For years, The Keg has been my go-to for business meetings, especially because of their renowned prime rib—a reliable staple that has consistently impressed my guests. Recently, however, my experience at the West Georgia location was a major letdown, leaving me embarrassed in front of a guest from Las Vegas, who I had raved to about the Keg's quality and service.
The service at West Georgia was inattentive and dismissive. Our server, Sohail, and an unnamed manager dismissed my request for a larger prime rib, something I’ve ordered multiple times at other Keg locations. Instead of arguing, I chose to let it go to keep the evening civil. When our prime ribs arrived overcooked and not as ordered, we politely asked for a correction. However, it took nearly 20 minutes to even get a response, and we ultimately ended up with the same prime ribs—now cold due to the delay. Unfortunately, this left a sour impression on my guest and derailed the mood of our business discussions. I was left apologizing for a spot I had confidently recommended as one of Vancouver’s finest.
In contrast, the Granville Island Keg turned the experience entirely around and renewed my confidence in The Keg brand. From the moment we sat down, the team at Granville Island set a completely different tone. Manager Wesley Graham and server Thomas displayed an unmatched level of attentiveness that transformed our evening. Though our prime ribs arrived slightly overcooked, we initially decided not to complain, fearing a repeat of the cold food and slow service at West Georgia. But Wesley, as if sensing our hesitation, noticed that something was off. Without prompting, he came to our table, turned over the prime rib, and saw it wasn’t the medium-rare red we’d ordered but was fully cooked through.
Before we could voice any concerns, Wesley stepped in and graciously insisted on replacing both dishes, along with fresh sides and new table settings. His proactive approach showed an impressive level of skill and professionalism that’s rare in hospitality. Thomas, our server, stood right by Wesley’s side, attentive and eager to assist with any adjustments. The two of them worked seamlessly as a team, creating an experience that was a night-and-day difference from my previous one at West Georgia, where the staff seemed more intent on avoiding problems than solving them.
The Granville Island team didn’t just meet expectations; they actively sought ways to elevate our experience. Plates were promptly cleared, waters were refilled without us needing to ask, and they even remembered small details from past visits to tailor our experience perfectly. The genuine hospitality and attentiveness that Wesley and Thomas displayed caught the attention of everyone around us, setting a new benchmark for customer service in my eyes.
As someone who has spent decades in the restaurant industry, I can attest to the exceptional professionalism Wesley and Thomas demonstrated. They turned what could have been a minor inconvenience into a memorable evening that restored my confidence in the Keg as a prime venue for business meetings. If you’re looking for a place that combines great food with a team dedicated to making every moment seamless, the Granville Island Keg is a rare gem. Wesley and Thomas exemplify what it means to serve with genuine care, and for that, I’m grateful.
Hats off to Wesley Graham, Thomas, and the entire Granville Island team for going above and beyond. You’ve won back a loyal customer and created an experience that I look forward...
Read moreVast steakhouse on Granville Island. Front area with bar is quite bright and noisy, inner sanctum past the kitchen is more dark, intimate, classic steakhouse, with a few windows at the booths near the sidewalk that allow the sun to enter. There’s also a stairway going upstairs, but I didn’t investigate whether that dining room is used. Lots of staff and a very warm welcome. They have a dispenser of flavoured water at the entryway for parched visitors, unlike Joey, which usually presents a flute of sparkling wine. Happy hour provides discounted prices on libations up until 6 PM on weekdays, and I had a lovely glass of sparkling rosé as we had come to dine at 5:30 before heading to a Fringe show. Since we’re vegetarians, we ordered the brussels sprouts without the bacon. They had a nice char from the roasting, but were a bit dry without the fatty bacon. There are a few small croutons mixed in, and a grating of cheese on top. The Caesar dip served on the side was delicious. The complimentary loaf of sourdough with the cheese butter is spectacular. The main of vegetarian shepherds pie was a nice option, served with a healthy portion of mixed salad topped with pickled onions in a light vinaigrette. The shepherds pie itself was served in one of the black porcelain ramekins that the brussels sprouts and the mac & cheese were served in. It looks like it’s a cast-iron mini skillet, but probably much easier to run through a commercial dishwasher. The flavours were very good, and my partner who is not a big fan of mushrooms, was grateful that there were big pieces, only the flavor. The lentils and vegetables Quite small with very little texture, and only came about halfway up the inch ramekin. The mashed potatoes on top were light and fluffy. I might have expected that they would have been piped in rosette’s on top. It was nice to see something other than a vegetable pasta, or a grilled portobello mushroom cap for a change. The side of mac & cheese was ample, talked with beautifully crisp Panko breadcrumbs. However, it was bland with very little cheese flavor. There was certainly no stringy, mozzarella or shreds of cheddar visible. On a future visit, I would probably order the cauliflower with hot sauce on the side, and a wedge salad with blue cheese and skip the bacon. Our server was Ally, and she did an excellent job of taking care of us, along with the team who delivered each of our courses and work together beautifully. Bathrooms are clean and well stocked, although finding them in this maze is the reason why they point them out as you’re going to your table. I would have rated 4 1/2 stars instead of five because the value was good. However, the comprehensive dining experience was certainly above a four. The polyester fabric napkins, and the cutlery is of a very high grade, and the salt and pepper grinders on the table a nice touch. All in all, a great pre-theater experience, I’d like to come and dine again and save some room for...
Read moreI love the keg and have been going for decades. My family always celebrates special events at Keg. Service and food are usually great, but man, today service was dropped so hard at the front door. A hostess' one duty is to meet and greet at the door. Today the brunette hostess completely failed this. I came in and saw the hostess at the podium was speaking with her colleague about tables. I did not want to be rude and interrupt so I waited several minutes infront of them to finish. Would have been nice while they are talking to at least look up and say "I'll be with you in a minute, were just working out some tables" but they just kept talking, anyways no big deal. Her colleague finishes and leaves, but yet she continues to completely ignore a person standing infront of her holding a kid with a bright pink jacket. This is at prime time dinner at 7pm. No acknowledgement, zero awareness, no eye contact/smile, just continues to wipe menus and sort things in the podium. Couple more minutes go by, and what surprised me the most when standing infront of her was when another customer comes in, walks right beside me to advise they have a reservation and this hostess acknowledges and serves her while I'm still standing infront of her. Im wondering am i invisible? Six foot dude holding a kid? She continues to greet this next customer, until I wave my hands high in the air directly infront of her like "Hello????" and finally she says hello. I asked her if she saw me and advised I had been waiting in line infront of her, and her first excuse was to point at the back of the restaurant and say something like there was a problem over there and that's why she was mentally occupied or something. I didn't bother asking for details because it was irrelevant to her duty at hand. If you got time to wipe menus and greet other people, Im not sure what I did to be ignored like that. I asked her how long of a wait, 45 minutes, no big deal, coulda waited but her poor response and lack of sincerity left such a salt taste in my mouth that I decided to leave and was compelled enough to write about this at the restaurant next door while eating dinner (where we were happily and promptly greeted at the door, a simple hello! was so easy and great). You gotta do better ma'am, your job is to scan, service and acknowledge everyone that comes in and of that door. Hate to write this about Keg, at this time will not be interested in returning to this...
Read more