halls chophouse

o. nussbaum. myfamilyand i had one of the best dining experiences we have ever encountered. we were celebrating a special occasion, our son's graduation from the citadel. beginning with the courteous phone reservation to the warm goodbye we received as we were leaving. the atmosphere, food, service, music and decor were all so delightful. you're made to feel like a welcomed friend. the hallfamilyhas mastered the art of gracious dining.

halls chophouse is afamilyinspiration that has taken shape over time with extensive experience in the hospitality industry, and the hallfamilyvalues the importance of true hospitality and comfort. awards include the opentable diner’s choice winner from 2009-2015, 5 top gospel brunches in the us, and the top 10 best restaurant in america 2016. tripadvisor lists them as #4 in the top 5 best restaurants in the us, the certificate of excellence award in 2016, and yelp’s #1 best steakhouse in america with the #22 on the top 100 places to eat in the us

top shelf experience!. i cannot say enough great things about hall's chophouse. this is my 10th or 11th time eating there and i am treated like a celebrity each time i go. the hallfamilychecks on you throughout your meal to make sure everything is up to your satisfaction. for brunch today, we had john as our server and he was incredible! we were spoiled with all the attention. thank you so much, john! we also had about 5 other people checking on and serving us. (i apologize that i didn't get their names, but they were fabulous, too!) devon gave us the names of other "hidden gem" restaurants/pubs in the area to check out, with amazing descriptions of each. we even had the chance to talk with a school of the arts student who was volunteering at hall's for community service hours. being a teacher myself, the fact that the hallfamilyreaches out to schools in the area, impressed me to no end! i recommend hall's hands down for any occasion-especially if you want to wow your guests. their hospitality, service, and menu is unmatched in charleston.

family owner narcissism, money oriented, service poor, chain steakhouse like outback at morton's prices. when we first entered we were aggressively greeted by the owners which are brothers. tone down the greeting! we were seated at a booth which was nice and the table was moved out so we could sit down. our server was jon and he really disappointed. the service we received was nothing like the high quality, team oriented approach of the peninsula grill. when i asked for a1 sauce jon said we don't carry that here but i can run across the street to get it. i could tell he really didn't want to get it. hall family, just buy a bottle of a1 or heinz 57 for those customers that want it. after all, we are the ones paying $100 a head for supper. she crab soup was very good but light on crab meat, we split that. we also split a full hall's chopped salad which was nothing special. the seasonal salads at longhorn are much better. the salads we had at peninsula grill were outstanding so we expected the same here. we ordered the porterhouse to split cooked medium with a loaded baked potato and asparagus with bearnaise sauce. the steak was not trimmed properly (fat on the side and tendons) and was not cooked right. the outside was burned which gave the steak a carbon taste. potato was nothing special again chain steakhouse quality at an $8 side price. i have to admit the asparagus with sauce was very good but this is a steakhouse so you come for the steak. i had the 434 pineapple martini which was very good but the second one was not good something with grey goose and champagne. flaming caramel cake was again nothing special and we had to pay $15 for a pot of french press coffee. go for the coconut cake at the peninsula grill. we asked for a less expensive regularly brewed coffee but the server seemed put out about making a regular pot. french press coffee was good but $15 for a pot of coffee? finally, our server jon was constantly trying to take our steak, etc before we were done without asking us. is he trying to turn over the table quickly? this place seems just money oriented and quite honestlyfamilyowner narcissism.

here is the dishonest and incompetent cap off of the night. jon our server first gave us our check and it was very low so i noticed our $68 porterhouse steak and $8 sides were left off. i got the busy server's attention and said to him i'd be glad to have a free steak but he might want to consider adding the steak to our check. when the check came he added a $85 dry aged porterhouse to the bill which we never ordered! the $85 porterhouse is not even on the menu! what is this bait and switch! totally dishonest. we spoke to the manager devin and he offered to take the entire steak off the check which i did not disagree with. when the server and management saw we had a poor experience there was a lot of insincere and phony posterior kissing.

overall, this a chain type steakhouse like longhorn that is trying to be a morton's or ruth's chris with a lot of window dressing. it does not deliver. i truly do not understand how they got to be number 1 on trip advisor in charleston, sc. i would not recommend for a romantic dinner as you are always speaking to a hallfamilymember and it is loud inside.

my suggestions to management: 1. buy a $5 box of equal and keep it on hand for customers that want it, 2. buy a bottle of a1 and heinz 57 for $4 each and have them on hand for customers that want them, 3. enroll server in humility training, 4. change beef supplier, that was not good quality beef!, 4. brothers, it is not necessary to accost every patron at the front door, let your food and service speak for itself, 5. revamp your chopped salad recipe, 6. retrain back of house how to cook a steak.

textbook steak, great sides. owner or owningfamilywill remember your name or at least your face. go here.

for the clueless. i don't want to immediately come across as a snob, but i know a thing or two about food as a chef of 15 years. i am in the business world now and have enjoyed fine dining across the country. halls is one of the most shining examples of social hob-nobbery with nothing to support the hype that i have ever seen. apparently the old and new money in charleston loves to make themselves seen, in an atmosphere so pretentious and overbearing that one wants to vomit before the appetizer has arrived. the appetizer, by the way was poorly executed. the beet salad was flavorless and hacked up, not finely diced. the sauce was a cold and grainy, not to mention again flavorless, a bree, melted with cream. it was terrible. the steak was ok but was less than enjoyable when accompanied by the halls' over-reaching and assuming behavior. i assume that because i present well and was wearing a rolex, they thought i was a target. in my mid thirties, i don't like to be called "baby" a dozen times and hugged more than three. are we in a popularity contest or out to dinner? all in all, if you don't know good food and want to over-pay for average food, knock yourself out. otherwise, steer clear. the halls are a deplorablefamilyfrom what i could surmise, serving up the emperor's new clothes to a bunch of clueless want-to-be's.

wow!. excellent service from a very knowledgable staff. the food was simply fantastic! as expensive as it is, i doubt i'll ber get to eat here again, but it was so worth it for our 25th anniversary. easily the best steak i've ever had - and that's saying something! fried green tomatoes are the best i've ever had by far! the hallfamilycertainly know how to treat folks! bravo!!

delectable, rich and unforgettable. so many times when i sit down to read a restaurant review or a blog post featuring a high-end eatery the same old tired words are used to describe not only the food served, but also the hospitality and level of service provided by the restaurant staff. and quite honestly, sometimes you read those pieces and you think, "uh huh, yeah, umm, right." then you show up at this highly acclaimed dining room with wait staffs decked out in white coats and gold rimmed dinner plates adorning an impeccably appointed table, and your dining experience begins with a half-hearted superficial greeting from a host or hostess who seems to be very tired of greeting another fat guy in a jacket and tie. often after reading or hearing about the house specialties and all of the awards and accolades bestowed upon the chef the actual experience is a bit disappointing, not a bad experience, but maybe just not a "wow" experience either. perhaps this is due in part to your expectations, your anticipation of something really, really special.



i have been hearing a lot of good things about halls chophouse, located on king street in historic charleston. a couple of the blogs that i follow have provided glaring reviews on halls. a sample of some of the terms and phrases used to describe halls: "family", "relationship", "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen", "aged steaks, like a fine cabernet", " cooked to a perfect mid-rare, this is a bright beautiful steak", "seasoning was spot on", "buttery", and the piece de resistance of quotes, "it is so good, i get emotional."
so, as you can see, a lot to live up to, no? the bar has been raised if this dining experience is going to live up to the reviews; this place has got to make me say "wow."

i was expecting a warm reception, what we received was so much more than that, we were met and greeted at the front door with firm handshakes and a sincere welcome, by not one, but two members of the hall family. immediately, billy hall offered to take our coats and told us to feel free to visit the bar and that our table was ready for us whenever we were ready to be seated. allow me to set the stage for you, we are in historic downtown charleston on a saturday night dining in one of the most popular restaurants in town, they are jam packed with diners and not only have we been properly greeted at the front door by two people whose last name matches the name on the sign, but they have made us feel like they are on our schedule and we are guests within the hall household, not theirfamilybusiness. for crying out loud, they hung our coats in the hall closet.


and the hospitality didn't end there either. after meeting our friends with whom we were dining at the bar and enjoying a glass of wine and some conversation we moved on to our table. when billy hall spotted us beginning to make the move to our dining room table, he met us half way there and insisted on carrying the ladies wine glasses to the table for them. can you say impressive attention to detail?

i am a huge beef lover and i am a tough critic when it comes to steak. i had read an article about halls chophouse serving allen brothers steaks. allen brothers has been around chicago since the late 1800's and anybody who knows anything about the gourmet steak industry knows that allen brothers is second to none as a source for the finest, most tender and tasty usda prime beef. i also knew that my server at halls chophouse would present to us a steak plate prior to taking our order so that we could see first-hand, up close and personal the quality steaks that we would be enjoying this evening. what i didn't expect was that this wasn't just a ritual that the waitress was trained to perform for each table of diners, she was actually purpose-driven in her presentation. i engaged her in discussion about the bone-in filet mignon and i could tell that she wasn't just reciting the points provided to her by the chef staff, she knew what she was serving and she knew what was good.
so, after experiencing halls chophouse for myself, how do i describe the dining experience? here are some words that i can use to describe it: "family", "relationship", "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen", "aged steaks like a fine cabernet", "cooked to a perfect mid-rare this is a beautiful steak, the seasoning is spot on", "buttery", and "it is so good, i get emotional." ok, honest, no i didn't cry over the experience, but all of those other comments, absolutely.

as billy hall retrieved our coats from the "hall closet" he walked us to the front door, held the door open for us and wished us a good evening. once again, it was as if we had spent the evening in the hallfamilyhome, not theirfamilybusiness. i mean what restaurant owner walks their patrons to the front door and bids them farewell by saying, "stay in touch."?

as a girl who isn’t the biggest fan of red meat, you may be surprised to hear that hall’s chophouse is one my very favorite restaurants in charleston. hall’s is afamilyrun new york style steakhouse located on upper king. upon entering the dimly lit, plush restaurant, you will be immediately greeted by someone from the staff or even one of thefamilymembers themselves. and when i say greeted, i don’t mean someone says hello – you’re either getting your hand shaken or hugged. the halls are genuinely happy to see you and appreciative of you dining in their restaurant. image

excellent on all counts. over the years i have been fortunate enough to have eaten some of the very best steakhouses in the us and hall's ranks right up there with them all. the food was excellent but it's the service and the overall dining experience that truly elevates this restaurant. my wife and i experienced it in a recent saturday night visit and we found it to be singularly outstanding.

i'd read some reviews of hall's which poked fun at the attention diners receive from the hall family. one reviewer also complained about poor service and how his water glass went unfilled for a half an hour. having eaten at hall's i find those criticisms to be ludicrous.

first, let's talk about thefamilything. unless you are a millionaire or some kind of local luminary you've probably been to high end restaurants where you may have been treated well but not anywhere near as well as the fat cat regulars. not an intolerable situation for sure, but in some small way your experience is diminished at least a touch by the knowledge that while they're happy you came to their restaurant, they're a whole lot happier the big shots over at table two are back again for another big check.

hall's no doubt gets its share of big bucks regulars. but you never notice because --from what i experienced-- they treat everyone exceptionally well from start to finish. we were met by one of the owner's sons...warmly greeted to be sure and when told we were celebrating an anniversary he congratulated us. after being seated and while starting to give our cocktail order, the same hall son reappeared with two flutes of champagne. nice touch. during the course of the meal we were served by 4 or 5 various people...all smiling and accommodating and all encouraging us to take our time and savor the evening. we started with two house cocktails....a 434 cirtrusy delight for me and a negroni for my wife. both were excellent and --as we rarely do -- reordered another round. for starters i had the house chopped salad --fresh and full of flavor--and my wife the bacon steak, which was also very good but in hindsight probably a bit heavy (lean as it was) for a starter. for main course, my wife opted for the lamb chops (sourced from a chicago supplier) and she loved every bite. i went for the 16 oz. wet aged ny strip, which was as good as any steak i've ever had and cooked as ordered. for sides we enjoyed broccolini, baked sweet potato and spinach. the sides are family-sized portions and all hit the mark. given all the calories elsewhere we opted to ignore the bread, which seemed like a good choice since the contents of the basket didn't appear to be anything special. there were plenty of wines by the glass at a range of prices and we each found one we liked. my wife a cabernet and myself a malbec.

as the plates were cleared our server --a lovely young woman named sarah who has been with hall's since they opened two years ago-- encouraged us to order dessert which would be on the house. so we shared a house signature bread pudding and cleaned the plate. we also each had an espresso martini --actually two each. .

as good as all this food and drink was, it was the service and atmosphere that won us over. my seat faced the long length of the upstairs dining room and at one point icounted 14 visible staff working the room of about 15 to 18 tables. plus, there were others working out of view. one woman's sole job was to walk the room, water pitcher in hand. that previous reviewer's comment that he/she waited 30 minutes to have water refilled seems preposterous. and the pace of service was not in the least bit rushed. during dessert the owner's son stopped by again and asked me if i had tasted any of my wife's lamb chops, which i of course did. we enjoyed a brief and casual conversation talking about menu items from peter luger's, gene and georgetti and the like. his presence was not the least bit intrusive or over the top, as one or two reviewers have commented. i dislike places where the manager or owner breezes by and --with body turned 90 degrees away from you-- gives you the perfunctory "everything ok here?". i also have no use for the opposite end of the spectrum; when the boss camps out at the end of your table and won't quit talking. my hall's experience was nothing like either of those. they simply get it right. and that warmth and non-oppressive congeniality continued right through to our exit out the front door. as we left i chuckled as i saw the owner shaking hands with incoming patrons because i remember one reviewer criticizing that behavior because it's "unsanitary". spare me, please.

my only mild negatives would be a nothing-special bread basket and a hefty (but well worth it) price structure.

so, yes, count me among the fans of hall's. i suppose it's inevitable that they could have a bad night every now and then, but it would have to be a major exception. i think one has to be unreasonably picky or perhaps a faux-sophisticate in order to have problem's with hall's. we will definitely be back to charleston. we'll hit snob and high cotton and a few others, too, but the one we'll most look forward to will be hall's.

great food, great ambiance, decent prices. the restaurant isfamilyowned and we met most of them through the course of the night. the steak was cooked to perfection, the portions were satisfying and while expensive we all believed the meal to be worth it. i would recommend this to others

this is a great place.. downtown in the historic district. not part of a chain/franchise but a realfamilyoperated high-end reataurant. the food and atmosphere are excellent and so is the service. i highly recommend it for steaks and seafood.

halls chophouse. greatfamilyowned steakhouse with a metropolitan feel. the food and service they provide makes the difference. they make every customer feel like they are v.i.p. you get the feeling of being in a classic new york steakhouse but it has the charm of charleston's southern style. the meat was outstanding and stands the alone. the lobster macaroni and cheese is the is one of the best side dishes i have ever had. this place is a must see.

best steak house in charleston. service sets this place apart from every other restaurant in town. the food is consistently of the highest quality, which you would expect from a high-end steak house. thefamilyof owners makes certain you feel welcome and that your business is appreciated.

best steak in charleston. outstanding! by far, one of the best places to eat in town. the food is great. from thefamilystyle sides to the dry aged steaks, everything on the menu has been great on multiple visits. besides the food, the service is awesome. from the second you walk in the doors (where you will be likely met by tommy, bill or the rest of the hall family) to the minute you leave, hall's takes care of its customers like they are family. always inviting, attentive and eager to serve. hall's is a must for anyone seeking for a great dining experience in charleston.