Southern Prime Steakhouse — Restaurant in Southern Pines

Bottom line: the service, cocktails, ambience, steak, and ice cream were great. Everything else was average and needed salt, but the table salt was iodized, not kosher or sea salt. For the price, I wouldn’t come back. See below for more info.

Ill start off by saying that the server was 5 stars. I believe it was Craig or Greg? Amazing service from start to finish, and the ambience/location is great on top of that.

Came here with my wife to have a special meal for our 6 month wedding anniversary and unfortunately left disappointed. Nothing about the food was special. Everything besides the steak tasted completely unseasoned and needed salt. For this price, i shouldn’t have to season the food myself. I’d understand slightly undersalting food to allow for taste, but that’s not at all what was going in here, this was like they really didnt put any salt on the sides at all. And I get that times are tight, but iodized salt in a $20+ per plate steakhouse? Really? Its a steakhouse, let’s get kosher salt or sea salt on the table, especially if I’m going to have to use it for 90% of the menu items.

The food varied as far as quality. The bread and butter were great, the steak was really good (although nobody asked to me to check if it was cooked correctly before they left the table, that is standard practice when steak is served even at places like outback and texas roadhouse). the steak fries, market vegetables, and brussel sprouts were good; nothing special, all of it definitely needed a good amount of salt. For the price, they need to have this seasoning thing figured out. Presentation was non-existent for this plate apart for a scallion on top of the steak, the food was just put on the plate and served.

My wife ordered the misto salad with salmon. The salad itself was very small for the price, and not well balanced. It also came in a roughly 4 inch wide filo pastry cup on a full size dinner plate which was just strange. The salmon came on a separate plate on the side and was great.

We shared the seasonal cobbler and it was very lame, like they didnt cook the peaches enough so they were watery and firm still, and the topping was soggy and bland, and too uniform in texture. The homemade ice cream that came with it was really really great though.

The old fashioned was delicious as well, and they had real bourbon cherries. Kudos to the bartender and waitstaff! The espresso was weak and had no crema at all.

For this price point, the meal was very disappointing. For a $45 plate of food I’d ideally be seeing consistenly good presentation, steaks consistently cooked to order, vegetables al dente but not undercooked, above average quality on everything, and no additional seasoning being necessary. Based off my experience and the reviews, that isn’t the case here. Had It cost $15-30 a head rather than $60, I’d be happy. For $60 a head, there’s a much...

Ok so the complaints you’re seeing about food being bland must depend on what you actually order. Dry aged ribeye 🔥 mushrooms 🔥 that creamed spinach was a hard no for me. Filet mignon… amazing that potato 🥔 .. was literally a potato. Berries & Cream…. Really good… however it’s too much whip cream so “pro tip” ask for a side of ice cream and just scoop a good hunk of the whip cream out and replace it with ice cream 🔥. Lobster Rangoon…. Might be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my entire life….. entire life! The short rib had no flavor. So I’d say you just have to order the right stuff. Ms. Ashley (bartender) was hands down the best I’ve seen. If I had a bar / restaurant I’d poach her right from this place. I watched her handle a full bar with dine in, drink after drink and still cranking out drinks for the entire restaurant which was almost full…. (Katt Williams Voice) “By Her MF Self”. I watched her ask for help and not get it. She didn’t complain… she cranked it out with a smile and not a single person at the bar was upset when she apologized for the wait. I did gloss over a review or two about a guy who was rude… pretty sure that’s the owners son… Gotta say he’s… well… let’s just say lacking in social graces. The entire bar was like what’s this guys problem when she asked him for literally anything. Some more martini glasses… ignored her twice… some sour cream and butter for her to go order… answered with an attitude that they were already in there….. they weren’t…. It was my order. But through it all she persevered and didn’t complain even when the whole bar said “man… that guys a (Richard)” So big ups to Ashley. Overall….. this place is really really good, no place is gonna have a menu where every single thing is to die for that being said…. The stuff that is good…. Is some next level good. Place is classy, clean and I felt welcomed immediately. One of my new favorite spots. I literally went two days in a row….. and if they were open at 11 am I'd be heading there right now. I spent a lot but, I order expensive drinks 🤷🏽‍♂️. If you’re coming with a group your probably going to want to make a reservation. They are busy even on a Tuesday. If it’s just one or two of you hit the Bar and get there right when they open. They had over 100 reservations on a Wednesday…. No place that’s bad…. Does that well. Go.. you'll love it. Get...

I’m a foodie. I love trying new places. My husband knows this so he made reservations here for our anniversary. We had 8:30 reservations, we arrived at approx 8:35. We were seated immediately. They sat us at a table that’s in the direct path of entering the dining area. So close to the door I could feel the wind each time the door opened, basically beside the hostess section. Weird choice for a reservation made for an anniversary, which they knew because the table was decorated with happy anniversary confetti. But SP is a small community, perhaps they cater to “regulars”👱‍♂️, and with the confetti i didn’t want to make a fuss to move so I sucked up my “romantic dinner” by the door, with every patron, waitress, hostess having to pass by to enter the dining area. Time goes by, now we’re at over 10 min and despite sitting almost close enough to the hostess area I can look them in their faces, and several staff members walking past several times. We have not even been greeted, “to say someone will be right with you”. It was obvious and with a couple👱‍♂️👩‍🦳, that was seated after us already being serviced. I asked someone politely as they passed for the 20th time, “ can you see who is supposed to help us”? After about 15min a young lady came dropped bread and butter but didn’t say a word (strange). Finally a polite young lady came to the table apologized and stated there was a mix up on who was going to be our sever…um..yeah..ok. I’m sure the only 👩🏽👨🏽couple in here, with a reservation, in the most CONSPICUOUS table in the restaurant were easy to miss. Nonetheless the waitress that I assume drew the short straw was knowledgeable, efficient, and polite. The food was fresh, hot, and overall tasty, outside of the Mac & cheese. We left a generous tip and my husband thanked her for “helping us”…kind of made me sad that my husband who researched a place, was more then capable of paying and leaving a generous tip would have to thank someone for helping us..idk it was just the way he said it and the way I felt. I don’t usually write reviews but paying your hard earned money and walking away feeling like you aren’t treated as well as others just didn’t sit...