This restaurant has been around for just over 2 years, and I hope it's around for many more. The ambience, the service, the drinks, the food, all of it was spectacular. Genuinely the best meal I have ever had, and I've had some pretty incredible ones. Primo's blew them all out of the water. Get here yesterday. If you DID eat here yesterday, do it again today. And also tomorrow. read more

Super salty and all sauces were in appropriately sweet. Server recommended a dish with a hard boiled egg and salami that was barely eatable. Would not recommend Primos. read more

I lagged on posting life got busy during the holidays. But let's just say our little 2 day getaway to Tahoe was complete with our amazing dinner at Primos They had amazing and fast service, everyone there was friendly. The menu was absolutely spectacular, and tasted amazing. Their specials threw the pre planned orders out the window the Arenchini Balls, and oysters were fabulous. Our entrees came out at the perfect time, the lamb Bolognese and braised wild boar lasagna incredible. I personally loved the drinks. I originally got the Pink Peppercorn Cosmo, but I felt I needed to try one of there holiday specials I think it was a tequila pear drink? Oh I feel bad I don't remember but it was amazing. And nicely poured. So Bracing the weather outside was doable afterwards. (Looking for a place to stay. Across the street is PlayPark ridge, amazing and dog friendly) Anyways to top it all off, we got the pear Zamboni dessert(forgot the name). OMG this this was so good, I was so full and couldn't finish it, I needed to take it back to the hotel to eat the rest in bed. Thank you again for the amazing evening and wonderful service. Will be coming back absolutely. read more

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Every time we come to South Shore, we eat at Primo's. Consistently great food. Great Wine list and great service read more

Always love Primo's as indicated by our waiter recognizing us. Every experience here is stellar from food to service. The old location shut down and the new one place is very stylish. read more

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This restaurant service was slow though the waiters were pretty nice. It took a while for us to get our food, speaking of which my spaghetti looked like worms though (considering they were thick and has a hole if you bit it, but overall this restaurant was okay, read more

The service was great! Our food was delicious! We sat outside and were the only ones out there for a minute, but, we were never forgotten! Definitely looking forward to returning! read more

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Saw this establishment on the way to a coffee shop and saw the "Brunch" sign. Looked like a very nice place to explore and experience! Were we on for a pleasant surprise! Primo's on Emerald Bay Rd (down the street across from Bert's Cafe) was an accidental discovery - my favorite experience. It was quaint, modern with intimate inside alcoves and a large covered outdoor patio with a large fireplace on the far side. We sat in a shaded corner which was thoughtful and a delight! Our server Nicole was pleasant, answered our questions and provided some awesome recommendations which landed my brunch pick - Croissant sandwich - which apparently is a crowd favorite there. It did not disappoint! I added some photos of food, location and establishment layout. Great place for groups! read more

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Everything about this restaurant is wonderful. Our waiter was friendly, attentive and spot on with suggestions. The pace was ideal. While we chose to sit inside, the outside dining area was also inviting. Our cocktails were unique and delicious. Caesar salad, carbonara, sea bass and octopus with shrimp were all outstanding. A great value as well. read more

We we're headed to eat pizza across the street and saw this place and fell in love with it. It's a little pricey, but worth every penny menu's phenomenal service was great wine selection was out of this world. Can't wait to go back. read more

Primo's - Two lovers - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Not great. Very few pasta dishes at all had the bucatini carbonara and it was sticky and not great. Other person had the traditional lasagna kind of just okay. No longer offer a ravioli no longer offer a pizza of any type. Service was just okay, we left 3/4 of our food and there was no questions just the plates were picked up she never asked us if we didn't enjoy it. Beautiful building nice little bar up front read more

Such a lovely experience! We had our first dinner tonight at Primo's and what a delight! I came at the recommendation of a Google reviewer who said she had the best octopus ever here. Given that I love octopus, I had to check it out. I was not disappointed! And as it turns out, everything was truly delightful from the hostess, to our waitress Nicole-- who was so attentive, funny, and made great recommendations, to obviously the deliciousness we ate and drank. The entire experience was a warm ambiance, with friendly and attentive service, and a wonderful culinary experience. And I also appreciated the slight twist on traditional Italian dishes. I won't give those away, you'll just have to check them out for yourself! I look forward to our next visit back to Primo's! read more

Primo's - From bottom to to: Octopus, bread plate, and burrata with grilled peach and romaine. - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Love Primo's and continues to impress every time I go. Started with a variety of breads pared with a flavorful butter and jam, along with a wonderful Caesar salad and anchovies. Shared a scrumptious perfectly prepared steak Florentine which was the hit of evening. Nice wine list. Recommend the Anonini Chianti Classico reserva and sitting outdoors when the weather is nice! read more

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We ordered the Baked Burrata, Octopus, Mussels, and the Carbonara Bucatini. The Baked Burrata had a bold, incredible flavor that stood out right away. The Octopus was cooked to perfection--tender, flavorful, and easily the best I've had at an Italian restaurant. The Mussels were also excellent, especially the rich, flavorful sauce they were served in. The only dish that fell a bit short for me was the Carbonara Bucatini. Although it appeared fully cooked, it had a doughy texture and taste, and the flavor itself was somewhat bland compared to the other dishes. Service was nice and I enjoyed the ambiance inside the restaurant. read more

From the very first call at 4, Primo's set the tone. Andrea answered the phone and was incredibly kind and helpful. I asked if we needed reservations for a party of two within the next half hour and she let me know it should be fine but that they usually fill up around 5-6 pm (appreciated the honesty). I also asked about mocktails... and yes, they have them. Big win! I was getting all dolled up and wanted somewhere fancy, and Primo's absolutely delivered!! Walking in felt like stepping back in time, in the best way. Frank Sinatra, BB King, and other classics playing in the background, candlelit tables, warm beige walls, romantic old-school vibes. Cozy, classy, nostalgic... whatever the word is, it was a whole mood and I was fully there for it. When we arrived, there were only two other tables seated, which made it feel intimate and relaxed. By the time we left? The place was completely packed and clearly for good reason. Sal was our server and walked us through the specials. He was fantastic from start to finish, super personable and genuinely fun to talk to. We started with a dozen oysters (so good we immediately ordered another dozen.) We also ordered the octopus because we love trying it everywhere we go. This was the only thing that wasn't a home run; it was a bit chewy/rubbery. That said, octopus is tricky, and I'd still be willing to try it once more. We shared the porterhouse steak and it was delicious. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and absolutely worth it. Dessert? We basically ordered everything except the white chocolate bread pudding (next time!). I had a cappuccino to go with dessert and it was perfect! * Panacotta: my absolute favorite--light, silky, and incredible * Olive oil cake: warm, moist, dreamy * Tiramisu: outstanding (was that an Oreo/chocolate crumble on top??) * Chocolate Mousse: So light and fluffy * Chocolate Ganache: thick and delicious with a caramel top. Mocktails deserve their own shoutout. * Gin Thyme mocktail: good not too sweet. * Hibiscus Ginger Smash: SO good--bright, refreshing, sweet and delicious Next time I'm trying the PearRita for sure. My partner ordered real cocktails: * Apricot Fig Old Fashioned: Great! * Barrel-Aged Paper Plane: so fantastic he ordered a second Service across the board was amazing. After dessert came out, Sal even offered to take our photo, which was such a thoughtful touch and really speaks to the level of care here. You can tell he love hospitality. Even the check was brought out inside an old book, A Judy Bolton Mystery. Such a classic, charming detail. I wish we had asked if we could write in it like others apparently had. I regret not leaving a little note. On the way out, I stopped at the bar to thank Andrea (bartender who had also taken my call) and made sure she was tipped well. I'm glad I did, because tips are kept separate from dining room and bar. So if you order drinks while you're at a table, make sure you tip your bartender separately! All in all: incredible service, fantastic atmosphere, amazing food and drinks, and thoughtful little details that make the experience special. We will absolutely be back!!! read more

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It was our first visit and we were 100% shocked how good is this place! Professional waiters (our's was Scott), very polite. The atmosphere is amazing, we decided to sit outside and it was very nice. The interior was beautiful as well. Clean restrooms with unique design. Pleasant music The food was of course the best part. You all just have to try it. The appetizers were delicious I couldn't stop thinking of ordering more!!! We tried their clockwork white ale beer and it was the best beer in our life. You are tasting the food and you can realize that you had never tried this flavor in your life, very unique!!! Will definitely come back to try more read more

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I've been here a few times when my friends come up here to visit. Primos has been awesome. Beautiful decor. Nice lighting. Not too dark nor too bright. The food has been excellent. The service is just fine. This isn't a fast food place and the pace is right for the restaurant. The beet and carrot salad was excellent! We'll definitely be back with more of our friends. read more

Don't get this confused with Primo's Bistro which is the one with pizza! Me and my friends stopped here for a brunch, and I ordered the Artisanal Bread board. It came with sourdough, sticks, baguette, butter, oil, jam, and iberico lardo. My favorite was the bread with the iberico lardo! It was savory and matched with the big piece of bread. I also enjoyed dipping the sourdough in the jam! The service was pretty fast, and we got to sit outside in perfect weather, so the ambiance was great as well! read more

Primo's - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

This was our first time to Primo's after going to the Lake House for years. I am sad to say, it will probably be our last visit as well. I will start with the good. The staff are wonderful; everyone from the hostess to the servers were very friendly, conversational, and helpful. Also, the decor is still beautiful. We chose to sit outside on this visit, and I feel like they could do more to make the tables outside look as nice as the atmosphere inside, but that is a very small thing. Now for the bad. The food. Well, I suppose that is somewhat harsh, so I will break it down from best to worst. My husband and I are not drinking alcohol at the moment, so we very much appreciated the NA options on the menu. We each had a hibiscus ginger mocktail that was very good and not overly sweet/sugary. I liked it a lot and may try to make my own at home. We then ordered the grilled peach and burrata salad. This was my first clue that things were going to go horribly wrong. The salad came out with several uncut leaves of lettuce, not ideal for eating, but I guess it is about the presentation. With said lettuce was one very sad, very small, piece of burrata. I have actually never seen a piece of burrata that small, so I am assuming they just cut a normal piece of burrata into smaller sections maybe? And then there was one half of a small, hard, grilled peach. The peach was not ripe to begin with, but even so, not grilled to the point of being soft. It was also topped with some sort of a drizzle I guess you could say, of something that was an artificial pink color. It was edible, but none of it was that great. A salad is such an easy thing! This could have been mixed greens dressing with a light lemon and olive oil dressing, topped with an actual burrata, and a peach cut in half and grilled. Then maybe dress the burrata with a beautiful basil vinaigrette for color and flavor. But sadly, that was not the case. Ok, after the salad we ordered a ribeye medium rare and the mushroom risotto. The ribeye was cooked the way that it was supposed to, but definitely needed salt. It was presented sliced nicely and the interior was cooked perfectly, so I can't be too mad. BUT the risotto was AWFUL. I'm not even sure how someone can ruin risotto unless it came from a box. The risotto had zero flavor. It was a pasty grey color and tasted like someone mixed in drywall. It was inedible. Even the mushrooms in the risotto were grey. The creaminess from risotto comes from slow cooking the rice NOT from adding any form of cream or milk (which was obviously done in this case), and you have to caramelize the mushrooms in a hot pan with butter before adding them to your risotto, otherwise they are just boiled grey slimy bits. Gross. Also, risotto when cooked properly will have SALT in it. Salt from the butter that you saute the rice in before you ever start to add liquid. Salt from the chicken broth that you add to the rice as it cooks. And finally, salt from the parmesan or asiago that you add to the risotto at the end of cooking. This risotto was the opposite of all of those things. No salt, bland, tasteless, grey, sad. If I had to guess, whomever is working in the kitchen does not actually know how to make Italian food. It is possible that we came on a day when the backup to the backup chef was working, or someone new had just started and has little to no experience, I don't know, but at a time when eating at restaurants can be quite expensive, it is really hard to convince myself to come back and try a place like this again. Just to be clear, I can't say one single bad thing about the staff that helped us. They were all wonderful. They are the only reason I could give two starts instead of one. read more

Food was perfect! Service was perfect! An they even brought out a very nice birthday treat for my friend. Plan on going back soon!

The restaurant is nice and clean but the food is overpriced and there isn't enough flavor. The tip is included, due to this i believe that's why the service was rude. read more

Primo's - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Excellent service by Nicole. Nice wine selection and delicious meals served hot and promptly. I found the patio to be beautiful, and the interior well-appointed. read more

Primo's - Sea Bass - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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Food was very average, lacking seasoning /salt One friend had veal Marsala he said it was tough ! I had mushroom risotto it was good enough , bland in flavor and def needed fresh parm ( which they didn't have just brought me shaved parm ) The service was excellent though. Maybe just bad day but super pricey for the food quality. Hopefully things will improve because I'm not sure we'd go back for less than average food The atmosphere was darling inside read more

We went for dinner last night and locals had told us this was the best restaurant in town... we were both served pasta (lasagna and the fettuccini Alfredo) with RAW pasta dough. It wasn't boiled first before being introduced to the sauce or dish. It tasted like raw pasta dough in the lasagna and pulled apart like raw dough. Same with the fettuccini. I think they "cook" it in the sauce and don't pre-boil. At least that's what happened last night. We are chefs so our palette's don't lie! The plating feeling like the early 2000's. Ok ingredients but assembled strangely (the two salads we had were very oddly put together). Server was constantly upselling or angling for us to join the rewards program. Not chill! Also the outside patio is ALL BEIGE. Just drab. Would be great if they put some cut flowers on the tables to add a vibe. Lake Tahoe in the summer is full of bounty! Do better. read more

Primo's was excellent from start to finish. The fried burrata was perfectly crispy and creamy, the chicken Alfredo was rich and smooth with perfectly cooked pasta, and the Steak Florentine was the standout -- tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly medium-rare. Beautiful presentation, great flavors, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend if you're in South Lake Tahoe. read more

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Just tried this spot while vacationing. The menu was a little scarce, but if you ask the waiter they can suggest traditional add ons for whatever you're getting. Great wine selection read more

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We had a really hard time finding a restaurant to fit our party of 14 and primos came highly recommended. The staff was AMAZING and so kind. A big group isn't always the easiest and they were total pros. The drinks were amazing the food was amazing. We cannot express our gratitude enough. We had family fly in from all over the country and let me tell you there was something on the menu for everyone. While all the food was fantastic, The #1 thing we all agreed on was that the smoked goat cheese mac and cheese was out of this world good. My three and four year old even loved it and didn't want to share it. That's a hard thing to do too because they're in their picky eater phase. They even had live music and it was so relaxing. Like I truly have not been that relaxed at a restaurant in so long. Our entire family couldn't stop talking about the positive experience. If you're contemplating trying this place just do it. You won't be disappointed. read more

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The food was so delicious. My 5-year-old is very picky. He cleaned his whole plate. I got the pasta carbonara with shrimp it was very delicious. If you haven't been here before you should definitely try it. read more

Primo's - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Cozy vibe at the bar. No tables were available on a week day evening when we went. I quite enjoyed the lasagna, my partner found it too acidic. We also got the Veal Marsala not pictured which was very tasty. Would go back however making a reservation for a table as patrons squeezing through the bar seating area was distracting and less than ideal. read more

Primo's - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

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From the appetizer, to our entrees and desert, the entire meal was outstanding. I had the pan seared, roasted garlic potato, lemon fennel cream and my husband had the Home Made Sausage, Mushroom, Rigatoni in Vodka sauce. We brought in our own wine and paid the $20 corkage fee, but next time we will try some of the Italian wines they have in their cellar. Our server, Salvatore was so helpful and the right amount of attention was given to us. The atmosphere is comfortable, warm and cozy. A perfect way to end a day on the slopes or other fun outdoor activities. read more

This restaurant is beautiful and the food is fantastic. It's medium priced but you feel like you're in a very fancy restaurant service is always good. read more

One of my favorite dinners in recent history. After having a terrible dinner at another place the night before, this was a great palate cleanser. Service was great, we had David who was excellent and the food was incredible. The chicken piccata was refreshing and bright, and the 6 oz filet was cooked perfectly. If you're looking to get your Italian fix in Lake Tahoe, this is the place hands down. read more

Primo's - Chicken piccata - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

fabulous brunch spot not crowded great atmosophere wonderful friendly staff outstanding bar staff cook is usually chef owner upscale food choices our new fav read more

I came at 5:20pm today on Sunday March 16th. The place was desolate. I was standing at the front for 20 min to see if I could speak with anyone. read more

This is my new fav spot in South Lake! Walking in, you're embraced by warm modern design with wood accents and glass chandeliers. The staff is fantastic, friendly and attentive, with recommendations for menu favorites and wine pairings. The bread service stands apart with variety and size, Brussels Sprouts are spot on, Mussels are great, and Ricotta Gnudi is a must for mushroom lovers. Lamb Rack is very nice with side of Truffled Creamed Spinach, Eggplant Parmesan is a tasty vegetarian option, and Pork Osso Bucco is super satisfying for meat lovers, with delish creamy polenta. From desserts, the chocolate mousse is my fav! Can't wait for the warm season to enjoy their beautiful patio. read more

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Food was great! Unusual combinations made for a wonderful experience. From traditional Italian cuisine to unique alterations of traditional foods the food is simply delicious! Service was excellent! The tiramisu was the best I've ever had! I spent more than I usually do at a restaurant, but it was well worth it! read more

New York steak marinara was to rare. The marinara sauce was nothing special. My wife's Carbonara was overly cooked and stuck together . Our waiter seemed always in a hurry. Dropping silverware and dish ware on the table. The dining room was quite noisy. We have been to Primos previous local many times. It was always great. Not so much in the new local. read more

Terrific location on Hwy 50 near the Y. Gorgeous outdoor dining, heated with large fireplace. Service top notch and food divine.

Fantastic Thursday night dinner at Primos in the off-season. Sambuca shrimp, Caesar, Italian Mai Tai and Sangiovese were all delicious/tasty, but the Steak Florentine stole the show. Have been meaning to try this, and it did not disappoint, from the reveal right up to the point that we couldn't eat another bite. Big recommend for steak lovers, there's a 3 day veal sauce not mentioned in the menu that, along with the truffled spinach, really make this special. Thanks (new) Primo's, can't wait to get back. read more

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This was our second time at Primos, and we are thoroughly impressed. We had the rib eye the first time and it was the best steak we've ever had. The waiter suggested we get The Florentine if we ever went back, so we took their advice when we traveled back a month later. We're still debating which steak was better, but everything from the presentation and explosion of flavors of the food to the ambiance of the restaurant was truly lovely. This has quickly become our favorite restaurant! read more

Primo's - Steak Florentine - Italian Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California