightlife. Executive chef Rocio Fleckenstein builds the menu around New Zealand comfort food — lamb barbacoa hot chips, shepherd's pie made with Marmite, flaky puff-pastry sausage rolls, Kiwi burgers, and pavlova — adapted for San Diego palates. Park Blvd runs directly south into Balboa Park, making the rooftop patio a natural post-park stop with views across the neighborhood. Restaurants university heights queries index heavily to this block. Ward Canyon Park sits one block north, and Diversionary Theatre operates further south on Park Blvd, anchoring the corridor's arts-and-dining identity. The beer program rotates through styles including the Cheeky Buggah Belgian Blonde, New Zealand-hopped pale ales, and seasonal small-batch releases brewed on the visible system behind the downstairs bar. The kitchen also runs a weekend brunch service. Pizza programs on the wider Adams Avenue corridor, including wood-fired operations at Madison, complement the Kiwi-inflected menu with a different culinary tradition in the same neighborhood. Trivia nights run every Wednesday at 6:30 through Geeks Who Drink, and the 10,500-square-foot footprint accommodates private events up to full-venue buyouts.