Refined Elegance In The Low Country
Charleston, South Carolina USA
Cuisine Style: American, Southern
Average Price: $$$$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in May 2012
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Chef Matthew Niessner
Executive Chef Adam Jakins
Restaurant Owners:
The Hall Family
Billy Hall - general manager
Garrett Camp and Geoff Smith are the founders of the web search engine StumbleUpon and that is exactly how I literally stumbled upon Halls Chophouse. From there I used OpenTable which had a 1000 point special to dine with them, and my daughter and I were off. Luxury, elegance, and a reminder of the essence of the 1930s, almost like a speakeasy atmosphere, greatly enhanced. Wine racks built into the brick walls with polished black wood, oak walls, cedar bar, and the second-floor bright white walls with thick wood trimmed doors, beautiful decor, and elegantly set tables. Live entertainment each night from local Plantation Singers, Tim Hockenberry, Abe White, and others. A Gospel Brunch on Sunday’s, extensive wine menu featuring over 100 of the most exclusive wines one may find in a Charleston restaurant. Here was our story.
Halls Chophouse is a family inspiration that has taken shape over time with extensive experience in the hospitality industry, and the Hall Family values the importance of true hospitality and comfort. With an experienced team, this Chophouse offers superior dishes, service and an atmosphere at a superior price tag, that will entice you to stay for dessert and conversation while making you come back again. There are two restaurant locations, the first in Charleston, and the second in Greenville.
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
Halls Chophouse is part of the Hall Family brand name which also owns Slightly North of Broad a.k.a S. N. O. B. High Cotton Charleston, Rita’s Seaside Grille, and the Old Village Post House Inn. The family background starts with Jeanne and Bill Hall, Sr., who spent over forty years operating hotels and restaurants in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Napa Valley and Pebble Beach, California. Tommy Hall spent ten years in the restaurant business, and six years as General Manager of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House in Dallas, Texas.
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
Halls is known for its steak, winning many awards both for service and quality of food. The Steaks come from the Allen Brothers of Chicago. General Manager, Tommy Hall, is quoted saying, “Allen Brothers helped put Hall’s Chophouse on the map as The Charleston Steakhouse.” I will say that they are in direct competition to one-day match Grill 225 and are outpacing Oak Steakhouse by a wide margin.
Awards include:
OpenTable - Top 10 Best Restaurant in America 2016
OpenTable - Diner’s Choice winner 2009-2015
TripAdvisor - #4 in the Top 5 Best restaurants in the US
Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Award 2016
OpenTable - 5 Top Gospel Brunches in the US
Yelp’s #1 Best Steakhouse in America
#22 - Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US
Foursquare’s 40 Best Steakhouses in America, 2015
AAA Four Diamond Award
Menu:
- Raw and Chilled Seafood
- Soups and Appetizers
- Salads
- Seafood
- Steaks
- Chops
- Accompaniments
- On the Other Hand
- Signature Sides
- Sides and Sauces
- Desserts
The signature steaks at Halls range from cryovac style wet aging, humidified 45-day dry aging, nutrient-rich non-antibiotic grass-fed beef and A5 wagyu to which they offer Japanese Kobe versus American, Australian or other Wagyu cuts for $28 per ounce (28.349 grams metric).
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
Filet Mignon:
The filet mignons are all cut from certified USDA Prime and Choice beef. USDA Prime is the finest grade of beef under federal regulation and is seldom available in retail stores. USDA Choice is the next-highest grade, also delivering exceptional quality and texture. USDA Prime is the only beef on the menu at distinguished chop houses in America. You can get an eight or twelve-ounce cut starting at $42. The filet is also wet aged, along with a prime rib $40, and two ribeye’s at 16 ounces $46 and 24 ounces $64.
Halls Dry Aged Steaks:
These steaks are all cut from USDA Prime beef with a traditional dry-aging process that ensures extremely tender, delicately flavored juicy steaks. The Sommelier at Halls recommends a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Bordeaux to go with this selection. Their dry-aged steaks range from the 14 ounces of New York Strip for $54, or the Kansas City bone-in cut 22 ounces for $69. They also have two ribeye’s either a 16 ounce $56 or the Tomahawk 34 ounce for $98, and the 26 ounce Porterhouse T-bone for $84.
If you're not in the mood for the steak they have veal chops, lamb, pork chops, Prestige Farms chicken breast, Manchester Farms quail, and Maple Leaf Farms braised duck. They cannot be a southern steakhouse either without the signature Charleston dish of shrimp and grits with Tasso ham blends. Scallops, Ahi tuna, Maine lobster and wild salmon also round up the seafood menu.
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
They cater to vegan and vegetarian groups with dishes that are specially made upon request, and also provide gluten free menu options plus fresh sustainable local dishes. For starters try their onion soup or prime steak tartar, then focus on the roasted beet salad. For sides try the pancetta roasted brussel sprouts or the pepper jack grits.
Dessert:
Three words: “whisky bread pudding” that is all.
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| Whisky bread pudding |
They have cheesecake, chocolate cakes, crème brûlée, ice cream and cookies, but nothing matches this New Orleans style warm bread, with sun dried cherries, pecans & bourbon crème anglaise.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Steakhouses and Southern Favorites:
5A5 Steak Lounge Modern Japanese steakhouse with chic design in San Francisco, California
Council Oak Steakhouse Upscale eatery with butchery at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida
Fleming’s Steakhouse High-end steakhouse chain (69+) with aged prime cuts, reviewed in Akron, Ohio
Fogo de Chão Upscale Brazilian chain with 49 locations. Review based in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia
Frevo Restaurant Authentic churrascaria-style dining at the Fairmont on Palm Island, Dubai, UAE
Grill 225 Top 10 American fine-dining ornate chophouse, Market Pavilion Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina
Laurent Tourondel / BLT Swanky French-American Steakhouse chain with 14 restaurants
Oak Steakhouse High-end elegant steakhouse with sustainable seafood in Charleston, South Carolina
Stonewood Grill and Tavern Stylish chophouse chain with surf ’n’ turf; reviewed in Brandon, Florida
Sunset Terrace A classic outdoor American chophouse at Omni Grove Park Inn, in Asheville, North Carolina
Waterfront Restaurant Steakhouse restaurant on inlet offering Gulf views in Sarasota Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Charleston restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Acclaimed high-concept inspired Farm to Table tavern
A top 20 on Wine Dine and Play
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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A classy southern seafood eatery house
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Dessert shop with Southern treats, and praline
Charleston, Savannah, Atlanta
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Refined eatery with Lowcountry fare and Southern Brunch
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Refined creative American fare
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Classic Mediterranean dishes and wine bar
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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10
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9
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1
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Food quality
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10
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9
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1
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Plate presentation
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8
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8
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0
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Customer service
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9
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7.5
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1.5
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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8
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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46
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41.5
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4.5
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.902173913043478
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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3
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0652173913043478
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.967391304347826
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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5 of 5 Stars:
97% Rating with a 3 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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6 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Spain, Italy, Germany
New World selections:
Argentina, New Zealand, California, Oregon, Washington State,
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine style:
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American, Southern American, Steakhouse
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Grass Fed, Local, Non-GMO, Organic, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan and Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Business casual, Smart casual, or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Business parties, Romantic, Hot spot, Great bar, Good for special occasions, Beautiful décor, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Directly behind the restaurant off of John Street, or metered street parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€€€
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Halls Chophouse:
434 King Street
Charleston, South Carolina
29403
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 843-727-0090
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Online reservations
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Webpage Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Dinner: Mon-Sun
4:00 pm - 2:00 am
Sunday Gospel Brunch:
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Southwestern-inspired New American fare
San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Contemporary & elegant eclectic eatery
Johannesburg, South Africa
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upscale locally sourced seafood eatery with ocean views
Vero Beach, Florida, USA
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Other Pictures:
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
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| Picture courtesy of Halls Chophouse |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
