Comment Archives: Locations: Restaurants: Steakhouse: 1 Star
Re: “Halls Chophouse”
Worst meal of my life.
I've traveled to hundreds of USA cities and several dozen other countries.
If you want to be physically molested, handshakes, hands on your back, your hand handed off to the next person guidng you to your table:
If you want to spend OVER 50% of your time making converstation with owners and staff continuously and aggresively interupting your meal:
If you want to drop $100 per person (everything is ala carte) as even the house steak sauce is an additional $3 (Really?):
If you want good to awesome food interupted with a family (think drunk family thanksgiving with the weird, center of attention, grabby Uncle) style experience:
This is your place.
I would not go back for anything including work or family.
Re: “Halls Chophouse”
We were seated upstairs and the noise from below flooded the stairwell and echoed horribly. It was so loud we gave up trying to have a conversation. The food itself was okay, but it was overshadowed by the dry aged steak. It had a very pronounced funk that tasted like eating Parmesan cheese rind. I have had dry aged beef several times and a bit of this flavor is expected, but this was excessive. When our waiter finally showed up and we told him he said it would take 20 to 30 minutes to get another entree. My partner and I shared my meal instead.
With all that, the worst part was the host. He was a strawberry blonde man who obsessively smoothed his hair between interrupting people to welcome them to the restaurant. Based on other reviews I assume it was Billy. What he does is patently *NOT* warm and friendly. He is boisterous and overly familiar to the point of being creepy. I felt like I had walked into the house of a serial killer and he was trying to "act normal" so we wouldn't notice the bodies under the stairs. We timed our exit to when he was at the other end of the bar, hoping to avoid him. No such luck. He burst through the door just as it closed to accost us one more time. We fled into the night.
I won't be back. I fear for my soul and I value my taste buds.
Re: “Halls Chophouse”
Went to Hall's for the Restaurant Week special 3 for 40. Next time I'll go to High Cotton or The Oak and pay full price.... Hell, next time I get the craving for a steak, I'll take the buttermilk chicken at Magnolias before I go to Halls. Service was plaintively agreeable, but the steak was mediocre at best and luke-warm, the potatoes and green beans tasteless and the Caesar salad was mostly Romaine stalks (was this to compensate for the lower Restaurant Week prices?) and the tables crowded together so tightly, every time a server visited the table next-door I got a butt in my face. We were bum-rushed out as soon as we had finished our plates, and then coat-check couldn't find my coat even with the tag they gave me. Waiting for them to find my coat we had an interesting encounter with Billy Hall. He gave one lame excuse after another while continually trying to shake my hand. Complained about having to participate in Restaurant Week after being yelled at by the restaurant association, and on and on. I won't be back.
A bit of advice to Billy: Son, you missed your calling - somewhere in North Charleston there's a used-car lot that needs you desperately.
Re: “Oak Steakhouse”
Based on my recent dining experience at Oak, I feel that giving the restaurant one star is being generous. This was by far one of the worst dining experiences that I have had lately in Charleston.
I had the carpaccio of beef as my appetizer, which was just okay at best. With things like truffle vinaigrette and parmigiano-reggiano listed in the description, I was expecting much more flavor than what was actually there. For dinner, my husband chose the porterhouse, which he described as the saltiest piece of steak he had ever eaten. I decided the burger looked like a tasty option, but after asking for medium well for the temperature, the burger came out with a barely warm, very pink center. The waitress gladly took the burger back to be recooked, but the kitchen just put the patty that I had cut back on the grill, which resulted in an overcooked dry burger and very wilted lettuce. Not to mention, the other three people in my group had already finished eating, so the burger went untouched.
Since there were several in our dining group, we ordered the lobster mac & cheese and the bacon mac & cheese as sides for the table. I think my husband described it best when he said the bacon mac & cheese tasted like Easy Mac with imitation bacon bits, which I guess is fine for a child, but I was expecting a little bit more. The $17 lobster mac and cheese tasted more like orange powder cheese poured over orzo pasta, with imitation crab meat added. Truly a disappointment on both accounts.
The bill ended up being over $300, and I think all of us left very disappointed.
Also, Brett Mckee has been gone for a while, yet the website still mentions him as if he still works there. And, the "comment cards" provided with the check were just old wine menus that had been cut to serve as a comment card. Pretty tacky if you ask me!
After this experience, I know the next time my husband or friends are craving steak, we will be visiting the boys at Hall's for a better dinner. Truly a shame that a restaurant that used to be such a staple in Charleston has ended up like this.
Re: “Neil Jordan's Steakhouse”
Ok..... Steakhouses should know their cuts of meat... Right? Neil Jordans tried to push off a NY Strip for a Ribeye. The justification from the waitress.... She pointed out the "eye" of the Ribeye for me. I wasn't buying it and neither was my friend sitting next to me who ordered the exact same piece of meat. His was a real Ribeye but believably it did not have an "eye" either. I can't believe the stupidty that went on at this restaurant on this day! I wasn't upset but I would have loved a Ribeye because that is what I ordered. The manager came over and removed the meal but only after I requested his appearance. We had 6 people at my table and they were through eating by the time they were willing to bring me what I had ordered. By then I was just not willing to hold up our entire party so I could eat the ribeye I ordered.... by myself! Too bad you can't give ZERO STARS! This is a Steakhouse and has the appearance of class and elegance.... enjoy it from the outside because its not worth it!!!!
Re: “Neil Jordan's Steakhouse”
What a disappointment!!! That's all I can say about this place. For anyone who enjoys a decent steak....DO NOT COME HERE! I saw this restaurant advertised as a USDA Prime Steakhouse so I had to give it a try. Let me start off by mentioning that I have had USDA Prime steaks all over the country. If you have never had a USDA Prime steak you are missing out. There is a reason why there are so few Prime steakhouses around. A USDA Prime steak is amazing....the meat melts in your mouth. They are truly worth the extra money you spend. I got the $33 so called "prime" ribeye. This was one terrible piece of meat. I've probably grilled a thousand Ribeye's at my house and never one this fatty. I can say for a fact that is place is getting ripped off if they are buying "prime" meat from their supplier. Maybe it's from Mexico?? I don't know but do not go here for a steak....truly disappointing.
As for the service...average
As for the decor and setting...nice but it can't be hard to keep the place looking nice when there is no one in it. There was one other guy sitting at the bar when my wife and I ate here.
I can't comment on the rest of the menu but from that joke of a steak that I had.....GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!
Re: “Neil Jordan's Steakhouse”
I had been waiting to try this restaurant for quite some time. So last night me and a friend of mine drove out there for dinner. We both love our steaks and had recently been to Grill 225 to enjoy one of their USDA Prime steaks...it melted in your mouth (@ Grill 225). As soon as we saw Neil Jordans was a USDA Prime Steakhouse we knew we had to try it. Afterall, Prime beef is the top 2% of all beef in America. I raised an eyebrow when we pulled in at 6:30 p.m. and were literally the only cars in te parking lot. We walked in and of course we were the only people in there. We each proceeded to order the 14 ounce USDA Prime Ribeye. Our mouths were salivating as we waited for our much anticipated steaks. As our waitress set our steaks in front of us and walked away, we both looked at eachother and said,"what the hell is this." I was shocked by how much fat was on these steaks. Ribeyes should have some fat on them but this was amazing. The steaks just looked like a mess. As we tried our first bites we both realized that this was not a prime steak. Anyone who has had prime beef knows the difference....this was a joke. By the time we were done, we each had about 4 ounces of fat and grissle (i didn't think a ribeye could have grissle) left on our plates. We were absolutlely shocked and very upset. To add insult to injury this place didn't have any sour cream for the baked potatoes!!! A steakhouse with no sour cream for the baked potatoes...are you kidding me! As we both sat there and complained to eachother about how horrible these steaks were, the waitress came by and asked how we liked them. I promptly told her that it was the worst steak I had ever had in a restaurant....and I am not exaggerating. I told her that there was no way this a USDA Prime piece of meat. She was shocked and quickly told me that all their steaks are USDA Prime. It even said so on the package. She went on to tell mee that each steak comes pre-packaged and is cut open just before it is grilled! Are you kidding me....a USDA PRIME steakhouse and they serve pre-packaged crap! I had heard enough. I was so mad I just wanted to get out of there. We paid our rediculous $85 dollar bill and left.
This was my worst restaurant experience ever! You could get a better frickin steak at Golden Corral! This place is a scam...they are not serving USDA PRIME BEEF...NO WAY! I knew there was a reason why we were the only people in this place....IT SUCKS!
Re: “Oak Steakhouse”
We decided on Oak for brunch, since it is considered one of the best restaurants in Charleston and wanted to change it up a bit. Boy were we disappointed! When we arrived they had just opened and the hostess had us sit at the bar to wait, while they prepared the tables. The bartender came over to ask if we wanted drinks, and since we were about to be seated we opted not to. The bartender gave us ATTITUDE, even though bar was empty! After being seated by our hostess (who was wearing flip flops), we were barely greeted by our waitress, who obviously did NOT want to be there. When my husband asked what was in the frittata, she responded "vegetables" and when he asked what vegetables, she responded with "I don't know whatever they have back there." I ordered the eggs benedict, thinking it was a safe bet for brunch. 2 of my guests ordered the french toast and a side of hash browns, and my husband ordered the crab benedict. My eggs were the size of quail eggs, served on the thinnest english muffins I have ever seen and both were grossly overcooked not to mention the lack of hollandaise. The potatoes that came with my eggs were BURNT and unseasoned, it seems like they gave me the crumbs that remained from the bottom of the fryer. The french toast, which boasts the Chef's name, tasted nothing more than bread covered in cinammon. The only redeeming quality of my husband's eggs benedict were the crab cakes as his eggs were also grossly overcooked and were lacking hollandaise. Over all, this was the worst brunch experience I've had, and at one of the top rated restaurants nonetheless. Brett McKee might know how to cook a steak, but he definitely drops the ball when it comes to breakfast!
Re: “Halls Chophouse”
Terrible. Bill was a little too intrusive and overwhelming as we entered Halls. We went for the Sunday night burger special, which no longer exists, even though we called to confirm with the hostess the day before. Moes Crosstown burgers beat Hall's any day. The bartender was more than willing to offer the nightly specials to her friends next to us, but never once were the specials offered to us. How would Bill feel about that?
Re: “Neil Jordan's Steakhouse”
As a former food and beverage worker, I was not impressed with Neil Jordan's. There is a bit of a disconnect as to what this restaurant is trying to achieve. First, signs flaunt "flip-flop friendly" and "$2 Yuengling", yet steaks flaunt USDA Prime and a $7 side baked potato. Figure out your niche and go with it. Either you are a casual bar-restaurant, or you are fine dining. If you are going the casual route, drop the high prices for decent enough food and mediocre service. If you are looking to be fine dining, get rid of the room full of televisions and get your servers trained.
I will say that the food was cooked properly, but that it was nothing out of the ordinary. Sides are basic, steaks are hard to mess up, and only the specials show-cased any of the talent the kitchen might have. Step up the creativity in this tough market!
In regards to the front of house, I've seen a manager/owner only one of the times we dined in. Other than that, when I came on the weekend, the servers appeared frazzled and the owner was drinking at the bar?! Table maintanence was lacking and our server had little to none wine knowledge. This will not get you by in today's time, and my wife and I will not be back for another round.
Re: “Halls Chophouse”
I just went to Halls with my girlfriend and can tell you that we will never be back. As we walked in we were greeted by the host who was very nice at first, but then became very intrusive. Small talk is one thing, but question after proding question starts to get a little annoying. We were led upstairs and sat down to await our server. The service, I mean server, was fantastic. Before our dinner arrived, the creepy host came up to us once again and asked us what we ordered. We were then interrupted by another gentleman (possibly a manager) who started asking off-the-wall questions. Once our food arrived and we had started eating, an older gentleman (I believe the owner) kindly asked us how our dinner was. We acknowledged that it was great, and he was on his way. This was the only question that seemed fitting for our dining experience.
HERE IS THE KICKER...
As we paid our bill and were walking out the door, the wacko host comes walking out the door after us. Again with the questioning. He says, "how was the food?" I respond, "it was great." He says, "what did you order?" I respond, "the burger." I was definately being short with him - our dinner was over and we were already out of the restaurant. He then asks, "was something wrong?" I said, "actually, you were a little intrusive." He says, "I was being friendly and that's the way I'll always be." I'm still trying to walk away, and he is following us down King Street. I was fed up and gave him the finger. As he gets up in my face, he asks, "what are you going to do?" I asked him, "what are you going to do." He said, "nothing." Then I said get back in your fucking restaurant where you belong.
Bravo, Mr. Host, Bravo! Hope you're fired immediately!
Re: “Halls Chophouse”
Don't wast your money! The staff was way weird.. all in your face.. trying uncomfortably hard to make a good impression.. Reservation was made for 8:00 party of 4..Our guests were visiting Charelston from out of town. Table wasnt ready so they directed us to the bar. After 30 minutes, the owner came over and said it would be a few more mintes. After another 20 minutes (total wait time of 50 minutes - now close to 9:00) he said "it will be another few minutes. You know you're in a good resturant when you have to wait". Like - are you kidding me??? How about an apology..?? Finally at 9:10pm we got our table. After we ordered, the food wasnt all that. The steak was ordered medium, it came extremely rare. Sent it back & it came back still under cooked. Nobody was crazy about the food.. it was below average. Go to High Cotton for a much better meal.
Re: “Halls Chophouse”
Completely overrated, overpriced, and filled with King Street bar hoppers. They need a doorman and dress code. Our tab was over $400 and no where close to worth it. They should make it a high end burger joint and bar.
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Re: “Halls Chophouse”
if there were zero stars available...
first as a regular traveler to the great city of charleston i would like to say that this city has always offered the best service and selection. i have travelled all over the country and always find my way back to this city for the most memorable experiences.
with that said i want to share one of the most disturbing experiences to date.
after being molested at the door by an overeager family member i had to wait an hour and 20 minutes past a reservation time in a noisy crowded bar area. The music was obtrusive and loud, clientele obnoxious and the bartender slow. One of the brothers kept assuring me a spot would open up but after getting a drink dumped on me i went to the bathroom to clean up. I opened the unlocked door bumping into a gentleman and a woman leaning over the counter engaged in either some sexual act or drug use. This is where things got weird. the man in the bathroom was the owners son! what kind of place are they running!
i grabbed my date appalled and left immediately.
Someone needs to look into this place. They are either running a brothel or a crack house.