Saltbrick Prime Steakhouse — Local services in Branford

The food was good, and the portions were decent. However, I felt the price point was a little on the high side for the whole experience. The first table they tried to cram us into was way too small for 4 people. It was not comfortable, nor would we have had enough space for our meals & sides. So we changed tables - no biggie, however the server asked us to bring the waters he had already poured to the next table. The dinner started with a really good popover.... if you're a popover fan, don't skip that part. They were warm and delicious. My husband had the shrimp cocktail & the couple we were with shared oysters - they said both were really good. The steaks were good, not really wowed by them. The sauses and toppings offered as an addition to the steaks had great flavor, as did the sides for the meals. For steak add-ons, we tried the Oscar, the horseradish & the au poive, not sure on the spelling for the last one....lol. The desserts we ordered were good, again not wowed by them. The chocolate cake to share was a little dry and not what I expected. It was similar to a take on a german chocolate cake. I felt they did a great job renovating the space. It was cozie and eye-catching. Our service was very lackluster, though. This is always a make or break for me, honestly. He was nice, but we needed to request items to enjoy our meal, and I don't feel he enhanced the experience, quiet the opposite, actually. One of our guests was only drinking water, while the rest of us had cocktails. He needed to request water refills more than once. Dessert was served with no silverware. We waited a few moments as we thought they were bringing some, when we mentioned we didn't have any. We looked around and finally took it from the two tables next to us. Not the end of the world, no, but I might expect that at a chain restaurant, not one we are paying $300 per couple. I think the icing on the cake for this review was the ending. The tables around us were receiving pink cotton candy. When we were walking out, I asked our server about it. He said it was complimentary at the end of the meal. He looked at me and said 'oh I never brought you any - I can go make some for you now if you want.'

So from an experience standpoint, our service didn't add to the meal. It made us all say we aren't really sure we would go back.

For reference, we went on a Thursday evening, and they may have had 10 tables working. And that's being generous...

I took my wife here for her birthday. We have experienced many high end steak houses before and were excited to have a highly rated steak restaurant close to our home. Reservations were easily made and we went at 6:30 this past Saturday night. After walking into the restaurant, we were promptly greeted. The hostess attempted to seat us at a small table between two larger parties. We asked if we could have another seating choice and she hesitantly accommodated us. Once seated, it took nearly 15 minutes before we were acknowledged by any waitstaff. Our drink order was taken and we were given 2 popovers. They were a little overdone, but still tasty. Nearly 10 minutes passed and our drinks were finally delivered and our dinner order was taken. The waitress gave us a few tips on the size of the sides, and we ordered our appetizers and main courses. Both my wife and I tried the French onion soup, she had a wedge salad and I had escargot. The soup was flavorful and prepared well. The salad was fresh and cold, however the bacon crumble was excessively salty. My escargot was a different preparation that I had ever previously had and is was good, not great. Now it was time for our main courses. My wife ordered the 6oz A5 Japanese Wagyu filet and I ordered the 55day 18oz dry aged bone in ribeye. The steaks and sides were delivered to us by bus staff. Unfortunately everything just went downhill from here. The preparation on the A5 filet should be a simple sear and lightly salted, nothing else.. the sear was hard and unusually flavored. The filet was heavily salted and heavily peppered. The same preparation was used on the ribeye. Unfortunately this made for a very disappointing steak experience. We were never approached after the food was delivered to check on our satisfaction with the preparation, temperature of the steaks, or anything. I didn’t finish my steak as it truly wasn’t good, however my wife did finish hers. She refused to leave any as the steak was $125.00. The table was cleared by bus staff again with no questions as to why my steak was unfinished. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant is nice, but unfortunately due to the shortcomings in quality, preparation and staff attentiveness, we would not recommend and will...

I recently dined at Saltbrick Prime and was genuinely impressed from start to finish. The food, service, and overall atmosphere were all excellent, making it one of the better dining experiences I’ve had in a while.

Appetizer: I started with the shrimp cocktail, which was incredibly fresh. The shrimp were firm and chilled perfectly, and the cocktail sauce had just the right amount of tang and heat.

Entrée & Sides: For the main course, I had a steak that was, without exaggeration, one of the best I’ve ever had. It was cooked exactly to my requested temperature and had a flavor that really stood out — rich, savory, and perfectly seasoned. You could tell it was a high-quality cut and expertly prepared.

On the side, I ordered the fries, which were a great surprise. They had a distinctive salt and vinegar seasoning that gave them a unique and delicious flavor — something different from the typical steakhouse fare.

Drinks & Service: The cocktails were well-made and enjoyable, and the service throughout the night was solid — attentive without being overbearing. Everything was timely and professional, which really helped elevate the experience.

Final Thoughts: Saltbrick Prime absolutely delivered. From the fresh seafood appetizer to the unforgettable steak and creative sides, everything was on point. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a high-end, flavor-forward dining experience. I’ll definitely...