The Prime Rib

It has been some time since my last visit, but always excellent food and service. I personally am pleased with the dress code and believe some other restaurants should follow.

Just was told to leave after wearing shorts to this joint despite wearing a nice button down. Completely Humiliating and undeserved.
No other high end restaurant in Baltinore has such a ridiculous dress code. I go to them all. Capitol Grille Ruth’s etc. And they wonder why it’s empty. It’s time to get out of the Stone Age.
Place is a disgrace.

The food and wait staff, phenomenal. The valet parking and therefore the management, clearly stupid.
Allow me to set the scene…
You drive to a restaurant in a city. You are able to afford to tip a valet, and therefore willing to valet, but you turn the corner and see a car about to leave a public spot directly in front of the restaurant. So, you think to yourself. «The reason I am able to afford a $ 350 dinner for two, is because of smart financial decisions.» Therefore, you put your turn signal on and wait for the free parking spot on Saturday, June 4, 2016.
Then, somehow, as if parking in this spot was a requirement to rid the world of AIDS, a guy in a new Ford Mustang cuts you off from the opposite direction to take the spot. Further, this «maneuver,» that would be considered no less than completely dickheaded by human standards, was actually performed by the valet for this restaurant. Was he parking an important customer’s car out front to make the restaurant look cool? No. It was his own friggin’ car!
Indeed, while I was set on not letting this upset me, I got to thinking about customer service and, I am still stewing. Why?
Well, because not only was this supposed to be a special occasion, but also because I knew I was about to spend hundreds of dollars on a meal and, further, I realized that this focker nearly caused a car accident for no reason other than the fact that he could park his crappy car in front of the restaurant.
Second, once I realized this was literally the d-​bag who has access to and control over an ENTIRE parking lot, and could therefore surely ensure his precious Mustang would remain safe, I felt compelled to at least go on a proper rant!
Now, don’t worry. I still tipped him $ 5 for parking my car because I am not a dick, and know he has a tough life as a valet. Although, while one could argue that because he cost me free parking, the least he could do was park my car for free, I realize that perhaps he didn’t know any better. However, if you are that stupid, perhaps you should not be driving, much less driving a car that goes that fast.
To The Prime Rib management, tell your people that the customers convenience is more important then where they park their crappy muscle car.
As for the restaurant, you should absolutely go there every chance you get, because it literally is the best meal a proper meat lover will ever have in their life.

Hands down THE BEST prime rib I have ever eaten in my life. This place absolutely deserves to lay claim to the name «THE Prime Rib»! The flavor of the au jus was perfect to my liking – not too salty, not too many additives, just simple tasty juices from the meat.
My husband and I began the night with Blue Point oysters on the half shell and lobster bisque. Then we each ordered the Signature Cut prime rib, cooked rare. Unfortunately, I have to deduct one star because my steak came out MEDIUM, not even medium rare! I feel like a steak house of this caliber absolutely should not have made a mistake like this. But I didn’t want the trouble of sending it back and waiting longer to eat dinner so I just ate it as is. It was still delicious, even though it was a bit drier/​chewier than I had hoped. My husband’s cut was perfect though. We also tried onion rings and au gratin potatoes on the side. We ended the evening with a hot fudge sundae (yum!) to share, but if we hadn’t been so stuffed from dinner, we would have liked to try many more of their desserts! We were SO FULL when we left, but it didn’t take long for me to start craving more of their prime rib! It hasn’t even been a week since we visited, and I’m ready to go back again! :) This place is very unassuming from the outside, but it is a lovely dining establishment on the inside!
NOM tip [for horseradish junkies]: The prime rib comes with fresh strips of horseradish root. While the flavor is good, I don’t feel like it provides a sufficient flavor blast. We requested that they bring horseradish sauce (horseradish + sour cream), and then also added in what we had leftover from our oysters (grated horseradish), to get the perfect combo.

Your establishment is a «prime» example of a fine dining experience.
Though the ambiance is a bit old-​fashioned for the modern hipster who’d prefer a trendy «pop-​up» bar, I would choose your classic, timeless restaurant any day.
In fact, you’re the «godfather» of all steakhouses. And you made me an offer I couldn’t refuse with your impeccably delicious house salad infused with hard-​boiled egg crumbles, your unbelievably delicious crab cake that had more lumps than I could have ever dreamed of, and your «to die for» steak fries. And the asparagus was cooked to perfection.
Thank you for being you.

Terrific steak. Had the Filet and it was delicious. Green beans & mushrooms were the perfect accompaniments. The potato skins with horseradish and sour cream were a nice change from the traditional. Loved the banana split… takes you back to your childhood. Crème brûlée was meh.
Traditional, old school steakhouse. Nothing inventive but really enjoyed it and would come back again for the steak.
I’ve had better crab cakes but if I’m eating lump crab it’s still a good day.

You get what you pay for and this fine dining establishment surely delivers on quality food and great service. It was my first time having prime rib and I don’t like my meat pink or bloody, sorry true meat eaters, and I was nervous it would be not done enough for me but it was just right. The restaurant lives up to its name and I would return if in the mood for a good piece of red meat. The service was impeccable!

For the price and the hype I was not impressed at all. I wanted to come here for quite some time because I had heard it was the best in Baltimore for prime rib. I ordered the prime rib and it was just okay in flavor. The service was not good and they were extremely awkward with us as if we did not belong there. Sorry but we were the ones ordering the craft cocktails (which were also below average) and not the miller lites like the WT group next to us. Sorry Prime Rib but you sorely disappointed me. So sad!

Love this place. Have been here a number of times. The place is a bit expensive but worth every penny. For a special night try it.

This was our first time back in six or seven years. The service was fine but the NY Strip I ordered was small and thin for $ 52. The deserts were smaller than they used to be. And, the once generous martinis were in smaller glasses than in the past. The prices have inflated and the servings have deflated. What a disappointment!

There comes a time when a restaurant needs to know when to slip away fade away with the twilight. The Prime Rib is prime example of this. Once THE place to go to in Baltimore. To see and be seen, it was the nicest restaurant in our fair city. But with the faded dated interior, this place has seen better days and unfortunately, those days have long passed. The steak was chewy and had gristle, I have had better steak at Outback. The waiters have an arrogant attitude, which when it was in its prime, they had cause to be proud. But being a proud waiter here is like Vanilla Ice being proud of his Greatest Hits Album (Yes, he has one, shocking ain’t it?). Yeah you had some hits, but its been so long people barely remember. In the words of Kenny Rogers, Know when to hold em’ and know when to fold em’, because at the Prime Rib, The dealin’ is definitely done. And I for one, am sad.

It’s been a good number of years since I was last at the Prime Rib. This is a legendary Baltimore steak house. It is very expensive which I am fine with but I do want the special treatment that comes with the price.
The food was good to excellent. The initial salads were a bit of a mix. My wife’s Caesar was very good. My house salad lacked any taste of dressing. It took me while to flag down our waiter and get a bit of dressing. By then I was 90% done the salad.
Main course — My wife had the crab cakes. They were excellent and about as good as you can find in Baltimore. That is saying a lot. My rib eye was cooked perfectly at medium rare as requested. The taste of the meat was wonderful. However, between the bone and fat sections I had to trim over half of the steak. There was till plenty to eat.
I will also make my usual complaint about steakhouses. They are just terrible values. I am OK paying the $ 65 for the steak but couldn’t they throw in a few accompaniments? Extra for the asparagus, potatoes, etc. In some ways steaks are the easiest meal to recreate at home. Just buy the best Prime Beef from a gourmet butcher, light up the grill, etc. This is not great cooking intricacy. I absolutely love steak. I can afford this type restaurant. But I generally go to other types of places as I see this as taking advantage of the consumer (me). Only steak places play this game.
My wife had a glass of wine which was reasonably priced and had a nice taste.
Now the real issue — the service. In a $ 20 casual place I understand slow service but not at a $ 200 meal place. Our waiter was disinterested, bored, etc. We waited 10 minutes to be greeted at the table and another 20 minutes at least to order. Drinks were filled slowly. The waiter never came back to check on things. The food took at least another 20 minutes for the salads and the steaks lagged as well. I understand this was Valentines day but this a restaurant used to a full house. The only attention I got from the waiter required me to flag him down for a bit of dressing.
All in all, excellent food, average service, very high price. In a lower priced place I might give 4 or 5 stars but at $ 200 for the couple with tax and tip I expect much more.
Scott Rifkin, MD

Paid a visit Wednesday evening. We ordered the Prime Rib and the salmon. They were accompanied by the creamy spinach and the mash potatoes. For dessert the key lime pie. It was all to perfection! Especially the filet mignon. I had it prepared medium well and it still managed to melt in my mouth! The key lime pie was truly to die for! Not overly bitter. Just right! The atmosphere is classic and our waiter, Aaron was absolutely wonderful. I sat try the Prime Rib over the chain steak houses. For the atmosphere, alone!

Oh my goodness, where do I begin? Me and a friend went to The Prime Rib last year for restaurant week and just now joining Unilocal I couldn’t wait to put my two cents in to let everyone know how great this restaurant is.
Before going on restaurant week, I had never heard of the Prime Rib but looking at the reviews on another website we decided to try it and made a reservation. The free valet parking was absolutely lovely. With a restaurant this fancy you would think they would make you pay an arm and a leg for parking but on the contrary. The décor was what some may call outdated, as the décor resembles a look from the 1940’s but I thought it was very classic and beautiful, marked by classic colors of black and gold with a modern flair but still true to the 1940’s era which added to the fanciness of the restaurant. Me and my friend had made a 9:30pm reservation, as that was the only time available, but we got there rather early at about 8:45pm. Even though we were early they had a table for 2 available so we were seated as soon as we walked in. Our waiter Bobby was the most friendly and charismatic waiter, which really added to the experience. It was our first time going so he was very knowledgeable and helpful on the menu that they had designated for restaurant week. Even though it’s restaurant week they always offer a lot of choices.
For the appetizer both me and my friend ordered the Caesar Salad. It may sound like an exaggeration but I was mesmerized at how great the salad tasted. Bobby (the waiter) informed us that the croutons are homemade as well as the whipped butter that accompanied the bread he brought us. I don’t know any restaurants that make homemade butter and croutons so I was definitely surprised. When it came time to the order the entrée, I ordered the prime rib and my friend was going to order the fillet of fresh salmon but in the process decided she wanted the fish stuffed with crab. They were more than happy to honor her request and didn’t give her a hard time since she wanted something other than what they had designated for restaurant week.
Bobby continued to be very attentive, making sure our drinks were full and that we had everything we needed, but he even took time, chatting with us on a personal level, which really added to the experience. Customer service is important. It’s nice to go to a restaurant and not just be viewed as another customer but to have someone take a personal interest in you, and all the waiters were just as nice, including the hostess and the bartender. The live piano music added to the atmosphere, the entire ambiance was fit for a king or queen, and they treated you as such. Before bringing the entrée’s, they came over and changed the table cloths and cleaned everything up before they brought the next course, which I’ve never experienced, (not getting that at a Red Lobster or Ruby Tuesday lol). The size of the entrée’s were huge. The prime rib was almost falling off the plate and my friend’s stuffed fish was just as big. You would think that they would skimp on the portions since it’s restaurant week and your getting the meal at a discounted price, but not at all. The mashed potatoes and creamed spinach tasted oh so good and were big enough for the both of us. I couldn’t believe it. I usually don’t like horseradish but the horseradish that came with the prime rib tasted so good. I loved how they were able to get the cooking of the prime rib just perfect. I requested it to be cooked medium, and that’s exactly what I got. Anytime I go to any other restaurant, no matter how I say to cook it, it always comes back well done and nearly burnt, But The Prime Rib got it perfect!
Dessert was just as good. I got the crème brûlée and my friend got the chocolate cake. Both desserts were made just right. And they cleaned the table clothes once again before bringing us dessert.
There’s not enough words in the English language to truly convey my experience, although I did try. Overall, this restaurant nailed everything perfectly: Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is a true gem in Downtown Baltimore and I will be going for years to come. I hope everyone gets a chance to come and experience the luxury that they’ve made available to everyone.

Best steaks in town! Surf and turf, Prime RIb style is the best!

Went here with the wife for our first anniversary dinner.
(Full disclosure: if it weren’t for my mom’s lovely anniversary present of a gift card to this place, we never would have set foot inside. If the word «budget» is part of your daily vocabulary in regards to your personal income, this place is a little out of reach.)
Yes, the prime rib was like something out of a burgeoning chef’s fever dream. Yes, the ambiance was a vintage-​lovers paradise and the live, soft piano music added a welcome layer to the romantic atmosphere. But the real reason I loved The Prime Rib and am willing to save pennies all year so we can go again wasn’t just the food or the air of grandeur.
It was our waiter, Travis.
All of the servers and waiters here seem to be exceptional people, we were lucky enough to get Travis. He made what was a very imposing meal into a relaxed, enjoyable experience without even breaking a sweat.
For example, when he learned it was our anniversary, his congratulations was heartfelt. When he noticed that my wife was only ordering a salad and vegetarian sides, he got the kitchen to make her a veggie-​friendly side dish platter to count as one meal, including a beautiful cheese-​stuffed broiled tomato that wasn’t on the menu (as I recall).
He was kind, patient, and checked up on us just as much as the table next to us with 6 people at it. He even brought us a free dessert at the end of the meal, which might be company policy, but the warm congratulatory smile certainly wasn’t. He gave the kind of service I wish I could receive everywhere, but I know is a selfish and unrealistic wish.
So if you find yourself with $ 150 to spare (or saved up for a special occasion), I recommend spending it here. And ask for Travis.

My wife and I recently (10÷20÷15) had dinner at the Prime Rib on N. Calvert Street. While we are both from Baltimore and were married within three weeks of the Prime Rib’s opening back in 1965, we had never dined there. We moved away about thirty-​five years ago. I had always heard the Prime Rib was THE place for a romantic dinner. During a short vacation following our anniversary we planned to have a meal at several of our favorite restaurants in Maryland. I thought the Prime Rib would be a good new choice since we had heard it mentioned positively so often.
I loved the free valet parking, it was extremely convenient, a very nice touch. We were greeted immediately and shown promptly to our table. We chose to sit near the piano, and even though we were close, the music level was soft and pleasant. The dark woods and the animal print carpet were warm, and cozy. However there was not a live flower anywhere to be seen, not on the individual tables or displayed on the beautiful piano or in the entrance. Several artificial plants were visible but they were tired looking, even dusty. Live flowers would have added to the «romantic» ambiance we were expecting. We’ve always been impressed by the Milton Inns use of flowers, they add so much to the atmosphere.
Our waiter was very friendly and rather loud. I expected an attentive. low-​key server, not the type you find at Steak Houses like Peter Lugar’s in Brooklyn. He was very, almost too, attentive in the beginning, but disappeared towards the end of the evening. He promptly took our drink order and brought us two delicious Amaretto Sours obviously made with top shelf spirits. I ordered another «sour» and my wife asked for a Bloody Mary as a second drink. The Bloody Mary was terrible, no other way to describe it. It looked and tasted like it had been made ahead of time, the ice had partly melted, it was under seasoned and weak. To be fair it should have been returned, but we were talking and let it slide.
Our appetizers were a bowl of Lobster Bisque for my wife, and 12 Long Island Blue Point Oysters on the half shell that we shared. My wife said the Bisque was delicious the best she’s ever had. The oysters were not as good as some we had sampled from Cape Cod and the Easter Shore the night before, at half the price. My wife ordered the Signature Prime Rib with creamed spinach and I had the Crab Cakes with a baked potato. Both entrees were very good and the sides were delicious and large enough to share. However neither entrée was the best we’ve ever had. I’ve had tastier prime rib at the Palm in NYC, and better crab cakes at the Airport Inn in Hagerstown and at various other Maryland and Baltimore restaurants.
One other thing surprised me. The pianist played beautifully the entire evening. Before our coffee and deserts arrived I discreetly requested he play my wife’s favorite song, «Younger Than Springtime» from the Broadway musical «South Pacific». He looked at me a ligtgle annoyed, looked away and said «I don’t know that one.» I realize that’s very possible but his attitude seemed to say, «go away, you bother me».
We took advantage of their Anniversary Special with a three course dinner for $ 50.00. The drinks (3) and appetizers (3) plus coffee added an extra $ 100 to the bill. Was almost $ 250 with gratuity worth it? While the food was good it wasn’t outstanding, two of the drinks were excellent, one should have been returned. The ambiance and service were okay, but not out of the ordinary. From the raves I had heard over the years I expected excellence, what I received was above average but not worth the money.

A few coworkers and I decided to visit during their 50^th anniversary promotion. I highly recommend coming for the promo, which is running through ¹⁰⁄₃₁. 3 course prix fixe meal for $ 50, which includes a side.
Appetizers: We ordered these which aren’t included in the promo, but were not disappointed. Oysters Rockefeller and Shrimp Cocktail were both great. Shrimp were huge! If anything, the oysters rockefeller were a little bland.
Salads as part of prix fixe: House salad or Ceasar. Both were great. House salad included cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, chopped egg. Not overly dressed.
Entrees as part of prix fixe: I of course ordered the prime rib. Can’t go wrong. I may never order anything else here than this. Which is a shame because the salmon filet and crab cakes that my friends ordered looked very good too. Minor point: the crab cake is cooked very lightly. Outside is browned, but the inside is barely cooked. Not an issue for me if I had it, as it looked to be all lump crab meat with just a minimum of binding, but my friend wished she ordered it to be cooked longer.
Sides as part of prix fixe: Broccoli Rabe was the hit. Mashed potatoes were very creamy and smooth. Baked potato was the size of a small baby (ok, maybe not that big, but it was damn big). Loved the creamed spinach as well.
Dessert as part of prix fixe: Crème brûlée and key lime pie. Beware of the key lime pie. It is very tart. I knew this and I love it. But I can see how someone can think it’s very overpowering. Crème brûlée had no complaints. Me personally, I’m all crème-​bruleed out, as everyone restaurants has it now, and most are plain/​bland/​boring.
Additional notes: Two friends had moscatos and both loved them. I had a very well made gin and tonic. Two orders of chocolate martini were sent back because it was all alcohol — too overwhelming to enjoy. My cappuccino was good.
We pigged out as you can see. It came out to be $ 90 average, it is definitely a splurge, but it was a great meal with nothing held back. Highly recommend.

The wife and I tried it for the first time for restaurant week. The food was incredible, the service was also incredible and the our waiter was absolutely awesome. The wife always orders a filet wherever we go. I usually mix it up, so I ordered and ate the best prime rib I have ever had. Made to absolute perfection. Our waiter, Matt was so cordial, professional and attentive to our every need, we had no time to ask for anything, he should teach a class to other fine restaurants in the area. We have been to practically every fine restaurant in Baltimore and the service at the Prime Rib was the best.
Thank You Matt for a perfect dining experience.
Judith and Steven G.

Second time i have been here. First time someone else was paying for a birthday meal for me and today was for restaurant week.
As others have mentioned it’s an old school steak house with dark wood and all male waiters. Jackets for men seemed required. Aside from restaurant week, usually an older male crowd. Has nice bathrooms which are clean, nice handsoap and towels.
For restaurant week today i got the house salad which had tons of cucumbers, some grape tomatoes, romaine lettuce, chopped hardboiled egg and Parmesan dressing. It was good, not great, better with fresh ground pepper. The BF got the roasted tomato soup which i thought was the better choice. Although some mentioned quite salty which i may agree with. That bread they start you with is to DIE FOR!!! I paid an extra 6 dollars for the prime rib. the BF got the filet mignon. I might have actually preferred the flavor of the filet on this particular night. I like how the steaks are served with fresh slices of horseradish — those are not potatoes on your plate! The entrees for rest week came with creamed spinach which was OK and mashed potatoes which were good, a bit too salty.
Key Lime Pie is great, but very heavy and couldn’t finish. Crème brûlée was great as well. THey have nice tea selections and actually serve hot water to enjoy the tea with.
In the past we had raw oysters which were quite delicious. Waiters are helpful in navigating the menu.
would recommend for special occasions as it can be a bit pricey