Primo Italian Steakhouse

If you've not yet been to the brand new Primo Italian Steakhouse in Middletown, you need to make your dinner reservations! This restaurant is GORGEOUS and has so many unique Italian touches that make the experience one of a kind. It is the same owners as Prime Cincinnati and Street City Pub in downtown Cincinnati, so you know it's delicious! I highly recommend the Ossobuco, but everything I've had here has been delicious. Can't wait to go back.

Wow! What an exceptional experience. Fine dinning at it finest. This is hands down a place to remember! The food was beyond delicious! Everything was top quality and absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Thank you to all the staff that made our experience so memorable! Our server Daniel was on top of his "A" game, and the people who helped fill waters and clear the table were graceful. Definitely would go back.Thank you

Wow! Excellent authentic Italian dinning experience. Highly recommend the mushroom soup. Our group of eight hit all corners of the the menu and every dish was fantastic! Can’t wait to come back and enjoy the outdoor patio.

Part of this place is definitely the experience. Restaurant is beautiful and wait staff were excellent (hopefully this continues past their limited reservation soft opening period). Waitress started out with explaining menu is designed as a true Italian experience with 5 courses and designed to let the ingredients shine with their dishes not being seasoned except for a little salt. Ordered the chopped salad, mushroom and onion soup, and a porterhouse steak. Others I were dining with ordered the chicken piccata and veal bolognese.

One thing I would recommend to the restaurant is translate the menu, most people in Butler county don’t speak Italian nor are cultured enough to know what it means without speaking the language. I also ordered the Primo 77 drink, something with elderflower liqueur and other “fancy” alcohol. The drink was delicious, could barely taste that it had alcohol but definitely had plenty in it giving a good buzz after only one.

The chopped salad didn’t sound overly exciting but was easily one of the best salads I’ve ever had and the others I was dining with agreed. You should note they only have vinaigrettes and Caesar dressing.

Next was the soup, I’m a big fan of both mushrooms and French onion soup and this was the perfect marriage of the two. Some French onion soups can be overly salty but this was just right, the wild mushrooms really added a lot of flavor and depth, I would definitely recommend trying it.

The steak was cooked perfectly and had a reasonable amount of flavor given there was nothing but some course sea salt sprinkled on top. I would definitely get steak again.

The veal bolognese was okay…presentation was a bit lacking in my opinion and overall could have had a bit more flavor from either the sauce or some seasoning.

Chicken piccata fell in the same boat as the veal, okay but I felt it could’ve had more flavor.

One thing to point out is everything is al a carte, no sides with anything.

Overall, the food was good, some dishes better than others. From a value perspective, I feel the pricing doesn’t align though. Given they are trying to be a high end restaurant (which I’m not entirely sure Middletown is the best location choice), their pricing is above competitors like Jags, Carlo & Johnny, and Carvers.

Maybe once they have their official grand opening in May things will change some, for now worth a try but probably won’t be back again until after the grand opening in hope that will allow menu to be perfected and value to be aligned with the market.

Friendly service, great ambiance, try the Espresso Old Fashion (best drink have ever had), porterhouse steak was TERRIFIC, and the Pasta - Lobster Risotto, Ravioli, Gnocci, and Bolognese - were all the best have ever had. Have to go and try it — Wow!! All wow!