The Keg Steakhouse + Bar : Alberni Street Location

I am a fairly picky and an indecisive individual, and there is only one other person that I know of who is pickier and more indecisive than me. It was also her birthday which meant that she had ever right to be pickier than usual! Her birthday evening was already all set (literally planned half a year in advance…) and we were not going to have a celebratory lunch, but we decided to grab a bite after finishing a run on the seawall.

Like every The Keg establishment, the restaurant has a modern atmosphere and features a high ceiling, luxurious velour and/or leather booth seating arrangements, and dim lighting. Out of countless visits to The Keg ever since I was a child however, this is the first time the hostess opened the door for me! Perhaps because we visited for lunch, no one else was at the front of the restaurant, or the staff is well trained at the Alberni Street location.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar : Dunsmuir Street Location

After circling around West Point Grey and Kitsilano, we decided to head Downtown to find a restaurant for dinner. As another hour passed of circling around, we decided to play it safe (and boring) and chose The Keg. Actually, the Downtown Keg locations may not really be "safe" as in the restaurants are consistent because I never had a good experience at the Alberni Street location! On at least three occasions at The Keg on Alberni, the staff were not friendly and the food was subpar. At a Chain restaurant? Beats me…

We decided to try the location on Dunsmuir Street because neither of us have been here before and I was pretty excited to try the new menu. When we walked in, the both of us were surprised at how large the restaurant is because The Keg does not even look that big from outside of the building. The lounge is located on the first floor and the dining room is up a spiral staircase.

Similar to the other locations, The Keg's interior has a casual atmosphere. The seating arrangements are not too cramped (if you get a booth seat) and The Keg can always accommodate large parties.

Carver's Steakhouse

Going to a steakhouse in Richmond may not be the first thing that comes to mind, considering the amount of Asian restaurants available in the city. As for the steakhouses in Richmond, there are only three which includes Carver's, Chop Steakhouse and the good ol' reliable Keg.

As for myself, I have made it a goal to try every steakhouse in BC and because there are not many, it can be easily done. Also, conveniently, Social Shopper was offering a voucher for $45.00 which includes a three course dinner; one appetizer, two entrees and a dessert to share. Who can pass on a great offer considering the visit was bound to happen anyway?!

After circling the parking lot for ten minutes looking for a spot, we called the restaurant and asked where else we could park. Turns out, the manager mentioned we could park anywhere and if we get a ticket, the restaurant would reimburse us! So we ended up parking in the staff section. 

Walking in, we waited at the front for a while and a friendly server came over to seat us. At the end of dinner, one of the staff mentioned there was a last minute large party so the service was a bit slow. However, we felt the service was great and everyone was friendly. As for the interior, there is a black and red scheme rather than the traditional white linen tablecloth, and every table has a floating candle along with a red napkin.

Black + Blue

Black + Blue = Steakhouse, Glowbal restaurant and meat locker. Yup, that pretty much sums it up. I recently found out that all Glowbal restaurants currently have a promotion, order two appetizers as well as two entrees, and the second entree is free! Of course the fine print is, it has to be between 4:00pm-6:30pm which is more than reasonable. Most places that offer happy hours or promotions is to keep the restaurant afloat during the day and the staff busy. A typical business strategy when the restaurant needs extra income and does not lose money during the daytime. On a rainy weekday, I made reservations for 5:00pm and requested a seat on the second floor. I also requested that if the seating arrangement cannot be accommodated, I would be more than happy to change the date and/or time if needed.

Well, turns out that was useless. After being seated on the first floor in the corner with a view of the front desk, the host mentions that the second floor opens after 6:00pm. Yeah… why did I not receive a phone call? Plus, considering that the restaurant was not busy when we walked in, it would have been nice if we were seated at a different spot (although we did not get the worst seat since there is a window...). To be honest, if I was celebrating a special occasion, I would not be happy with the seat. Also, since it was pouring rain, it would have been nice if the host offered to grab our coats.

Jacks Restaurant & Steakhouse

Jackson's Steak and Grill, or Jacks Restaurant & Steakhouse? Looking for a restaurant close to the Harrison Resort, I relied on Urbanspoon's "nearby" app and read a review on Jackson's Steak and Grill (mainly about their prime rib and tenderloin!). However, walking in to Jacks Restaurant & Steakhouse, we could not find prime rib or tenderloin on the menu! Turns out we were at the wrong steakhouse LOL. In our defence, how is Chilliwak considered a "nearby" eat from Harrison?! Jackson's Steak and Grill has plenty of booth seating arrangements and coming an hour before closing, the only one waitress at the front of the house was friendly as well as attentive. 

JACK'S SHRIMP CAPS, SIRLOIN WITH SCALLOPS, TABLE BREAD, TOMATO VEGETABLE SOUP, NEW YORK STEAK WITH PRAWNS AND BAKED ESCARGOT.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar : Coquitlam location (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON KEG STEAKHOUSE & BAR IN COQUITLAM [HERE]

Some people are happy with what they have and there are always others who try to find something better. Perfect example, even though Hy's and The Keg are my regular steakhouses, I have always subconsciously felt like there may be better ones. After trying Joe Fortes, Little Billy's Steakhouse and Onyx Steakhouse & Lounge however, where do I want to revisit the most? Hy's and The Keg.

We made the trip from Cambie just to visit Coquitlam's location for the usual above average service and in case the busier Burnaby location was sold out of prime rib. Unfortunately though, walking in on a late weekend evening around 9:00pm, the restaurant was sold out of prime rib! Sigh, the only steaks I like at The Keg are their filets and prime rib, favouring prime rib more. Did I mention we were craving for prime rib too?!

Walking to our seats, the booths were dirty and could have been properly wiped. The restaurant was also fairly empty and had loud music playing in the background, which gave the feeling like I was at Cactus Club. Although there is nothing wrong with the loud music, I was just a bit surprised since the music is generally at a controlled volume.

Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar (2nd visit)

FIRST POST ON GOTHAM STEAKHOUSE [HERE]

A few things come to mind when I revisit a restaurant, 1. Convenience; 2. Above average tasting food; and 3. Service must have been good. Usually it is only one or the other, favouring convenience and good service. However, I do travel far for good food, like to a few restaurants in Langley (although I somewhat contradict myself since I travel pretty much anywhere even for mediocre food).

Gotham is one of the priciest steakhouses in Vancouver as well as a former regular restaurant of mine. Having said that, on the last visit, the food and service was great; hence, another revisit. However, this visit is probably the worst out of countless visits to Gotham. Choosing to have dinner on a Tuesday evening in hopes for a slower restaurant along with better than usual service and carefully prepared dishes, I was wrong. On the weeknight, Gotham was quite busy with lots of diners who just got off work.

The restaurant has a casual, relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. Walk in wearing sneakers as well as sweats, and there will be no awkward stares (oddly enough I get awkward stares at Cactus Club or The Keg). Gotham has two levels of dining room as well as a patio, and the basement is reserved for larger parties. The restaurant is fairly dim and the seating arrangements are either a velvet booth or is the centre of the dining room.

Onyx Steakhouse and Lounge : Port Moody location

"Our certified premium black angus signature reserve steaks are seasoned with our signature onyx rub and are a minimum of 40 day dry aged." Since the end of June I have visited the following steakhouses, Keg Coquitlam, Gotham, Chop, Hy's, Keg Burnaby, Joe Fortes and Little Billy's Steak House (uhhh does Hawkworth's $125.00 crappy steak count even though the restaurant is not a steakhouse?). With the idea of visiting every steakhouse, the next restaurant on the list was Onyx. Onyx is located in Port Moody and the restaurant's location somewhat resembles a mini neighbourhood with high rise apartments and a variety of stores.

Coming on a weeknight at 8:00pm, the restaurant was quite empty with only one seated table. Although I assumed that the restaurant would be empty, I still made reservations through OpenTable for 100 points. When entering the restaurant, I was surprised to see an electric fire place in the foyer. For those looking for a job as a host, this is the restaurant to choose! Speaking of host, we waited seven to ten minutes until the cook said, "there's people at the door" which got his attention. The host was friendly as well as informative and asked if this was our first visit, also mentioning that Onyx started a new menu since last Tuesday (although I was a bit confused since I remember looking at their menu a month ago and it was the same). The restaurant has two floors and reservations are definitely recommend, the seating arrangements on the first floor look cramped. Plus, booth seats are probably the most comfortable and spacious option.

After reading quite a few mixed reviews, I was hesitant on bringing BF here since he is against the whole "trying new restaurants", especially if most reviews are not good. However, I persuaded him to try Onyx because of a free coupon from their subscription for a free entree up to $20.00.

ONYX TUNA TACOS, 10oz FILET MIGNON, ROLLS, 16oz BONE IN RIB STEAK, MUSHROOMS DUO, CREAMED CORN AND BACON, AND BUTTERMILK CALAMARI.

Little Billy's Steak House

Little Billy's is a Greek cuisine restaurant serving steak. I have been wanting to come here for a while and the only thing stopping me has been the idea of possibly leaving disappointed. On a Thursday evening, the restaurant was quite empty and the majority of the clientele were women. I found this interesting because the bartender/host/server/only person at the front of the house had an Australian accent and many of the women giggled while talking about him, which made me feel like I was watching a TV drama.

When we entered the restaurant, we were told to seat ourselves because the man was busy behind the bar. I like that we were acknowledged upon entering because there is nothing worse than being unacknowledged and waiting at a narrow pathway by the door. The interior of the restaurant is very narrow and cramped, I cannot imagine being here on a full house or would ever want to. Moreover, the seating arrangements along the wall resemble a large communal table. This makes it awkward for couples who are on a date because if there is a full house, you are sharing the table with another couple! I even had troubles getting in and out of my seat when my body frame is "average" and the chairs were empty lol. The narrow gap between the tables remind me of a similar situation at Cattle Cafe, where my arse was practically on someone else's food while trying to get to or leave my seat.

Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House

Finishing up some shopping, I really wanted to try the new barbecue joint downtown, Buckstop. However, somehow on the way there we decided to try Joe Fortes. Steak at 4:00pm? Meh, why not. Joe Fortes is conveniently located downtown in the prime area for shopping. Also, JF is considered as a "place to be seen" or for their patio imo. When we arrived, the hostess asked if we are here for happy hours or dinner. Happy hour diners are seated at the bar or high tables and the restaurant offers 50% off selected appetizers. We asked for the dinner menu since booth seats or half, are more appealing and comfortable for us me.

However, apparently the restaurant needs to fill the corner of the first floor before seating diners elsewhere since this was our table. I hate small tables, I mean… come on. There is only enough room for one appetizer in the middle and two personal appetizers (salad or soup). Of course I took my purse off the table but can you imagine fitting two to three appetizers to share (plus side plates and table bread)? This was a disappointment since we wanted to order a few appetizers but had to stick with a bowl of chowder each to prevent table issues. Side note, I have a problem distinguishing whether a restaurant is fine dining or not, since most of the time, the food or service may not be fine dining quality. According to Urbanspoon's "$$$$", Joe Fortes is considered fine dining due to the higher prices, so, I would not expect a dirty menu, but there was.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar : Burnaby location

I assume that most peoples' first steakhouse is always The Keg, because it was certainly mine! The Keg is a casual chain steakhouse serving good food at an affordable price. And despite knowing a few people that do not like The Keg, their prices are obviously very reasonable compared to high end steakhouses such as Gotham and Hy's. So what do I come here for? The filet or prime rib.

The restaurant's interior is dimly lit, but every table has decent lightning in the area. The seating arrangements are usually booth seats and the restaurant can easily accommodate large parties as well.

Hy's Encore

Hy's steaks are cut in-house from specially selected Canadian Prime beef, aged a minimum of 28 days and charcoal broiled to order.

I tried visiting Hy's Encore around two weeks ago and never managed to, but I was able to make the visit tonight! Arriving after the long weekend and hoping Hy's would be slow on a Tuesday evening, I was wrong. Hy's was packed! Although the restaurant is fairly small with less than twenty tables in the main dining room, Hy's had more diners compared to Gotham on a weeknight. 

The dining room is dimly lit and the seating arrangements are a bit tight. Since the dining room was pretty much full and being seated in the middle was quite loud, we asked if it was possible to move to the other room. After our server confirmed with the hostess, we made our way to the other dining room. I felt a lot more comfortable being the only diners in the room, since I could take photos with flash without bother anyone.

Meh, just because I took a photo of Gotham's napkin. The font and color is the same too, it is probably from the same supplier.

Chop Steakhouse and Bar

One of the restaurants in Richmond that I have wanted to try for a while is Chop Steakhouse and Bar. To be honest, the only reason for visiting is because most of the reviews are average or negative. So, I wanted to see for myself how the food is.

Walking in, we waited a while for the hostess to show up, around fifteen minutes? However, when the hostess arrived, she was friendly. The restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere and plenty of booth seats. The interior actually resembles a "fancier" or more "unique" version of The Keg. Although on a weekend evening, the restaurant was fairly quiet as well as empty and to most, this may not be good news. As for us, we did not think too much.

The lamp shades are a bit unique, like paperclip lamp shades.

Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

REVISIT POST ON GOTHAM STEAKHOUSE [HERE]

Gotham's steaks, the beef is prime Alberta, dry-aged for 28 days, and seasoned carefully to bring out the big flavour guests expect from a premium steak house.

Everyone basically knows what Gotham is known for, either the best steak in Vancouver or for their high prices. However, BF thinks Gotham is only average and I agree. On a Monday evening, the restaurant was fairly quiet as well as slow, with only five seated tables including us. When the hostess seated us, I asked if we could get a table upstairs. Fortunately we were able to after she asked the server.

The second floor was very quiet, with just the two of us. Around 10:00pm, the restaurant was pretty empty and we were the only ones left. We were seated on the balcony with a view of the downstairs. The restaurant's interior is dimly lit, spacious and comfortable. Black leather chairs or high burgundy velour booths are the two available seating options, and every table has a small lamp.

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar : Coquitlam location

The Keg in Burnaby is a regular restaurant of mine, but I wanted to try something different. Plus, I was visiting a friend in Coquitlam and I did not mind trying the Keg there hehe.