From the first moment of receiving a beautiful and delicious popover to the appetizers, steaks, sides and dessert the food was top notch. The decor and ambiance as well as the service was outstanding as well. The tuna tar tar was excellent as well as the cowboy ribeye. The enormous salted potato and the creamed spinach were also excellent. The lobster mac n cheese was good but a bit heavy so that was one of the few things we did not love. The cauliflower puree also was pretty bland so would not order that again. I did not have it but my family said the cheesecake was outstanding. read more

See all

Very good service and fresh delicious food. They have a baked potato which is very special. Try their stakes as well. Definitely recommend this restaurant read more

Don't get the Roots Express Lunch, it sounds good on the menu, but the reality is far from it. The half lobster roll is more like 1/3 of a roll, since it's mostly bread, there are about 3-4 bites of lobster meat in the roll. The lobster bisque is way too salty, it's really all you taste, pure saltiness and tiny bits of lobster in it. The salad is just something you get pre-packaged from the supermarket, the 2 slices of cucumber and radish are dry and old. For $20 plus taxes, you really are just eating 4 bits of lobster. While it sounds a good deal on the menu, it really is a rip off. You are better off getting the whole lobster roll for $25. I ordered for takeout, and they don't give utensils unless you specifically ask for them. A bit cheap for a fancy place like this? read more

Meal and service was excellent. First time visiting Ocean Prime in California. If your interested in fine dining, I would recommend visiting the restaurant. Payton from N.J. read more

Supposed to be open until 11pm, at 9:45 said kitchen was closed and wouldn't allow me to order anything. Manager was incredibly rude.

I have heard great things about this restaurant, we were not impressed. The Caesar salad was good. We had the t bone for two. I thought mine at home was far more delicious, my benchmark... I want something better than I can make when I go out. It was barely warm and a vein of grizzle. The creamed spinach was delicious. The onion rings were good. I honestly don't have any idea what the tab was but I feel no need to go back. The bar looks great. The fireplace room is disappointing. I understand they went with big booths for that steakhouse feel but it was a beautiful room with sweeping windows/doors and now it looks well, bad. read more

A couple of weeks ago we had my 80th birthday party at Roots Ocean Prime Princeton. The staff couldn't have been more knowledgeable and cooperative in setting things up. The event itself was incredible. Wonderful food and drinks with the party room set up perfectly. The event was supposed to be from 6:00 to 9:00. Folks were having so much fun by 10:00 all were still in the room enjoying. I can't recommend this establishment any higher. read more

We love this restaurant. It's become one of our Princeton favorites. Service is always excellent and the food fresh and well made. I love the crab meat cocktail with the dry ice effect. Steaks are good sized and perfectly cooked. The carrot cake is incredible and enough for 4 people. Highly recommend. read more

I enjoyed the restaurant very much. The service was excellent. As per my request, we were seated near the fireplace. Unfortunately during Covid, time slots were listed at two hours. So, we had to leave our spot a little bit sooner than we thought, but they were very accommodating, they moved us to another table, and were kind enough to offer us a free dessert. The place is a little pricey, but it was very nice. I probably will go back again. read more

So glad I found another good steak house! Great food and though the location looks small on the outside, don't let it fool you. Plenty of room inside. Staff is also very good. Will definitely return. read more

We picked up the food curbside due to COVID-19. We ordered a good variety of the food. I was excited to try to Cowboy Steak, because the photos on Yelp look great. It was flavorless. Great cut of beef, but I can order that same steak at a butcher for half and cook it great at home. The taste of the Cowboy Steak has a lot to do with the 3 star rating. My husband did not enjoy his food either. He had the Sea Bass, which is usually one of our favorite fish when eating out. It was OK. But when dining at a restaurant at this price point, you expect more than OK. We shared some type of sampler with a bite sized lobster roll, filet mignon slider, and some other item (I don't remember it). Those were all underwhelming. Also, the name... a bit misleading. I know they serve steak and seafood but the name of this place does not match the location or vibe. (My opinion, doesn't affect my rating). The Hot Popovers were great! And I was happy about this because I recently made a failed attempt at homemade popovers. I enjoyed this the most. The other positive is that the woman who took my order over the phone was nice and patient as I decided on what I wanted to order. Additionally, the curbside experience convenient. read more

First visit was spot on. Went here for lunch and got the express lunch. (Soup, 1/2 Lobster Roll, Salad) Very good and plenty to eat. Will definitely try it again. read more

Phenomenal first experience dining at Roots Ocean Prime. I was disappointed to see Cargot did not survive here, but relieved to hear that an even better restaurant had taken its place. My husband and I chose to dine here to celebrate our wedding anniversary and ended up being so glad we did. Our server was personable, professional, and attentive... along with providing excellent recommendations on appetizers and bourbon selections. Started off with a dirty martini (they have blue cheese olives... major points for me!) complimentary popovers ( a truly memorable "bread" experience... just amazing ), a dozen cape may salt oysters and the tuna tartare. Oysters were great, however I would love to see more of a selection of oysters since there are so few restaurants in the area with a raw bar. Tuna Tartare was one of the freshest we had had, and my husband who doesn't particularly care for tuna loved it. We both had dry aged steaks, both cooked to perfection. Sides were delicious. I wished we had room for dessert, however, they so kindly gave us a perfectly sized "happy anniversary" cookie and ice cream plate. The ambiance of the decor is stunning and their outdoor area is beautiful. Can't wait to return! read more

Roots Ocean Prime - Cape May Salts and Tuna Tartare - Steakhouses Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Beautiful restaurant for special occasions. The walls of windows and fireplace in back room make for a great atmosphere. The hot popovers and awesome cocktails were a nice start. Appetizers, dinner and sides were all delicious as well as the ice cream on dry ice I was served to celebrate my birthday. All around good experience. Not inexpensive but a nice treat. read more

As a vegetarian guest, I was expecting to get a salad or something that was not really reviewing. However, Roots did not disappoint this vegetarian either! Amazing food:) read more

Roots Ocean Prime - Carrot cake was too good! - Steakhouses Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Meal was stupendous from the fresh warm popover to the steak and mashed potatoes. Elegant romantic ambiance. Seating by the fireplace. Awesome read more

We have been to Roots twice. The first time was phenomenal. Our dinner was cooked perfectly and I had not one complaint. We made a second visit for our anniversary dinner and were really looking forward to it. However, my husband's steak was slightly overcooked and the sides were not to our liking (just personal preference). We will give it definitely another go. read more

I took a friend out for her birthday our server was Edward and he was amazing we loved the food and service he gave us. The people complaining on here about the food, the price, or the service should really think about the place they are going. It's not meant to be a cheap place it was one of the cheapest fine dining experiences I have had. So if your concerns are about price stick with Texas Roadhouse they'll meet your needs. read more

Great food, cozy ambiance, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Worth every penny for a special occasion or just a really good meal.

Found this restaurant last summer on the Resy app and decided to try. So glad we did. Been here several times and has become one of our favorites. Always had excellent service and can't go wrong with seafood or steak choices on the menu. Nice atmosphere inside the dining room or outside on the patio areas. read more

A huge disappointment steaks were tough with little taste. The service left a lot to be desired

We had a wonderful outdoor dinner! The staff was extremely gracious and accommodating. The food was well done - popovers, tuna tartare, wedge salad, cowboy steak, best creamer spinach, and limes frites. The creamed spinach was fresh. You could see the light green of the leaves and it was perfectly salted, not too much. Going out now is a luxury and this was the perfect night out to somewhat forget about our new normal. Thank you Roots Ocean Prime for a wonderful evening with your amazing staff! read more

The food was excellent, although our dinners were missing a side. The side didn't come out until we were almost done our dinners. A waitress that didn't even take care of us took our side to wrap up, but then came back without our food to ask us if we wanted dessert?. I had to ask our waiter where our side went and then he brought it out. I am a waitress and I was very disappointed in the service in a high class restaurant. The food was outstanding but not worth the money if the service sucked. read more

I can't believe how bad this restaurant is. The decor is very unwelcoming - it is reminiscent of the '80s with it's throwback men's club ambiance. Our service was bad. The popovers were cold. The drinks were incredibly expensive and not good. The food was mediocre. They offered us a special dessert with the profits going to some charity without telling us that the price of this specific dessert was nearly double the price of all of the desserts on the menu. And it was not particularly good. Also, it bothers me that their menu all this winter touts locally sourced sides, including asparagus. Asparagus is not in season in this location in the winter. It strikes me as unnecessarily sleazy and makes me mistrust everything about the quality of their ingredients. They could simply have said asparagus. No need to lie about it being local. Perhaps by "locally sourced" they meant that their supplier is local? I can't think of one saving grace. read more

I have dined here three times. Once about a year ago was top-notch, but quality has consistently decreased since then. Tonight we were served broccoli with dirty stalk bottoms (i.e. they were not cleaned properly and trimmed), a runny creamed spinach, and a steak with a large tendon in the middle, an unfortunate surprise that significantly decreased the edible meat. It was served rare though was ordered medium. It was a regrettable dinner and unfortunately it is unlikely we will return given the number of issues. I do hope they recover given their location and importance to the ambience of the town. read more

We went here for my daughters 14th birthday. The food was delicious, service from beginning to end was not that great. I had to tell our waiter it was our daughters birthday 3 times, to make sure he remembered. We had to ask for glasses to be cleared, and more water. As my husband left to get the car, he said good bye to the 3 people at the host stand, one smiled. No exit greeting form anyone. For an upscale restaurant where you pay this much money, I would expect more, very disappointed. read more

Great Streaks with extremely poor service. Never seen an expense restaurant with such poor experience. I had dinner by myself and ask if the could serve half of a salad. Why should you be forced to pay $15 for a salad. I asked the manager and he said no and blamed the owners. read more

This was a disappointment, made a reservation, waited 5 minutes while the hostess and a waiter argued about the price of a glass of Prosecco or something like that. That conversation should have ceased as soon as a customer was present. was seated next to the front door in a booth. Politely asked for a different table was told none were available. We were then told that we would be served by the bartender, the person behind the bar. That was a wtf moment. This is not a Bennigan's it's a Princeton restaurant with a price to match. Ordered drinks, ordered dinner. Waited 35-40 minutes no appetizer, then dinner was served. A $40 steak served all alone on the plate. It looked silly.... the food was good. Was it worth $130 with tip for 2 people, yes if it was a nice table with a nice crisp white tablecloth and very attentive waitstaff. Ask for the dining room when you make your reservation!! read more

Easily my favorite spot in downtown, great atmosphere good food, if you're on here complaining about the price take your broke ass to McDonald's read more

GOSH - where do I BEGIN - my first few words are beautiful, delectable and top-notch service. My family and I walked into the restaurant (as we heard great things about the Harvest Restaurant Group and decided to make the drive down to Princeton to try their newest endeavor) and the bar was the first thing we saw and wow was that breathtaking. My husband and I are huge cocktails people - especially during the holidays and we made our way to the bar to order a round before being seated. The rustic colors were so cozy and really gave off some home-y vibes. My husband and I both ordered the specialty margarita while our son Jack got the Old Fashioned which he let me try and I was AMAZED at the flavor - not too strong as most places usually make them! We were seated next to the jaw-dropping fireplace and couldn't get over the details imprinted in the dining room. It definitely took a second to admire the details in the interior design. We split the Tuna Tartare and Spicy Crispy Lobster for the table and the flavor BURSTING from each of those dishes was amazing. The Spicy Crispy lobster had the PERFECT kick of spice without taking away from the fresh lobster. The mains then came out which included the Cauliflower Steak, Specialty Risotto (shrimp, asparagus and CHEESE) and Kobe Slider. Now I love a good vegetarian meal and let me tell you this place gets it! The cauliflower was cooked to perfection with the right amount of crunch without being too flabby as most of them turn out. The Kobe Sliders were such a generous size we were all ecstatic as we each were able to take a nibble and the Risotto was definitely a crowd favorite! The pairing of shrimp and fresh cut asparagus was TO DIE FOR. Easy to say we will absolutely be making the drive back to Princeton just for this outstanding restaurant! BRAVO HARVEST. read more

Incredible service and beautiful atmosphere. Really impressed by the service and hospitality of the server and manager. Will definitely return. The bread toppers are a great added touch too. read more

Roots Ocean Prime - Shrimp cocktail - Steakhouses Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Absolutely spot on from start to finish. Impeccable service, fantastic cocktails, and excellent food. They are taking Covid-19 very seriously and we feel extremely safe dining here. We loved the burrata appetizer and my wife had the sea bass which she thought was great. I had the stuffed chicken and really enjoyed it. Be sure to try the potatoes au gratin. Wow! The fresh, hot popovers to start are truly spectacular. Roots is a five star experience! read more

Went for Father in laws birthday, Loved the food and drinks. They follow all required COVID regulations!

Very cool atmosphere and the food was great. Slightly disappointed with their lobster Mac n cheese (Witherspoon Grill's is better), but overall it was delicious and we'll definitely go back. read more

Having dined at the prior occupant of this space (Cargot) we already knew the atmosphere would be nice and it did not disappoint with fantastic outdoor seating including a room with 2 open walls for "indoor/outdoor" dining. They have a good selection of seafood, steak, salads, appetizers, etc... We had the Cape May oysters, Barnegat Sea Scallops, 16 oz NY Strip and sides of Onion Rings and Corn. Everything was great quality, prepared perfectly and served professionally. While they have other locations, Roots is definitely better than the chain alternatives for steak/seafood and this is a great addition the the Princeton restaurant scene. My only minor critique is that the otherwise delicious popovers were not piping hot on the inside. read more

Our cocktails were expertly prepared and delicious. We sipped them while enjoying freshly baked popovers. For dinner, we shared a chopped salad, then my wife had the halibut and I had the scallops. Both were excellent, and the sides that we shared with them - rich, succulent sautéed mushrooms and sweet roasted corn off the cob - were large and delicious. We finished the meal with a slice of carrot cake, which was wonderful but way too big for us to finish. It was easily large enough for four people. We dined in the bar area which, surprisingly, was not noisy as all. We had no problem hearing each other across the table. read more

Unfortunately we have to give Roots just two stars and we really don't post reviews. But it's important to let the community know. Service was good however, we arrived home from dinner at Roots and it did not sit well in our tummies. What my boyfriend and I ate that we suspect gave us the tummy issue was either the Cape May oysters or tuna tartar. He also had seared tuna for dinner and I had the prime steak. So please be careful when ordering seafood. Steak was average, I requested for medium but got medium well or almost well done because it was dry. Money spent wasn't justified. We don't have food sensitivity and rarely we get discomfort after dining out in town...but this was unexpectedly disappointing. read more

This was my boyfriend and I's first time visiting Roots and it absolutely did not let down. Our waitress was Rachel and she was absolutely the best! She was very sweet and took time to help me order the perfect drinks. Our meals were wonderful and it was definitely the best filet i've ever had - perfectly cooked. I can't suggest this place enough, it's our new date night spot. Please visit and ask for Rachel, you will not be disappointed! read more

We have come here several times to celebrate in their private room and their main dining room. They are very accommodating and we are always satisfied. Drinks are skillfully crafted and the menu has something to satisfy everyone's palate. .Gluten Free Menu is offered as well! read more

We had dinner at Roots Ocean Prime last night. It was my second time eating at this restaurant. The first time was with clients in January 2020. It was ok, but I chalked it up to a Sunday night (not usually the chef working on a sunday). However, last night was the same experience. Wait staff was good. But at a Steak house, the chef should know how to cook a steak. I am a pretty good cook, but not a trained chef. If I know how to test a filet for medium rare at the touch, this restaurant should. I ordered my filet as medium rare and it came medium well. Creamed spinach side was just ok. The prices are high here and I expect better than I can cook. Further, they have the doors open in the dining room to accommodate the social distancing requirements, but the air wasn't on. It was soooooo hot. Even the Pub downtown has the windows open and the air on. Won't be back any time soon. read more