Prime 16 - Orange

Really...a charge for mustard with my son's hotdog???

First, I love Prime 16. The franchise in New Haven is great and I've never been disappointed. The food is good and the staff know what they're doing.

You can imagine my disappointment with the newly opened Prime 16 in Orange. It was closer to home and the parking is free, but the new place hardly lives up to the name.

I called ahead and left my name, which the hostess informed me that my table would be waiting in 30 minutes. Great! Except when I arrive, I'm told my wait time is only cut in half. Okay, maybe I just didn't know their policy. I wait the estimated 30 minutes (again!) and then I'm told it's going to be another 20. I wait the 20, but then I approach the hostess again, who informs me that it could be up to another 45 minutes.

I speak to the manager who tells me that "he's doing the best he can", while other people are walking up and complaining more vehemently because they've been waiting even longer than I was. The whole time, a table was reserved for 18 people and sat empty for the entire time I was there. The staff and manager! got very hostile and said that he couldn't do anything and didn't care that people were upset.

As you can guess, we and a large group of people left after his outburst, disgusted with his arrogance and lack of responsibility. It was shameful that a new restaurant was already treating its customers with such little regard. Five guys ended up providing a far better meal.

Being in the restaurant business, I understand that things happen and that hosts have a very difficult job during a weekend dinner rush. But my experience led me to believe that this was not only incompetence, but arrogance by the staff and its management.

Avoid this place. Go to the New Haven one instead. If not, Plan B or Five Guys is right down the road.

My husband and I went in last week and had a great meal and time.  We went in the day after the 4th of July holiday so people were still out celebrating the holiday and there was no wait at the restaurant.  We sat at the bar and had drinks and dinner.  My husband had a chicken wrap with sweet potato fries that we (I) enjoyed.  I had the farmer's salad without the goat cheese and it was delicious.  My reason for the 5 stars is this:  As a vegan, I usually don't enjoy beer and burger places, so I'm amazed when I find something to eat - AND it's amazing.  The muchrooms, red peppers, and pecans on the salad were great.  

As I said, we don't go to this type of a place often because of limited to no options for me to eat, but we managed to have a great meal and a good time chatting with the bartenders and other customers seated at the bar.  The bar is beautiful, and has a "local watering hole" feel - the type of place you'd want to go at the end of the day and catch up with friends.  For drinks, I had a cider and my husband tried a few beers.  Everything was great.  For my husband, who is a beer and burgers type of guy, he's glad we have a place to go where we can both get what we want and have a good time.