PRIME Steak & Seafood — Restaurant in McAllen

For a fresh take on Steakhouse cuisine, go to Prime. Prime is where fine Italian dining meets Steakhouse. The General Manager, Giovanni fuses flavours from his homeland Italy, with USDA Prime Beef, hence the namesake. Well worth visiting over, and over again.

See my full review at Tripadvisor.... Google limits the length of a post.

As I entered, the modern designer decor was reminiscent of fine restaurants on the east coast: chic, sleek, and expensively outfitted. But the vibe in Prime was also distinctly RGV; modern, upbeat, full of action, and fresh.

Passing other diners at other tables, I noticed the clientele appeared to be the who’s who of the area, tons of top physicians and surgeons and their spouses or dates, clad in fine casual wear and accompanied by Louis, Chanel, and Prada. It’s obviously the place to see, and be seen. I spotted former Saint Louis Cardinals World Series winning pitcher, Jaime Garcia eating with a group of other well-heeled people. Being a big baseball fan, I gawked a bit while contemplating a sneaky photo op, and then I gathered my wits and sat down to try this highly recommended place.

My table had a great view of the dynamic kitchen staff diligently at work creating food art. I was hungry, and the smell of a hot brick oven caught my attention, so I glanced over to the kitchen trying to see the source of these enticing wood, charcoal, and yeasty aromas. I saw a server pull something out of that brick oven on a board. A server poured a glass of ice water into a beautiful copper goblet on my table and the first server then placed a plate of steaming Italian craft bread with herbed butter in front of me.

I was anxious to sample the hot bread and burned my fingers, but it proved a worthy action. Toasted to crusty perfection, soft, but heavily textured in the middle, with just the right amount of stretchiness and holes inside, the bread was utter perfection, like in Europe. Just to be sure I was still on earth, I tore another piece of the flavourful bread, and buttered it. I tasted it again and thought to myself, heaven had just been confirmed. That is, until the wine director arrived and showed me the menu and the wine list.

Being an oenophile, I always chose my meal based on what I plan to drink, evaluating the wine list first, determining pairings, secondarily. I asked for the Wine Director and a few moments later, Fernando arrived. We discussed my preferences. I was liking this place already.

Unlike many wine service staff at fine restaurants, Fernando actually ‘heard’ me. Typically, servers suggestions are reflective of their own palate, or worse, whatever bottle raises the bill highest to bolster their tip. Prime has obviously taught their staff properly. And I am all about service!

The wine offerings at Prime are comprehensive, vast, and diverse. They have wine for all palates, and budgets. Best of all, even the hard to procure wines have only reasonable markups. So Prime is definitely the place to get adventurous in the glass. There are multiple vintages of: Vega Sicilia Unico, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Penfolds Grange, Diamond Creek, Caymus, Dunn, Hundred Acre, Bond, Bevan, Chateau Latour, Pontet Canet, Leoville Las Cases, and seemingly endless others. All wine is temperature and humidity controlled, and served perfectly in crystal stemware to accompany their USDA Prime steaks.

I told the wine director that I wanted something unique, but affordable. He brought out a bottle of 2007 Bevan Syrah from the Napa Valley. It was an amazing wine, as promised....

Continue Reading (the food described is described) at TripAdvisor

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NO matter. Go to Prime. It’s worth it...

Prime Steakhouse in McAllen stands out as one of the few truly high-end options in the area, and after two visits, it’s clear why. My wife and I tend to explore most of the upscale spots around, trying to figure out which ones live up to the hype and which are just for show. Prime impressed us from the start, so much so that we found ourselves back there soon after our first visit.

We originally came for our anniversary, and I was surprised (and excited) to see that they offered A5 Japanese wagyu—a rarity in many places around here. Having a deep interest in wagyu, I always ask to see the certificate, which verifies its authenticity, and to my surprise, Prime didn’t hesitate to show it. This is a big deal, as many places claim to serve A5 but can’t back it up. Prime’s wagyu was Miyazakigyu, one of my favorites, and I gladly ordered it alongside a lobster bake pasta, a side of truffle mac and cheese, and a charcuterie board.

Every dish hit the mark. The truffle mac and cheese, in particular, gave my favorite spot, Salt, some real competition. I honestly can’t pick between the two. My kids are split on this as well—some think Prime’s version wins, others are die-hard Salt fans—but both are must-tries. The lobster bake pasta was another standout, with a whole tail included, which was a nice surprise.

As for the wagyu—perfection. While I sometimes order it to cook at home, it’s an entirely different experience when done right by a chef. Prime’s charcoal broiler added an incredible smoky flavor, making it one of the best wagyu experiences I’ve had in a long time. That said, the markup was steep—$250 for a 4oz filet when I can get the same cut online for just over $100. I understand the chef’s touch and the ambiance come with a cost, but this was a bit high for me. I also think they could dial back the pepper a bit to let the natural flavors of the wagyu shine through.

On our second visit, we brought our kids along and tried a wider variety of dishes—another round of wagyu, a filet mignon, ribeye, beef Wellington, and sea bass for myself. My wife now swears by their steaks, especially the smoky flavor from the broiler. The sea bass, while well-cooked, didn’t stand out as much for me, though I can’t say enough about that truffle mac and cheese. The charcuterie board was well-balanced with a good mix of textures and flavors, sharp and soft cheeses, and great presentation as all their dishes do, though I felt it could have been a bit more generous in size.

Their bread deserves a mention too—poofy, soft, and with just the right touch of smokiness from their brick pizza oven. For dessert, we tried the cheesecake and crème brûlée. The cheesecake was a firm but creamy no-bake style, not overly sweet, which I appreciated. The crème brûlée was also solid, though I prefer mine a bit firmer in texture.

Both visits had exceptional service. We never felt rushed or ignored, and everything came out at just the right pace. Chef Delgado was hospitable, and our server was not only attentive but highly knowledgeable about the menu. The attention to detail was consistent both times, and it’s clear they prioritize the overall dining experience.

Between the two visits, we spent around $500 for just the two of us and $800 when we included the kids, that’s including a very generous tips both times. Prime is pricey, but for special occasions, it’s hard to beat. I wish I had taken more pictures, but the wagyu will have to do for now.

Wagyu 9/10 Lobster bake 7.8/10 Ribeye 8.5/10 Truffle Macaroni and cheese 9.8/10 Sea bass 6.5/10 Beef Wellington 5.5/10 Cheesecake 7.5/10 Creme brulee 7/10

Overall 9.2/10 would...

Customer service and caring for concerns is negative 1! Management does not care to respond to my request. After a month of no response…I am writing this VERY NEGATIVE REVIEW. I hardly ever write negative reviews with hundreds of reviews to my credit. Over 6 million views.

On a recent trip to South Texas I took some friends out to eat. They wanted to go to Prime Steak and Seafood to try it out.

While telling us about the special, which included Wagyu Beef my guests ordered steak and lobster. The server inadvertently ordered the Wagyu beef…and lobster. I believe this was an honest mistake. When I got the bill I choked, seeing their order included $180 for the beef alone. But since they were my guests I choose to pay and call them for a fair resolution after the meal. I did.

At that time I was told the charge was accurate and I explained the error and how it happened. I got no response from the manager or owner.

I called again and finally got hold of Jackie, whom I think is the head of house manager, on 2/28. I never heard back and called again a number of times until finally reaching her again on 3/23. I told her I did not expect the charge to be removed, but lowered. I requested $100 off of our $352 bill (no alcohol in this order). Again she said she would tell the owners and I asked for them to call me back within 2 days. That was 5 days ago.

I am so frustrated that the owners show such little care for their customers. Certainly the money is important, but at this point it is a matter of principle.

I need the owners to call me and work out a “fair” resolution to this charge.

If you read this review and care about fairness please pass on eating here. There are plenty of other great restaurants...