The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - Waterdown — Restaurant in Hamilton

I am changing my review back to where it was before our "post COVID" disaster dinner (two stars) and giving The Keg the benefit of the doubt because their Customer Service and Location Manager went out of their way to reach out and to EMBRACE and address each of my specific concerns individually (which is rare indeed). We will try the Keg again when we are ready, perhaps after a little more time has passed and "inside" dining is more established again.

PRIOR Review: I rarely, rarely if ever give negative reviews, but we decided to give The Keg Waterdown our first Phase 3 inside dining experience a whorl as it's been one of our regular "special night" haunts for years and we were hoping for an extraordinary experience. (The Waterdown location is highly regarded both by locals and people travel in from afar.)

We were put in a corner booth (which we've been seated at before) and now there are glass barriers between booths, good right? No, it created an echo chamber in a normally noisy restaurant, with fewer people seated due to COVID, such that we couldn't even hear each other talk without shouting.

There was no cutlery served until just before our appetizer which just seemed odd to us, more like a diner than fine dining.

We've had Manhattan cocktails mixed for us pretty much every time we've gone and these didn't taste anything like in the past.

Well the Tuna Tartare (one of our favourites) was ill-prepared, as admitted by the Kitchen Manager (stringy, not cut properly (stuck together with fish sinew) and not as fresh as usual, supposedly freshly fried wonton chips tasting oddly stale - maybe "old" oil??). This is something we've had at least 10 times pre-COVID and loved. Yes they comped us on it after our apologetic return of the mostly uneaten plate, but then we noticed that same Kitchen Manger visiting other tables in the restaurant apologizing like it was a pretty regular occurrence.

The meat was mostly as good as always albeit quite overly salted. My lobster tail (although price has gone up) was much smaller than usual. I was given clarified butter late (well after our meal was served by someone other than our waiter - what is it with this "stranger" delivery of the main meal that restaurants seem to have launched on to!!), heating candle not lit until AFTER it was placed on the table (which is not international service standard) and I can't believe the liquid butter was actually COLD, how did they do that!?

I prefer rice pilaf and that was just disgusting. Hard to describe as I've had it many, times without complaint, but I couldn't' eat any of it, it was tasteless and chock full of very "tired" corn kernels and rubbery small probably recycled mushroom segments.

The entire meal felt a little like we'd have done as well having it take out delivered by an Oober driver.

Our waiter was polite and mostly attentive as usual except when we were finishing our meal. Probably off on a break and no one covering so we sat, and sat waiting to check out.

Prices seemed to be higher. We tipped more than 15% as we have been doing to help out our waiting staff friends hard hit in this COVID economy, but really we left with a bad taste in our mouths and astronomically less desire to return in the future.

I mean we've been going to the Kegs in Toronto, including the Keg Mansion and elsewhere in Ontario for probably 40 years and this was the first time we ever left not wanting to come back. Sigh. We know they can do much,...

My in-laws took us here for our anniversary. The location, is clean, and well designed. The Hostess, was incredibly friendly, and sweet. Our server was lovely and personable.

We ordered as appetizers, The Lobster Gratin (Fabulous), Escargot (Fabulous), Mushroom Neptune (Fabulous) and Scalloped wrapped Bacon (Mediocre - Scallops were rubbery and overcooked, but the bacon of course hides this)

Our Mains, were expedited out by other staff (not the waitress). 3 of us ordered asparagus as the sides, all of which came out on the plate looking yellowed, and spotty. They tasted like grass. AWFUL.

Filet Mignon - Medium rare - was cooked well, with the dead asparagus on the plate.

Steak (Medium) and Cajun Shrimp was perfect - except for the dead asparagus. ** TIP My husband travels all the time, and purposefully asks for medium so that he gets Medium Rare.. His DID come out Medium Rare as he desired. As he said, these places no longer hold the title for standards on cooking steaks as they used to. So you need to know how to order, because staff are so afraid of OVERCOOKING the meat, that they often UNDERCOOK it. Of course - he told me this tip AFTER I had my order placed, and my steak came out bloody.

New York Strip Loin (Medium Rare) (12 oz) with baked potato. The steak was cooked to medium and was not the size of a 12 oz - and the potato was the best part of that dish.

Top Sirloin (6 oz) with Shrimp and Scallop Oscar was an utter disappointment. The Sirloin, was a gristley piece of meat hiding under the Bearnaise sauce, with rubbery scallops, and a couple small pieces of shrimp. I bit into the meat, and literally got a chuck of gristle stuck in-between my teeth. ( using a napkin to hide my hands while I had to literally pull it out - embarrassing) ... the meat was raw and bloody. The asparagus was the same dead yellowed old stuff that was on everyone elses plate.

My inlaws had the creme brulee - and loved every second.

The final bill (NO LIQUOR - Only Perrier, and Diet Cola) was 260 dollars.

Absolutely not worth that price tag. I came home hungry, and had to eat another meal, to make up for the 4 bites of meat, and the small pieces of lobster gratin...

I would rather buy steaks for 4 at Costco - for $50 dollars, have them cooked right - at home, and served with fresh vegetables and a baked potato ...

This is on the Kitchen who clearly do not know how to cook steak properly - and the expediting staff who should never have let those plates leave the kitchen with that dead asparagus on the plate. I mean asparagus is supposed to be GREEN - NOT YELLOWED with spots. I took a picture to show you - I cut the asparagus down to pieces, one piece is green - the rest is .. self explanatory.

If it had been a $125 meal for 4 - I would expect lower standards.. but at $260 - you better be able to deliver... and...

Slightly Nervous Waitress... Intimidated by my Steak Expertise?

Hello all, I apologize for my sweet, smokey, succulent absence. For those uninformed, I have since dumped my horrid and nagging vegetarian wife and am now dry age porking an absolute sweet southern meat eating 10 from my days south of the border (lots of bbq sauce is being used ;).

I decided to take her out to a steak house since her 21st bday is coming up, and WOW my expectations were lower than a 24 extra slow smoked salami in North Bay. Reservations were booked but table was questionably secured? (Felt a little mischievous :). We were not sure if they realized how much of a powerful meat couple they were tickling with.... We ordered a drink as soon as humanly possible due to how frustrated we were that there was not a red carpet or paparazzi waiting upon greeting us. Some very wet sine was consumed along with an IPA, I was in a cafuffle among myself deciding if it reached steak expert standards..

My smoking hot 10 of a mid life crisis woman decided we should sling back a shrimp cocktail since it reminded her of mediocre Christmas partys from her lame but recent childhood.. I told her how lame her dad was being only a few years older than me but I was faced with a harsh comeback when my manhood was compared to our appetizer.... at least I have money and a legendary tongue for steak!

After having to have a chat about embarrassing me in a steak consuming environment. We consumed what we came for... MEAT ;). I scarfed back a rib steak after being warned by my nervous waitress about how rare my steak might come out (talk about intimidation!). It was a tasty one but left me wanting more to go along with my side of a mid life crisis... possibly a fancy red sports car or a tribal tattoo. Overall a tasty beginning but sour after taste when I remembered how I asked my oldest son for steak money last week...

I do not remember or care what my soon to be 21 year old wife replacement ordered.... nor do I care after embarrassing me in front of my steak colleagues (Talk about ungrateful!). All I can remember is her blue cheese breath that I absolutely loved before I was left alone before dessert after she realized I am broke... :(

I am now living with my collage roommate Chester... who has had a long and successful career slanging steak sandwiches at my local Subway once a week. It feels great being around by such an intelligent fellow steak connoisseur. We have some big plans to start a 3rd party steak taster cooperation... everyone tells me to get a life and man am I living!!

I thank you all for reading my review and wish you the best of luck in your steak...