Stepping into the restaurant, one of many in a Canadian chain of meat temples, is like a trip back to the late 80s or early 90s, with the dark wood, oppressive color scheme and ostentatious paintings of martini glass-holding women in slinky dresses. And the prime rib burger is out of the same era, which is to say an era when prime rib dinners were a popular way to spend an evening out.
Luckily, the burger is timeless. Topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayonnaise and a slab of cheddar, the toppings didn't exactly break new ground. But the burger itself -- juicy with drippy grease, velvety in texture, seasoned with salt and pepper and the tang of the grill -- was a vast improvement on regular old ground chuck. It was like meat candy, and it satisfied a carnivorous craving I didn't even know I had.
Sure, the Keg is a chain, and it feels a little dated in comparison to everything around it downtown. But that burger gave me a reason to belly up to the restaurant's bar again in the future.
