Tempura Asparagus starter dish at Prime 102, menu item contains flaky cayenne coating, sweet thai chilli dipping sauce. Restaurant is located at The People’s Petroleum Building on the Downtown Square in Tyler. 

Guests at the new Prime 102 steakhouse in the Plaza Tower in Tyler are raving over a 40-ounce tomahawk steak, authentic Japanese Wagyu and a flaming beef carpaccio appetizer on Himalayan salt bread.

Meanwhile, others have filled the bar stools on a Thursday night and most of the tables are full as visitors from all backgrounds discuss work, life and more at the Corner Bar at Prime 102.

The view from some of the tables in Prime 102 and in the Corner Bar is a second-story look at the sounds and sights happening in the downtown square in Tyler.

Prime 102 owner Steve Barnhart takes a look at how busy Downtown Tyler is and reflects on opening the steakhouse in the old Jack Ryan’s location.

“This building was built during the Great Depression to get people back to work. And part of the ‘prime’ is not just a ‘prime grade’ of steaks but prime as in pumping the economy back, getting the restaurant industry going again and getting people out and about,” Barnhart said.

So far, so good.

Prime 102 is at 102 North College Ave. and even in the phone number. Barnhart and Prime 102 Executive Chef Eric Schlicht bring the best of steakhouses from across the nation to Tyler.

“We are very excited to be here and part of the Tyler community,” said Barnhart. “I want more places opened up downtown and give people choices on where to go. There are so many places to eat and then even listen to live music and enjoy a cigar at Rick’s on the Square.”

Schlicht said he went to several restaurants with Barnhart in Tyler and that’s when they realized Prime 102 would compliment the other establishments.

“All the hard-work is done in sourcing. There’s really little we do to it. It’s salt and pepper and it’s a great broiler. And a great technique of grilling it. The product speaks for itself,” Schlicht said. “It’s challenging but we provide great quality menu items. We make sure we are buying fresh, from a local farmer and quality is important. When you are buying high-quality beef, you are paying more for it, but it sets it aside, it’s a huge difference.

“The rest of the menu really plays off each other. It’s unique to Tyler but it’s also refined American cuisine,” he continued. “Steve has put together great wine pairings. We want great quality products done in-house that are available for the everyday diner. It’s been important to create jobs. We come from large, big-name places with corporate structure. We’ve taken the best of that and dialed it down a little bit.”

Schlicht said eating at Prime 102 is an experience as they start off with fresh baked bread, signature cocktails like the Yellow Rose and have starters including a classic iceberg wedge and more.

“All steaks are an a la cart. We let those high-quality cows shine on the plate. But the other items are shareable,” the chef explained. “The service starts with the bread. Flaky, buttery, pull-apart bread. It’s about breaking bread and it’s all about energy. Fresh out of the oven with the unique spread. We want to cultivate the experience. We don’t want anyone to feel rushed, we want to tailor the experience to each table.”

All the beef is certified angus beef and prime. All cutting is done in-house. They have a dry-aged, bone-in ribeye and dry-aged porterhouse.

“Dry-aging is a different profile and there is a lot of science that goes behind it. You have to keep the dry-aged room in check, the right light and humidity,” Schlicht said. “I love the science behind the food. I have a passion for the way they do Wagyu beef in Japan. It’s a whole different world that I was exposed to in the last eight to 10 years and I’ve been cooking professionally for 25 to 30 years.”

Barhart’s restaurant experience started running the acclaimed Del Frisco’s Steakhouse in Dallas for 14 years. He was sent to New York City to open one and be back in eight weeks. He was there for over eight years. He was also in Philadelphia and asked to go to Boston when he started working on different kinds of restaurants.

Dee Lincoln, a co-founder of Del Frisco, and called “the Queen of Steaks” asked Barnhart to open steakhouses in West Texas, Louisiana and even a floating hotel in the Gulf of Mexico. He found it was best to live in Tyler because of the traveling.

“I was traveling back and forth and Tyler was my home base. I am from Dallas and worked in the Northeast. I like Tyler the most. I like East Texas and the pine trees, it reminds me of the northeast. But I like Tyler, the Azalea District and I like that I can walk anywhere,” Barnhart said.

Schlicht and Barnhart met through mutual friends in the steakhouse industry. Before Prime 102, Schlicht worked in Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Seattle, Phoenix and Miami. He was with Urban Farmer, a farm-to-fork steakhouse and teamed up with Executive Chef Matt Christianson to come up with a new style of cooking steaks.

That style was duplicated as Urban Farmer grew, taking Schlicht to Cleveland, Atlantic City and Philadelphia before coming to Tyler.

“Steve had a great plan. It’s a beautiful property. The city of Tyler is open to this. Tyler residents are world-class, they are world-travelers, they go to a lot of places, but they don’t have to leave town,” Schlicht said. “It’s a great place to be seen, there is great high-quality service and food. We can do something different up in the balcony bar, the main dining floor and Corner Bar, where there is a lighter fare. The vibe in downtown, with all of our neighbors, it’s a good mix.

Prime 102 is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. They are open Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

“You walk in, it’s like Grand Central Station, but then the Corner Bar is a more of a casual bar, relaxed environment. You don’t have to dress up or you can come after work or come in after you have dinner,” Barnhart said. “It’s where you can look out the window and oversee the square.

“Lunch is a lower price point with soups, salads that can feature shrimp, chicken breast or beef tenderloin, sandwiches, fun dishes and appetizers you can share and wraps … it’s a quick turnaround. I want people to be able to eat lunch here three times a week and still enjoy dinner here once a week,” he continued. “The prime steaks and service set us apart. It’s lights, camera, action and showtime when you come in here. Professional servers and a great experience.”

The phone numbers is 903-400-9102 and Prime 102 and the Corner Bar at prime 102 each have a Facebook page.