Lokal Kitchen & Bar is a friendly neighbourhood hangout in Fernhill, Queenstown, built on three simple promises: cold drinks, killer food and great company. Whether it's a mid-week family dinner or a weekend session with friends, there's a seat saved for you — and the outside and bar areas are dog friendly for well behaved pooches and their humans.
The kitchen doesn't cut corners: 12-hour slow-smoked BBQ ribs, juicy stacked burgers and hand-stretched, stone-baked pizzas sit alongside grills, seafood chowder, Thai red curry and salads, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available. Behind the bar, rotating taps pour the best local craft beers, matched with a curated selection of regional wines. Stone-baked pizzas can also be ordered for takeaway online or by phone.
Dinner reservations are taken from 5pm until 8.30pm for groups of up to six; larger groups should get in touch directly. Wednesdays are reserved for the weekly trivia nights — book those by email or phone. Sign up to the mailing list for specials, live music and events, and come as you are: leave full and come back soon.
On Fernhill Road in Queenstown, Lokal Kitchen & Bar calls itself "your home away from home" and "your other place" — a friendly neighbourhood hangout built on three simple promises: cold drinks, killer food, and great company. Whether you're stopping by for a mid-week family dinner or settling in for a weekend session with friends, the team says there's a seat saved for you.
The bar leans proudly local, with taps that are always rotating through the best local craft beers, matched by a curated selection of regional wines. As for the food, the kitchen doesn't cut corners — everything from slow-smoked ribs to hand-stretched, stone-baked pizzas is made, in their words, to bring people together.
Barbecue is where Lokal made its name. The pork ribs are slow-smoked for 12 hours, served Wichita St Louis style with a sweet and tangy glaze, chips, pickles and garnish salad — as a half rack or a full rack. For a real feast, the Fernhill Grill platter piles up pork ribs, slow-smoked beef brisket, teriyaki chicken wings, gourmet sausages, mac n cheese, pickles, Alabama white BBQ sauce and chips; it serves 2-3 people, and you'll need to allow 30-40 minutes of cooking time. If you'd rather keep it classic, there's a 300g beef rump steak cooked to your liking with chips, salad and creamy peppercorn sauce.
Burgers are another crowd-pleaser. The Lokal stacks 10-hour smoked beef brisket with bacon, cheese, crispy onions, tomato relish, lettuce and the house tangy mayo, while the chicken burger pairs crumbed chicken breast with camembert and a sweet chilli & apricot relish. Gluten free and dairy free buns are available, and every burger comes with chips and sauces.
Seafood fans have a house favourite to seek out: the seafood chowder, loaded with New Zealand blue cod and prawns in a creamy, hearty soup, dressed with herb oil and served with toasted bread. Elsewhere on the mains you'll find a crumbed chicken parmy with Napoli sauce, mozzarella and parmesan, a medium-spiced Thai red curry with rice, and skillet mac n cheese that goes plain or loaded with beef brisket or hot smoked salmon. To start, there's baked camembert with apricot and chilli glaze, homemade garlic bread, teriyaki chicken wings and a soup of the day, plus salads like beet and feta or an Asian-style glass noodle salad.
Vegetarian and vegan diners are well looked after, with (V) and (VG) markers across the menu, and the team can cater to multiple dietary requirements and allergies — just talk to staff. Some dishes have no gluten added, though note the kitchen itself isn't gluten free.
Pizzas are hand-stretched and stone-baked, and if you don't feel like eating in, you can order one fresh for takeaway online or by phone — dinner sorted without the dishes.
Wednesdays belong to trivia. Because the weekly trivia night takes over, regular dinner reservations aren't taken on Wednesdays; instead, book for the event by emailing info@lokalqt.co.nz or calling (03) 442 5444. Beyond trivia, the venue keeps a calendar of specials, live music and events — signing up to the mailing list is the way to hear about them first.
Dog owners, take note: the outside and bar areas are dog friendly, and all well behaved pooches — and their hoomans — are welcomed.
Lokal Kitchen & Bar is at 155 Fernhill Rd, Queenstown. It opens 5PM till late Monday to Thursday, and from 12PM till late Friday to Sunday — making it one of the few spots in the area serving from midday on weekends.
Dinner reservations are taken from 5PM until 8.30PM for groups of up to 6 people. If your group is bigger than that, get in touch directly on (03) 442 5444 or via info@lokalqt.co.nz and they'll sort you out.
The promise is simple: come as you are, leave full, and come back soon.