The Keg Steakhouse + Bar – Mount Royal

People are sentimental that this oldest Keg location in Calgary is closing, but if our visit were representative of a regular day, it’s not hard to see why the shop didn’t last. We weren’t seated until 15 minutes after our reservation time even though the dining room wasn’t full. Server came back moments after taking our orders to say they had run out of prime rib — which half the group had ordered — with no apologies. She wasn’t able to make any recommendations for a substitute because she didn’t eat red meat. She then tried to prematurely collect the unfinished bread even though the group was still eating. When the food came, it took 4 confused server about 5 minutes to sort out 10 people’s orders. The meat was fine but the vegetables were long past their prime. A number of cocktails were unavailable because the bar had run out of ingredients. Half the table’s waters weren’t refilled for inexplicable reasons.
Overall, very subpar experience. This was the first time in 20 years of regular visits that I’ve been disappointed at The Keg. I get that supply can be a bit spotty when a restaurant is winding down its business, but The Keg should take better care of its brand.

Hit up this place for a quick lunch with the bf on a slow Thursday. We had originally planned to go to another location, but we decided on this one as it was closer to work. The walk to the restaurant was kinda scary, as there seemed to be a number of people with shopping carts near the door way. They seemed to dissipate as we got near.
We were sat quickly in the lounge. The server and the ordering process was quick and efficient. Then the wait began. The wait wasn’t too bad as there were tvs playing a soccer game and we of course had our phones to fiddle with. The food took a full 30 minutes from ordering to landing on our table, unsure of the reason why though.
I had the half chicken brie sandwich with a caesar salad and the bf got a prime rib burger with fries. Overall, the food was okay. Loved the slaw that was included with the meals; it had a s sweet peanut dressing on it. Found the chicken brie sandwich to be a bit on the dry side though; the bread was very much like a scone. I loved their concept of the sandwich, but found that eating it all together just didn’t work out (maybe a bit too much cranberry sauce with each bite perhaps). The bf had no complaints what so ever about their burger, he said it tasted the exact same as the previous two times he has had it. Good to know they are consistent with such, as he loves their burger.
Overall, not a bad experience here. Prices weren’t too bad at all. My lunch only costed $ 11 and I was quite full. Would not come here for a lunch break though due to the wait times.

I hate to post negative reviews but this is the worst Keg I have ever been to. The server was great but the food took more than 30 minutes, it wasn’t warm enough and the manager on was terrible (I do believe her name was Sarah.) Normally I wouldn’t post names but this manager should not be a manager, she is unprofessional and has terrible people skills. The Keg is usually a great place to dine but my experience here was not good.

Went here last night big mistake. I’m a big fan of the Keg on 130^th Ave, SE, which is a 5-​star Keg and which had the best prime rib I ever had. Wanted to go there last night but they had a 1.5 hour wait, as did the other Keg in the SE. The downtown Keg also had a crazy wait. So we went to this one. The ambiance is not nearly as good as the one on 130^th St., nor is the staff. The prime rib had soooooo much fat, it was almost inedible. Both me, my dad, and my mom all got the prime rib, and my mom complained that it had too much fat, and the waitress comp’ed it, which is the only reason I am giving this place 2 stars instead of one. We didn’t even ask for it to be comp’ed. The waitress was nice and attentive, but seemed new, but no complains about her.

I love The Keg so using a gift card was an excellent excuse to visit. Fun evening of martinis & appetizers enjoyed in the lounge. Nachos with chicken were good. The baked brie with red pepper pesto was delicious & the butter tarts satisfied my sweet tooth.

terrific prime rib sandwich. The Caesar salad was really good, one of the best I have ever had. The drinks were great and the server very attentive and polite

Tried a few locations of The Keg — this is definitely one of the best!:) always excellent service n good food. That pineapple cilantro salsa on teriyaki salmon is awesome:) n the crème brûlée is my all time favorite!!!;-’) I also like the fact that it’s good either for a sweet date or a cozy family get-​together.

The Keg is one of those chains that usually is pretty consistent in what they offer, in their service and food quality. I recently visited this location for lunch however and was a bit disappointed.
Nothing terrible happened… everything was just really average. I had the salmon burger on the servers recommendation as I wanted to try something different. It was kind of a flavourless, lukewarm let down. My friend had a pasta dish (also recommended) and it came with a sad looking side of rice? She had asked for soup instead and he told her it would be extra and that only «a starch» would be supplied as part of the meal. That didn’t make sense to either of us and because he was so inflexible and haughty about it, she ended up just asking for the rice. Her meal was average as well.
I was disappointed as I had never been to this location and I was impressed by the décor and the initial efficiency of the staff when we arrived. But after the less than stellar food and a bit of attitude from the waiter, I don’t think I’d try this location again.

We arrived here for a later dinner, was a celebratory dinner after a long week, my husband had been up to his neck in exams and we were looking forward to a relaxing meal. One thing about the Keg — the service and food are USUALLY consistently good. That is what makes a restaurant great — you know you will rarely be let down. Not tonight of all nights. We were first shown in next to a table of 8 obnoxious, drunk Frenchies — so annoying and loud, fists banging on tabletops… we asked very politely to be moved and the server stated, «I knew you would ask that!» Why put us there then when there is hardly anyone in here? The server admitted that he had had a long day and was very tired. Oh boy… the foreshadowing. We ordered a drink and an app to share — very good, who does not love mushrooms neptune? Then we waited a heck of a long time for our mains? We waited and waited and there came our meal with no salads that come with the classic entrees? The server apologized and offered to bring us dessert later to replace them. OK, fine, we were famished and just wanted to get some nutrients into us. I had stressed my steak to be RARE upon ordering and it sadly, was medium rare. Even the server agreed that is was overcooked and that they had a newbie on the grill but I told him it was OK, that I could eat it, no worries. I think my husband could not get over the fact that his side for the meal consisted of a tiny piece of red pepper and 2 pieces of asparagus. He despised the presentation. Does anyone care here? Or did they just want to get their shift over with, servers and cooks alike and get on with their Saturday night. Very disappointed. Of course we tipped our server more than fairly and he did take off my steak that was overcooked (nice touch but kind of expected) We have desserts now as leftovers in our fridge — 2 sad looking pieces of cheesecake. Not being dessert people, we would have preferred the salads… what to do? Just not come back! A shame and who does not appreciate a GOOD Keg downtown? We will give our business to the other Keg on 4^th Ave SW or in other city areas.

The prime rib was great & cooked to order (a rarity with this cut). The cheesecake was reminiscent of something you make at home out of a box. Disappointing.

Ahh, the Keg… That quite expensive disappointment.
Maybe it’s just me — I absolutely love meat, and my requirements in this area are quite tough to meet. Sorry for a silly joke!
But, almost from the first moment I’ve arrived in Canada, people were like: «Owww, the Keg — their steaks are just so totally super-​wow!» I was suspicious and did not want to hurt my friends’ feelings, so postponed my visit to The Keg till some special occasion, getting accustomed to the local ways of meat-​eating meanwhile.
And, well, once upon a time it happened — we’ve decided to eat out with a bunch of coworkers that night, someone suggested The Keg, and there we went.
Let me put it like that — as much as to each his own taste, eating raw and greasy meet it is simply not right. It is not healthy. There may be some parasites which will not die unless you cook a piece of meat all the way. Excess of fat is not good for the blood system. Excess of salt is even worse for the heart.
I have seen those horrible, greasy and raw «steaks» only here in North America, and feel totally sorry for the people accustomed to eat such stuff, and even finding it pleasant. Rest of the planet, especially the hardcore meat-​eaters, like South Americans, go all the way for the well done, cooked through meat of different cuts.
Unfortunately, The Keg guys failed to prepare a really «well done» steak for me, and I had serious troubles finishing that chunk of bleeding, greasy material. It was huge, well, yes — and though pricey, not as expensive as in some «elite» steakhouses. But still…
Disappointing. As a restaurant, The Keg is not bad at all — especially for a chain — but a «meat-​eater-​paradise» it’s not. Rather a meat-​lover nightmare, as per my feelings.

I am not a meat lover, but I have to give the Keg 5 stars. My boyfriend took me to the Keg on my birthday (since for some odd reason, I was craving for steak).
We ordered two appetizers — Bacon wrapped scallops and calamari. The bacon wrapped scallops was delicious, whereas the calamari was just so-​so. It could be better, the flavor was kind of bland.
I had the New York steak and my boyfriend had the prime rib. I must say, the prime rib was awesome… it just melted in my mouth. As I mentioned earlier, I am not a big meat fan and I love their prime rib! The NY steak was also good too, but in my opinion, the prime rib was much better! Oh the twice baked potato is a must-​try also!!!
And their service is excellent!!! I haven’t had that good of a service in awhile… I love it!!!

I have a hard time giving a 5 star review to most chain restaurants, just because I feel an excellent dining experience includes experiencing things that aren’t the norm. However, I do have to say that this Keg manages to provide the full quality of service and food that will still leave you with a memorable experience.
I guess that the standards for such a busy Keg in the downtown core would have to be good, and they don’t let you down. Sometimes you have to wait, but it’s worth it here. I’ve been there a few times for business lunches as well as dates and big group birthday dinners. The service has always impressed me. Even with the wait to get in, the services once you’re sitting down is prompt. I define prompt by my glass of water always being full, and I always get asked if I want more wine well before I’m done. The moment my menu is closed, they ask to take orders, not before or after. They come and check on food as needed, and they are friendly. Needless to say, I’ve always been impressed with the service here, and I’ve had a variety of waitresses.
In terms of food, I guess most people are familiar with Keg steaks. They are on the Sterling Silver program, which is quite good though I prefer CAB. However, I haven’t been to many Keg’s that didn’t do their steaks well, and this one does an exceptional job of making a great, made-​to-​order steak, cooked exactly how you want it. I really enjoy their appetizers, the calamari and spinach dip are great for sharing. This location does their prime rib to perfection as well if you’re in the mood for that. Having been to Kegs all over the country, I definitely would say this is one of the best for service and consistent food quality. If you’re in the downtown area, this is a great place for a business lunch/​after work dinner as well as for big parties or romantic dates.
Make reservations… it’s really busy, but it’s worth it.