The Most Vibrant Steakhouse in the Greater Montreal area. etc. offers a modern twist on the steakhouse experience while adding a Mediterranean influence. With a menu that goes far beyond our numerous cuts of premium beef, including A5 Wagyu, all aged to perfection and grilled to your preference; we offer majestic seafood platters and phenomenal pastries; all served in an electric ambience, to the beats of our guest DJ’s - This is not your Grand Father’s steakhouse!
Overall, reviews portray ETC Steakhouse in the Playground Casino as delivering exceptional service, attentive staff, and superb steakhouse fare with standout wines and generous portions, creating a warm, upscale atmosphere that makes it a top choice for celebrations and date nights; the dining experience is described as memorable and often compared to Michelin level service by some, with no tax pricing noted as a bonus, though a few critiques mention casino noise, occasional misfires such as overcooked fish, bland or underseasoned sides, and high prices, yet repeat visits and strong recommendations are common.
Food. Overrated! Better places for steak than here.
So a pretty harsh food review right? I say food is a 3 based on the premise that it's supposed to be a steak house first & foremost. If I had to evaluate all the dishes we had I would round it up to a 3.75 to a 4.0 max.
*Note: mains do not come with a side. The steak included two sauces.
So let's get straight to it - the food.
Their bread was fantastic, though it would have been better if it were warm. The olive spread was tasty but poorly blended & there was too much butter surrounding the pieces of finely chopped olives.
Caesar salad. Actually good portion for the money & presented well & all was fresh. Shaved Parm, bacon bits, & prosciutto was nice, but the prosciutto had little flavour.
Grilled cheese bruschetta. Delicious & good portion & actually good value. Cherry tomatoes with the hot honey drizzle was delicious as was the melted cheese - it all worked.
Mac & Cheese. Massive let down. Obviously this'may' be a personal take. I prefer this dish to have an aroma of cheese & also taste the cheese - both of which are absent. The noodles were too thick & a bit gummy. The cheese sauce (you can't see it) thinly covered the noodles but the sauce was so thin it lacked a creamy texture & had no mouth feel. It was covered with what appeared like orange coloured breadcrumbs without any discernible flavour. This was horrible. Choked on it twice like dry toast. I don't know why it would be there. Yes gourmet Mac & cheese can include breadcrumbs on top, but not so thickly placed all over & it's typically finished like a grating - this was just a load of dry crumbs. Then the truffles. Texture & taste - pointless additive. No added benefit except it sounds expensive & gourmet.
Blue fennel slaw. Tasty, fresh, good portion - very doable.
Sauces.
Bordelaise - nauseatingly sweet. This sauce should never have been like adding a spoon of sugar on your steak.
Peppercorn - good flavour, but texture was off as if butter was added causing it to become lumpy, perhaps it was a mix gone bad?
Porterhouse steak.
The meat did not smell good at all. Normally a good quality & properly cooked steak should arrive at the table & your nose would inhale an aroma making you mentally drool. The aroma here made me concerned to eat the meat.
I have never eaten such a fatty porterhouse steak, & I have had ones of less & more ounces precook. I kept having to cutout or spit out fat & gristle. The steak had zero flavour & we were not asked if we would like salt, pepper, steak spice, or finished with butter. So we went with how it's supposed to come. Horrible. Worst steak I have ever had the displeasure to have to chew, taste, & swallow. The sauces did not add value to make it more palpable.
Additionally? The steak was ordered Chicago style - with a char. This steak was so charred that the exterior & edges were so charred it was overdone & too hard.
Caramel Brûlé cake. Horrible. Firstly the cake seemed like a previously make thick hard cookie that was defrosted or previously refrigerated. Inside it's ok, but the exciting part - the'Brûlé' was a mini chilled thin piece atop the'cake' & was ok, but totally missed out the Crème or Caramel Brûlé aspect to the Brûlé dish.
Meal cost: $300 with one glass of wine.
Result. Would I ever go back.
NO. Not worth it. On the surface the menus is exciting & creative. But the execution on the protein side - well, I would go to Moishes, The Keg, or many other steak houses in the city (& surrounding) & for this money there are plenty of other places far superior.
Perhaps this was an off day, perhaps the cow had a bad day, perhaps the head chef was not doing QC at the window pass to make sure. But the steak was just bad & for $142.00 it should be excellent.
Cesar salad was delicious. We ordered the surf & turf, whiskey sauce , fries , potatoes & grilled veggies & everything was absolutely amazing. The only downside was the dessert. The cheese cake & the caramel creme brule cake was disappointing. Not alot of flavors & barely any coulie on them.
Apr 12, 2026
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Where do I commence. I'm not one to write reviews but this one is a Must. Celebrated my youngest 18 yr old daughters birthday Saturday evening the 14th March 2026. A group of 8 Mia famillia. From the young handsome Italian manager to the bus Boys to the most amazing waiter & the one & Only Hisham the head chef. Everyyyyything to perfection, from the The mojito, the wine,the Ceasar salads, the smoky goat salad, Fried mixed vegetables so so savory, the Gigantic Shrimp cocktail what a taste, the Aligot potatoes, the salmon, the roasted vegetables with some scrumptious dressing, the Asparagus, the truffle Mac n cheese, the fries, the Chimichur sauce, the AAA Ribeye 14oz, the Tomahawk steak skewered to perfection & finally the Delicious Mousse cake. My Family said to me. Dad this is the Best meal I have had. Thank you so much Hisham & your entire staff for making my daughters birthday as she said The Most Special Birthday She Has Had to date. The staff the atmosphere, the food was made to the Ultimate PERFECTION. I COMMEND YOU ALL & SAY THANK YOU FROM MY FAMILY. HISHAM A SPECIAL THANKS TO YOU FOR MAKING THIS SO MEMORABLE. May you make all of the customers as happy as you have made me & my Family. Bravo to All.
Everything was good except the $21 mac n Cheese. It was by far the worst I have ever tasted. The service is fantastic, I mean the staff are on point in every way.
Upscale food & service. Ordered calamari which was fabulous. Main was halibut for me & sirloin for my guest. Sides of roasted veggies was good as well as mashed potatoes with cheese curds in them…yes cheese curds. My guest prefers them over me. Dessert of cheesecake & crème brûle were equally delicious. First rate service & atmosphere. Total bill $182 plus tip. Only one suggestion & has to do with lighting. Impossible to read the menu with ambient lighting. Other patrons also used the flashlight on there cellphones. Maybe put a little book reading light on the menu would help.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sunday evening perfection - exceptional service that made the night unforgettable
Last night, Sunday evening, we had supper at ETC Restaurant at Playground Casino in Kahnawake, & the experience was truly exceptional.
About a week ago, we experienced an issue related to the return of our car. What stood out was management's decision to handle the situation in a genuinely customer-centric way. As a gesture to make things right, we were invited back for dinner, & that decision set the stage for what became a remarkable evening.
Before heading to the restaurant, we spent a little time enjoying the casino & had the pleasure of winning $600 together, which immediately added a positive & relaxed energy to the night - a great reminder of why Playground is such an enjoyable destination overall.
From the moment we sat down at ETC, the evening felt refined & special. We began with a beautiful Chablis, followed by excellent entrées, including a bruschetta-style dish with perfectly prepared bread & cheese, paired with a beautifully marinated salad, as well as a fresh shrimp entrée. The main courses were outstanding: Wagyu beef & a 40-day aged ribeye, cooked to perfection & served with elegant greens.
Dessert was just as impressive - a beautiful cheesecake & an elegant chocolate mousse, both carefully presented & delicious.
What truly made the evening unforgettable, however, was the service, & in particular Freeman.
Freeman was the person who truly made this night special. His attention, warmth, professionalism, & genuine care elevated the entire experience. He guided us through the menu, offered thoughtful recommendations, & ensured every detail was perfect throughout the evening. Thanks to him, & his personal touches added elegance & personality to the experience & that we would not have enjoyed without his care & initiative.
This is exactly what exceptional service looks like. Freeman's presence transformed a great dinner into a truly memorable experience, one that felt closer to Michelin-level service than a typical restaurant visit.
A sincere thank-you to Freeman for his outstanding hospitality, & to the management team for their thoughtful, customer-focused approach & for creating the opportunity to turn a situation into such a positive experience.
Unique & delicious cocktails (highly recommend the Lavender Peach for a fun Earl Grey take on an Aperol Spritz), delicious grilled cheese bruschetta, salmon tartare & & lemon tarte, even my cappuccino was next level.
Very attentive but non intrusive service, busy place with a nice vibe - recommend reservations.
Excellent repas, nous avons commandé un contre filet avec mac & cheese, sauce aux champignons. Cuisson parfaite. Un tartare de saumon goût frais & bien assaisonné. Service impeccable de la part de Bruno & Ilona.
Loved everything! We had salmon tar tar & the goat cheese salad to start. My husband had the rib eye steak & I had the chicken. For dessert we had the chocolate mousse cake. Can't complain. Ambiance, waiters, food, everything was great. Highly recommended by us! Their in house espresso martini smelt & tasted so good!
Je vous recommande tout simplement ce restaurant. Il bat plusieurs bons restaurant de Montréal. Le service offert par notre serveur Sam fut plus qu'excellent!! Attentif & professionnel . Ainsi que le gérant Antonio qui a une bonne équipe. La viande fut excellente mais le cheesecake n'est pas a laissé de côté.
Aug 19, 2024
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Arrivé sur place, accueilli chaleureusement par Monsieur Olivier berkani, une belle table nous a été attribué. Notre serveur Sam a été d'un accueil chaleureux & professionnel. Les huîtres Valley Pearl était juste incroyable & ensuite le filet mignon mac n cheese ainsi que les linguine aux fruits de mer étaient d'une qualité supérieur à la plus part des resto à Montréal À refaire. À très bientôt
What do say to someone who tells you that'if you've been one steakhouse, you've been to pretty much all'? Well, without hesitation you may want to tell them about a literal treasure tucked neatly in the corner on the second floor of the brand new wing of Playground. It's called ETC. & it brings the notions of elegance, trend, class, & pure taste together as one. Yes! A steakhouse is just that....A great place for steak! ...& yes! ETC checks this box neatly, bringing various choice cuts of meats (from dry aged to Wagyu marbling, to tender traditionals) to life. However, This is where the fun part of the review begins. The part that differentiates ETC from other big name steakhouses that this city has to offer. My compliments to Chef Hisham for innovating a menu that is simple yet divine in gastronomic appeal. Signature dishes include the likes of Grilled Cheese Bruschetta, Caesar Salad unlike any you've tasted, thick cut candied bacon, seared foie gras, & a dessert menu that will tug at all your senses (ask for the tiramisu stare in amazement as it is being served). ETC brandishes dishes that range from the sublime to the insanely imaginative. However, the reason I was truly inspired to write this review was when my incredible bartender Sabrina suggested something "out of the box". Next thing you know, I order up the DEMI CHICKEN. To say I was pleasantly surprised is a complete understatement. This chicken recipe is something EVERYONE should try once. It's decadence lies in the manner its cooked, spiced to perfection with an addictive crispy char, & a succulent juicy tenderness (See Photo). Complimented by a Mediterranean garlic-lime-cilantro based yogurt that will have you licking the plate. I was so stoked at how delicious my meal was, I couldn't wait to share it with you. The kicker is this steakhouse is reasonable in price (& even more reasonable without taxes). You're not just in for a treat at ETC, you are in for an experience.
My filet mignon & vegetables were cooked perfectly, & the deconstructed cheesecake was delicious. Prices are very reasonable for the quality. Will definitely be back. next time however i will asked to be seated anywhere other than in the middle of the restaurant as I felt we were in the way,
