This one-storey mid-century building on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, was designed by the architectural firm of Smith Carter and Katelnikoff. It was built between 1956 and 1957 by the Semmler Construction Company at a cost of about $130,000. It was a high-end restaurant for owners John Porteous Rae and Gerald Alfred John “Jerry” Hemsworth, transferred from its preceding location at the corner of Portage Avenue and Langside Street. It opened in July 1957.
Originally measuring 65 feet by 115 feet, two additions to the original structure, both designed by the same architects, occurred in 1957 and 1958. The former measured 17 feet by 37 feet and the latter measured 23.8 feet by 60 feet. In 1958, a free-standing neon sign was installed along Portage Avenue.
In 1975, this iconic restaurant became owned and operated by Steve Hrousalas.
Entrance to Rae and Jerry’s Steakhouse (July 2022)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Rae and Jerry’s Steakhouse (January 2021)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Rae and Jerry’s Steakhouse (January 2021)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Rae and Jerry’s Steakhouse (September 2023)
Source: Jordan MakichukSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88291, W97.19254
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Smith Carter and Katelnikoff / Smith Carter Architects and Engineers / Architecture49
Manitoba Business: Semmler Construction Company
Memorable Manitobans: John Porteous Rae (1914-1996)
Memorable Manitobans: Gerald Alfred John “Jerry” Hemsworth (1911-2005)
“Rae and Jerry’s new steak house,” Winnipeg Tribune, 30 July 1957, page 4.
Rae & Jerry's Steakhouse, Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.
This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 February 2025
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