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Kingston Taphouse & Grille
Categories: Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Lounges, Canadian (Traditional)
755 Richards StreetVancouver, BC V6B 3A6
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(604) 681-7011
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 1 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for Kingston Taphouse & Grille
Review Highlights
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"definitely go out to their patio." In 9 reviews -
"Had the grilled chicken salad with grapes & blue cheese." In 3 reviews -
"...with friends and a great place for pub food witha twist." In 4 reviews
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Beverly W.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 3/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been coming to Kingston Taphouse for a while now. On my last visit, I noticed that the portions of fries and salad have gotten smaller with my veggie burger order. $10 is still a decent price for my combo at a sit-down restaurant. However, I would just head to Vera's where it would cost me $6 without having to tip for service.
The staff always greet in a friendly manner at the door. Service was just average last time as the server did not refill our water during the meal.
Veggie burger score based on value and quality: 3.5/5Listed in: Places to go or avoid for a…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/13/2011
My friend introduced me to the the Kingston Taphouse & Grille a few years ago and I have been going… Read more »
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Review from Lisa C.
2/13/2012
Came down here for a friends birthday celebration. I really liked the set-up of the place. It's sitting on Richards, on a very quiet street...this place is really quite tucked away.
I really liked that they have an upstairs of more of a bar/sit down and chat type area, and then you have downstairs where you can watch the game, play pool, and socialize.
The server was very friendly, and outgoing. Was quick with service, and checked on us on a regular basis.
The food was good. I had the beer and cheese soup and it tasted nothing like beer, so it was very tasty :D
I would definitely come back here. -
Review from Jenni L.
1/5/2012
Lisa G. and I stopped here on our first night in Vancouver. We were exhausted, hungry and quickly realizing that downtown Vancouver doesn't have a wealth of late night restaurants. It seemed like everywhere we tried was already closed so we dropped by the Westin concierge to ask for options and were directed to the Kingston.
Lisa ordered a beer and the chicken caesar pizza, which looked decent. I opted for a glass of wine and the surf & turf sliders which were a mini lamb burger with gorgonzola butter, a mini crab burger with red pepper remoulade and a small cup of matchstick fries. All of this sounds much better on paper than it does in reality, though. Pretty unforgettable fare, but at that point we weren't too picky.
I don't think I'll be racing back here again unless I find myself in the same time predicament. -
Review from Yashar Y.
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Decent place in dt to watch the Canucks. Went here for dinner and to watch the game. They gave many tvs including one big one in the back room. Service was very friendly here and they had a good selection of beers on tap. Food was decent and service was very good. All in all it was a good experience, however nothing special. Would go back if I wanted to watch the game.
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Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
12/5/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I would easily give this place another star or two but for the server I had on my second and most recent visit. He seemed a bit "out of it" at first, which was a bit odd but fine as he managed to bring us our drinks without incident. But as the night progressed and he didn't return to ask us if we wanted refills, we flagged down another server to place an order. Then our original server returned to the table and "lectured" us and told us that we were only allowed to order from him! This wouldn't have been a big problem if he stopped by once in a while, and we were a thirsty bunch... The same thing happened again an hour or two later (ie., after considerable difficulty in locating our server we tried to order from someone else), and again we were scolded for doing so. It was so ridiculous I almost thought we were being punked.
Other than our difficulties with this particular server, I actually really like this place for somewhere to have a casual drink and watch the game. It's got a laid back pub atmosphere and you don't have to be dressed to the nines to pop in. In terms of food, my opinions are mixed. On my second visit, our table ordered the chilli chicken bites and the nachos. The chilli chicken bites were a no-no for me because the chicken was covered in a batter, but even aside from my no-gluten issue, I much prefer that dish when you just have the chicken and the flavour of the sauce without the batter acting as filler (vs. actual pieces of chicken). The nachos, however, were quite good and although a tad pricy, the plate was huge and came with a decent amount of topping.
Overall I would definitely pop in again to watch a game and perhaps have some nachos - just hopefully with a different server next time! -
Review from Mark F.
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good brew great buds
Game night? Fugetaboutit. Packed at the pregame but you'll want to get in anyway. The suds overflow and the food fills the belly. Although it may look swanky, this is a neighborhood pub. Where Kingston throws a curve is its basement. More TVs pool and bar, step up your night as you step down stairs. A whole nuther world down there.
This is a good place to call home with guys and gals in jerseys sharing bar time with suits.
Pour it on! -
Review from Jeff F.
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went with a few work friends for a goodbye party for two of our good friends (they're moving to Europe... lucky ducks). We've gone for work dinners here before, and decided to go today.
Service was good... the bartender even recognized me from work, and made a point to come by and say 'Hi'... server was very prompt to ask for drink refills and when we were ready to order she was there to take it.... so service was great.
Food wise... a few of the people liked their food... a couple really liked their food, and two people didn't like their food at all (my fiance being one of them, and one of the goodbye people being the other). The server was apologetic about it, and took the food away, and came back later to tell us not to worry about it on the bill, they were going to take it off (nice touch... she offered several times to bring something else instead too).
If the weather permits... definitely go out to their patio... the two times I've been out on the patio it has been great.... right in the middle of downtown, but hidden away in a outdoor courtyard... great!
Will definitely keep coming back. -
Review from Peter S.
3/8/2011
Smells like The Pit Pub at UBC!
How on this hoppy earth can these folks call themselves a Taphouse?
Budweiser, Rickards, Molson, and Granville Island. Well holy sh*t Kingston, you have really crap beer!
Perhaps there is a hidden 2nd star up on their famous patio. But in the pissing rain I'll pass. Or maybe that's where they hide the good beer? -
Review from May P.
Vancouver, BC
8/2/2011
Who doesn't like a little outdoor action in the heart of downtown during the summer months!!
Nice private outdoor patio, good service by Adam our waiter and all 3 meals tasted good.
Laughs and giggles enjoyed by all. -
Review from Luisa D.
11/27/2010
If you're in this neighbourhood and you need some sustenance before heading to say, a yelp event then this place will likely fill you up without breaking the bank.
I've been here before with large groups and it's not bad at all. The menu is rather uninspiring but I had a Grilled Chicken Salad that had plenty of blue cheese for flavour. The Mr. had a burger. He devoured it. The beer selection is smaller than I'd expect for a 'Taphouse' but they had a few micro brews on there.
Our server was very bubbly and attentive once she realised we weren't with the large party near where we'd been sat. -
Review from Evilyn T.
12/20/2010
Friday night I had four different events to attend. This was my first stop for a friend's birthday party. This place was packed by 6pm, so it took me a sec to figure out where the crew was sitting, but as soon as I was seated our server came over and greeted me and asked me if I needed a drink. I actually needed a few seconds to get settled, which she realized so she came back in five. I was impressed with how well she managed to handle all of the tables that she was working, since it felt like whenever we needed her she was right there.
I had the bikini martini (I love that name) which was okay, and then I switched to rum & diet cokes. I had the margherita pizza for dinner, which was awesome, and just the right size on thin crust for $12. I do think it could have used some dipping sauce for the crust, but that's probably because I order from Panago way too much. My total for three drinks and a pizza with tax and tip was $40, but I tipped a bit extra cuz our waitress brought us a round of free shots. Red-headed sluts for everyone!
There wasn't a ton of veggie options on the menu, this place is definitely a carnivore-bar, but its good to know that the few veggie items they have are done really well.Listed in: Best of the best, Best Pubs/Clubs
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Review from Polly C.
Vancouver, BC
12/21/2010
My bf and I were heading to the Canucks game so we wanted to grab some munchies so we would have energy to scream our lungs out. We ended up at the Kingston Taphouse & Grille place since I've never been there before.
I ordered the Smoked Chicken Pizza because I noticed the words "shitake, button and oyster mushrooms". And as some Yelpers know, I loooove mushrooms. The Smoked Chicken Pizza contained garlic cream sauce, smoked chicken, red onions, shitake, button and oyster mushrooms. While I ordered the pizza, my bf ordered the Salmon Burger which came with the fries and salad.
I thought my smoked chicken pizza did not meet up standards because it felt like I was eating a piece of cardboard. The chicken meat itself was good but not the pizza dough and WHERE OH WHERE were the mushrooms? If that pizza was loaded with mushrooms and it didn't taste like cardboard, I would give it a 4 out of 5 but nope siree...it's a 2 out of 5.
The salmon burger had a lot of mayonnaise that I couldn't taste the true flavor of the salmon; however, I could tell by the texture of the salmon, it was quite fresh. The fries were too salty = MAJOR TURN OFF. And by the way, these fries are like McDonald fries...meaning that they are not potatoe-y like Red Robin's which I actually like. The caesar salad was not good...it ended up being pushed to the side of the table.
Been here. Done that. Don't think I'll visit it again. -
Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
3/4/2011
A good end to a "meh" night.
So when I hear the word "festival" I come running. Fall, winter... spring, summer... any season, I don the appropriate gear and wander. So, we went to the CIBC Lunar Light Festival. I imagined more. So, since we were done in like three minutes and there wasn't really any food (there was one stand and coffee), we decided to go eat someplace (normally, I spend all my money on food... Night Market, Latin Fest, Gay Pride, Fair... turkeys legs and Hawaiian Ice for all). My friends suggested this place and since my fiance had never been, pub food it is.
We were seated pretty fast for game night. Then it took forever for someone to come and take our order. I had to go back to the hostess table to ask who our server was. Since it had been a long moment of neglect (maybe 15 mins) they sent over a free appy. We ordered the chicken wings. I don't really remember them, so they must have been just okay.
What was burned into my mind was the steak sandwich. The steak was cooked rare like I asked and very tender. I love blue cheese... it goes so well with meat. My sandwich came with fries, but I ate part of my fiance's pizza instead. The pizza was a nice sized portion, perfect for sharing if you got something else to snack on... It was a spicy Hawaiian pizza... the banana peppers were spicy, but not a painful spicy.
To finish off, I got the coconut cream pie. Wrong. It is so wrong. I was imagining soft custard with piles of whip cream. So not what I imagined. It was a thick, dense... goo and gel implies it was still a bit soft, uhh... it was thick. But then, maybe that's what you're into... no not me. -
Review from Ted R.
Vancouver, BC
4/29/2009
I will never go back to this restaurant after what happened today. The brunch waitress had such attitude: she told my buddy "if you want coffee, go to starbucks or blenz. At the bar you have to drink beer, are you a baby? Where is your barbies and your blankie?"
We were not drunk or did we have attitudes. We just wanted brunch. We went to hells kitchen instead and had a fantastic brunch.
Be warned! -
Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
Looking for a decently priced, large space to have a party or quick bite in the heart of downtown? The KIngston is a great choice (although not on UFC nights, although I like gay erotica as much as the next person... :P)
We were there tonight for a pal's birthday, and I was really expectingt the food to be sub-par, but I found the drinks and food to be a great value for this area - and tasty!
We started with the firecracker shrimp. Now, the serving dish is small, but don't fret! It contained nine prawns swimming in a delicously spicy sambal sauce. Normally I don't like bread with Asian flavours, but this sauce was just tomato-y savoury enough to be enjoyed with focaccia.
Next up we tried some calimari - another win. Perfectly light, with a nice "ring to leg ratio" (I feel like an asshole even constructing that phrase, hence the quotes) and an Asian dip - a nice touch! Rather than gloppy aioli or tzatziki, this was a nice blend of rice wine vinegar, soy and ginger. I REALLY loved the battered hot pepper slices accompanying the squid - the more spice the better for me!
The ahi tuna spring rolls with a hoisin dip were also nice- the seared rare tuna inside the crunchy wrapped reminded me of an interesting take on maki - I liked it a lot until my final bite, when I got a really fishy mouthful. :(
We also shared a small caesar salad - nothing to write home about. Kind of like one of those caesar kits you can get at the grocery store - but not offensive.
Cocktails and martinis were well priced, however wine was a bit pricey in comparison. The Moscow Mule (my favourite cocktail) was pretty bad - the ginger beer was barely spicy, and the drink was way too sweet. But my lemon drop (not on the menu, but they made one for me) was great!
All in all - a fun night with friends and a great place for pub food witha twist. -
Review from natalie s.
Vancouver, BC
9/15/2009
One word...rodents.
Need I say more? No, but I will. I ate there some time ago and the food was alright, not great. I returned a couple times to play pool. Because I don't know why but there aren't many bars with pool tables downtown. The two tables are in poor condition. There's no room for a clear shot in one corner of one table. You have to walk upstairs to get someones attention for drinks. And if you have a seat downstairs, you just might see mice running across the floor in to the brick of the walls. Cute? I think not. Yikes! I'm glad I wasn't eating there. I certainly won't again.
I told someone working there, perhaps they didn't know and thought they'd want to. They didn't seem at all surprised! -
Review from Darien C.
BC
11/24/2008 9 photos
Love beer and pizza but hate Boston Pizza? Good, I have your alternative. The Kingston Taphouse is pub adjoining a boutique downtown hotel. The pub/restaurant has a very spacious interior, several bars and does well with large parties. I have been here a few times with large groups and they have always provided deals. Calling ahead to indicate the size of the party is wise, likely you can elicit cheap pitcher and nacho deals. The best part of the food mind you is the 'za. Quite perfect, crunchy and never over sauced. Just the way a prime pie should be.
When the warm weather returns I recommend the patio. It is enclosed on the second level of the building, has plenty of seating, great fauna and an exterior bar which comes to life in the summer. When hitting patios I'm partial to those with a view of the street, something Kingston lacks. If people watching isn't your thing, the patio is perfect. -
Review from Ella B.
Vancouver, BC
6/11/2011
The service was terrible and they threw some charred lettuce plant on the plate as a side and/or garnish? My bf and I both ordered a steak and the meat was gamey like it had gone off. Neither of us could eat our meal. When we advised the waitress that the meat was bad the manager came over and told us that the meat was fresh delivered that day. REALLY ON A SUNDAY? no. just. no.
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Review from Leanne M.
Vancouver, BC
5/2/2010
What is the deal with shitty veggies burgers in dt vancouver? As a vegetarian (who eats seafood but no land animals) I quite often go to pubs and restaurants that don't cater to the type of food I normally eat. I'm cool with that since I can always find a veggie burger on most pub menus but I'm getting really tired of the slapped together, non juicy, veggie burger fare that I have been experiencing in downtown Vancouver lately.
Last Wednesday I went to the Beatty St Bar and Grill and had a substandard veggie burger, on Friday I went to Score on Davie and also had a crappy one. Last night I went to the Kingston and again, I was dissapointed with my veggie burger. The only place I've ever been impressed with one is at the Cactus Club on Robson. They make the best ones in the city, hands down! So juicy!!!
In any case, I went to the Kingston, my husband and I spent about $85 on foods and drinks and I wasn't impressed at all. The service was actually really good but the food was just average. Also, the prices were quite high. I'm not really into spending $22-25 on a single entree at a pub. I'm into spending that at a restaurant where the game isn't blaring in my ear over big screens. When the game is on, and the place is packed, the crowd wants reasonably priced appies and cold beer, not miso encrusted halibut! And that's another thing...the pitcher of beer wasn't very cold and they didn't offer chilled glasses. You think that if they don't serve their beer cold that the least they could do is have ice cold glasses.
I definitley give it a "meh".
Leanne -
Review from Steve L.
Victoria, BC
Well it was a big improvement from the last time I went to the Kingston, but then again they served me a raw chicken sandwich that time so it's not like they really could do any worse.
It was a hot summer night so we were fortunate enough to get a table outside on their "hidden" patio. I was in a pub food type of mood so I ordered the chicken avocado club sandwich, despite my prior Kingston chicken episode. My girlfriend had the fixed dinner special they were offering, and for $22 it was that not bad of a deal. We shared the buffalo chicken bites appetizer which was then followed by a 8oz sirloin steak, and finished off with Oreo Bash cake for desert.
The Buffalo Chicken bites were okay, but nothing special. Actually to me they seemed like some left over chicken breast the chef must have been trying to unload, covered in your typical hot wing sauce. My girlfriend's steak was slightly overcooked, but not enough to make an issue of it or send it back to the kitchen, and was tasty enough. The dessert? Well, you can't really go wrong with an Oreo cake now can you.
Not a bad dinner experience, a-ok for pub fare but I probably wouldn't be heading there if I was trying to impress a client or out of town guests. -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
9/26/2008
This gorgeous multi-room bar and restaurant can always be counted on for a good time. They've got dining areas upstairs and down, a front bar area, plus a lovely courtyard patio. I've been here many times over the years for lunches, dinners, and drinks, and the service and food has never failed to impress. There's a wide selection of beers on tap, as well as a long list of girl-drink-drunk martinis in chocolatey and fruity flavours.
The food is designed to please a crowd - I love the stacked onion rings and the flatbread pizzas. They used to have some really excellent tamarind-flavoured chicken wings that I'm still mourning the loss of. I keep hoping they'll revive that item. Maybe if we all asked for them: "Hey, what happened to the tamarind wings?" Okay, okay. At least they still serve my kung-pao chicken.
When the weather is bad, the patio is closed; I'm not sure if you're still allowed to smoke out there, but it used to be a good spot to nip out for a ciggy when no one was around. -
Review from Kyrsten J.
New Westminster, BC
3/8/2011
This place is like meeting a dapperly-dressed, charming man, then finding out that he's wearing a Moore's suit and he slurps his food when eating at home. I had big hopes based on the beauty of the wood and the brick, and the decent service. But the food? a let down. Had the grilled chicken salad with grapes & blue cheese. It was good, but just that - good. Too much blue cheese for my liking, though I was happy they did stick to the "easy on the dressing" - and the chicken - well, there was chicken in there, but it wasn't exactly memorable. Just good. For the Cactus Club price though, I was expecting a more interesting salad. Guess it serves me right for having a salad? (pizza for a business lunch just really doesn't work...)
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Review from Sean M.
Burnaby, BC
8/22/2010
Huge place, ok food and empty.
Takes Open Table Reservations which is a plus. -
Review from Russ P.
5/25/2011
Just wine and apps. The wings were dry but the nachos were good. Great place to watch a game on a huge screen.
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Review from Stephen E.
Vancouver, BC
9/15/2009
This is a good place for lunch and after work. Food is good, honest food, good value for money and the service normally prompt and friendly.
It is "pub food" with a few interesting things thrown in. The beer and bar prices are average and again, good quality - reliable and consistent.
Others have described it more fully but I'll just say that I've yet to have a bad experience in 20 or 30 visits - almost all for lunch or after work. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
6/27/2009
Oh man.. this is so hard........ 3.5 stars ok.. 3.5 stars! It's not that I'm not a fan.... but it's just typical good food - sandwiches, salads, pizzas. The patio looked nice but it was full at lunch time - not surprised... it looks like a garden in the back. The place is much bigger than I thought with a very large dining area in the back. Although we could not see the kitchen when we sat down, there was a huge whiff of strong unpleasant cheese that might have disturbed my taste buds.
It was a team lunch for our work - attracts the business crowd! I ordered a roasted turkey sandwich - all the sandwiches comes with fries AND a small caesar salad. I don't know what bread they used, but it was toasted perfectly and still had the softness fresh bread tastes. Not too much cheese and full of flavour. Fries were big with lots of potato filling and caesar salad was nicely lightly dressed (and I'm not a fan of caesar whatsoever). Others got the salmon teriyaki burger, fish and chips, chicken salad, and no complaints from everyone. The service was attentive and courteous and food came out in a timely manner.
I've been told that the chicken avacado club is by far the best menu item :) -
Review from Dean C.
Vancouver, BC
2/24/2010
I like this place for a Guinness after work or after meetings. The pizza is good and the patio is a nice oasis in the summer time.
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Review from Christie S.
Vancouver, BC
5/10/2009
Fabulous food - try the pizzas! Pool tables downstairs are free, but they're in pretty bad shape. DJ on weekend nights. Love the patio in the summer!
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Review from David L.
11/26/2009
It was two years ago when I visit this restaurant but I must say that the service was good. Food was above average and I was seated very quickly at a very good location. The restaurant has a very cozy atmosphere.
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Review from Kal B.
5/10/2010
not a bad place to watch UFC.. not the greatest either
they were showing it in their dungeon.. which feels a lot like the rec room in your house.. they got the pool tables going.. smaller screens around and one large screen.. we showed up early so we got great seats up front in these large comfy chairs.. they only have 4 though so you gotta snag em quick
we had the prime rib burger which comes with a small caesar salad and fries as well.. this was a great choice.. not sure of some of the ambitious listings on the menu which are pricey as well.. the pizza mite be a good choice too
drinks were cheap as well.. $5 for singles, $7 for doubles (highballs)
admission was $10 for the fight but it came with a free drink ticket for a beer (only 2 [crap] choices)
would definitely recommend it as a place to drop by to grab a drink before heading down to an event at BC or GM Place
