My favourite places in downtown Kingman Arizona

Helen Avaient

May 14, 20235 min read

Updated: Oct 23, 2023

Historic Downtown Kingman has a lot to offer, including museums, restaurants, shops and breweries. The town comes alive at night with music at various venues. There was even a packed-out crowd of hipsters playing bingo one night at a local bar. Another venue was hosting a trivia night. In the warmer weather, most eateries offer outdoor dining as well, and the streets come to life with activities and music.

Craft Beer and Pizza

The Rickety Cricket Brewing Company is easy to locate. Simply look for the large metal cricket doing a wheelie on a Norton motorcycle outside the premises.

a metallic sculpture comprising a cricket riding on a motor bike. The bike is doing a wheelie on a big red arrow that points to the entry door of the bar.

Also, the large multi-storey high black brew tank emblazoned with their sign just outside the front door means it is very unmissable. Inside, choose from one of their many craft beers. Their blackboard menu lists ever changing styles of drink. The wheat beer I tried went down very easy, and of course a handmade pizza had to be ordered, just to help the beer go down even better! Well, that is my excuse for the delicious meal, and I will stick to that.

532 E. Beale St Kingman

Coffee

Open from 6.30am on weekdays and 7am on weekends, the Liquid Bistro makes coffee fresh to order. They also serve light meals. Both indoor and outdoor seating are great places to enjoy your breakfast beverage. I liked the book area where you can borrow and leave a book in return.

510 E. Beale St Kingman

the liquid bistro coffee shop seen from the outside at dusk. pastel blue coloured metal tables and chairs are on a concrete swirling path, surrounded by small rocks. The building is also a pastel blue single story brick building with floor to ceiling glass windows

Savon Bath Treats

A delicious smelling store, Savon products are locally made and include shampoo bars, shower soaps, bath bombs and body scrubs.

A ship full of handmade bars of soap, all different colours and smells. Shelves of bathbombs and other cleaning treats line the walls

They also stock everyday essential clothing that was fun to browse through. The funky ET greeter in the store produces a smile on the face of most customers. The staff were very helpful and friendly, even when I didn’t buy anything. (Sadly, limited suitcase space means no extra purchases on this trip.)

432A Beale St Kingman

A six foot statue of a grey extra terrestrial with a camera around its neck and a shower cap on its lead stands in the clothing section of Savon bath treats. It has a sign near its feet advertising the latest sale items.

Wood fired pizza and BBQ

The smells of cooking pizza and BBQ are delectable, as was the food they served. The interior of Floyd and Co. is nicely decorated with car memorabilia.

Inside the bbq and pizza restaurant is the counter where orders are placed, it looks like an outdoor verandah. There are licence plates from different states on the wall under the counter. Two women wait to place an order.

Speaking to several Kingman residents, they all said that this was a local favorite, especially in summer when they could sit on the sidewalk tables and watch the passing parade on the street.

418 E. Beale St Kingman

A street view outside the Floyd and Co Wood-fired pizza and real pit bbq sign. It is dusk and all the street lights are on. The sign is bright neon white and red on black.

Dessert, tea and boba

For a sweet treat, pop into La Tea Da. This pastry shop proudly claims to be the home of the monster cheesecake. They also make handcrafted teas (that is given away in the name) and homemade lemonades. The sticker on their cups says “Thank You! Made with love”, which is just as perfectly sweet as their macaroons and cookies. They are open during the day and at night, which is perfect to grab a dessert after eating at one of the Kingman restaurants.

410 E. Beale St Kingman

It is dusk and the lights are on inside the la tea da dessert and tea shop. The large windows allow passersby to see the delicious treats for sale inside. The sign above the door says La Tea da on beale. Home of the monster cheesecake

The Farmhouse Kingman

Fashion for men, women, children and babies, homewares and everyday life are items that are promoted in this store. It is one that I spent a delightful hour or more in. (Time does pass quickly when you are having shopping fun). Run by a group of women, they also offer classes and community events. There are so many unique and wonderful items here, it would be a very brave shopper who left without a purchase for either themselves or a gift for a loved one.

317 E. Beale St Kingman

At night, the facade of the farmhouse show is lit up with overhead lights. They shine on the wooden plank sign above the wooden barn door, that has the name of shop in a metallic sign. The rendered external walls are grey, a window on each side of the door has a black and white striped awning over it. The sign on the door states the name of the business and its opening hours.

Turquoise Jewelery in Kingman Arizona

The Kingman Turquoise Mine is located in the Acerbate Mountains of Arizona and has been mined for thousands of years by Native Americans. It is thought to be the oldest and largest mine of its type in the world. The wares for sale in the store show the beauty and myriad of different colors in this stone. High quality rings, necklaces and bracelets set in silver are inviting and beautifully made.

407 E. Beale St Kingman

The glass shopfront window of Turqoise Jewelery. A picture of Betty Boo is under the store name. Down under the glass window is a cartoon sketch of a steam train, travelling along railway tracks in the desert.

The Cellar Door Wine Bar

Well trained staff will question you about your likes in wine before recommending one to you. What a great way to introduce yourself to new selections of wine. They also serve craft beer and a delicious sangria.

Musicians playing live music in the background gives an excellent ambiance to the venue. The music is not too loud, conversations can still be heard with friends. There is both indoor and outdoor seating available.

414 E. Beale St Kingman

A room where three sides are surrounded by wooden shelves containing many bottles of wine stacked on their sides. The top of each shelving unit has bottles with their labels facing outwards. In the centre of the three sides is a round table with four chairs. This is for people to do wine tastings at.

Black Bridge Brewery

Opened in 2013, this was Kingman’s original brewery. Featuring live music both indoors and outdoors, depending on the season, it is a great place to try local specialties. They also sell cold-tap coffee and ginger beer. An interesting story about the name, it is named after a railway bridge on the outskirts of town. This is the not-so-secret spot where local youth went to drink beer and party.

421 E. Beale St Kingman

At black bridge brewery, the wall are decorated showing the process of how they make their beer. A music stand and microphone are ready for the musician to entertain the crowd. People sit at high stools enjoying their evening out.

Mattina’s Ristorante and Steak house

A traditional Italian restaurant located in a refurbished 100-year-old plus house. This is a delightful and cozy venue. Each bite of the homemade pasta had me remembering my visits to Italy, it was that good. Definitely do not turn down the bread here. Perfetto! Much thanks goes to Deborah at Desert Diamond Distillery in Kingman for recommending this venue. (They also sell Deborah’s products here – a double win!)

318 E. Oak St Kingman

A cozy restaurant. Two tables set with white tableclothes, and wine racks stacked with bottles. The cream walls and low ceilings are reminiscent of an Italian restaurant, which is good as this is the type of food they serve here.

Sportsmans Bar

I have to admit, the outside of this bar looks a little dodgy, but this dive bar has a great atmosphere. The staff are friendly and up for a chat when it is not so busy. Shuffleboard, pool tables and a juke box are also entertainment offered here. I was travelling on my own, ordered a drink and then settled down at a table to enjoy. Some local characters cajoled me into paying a game of pool with them, even though I told them my ability was very poor in this game. We enjoyed a chat and a few drinks while playing.

The Sportsmans Bar was a delightful and very welcoming stop in Kingman. This venue is definitely a case of “never judge a book by its cover.”

317 E. Andy Devine Ave Kingman

the front entry into the sportsmans bar in kingman arizona. Stone bricks painted a dirty yellow, a central door with long windows either side advertising beer that can be sampled inside. The front door is a pale red, and a large neon sign above the door faces to the left and right.

Rutherford's Family Diner

Just a short drive from downtown Kingman is one eatery that deserves a special mention. It was the type of restaurant that is particularly American and offers great tasting food at reasonable prices with a touch of nostalgia thrown in.

2011 E. Andy Devine Ave Kingman

an American diner. Long counter top with swivel seats and a young teenage boy eats on a stool. Booths line the opposite wall. black and white checkered tiles on the floor and big glass windows surround the diner. TV screens are high above the counter. A welcome and familiar American dining experience.

a plate of philadelphia cheese steak and fries sits on a restaurant red vinyl bench. The open bun shows the meat covered in cheese. A small blackboard menu announcing the specials available stands behind the plate.

There are many venues around Kingman to enjoy, those mentioned above are simply my own favourites in the historic downtown Kingman area. It is great places like these, and the friendly atmosphere of the town, that makes me want to come back and revisit both these favourites and discover new ones.