Prime Italian Steakhouse and Bar

Outstanding food, gracious hosts, excellent waitstaff. Husband and I got salads topped with salmon & chicken, fresh and good sized. Kids both got pasta bolognese, they thought delicious, i thought the sauce was a bit too heavy. All in all a very good experience.

So disappointed with our dinner tonight. I’m giving three stars because I enjoyed brunch recently. We so wanted to love this place for dinner. Sat outside on a beautiful evening to celebrate Grandma’s birthday. The prime martini was delish and made me look forward to the rest of the experience. The selections all sounded good and deciding was tough. The spicy sausage and peppers with pappardelle was a disgrace especially for the price. Over cooked pasta glued together in a red mound with thin half slices of sausage and little bits of peppers hidden throughout the dense mess. Definitely looked like leftovers. The banana peppers were pungent but so was the balsamic drizzle. A lot of sour going on. 3 in our party got the grizzle. I mean the New York strip. Cooked to their liking but low quality beef. Our lucky dog has treats for days. Grandma got the shrimp puttanesca. Poor birthday girl. The shrimp had the strong flavor of spending too long in the freezer and it sat atop a mountain of overlooked pasta. Ack! I would be open to trying this place again if not for the sky high prices. Loved the outdoor seating and the kind man (owner?) who was so helpful when we arrived. Plus the great martini. But $ 35 for a bad steak is a Prime Crime!

Outstanding! All four of us loved our meals (Encrusted Tuna,
Veal, Chicken, and pasta with sausage). Our experience was enhanced by the lovely ambience and the delightful personality of our waiter Josh.

So not impressed with this place. They have NYC prices but the food is NOT NYC standards. The food was just Meh… The ambiance was nice, with the photos on the walls… I had ordered a Ketel One Martini with 3 olives, and the olives had pits in them… Get some cocktail olives please!
Anyway…If I’m ever in Lenox again, I’d definitely skip this place.

Went to Prime a couple of nights ago with some friends for pre-​theater dinner. We had eaten at Zinc a few weeks ago and our friends thought this would be a good choice, and we agreed, remembering that there had been a nice home-​style Italian restaurant next door a few years back and thinking that, perhaps this was the same ownership just moved next door.
Once in the door (the pleasant patio with the unobstructed view of the laundromat was full), one can immediately see that the owners poured lots of money into the décor. There is a full bar on the left and, in the middle of the room, a couple of small «chambres d’assignation,» small private rooms where you can dine in semi-​intimacy with your best friend’s spouse. Just sayin’.
We were seated at a six-​top (that’s restaurant-​speak for a table for six — don’t ask me why, I have no idea, but wanted this revue to seem especially authentic) by the front window. It was a little cramped, but the company was funny and intelligent so that more than made up for the good news/​bad news about the actual food and service.
So, good news first. The company was funny and intelligent and some of the food was actually very good, and some of the food was entirely lacking and some just sort of lacking. I’m just going to describe the dishes and the diner’s reactions, not who ate what:
Calamari starter — meh. Calamari were good but sauce was inappropriate and strange. The Capresi salad was mis-​represented by the waitress. I had asked whether the tomatoes were really vine-​ripe, as advertised. She swore that they were and they were her «favorite.» I should have know right then to avoid it. I have never had a waiter/​waitress recommendation turn out well (if they were that knowledgeable about food, they should be working in the back of the house, no?) The tomatoes were NOT and I repeat NOT vine ripe by my standards. They were barely beyond green. Otherwise, the mozzarella was OK, but not Fairway-​fresh standard. The Gennaro salad, on the other hand, was excellent. So, props there.
On to mains: the Veal Parm, which I consider the true baseline (after bread — about which more later) of a Southern Italian/​Americano menu was actually not bad. The veal portion was generous (unlike another Italian restaurant arond the corner which I review elsewhere), the melted mozzarella nice and gooey, and the breaded/​parm crust a bit too sauteed. The side of fettuccine Bolognese was quite good! The Sausage a la Gennaro was skimpy on the sausage and heavy on the pasta — so you’re warned. The roasted Sea Bass was «perfect.» The fish was tender and the crust was crisp. Very nice. So shout out to the kitchen. The heavily-​touted gnocci was promoted by the waitress (again — why listen?) with the White Pesto Bolognese sauce rather than the quite-​good normal Bolognese. This missed the mark: the gnocci tasted like they came out of a bag at the Price Chopper, but they would be worth another try with the plain Bolognese. The Rib Eye steak looked more like a NY Strip than a Rib Eye. It didn’t appear to be well-​marbled and was pronounced disappointing.
And the bad news? Well, the bread thing again. The bread was inferior. Period. I don’t know why they serve such stuff, but it tasted like they made it from low-​gluten flour: it fell apart and had a weak texture. Ugh.
And to finish it off, we had to send the Crème Brulee back. It came out gooey and gloppy and soupy and sloppy. Yechh. But for this, I might have given it another star.
And our server was just weird.
All in all, the company made the meal. We might give it another try next year with considerably lowered expectations. Otherwise, we’ll stick to the Old Mill Inn in Egremont.

Just to start, I’ll let you know that my boyfriend and I paid $ 50 for a meal consisting of:
— pasta with tasteless bolognese sauce
— a salty burger with no aioli or sauce aside from ketchup
— 2 tap waters
The complaint:
Our server was all over the place, answered questions about the food incorrectly, and was generally a mess. I ended up ordering a side of sweet potato sticks, because he led me to believe they were somehow different than fries (and they couldn’t substitute them for the fries — even for an up-​charge). The sweet potato sticks were bad, unseasoned, and absolutely just fries.
Everyone on the patio was muttering about the slow service and inattention to detail. The managers were walking around providing minimal damage control, and we could tell things we’re not going well.
My boyfriend ordered the signature gnocchi dish, and some of the noodles were undercooked and gooey. We weren’t quite sure if we were mistaking them for cheese so we asked the female manager for clarification. She took the dish back saying that they should not be like this and asked him to pick another item. He picked an item and the server came back 5 min later to say it would take 25 min so instead my boyfriend requested just something quick and good (as I was already eating). The server recommended the regular bolognese pasta, it came out almost immediately.
Unfortunately this pasta was disappointing as well. It was salty but not very flavorful somehow, even though this was supposed to be the same sauce as was on the gnocchi.
At this point we just wanted out. We asked for the check, it came but had all the wrong items. The server took it back and the male manager came by to check on us. My boyfriend said he wanted to give feedback. He started by expressing understanding that restaurant seemed to be having a rough night and then explained his frustration with the dishes, and I jumped in and explained my frustration. However, the managed wouldn’t let me talk until I asked him to listen — which allowed him to turn it around and make me look like the jerk. I reiterated that we were just trying to offer feedback, and he asked (brusquely) what he could do to make it right. We said it was fine, but he insisted on taking off the charge for my boyfriend’s meal. We thanked him. However, he then returned and said that he had spoken to his server and heard his story, and that he «could not» take off the meal, as they’d already provided another meal.
Right, because the manager has no control over these things.
We will not be returning, and I will be telling everyone I know about this terrible experience and the low quality of food and service we received.

The gnocchi is to die for, some of the best pasta we’ve had. Chicken florentine and chicken gondola delicious, wow! Overall, great experience.

Been here a few times recently. Like the veal chop on special, red sauce is really great and good cocktails. Owner is attentive and present. Call ahead and reserve the private booths. Nice touch.

Don’t tell me the mussels are gluten free when they are served on chunks of bread. Get educated.

This was a very disappointing, and overpriced experience. For the last night of our family reunion and vacation, we decided to try a more upscale restaurant, and chose this one. An unfortunate mistake. First, we were a party of 8, with a reservation. When we arrived the hostess attempted to seat us in an enclosed room, but with separate tables. When we requested to be seated at the same table, she attempted to convince us that separate tables were better (?). Finally they arranged a table for all of us, but it took awhile and alot of pushing.
The food is quite expensive, and is billed as «Italian Steakhouse». My daughter ordered the gnocchi with pesto sauce. The gnocchi were OK, but the sauce was awful-​so salty that it was barely edible. I am not a gourmet cook, but my pesto is worlds better (and much cheaper). I ordered my all time favorite Italian pasta with white clam sauce, for a whopping $ 22.Actually, if it had been well made, it would have been worth that. I knew it was bad when it arrived. UNlike usual white clam sauce which is clear, this was a brown, congealed sauce that looked like gravy. It was awful. The clams were extremely gritty, and the sauce was thick, seemed to be made from a roux, and had barely any flavor. The others of us who ordered steak seemed OK with their meal, so maybe that is the one thing that is safe to order there.
On top of it all, every question we asked the wait person about the food, she was unable to answer, and had to go into the kitchen to check.
Save your money.

Might have been 3.5 if that was possible. For a touristy restaurant I was ready for worse. Ribeye was pretty good. Not real steakhouse level but nice piece of meat cooked to temperature $ 32. Bronzini was roasted nicely $ 28. On the negative gnocchi were swimming in thin tomato sauce that was supposed to be Bolognese $ 22. Clams were served on top of layers of bread to make it look like a full dish I counted 8 clams sauce was too salty but tasty $ 14. Our server was a very nice lady but I don’t think she ever worked in a high end Retaurant. She knew very little about the menu and how things were prepared running back and forth. I blame the owners /​management for lack of training. If some of the other places like Alto or Zinc are full as they were tonight it was not bad as a fall back. Great Patio dinning. Nice private booths inside. Our party of six were overall satisfied and happy.

Our family recently moved to Lenox. Tonight we decided to dine at Prime for our 16^th wedding anniversary and it was divine. Gennaro and his Mom were gracious hosts and our server Courtney was professional and yet very genuine. I started the night out with a delicious Malbec, that reminded me to simply relax and enjoy some down time with my hubby. Being new to the area, we were pleasantly surprised when Gennaro brought us mini tastings of many of Prime’s specialties. My personal favorites were the homemade gnocchi with Bolognese, and the crab cakes with aioli sauce. Let’s put it this way, I was glad I wore my linen pants with the elastic waist! My hubby also really liked the crab cakes and a Italian sausage/​meatball combination, as did I. The bread with butter was dense, rustic, and very flavorful. When our dinners arrived, my veal Florentine was tender with the perfect amount of sauce. My sides of garlic mashed potatoes and cucumber dill salad were tasty as well. Hubby had the steak of the day and said it was tasty. I love the décor of the restaurant. From outside it fits classic New England town look, while inside I felt as if «Old Blue Eyes» himself might pop over and sit with us in our red leather booth! I like that the restaurant can be intimate enough for a «date night» but also comfortable for simply a group of family a/​o friends to enjoy a quality meal with great service. I look forward to returning again for another date night and with the entire family. Grazie Mille–

More like 4 ½ stars not a true 5 but I like to round up as most people round down for no reason.
Stopped here for drinks on our first night in Lenox. The service at the bar was so good that we decided to come here for dinner on the second night.
Let me say as growing up in an Italian household, I know good Italian food. This food is great! The red sauce is fantastic.
We started off with the meatballs and sausage and the calamari appetizers, both were very good.
My wife had the lobster ravioli which was okay, not great but not bad.
I had half plates of gnocchi and bolognese and both were fantastic.
Our server Josh was a true professional and answered every question and made great suggestions.

My mother and I enjoyed a very nice dinner in the off season. The food was good, and we had a great time. It was quiet, as it was a Thursday, and everyone was very friendly. I admit it was expensive, but we had three courses and enjoyed them all.

We were in Lenox off-​season so this place was pretty quiet. The style in here is red leather and dim lighting — it feels a bit like an old school lounge and you’d expect to hear Frank Sinatra coming out of the speakers. It definitely seemed like the kind of place to attract an older crowd, but I think Lenox is like that in general. We had a nice, private booth though it was pretty quiet in there and we really didn’t need the privacy. We picked this place because a) options were limited and b) my husband thought a good steak would be nice.
As it turned out, we opted for the Italian part of the menu as opposed to the steak part. We started with ‘Chaci’s Calamari” which was quite good but there was maybe too much lemon and garlic sauce drizzled on it, which made the fried calamari a little soggy but it was still quite good.
My husband had the Gnocchi Bolognese, thanks to the recommendation by our waitress. I think the gnocchi is traditionally served in a sauce without meat, but since he was torn between a steak or the gnocchi she suggested he might like to try it with the bolognese sauce. Good thinking on her part — he was very happy with the outcome. I tried some and I was pleasantly surprised. I always think I don’t like gnocchi but then when he orders it somewhere and it’s really, really, good I realize, it’s not that I don’t like gnocchi, it’s that I don’t like bad gnocchi. This was really light and fluffy and melted in your mouth.
I had the Shrimp Capri which was in a very light garlic and oil sauce and included tomatoes and broccoli and was served over whole wheat pasta. It was on the safe/​healthy side, but that’s what I was in the mood for. Ok truth be told, I was really in the mood for the eggplant rollatini, stuffed with and then topped with gooey cheese, but I exercised some self control. My meal was good but I’m sure it’s not one of their stand-​out dishes and maybe not something I’d recommend — only because I know other things are better. Who would choose whole wheat pasta out of a box when you can have homemade gnocci instead? A fool like me, that’s who.
Our waitress was really terrific. She was great about making recommendations, for food and wine (note: she did not recommend the Shrimp Capri. I did that all by myself). If back in Lenox, we’d definitely come back here, and I will maybe try steak next time.

This review is based on a few things… #1 we where there on the off season, #2 we ate dinner at 5:30pm (yeah, don’t judge me, we where hungry) #3 they where open.
Overall great experience! We where sat right away, i mean there was only 2 other tables but you never know.
The bread they serve was delicious — warm and very tasty sour dough i think. Loved it.
Appetizer — we ordered the meatball and sausage. It was great as well! The sauce was particularly good.
Entrees — I had the chicken milanese and my other half had the filet mignon. Rave reviews from both of us. We both had the mashed potatoes and veggies on the side.
Overall — great experience.
Downside — they are not open on sundays and we wanted to go back again the next night.

We stopped in for an early dinner with friends and were seated immediately. To my tastes the décor looks like they’re trying too hard to look like a club, but it’s totally fine and does not detract from the dining experience.
Service was very good throughout the meal.
Our main courses were all terrific. The spicy sausage a la Gennar (sausage and peppers with sun dried tomatoes over pasta) was excellent ($ 23). Two of us had the fish of the day which was fresh, tasty and very well prepared ($ 29). The fish was flaky and not overly seasoned. Our other dish was Pollo a la Nonna ($ 19), a farmer style dish of chicken on the bone served with roasted potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Again, a delicious dish. Crispy skin on the chicken and the simple veggies and great. We all were very pleased with our main dishes.
The downside was that the appetizers and deserts are not nearly up to the high standards set by their main courses. The fried calamari ($ 11) was tender, but the breading had no flavor to it and the whole dish tasted flat, similar to average pizza place calamari. The «jumbo» (heavy quotes) lump crab cakes ($ 14) were flat out terrible. Very little lump crab meat, and they were about as thin as crab cakes get. They also were slightly overcooked and rather tasteless.
Desserts were nothing exceptional. The pineapple upside down cake ($ 8) was average as was the cannoli ($ 6).
Drinks were very fairly priced for a nice restaurant. Campari/​Orange ($ 6) and draft craft-​brews were also $ 6.
To sum up… if we went in for main courses only, which we’ll do next time because the food was really excellent, this would easily rate 4 stars; however the really poor appetizers and average deserts drag down the overall experience.

Ok, let’s be honest with each other. The choices in The Berkshires for dining are limited these days. Don’t get me wrong. I love it here, but the best meals these days seem to be at home. With that said, Prime is an interesting choice within a limited pool of options. It looks slicker than it is. The food appears better than it is. If the glass were frosted, the crowd would appear prettier than it is.
Prime is an atypical option on a Berkshire continuum of countrified, inn-​like restaurants at one end and chains on the other. Order wisely, and you could have a good time there.

We huddled in here after a torrential downpour forced us to run from Tanglewood in search of celebratory libations, and Prime earned its stripes by its billing as the «only place open after a concert.»
Inside, Prime’s décor is a bit club-​y with a slick glass bartop and neon lights around the shelves. We ponied up and ordered desserts and cocktails. Their molten chocolate cake was tasty and our drinks were well-​mixed. The bar service was friendly and attentive, which is always a plus when after midnight.
A-​OK, indeed.

What can be said about Prime? It’s a family-​owned restaurant, the father passed off the reigns to his son a year or 2 ago.
The food is pretty good, but I come here most for the atmosphere. The staff have always been welcoming, and the décor is pretty darn cool. There are several glass dividers on the bar side, and you can transform them from clear to opaque and back again at the touch of a button. Similarly, there are large booths located in the center of the restaurant and they are surrounded by the same glass. So you can see and be seen, or screen yourself from prying eyes, if you so choose.
They have a patio for outdoor dining when the weather is nice. They also have a bar menu with some cheaper food, but it’s only served certain hours… and I can’t recall which ones! I’ll update with those.
It’s a great place for private parties or groups (as long as you make a reservation).
In my experience, they mix a great Manhattan here. And I have to mention the staff again — fabulous!