State & Main — Restaurant in Winnipeg

Steak should be expensive. But not a stick-up job. We ordered the Empire State New York Strip at $39. I am assuming this would be their signature dish where quality & time were particularly observed. Nope. Steak was tense; I would say it hadn't been rested, just grill to plate. The menu said "well marbled". Nope. Virtually none. The white gristle (not fat as in marbling) made two bites gristly-- couldn't cut or chew it satisfactorily. Ten ounces or 285 grams of red meat was much less than an inch thick: looked large, but a thicker cut with less surface area would have been a much better & tastier bet. Potatoes-- there is a difference between mashed & whipped. On the menu "mashed" -- on the plate? Nope. The glop looked & tasted suspiciously like instant potatoes. Mushrooms: garlic may be out of season. If you can't get some, use onion, Worcestershire sauce & a bit of garlic powder -- not salt. Puny serving with no garlic taste. Three of four items didn't meet menu description. Mason jars for water. Please. A gimmick that adds nothing to enjoyment. Plating: Steak on top of whipped spuds with asparagus under there as well. You can't cut meat if it's on a loose pile of vegetable mash. It's necessary to move the steak off in order to cut it; why not plate the meal attractively so this is possible in the first place? We had made a reservation two days in advance: we had a choice of open tables, but no card in sight stating "Reserved". Atmosphere is loud. A party-hearty group dominated the room for most of the meal. No sound-absorbing material in sight or use. Service was spotty -- and when the wine came the first pour didn't all go in the glass. No apology, no extra napkins for mop-up. The asked-for second plate was forgotten. Was this meal a "one-off"? The place was busy & looked understaffed. If so,...

On the evening of May 5th 2021, 2 friends and I went for the wing special on the patio. It had gotten a bit cold outside, so we requested the heater be turned on that was above us. 20 minutes later, the server came back and we requested heat once more, to no avail. Finally we were told that they were out of propane, and were not to be getting any until the next day. This was understandable, but added to my negative experience.

Next was the food. The wings were ok at best, I had the honey garlic which were generally bland in flavor. For my main course, I ordered the 6 oz steak, rare. What I actually received was at best a "car tire" On a semi-positive note, when I approached the server regarding this problem, I received a new steak, which was medium rare, but I wasn't going to ask for a replacement again. I ate it, it was ok. In addition, the house red beer I ordered was flat and room temperature with no head... but its a house beer, how good can it actually be?

The service we received was at best, ok. I have absolutely had better at other establishments. She wasn't rude, but definitely seemed like she had no interest in us, or her job.

To summarize, our experience was sub-par. Unfortunately, having multiple mediocre experiences in the past, it will be difficult to go back. I hope that State and Main will learn from this and make the experience better for other guests. They should be focusing on maximizing the experience of every customer in times like now! We chose to support this establishment, but I will now look to go elsewhere.

Thank you for taking the time...

Another wonderful experience at State & Main! Our Go To Place! Unlike the Keg that makes you wait 1.5hrs for a table when they are not busy with a downtown snobbish attitude, State & Main have AMAZING friendlier & down-to-earth staff who seat you right away and lounge options if there is a wait which we have never experienced. Jessica and all staff are amazing! The food is delicious! We frequently order the 9oz Sirloin with asparagus, fluffy mashed potatoes which comes with their amazing gravy and add on a Shrimp Skewer for the perfect meal! They also offer freshly cracked pepper which many, including the Keg, don't, hence another reason to visit often as we do, including how competitively priced they are as an industry leader. Also try their Bam Bam Shrimp! Thursday's Special is selected half priced bottles of wine, delicious! Their strawberry champagne cheesecake is marvelous and a light delight to finish off a fabulous dinner! Washrooms are wonderful with individual full length stalls for full privacy. Vibe is amazing and super positive! Happy Hour is every day from 9pm to close. Conveniently located around the corner from the new Cineplex Junxion, it's definitely the place to go! P.S. they are also kid friendly, thanks to their exceptional service, can't be beat! Thank you again, State & Main! Truly made our...