The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - Guelph — Restaurant in Guelph

Last night, my husband and I enjoyed a date night out at the Keg Guelph. It was our first time at the restaurant despite visiting Pergola Commons numerous times, but we've always had good experiences with the franchise in Newmarket and decided to visit.

First, despite calling midafternoon on a Saturday, we were able to get a table for 2 at the time we desired, as we had a movie to see afterward. The woman answering the phone was friendly, courteous, and made the reservation super smoothly.

When we arrived, we were given options for our table: patio, lounge, or dining room. The hostess was incredibly accommodating that I preferred A/C (I'm currently 4 months pregnant) and gave us a roomy corner booth. Our server, Ashton, was BEYOND AMAZING; I cannot explain enough how wonderful she was. Not only did she laugh at my corny jokes, she handled our complete awkwardness (it's been a while since we've been out and about in society) with poise and friendliness, and was helpful and patient with our dinner choice indecisions.

My husband has Celiacs, and we know that eating out is always a risk, but the Keg has NEVER disappointed us or contaminated his food. Ashton did an excellent job in conveying this to the kitchen, and the careful handling of the kitchen staff and the wait staff as the food was brought out was lovely to see and experience. The food was delicious (pistachio salmon for him; Keg classic steak for me), the right portion size for us both, even though I devoured a salad and the entire bread starter myself.

Ashton was on top of our needs, refilling my husband's Pepsi with a new drink as soon as he finished the first. When she realized that I was missing the mushrooms for my steak, she had an extra plate brought out. When she realized I adored their bread, she had an extra made and put aside for me to take home. (I can't wait to snack on it!)

I cannot gush further about how wonderful our date night was, all in thanks to those who work at the Keg. From making the reservation, the hostess showing us our table, to Ashton, and even when we left, a manager asking how our evening went, I have never felt so taken care of with dedication, professionalism, and kindness.

Thank you, Keg Guelph, for the wonderful date night. And, if management sees this, please pass on to Ashton: "Elvis" was a fantastic film and I hope she gets to watch it and enjoy it as much as we did after our meal. We'll come back in a few months and let her know what baby name we...

I knew the evening was off to a fabulous start when, for the fourth time, our “reservation” at The Keg in Guelph turned into a 40-minute audition for “Who Can Stand Longest in the Lobby?” When I approached the manager to politely suggest they might want to invest in a clock (or maybe a giant hourglass to watch the sands of my patience run out), she simply shrugged and blamed other customers for daring to enjoy their meals too long. I’m not sure what finishing your dessert has to do with me getting seated on time, but apparently it’s all your fault, dear Keg patrons. If you’re one of the customers reading this, the manager wants you to know you’re personally responsible. Given that this was the fourth time, and the manager refused to apologize at all, and actually acted like we were bothering her for daring to ask why this keeps happing, we left. This is hands down the worst attitude I have ever encountered in a restaurant manager.

The worst part is I’ve been to other Keg locations, and they’re usually great! This Guelph one, however, felt like an alternate universe where reservations are “arrive and just vibe,” the manager’s motto is “not my fault,” and the kitchen’s greatest achievement is the invention of lukewarm disappointment.

In summary, if you enjoy standing more than sitting, and relish being blamed for everyone else’s slow eating, then this is your dream destination. For the rest of us? Might I suggest cooking at home—it’ll be faster, tastier, and you won’t have a manager accusing you of wrongdoing for existing.

Thanks, The Keg Guelph, for reminding me that sometimes “well-done” only refers to how you can ruin a perfectly good evening....

We always visit the Keg for our special occasions and were in town for our anniversary this weekend so we visited the Guelph location for the first time. The atmosphere is really romantic, cozy and private. Tables are well spaced and the whole layout just really translates into a nice atmosphere for a special celebration. We were seated at a booth on a busy night with lots of people around and yet it felt like we were tucked away and could carry conversation easily without having to raise our voices to hear each other which added to the ambiance. For atmosphere it’s been our favourite location to visit. We were served by someone who was training, I believe her name was Taylor, and so she was training under someone else and we were tended to by both of them for the evening. She did an excellent job and was super friendly and positive and knew the menu and specials well. I felt like the man training her (so sorry I didn’t get the name!) did a great job of letting her do her thing while gently guiding in a way that was seamless to us as guests. He was also very friendly and professional. The drinks were perfectly executed in both taste and with generous portions. As for the food- as always it was A+. We order the same thing every time we go (Calamari to start- it’s amazing! and, Top sirloin steaks medium rare for our main, with Billy Miner Pie for dessert) and this location served the same TOP quality and taste that we always look forward to and the reason we always come back to The Keg. Literally nothing negative to say, well done...