ShowHub Venue Review: Kingfishers Waterfront Bar + Grill

We’ve had remarkably poor luck with service at venues over the last year. So much so that I (Jen) recently joked on Facebook that if I found a venue that provided even adequate service, I would sing its praises from the rooftops and leave glowing reviews everywhere possible. This is me singing.

Built 18 years ago by owner Ted Hume and his wife, Kingfishers is one of those solid venues that has become a fixture in the local music scene. Even though it’s outside our coverage area, this venue was one of the very first to be added to ShowHub because we appreciate the owners’ consistency and dedication to supporting live music. Accessibility has clearly been a consideration as well, with a custom wheelchair elevator built into the venue to provide access from the parking lot to the main level of the pub.

We decided to head out to Kingfishers to check out the view and music on Saturday evening. Even though the place was absolutely packed when we arrived, from the time we walked in to the time we left, we were so well cared for that it was practically astonishing. Our server was nothing short of fantastic – unobtrusive but totally on the ball, even offering a second drink within two minutes of the first being empty. 

After we placed our initial drink order, the manager came by within minutes to check and make sure we had ordered – then went and fetched our drinks personally. We hadn’t disclosed who we were, so this was evidently normal service. 

The food was excellent. We ordered the mac and cheese and fish and chips, both of which were superb. We also couldn’t help overhearing the couple at the next table enthusiastically praise the mussels before moving on to a steak frites that looked equally impressive. The fries, in particular, deserve a mention. The only dish that didn’t quite live up to the same standard was the sundae, which felt a bit underwhelming compared to the rest of the meal.

The jalapeño-pineapple margarita is both flavourful and properly spicy, and they have a great selection of beer on tap. The wine list is an interesting mix, although we noted it didn’t say which, if any were available by the glass. We did see a table with a carafe of red wine, so figure we probably just missed seeing that particular list.

If you are going for the music, select the low-top (families allowed) area when you make your reservation. Between the high-top adults-only area and the artist is an oval-shaped bar that divides the room in half, as well as a large pillar. To account for that, the venue runs a video feed of the musician on one of the screens above the bar. 

With four speakers already in the area, we found ourselves wondering whether routing the live music through the house system might improve the experience for guests seated farther from the stage. We’ve seen this done successfully at other venues, such as Dublin Crossing and Riley’s. We were there to check out Jordan Burgess, but the sightlines and sound from where we were seated only allowed us to form a general impression of the performance. We’ll have to catch him again from a different spot.

There’s an additional large, enclosed patio area with an amazing view of the mighty Fraser. Live music happens both Friday and Saturday evenings every week, with the occasional special event on a Thursday. The schedule said the show started at 8, but it was already going when we arrived for our 7:45 reservation. Unfortunately, the owner was unable to come and chat, so we’ll follow up the next time we make the trip.

Overall, Kingfishers left us with an extremely positive impression. Between the attentive service, excellent food, beautiful waterfront setting, and commitment to hosting live music every weekend, it’s easy to see why the venue has developed such a loyal following. We’ll be back for another visit soon, and next time we’ll make sure to grab a seat in the low-top section so we can give both the venue and the performer our full attention.

You can always find their upcoming listings here on ShowHub!