Come here for Tooheys on tap, cook-you-own steaks and Friday night dance floor action. The large verandah is popular for alfresco bevvies when the sun is shining.
If you're laidback and well-loved, you've probably got a nickname. Who can stop themselves giving their friend Tom the name Tommo, or converting Dave into good old Davo? It's an expression of affection and this naming habit even extends to the Kingston Hotel. Regulars affectionately call this place the 'Kingo'. It's simple, straightforward and it probably says they like the place - a lot.
Kingo visitors comes here because it's got everything, from booze and outdoor seating to jukebox tunes, pokies, weekend DJs and televisions screening popular sporting matches. There's Tooheys on tap and meal deals such as the $7 rump steak (accompanied with salad and a roll), which is available everyday.
The crowd is diverse and includes plenty of 20, 30 and 40-somethings. Corporate suits and blue-collar workers come here to sink their post-work beers. Meanwhile the bistro attracts plenty of families with little tykes who chow down on chips and spaghetti bolognese.
Friday and Saturday nights feel much clubbier. These nights draw in a younger party crowd that wants dancefloor action and cranked-up party hits.
On sunny Sunday afternoons you'll find groups on the large verandah sipping chardies and downing schooners as they compare cook-your-own barbie techniques and sweat it out over the grill, intent on serving up the ideal weekend steak.
Tara Livingstone
