Halls Chophouse

Halls Chophouse: It’s all about the meat

Charleston location incorporates flavors of the Lowcountry

By Jennifer Thompson

CHARLESTON – When you think of one of the best places to get a steak, you probably won’t think of Charleston. But no matter where you are, a steakhouse is a desired, perhaps even required, destination. Halls Chophouse fills this need but is much more than that. It is ranked among the best steakhouses across the U.S., with many customers saying it’s the best steak they’ve had, period.

Because it’s not where you are. It’s all about the meat.

In this case, it’s Chicago-based Allen Brothers, who provides meat for some of the most recognized restaurants in the country, including Atlanta’s Kevin Rathbun Steak, Chicago’s Bavette’s Steakhouse, and Denver’s Shanahan’s, just to name a few.

Since 1893, Allen Brothers has been serving top chefs and restaurants nationally, based on their principle to never compromise. Cuts are hand-cut and perfectly aged. They provide both dry and wet aging to best bring out each cut. Everything is sourced in the U.S. for beef, specifically the mid and middle-Northern states where the land and climate are ideal for growing and feeding. They only source the best breeds and only select the highest grade of USDA Prime, representing the top 3 percent of graded American beef. Allen Brothers also offers humanely raised heritage breed lamb, veal, and pork.

Proprietor Tommy Hall credits the quality of the beef for much of the success of Halls’ nine restaurant and event venues.

“Allen Brothers helped put Halls Chophouse on the map as the Charleston Steakhouse,” Hall said. Recognized as one of the best in the country, Halls has rave reviews and is proudly listed on the Allen Brothers website as a restaurant partner.

However, it wasn’t just the meat quality that drove the decision to partner with Allen Brothers. The Hall family puts family first, and this weighed into their decision, which involved a lot of research.

“As a family, we decided to always put the best steak on the guest’s plate each night,” Hall said. “We looked everywhere and we tasted a lot of beef. We chose Allen Brothers as a family. With their family atmosphere and consistency of their product, Allen Brothers stood out to us.”

So why open a steakhouse in the Lowcountry?

“Growing up, we were a steakhouse family. When we went to dinner, it was a steakhouse and when we cooked at home, it was a high-quality steak. When we opened Halls Chophouse Charleston, we wanted to bring the Lowcountry cuisine into our steakhouse. We added fried green tomatoes, collard queens, quail, and a pork chop.” Other Lowcountry cuisine is reflected with Maple Leaf duck, she-crab soup, and lump crab cake.

The steaks are clearly sourced from the best, but what about everything else?

“Just like our high-quality beef, we want our guests to have the best quality seafood and produce. We try to source locally, if possible. We love to support smaller farmers and local purveyors. With our seafood, we mainly try to stay in the Atlantic-Southeast region for the best quality for our guests,” Hall assured.

The quality of seafood is such that Halls offers a raw and chilled seafood bar featuring oysters, shrimp, and lobster tails. Local freshness meets timeless recipes in their signature sides, such as creamed corn skillet, a shrimp and grits skillet, a wild mushroom risotto, and the sweet and sour collard greens. And of course, the menu includes sides of creamed spinach, pepper jack grits, and cornmeal-fried okra.

Hospitality is as important as the food, and Halls delivers here as well. The service is as excellent as the dishes served, resulting in a superior dining experience. Indeed, the service ranks highest in customer reviews on numerous sites, citing the warmth, attention, and waitstaff knowledge.

There’s no question that when visiting Charleston, you will dive into Lowcountry cuisine at its source. Halls Chophouse provides this alongside the universal appreciation of great steaks and is sure to please every palate. If you have a steak lover in your group, you must give it a try.

Halls Chophouse Charleston is located at 434 King St., Charleston. Call 843-727-0090 for reservations. Open Monday to Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m.; Friday 4 p.m. to midnight; Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Private dining rooms are available Monday to Wednesday and large group menus are available. Reservations can also be made online by going to www.hallschophouse.com.