Kevin's — Restaurant in Winnipeg

Regarding cocktails: I went there on January 15th with a good friend of mine. We ordered cocktails from a bartender who has been working as a cook for the past eight years. He didn’t properly smoke my friend's Old Fashioned so there was no smoky flavor and served it in a stemless martini glass with no ice and no garnish. My Bees Knees was not cold and without a garnish. Not the bartender’s fault – it’s the employer’s fault for expecting rookie bartenders to produce high-level craft cocktails that take years to perfect.

Regarding atmosphere: Neat little space with the exposed brick (as the building used to be an alleyway). Shame the seating plan is one really long line against the back wall. The lack of flow pattern is non-conducive to guest-to-guest interaction and is, quite frankly, boring. The confined room sits between 25-27C all day long because of the open kitchen, poor ventilation and heat emitted from the dishwashers, fridges and other mechanical equipment. I once saw the thermostat hit 28C.

Regarding food: I took home four food dishes for after my shift throughout my employment at Kevin’s. I quickly realized it wasn’t worth my staff discount to feed my garbage can and stopped eating there. Lots of dishes have a strange consistency and lack distinctive flavor. The top of every dish was inedibly hard, both noodles and toppings alike (probably baked too long) and lacked salt or some type of seasoning.

Regarding employment standards: This business is an insult to the craft cocktail industry. As stated above, bar staff are expected to produce high-level/multi-step craft cocktails (some involved the use of fire). Bar staff were not entitled to tipout, were not given table sections and had no bar seats. A cocktail is only as good as the person making it; I fail to see how any moderately-skilled bartender would be willing to work for $0/hr in tips. Expect your cocktails to come out accordingly.

Regarding a conversation I had with the kitchen manager: It’s ironic that you hated how your old employer encouraged their employees to write fake Google reviews for their poorly-reviewed business. And now in the midst of 1-star reviews on this page, I find a fake review from your supervisor, Samantha Barnabe.

To the owner: What kind of idiot puts the ice well and speed rack on the back bar? Provincial liquor laws state that you must always pour in front of the customer. Congrats for saving $4.99+tax on PVC piping, but you’ve killed speed, efficiency and the twisting backs of your bar staff. Along the lines of provincial liquor laws, I was disappointed throughout my employment to have not seen a liquor license properly displayed on the bar, despite having asked for it to be produced on multiple occasions. As it was such a simple and important request, I left questioning whether Kevin’s was even licensed to serve alcohol. Moving on, I have helped open a number of bars across Winnipeg and have never seen a bar with no product and no bar tools on opening day. The lease for the space was acquired six months before opening, so there was plenty of time to shop for things as simple as shaker glasses and bar mats. There is no excuse.

Positive(s): Neat hand-painted picture of Kevin the cat on display.

Overall: Come to your own conclusions. I would rather Pro-Brunch...

We visited Kevin’s Bistro for the first time today to celebrate my nephew and a friend’s graduation. With a party of about 25 people, the evening couldn’t have gone better. From start to finish, everything was handled beautifully.

My wife and I arrived early and were seated right away—great service from the outset. I appreciated their local touch with a beer selection from Good Neighbour Brewing. The “Hazy IPA” was a standout.

The staff were outstanding. Matt and Jen were our main servers and did a fantastic job. Even though we didn’t catch all the names, it was clear the entire team worked together seamlessly. Everyone was friendly, professional, and on the ball.

As for the food—absolutely delicious! Our group ordered a wide variety of menu items, and not a single person had a complaint. My wife and I shared the “Steak Chimichurri” appetizer. The steak was perfectly tender, and the flavor was spot on. We only wished there was a bit more chimichurri sauce to go around—just a small detail, but otherwise a hit.

My wife enjoyed the Pasta Alfredo and liked the subtle touch of nutmeg. I had the Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Flatbread (gluten-free), and it did not disappoint. It had a kick, but the heat didn’t overpower the great mix of flavors. I also really appreciated the number of gluten-free options on the menu.

The Mac and Cheese was another crowd favorite—several people tried different versions and raved about the taste. One surprise hit was the mussels, which are only available when in stock. Those who ordered them early were very pleased, but a few latecomers missed out—so if you see them on the menu, don’t wait!

Despite the restaurant being full and one of their ovens being out of commission, our entire party was served quickly and efficiently—just like the other tables around us. That really speaks to the professionalism and coordination of the kitchen staff. Truly impressive.

They also offer a dessert selection from Stella’s, though most of us were too full to indulge.

The ambiance was great, and we loved that the kitchen was open and visible—very clean and professional. In fact, we literally gave the kitchen staff a round of applause, along with our servers and the bartending crew. They all truly deserved it.

A fun little detail: don’t bother asking to meet Kevin—he’s actually a cat, and his portrait can be found on the back wall. 🐈

All in all, we highly recommend Kevin’s Bistro and will definitely be returning. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. You won’t be...

It’s so loud in this restaurant when it’s full and there’s live music playing forget having a conversation with anyone. Even telling the wait staff your order was difficult. The seating leaves much to be desired, you are so close to the other guests that you can’t hear yourself think, let alone talk. It was so hot in this place it was extremely uncomfortable. I actually had to leave the table at one point to get some fresh air outside because it was cooler outside in June than it was inside the restaurant. I absolutely hate going to a restaurant that is packed and so hot there’s nothing enjoyable about being crammed in a hot place, eating hot food with so many people. The food was average, some of the portions were large but again for the price you pay vs flavour and all things considered it’s way too expensive for the ingredients you’re getting. My dish in particular was ok that night but nothing stand out special… but I tried eating my leftovers the next day and I was absolutely appalled at the disgusting amount of oil/ fat that rendered out while rewarming. My pasta was literally sitting in an inch of liquid oil, so I tossed it because well… holy unappetizing and unhealthy! It was a gross mess! The garlic bread was the only thing I finished and the only thing I actually enjoyed. My expensive drink isn’t even worth mentioning. For two people we had $100 bill for mediocre pasta, no appetizers and three drinks… that’s honestly pretty ridiculous. I have absolutely no desire to go back.

Tip: the bathroom is in the basement so not a restaurant that...