PRIMAL By Mia — Restaurant in Cape May

UPDATE: We did a "Notify Me" on Resy for Primal by Mia since we could find no reservations. As luck would have it, we were notified for tonight at 6:45PM. So we went straight from "Weapons" to Primal. What a great experience! The restaurant is pretty new and looks and feels great. Service by Riley was very good. She was very helpful and knowledgeable about flavors and combinations. At times service was slightly slow, but this was because she had responsibility for too many tables. I had the tartare, the surf & turf special, and complimentary salad and dessert. Gosh, so good. We started with some warm cheesy, garlic rolls. Yummy! The tartare had some good spice, was well prepared, and came with some buttery sweet crunch. The filet was perfectly cooked, well seasoned, and came with a great garlic peppercorn sauce. We finished with profiteroles and a variety of sauces. Such a nice surprise. Highly recommend and we will be back....if we can get a reservation!!??

I have updated my rating, which would be a 5 except for the annoying reservation process. I still don’t like being managed by the restaurant’s reservation policy!!

ORIGINAL: This review won't be based on my experience eating at Primal By Mia. Rather it is based on my experience TRYING to eat at Primal By Mia. It continues to amaze me that restaurants set up their scheduling so that I have to change my life around being available the moment the window for scheduling opens up. So you can only make reservations 10 days in advance and those reservations fill up immediately unless I engage my entire family to be online all at the same time trying to snag a reservation 10 days from now. We came to the shore for 2 weeks and never were able to get a reservation at a reasonable time. How precious it must be to think your food is so special that you can't make it easier for folks to get a reservation and find out for themselves. So until I actually get a reservation, the rating on food and service and atmosphere will remain unchecked. But the experience with trying to eat there....one star! And I review a TON of restaurants. So I am not a one-off disgruntled user. I take seriously my restaurant reviews. Sadly, I won't be able to say anything positive this year. Maybe next year...

There’s so much hype around this place and it’s so hard to get reservations, so expectations were high. Unfortunately, Primal did not meet them.

Let’s start with the good: comfortable seating, nice ambiance, and great appetizers. We started with the calamari and shrimp in a curry arrabiatta, scallops and lobster, and tuna tartare. All three were fantastic! Would absolutely recommend the scallops and lobster and order it again if I were forced to go back.

Now, the not-so-great: Our reservation was for 8:45pm. Tables were emptying around us throughout as it was later. However, there was a massive gap of time between our appetizers and entree. We started to get extremely full and sleepy. The waitress brought out a salad, which they don’t mention on the menu anywhere, so we weren’t sure if the salad was to placate us because the entree was taking so long or if it’s standard. Either way, it just made us more full while we waited 35-40 minutes between appetizers and entree.

When the steaks finally arrived, they were cooked correctly. But we were shocked to find absolutely no seasoning whatsoever. Nada. And there’s no salt or pepper on the table. The steaks just tasted like char. We prefer steaks to have seasoning and flavor. My mom’s first cut was almost all gristle—and this is supposed to be a ribeye. I didn’t find the flavorful marbling I expect and have had many times at other steakhouses. The steak was by far the most underwhelming part of the meal.

We asked for boxes and the check because by this point, it’s very late, we’re full and tired. The waitress told us she was disappointed with us (because we didn’t finish our steaks). I guess it was meant to be funny, but it was just kinda annoying by that time. And then, instead of the check, she brings a plate of desserts. Cheesecake, chocolate cake, and cookies. They were mediocre at best. I took one bite, that’s it, and again asked for the check.

We would not go back and do not recommend it. Overhyped for sure. Far better steaks and far better food elsewhere in Cape May, especially at this...

My husband and I came here for my birthday in December. I had Primal on my radar since before they opened but in late October we walked past on a quiet night and popped in, drawn by the fragrance of the wood fire. We saw the quality meat in the case at the front and talked to Mia and some of her team members and were impressed by their friendly competence and the restaurant’s atmosphere and immediately decided to come back soon for dinner. I can’t even describe how wonderful our experience was. We are locals and I felt transported to somewhere other than Cape May; I felt like I was on vacation in a major metropolis. We were seated at the front of the restaurant, in view of the open kitchen. I recommend this seating area because to watch the Primal team at work is a joy. From the servers to the chefs, everyone is in sync. It’s not a huge space but everyone dances by each other as if choreographed. No one shouts or yells; there is no Gordon Ramsey drama here. It’s harmony. The homemade bread is the amazing and I could drink the pesto dipping sauce. We ordered a range of items and all were outstanding but most of all the homemade duck sausage in our mussels appetizer was a standout, as was my dry-aged rib eye and my husband’s Wagu strip steak. Even the salad was tiers above the average. Our server was casual and professional at the same time. The atmosphere is elegant but never stuffy and when Chef Mia saw us from the kitchen and remembered us from our initial foray and gestured to ask if we were enjoying our meal, all I could do was give air hugs from my seat. I was overjoyed and the experience was just what I needed after an awful two years. Mia and her staff are dedicated professionals and we will return to this restaurant again. I highly recommend it if you are seeking a culinary adventure that is beyond...