Old City Prime

We stopped here on a whim tonight during a drive from Defiance to Cincinnati and we were blown away by the impeccable service, the great selection of craft beer (waiting on Rhinegeist ;) the genuine wine list, and the very solid menu. On top of all of those wonderful attributes the décor has a mahogany character and the service was impeccable. Truly five five-​star. Ashley, our waitress, had an enthusiastic energetic personality and she knew the wine and beverage list like the back of her hand. We will definitely make this a regular stop while in Lima. Congrats to the GM and staff!

It has been a few years since I was here and I was really looking forward to dinner. It was the lump crab was delicious as always. The OC burger was very tasty juicy and cooked to my liking medium. Although I must say I was disappointed. For a $ 13.00 burger I expect that burger to be bun to bun in all directions and it was not. It was present hanging over the edge. I had a large area of bun missing the meat, unacceptable. And the crinkle cut fries, really. Fresh cut fries would be much better and tastier. But again the burger was very tasty.
They have a fare selection of beer. The staff was AWSOME. Very professional, polite prompt and helpful. I felt like one of the locals.
I will defiantly come back.

Great place for a fantastic steak. If you are going to splurge, this is the place in Lima to do it.

Went here with friends and was blown away! The Caesar salad was great and a totally new experience to have table side. I had the Delmonico and it had to be the best Steak I have ever had. My first review and I can say I am excited to write more!

I thought this place was better when it first opened. They ask you to cut into your steak right away to ensure proper cooking but this is the second time I’ve had to send it back for being over-​cooked. Still best place in Lima for a steak but the competition isn’t too stiff.

Very elegant dining. The staff was amazing, friendly with high class. Vonda was excellent server. Pass on the house salad. Steak was exceptional. Dessert was delicious. Price was acceptable. We will visit again soon

Old City Prime is such a welcome addition to Downtown Lima! I’ve had two work lunches at OCP, but the whole experience is impressive between the beautiful building, thoughtful service, and excellent food. At my first lunch I had the lobster & corn chowder with the prime rib lunch special and it was all so good. My second lunch was the stuffed mushroom appetizer and the prime rib sandwich with au jus and it was just as good as my first visit. Now to find someone who will treat me to dinner because I’ve heard amazing things about the aged steaks and table-​made Caesar salad!

I can’t speak to the food, but the customer service and website can use some serious work. I wanted to purchase a gift card and tickets to a show. I called Christmas Eve to check their hours and was told they were open until 4 with the last seating at 2. I get there at 1:55… Doors are locked and no one would answer the phone. If you’re open until 2, be open until 2. Don’t lock the doors early.
Then Saturday I attempt to do the same thing. Check the website– open 11 am til 10 pm on Saturdays. Great, I’ll go then. I drive all the way out there– they’re not open. They open at 5 pm. Which is what it says on their Facebook page, but not their
Website. Silly me, why would I think that a business’s website would have the most accurate information ?
Get it together. I’m not sure the effort I’ve
Put forth to spend money at this establishment is actually worth it.

Fine dining in Lima, OH. New York Strip, Mac N Cheese, and Bacon Salad Dressing… YYYYUUUUMMM!

Brussel SPROUTS! Incredible. Flat bread Gouda and bacon fantastic too, a gem of a place to eat, socialize, etc.

I visited the Old City Prime Upper Lounge a few times. The first around the grand opening, the second was when it was just my and a friend and one other pair in the building. The last time I went I had family in town and we made reservations for about ten. I arrived a little later as I had a wedding to attend. The place had a large crowd. I waited 20 minutes at my table to be offered a menu or be asked for drinks. The server came over twice, made eye contact but took my guest refill orders and still not mine. After I was tired of waiting I walked up to the waiter station, waited a bit longer and ordered there. My drinks and food were okay. I ordered the donuts which maybe needed to be made in new oil. The service ruined the night.

The best restaurant in Lima, Ohio… hands down. Of course such good food comes with a price… this is certainly a restaurant reserved for special occasions. I’ve always had a great steak… and besides that, the pretzel ball cheese fondue, lobster bisque, caesar salads, and raw bar selections have been some of my favorites. Above anything it’s nice to have a meal at a steakhouse that is worthy of any big city restaurant critic. Surely nay-​sayers would say a establishment like this couldn’t sustain itself in Lima… I’m happy they have been proven wrong.
So far I’ve made eating here a new tradition when visiting Lima… and I hope to have that continue.

Old City Prime is a big city fine dining in a small town. Attentive, but not intrusive staff create a great dining experience from small details like properly serving bottles of wine to flourishes like their table-​side Caesar salad preparation, Old City is a THE place for fine dining in Lima. I highly recommend the prime rib.

Good place but overpriced. Though I’m glad I went and glad Lima has this place. 3 adults with 1 drink each and 1 shared app and desert $ 160. Stuffed mushrooms were OK with very little crab stuffing. My $ 43 strip steak was very ok, a little chewy for «dry age». the $ 26 sirloin was good per my guest. My wife’s $ 28 king salmon was good i heard. As far as I knew my strip steak came with a salad and side but I was charged $ 6 for my salad and $ 6 for onions and mushrooms, which made it $ 55 for my steak and it was no way worth that.
The atmosphere was great as was the service.
Very likely won’t be back and unfortunately recommend Texas roadhouse as again my steak very underwhelming and not worth the cost.
PS. We got our Bread pudding to go and it was fantastic, but doesn’t change my overall review.

Don H
My 2^nd time in 3 months and both were outstanding. The welcome is outstanding, our service was very, very good. Drink choice and quality were as good as it gets. Fantastic choice of appetizers. We did the seafood thing and again super, super. I love their booth seating, so make a reservation so request if you are a party of 3 or 4. it is a winner!

Decent food with a large price tag.
Another attraction to downtown Lima, I was hopeful about old city prime. I came with my grandmother for a «night on the town» Lima style. Sadly we weren’t very impressed. The décor was fantastic, loved the history and preservation of the building, but the food was a bit of a let down. My steak wasn’t cooked as I ordered and the flavor wasn’t nearly what I expected for the price. My side of potatoes was good but comically large and the appetizer was much better than the main. All-​in-​all there are places in Lima that are just as good for half the price.
I give props for what they are trying to do here, I love the idea of live music and great food in downtown Lima, but I think they need to refocus their efforts to justify their prices.

Very tasty for lunch. The lobster pizza was amazing-​tender lobster, not rubbery, with a great crust. Very good service, too!

I’ve lived in New York and Boston and I can honestly say this is right up there with some of the better steak houses that we’ve been too. As a matter of fact, this blew Michael Jordan’s Steak House (Grand Central Station Location) out of the water! Others complain about the wait… Sure we waited but, let me tell you, when we were seated it felt like our waiter was only responsible for catering to our every need. Our food was equally as delicious! We enjoyed every moment of being at OCP… I don’t understand why everyone is always in a hurry, it’s not like there is much else going on in town. Relax, enjoy and make a night out of dining at OCP.
Side bar: I read the other reviews and I wonder if the folks who gave poor ratings have ever left little ol’ Lima to experience the world? Seems like everyone in this town is afraid of change, yet at the same time everyone complains that there is no change. Get it together folks; this town needs a place like this!!! Here’s to hoping for change and progress for a better, brighter, Lima.

Lima Ohio doesn’t know what a gem it has. Sure the service could be a little slow, but what’s the hurry. The turn of the century building is beautiful inside and out. The steaks are as good as steaks in Chicago. The service was great as well. The staff allowed us to linger until past closing time, and then invited us upstairs for what nearly passed as a speakeasy. A great band, great dancing and great drinks. All in all a fantastic evening. I’d give it five stars if it wasn’t in Ohio.

The only reason OCP earned three stars instead of two is because of the beautifully designed interior and lovely bar.
Food was very average. Service was much worse, given the expectation of such an establishment. Server was unfriendly and lacked knowledge of fine dining etiquette. In fact, his version of service is the reason that this was NOT NOT NOT a fine experience. There was such little hospitality, professionalism, or welcoming spirit that I would not recommend OCP to anyone who is genuinely looking for a fine dining experience. Examples: server did not exchange one word with us after we ordered dessert and we were there for 30 minutes more; at one point he had grease on his face that shined in the light because he had clearly just eaten something from the kitchen; server smiled one time only; one of our appetizers tasted freezer burnt; server asked to clear our plates too early every. single. course. … the little things add up quickly.
As a person who loves to dine (and often goes out of town to do so) and knows what wonderful hospitality and service should be – not to mention I am a Lima native — I was very disappointed. I would only return to have a drink at the bar.