Mark's Prime Steakhouse — Restaurant in Ocala

If you want to experience a Five Diamond, Supreme Dining experience then you owe it to yourself to visit Mark's Prime Steakhouse! The Petite Filet is the creme de la creme and by far the best that I've ever had. This is definitely a passionate palate pleaser for those that appreciate the highest quality possible. The Petite Filet is supremely tender, juicy and so flavorful as well as cooked to perfection! The Wood Grilled Salmon served with Dill Beurre Blanc was exquisitely delicious. We had Stemmed Broccoli and Creamed Spinach, Mashed Potatoes and Lettuce Wedge, so fresh, chilled, and crisp topped with fresh ripe tomatoes and crisp bacon crumbles and the blue cheese dressing was phenomenal. The wait staff are impeccably trained, most professional, and very friendly. We applaud Chef Randall, a supremely talented man driven by his passion of creating what I would call the 5 Diamond Delectable Dining Experience, for all his quests. His desert creation today was a chocolate lovers elegance extraordinaire created with a chocolate mouse encapsulated in a thin dark chocolate outer shell and topped with fresh berries and a creatively finished with a raspberry sauce dash and fresh whipped cream. For those of us that adore piping hot fresh baked crusty bread with sweet cream butter, well this was another star in the cascade of flavors, and tastebud titillating experiences to cherish at Mark's Prime Steakhouse. I told the waiter that I would love to take 10 loafs home with me! Then as though that wasn't enough, the whole experience was free from Shawn Santa from Secure Money Strategies. Shawn conducted a First Class, exceptionally informative seminar with a brilliantly entertaining flair. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as they heard all about the latest trends. The topics that he covered in the seminar are so vitally important for a time such as this. We as seniors must have good consulting from a reputable company to assist and help protect and preserve what we've worked hard for all our lives. Plus, a super special thanks to Danielle a server with a heart of gold! My husband lost so much weight during his recent illness, that his wedding ring slipped off his finger. We had just pulled into our driveway when he noticed it missing. I called the restaurant and spoke to Danielle and share our dilemma. She immediately went to search the area where we were sitting and found his ring under the chair that he was sitting in. Oh, how thankful we are for Danielle and her assistance, her honesty, and integrity. When I returned, she welcomed me with a huge smile, and I know that she genuinely felt so happy to have found my husband's ring!

God bless everyone at Mark's Prime Steakhouse, Chef Randell, Server Danielle, Shawn Santa and his son and all their staff from Secure Money Strategies, may God bless you all in Fathomless Measure with good health, safety,...

My wife and I had an experience last night at Mark’s Prime in Ocala that’s worthy of a review. We reserved a booth in the bar area, as we always prefer that location when we dine at Mark’s. We arrived a bit early, and were seated immediately. Our server, Victoria, greeted us and took our orders. She was very friendly and knowledgeable. We got our cocktails, soup and salad and enjoyed it very much. When we were first seated, the bar area wasn’t very loud, but that quickly changed. There were two couples seated at the bar across from our booth that got very loud and dropped F bombs in every sentence…it was clear they were over served. Other couples then arrived, and at that point there was standing room only in the bar area. It was so crowded that people were literally a foot from our booth. Servers could not even get past them with food trying to serve diners at other nearby booths. Our server came back to our table and asked us if we were uncomfortable with the situation and asked if we would like her to speak to her manager about it. We said we didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but maybe he could speak to the people at the bar about being so loud and obnoxious. The manager walked by and stood and observed the people we spoke about. He then came to our booth and said that he understood we had a problem with the noise. We explained again that things were getting so loud we were not even able to carry on a conversation. He offered to move us to another table. Why should we have to move?! It was obvious to us that he did not intend to speak to anybody at the bar, and we asked him to just move on, and we would stay seated where we were. He kept trying to get us to move and I asked him again to just leave, but he remained. I asked him once again to leave and if he wouldn’t, we were going to leave. He then said “Who are you to talk to me that way?” We decided at that point to just leave. This was so disappointing to us, as we’ve dined in that exact location at Mark’s at least 6 to 8 times over the past few years, and never experienced anything like this before. Mark’s is supposed to be a fine dining establishment, but it is evident this is no longer the case. The atmosphere last night was that of a sports bar, and when you’re spending $200 for dinner, you expect the decorum of a fine dining establishment. Mark’s Prime has been scratched off of our list of favorite spots to eat in...

I hope Mark’s Prime and it’s patrons can understand why I took two stars from a 5-star establishment. A phrase I continue to find myself using is: “you can’t have it both ways.”

Mark’s Prime is high quality food and high quality service. Top notch. That said, two very explicit issues stand out.

If Mark’s Prime is presenting itself as “classic” steakhouse; why on earth do you offer an “Old Fashioned” with vermouth and crown royal (Canadian Whiskey?!?)? The very name alone “old fashioned”, should suggest NOT to make YOUR version of it. Sugar Cube, 3-4 dashed of bitters, rim glass with orange swath, Rye Whiskey...you know, an “Old Fashioned”. After choosing not to order any cocktails, I asked my server what beers were available. I wish I could tell you what his response was because the first beer he said was (and I quote): “Mich Ultra” (not Michelob...”mich”) This is steakhouse, and an adult male in his mid-40s asked what beer was available and the lead out the gate was “mich ultra”? I’m not kidding when I say I didn’t hear another offering because it threw me for a loop. So I just had to ask, do you have ANY IPA offerings? Jai Alai is produced in Florida. SwampHead and Infinite Ale are both local brewers in the “backyards” of both Gainesville and Ocala. None of these were available, but “Mich ultra”...at a steakhouse?

The second issue is that Marks Prime is presented as “upscale”. Higher end menu. Nice decor. Valet parking. I understand that this is 2019 and everybody’s money spends the same, but there were customers wearing t-shirts, flip flops and jeans INSIDE. As I stated at the top, you can’t have it both ways. It’s hard for me to see $60 wagyu delmonico, where the chef is requesting that it not be ordered over medium rare and look across at the other table and there’s a guy in a T-shirt and flip flops. Marks Prime has an outdoor section. Why isn’t there a minimum dress code for inside?

I did order the waygu delmonico medium rare and it was 5-star all the way. Our appetizer was exquisite. The blue cheese salad exceeded my expectations. The twice baked potato was large enough for two of us to share. We had a great dinner and our bill reflected the MEAL and SERVICE, but you can’t have it both ways. A classic, upscale steakhouse should meet ALL areas...