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The Keg Steakhouse + Bar in Victoria


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#21 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 26 February 2017 - 10:54 AM

It was like warping back to the early 80's when hitting the Keg and consuming way too many Keg Size highballs was the SOP prior to a night out at the clubs.

 

That was a thing, for sure.


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#22 AllseeingEye

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Posted 26 February 2017 - 11:31 AM

I think one reason for their longevity, considering how many restaurants fail in this town, is their ability to adapt and change with the times.

 

When we boomers were younger and the Keg + Keg Size drinks + clubbing was a "thing" they catered to that reality. Anyone who grew up here in the 70's and 80's knows this. Today however they place less emphasis on "dondes esta la fiesta?!" ("Where's the party?") and more on ensuring for a reasonable cost patrons get a consistently decent meal along with a good service experience.

 

The Yaletown Keg, due to a much larger demographic and its location in a densely populated area of Vancouver, and literally surrounded by bars and clubs, still has elements of "let's party" but it too has gone upscale - its huge and quite nicely appointed - and serves very tasty fare. And whether its Vancouver, Victoria or Whistler a Keg is a cookie cutter experience: you know exactly what your're in for in advance and they consistently deliver.


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#23 exc911ence

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Posted 26 February 2017 - 05:34 PM

Love the Keg's Baseball Sirloin but the cost of a meal there means I only get to go once or twice a year on special occasions... and always to the location downtown. Can't beat that view (at least the Quadra location can't...).

 

The only issue I have with the menu (besides price) is the limited selection of proper beers. They used to offer a really delicious Oatmeal Stout from a Montreal brewery but it's sadly gone, and has not been replaced with anything even remotely as nice. No cream ales, no stouts, just nearly-clear mass-market stuff and the odd locally-sourced IPA. Honestly, if I can see through it, it's not beer. YMMV.  :cool:


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#24 Rob Randall

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Posted 26 February 2017 - 06:17 PM

^The Keg has an exclusive with Molson/Coors so brands like Rickards and Creemore Springs predominate.
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#25 GabriolaGirl

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Posted 26 February 2017 - 06:46 PM

We were just talking about the Keg last night.  The best meal on our 7 week cross Canada trip a couple of years ago was the Keg at Niagara Falls.  Usually we wouldn't go to the Keg, but wanted a view of the Falls.  Service was great, the prime rib was really good & the view was spectacular.  It is the biggest restaurant I have ever been in.  Felt like we should have left a trail of bread crumbs to find our way back out. 


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#26 AllseeingEye

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Posted 28 October 2018 - 06:08 PM

Rinse, repeat: Mrs ASE's employer gave her a $100 gift certificate for the Keg so we opted for downtown which is closer than the Quadra location. As usual the service was good and the food was consistent, tasty and reasonable (the certificate covered dinner albeit only 1 drink each, no desserts or special coffee's).

 

I haven't been to that location in at least 15 years, maybe more, and not consistently there since the party days of our youth and university years in the early 80's. Back then it was a the 'pre-party to the party' hang out whereas today the layout is much more conventional (the last Keg salad bar was eliminated from the Halifax location a few years ago) and the atmosphere more sedate. Definitely aimed today at the family rather than party hearty market, heh. The interesting thing I noted was the preponderance of grey hair which you rarely if ever saw 35 years ago. I'm 58 and in our section I was easily the youngest guy and by a fair margin.



#27 sdwright.vic

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Posted 28 October 2018 - 07:26 PM

The Keg has done nothing that the likes of Earls, Milestones or Moxies has done and thats grown up with a/the generation(s).

The above chains grew up with and catered to the boomers, and made an inviting place for the boomers kids. As Boomers kids aged they held on to that demo by changing with them, and have rinsed and repeated. The Keg however doubled down on the "stuffy" feel and the older crowd feel.

We will see what happens now that Cara owns them.
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#28 lanforod

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Posted 28 October 2018 - 08:00 PM

I really like the Keg on Quadra. Great place for a date, IMO. Lots of nooks with 2 seat booths makes for a romantic atmosphere. It's staying closer to classic steakhouse rather than moving to lounge style eating. Both have their places, but I think the Keg does very well as a chain steakhouse and there is too much competition in the other style with Earls, Moxies, Cactus Club, Browns, Milestones, Joey...

The Keg doesn't really have any competitors here that I can think of. Until Chop, Hy's or Outback shows up, they'll do fine.


Edited by lanforod, 28 October 2018 - 08:07 PM.

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#29 sebberry

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Posted 28 October 2018 - 10:25 PM

Was there Saturday night for a 7:15 reservation - place was packed.  Food was good.  I hear they're bringing the nachos in the lounge back next week.  Who thought scrapping those was a good idea?


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#30 Wayne

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Posted 29 October 2018 - 07:44 AM

lanforod, on 28 Oct 2018 - 9:00 PM, said:

I really like the Keg on Quadra. Great place for a date, IMO. Lots of nooks with 2 seat booths makes for a romantic atmosphere. It's staying closer to classic steakhouse rather than moving to lounge style eating. Both have their places, but I think the Keg does very well as a chain steakhouse and there is too much competition in the other style with Earls, Moxies, Cactus Club, Browns, Milestones, Joey...

The Keg doesn't really have any competitors here that I can think of. Until Chop, Hy's or Outback shows up, they'll do fine.

That is a great spot. Lots of character and history with that building.



#31 AllseeingEye

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 10:36 AM

We went to the downtown location last night for Mrs ASE's b-day dinner; our daughter's BF is a (Quadra) Keg employee/UVic student so we opted for downtown.

 

My memory of that location stems from way too many hazy Saturday nights in the 70's and 80's "pre clubbing" by hitting the joint usually already well lubricated, powering down too many more Keg size drinks, wolfing down a salad and steak then lurching off to a club for an evening of debauchery.

 

Fast forward to 2019 and in a word the place was *jammed* with a lineup from the front desk and seating area, out the door and down the street. Thankfully I reserved a window table in advance so we were seated right away; but even upstairs it was mayhem in terms of business. Definitely reminded me of days of yore.

 

Clearly they're still a major player in the local restaurant biz. The BF mentioned Quadra is the busier location in fall and winter while downtown hands down wins the spring/summer period for obvious reasons.

 

As usual the food was predictably good - I've long since declined the baked potato with the works in favor of garlic mashed potato's and doubling down on whatever the vegetable side is, usually green beans and grilled peppers; a 12 ounce top sirloin is $32. A nice although unexpected touch was Carter quietly getting us a staff discount. No small gesture as it knocked $80 off our bill for four people.

 

The absolute worst aspect of the evening was finding parking downtown. Who knew right? 

 

After fruitlessly driving around for over ten minutes circling the general area I eventually wound up leaving the vehicle at View and Quadra and walking down to the foot of Fort to the restaurant.

 

And in the process as we walked west of Douglas into "lower town" witnessed several obviously frustrated drivers gesturing and yelling impolitely to other drivers and leaning on their horns as others swooped in to grab the very rare spot that did happen to open up. The ensuing scramble by drivers pulling illegal u-turns or reversing down one way streets in a vain attempt to grab the spot was like watching a Chinese Fire Drill. <Insert obligatory political jab>: "Oh yes I can see that eliminating free Sunday street parking will be_such a good idea......" Thanks CoV council. An already frustrating exercise in parking futility will become even more of a powder...um, "Keg".


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#32 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 10:41 AM

yes going back to the 80's this place has always been good.  i can never recall having a less than stellar server either.  with the kind of volume it does you can understand the anxiety the gm has/had over delivery problems due to the bike lanes.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 February 2019 - 10:43 AM.


#33 Mike K.

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 10:42 AM

There’s the huge surface lot down below that’s usually got plenty of space and if that fails the one further south where Harbour Air is located usually has empty stalls even during peak periods.
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#34 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 10:45 AM

There’s the huge surface lot down below that’s usually got plenty of space and if that fails the one further south where Harbour Air is located usually has empty stalls even during peak periods.

 

at the risk of saying so it sounded like someone went for a $300+ dinner but did not want to pay $5 for parking.



#35 Nparker

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 10:47 AM

...The absolute worst aspect of the evening was finding parking downtown. Who knew right? ...

Now if you'd only had fully paid-for bus passes courtesy of the taxpayers of Victoria you would have been able to enjoy your celebratory night out with nary a hassle. /s


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#36 Mike K.

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 10:49 AM

Seriously, those lots down below are a best kept secret. They’re almost always lightly used in the evenings and save you the hassle of diving all the way up and down the Yates parkade.

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#37 AllseeingEye

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 11:03 AM

Seriously, those lots down below are a best kept secret. They’re almost always lightly used in the evenings and save you the hassle of diving all the way up and down the Yates parkade.

Pretty much this; also there was a lot of foot traffic down there so after crossing the JSB bridge and not finding anything immediately on Wharf I went into 'auto-pilot mode' and instinctively turned up Fort which was a big mistake inasmuch as 300 other people were doing the same thing and looking for the same parking spots. Regardless I'd rather park in Vancouver or Calgary any day - Victoria is so frustrating on so many levels. "Infrastructure" here - as in the lack of - is beyond a bad joke. And I suppose if the CoV has its way its going to get much worse before it gets better.



#38 Mike K.

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 11:06 AM

There’s also a surface lot just as you turn onto Fort. It’s typically lightly used in the evenings.

As far as parking goes the Keg is in a bit of a sweet spot but if you’re not used to parking off-street in the evenings you’ll be touring downtown for a while.

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#39 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 11:13 AM

There’s also a surface lot just as you turn onto Fort. It’s typically lightly used in the evenings.

As far as parking goes the Keg is in a bit of a sweet spot but if you’re not used to parking off-street in the evenings you’ll be touring downtown for a while.

 

 i think it's just easy to forget the big wharf lot(s). entry is just after you have committed to the turn onto fort.  but yes after 4pm and all weekend there is lots of space.



#40 rjag

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Posted 24 February 2019 - 11:22 AM

Library parkade has loads of space on a Saturday night and is quite well patrolled. But I know the feeling about autopilot on Fort...Its amazing how much I avoid Fort these days now that its like a goat track 

 

Other good spot if you can get it, is the small block on Courtney between Wharf and Government, after 6pm the commercial zones are available


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