Primo

I’ve always loved this placed but now the whole look has changed. It went from a seafood restaurant to a sports bar. The service is still great, so that’s 5 stars. But the music, décor, and menu change is now 2 stars. I have no problem with it becoming a sports bar, but the pounding Rap music the whole time made me only order an appetizer and one glass of wine. I’m going to give it one more try. I really recommend to the owner to play top 40 or classic rock. The pounding Rap is going to not attract the classy customers that you had.

Came here at around 3PM to meet up a friend and had high hopes for this place!
FOOD:
Loaded jalapeño Cheese Fries– EH. These fries were really salty and not that great. The bacon bits on top + salty gooey cheese + pre salted fries just made this a basket of salt.
Fish n Chips– The fish was really flakey and had a great batter on them i cant really complain about this dish except the portion was pretty small. It came with two medium sized sticks of fish and a heap full of salty fries.
Penne Fra Diavalo (seafood penne) — This dish came with 2 scallops, 2 shrimp, and some calamari. The tomato sauce was pretty light and i didn’t see anything spectacular about this dish. For a price tag of 22 $ i was expecting a little bit more but oh well.
Overall, this place was just mediocre in my opinion. The service was great but food wise EH! nothing you cant make at home.
**FREE 2 hour parking with validation in the nearby parking garages!**

I walked into this place at almost exactly 8pm on a Saturday night and … GHOST TOWN … can you say red flag? But I pressed on, even though my instincts told me to turn back, how can any decent restaurant be totally dead on a Saturday night? What’s up?! Anyways, by now my husband had seen the oyster menu and I couldn’t turn back! I was trapped. Luckily, there was craft beer on the menu, so I could drink away the horrors of a terrible meal if I had to, except I didn’t have to, I didn’t have to at all! It started out with a really friendly waiter, who let me sample the various on-​tap craft brews in shot glasses before making my decision, then came the deliciously fresh 12 pack of raw oysters, yep, I eat ‘em raw, like a real lady. Each one was shucked perfectly and laid out carefully to maintain the liquor (that’s the liquid inside the shell that keeps the thing alive — yes, I’ve researched). Next up was the decadent clam chowder bacon fries, sometimes when there’s something like that on the menu, you’d be a fool not to order it, anyways, it was SO YUMMY, very rich, our order was drenched in chowder with the bottom fries swimming around, sloppy goodness. Then we ended our night with a VERY spicy arabiata seafood pasta, a generous portion, perfect for splitting.
The restaurant itself is beautifully designed with giant floor to ceiling french doors that open out into the plaza. The night we were there, a band was playing outside and it was just so lovely. My one recommendation for this place, that might help with business, is that they change their name. Café Primo sounds like an Italian coffee place and this place is much more of a casual seafood joint, the waiters even wear branded football jerseys, a name like Captain’s Catch or the Seafood Grill would be much more appropriate, just my 2¢ Thanks for a great night Primo!

Bae and I have a tendency to stick to places we’re familiar with. After a long day of work we wanted to get happy hour some place and decided to hit up the usual haunt. On our way out I decided that we should get out of our comfort zone and try something different for once.
I’m glad we took the gamble because we had been eyeing Caffe Primo for quite some time. The restaurant is very spacious and I’d imagine it would look great on a nice day because there are big windows that let in plenty of natural sunlight.
We ordered their chowder fries, oysters, and sliders. I know, I ordered sliders at a seafood place, but my co-​workers kept saying sliders to describe a part and it got me craving them. ANYWAYS, normally gf and I hate mushy fries so we tend to stay away from fries topped with anything mushy. They were perfect even throughout dinner! Oysters were very fresh and didn’t taste fishy at all. If big oysters weird you out, try getting the naked cowboy and sumitomo (sumimoto?) oysters.
I wanna give a shout out to my boy Andrew for being super friendly and helpful to a couple of first-​timers. The rest of the staff was very welcoming as well.

Pesto salmon salad, drunken clams, lobster mac and penne fra diavolo, all for just two people, were sooooo good. The seafood in every dish was perfectly cooked!
Lobster Mac was rich, decadent and a generous portion, seems like they added the broth the lobster was cooked in which was a great touch.
I asked for my salmon to be a little on the rare side and it came out better than requested; rare with the skin still crispy!
Fra diavolo was perfectly spicy, penne more on the tender side than al dente. Giant shrimp, scallops and calamari!
Drunken clams, an awesome suggestion by our server Javier was garlicky goodness. I could drink the broth on its own!
Javier was attentive and made great suggestions! He saved our shivering butts from a cold evening on the patio with a heater and fresh brewed coffee. He even brought a couple of samples of beer for my husband to try before making finalizing his choice.
Altogether a great evening in our neighborhood!

This place is really good! The venue itself is very spacious. It has a oyster bar and liquor bar in which if you’re lucky, Mark will take care of you generously. They have awesome happy hour so be sure to check that out also! I had a great time here and all the employees are fabulous and energized.
Their mussels and clams taste delish. They have a wonderful selection of oysters and will not hesitate to go through them for you to help you decide what order would best satisfy you.

4 stars because the food is good! (–1 because of the price of the seafood).
If you love fresh oysters, draft beer and creamy dishes, this is the place.
— Oysters and the seafood platter is market priced.
When I went with friends, the oysters were $ 36 for a dozen. Kinda pricey, but the oysters were fresh and tasty!
— «Covered fries» $ 8 is basically fries smothered in their clam chowder soup.
Very filling, heavy, good amount of portion size (perfect for sharing) and its delicious. I think it was missing something though. just needed some cajun kick to the fries. Fries were thin and crispy.
— Lobster mac & cheese $ 12 is AMAZING and creamy.
I had a good amount of lobster in my mac and cheese. Price is great, portion size is okay… but then again, I LOVE my mac & cheese and just wanted more!!!
— White truffle shrimp pasta $ 14 is extremely CREAMY but I love truffle so it was delicious!!! You can definitely smell the truffle when it’s served to you. The avocado & tomatoes on top helped with the dish. Portion size is ok.
Cute restaurant, located on the promenade street a few blocks from the Anaheim Packing District. A perfect place to eat, grab a drink with friends here & then walk around after.

Came here for a quick cocktail + snack. I got the Primo Bloody Mary ($ 14) that came with crab legs and an oyster on top! The bloody mary was really good but I’m not sure if it had alcohol in it? I didn’t taste or feel anything! We also got the truffle fries which were okay — I wish it could have been more truffle-​y. The environment is really cool though — they have a bunch of TVs to watch sports and it feels very nautical. Our waiter was really attentive and helpful so the service was pretty good.

The food here is outstanding and their happy hour specials are amazing as well. We ran into an awesome bartender named Mark on our first visit who handcrafted us some incredible drinks hands down and showed us great hospitality. If you have the pleasure of meeting him, request for him to make your drinks! All the other workers are really nice too.
It’s so spacious inside so it makes a great place for larger parties.
I’ve been here twice already and I will definitely be back!

I met a girlfriend here for lunch today. It’s such a nice place, this part of Anaheim I did not really know about but it’s at the center of the business plazas by all these white collared offices. But this place was not busy for lunch at all, the layout is more suited for the happy hour crowd. I heard they have an amazing happy hour menu!
I started with oysters, the waitress was very helpful and sweet and SO patient with me by going through all the oysters they had for the day and where they’re from as well describing in detail the brine to me.
I then had the tomato Caesar salad, it was pretty big. I thought it would have been much smaller as it was one of the smaller salads. I take it the other salads would be much bigger. I finished most of my salad.
My girlfriend had their drunken clams, she didn’t get it with the linguine. But I could tell it would be amazing with pasta!
I would love to come here for dinner but I don’t know when it will be when I’ll be in the area again in the evening. But I would highly recommend lunch OR dinner because this place was soooo good for lunch I can only imagine what dinner would be like! Cheers!

Oh, Caffe Primo… you’ve made a fan out of me. Located near the Anaheim Colony Historic District, this place is amongst other growing businesses and down the street from well– known ones such as Pokinometry and the Anaheim Packing District.
The outside is beautiful… clean, crisp white walls with outdoor seating. Such an inviting atmosphere especially when the sun is shining and the weather is perfect. Upon entering, we were greeted by the hostess. We walked in and we were amazed at how large, bright, airy, and open this place is. There is a bar located to the right and dining tables located towards the other end of the restaurant. Once seated, I looked around and noticed that one side of the wall was actually a large door that could open up to the outdoor patio. I assumed they open it during evening hours once the bar is open, alcohol flowin’, and some dancing is happening.
While we were waiting for our food, I watched a bit of tv and just looked around the restaurant more. I really liked the simplicity of the décor.
FOOD
— Chilaquiles: Best shared between 2 people. I ordered this for myself and, sadly, couldn’t finish it. I really liked all the flavors, especially the fried egg on top.
— Clam Chowder Fries: Try it. You won’t be disappointed. I love it when places combine two of my fav foods together. LOL
— Shrimp Pasta: My bro and his gf shared this and they really liked it. They said that the shrimp tasted really good and the pasta was perfection.
— Salmon Omelette: My friend ordered this and he really liked it too! He said that the salmon had a great flavor to it and that everything was nice and fresh.
PARKING
We, luckily, found parking on the street. Otherwise, I think there is a parking garage across the street from Pokinometry. I’ve never had to park in that garage though.
I would return to this place to try a few more items on their menu. The service is great, the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing, and it’s located in a great spot to where you can walk around and check out other businesses in the area. Check this place out!

This place is awesome. OYSTER SHOOTERS! Happy hour and great seafood.
Came across this little gem while working in Orange County and brought some colleagues here for some drinks and food. My friend ordered the Bloody Mary with an Oyster in it and came with a huge lobster tail in it! = awesome.
I ordered the Lobster roll for $ 23 (market price for the day) with a side of Mac an’ cheese and wasn’t disappointed.
Also order the SWEET POTATO FRIES they are amazing, we actually ordered it twice. Also there is free 90 minute parking next door.

LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS PLACE!!!
Ambience:
–Nestled in downtown Anaheim, this restaurant is located on the strip of shops that include Ink & Bean and various barber shops. There’s an indoor seating area as well as an outdoor one, and it has a «sunday brunch» type vibe to it.
Food:
–½ dozen oysters: DELICIOUS! We asked for a sample of different oysters and they came out with decently sized ones and huge ones! Very surprising, considering they usually bring you the smaller ones when you ask for a sample. The market price came out to $ 18, which wasn’t bad considering the quality was top notch.
–Covered Fries $ 8: regular french fries topped with their infamous clam chowder, with added chives and bacon bits. The chowder was perfect. The base was creamy and the clams were large and chewy. Surprisingly, the chowder didn’t make the fries soggy at all.
–Oyster Po’Boy: Comes with a side of fries or cole slaw, or you can add the covered fries for an extra $ 4. The sandwich was split in half, and the oysters were battered and fried. The bread was awesome. The sauce gave a little spice but it paired well with the fried oyster.
Service:
–Gabby was our server and she was SO NICE! She came back countless times to ask if we needed anything else or if we were enjoying our food.
–The host that sat us was super nice too. He asked whether we wanted indoor seating or outdoor, and was super accommodating.
PRO TIP: COME FOR HAPPY HOUR! I will definitely be back for their happy hour to try their oyster shooters $ 1 and their ceviche.

As a local here in Anaheim I have to say that restaurants on Center Street often go unnoticed. With all the hype around the opening of the Packing House there isn’t much talk about the new and upcoming restaurants literally one block away. One of which is Caffe Primo. Let me start by saying the décor itself will invite you in from the street. It’s absolutely gorgeous inside. They also have a spacious (dog friendly) patio that offers plenty of sunshine, shade (umbrellas), and twinkle lights at night. But if you don’t happen to grab a seat in the patio, well no worries. The wall to ceiling doors open up to offer the outdoor experience while indoors.
Aside from the exceptional ambiance, the food is phenomenal! Happy hour deals are superb, cocktails are crafted with such specialty from the friendliest bartender around. Mark truly knows what he’s doing behind the bar. The Bloody Mary is a must try! It’s practically a meal. It’s garnished with snow crab legs, a bell pepper, celery, and one oyster on a half shell all for $ 14. So worth it in my opinion. The Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict is mind blowing too! You could easily dine here once a week for months on end and still discover something new on the menu each time. For those who aren’t huge seafood fans, rest assure there is something for you here as well.
I would strongly encourage you to come and check out this newly opened establishment. They’ve only been open for 3 short months and are already making a name for themselves. I can honestly say I’ll be spending my time here with family and friends for years to come. So happy to have stumbled across Caffe Primo who happen to be a short drive, bike ride, or walk (if I’ve had one too many cocktails) from home.
Cheers to a well thought out dining location with good vibes.

I’m a local down town Anaheim boy so I have been pretty excited about the infusion of unique new restaurants in my area. One of the newcomers is the Caffe Primo in the Down Town Promenade. Smack dab in the middle of DTA sits a building that has had many occupants yet no keepers. Think this is about to change.
Some pretty Primo food can be found here in one of the new DTA Promenade’s jewels.
A kind of smallish menu with big taste and diversity.
Got a couple craft beers to start things up, Limited but tasty menu.
Appetizers are a must get. When I first saw the pic on Unilocal of the Clam Chowder Fries (Covered Fries) I knew I needed to try this one.
Hell yea this is a winner! Even great as a midnight nuked snack. :-) I was in a clam frenzy as I ordered a clam entrée and appetizer. The later being the Drunken Clam with its nice white wine n tomato sauce.
We had the Linguini W/​Clams as entrée and I must say the clams were perfectly steamed in a delicious white wine sauce and pasta.
Also had the steamed mussels.
Fresh, tasty in a yummy Pomodoro tomato sauce with the perfect amount of garlic. Both appetizers were awesome and largely proportioned.
The bread! Had to ask for more of the tasty crostini slices. So freakin good you’ll want a bucketful to soak up the delicious sauces these mollusk swim in.
All the shellfish was fresh. No duds here. No sand. No bad ones period! Great tasting. Large portions and at affordable prices.
SERVICE:
We were waited on and had multiple visits to ensure our satisfaction by both our waiter and the resto manager.
ATMOSPHERE:
Primo hosts a large airy interior
complete with a full bar
and a cool oyster bar window
and an spacious outdoor patio.
Perfect for a date night or a largish group. Your sure to leave happy. A casual experience with an upscale taste and flair.
I hope this place lasts longer than its predecessors ‘cuz its food is a hell of a lot better than the several failed businesses that have occupied this primo space. Bet your boots I’ll be back for happy hour.
and $ 1 oyster shooters
and brunch count me in coach!

Beautiful place, ok food.
This new restaurant caught my eye from the moment we drove by. I was in the area for work and decided to stop by for lunch.
The place is very trendy and has nice windows that face the street. They also have a cute patio area.
I ordered the $ 14 Shrimp Spaghetti with white truffle oil. It came with slices of avocado on top, which were too ripe and had started browning. The cream sauce was alright and a bit too oily.
Service was whatever.

This review is dedicated to fellow Unilocaler and friend, Sherrie D.
A close friend of my girlfriend, and now personal friend to me, have met on several occasions at the local theme park. On those occasions, we were always recommended to go to a restaurant that the husband and wife always enjoyed. Whether it was after our day at the park or just exploring anything Downtown Anaheim. With this restaurant in a prime location, why not enjoy a little relaxation at Caffe Primo in Anaheim.
Located in Downtown Anaheim at the center of the Center Street Promenade on the northeast corner of W Center St. Promenade and S. Lemon, you will find the white European-​style building called, Caffe Primo. This location can be quite busy during the week with many offices surrounding Caffe Primo, especially at lunch time. Fortunately for us, we were visiting on a Saturday at 3pm and the area was pretty dead. That means we can enjoy some quite time for ourselves. Parking is limited to garage parking and a couple street parking spots, which is normally taken.
We walked in and were greeted by our host and waiter, Mark. To be honest, the restaurant was dead. The only customers were a family and their toddler. Caffe Primo’s interior seemed more of a dance hall than a restaurant. There are plenty of patio seating outside as well as sitting at the bar area. We were seated on one side of the restaurant facing the street. There are multiple flat panel TVs for you to catch a game while you dine. This can potentially be a very busy spot for your favorite sport. Actually, this can be more of a sports bar than a dine-​in restaurant. Potential is never ending, but I do see it as this Caffe Primo grows.
We both ordered Shirley Temples, as our usual drinks. As we browsed through the menus, my girlfriend noticed that there are particular items that were not on the lunch menu that were on the dinner menu. Mark came back, but informed us that he had to improvise on the Shirley Temple. Caffe Primo did not have the grenadine available, but used cherry juice. However, my girlfriend did not like it and opted for another drink. Mark comp’d us the drink, which he didn’t have to do. My girlfriend got a dinner menu and ordered from it. She ordered the Grilled Shrimp, Mac ‘N Cheese, and black beans ($ 22). As for me, I ordered my favorite, Sweet Potato Fries ($ 7). In addition to my appetizer, I ordered the Chicken Cobb Salad ($ 11).
The wait for our food was about 10 minutes from the kitchen to our table. I find the setting of Caffe Primo to very empty, but for the benefit of us, is quite relaxing. We heard the bells ring and Mark got our food on the other side of the room with his colleagues to our table. Of course, we started Unilocaling by taking our photos and posting. My Sweet Potato Fries were crunchy and always hits the spot with me. Now onto the main course of the day. You get three slices of avocado, a huge portion of diced chicken, bacon, and tomatoes in their individual sections divided by the avocados. Every bite was amazing even until the last green dowsed with the vinaigrette.
Our experience was wonderful even with our cookie host, Mark. He was on top of our dining experience and made it memorable for us. I think this is definitely a spot to come back over and over again. Although Caffe Primo is new to the area, I am sure it will start to be a hit in town if it plays it’s cards right.
Unilocal…I Live, Breathe, and Share my Reviews for everyone to read. Come Join Me!

Caffe Primo felt like we took them by surprise. But they got their game on when the food came out. Let me elaborate some more by telling you all how our night went.
My family and I were seated then greeted by a female server. The manager also greeted us when we entered.
The restaurant reminds me of something near a beach or something that would be by a pier. We sat on a bench style table and for the 5 of us it was very spacey, which is a good thing. The restaurant has flat screen tvs with hockey playoffs on. They also have a bar. The place looked empty for a Friday night which we found to be odd.
When our server took our drink order she told us that the Idiot IPA was not available. The beer we settled for was the Rocco Red ale. We opted for a pitcher and when it arrived they had forgotten to give us glasses. We asked for the glasses and for the pitcher it was able to pour up to 4 glasses. The beer was bitter that had a sweet after taste. That was what and how my taste buds interpreted it.
This is where I think Caffe Primo could use a bit of improvement: server transition. We had a female server and after she took our drink order, we were helped by a male server. I was confused. The guy did not give us any heads up on what happened to the girl serving us. It is really not a big deal but if she had to go and do something else a good transition would have been nice. I actually thought that we were gonna get 2 servers.
Moving on to the food: appetizer– Covered Fries. It has a good balance of crispy and skinny fries drenched with clam chowder. We all liked it.
My wife and I shared the flat iron steak. We had it medium rare. Tender and juicy and I wish I ordered my own plate. It also came with arugula salad with dressing. I ordered a bowl of clam chowder and that was chunky and tasty. This is one of my fave soups and I am glad I ordered it.
My sister ordered the seafood pasta amd her boyfriend had the Primo burger. They also liked their orders but my sister wished her entrée camr with garlic bread. Our grandmother had a cup of clam chowder and arugula salad. She was more into the fries but we cannot let her have too much of it. She has to watch her diet.
To sum up the Caffe Primo dining experience, we were happy with their service and I hope more people come out to support this fine establishment.

Caffe Primo is located in The Promenade, right in the heart of downtown Anaheim. It was highly recommended to us by a lovely couple that frequently travel throughout the US. They have tasted good food throughout their journeys and told us that we wouldn’t be disappointed with Caffe Primo!
It is situated on a street corner and as you peer into the building, you’ll notice how spacious and clean everything is. There is a modern design flowing throughout the facility with large glass doors that give way to bright light and fresh air to make you experience quite comfortable.
There is a small bar seating area with approximately 8 bar stools. Plenty of alcohol is on display along with the opportunity to view popular sports on a large, flatscreen television. The larger dining area itself has quite a few trestle tables but there was something unique about them. One had wheels on the legs so that it could be attached to another table to accommodate a larger group of people. Another appeared to be permanently placed on the the hardwood flooring. Also no matter where you looked, flat screen televisions are mounted within your view so that no matter which sports-​related activity you prefer, it was bound to be on any one of their 6 TVs!
They have a brunch menu but you can order any of their dinner meals if you’re in the mood for something a bit heavier. We opted for the dinner menu as their were more items available that peaked our interest. I decided to order grilled shrimp and had the choice of adding two side dishes to my meal. Therefore, I chose black beans and macaroni and cheese.
When my meal arrived, it was picture perfect! The macaroni and cheese was creamy and lightly coated with bread crumbs. The macaroni itself was nice and soft so that the entire serving seemed to melt in my mouth. As for the black beans which I’m not too familiar with, I couldn’t have been more pleased. They were slightly salty but cooked thoroughly, with a nice texture to them. Finally, the shrimp was well-​cooked and grilled with some flavorful seasonings. I cannot pinpoint the actual flavors but the combinations made for a fantastic meal.
There was a bit of an issue with our drinks. I really wanted lemonade because I have seriously cut back on my soda intake. Sadly, lemonade was not available on this day. (*sad face*) Mark, the bartender and our waiter tried to make me a Shirley Temple but they were out of Grenadine. He used some cherry juice to make a drink similar to it but it just wasn’t the same. So I ended up with a tall glass of Ginger Ale. In the end, Mark felt bad for the lemonade/​Shirley Temple situation so he removed it from our bill.
Throughout the entire time, Mark constantly checked on us and was beyond gracious. He had a great sense of humor and was easy to work with.
I was very impressed with our experience at Caffe Primo and wouldn’t hesitate to return and explore more items on their menu. The food, ambience, and service were great.

Caffe Primo was very underwhelming.
I was expecting much more for this dining experience.
For our appetizer, we started with the covered fries– they were covered in clam chowder and bacon. This was good as the fries were crispy and the clam chowder actually had real delicious clams. This seemed like our dinner was at a good start!
Then, the entrees came quickly and the food felt as if it was lacking «something.» Don’t get me wrong; the food is decent but it’s nothing I would rave about. My SO got the lobster roll and while there were good chunks of lobster, it felt as if it drowned in the sauce. This definitely needed less sauce and maybe the sauce needed to be revamped too (a bit too salty IMO). It was also pretty expensive (menu does warn market price and we were expecting $ 15 but it turned out to be $ 23)…
I ordered the crab cakes with the green salad on the side which also came with coleslaw. The crab cakes had too much binder (filler, binding agent) and was too salty for me! I was expecting a crispy outside and a moist inside but nope, it did not happen. Further, the waitress did forget my green salad and while she did apologize about I would have enjoyed eating it with my entrée instead of having it packed to go later. Maybe I should have said something during the time of dinner but I thought the little green leafs on my plate were the salad and thought I was getting ripped off.
Again, the food was «okay,» the service was «okay,» and thus the 3 stars.