Napa Prime Chophouse & Cigar Bar — Restaurant in Marshall Township

So, either people on yelp have awful taste, or the chef at Napa Prime was having a terrible day, but my wife and I had the worst meal of our lives here 2 weeks ago.

To sum up: starting from the very first incorrectly made martini, this dinner was a disaster. The octopus crostini (each piece of which contained one half of a pinky-sized tentacle on a comically large piece of burnt toast) was so tough that we could barely cut, let alone chew, through it. The crab hoelzel was also filled with bits of shell. The complimentary bread was almost impossible to cut, tasted burnt on top, and released a mouthful of oil when chewing through the bottom. At this point we actually laughed because everything was soo bad, but we assumed that at least the steaks should be perfect.

Both came out almost completely black. My wife struggled to cut through the thick, charred layer on her wagyu ribeye (which she ordered medium rare). And while the inside was pink, it was leather-tough and tasted like an ashtray. My wife hadn’t even said a word, but a server saw her horrified face and came over to see what was wrong. She immediately offered to take the burnt steak away and have another one prepared (though I wonder how anyone could have thought this black steak was acceptable to begin with). Neither one of us has ever sent back food in our lives, but it was truly inedible. From fine dining to chain restaurants to inexperienced home-grilling, I have NEVER had a tough ribeye. It was even more shocking since she had upgraded to the wagyu version. I had ordered a NY strip, medium, which was also completely black and tough, although somehow still marginally more tender than the ribeye. I hate nothing more than confrontation, so I smothered it in a bleu cheese sauce and ate it. Please, please, please look at photos others have posted. These steaks are charred and not nearly as bad as ours.

By the time my wife’s new steak was ready, I was basically done (my wife insisted that I should at least eat while it was warm) and the sides were cold. The new steak LOOKED good on the outside, but was sitting in a puddle of juice and scalding hot when cut, so it obviously hadn’t rested. It also appeared to be cooked medium-well inside. Unfortunately, it was also just as dry and tough as the first steak and seemingly unseasoned. She took 2 bites and gave up.

A manager did approach our table and offered free dessert for the “inconvenience,” although we declined since we were not interested in trying anything else. Ultimately, we were comped one drink, and told to give them another try! HA. We are happy to splurge on a great meal, but our bill with tip was well over $300, and only one dish out of 2 apps, 2 sides, and 2 steaks was enjoyable. Glad they comped a 15 dollar drink for ruining an 85 dollar steak.

While we definitely should have spoken up at the time of our meal, both of us just wanted to escape the embarrassment as quickly as possible. We didn’t want to cause a scene or inconvenience busy servers and staff, so we decided to email our concerns and hopefully get an honest reply from a manager. I should have assumed that if they weren’t willing to make it right at the time, they wouldn’t bother responding after-the-fact either. We had no intention of posting on social media, but it has now been 2 weeks and we still haven’t heard back. It’s especially disappointing because the north hills could use more fine dining options. Please do yourself a favor and just drive another 15 minutes south into the city. I wish we had kept our Hyde Park reservation as planned, but we certainly won’t make that mistake again. Nor will our friends, family, or work associates. So, either people on yelp have awful taste, or the chef at Napa Prime was having a terrible day, but my wife and I had the worst meal of our lives here...

Interesting first time at Napa Prime Chophouse last night (3/16/2019). It's a good idea to set a reservation here because the place packs out quickly. Decor: Understated elegance. Lighting was almost perfect with beautiful chandeliers. At first appearance one might think the lighting was too bright, but not at all. It was diffuse enough to set the atmosphere beautifully. Also, floor-to-ceiling windows with diffusing shades add to the effect nicely. Table: Linen-clad, everything on the table was well-appointed and meticulously thought out. Something interesting to note a bit later in this review on silverware distribution. Staff: This is where the restaurant shines. From the first greeting until our exit, the staff; from the wait staff all the way to one of the owners, were nothing short of stellar. The wait staff was attentive without being obtrusive and took the time to discuss the menu in detail, as well as assist in wine selection. Further, they cleared the table efficiently, again without being obtrusive. We were visited by a floor manager, then an executive manager and finally by one of the owners, despite the place being crowded and busy. This is relevant because... Steaks: Napa Prime Chophouse struggled a bit here, which is understood considering they're brand new. Both of us ordered 6-oz filet mignon, medium-temperature, and the first go-round both were slightly overdone. We sent them back and both returned (along with the floor manager) as rare (one of them so rare that the middle of the steak look like raspberry filling). We sent them back again and they were returned closer to what we wanted. However, my first bite resulted in a mouthful of gristle. I returned mine and we were attended by the Executive Manager right away, who graciously offered any menu alternative. We ordered a Glenmorangie 18 and a different cut of meat - rib eye, also medium. My wife kept her original filet (which I ended up finishing). The rib-eye came back also rare (resembling jelly-donut filling), which brought one of the owners to our table. They boxed the rib-eye for us and offered us free desserts, and everything we'd ordered was comped. Everything. Other food: We ordered sides of brussel sprouts and creamed spinach; a shrimp appetizer and a ceasar salad. Everything was outstanding. For my salad, the waitstaff brought out a CHILLED FORK! I've never experienced that touch and it was worth noting. We then noted that silverware for the steaks were heated (and the steak knives looked like miniature scimitars)! The creamed spinach was a bit heavy, but there was a strong note of nutmeg in the recipe that meshed well. The ceasar salad included nicely-sized croutons that were exceptional with an undertone of citrus/lemon flavor that really complimented the ceasar dressing. It's a good-sized portion. Desserts: Another area in which the restaurant shined. Butter rum cake and the pecan pie were what we ordered, and both were nothing short of amazing. My wife said that was one of the best cake she'd ever had. Wine List: By the glass selections were excellent. I ordered a 'Kung Fu Girl' Riesling and the description of it was spot on (that never happens). Picket Fence Cabernet was also exceptional. Overall: Issues the kitchen had with the steaks will work themselves out, of that I have no doubt. Everything else is top-shelf. I think this is a great place to celebrate special events; birthdays, anniversarys, etc. We came away with a firm belief that steaks will be spot on next time and that we will be well attended. Thank you Napa Prime Chophouse for a different and memorable dining experience in Cranberry (that has long been...

My husband and I had booked a 7:30 reservation on OpenTable on a Tuesday and it was packed to the brim. We had called and the hostess said that their earliest availability was at 8:00, but OpenTable had an earlier time which we chose.

Upon arrival at 7:00, we were greeted promptly and were told we could go to the bar or to the cigar lounge, and they would find us when our table was ready. We opted to go to the bar and it was packed. We were able to order 2 drinks (a spicy mango margarita, and an old-fashioned), both of which were very good but it went downhill very quickly thereafter.

SERVICE - 2/5: Our reservation was at 7:30 and we weren’t sat until about 7:45 - ok fine. Our waiter came by 15 minutes later and ask if we had been before (no), and told us about the menu and the origin of the steaks. He told us he’d let us look over the menu and he’d be back… little did we know he’d come back in another 20 minutes (we’re 35 minutes into sitting down at this rate and starved).

FOOD: 1/2 dozen oysters | Rating: 4/5: they were ok, they came with 3 sauces (hot sauce, cocktail, and horseradish). They were served over ice but weren’t super cold.. they were just ok. NY Strip Steak Oscar Style | Rating: 2/5 Wagyu Steak | Rating: 2/5 *Myself and husband had the same thoughts on our steaks: Both of us had ordered our steaks Oscar style. The Oscar style crab on top had no flavor, and I had bits of crab shell that I had to pick out and put on my plate (not very appealing on a birthday date). There was an abundance of crab on top but it was very bland. Both steaks came in a pool of its own juices, meaning it wasn’t rested properly. They also came with 3 of the largest asparagus we’ve ever seen. We also did not like that the steak tasted burnt from the char grill. It actually was so overpowering it ruined the natural flavor of the steak. Either we had gotten 2 of the toughest steaks they had or their knives were very dull. For the price we paid, the steak should’ve melted in our mouths like butter. Butter Whipped Potatoes | Rating: 4/5: these had a ton of flavor and were good but there was a pool of butter floating on top which didn’t look very appetizing. Little details like mixing would’ve gone a long way. Creme brûlée | Rating: 2/5: it came out cold… almost like it had been fired the day before and then was kept in the fridge and then brought out… didn’t taste fresh. Skillet Cookie | Rating: 5/5: this was really good and gooey.

Our dinner cost over +$450 for the 2 of us and I quite frankly cannot say that we’d be back or even recommend it. Between service and the food, it took us over 3 hours from the time of getting to our table, to eating, then leaving which is just too long.

I will also say that the table next to us was treated VERY differently. That table had asked for a “special wine menu” and had waiter after waiter waiting on their every request. Did they spend more money than us? Likely, but the service should be the same no matter what.

I wouldn’t recommend going to Napa, I think you can get much better service and food elsewhere...