The family behind one of Palm Beach County’s most enduring restaurants is trying something new, and a little unexpected.
With the opening of Lewis Prime Grill in Wellington, the team behind Okeechobee Steakhouse is stepping outside the traditional steakhouse playbook that has defined the brand for decades.
The result is a restaurant that leans into color, interaction and a broader menu while holding onto the reputation that made the name a Florida institution.
Set in the former Stonewood Grill space at the Pointe at Wellington Green, the 200-plus-seat restaurant marks the Lewis family’s first concept in Wellington, a move that reflects both demand and timing.
“Wellington residents, including many of my own friends and family, have been asking for a Lewis concept for decades,” third-generation restaurateur Ralph Lewis said. “When this location became available, we knew the timing was right.”
Not quite a steakhouse
From the moment guests walk in, it’s clear this isn’t Okeechobee Steakhouse 2.0.
Instead of dark wood and hushed dining rooms, Lewis Prime Grill trades tradition for something more eclectic, with vibrant colors, layered textures and a layout anchored by a large bar that seats 31.
“I don’t even know how to describe it,” Lewis said. “It’s something people are going to have to experience.”
The shift is deliberate. While Okeechobee Steakhouse in West Palm Beach and Lewis Steakhouse in Jupiter are built around classic steakhouse design, this concept takes a looser approach, both in its look and in how the room functions.
That includes changes to the service model. A concierge-style role circulates through the front of the restaurant, offering small tastings and answering questions while people wait for tables.
A menu that plays beyond steak
The biggest departure may be on the plate.
While steaks remain central, including filet mignon, ribeye and a bone-in cowboy ribeye, the menu stretches well beyond steakhouse conventions.
Small plates are built for sharing, including bison sliders with bacon jam, shrimp corn dogs and pork belly bao buns.
There is also a sense of humor running through the menu.
Lewis points to his “almost famous” chicken tenders, served with churros and a house sauce, as a personal favorite.
“They’re not quite famous yet,” he said. “But they will be.”
He also highlights the French onion soup, a carryover from the family’s other restaurants.
“It’s been one of our top sellers for 50, 60 years,” he said.
The entrée lineup expands to include macadamia-crusted snapper, slow-braised short ribs and a chimichurri filet skewer, along with pastas such as lobster in vodka sauce and truffle orecchiette.
Beef Wellington, a dish more often associated with formal dining rooms, appears here as a through line to the family’s steakhouse roots.
A table built for conversation
At the center of the dining room is one of the restaurant’s more deliberate departures: the Founders Table.
The only round table in this new restaurant seats eight and serves as the setting for monthly dinners hosted by Lewis and executive chef Ryan Mussell.
“No one will know what it’s going to be until the night,” Lewis said.
The dinners will feature off-menu dishes, with the hosts moving through the meal alongside guests.
“We’re going to tell stories, talk, answer questions,” he said.
The idea reflects a broader shift toward more interactive dining, where the focus extends beyond the plate.
Built for groups and a bar scene
The layout reflects that same flexibility.
The bar is positioned as a central draw, with 31 seats, plus a daily “Prime Social Hour” aimed at early evening traffic and later-night service on weekends.
In addition to the main dining room, the restaurant includes “The Parlor,” a private space that can accommodate 26 seated or 40 for social mixers.
Banquette seating along the walls gives the dining room flexibility for larger parties without requiring a private room.
Pricing is also intentionally adjusted.
“The price point here is softer than our steakhouses,” Lewis said.
Balancing legacy and change
The opening represents a geographic shift for the Lewis family, whose flagship restaurant has long been rooted in West Palm Beach.
For years, diners in Wellington have made the drive east for that experience. This concept brings the brand, in a different form, closer to that audience.
“The town of Wellington has been incredibly welcoming,” Lewis said.
For a family business with nearly eight decades of history, the question is how much to evolve without losing what made the original work.
Lewis puts it simply.
“I have to give people a reason to leave home and drive past every other restaurant to get here,” he said.
At Lewis Prime Grill, that answer goes beyond steaks, into how the restaurant tries to stand out in a crowded dining scene.
Lewis Prime Grill: What to know
Address: 10120 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
Call: 561-837-3800
Web: lewisprimegrillwellington.com
Hours: Open daily. Happy hour aka “Prime Social” hour daily from 4 to 6 p.m.; on Friday and Saturday “after dark” from 10 to 11 p.m. Dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. nightly; until 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post’s food and dining reporter. Connect via dbiederman@pbpost.com. Subscribe today and sign up for our free At the Table weekly newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Okeechobee Steakhouse family opens Lewis Prime Grill in Wellington
Reporting by Diana Biederman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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