Prime Italian — Restaurant in Miami Beach

Date of Visit: May 18, 2024

Occasion: Lunch after my daughter’s graduation

Party Size: 10-12 people

Server: Hallie

Experience:

Our experience at Prime Italian was disappointing, to say the least. We were a party of 10-12 people celebrating a special occasion. Upon arrival, we were surprised to find our table set up in front of the kitchen, which was an open space with no doors, exposing us to the hot ovens. Not great under normal conditions but this day, the A/C was not working and it was very hot in the restaurant despite all the restaurant doors being opened and the big, makeshift portable A/C unit next to our table (that wasn’t on for some reason).

Our server, Hallie, seemed visibly annoyed from start to finish. It was unclear if her frustration was due to having to take our party of 10-12 or the unbearable heat in the dining room. Despite our empathy towards her situation, the annoyance should have been ours for the following reasons:

No Working A/C: An upscale restaurant without functioning air conditioning on one of the hottest days of the month is unacceptable. Poor Table Placement: Our table was set up in front of the hot kitchen despite the restaurant being nearly empty, with plenty of other seating options available. Passive-Aggressive Service: Our server’s attitude was consistently unprofessional and very unwelcoming.

Service Issues:

Lack of Water: We were never served water despite multiple requests. Slow Drink Service: Drinks took an exceptionally long time to arrive, even though the restaurant was not busy. Insufficient Bread: Bread was requested several times and finally arrived with the food, defeating its purpose as an appetizer. Missing Chicken: One guest ordered fettuccine alfredo with chicken but received it without chicken. When this was brought to the server’s attention, she argued that the chicken was not requested, which was incorrect.

Quality of Food:

While the food was generally enjoyable, the overall experience was tainted by the poor service and uncomfortable environment. The kitchen did a great job with the food, except for the fettuccine alfredo mishap.

Final Straw:

When the bill came, we were eager to leave due to the heat and discomfort. Our server’s demeanor remained sh*tty. She became visibly frustrated when asked if we could split the bill between two or three cards. In hindsight, looking at the bill more thoroughly would have revealed charges for the bread that we weren’t informed about and an additional charge for a plain piece of chicken brought out after we finished eating (that was just thrown away).

Recommendation:

Prime Italian’s management should address the A/C issues, ensure proper table placement, and train staff to maintain a professional and pleasant demeanor, even under challenging conditions. A gesture of goodwill, such as a discount or an apology for the lack of A/C, would have gone a long way in improving our experience.

Takeaway:

I cannot recommend Prime Italian based on this experience. The lack of air conditioning, poor service, and overall uncomfortable environment overshadowed the quality...

We had a reservation for 9:30 PM. We were 15 minutes late due to traffic and parking difficulty, so we did not get seated until 10:10 PM, and not inside as reserved (Thank god it was a breezy summer night). If you read all the reviews, you will find that even if you are on time, you are most probably not going to be seated on time and you are going to have an annoying wait. The Hostess was under a lot of stress, but handled it well.

The place is a Miami Hot Spot and is overbooked, crowd-congested and not relaxing at all. Imagine getting dressed up for a night on the town, being seated near the bar or the front door, and having people hovering over your table waiting for their table.

We sat at the bar for about 15 minutes before the bartender even noticed us. And he wasn't rude, but, he wasn't very friendly either. He finally gave us an on-line menu, but he never asked us for an order.

We sat down and our waitress was very nice, but she looked exhausted. The busboy was actually more service-oriented and replaced our full loaf of bread without hesitation. He also brought water to the table and lemons and limes, just as we requested.

Now, the good part. The bread was simply the best in town and was worthy of being a meal. Crusty on the outside, warm and soft on the inside and smothered in olive oil, butter, garlic and parmesan.

The chicken parmesan was the largest portion I've ever been served in a restaurant and was tenderized and sauteed to perfection. The Italian sauce was real and authentic, sweetened a bit with wine, and outstanding. The top was lightly sprinkled with fresh basil for a nice finishing touch.

We ordered a house salad, but we were served Caeser salad instead. It was a generous portion, absolutely amazing and we did not complain or mind the mix up.

For desert, we ordered an oversized "Yodel", which is yodel cake, topped with hardened chocolate icing and then rolled and filled with marshmallow. Whoever dreamed up this decadent dessert must be a culinary genius.

Although the atmosphere was congested and average, and the service is not nearly what you'd expect for what they charge, the food and culinary experience was simply divine. Not that I'm nosey, but I also managed to to sneak a peak at other dishes being served, and we can't wait to return and try EVERYTHING on the menu.

Suggestion, if you don't want to wait, arrive when they open, visit during the week, or arrive after 11:00 PM on the weekend.

Further, we'd love to return and give you a 5-star rating. However, that would require improvement in service and atmosphere.

Service = 75/100 Food quality = 99/100 Atmosphere = 70/100

Total...

Good service, nice ambiance...but for a "prime" Italian venue....misses the mark in many areas! So the folks at Prime 112..(not worth the time, price or experience in my opinion, better choices for steak in the area) opened an Italian venue that blends between a steak house, Italian and sea food venue. I applaud the effort however...missing the high end entirely. For the prices and what they claim to be, no white linen, quick to move from course to course without care or if you're finished. All be it the staff is nice, they are non challant in keeping up with a schedule to turn a table. We are not on a schedule...relax...there is a reason why we may have chosen you to find. Use this as your time to shine. The place..tight on space and borderline uncomfortable. I get it...prime real estate makes you want to maximize your $/square foot yield but trust me...you'd be packed with a month long wait list if you where a bit looser on the space and other items. The food is decently prepared though some items overcooked. Veal chop, chicken parm and sausage in the pasta can't seem to be cooked to the proper temperature or done ness. Seasoning is good and nit over powering. The bread and marinara at the start is a nice touch and well prepared. Some portion sizes are large and meant to be shared...Cesar salad, however lacking flavor...Cesar salad! Shrimp is overcooked as it was gummy but meatballs were done correctly. Drinks are measured to ensure maximum yield per oz. or perhaps consistency. The wait staff is cordial and attentive. The food...though unimaginative, over priced for the quality. NOTHING to brag about other than decent. Ok, perhaps I'm being a bit harsh...its good but not impressive by any means. The beautify of Italian food is its simplicity. This...seams to have been over prepared and over thought. Or rather just put together consistently but showing little imagination. Overall...its a nice place to go but not a top choice for a fine dining venue considering the product resembles that of a local neighborhood no frills Italian restaurant. Suggestion ..focus on what you want to be and prepare it to perfection. Be different than the rest and create your own niche to become the destination to dine. May return though...