Restaurant openings: an American bar and grill with steakhouse cred

Liz Balmaseda, Palm Beach Post
·4 min read
On the menu at the new Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee: sliced beef tenderloin served with bacon-wrapped shrimp in a bourbon chipotle glaze.
On the menu at the new Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee: sliced beef tenderloin served with bacon-wrapped shrimp in a bourbon chipotle glaze.

Steak king Ralph Lewis continues to grow and diversify the restaurant group that’s anchored by Palm Beach County’s most iconic steakhouse. The newest member of the Okeechobee Steakhouse family made its debut Wednesday night in Loxahatchee.

The new Lewis Prime Grill is a little more relaxed than the 75-year-old steakhouse, but it carries the classic feel that characterizes the restaurant group. The 120-seat restaurant took over the former Kocomo’s Island Grill space at The Acreage plaza on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.

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This is the second Lewis-branded restaurant to open this year. In May, Lewis and three longtime Okeechobee Steakhouse managers opened Lewis Steakhouse in suburban Jupiter. Those managers are partners at Lewis Prime Grill as well.

The menu at Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee takes inspiration from new American pub classics.
The menu at Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee takes inspiration from new American pub classics.

The new Loxahatchee restaurant, an American-style bar and grill, is similar to Okeechobee Steakhouse in some ways, says Lewis.

“It has a warm, inviting atmosphere and a friendly, vibrant bar area at happy hour. And you can expect the same level of hospitality and service,” he says. “The way Lewis Prime Grill is different is that it has more of a diverse menu with some softer price points.”

Unlike Okeechobee Steakhouse, which offers both dry-aged and wet-aged steaks, Lewis Prime Grill serves exclusively wet-aged steaks. However, it may expand its steak offerings, says Lewis: “We’re still testing some things.”

Beyond steak dishes (which are priced from $34.99 to $115.99), the menu lists a mix of American and global-inspired dishes.

This Margarita garlic shrimp dish is on the menu at Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee.
This Margarita garlic shrimp dish is on the menu at Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee.

Entrees include Korean-style Wagyu beef with house-made kimchi, Margarita garlic shrimp with tequila lime sauce, Frisco chicken with chipotle cheese and American Wagyu steak Philly cheesesteak. Excluding the market prices for specials, entrees are priced between $23.99 and $34.99.

There’s also a range of pub-style, shareable plates and appetizers such as bacon-wrapped shrimp, crispy calamari, all-natural chicken wings, smoked burrata with heirloom tomato, and fried lobster with sweet Thai chili. Plus salads and sides.

As Lewis mentioned, Lewis Prime Grill’s happy hour service aims to be as lively as those at Okeechobee Steakhouse and Lewis Steakhouse. The Grill’s menu is similar as well, offering a handful of bar burgers and sliders priced from $6 to $7, plus a range of bar drinks priced from $4 to $9.

The difference? The bar at Lewis Prime Grill is larger than those at the other restaurants.

Opening a restaurant in an area that might be considered remote by big-city dwellers is part of the Okeechobee Steakhouse family DNA. In 1947, Lewis’ grandparents founded the Okeechobee Drive-In in a wooded area west of downtown West Palm Beach. Renamed Okeechobee Steakhouse in the early 1970s, the restaurant still stands at that original location.

“When my grandparents opened Okeechobee Steakhouse, it was so far out of town that they couldn’t get delivery,” says Lewis.

A dining room and bar view at Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee.
A dining room and bar view at Lewis Prime Grill in Loxahatchee.

He has tried to follow his grandfather’s philosophy on growing a business on Florida’s east coast: “You have to go west.”

Lewis says that philosophy has been reinforced by the demographics Lewis has seen over the years at Okeechobee Steakhouse on Okeechobee Boulevard. The majority of the 50,000 members of the steakhouse’s VIP list reside in zip codes belonging to the county’s western communities, he says.

The restaurateur plans to expand farther west still. Lewis continues with previously announced plans to open a barbecue restaurant in Westlake. That spot, to be called Sauced BBQ and Whiskey Shack, will be located 16 miles west of Okeechobee Steakhouse.

At Lewis Prime Grill, a double-cut grilled pork chop is served in a mustard glaze over creamed leeks.
At Lewis Prime Grill, a double-cut grilled pork chop is served in a mustard glaze over creamed leeks.

Lewis Prime Grill

Located at 7040 Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., Loxahatchee, 561-619-5115, LewisPrimeGrill.com.

Hours: Monday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 4 to 9 p.m. Happy hour is served from 4 to 6 p.m. daily.

About: The bar and grill is the latest member of the Okeechobee Steakhouse family. Related concepts include Okeechobee Steakhouse, Okeechobee Prime BBQ, Okeechobee Prime Meat Market and Okeechobee Prime Seafood and Steaks in West Palm Beach and Lewis Steakhouse in Jupiter.

Liz Balmaseda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. She covers the food and dining beat at The Post. She can be reached by email at lbalmaseda@pbpost.com,Follow her on Instagram and Post on Food Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Okeechobee Steakhouse sister restaurant Lewis Prime Grill opens