The Prime Smokehouse: Barbecue & Beyond — Restaurant in Rocky Mount

My family and I visited Prime Steakhouse in Rocky Mount, NC for what was meant to be a joyful, celebratory lunch in honor of a special occasion. We had a 1:30 PM reservation and weren’t seated until 2:00 PM a noticeable delay, yes, but one we accepted graciously, knowing it was graduation weekend and restaurants were likely under pressure.

From the start, the atmosphere buzzed with the kind of anticipation that accompanies meaningful gatherings. The hum of conversation, the clink of silverware, the low lighting it all promised a good meal to come. And our server, Katie, brought a much-needed warmth and energy to the table. She was attentive without hovering, genuinely kind, and carried herself with the calm poise of someone who truly cares about her guests' experience. Thank you, Katie, for being the bright spot of the day.

For my meal, I ordered the grilled shrimp cocktail and the gumbo. The shrimp cocktail arrived first bright, plump shrimp with a delicate char and a punchy, citrus-forward flavor that danced on my palate. It was delightful, fresh, and exactly what I hoped for.

But then came the gumbo.

As someone who has spent years traveling the world and sampling gumbo from street corners in New Orleans to fine dining spots abroad, I was eager for a rich, layered broth, smoky sausage, the slow-building heat of Cajun spice, and that deep, soulful flavor that warms you from the inside out. Instead, I was met with a bowl that emitted a sharp, fishy odor and tasted flat and underseasoned. There was no warmth, no balance just a pungent reminder that something had gone very wrong in the kitchen.

Quietly, and without complaint, I asked Katie if she could remove the dish. I emphasized that I wasn’t asking for a replacement or a refund I simply didn’t want to eat it. I explained, too, that I was severely jetlagged after a 25-hour flight and wasn’t in any condition to fuss. Katie, with her usual grace, offered to have something packed for me to-go instead, and I accepted, thinking the issue was resolved.

What happened next was, frankly, shocking.

The owner, Chef Ed, approached our table with the returned dish in hand. He placed it back in front of me like a courtroom exhibit and, without a trace of empathy or tact, began questioning me. His tone was sharp, his posture defensive, and his words “It’s our best seller” were wielded not as information, but as a dismissal. He cut me off mid-sentence, talked atme instead of with me, and treated my opinion as if it were a threat rather than a personal observation.

It was humiliating.

In that moment, I wasn’t a customer. I was a problem to be handled. And despite never raising my voice, never asking for compensation, and doing everything in my power to keep the exchange low-key, I was met with condescension and incredulity from the very person who should be setting the standard for hospitality.

What could have been a minor hiccup an unremarkable blip in an otherwise celebratory afternoon became a defining, uncomfortable moment. A confrontation over a bowl of gumbo that no guest should have to endure.

Katie did everything she could to salvage the experience, but Ed’s behavior negated her efforts completely. It left a bitter taste far worse than the gumbo itself.

I write this not out of malice, but in the hope that future guests are treated with the basic dignity and respect that every diner deserves. And I hope the ownership reflects on what kind of environment they’re cultivating because no matter how popular a dish may be, respectful service is what truly brings people back.

We won’t be returning. But I sincerely hope others have a better experience, and that Katie who exemplifies grace under pressure is recognized for her...

Me and my wife had dinner there on the fourth of this month which was a Saturday and we thought we try something new well lol I watched the head chef at this place cause absurd about his food because he got upset because the guy from the table cross from me, wanted to explain to him that he didn’t think the food was season well and he wanted to get something else The chef took that as an offense, the chef started to verbally assault the family because they just made him know they wanted to try something different. This was the problem was he decided that he wasn’t going to prepare anything different for them and he wanted to try to make a big scene about it and telling them that they had to pay for what he fixed them and that was it and they’re gonna pay, I thought that was very unprofessional such a lovely restaurant and such unprofessionalism by the head chef. Also, he got into a verbal confrontation with the man’s daughter at the table telling her she needs to stay in her place wow can’t believe that took place. I was so upset to see that he wouldn’t let the gentleman finish talking when he was trying to calmly explain what was wrong with the food. He said I just didn’t like the food and the chef Ed would not let the gentleman finish a sentence he didn’t ask him. I just just want to get something else to eat and I’ll pay for that. I don’t wanna pay for the food that I don’t like chef it then said to him that he was gonna pay for the food that he fixed for him because that was award-winning food and I was like wow so his opinion matters over the person is tasting the food. I had the brisket and the collard greens the food was not seasoned at all. The collard greens supposed to have turkey and there was none. The brisket had no flavor and the sauce that I didn’t want on the brisket nor was I ask if I wanted some was not good as well. I look at the menu again it shows no sauce on the brisket. The food was not nasty, but it was an unpleasant taste for what I was paying for this time started to get loud with the customers and the customers then proceeded to pay and leave. I don’t know why did he made a big scene but they were trying to leave calmly but he at the door, he made it even bigger ruckus trying to embarrass while they were trying to leave out the building. This restaurant has a very beautiful ambience and it’s terrible that the employees there do not take the people they pay their salaries Sirius and being more apologetic. I understand he didn’t wanna take the food back, but they should make that policy Customer decide if they want to eat there or not I myself will not be returning. I hope the rest of the partners taking consideration his behavior and do something about it because this is not the first time that this happened at this location. Chef Ed conducted himself as a childish individual, not as a business owner at all. I will never come back to this place again, or recommend it to anybody else until they get their act togethers This’d behavior of him going from table to table was a nuisance as well when he was trying to prove a point to the table across from me, all I wanted to do was have a quiet quiet evening...

We were visiting from Ohio and took our beautiful NC family out for dinner. I had not checked prior to making a reservation to see that this location was handicapped accessible as it has been a very long time since I have visited a place that was not. Parking is far away. If you park across the street in a gravel lot and walk through the grass or a maze of sidewalks you may be ok. There is a designated drop off spot in a half circle drive, but an older person would need to scale at least 20 steep stairs to be dropped off there. There is no close drop off spot and anyone with a wheelchair, a walker, vision problems, or those that can’t walk very far will be challenged even from the gravel lot. The location is stunning. Decorated beautifully and definitely felt elevated. The hostess was warm and got us seated right away. It was within minutes that the chef and co-owner greeted us at our table. We ordered chicken tenders and fried green tomatoes as appetizers. We were so excited to hear that they were locally sourced from a reverend and farmer that our family knew. They were heavenly to all of us. What a wonderful menu they have. There are so many choices! I knew everyone could find something they wanted and they did! We placed our order After that, we noticed that it was taking a long time to have our drinks refilled and we didn’t see our server very often. Another person stopped by to help sometimes and get refills but we think that the restaurant only had a few servers working and they were really serving so many tables. We decided to not complain because you could tell they were working as hard as they could. The chef stopped in again to say hello and the server stopped by to let us know our food would be coming out shortly. We had already made it to over an hour since our order was placed. After about 40 more minutes our food finally arrived and everyone LOVED their food. Of our party of 8, 4 of us got the 3 meat combo, 2 got the salmon, 1 got the rib platter, and 1 got the prime rib. Most meals come with 2 sides and they did not disappoint either. The mac and cheese and au gratin potatoes tasted similarly delicious. The collard greens were perfection, the seasoned fries and fresh fruit cup made my son’s heart sing, the broccoli was well cooked and delicious, and the ginger orange yams were reported to be delightful. Although our wait for our food was lengthy, it seemed the wait was the same for all patrons. The staff stayed kind and attentive. It was worth the wait! We walked away with pounds and pounds of leftovers to enjoy over the next few days. We had someone with a walker in our party and it was quite challenging for her to navigate the walk. We had another party member fall over the stairs as it’s not well lit in that area on the walk to the gravel lot. It would be wonderful it they could figure out an accessible route for patrons. If they do, we...