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 a family run 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 the family members 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. 
Although I honestly eat at Hall’s (mostly bar seating) about twice a month, I’m always willing to go when a friend wants to. Always. Amanda and I decided we needed a date night, and as she’s only ever eaten at the bar with me, we decided to go all out.
We started the night off with a really smooth bottle of wine. 
I recommended that we get the shrimp appetizer. It’s absolutely delicious. Crispy shrimp served in what I assume is a ginger chile sauce with a hint of heat. 
My steak loving friend appropriately ordered filet. As soon as she took her first bite, she let out a long “Mmmm.” I had the same reaction when she gave me a sample. It was just so…buttery. 
Side dishes are served family style, aka large and in charge. Amanda chose the macaroni and cheese shown above. Dare I use the word buttery to describe this as well? Cheese, butter, cream…what else hurts my heart at the same times as it makes it so happy?
I have had almost all of the non-red meat entrees as Hall’s except for the Tuna, which was highly recommended by our server. That was an easy decision. I was most intrigued by the gastrique – this sweet, citrusy sauce did not disappoint.
Apparently it pays to be a regular, because Tommy sent out my favorite dessert: whiskey bread pudding. I first had their bread pudding over a year ago when I wasn’t even sure what bread pudding even was. A friend ordered it and I am so glad he did. It’s the softest piece of brioche with cinnamon and cherries, drizzled in a praline sauce. It’s so good, I get emotional. 
Amanda and I had joked about being on a “date” ealrier that day. She purposefully wore a blazer, saying that she was "the man” tonight. We couldn’t resist taking a festive picture in front of the tree.
In summary,
- Angela, our server was very sweet and attentive
- Portions, as always, were very generous
- Ambience is warm and very welcoming
- They have my absolute favorite salad: the Blackened Salmon Salad
- GET THE BREAD PUDDING
When it came time to pay for the bill, Amanda and I took advantage of Serve, a new digital payment platform that we both signed up for. With Serve (from American Express), you can organize your money, send and receive funds, and manage payment requests — all from a single, unified online account. Using her regular debit card, Amanda paid for the bill. I then logged into my account using the Serve smartphone app, and sent her a payment for my half. She immediately received the payment, and then transferred it back to her bank account, which had been linked to her Serve account. Easy, peasy! The serve system would be so helpful for larger parties – the server doesn’t have to collect multiple credit cards and the party members can send their portion of the bill to whomever pays. Check it out!
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a $250 stipend to try Serve from American Express. Sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account! Official sweepstakes rules and regulations may be found here.
