Simon Prime

While vacationing in Ocean City my boyfriend and I decided to spend an evening further up the coast in AC for a change of pace. Looking for a reasonably priced steakhouse we chose Simon AC, despite it being in the Atlantic Club casino which is one of the lower key casinos toward the end of the boardwalk.
The ambiance was absolutely gorgeous — modern, elegant décor with dazzling chandeliers and wall art. We made a reservation through Open Table — needlessly, judging by the lack of crowd… the restaurant was almost empty. It was a Thursday night so perhaps that’s why? The patrons who were there seemed to be mostly an older (elderly) crowd.
Service was excellent. The hostess greeted us with enthusiasm and our server was on point the entire night.
The food and drinks were very good. Our steaks were cooked to our preferred temperatures, perfectly seasoned and tender. I enjoyed a couple cocktails, particularly the Southern Belle.
I would definitely return here the next time I’m in AC and in the mood for steak.
Also… I don’t know if there was a name change or what but this place is called Simon AC, not Simon Prime.

ok for the start to a loco night in AC. Bad for a quality evening or taking anyone you actually care about.

My visit October 2012 was ok only. The restaurant was not crowded, filet was very good but small, asparagus was roasted to perfection. Wait staff was not very attentive but was effective.

This restaurant is in the Hilton/​Atlantic Palace. I went here for a birthday dinner celebration w/​friends. It took forever to make reservations b/​c their OpenTable account was down & for some reason no one wanted to answer the marketing department line at the restaurant. I can’t blame that on them though, that’s what happens when you are a part of a bigger establishment. Anywho… on to the breakdown.
— The venue: Modern/​Trendy décor. I like. A lot. Dark wood floors. Wonderful chandeliers. Great.
— The staff: The host was great. Apparently my reservation got ‘canceled’ somehow but it turned out not to be a big deal… we were seated immediately. The waiter (Frank) was awesome. Personable… Funny… liked him a lot. He had a lot of tables under his belt that night but still was able to check on us frequently and didn’t miss a beat.
— The food: Good food. Solid flavors. Everything is a la carte, steaks run about $ 25 – 30 and sides are $ 5 each. The offer specials which combine things… crabcake was awesome. My friends are still talking about it. I had a surf & turf combo and so did my boyfriend. Both of our lobsters were a tad overcooked but the steaks were perfection.
All in all, a good-​solid-​fancy-​night out w/​the significant other/​date night restaurant. Would I go again? Probably not. But would I recommend it to someone looking for that ambiance and pricey food tag? Sure thing.

I’ve eaten here several times. And first and foremost, the service staff is among the best I’ve ever encountered. Very friendly and knowledgeable. I love the vibe here. The décor is hip with sofa chairs that are so comfortable that one could easily feel compelled to take a nap after dinner. As for the food, it is very good. French Onion soup was outstanding. The steak was beautifully cooked. The side dishes are beautifully tasty. For dessert, you MUST have the Twice-​baked Banana Bread in hot bourbon toffee sauce with caramel ice cream is quite possibly the best dessert I’ve ever had. But the main reason to go and keep going back is the service.
Also, great Happy Hour spot if your looking to enjoy some cocktails in a classy, laid back spot. Bartenders are awesome.

This restaurant was part of the Hilton’s restaurant overhaul that made its debut last June. It got off to a rocky start with regulars, replacing the classic, elegant Oaks steakhouse with a younger/​hipper feeling one. I’ll admit, I was skeptical. We’ve eaten there 7 or 8 times over the past year and had stopped for the past few months because it was, alright, but not amazing. I will be blunt here in saying that the Hilton needs to put George back as the host for the steakhouse. It’s completely bizzar that he’s down the end in some weird pan asian restaurant and discourages some of the regulars from eating here. I digress– we ate here last night and had a fantastic dinner! I was extremely pleased with the quality of the food. I stringly feel as though it has definitely turned the corner from being a new restaurant still working out the kinks, to a newer restaurant well on its way to establishing a following. My ceasar salad was excellent, my steak was cooked perfectly, my other family members had steak, shrimp, potroast and all commented on their food tasting great and much, much better then when the restaurant first opened. The service is excellent at Simon Prime. I attribute that to them keeping the Oaks waiters who are outstanding and some of the best waiters I’ve ever encountered. (However I still find it ridiculous that they went from wearing tuxedos at The Oaks, to being made to wear jeans and converse sneakers at Simon Prime– it’s a sin to put these people in attire like that and to be honest, I find it insulting that they’d even be asked to dress that way) The vibe in the restaurant is a younger, hipper vibe that actually reminds me a lot of Hoboken with a light blend of a metropolitan feel. I love the colors they used! I’m a huge fan of their décor. At the close of our meal the chef came straight out to our table to inquire about how our meal was. LOVE IT! We didn’t hesitate to let him know how great everything was last night and how happy we were with everything.
I would definitely encourage people to eat at Simon Prime!
Food for Thought:
Simon Prime is the creation of Iron Chef winner, Kerry Simon. He has been dubbed by Rolling Stone magazine as «The Rock and Roll Chef.» Kerry once headed out to a restaurant in Vegas with a few of his musician friends who were denied entery into the restaurant due to their casual attire. Kerry was annoyed by this and therefor keeps a very casual feel at all of his restaurants, making all feel welcome. His motto is «denim to diamonds, we serve everyone.»