Good and Plenty at Prime on Whitfield, Guilford

bannerBg

When was the last time you strolled into a local restaurant at noon on a Friday, and it was packed? For me, it was in New Orleans. The historic Galatoire’s is so popular during the holidays they hold a lottery for Friday lunch. Well, that happened to us in Guilford the other day at the new steakhouse, Prime on Whitfield.

While I’ll never truly understand the secret sauce that makes a restaurant successful, they’ve got it here. Exciting menu, check, food, check, decor, check, service, check. And don’t be put off by the idea of a steakhouse if that’s not your go-to; there’s plenty more on the menu to please.

We started off with a giant buttery pretzel braid with warm cheesy mustard sauce and (literally) a bathtub of Aperol Spritz (here, it’s called Mom’s Day Off!). Well, it created a stir among our neighboring tables (adding to an already convivial meal!)

You can choose a $21 prix fixe “Executive Lunch” with a starter and a main course or order from the lengthy dinner menu. Throwing caution to the wind, I had the calamari (after the mammoth pretzel, it was a kooky choice) with the lunch steak, sliced and piled on a mound of whipped potatoes and veggies.

I was a tiny bit jealous of Laura’s over-the-top fried chicken sandwich with two slim, crispy fillets sandwiched between a buttered pretzel roll with bacon, pickles, and special sauce. Her sane choice was a Caesar alongside. We both had enough to take home for dinner. The “Bada Bang” Shrimp Bowl, various tacos, Wiggle burger, Steakhouse Burrito and Chicken Caesar were tempting options, too.

We ogled the dishes whizzing by: French onion soup with a tangle of fried onions and an app of giant slabs of bacon. While we’re used to seeing gaggles of gals at lunch, it was no surprise here that the crowd is heavily male.

The upshot is the place is lively and fun, with an extensive menu of dishes for every kind of persnickety eater (salmon five ways?), and our server, Sarah, was a delight. It made for a fun kick-off to the weekend and a happy holidayish lunch.

Good to know: lunch starts at 11:30, and they serve right through dinner.
CALL well ahead for dinner reservations.

See the menu here: https://www.primeonwhitfield.com

prime guilford

prime guilford