We ended up at Prima due to Blue Fin and Chop House with no reservation availability. Prior reviews we read were mixed, some positive, some negative so we were reluctant to give it a try. With no other option, we made a 7:30 reservation for four people. Upon arrival, 5 minutes early we were seated promptly. The ambiance is nice. The restaurant is clean, and the hostess was friendly. From there the meal went downhill fast. Our waiter arrived promptly. The table had a wine menu and we asked for a beer menu also. They don’t have one. He just gave us a limited verbal list of the beer available. Standard fare, Bud Light, Mich Ultra, Yuengling etc. Nothing to make you want to try something new. From there we asked about specials. He said the chef is working on them. What does that mean? Like there are no specials this evening? The chef is in the process of creating them for a future date? Just an odd statement with no further elaboration. We ordered some red wine. It came promptly along with some bread for the table. The bread was accompanied with some olive oil and garlic which was good, but there was a minimal amount of olive oil for only a couple of pieces of bread. Not enough for the four of us. When the waiter opened the bottle of wine, he pulled too hard and the bottle hit the table. A small amount of wine spilled and some drops of wine flew onto the shirt of one in our party. The waiter apologized and offered a laundry detergent marker but we were able to dilute the wine quickly with water from the table. We placed our order with entrees and an appetizer. The appetizer was pretzel encrusted calamari which was decent. Four entrees were Limoncello Grouper which was good, a Pork Ribeye which was fair, and here’s the problem. Two Delmonico Ribeye steak arrived that we had to return. For $29.99 we expected more than a half inch thick steak. Unimpressive in presentation, we hoped the quality was better. Unfortunately, even with a steak knife it was extremely hard to cut. Full or gristle, fatty and thin, trying to eat one piece it hardly even broke down as you chewed. We had to keep chewing, more than normal just to swallow. This reminded me of a $9.99 steak and eggs meal, in a one star diner you went to because it was the only restaurant around, where they buy the cheapest quality steak and you get exactly what you paid for. No flavor and hard to eat. We told the waiter these had to go back and he said ok, I’ll see what I can do. At that point we were not interested in waiting for another meal to be cooked and we asked for a manager. When the waiter returned, he said he could take the steak dinner off the bill. Of course, that is the expectation since we didn’t eat any of the meal. Like you are really doing us a favor? The manager Steve arrived and apologized and said their protein is of high quality. Well, apparently not these steaks. He never offered anything more than a couple of $10 gift certificates off a future visit at Prima or one of their other restaurants. How about “that’s terrible. I’ll make sure this is right. I’ll have the chef prepare another order that I can guarantee you will be exceptional and get it too you right away” If the cuts of Delmonico Ribeye are all bad, they can substitute another cut. Why would I want any $ amount off of anything if you haven’t proven to me you can serve me a quality steak, right? We left the restaurant and left the $10 off cards on the table. This is not a restaurant we will return to and now knowing the other restaurants in this group, we will not entertain eating at those either. They are many good options in The Villages, and exceptional ones outside The Villages we prefer to go to.
Robert W B
My wife Ann, Parrot Josie and I visited Ricciardis yesterday only to find Ricciardis is gone replaced by the Prima Italian Steakhouse. Yep, yesterday about 2:00 PM we did not get the food we were expecting, then again we were not up to date on the change in owners, menu and food of the place. The menu was different, the staff was fantastic, but the food was just not what we wanted. Ann had the crab while I had the burger and we shared the claims. Not sure why but the taste was just not their for any of us except Josie, Josie loved the claims and the french fries. Could be Ann and I were having an off day on our taste buds but our first snack at Prima was not prima. Maybe we will give Prima a second try later but doubt it. As mentioned the staff was very friendly, just wish we could have enjoyed the snacks.
Cory K.
Wow, this place is so good! Not your Grandma's Italian, as Ricciardi's also overs US Prime steaks. The steak and egg salad is delicious, you can taste the quality of steak they offer. The also make homemade gnocchi in house, these are delicious ricotta and flour pasta balls that melt in your mouth, the meatballs are the best too. Plenty of specials, including inexpensive drive deals! The homemade tiramisu is so good, I can't wait to go back!!!! Also a shout out to Stephen for being an amazing manager and taking the tone to go over the menu and even get our drinks when the servers were busy!
Linda M.
I've always enjoyed this restaurant. Excellent quality with a very nice wine list. Last time we were there, it was very crowded but the servers were attentive in spite of the fact that the food took a while to reach our table. We didn't really notice the delay.
Gary E
The restaurant will now be called PRIMO. We visited with friends and the four of us enjoyed a great meal served by Zach. I ordered the pork ribeye. Excellent but a little salty. Zach asked about the taste and I indicated it was a bit salty. He offered to replace it very graciously. It turned out that they use brining to seal in the moisture and there was also a salty sauce. We discovered that Damon had joined the staff as a supervisor from Chop House. Again gracious service from him. High marks for food and service. Best wishes for reopening under a new steakhouse format.
6dianm
I used to come here often for what I considered some of the best pizza in The Villages. Tried the place last week under new ownership and I thought the pizza was terrible in comparison. Gone is the wafer thin crust. Too much cheese... too much sauce... not enough flavor. The previous owners served a true Italian Napoli style pizza. I won't be back.
Kim P.
10" Pizza Da M10" Pizza Da Excellent crust Eggplant parm was terrible. Undercooked and no flavor!
Cynthia P.
Our group had heard rave reviews for the newly reopened Prima Italian Steakhouse (formerly Ricciardi's). Upon arrival, the reservation for 25 in the private dining room was not registered (reconfirmed three times, the most recent only 5 days prior). This required the intervention of the manager and another wait to set up the room. The room was obviously being used as storage with wine cases and large packing boxes stacked in the corners. Limited wait staff led to delayed service for ordering and meal deliveries. Salmon and grouper dishes were undercooked, chicken dishes were either over cooked or served cold. My chicken parmesan appeared to be from a frozen thin and over cooked chicken cutlet served over sloppily placed cold spaghetti with a tasteless marinara sauce. One of our group said the lasagna was excellent and the portion extra large. The wedge salad was rated as great. The pizza was rated as good but to the eye looked over cooked and too brown around the edges. Checks were mostly incorrect and had to be recalculated two or three times. So disappointed! Group members had been there to dine in smaller groups and said how wonderful the presentation and meals were since the change over. Perhaps they were correct, but for now I wouldn't recommend going in a large group. They weren't prepared. So different than when our group went to their restaurant at Lopez. Let's hope this restaurant improves to that quality level.
Lynne Boykin
New owners have initiated a brand new menu, full of wonderful new selections. Nothing like the previous menu...4 different steak choices, as well as, paninis & reasonable prices. Can't waittill they change the name and put up their new sign!
Al Brunjes
You need to update. It's no longer Ricciardi's but the new restaurant carries on their reputation. Great food and service
Had not been to this restaurant in a while, and heard it was under new ownership, decided to give it a try. Signage has not changed yet, but completely new menu. We did make reservations, seated right away as we arrived. All staff was very friendly and helpful, had two mangers stop by during our meal to check on us. Our waiter, Jeremiah was very helpful, went over the menu and got our cocktails started. Ordered a wedge salad and a small Caesar salad, but were very tasty. Wife had the Filet Mignon, with mashed potatoes and broccoli, medium rare. I ordered the NY Strip, medium, with a side of pasta and marinara sauce. Both meals came out cooked perfectly and hot. The side of pasta was not on the menu, but had no issue substituting the potato and broccoli for the pasta. Full bar available and nice selection of wines. Give them a try if looking for a great meal here in the Villages, I know we will definitely be back !
Ginny Y.
Food was okay. May have been better if it was hot. Service was extremely slow. Really did not see our server from the time we ordered until she asked if we wanted a box for leftovers. Thank goodness someone else brought our food when it was ready, although it took two tries to get the right order. No refills on beverage, although we did ask another server and received. Delay in getting check when requested and then in processing payment. Hostess had entirely too much perfume so had to smell every time she walked past and then it lingered. We could understand more if they were busy but they were not.
Don Pyke
The food was good. The drink service was very slow.The staff were very friendly.
LT P
Restaurant was not crowded but they seemed to be short on staff. Also, our waiter appeared to be working both inside and outside tables (should not be done, if possible). We seemed to be forgotten more than once.First round of drinks required a reminder. We were concerned food service would be slow so we considered not getting an appetizer that we had planned on getting, but we ordered it anyway. Appetizer delivery, surprisingly, was in a reasonable amount of time and soup/salads followed at the proper time, too. Main course was also timed well and at a good temperature.When my soup was served, the spoon slid into the bowl below the surface as the waiter placed the bowl on the table. I asked the waiter for another spoon. Waiter didn't bring it so I had to ask for a spoon from another staff who was walking by. A third person brought me one in short order. I had ordered a second drink when the waiter saw the glass was low and asked if I wanted one. My second drink never showed up. I flagged down a manager(?) who had just asked another table if everything was okay. I told him about my missing drink and, by that time another person at our table needed one, so the manager(?) went to the bar and got them, pronto. Manager told us restaurant was 2 days into new management. I think he also said the menu was new, or mostly new. Manager but should have comped the drinks, at the very least.In summary, all our food was good but service was lacking. Maybe the new management will work out the kinks in a few weeks.
aria lester
italian food and service at this location is great. i give this spot two thumbs up. service is typically good. this place has an awesome feel to it.
We ended up at Prima due to Blue Fin and Chop House with no reservation availability. Prior reviews we read were mixed, some positive, some negative so we were reluctant to give it a try. With no other option, we made a 7:30 reservation for four people. Upon arrival, 5 minutes early we were seated promptly. The ambiance is nice. The restaurant is clean, and the hostess was friendly. From there the meal went downhill fast. Our waiter arrived promptly. The table had a wine menu and we asked for a beer menu also. They don’t have one. He just gave us a limited verbal list of the beer available. Standard fare, Bud Light, Mich Ultra, Yuengling etc. Nothing to make you want to try something new. From there we asked about specials. He said the chef is working on them. What does that mean? Like there are no specials this evening? The chef is in the process of creating them for a future date? Just an odd statement with no further elaboration. We ordered some red wine. It came promptly along with some bread for the table. The bread was accompanied with some olive oil and garlic which was good, but there was a minimal amount of olive oil for only a couple of pieces of bread. Not enough for the four of us. When the waiter opened the bottle of wine, he pulled too hard and the bottle hit the table. A small amount of wine spilled and some drops of wine flew onto the shirt of one in our party. The waiter apologized and offered a laundry detergent marker but we were able to dilute the wine quickly with water from the table. We placed our order with entrees and an appetizer. The appetizer was pretzel encrusted calamari which was decent. Four entrees were Limoncello Grouper which was good, a Pork Ribeye which was fair, and here’s the problem. Two Delmonico Ribeye steak arrived that we had to return. For $29.99 we expected more than a half inch thick steak. Unimpressive in presentation, we hoped the quality was better. Unfortunately, even with a steak knife it was extremely hard to cut. Full or gristle, fatty and thin, trying to eat one piece it hardly even broke down as you chewed. We had to keep chewing, more than normal just to swallow. This reminded me of a $9.99 steak and eggs meal, in a one star diner you went to because it was the only restaurant around, where they buy the cheapest quality steak and you get exactly what you paid for. No flavor and hard to eat. We told the waiter these had to go back and he said ok, I’ll see what I can do. At that point we were not interested in waiting for another meal to be cooked and we asked for a manager. When the waiter returned, he said he could take the steak dinner off the bill. Of course, that is the expectation since we didn’t eat any of the meal. Like you are really doing us a favor? The manager Steve arrived and apologized and said their protein is of high quality. Well, apparently not these steaks. He never offered anything more than a couple of $10 gift certificates off a future visit at Prima or one of their other restaurants. How about “that’s terrible. I’ll make sure this is right. I’ll have the chef prepare another order that I can guarantee you will be exceptional and get it too you right away” If the cuts of Delmonico Ribeye are all bad, they can substitute another cut. Why would I want any $ amount off of anything if you haven’t proven to me you can serve me a quality steak, right? We left the restaurant and left the $10 off cards on the table. This is not a restaurant we will return to and now knowing the other restaurants in this group, we will not entertain eating at those either. They are many good options in The Villages, and exceptional ones outside The Villages we prefer to go to.
My wife Ann, Parrot Josie and I visited Ricciardis yesterday only to find Ricciardis is gone replaced by the Prima Italian Steakhouse. Yep, yesterday about 2:00 PM we did not get the food we were expecting, then again we were not up to date on the change in owners, menu and food of the place. The menu was different, the staff was fantastic, but the food was just not what we wanted. Ann had the crab while I had the burger and we shared the claims. Not sure why but the taste was just not their for any of us except Josie, Josie loved the claims and the french fries. Could be Ann and I were having an off day on our taste buds but our first snack at Prima was not prima. Maybe we will give Prima a second try later but doubt it. As mentioned the staff was very friendly, just wish we could have enjoyed the snacks.
Wow, this place is so good! Not your Grandma's Italian, as Ricciardi's also overs US Prime steaks. The steak and egg salad is delicious, you can taste the quality of steak they offer. The also make homemade gnocchi in house, these are delicious ricotta and flour pasta balls that melt in your mouth, the meatballs are the best too. Plenty of specials, including inexpensive drive deals! The homemade tiramisu is so good, I can't wait to go back!!!! Also a shout out to Stephen for being an amazing manager and taking the tone to go over the menu and even get our drinks when the servers were busy!
I've always enjoyed this restaurant. Excellent quality with a very nice wine list. Last time we were there, it was very crowded but the servers were attentive in spite of the fact that the food took a while to reach our table. We didn't really notice the delay.
The restaurant will now be called PRIMO. We visited with friends and the four of us enjoyed a great meal served by Zach. I ordered the pork ribeye. Excellent but a little salty. Zach asked about the taste and I indicated it was a bit salty. He offered to replace it very graciously. It turned out that they use brining to seal in the moisture and there was also a salty sauce. We discovered that Damon had joined the staff as a supervisor from Chop House. Again gracious service from him. High marks for food and service. Best wishes for reopening under a new steakhouse format.
I used to come here often for what I considered some of the best pizza in The Villages. Tried the place last week under new ownership and I thought the pizza was terrible in comparison. Gone is the wafer thin crust. Too much cheese... too much sauce... not enough flavor. The previous owners served a true Italian Napoli style pizza. I won't be back.
10" Pizza Da M10" Pizza Da Excellent crust Eggplant parm was terrible. Undercooked and no flavor!
Our group had heard rave reviews for the newly reopened Prima Italian Steakhouse (formerly Ricciardi's). Upon arrival, the reservation for 25 in the private dining room was not registered (reconfirmed three times, the most recent only 5 days prior). This required the intervention of the manager and another wait to set up the room. The room was obviously being used as storage with wine cases and large packing boxes stacked in the corners. Limited wait staff led to delayed service for ordering and meal deliveries. Salmon and grouper dishes were undercooked, chicken dishes were either over cooked or served cold. My chicken parmesan appeared to be from a frozen thin and over cooked chicken cutlet served over sloppily placed cold spaghetti with a tasteless marinara sauce. One of our group said the lasagna was excellent and the portion extra large. The wedge salad was rated as great. The pizza was rated as good but to the eye looked over cooked and too brown around the edges. Checks were mostly incorrect and had to be recalculated two or three times. So disappointed! Group members had been there to dine in smaller groups and said how wonderful the presentation and meals were since the change over. Perhaps they were correct, but for now I wouldn't recommend going in a large group. They weren't prepared. So different than when our group went to their restaurant at Lopez. Let's hope this restaurant improves to that quality level.
New owners have initiated a brand new menu, full of wonderful new selections. Nothing like the previous menu...4 different steak choices, as well as, paninis & reasonable prices. Can't waittill they change the name and put up their new sign!
You need to update. It's no longer Ricciardi's but the new restaurant carries on their reputation. Great food and service
Restaurantji Recommends
Had not been to this restaurant in a while, and heard it was under new ownership, decided to give it a try. Signage has not changed yet, but completely new menu. We did make reservations, seated right away as we arrived. All staff was very friendly and helpful, had two mangers stop by during our meal to check on us. Our waiter, Jeremiah was very helpful, went over the menu and got our cocktails started. Ordered a wedge salad and a small Caesar salad, but were very tasty. Wife had the Filet Mignon, with mashed potatoes and broccoli, medium rare. I ordered the NY Strip, medium, with a side of pasta and marinara sauce. Both meals came out cooked perfectly and hot. The side of pasta was not on the menu, but had no issue substituting the potato and broccoli for the pasta. Full bar available and nice selection of wines. Give them a try if looking for a great meal here in the Villages, I know we will definitely be back !
Food was okay. May have been better if it was hot. Service was extremely slow. Really did not see our server from the time we ordered until she asked if we wanted a box for leftovers. Thank goodness someone else brought our food when it was ready, although it took two tries to get the right order. No refills on beverage, although we did ask another server and received. Delay in getting check when requested and then in processing payment. Hostess had entirely too much perfume so had to smell every time she walked past and then it lingered. We could understand more if they were busy but they were not.
The food was good. The drink service was very slow.The staff were very friendly.
Restaurant was not crowded but they seemed to be short on staff. Also, our waiter appeared to be working both inside and outside tables (should not be done, if possible). We seemed to be forgotten more than once.First round of drinks required a reminder. We were concerned food service would be slow so we considered not getting an appetizer that we had planned on getting, but we ordered it anyway. Appetizer delivery, surprisingly, was in a reasonable amount of time and soup/salads followed at the proper time, too. Main course was also timed well and at a good temperature.When my soup was served, the spoon slid into the bowl below the surface as the waiter placed the bowl on the table. I asked the waiter for another spoon. Waiter didn't bring it so I had to ask for a spoon from another staff who was walking by. A third person brought me one in short order. I had ordered a second drink when the waiter saw the glass was low and asked if I wanted one. My second drink never showed up. I flagged down a manager(?) who had just asked another table if everything was okay. I told him about my missing drink and, by that time another person at our table needed one, so the manager(?) went to the bar and got them, pronto. Manager told us restaurant was 2 days into new management. I think he also said the menu was new, or mostly new. Manager but should have comped the drinks, at the very least.In summary, all our food was good but service was lacking. Maybe the new management will work out the kinks in a few weeks.
italian food and service at this location is great. i give this spot two thumbs up. service is typically good. this place has an awesome feel to it.