The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - Ottawa Manor — Restaurant in Ottawa

Decided to try out The Keg Manor for my anniversary dinner. I wanted to treat my partner to the perfect dinner out. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed.

I called in advance to book my reservation. I requested a “romantic” spot or one that would be good to celebrate an anniversary. I was told on the phone that we would have a highly requested table beside the fireplace.

I was very excited as we haven’t gotten out much due to covid restrictions. When we arrived we were sat in a room on the first floor, with a group of 8 behind us and a group of 8 in front of us. We were literally sat right up against the fireplace (it wasn’t lit due to covid they said).

Already I wasn’t too excited with the location of our table, but decided to disregard it. Then our sever came over and we ordered a bottle of wine. When she brought it she asked if we would like a wine chiller which we said yes to & also took our orders. I ordered the lobster tail dinner with veggies & my partner ordered the steak and lobster with a baked potato.

The two large groups created a pub like environment as well as created a loud server in order for the table to be able to hear her. It was hard to even hear what my partner was saying from across the table most of the time. (to put into perspective how loud it was)

When our food came it looked delicious. The lobster tail had crunchy shells in the meat almost every bite I took, the veggies with pesto sauce were good though. My partners steak was made well but he has the same issue with his lobster.

After almost finishing our meal & wine the server came back over and my partner asked for the wine chiller again which she then brought right away.

We ordered a creme brûlée which was delicious.

Overall, I probably could’ve spent $200 on dinner somewhere else and had a better experience.

Would not recommend for dates/anniversaries. Might be better with a...

Update July 9: I noticed that of the last 20 "Newest" reviews 12 of them have been posted by "Local Guides" which likely means they are paid reviews. Also several of these "Guides" are clearly not from Ottawa so it is entirely possible they are reviews generated from on line marketing firms. Update: Soon after, I contacted Keg Corporate and reamed out the owner of the Keg Manor Jay Crossman. They were not happy with what Crossman's restaurant did to us and no doubt reamed out Crossman as well. The VP of the Keg apologized to us and gave us a $250 gift certificate. So, Crossman...I live in Ottawa now, just down the road actually. Would you like to meet face to face?

Ruined 70th wedding anniversary We attended your Richmond Rd Ottawa restaurant on July 3. We had a great time until the female manager scolded my 92 year old mother for going to the table next to her to talk to her grand daughter. The same manager then told us we had exceeded the time limit of 90 minutes for our meal and if we wanted dessert it would have to be “to go”. We were never told there was a 90-minute time limit. This manager said: “I have been lenient with you until now but if you continue, I will have to ask you to leave.” My parents were at your restaurant to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. That’s right 70th. In fact, I flew in from Calgary specifically for this occasion. Shame on you Keg and shame on that employee for ruining a celebration that is truly unique. I am asking for compensation in the from of Keg gift certificates in the amount of $250 and an apology from that restaurant. I have also sent a letter of complaint to your company through your website. Dave...

My fiancée and I have been dining at The Keg Manor a couple of times a year for many years now. We’ve always enjoyed the ambiance and the quality of the food, but over the past two years, we’ve noticed a significant decline in the service.

We typically prefer to arrive later in the evening and savor our meal over multiple courses. However, during our recent visits, we’ve felt rushed by the waiters. On several occasions, the next course has arrived before we’ve finished the previous one.

Yesterday evening was particularly disappointing. Our appetizer of oven-baked shrimp and our salads from the Keg Classics were served at the same time. We hadn’t even finished the salads when, 5 minutes in, the steaks were already brought to the table, despite us ordering everything separately to avoid such overlap. Normally, we like to take our time, staying for about two and a half to three hours, but tonight we were done with all courses and had paid in just under an hour and a half.

If we don’t explicitly ask the waiter or waitress to space out the courses, the food tends to arrive all at once, rather than being served in a proper sequence. When we’ve raised our concerns, the waitress has offered vague excuses—such as the kitchen preparing the food faster than expected or not wanting it to get cold. However, as a former waiter in fine dining, I know these are just attempts to cover up what seems like a lack of awareness and interest to the dining experience of her clients.

It’s a shame, because the food quality remains as good as ever, but the service has become a disappointment. We may have to consider trying other steakhouses in the future if this...