The Kings Head

Cold beer, basic pub food, friendly service. Many items on the menu unavailable. Good place to watch a game, lots of screens. We ended up here with kids because all the other places near by too full, obviously not ideal but worked out ok.

The food and service was pleasant, but everything else was a goddamn nightmare.
A friend of mine and I went to the Kings Head for a catch-​up and dinner, not knowing it was their amateur comedy night.
About an hour into our visit/​part way through our meal, a very greasy haired man comes up to us and asks us if we’re staying for the comedy, we say we’re not sure, but insists on collecting $ 5 cover each from us. We told him we’ll see if we feel like staying after we’re done eating. About 10 minutes later (and we’re still eating), he comes back and asks for $ 5 or to move us downstairs. Considering I’m in the middle of eating, I tell him we’re not moving. The «man» proceeds to go down stairs, throwing a temper tantrum, screaming and swearing about us not being ready to move. My friend is then like «excuse me?!» while he storms off. Cry-baby’s friend, who looks like an infant with a caterpillar on his lip, proceeds to come over and starts getting mad at us. We explain we’re both in the industry, we both serve and are in theatre and get the deal, and would have paid should we have been left alone to finish our meal/​decide to stay. Greasy haired cry-​baby and caterpillar lip gave us super negative vibes by trying to intimidate us out of there. So we decided to leave and go drinking at The Local (where it was infinitely better – free drinks!)
I don’t think I’d go back, especially on «comedy» night. If this is how management lets these dipshits treat customers, then I’m not interested in being there.
I hope those guys are better comedians than they are people, because they’re total douches. I also hope greasy hair makes in big in the comedy circuit, then maybe one day he can afford a shower.

Been to this location before and like the décor but only ever drank here. Service was slow at the bar that time as a gang of us arrived at once.
Returned last night with some friends to get a late bite to eat and some beers. It was pretty dead in there with maybe four or five other guests. Our server was friendly and service was prompt.
We ordered the All The Kings Men platter and were impressed by the size and selection. Everything tasted good except there was something up with the poutine. After all tasting it we agreed it was the cheese being off.
We told the server and she was apologetic. The kitchen had already closed so we couldn’t get it remade which was fine. She offered to take part of the dish off our bills but we told her that it wasn’t a problem. We work in the industry and are not the type of people to complain to get free stuff. We just wanted them to know incase other customers ordered it and got sick.
The server went to talk to the manager and he went to inspect the bag of cheese curds. She came back to us and got a «thumbs up» from the manager standing at the kitchen door. This apparently meant that he had just opened the bag and we were wrong. Nice!
The bar closed very soon after and the music and televisions shut off and the bright lights were abruptly turned on making us feel unwelcome. We were finishing anyway so we left. Not the worst experience but still wondering why the manager didn’t do a table touch with us.
Either way will not be returning here especially after reading some of the other reviews.

Nun, das Kings Head liegt nah dem Kitsiliano Beach, wir haben draußen gesessen, Lager und Cider waren ok, Essen, man wird satt, innen ist es schon seehhrr abgewohnt, nicht gemütlich.

***WARNING: RESTAURANT HAS DIRTY TAP LINES AND MADE A GROUP OF US VERY ILL
Nothing here for me — typical unhealthy bar food. Last night some friends and I shared a pitcher of Honey Brown and we are all violently ill this morning. I’m disappointed my Saturday will be bed ridden. I had only 2 pints. I called the bar today to complain and was told by an unprofessional staff member that there was no manager. Once I told him what I was calling about, he quickly (without warning) passed me over to another unprofessional person, who didn’t bother introducing himself. After asking 3 times if he was the manager, he finally said he was. He was quick to avoid my complaint and kept repeating «what did you eat, what did you eat?» He was unbelievably rude and obviously guilty and probably never cleans the tap lines. Total scum bag. I have reported this to the health authorities and they are currently investigating.
The service was slow especially for a slower evening. The servers seemed nice but unorganized. We waited over 20 minutes to get service outside even though we were only one of three tables. Apparently the server thought we had already been served because there were used beer glasses left on the table from the guests prior.
The interior has an interesting layout which makes for good people watching if you’re sitting up top. Live music is always fun.

Cheap beer. Let’s not pretend you’re here for anything else.

Worst takeout I’ve ever had.
I ordered the fish and chips and my boyfriend ordered the steak. It was all ice cold when it arrived a reg delivery time of 45 mins after we placed the order the batter on the fish was actually wet and soggy and the actual fish itself was just mush that resembled lumpy mashed potatoes. The fries tasted like they were day old straight from the fridge. The lemon wedge I got was already squeezed and put back in my take out container (so gross)
The steak was a cut of cold gelatinous fat that was over-​cooked and tasted like cardboard.
Seriously the worst.

Even if the food and drinks were good, it’s not worth it due to the outrageously poor management and service. Stay away!

This place has super awesome architecture inside. It is very cute and rustic. It feels like you have been transported back to ye olden days to some medieval pub. It has little coves you can sit in downstairs or upstairs where you can sit around the edges of the bar and see what’s going on down below.
However, I came here on an extremely busy day for the world cup final and was treated like a piece of trash. There were no seats available and there was no type of wait list to get a seat or any help from the staff. I stood at the entrance for 15 minutes waiting for a waitress to even greet me and it never happened. Then I was told that I was in the way while standing in the tiny bar area next to the taps… and pushed around by waiters and waitresses.
Their staff SUCKS. No other way to put it. Very, very rude.

For a pub not bad. Had the pulled pork mac and cheese; yes I have to try mac and cheese in as many places as possible! It was surprisingly delicious. The pulled pork was perfectly mixed into the pasta and gave it some much-​needed texture. The downside is that the sauce could have had a bit more cheese in it. The décor and ambiance are nothing to talk about, plain and dark, typical for a bar. Parking in the area is a bit of a pain if its a weekend, so I would suggest carpooling or being prepared to walk a couple of blocks.

A pub in KITS with daily drink and eat specials. $ 7 fish and chips and Pear Magners Ciders to wash it down! The patio was free on a Friday afternoon so we quickly took advantage of having the whole patio to ourselves and our own personal server.
Good food and good drinks, which included beer, pickle juice and pear magners ciders. Excellent service too! What more can a gal ask for?

Possibly the greatest pub in the city. Great prices and close to the beach. Food is great if you’re piss drunk.

Never. Eat. Breakfast. Here.
The Kings Head is a crappy pub that serves an affordable pint, but it totally lacks character since it was renovated a few years ago and it is terribly managed. I usually blame servers and floor staff for bad service at restaurants and bars, but the completely deceitful and rude treatment that some coworkers and I received at The Kings Head last week was all on the manager.
The Kings Head recently sent out coupons to every household in Kits promoting their «Appy Hour» and offering 2-​for-​1 breakfasts. I was initially excited when I received this coupon because I am always on the lookout for decent breakfast spots near my place of work. I didn’t know The Kings Head served breakfast, so I was eager to try it.
Despite the rank stench of stale beer, and the unenthusiastic greeting we received, and the complete lack of natural light, and the blaring televisions, and our wobbly table, we sat down and studied the limited but diverse breakfast menu. We decided to get their breakfast special, which consists of hash browns, toast, two eggs, and bacon or sausage. The food was alright, or maybe it seemed better than we thought it would be considering the setting: the toast came with jam and peanut butter, the potatoes were well seasoned and sprinkled with green onion, and the bacon was cooked perfectly. «Wow», we thought…“This is actually a really good deal with our coupon!“
The coupon was on the table the entire time, but our curt waitress brought us individual bills without mentioning a deal or discount. We pointed to the coupon and she said that the coupon did not apply to the breakfasts we ordered. We asked her to clarify and, bumbling, she said that the 2-​for-​1 only applies to certain breakfast items. We showed her the coupon and pointed out that there was no such disclaimer. She apologized, but we didn’t let this go. This was outright false advertising. We asked her to speak to her manager because we weren’t prepared to pay full price, especially after they lied to us. Our server disappeared and we could hear her request being quashed by the nearby yet hidden manager. She came back saying that we did not state we had a coupon upon entering and that no discount would be applied.
We paid our bills, sans tip, and made it clear to her that we will never be back and will actively dissuade people from eating or drinking at The Kings Head. Using false coupons to cheat locals and alienate your most important client base… good job, Kings Head.

The Kings Head is a classic icon in the Kitsilano neighbourhood. It has a unique charm to it as the structural design is like no other of its kinds. I’ve always had a good time in the Kings Head as the menu prices are set in a way to feed your drunken appetite. The drinks are often really cheap and the food is decent.
If you’re looking for a good time with a couple friends and you want to get plastered, this is the place to be. Food, meh. Service, nothing extraordinary. Drinks, now we talkin’. For your entertainment they have live music on some nights and every month they show the UFC event, at no extra charge.
Try it out, its a classic in Kits that YEW won’t want to miss ;-)
Adding to this review as I recently visited this spot and was really disappointed. The beverage deals and food deals can not overshadow the shady service. We went in for breakfast this past weekend and waited almost an hour before our food came. My friends and I watched table after table get up and leave as the (only) server expected to attend us all was very overwhelmed.
This place needs some serious improvement.

Sadly it’s gone.
Save your time and money and avoid the ‘replacement’
Not much good to say!

Awesome! The beer selection was great, the food was tasty and the price was good! Skip The Local and head here instead!

I’ve been going to Kingshead since the early 2000’s and not much has changed about it for better or worse depending on how you feel about it. For a while it was bought out by the chain Wings, but late last year it gloriously returned. I was pumped.
Much like the Blarneystone, this bar delivers every weekend and the recipe is consistent. Live music from a random band who will likely play your favorite popular covers from the 90’s. Lack of ventilation and hot like Bikram yoga on hot summer nights. A small patio outside for thrifty brunch when the lineup at Zen is way too long. Bar food which is cheap but the quality matches.
Here‘s the lowdown.
1. Nostalgia and Consistency. I know what I’m getting into.
2. Live Music, which in my opinion is a dying breed in Vancouver.
3. Prime location in Kitsilano only steps away from the beach.
4. Bacon Caesars. Yes there is a strip of freaking bacon in there. Try it and LIVE!

This place has been around for years. For awhile, I think it was Wings, but somehow became Kings Head again last year. I’ve read a lot of comments from other reviewers about how much worse it has been under the new ownership. So, let me preface my review by saying that I never had the privilege to go to Kings Head back when they had their original establishment. I know how disappointed I feel when a favourite local spot changes, but I actually think they have a formula that works right now.
All their food is cheap, but if you get the daily $ 5 food special (yes, there is one every day), it’s a ridiculous value. On Saturday, you can get a burger & fries for $ 5. Granted, it’s what you expect from a cheap burger, but it’s functional, and I’ve definitely paid more at pubs for similar quality food. In fact, I think I’ve paid that much for fries alone. Their beer selection is as good as any average modern pub — all your usual suspects plus a few more interesting microbrews, like Parallel 49. They also have live music on the weekends, and NO COVER CHARGE (gasp! A novelty for Vancouver).
The young hip neighbourhood keeps the fun PG, but it’s just dingy enough to make it thoroughly unpretentious. If you can get a spot on their small patio, it’s great for people watching while you sip/​eat one of their delicious bacon Caesars. And if you need to walk off your buzz, the beach is conveniently minutes away!

How do i start this review? It’s a hard position to be in when you don’t know which bad part to talk about first. I really wanted to like this place. It seems like a great place to head to on the weekend but here we go…
My friend and I happen to walk past King’s Head and figured we would give it another shot— it used to be our favorite bar.
Yep, the first time was almost as bad as the second. But i think this one takes the cake as the first time we were fortunate enough to not eat the food.
We ordered a pitcher of the King’s Head Brew to start. And decided to split the veggie burger and pulled chicken burger. We ordered the sweet potato fries– which was a bad mistake. Don’t bother with the sweet potato fries, just get their regular fries, they are better, a bit too salty but better.
The burger came with all the condiments on it, which is weird. I hate mustard and mayo and always assumed they just came on the side at a sit down place. I guess not.
Kudos to them for having a proper veggie burger and not a soy burger but, it still tasted like the cardboard box it came in. And let’s also work on the toppings.
The pulled chicken burger was pretty decent. The meat was tender, flavor was good and the coleslaw on top was a nice touch. I thought I saw something that said «crispy onions» but I didn’t see or taste any of those.
As for the waitress. She dropped off our menu’s without asking us about our drink choice. When she came to the table she hummed and hawed when we asked questions. Just say you don’t know! Don’t shoot from the hip, it doesn’t end well and usually for the customer.
She did not abide by the 2 bite rule. She brought us a basket of fries and 15 minutes later when the fries were gone she brought out the sandwiches with more fries. Weird.
We sent back to sweet potato fries because they tasted like they came from a farm and were cooked by a farm animal.
Regardless the beer and prices are decent. Don’t bother with the food. The King’s Head is a good place to go at the end of the night when you’re drunk, spent most of your money and don’t care what you ingest.

Being a kits girl — The king head was ALWAYS our local go-​to spot for great cheap pub food, in a relaxed setting. Last summer the place was converted into a franchise «wings» — and due to lack of business, it has turned back to Kings Head. My friends and I were over the top excited to go back to our old hang-​out spot. Our hearts were sadly disappointed at the new management though! :(
When went at 1:30pm on a Saturday to grab some lunch. We were told they ran out of menus and we had to wait for a menu (please note, there may have only been 10 people in the restaurant). When we got menus they were breakfast menus. Good thing to note that they don’t serve lunch until after 2:00pm on weekends. Then we were told at 2:10pm that if we wanted to order lunch, the kitchen was too busy and they weren’t even going to be taking any orders even until 2:30pm.
Needless to say, we were highly unimpressed and left with the expectations to never EVER return to our favorite bar.
Time to source out a new local go-​to bar instead!

I miss the old smell of the Kingshead! When Wings took over, renovated and re-​opened, they really killed the ambiance. Sigh. One of the only great (?) English bars (again, ?) in Vancouver… sad sad.
The wings were sub-​par, the veggies were slimy. Almost no one in there. The ‘band’ was a one-​man techno show (eek!!).
The only saving grace was the server, who was awesome.
Bring back the old!!!