I ate dinner here because i was indulging myself by staying a night at the Royal York and my original plan was to dine at their gastropub, Piper's, both because they serve regional ales and regional foods. But Piper's isn't open on Sundays. Rats.
I read the Yelp reviews for both Canyon Creek and the nearby Keg Steakhouse and decided to go to Canyon Creek. I can't compare them completely until I try the Keg but based on the menus, while both are chains, Keg seems a bit more traditional. Canyon Creek offers some dishes featuring regional ingredients and that's something that attracted me.
The Okanagan Pale Ale was great as were the local roasted mushrooms stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. The garden salad was fresh and the tomatoes were real - not the tasteless things you get from many places most months of the year. I went for the chipotle and roasted garlic coated sirloin, medium rare. It was properly prepared and very tasty. Fans of chipotle chiles will probably debate endlessly whether they overdid the coating or didn't do enough but i thought it was just fine. The baked potato was, well, a good baked potato. The pumpkin cheesecake dessert was delicious. All in all, a very good meal.
I still want to try Piper's and the Keg. but i'd go back here again. Is it a chain? Yes. Was it a "good" steak rather than a "great" steak? Yes, but consider my definition of a "great" steak. When I treat myself to a steak dinner I go to a store with a real butcher section and spend $20 -25 a pound ($10 - $15 a kilo) on a dry-aged porterhouse or other high-end, tenderloin-based cut of meat. Chains don't serve those because their clientele isn't interested in $40-50 entrees, but $15-25 ones.
Chains can be popular because what they do is usually reliable and replicated at their branches. I liked what Canyon Creek has to offer as a standard.
Oh, yes. The server was polite, charming and personable. The atmosphere was pretty laid back, but then I wasn't there during a rush period.