Bourbon Prime — Restaurant in Morgantown

I visited for the first time yesterday. Had popped into building during renovations several times.

Pros: Overall deco theme carries over into the tableware. Nice, interesting touch. Not high-end, but not rustic...unique, modern twist, yet does reflect the efforts to incorporate "Appalachian" connection.

Wonderful, attentive staff-everyone from hostess, barkeep, to waitstaff was making a genuine effort. My waiter was personable, friendly, not intrusive, and paid attention! BTW, I, for my part, liked the big, single ice-chunk in my bar drink.

Outdoor dining option is nice, but it's a personal preference, so I am a tad biased. Outdoor table designed for 2 was nicely-sized, so as not to crowd the diners with dishes.

Room for improvement: Internet presentation of website? Might want to have an English major check for basic language pitfalls. I did mention it to the manager ;) Shade cloths to provide reprieve from afternoon/setting sun would be welcome. Although there is really nothing that can be done about it, future outdoor diners be aware of the fact that the bike trail is close enough for eye contact between walkers and diners. Railing around outdoor dining area is high, and substantial (I am sure, for safety), but sort of blocks the view of the water a little, depending on your height. Still nice to look over the valley, though... Outdoor space is not really separated from extended hotel patio...could be improved with architectural objects? planters? etc, to give visual separation? Design theme of space intent is noted, but dining room seems strangely placed comingled with lounge area. For a place trying to reflect higher-quality and hopefully some level of ambiance, the dining room could feel a little more exclusive, and possibly allow for a little more privacy (visual), even for groups. Booths are adequate for that, I guess, but have to revisit in cold season to see how it feels. Water in bottles tableside is "cool" as such, but maybe keep it on ice or a cooler...? Warmed up a bit as I sat there... Not sure, if I liked the slats in the patio tables...could easily lose a utensil.

Food was nice. Cornbread stood out. Filet was well-prepared, however, sadly I seemed to taste that it had been frozen at some point--was a little watery (I ordered medium-rare, it was a bit on the medium side, but that was alright). Beet appetizer was great! Nice combination of flavors; pistachios added an almost elegant, smokey surprise. Brussel sprouts tried too hard. They were "well done", almost too crispy. Flavor was not particularly unique, just basic. I really think that recipe and prep style can be improved upon.

Now, as far as the menu choices: I have a personal pet peeve on presenting seasonal items at their seasonal time. Asparagus with the steak is great, but seeing asparagus (early spring veggie) and brussel sprouts (decidedly fall & winter veggie) on the menu at the same time made me feel like a "time traveler". I am not sure, if that makes sense.

Sooo...sides with the steak can be more deliberate, and definitely local, as well.

That's all that comes to mind.

Overall I was happy I went. ...

My boyfriend and I wanted to try something different in town and decided on Bourbon Prime. We made reservations prior to coming and then realized that we needed to adjust our time. We attempted to change reservations online and we were unsuccessful and attempted to call. Needless to say, no one answered the phone. However, we decided that we would like to try out the restaurant. Upon arrival, it wasn’t that busy. When walking in, we didn’t know where to go and no one acknowledged us. We found a worker and asked about our reservation. They were unable to find it, but they were able to seat us. After sitting for a few minutes, the waitress came over to take our order. Everything was fine at the moment. We had our water and drinks. As time passed, our food was very slow to come out. The waitress didn’t check to see if all was well. When she decided to check on us - after about 20mins, she proceeded to say - “Did I offer you guys bread” ?!?? No you didn’t. So the bread came out, but no food for another 20mins. She then proceeded to come back and say “I apologize for the wait on your food, the cooks were slammed earlier and they finally found time to “chillax” so they are “chillaxing” at the moment, but your food will be out shortly. Once the food arrived, it wasn’t very hot. It was just ok in temperature. After eating, the waitress never returned to refill the water or ask if we wanted any other drinks. I had to ask her to refill my water. After eating, she asked if my boyfriend wanted another drink. He said yes and she asked if we were interested in having dessert. We said yes. She returns and says “I’m sorry, the chefs are being really lazy on fixing your dessert, I will not charge you.” She then forgets to bring the drink for several minutes and then asks if we were ready for the check. We said yes. Then after it was over, she apologized for the behavior of the cooks without acknowledging her poor service as a waitress. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting this type of experience, but now that we know, we will not return. I only gave a rating of 2 stars for the quality of food and drinks. We ordered the New York strip and the Steak Frites. Two bourbon drinks and some other drink that I can’t remember. The dessert was a lemon/raspberry creme brûlée. Mediocre at it’s best - the caramelized portion of the brûlée was burned. They lack professionalism. If that improves, maybe we would have had a...

Bourbon Prime may be the most overrated restaurant in Morgantown right along with the hotel it sits in, but that’s another story. I only leave negative reviews if the service is truly awful and after my ongoing issues with this restaurant here’s my honest take. The food was horrible, the most bland French onion soup I’ve ever had. The rosemary focaccia prime sub was over powered by and tasted only of rosemary but not to worry I found 2 hairs baked in to it, so at least I didn’t have to finish it. The fries were over seasoned to the point of being inedible. The cook is over compensating, trying to be trendy and maybe mask that some of the food is frozen instead of fresh? but regardless the menu is a huge failure. The steak was cooked beautifully but it was rested in a “cream sauce” that was so thin it appeared to be more of a seasoned milk. This was part of the steak frites meal… I guess chef missed the memo that frites means fries, we got some mushy pre cooked potatoes floating in the milk instead. The staff seems annoyed to be there, in person and when answering the phone, and who wouldn't be in an outdated, cold, mostly empty restaurant. While the bartenders look like your typical hipster liquor enthusiast, they are pouring the same mid level cocktail you can get anywhere at an exaggerated price. To say the least we are unimpressed with Bourbon Prime and would not return but this was not enough for me to write a review. The problem comes from a charge to my bank card that has been pending for 3 weeks and has required 3 phone calls to Bourbon Primes management team and is still not resolved. Morgantown has few good restaurants, Bourbon Prime does not make the list, try your luck somewhere else. After spending $80 on the worst meal I’ve had in a long time, I’d like the other $40 they have been holding on to for...