The Keg

The Keg

2034 McGillivray Blvd

204-477-5300

https://kegsteakhouse.com/#!/locations/southside-keg/#siteContent

June, 2017

Go to almost any restaurant and you see a common theme among the staff:  twenty-some servers in slinky black dresses with physical attributes but not necessarily waiting talent.  Sex sells in food and I guess today's diner would rather get served questionable food from a flirty server than fab food from a frump.

So The Keg greets you with the bevy of runway-ready outfits but after the host's stand, real servers with real serving talents take care of your needs at the table.  Our server delivers the utmost in professionalism, efficiency and attentiveness.

Dinner starts with a sourdough bread, steaming warm from the oven and aromatically tempting to eat.  This massive loaf dares you to enlist your limited stomach space but the crunchy crust with the velvety core proves too much to resist.  Before long, the entire plate sits empty and we're already half-full.

The Caesar salad could use a bit more depth in the dressing but otherwise, the leaves come fresh and the croutons taste crispy.  I love the thinly sliced cheese and wish for a bit more.

I apologise to The Keg as this picture does no justice to this appetiser.  I will, without permission, pirate their website version, as it gives a much better impression of this dish:

Again, you only have so much stomach space and you shouldn't overuse it by indulging in things like bread and, in this case, chips.  However, the chips taste rich and well-seasoned, good enough to eat alone, but great as a conduit for the tuna-avocado blend.  The tuna itself tastes richly flavoured with a perfect blending of soy and sesame oil.  By itself, the avocado tastes a bit bland, thus requiring that you blend the avocado with the tuna onto the chip, thus creating the perfect bite.

I thought it odd that the prime rib would come with two renditions of potatoes but the stringy side turns out to be onion strips, nicely fried, crunchy and a lovely "vegetable" accompaniment.  The fries taste competent but nothing about which to propound.  The beef tastes deliciously tender, juicy and well-prepared.  The accompanying jus has a rich,  beef flavour and goes hand-in-hand with the meat.

The strip loin comes with the same fries as the rib.  I love the sauteed mushrooms and the medley of roasted peppers with beans.  The beans come nicely cooked, seasoned and still al dente to the bite.

The steak comes perfectly grilled, thoroughly seared until slightly charred and bright pink on the inside.  The cut tastes tender and moist, sandwiched on each bite by the charring.  There's a bit more fat on the rind than I like, making it a tad greasy.  A bit of trimming would have solved that.  Otherwise, this comes close to being the perfect steak.

The dessert menu doesn't offer a lot of choices, although they present a long list of special coffees and disgestifs.  I try the cheesecake, which comes as a huge slab.  The meat of it tastes wonderful, full, zesty, rich and creamy.  The base tastes somewhat sweet with a great crunch.  The sauce tastes semi-sweet, which is a bit weak for my likings, especially when the cherries taste tart and sour!  I generally don't leave anything on my plate but I couldn't finish the fruits.

Years ago, I remembered The Keg as the place to go if you wanted to spend a lot of money for average meat dishes.  Today, the food quality is much improved over what I remember.  Although the menu commands upper-level prices, comparable with the top tables in the city, the kitchen delivers food that's worth what you pay.  Yes, the Keg's a large chain with dozens of locations across Canada and The U.S., but they make good food that merits your visit.

This is an unbiased, free public service that I am happy to provide.  If you enjoy these reviews, please consider clicking on the accompanying ads.  This is the only compensation I receive.  

For continuous updates, please follow me on Facebook @Ray Yuen's Winnipeg Restaurant Reviews or Twitter @food_winnipeg.  As usual, thanks for reading and good food to you!