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House of Prime Rib has been open since the 1940s, and it’s as notorious as the name is ridiculous. Walking in here is like going to a Renaissance festival, except instead of jousting knights and turkey legs, it’s full of gigantic bottles of wine, pictures of royal guards, and a well-choreographed staff pushing around giant zeppelins full of meat. You’ll see everyone from families celebrating birthdays to tourists looking to eat like a British monarch for a night. It’s controlled chaos, but in the best possible way.
You know what you’re here to eat, but when you open the menu, it’s still a bit shocking how few choices you have. There are six entrees to pick from, five of which are different cuts of prime rib and a sixth option of fish, and sides like Yorkshire pudding, baked potatoes, and creamed spinach. You choose how much prime rib you want, how you’d like it cooked, and how thick you want it cut. Aside from the actual cooking, everything here is prepared tableside - salads spin over bowls of ice while dressing gets poured over them from as high as your server can reach, meat is carved and plated out of a massive silver cart, and baked potatoes are split and set up with all the fixings faster than you could even try to take a picture.
The scene is gloriously fun to watch, but the food itself is also a big reason why every room in this palace is always packed. It’s meat and potatoes, plain and simple, but done in a way that’s difficult to top. There’s also a “secret menu” at House of Prime Rib, with things like the well-done rib ends, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes with baked potato fixings. That being said, the House of Prime Rib classics are classics for a reason, and you’re better off sticking with the main menu, especially if it’s your first time.
You may leave knowing that you’ll never come back, or you might make a tradition out of this place, but no matter what, you’ll never forget the first time you went to House of Prime Rib.