Winnipeg has been a beef town for a long time, and it shows in the dining rooms that have stayed open for decades alongside a newer wave of smokehouses and grills. Whether you want a white-tablecloth steak dinner or a plate of ribs eaten with your hands, the city covers both ends without much overlap.

The old guard

Rae & Jerry's, open on Portage Avenue since 1957, is the reference point for old-school Winnipeg steak: dim lighting, a piano bar, and a menu that hasn't chased trends. Hy's Steakhouse, downtown, is the other long-standing name locals point to for a classic cut of Canadian prime beef. Both are the kind of place to book ahead for, especially on a weekend.

A newer generation

529 Wellington operates out of a converted early-twentieth-century mansion on Wellington Crescent in Crescentwood, which gives it a different feel from a typical steak dinner: high ceilings, original woodwork, and a wine list to match the room. It's a splurge, and one of the more memorable settings for a steak dinner in the city. Chop Steakhouse & Bar and The Keg round out the more contemporary chain end of the spectrum, both dependable if you want a steak without the reservation lead time of the smaller rooms. One thing to check before you set out: The Keg's downtown room on Garry Street, in the former Hudson's Bay garage it had occupied since 1975, closed at the end of July 2026, and the chain is relocating to 185 Donald Street, which has not opened yet. Until it does, the Southside location at 2034 McGillivray Boulevard and the St. James location are the ones to book.

Barbecue and smokehouse

Winnipeg's barbecue scene leans smoked rather than grilled. Smokin' Hawg BBQ is the go-to for brisket and smoked meats done low and slow. Danny's Whole Hog, long a fixture on Ellice Avenue, no longer runs a dining room in the city; it sells ready-to-heat smoked meats for pickup and delivery from its Highway 67 kitchen north of town, which is worth knowing before you drive out expecting a table. For something different, Carnaval Brazilian BBQ runs a rodizio format, servers carving skewered meats tableside until you wave them off, alongside a full salad bar for the vegetarians in the group.

Booking ahead

Most of the sit-down steakhouses take reservations, and it's worth using them on a Friday or Saturday, particularly at Rae & Jerry's and 529 Wellington where tables turn over slowly by design. The barbecue spots are more casual and generally fine to walk into, though a full smokehouse can sell out of ribs before close on a busy night.

Staying at the Corydon Airbnb: 529 Wellington is two blocks from the house, under ten minutes on foot along Wellington Crescent, so it is the one steakhouse here you can walk to and from. Downtown's steakhouses are about a ten-minute drive, and Corydon Avenue's own Italian dining rooms are a short walk if you'd rather not go far for dinner.