Hal's "The Steakhouse" — Restaurant in Atlanta

Our visit to Hal's was shockingly disgraceful! My date and I were excited about dining there, but things took a terrible turn.

The security guard, without reason, made a scene over my attire, demanding a jacket or collared shirt. I promptly complied. However, he then publicly shamed my date, wrongly claiming her outfit violated a vague dress code. This unfolded in front of other patrons, turning our evening into an embarrassment. Why didn't the manager or our server address this discreetly, if necessary? My date's attire was entirely appropriate, featuring a nude bodysuit under her top.

I couldn't help but notice the stark contrast when I saw photos I've attached of their own staff dressed quite provocatively. It was baffling and unfair. My date looked stunning, and there was nothing wrong with her outfit or top.

When I requested to speak with the manager, Edgar, he compounded the absurdity. He asked my date to use a napkin as a shawl and even suggested she wear a jacket. These requests were ridiculous given her attire. We pointed out the double standard, noting provocatively dressed bartenders and other patrons showing more skin. Adding insult to injury, we shared that my date battles stage four cancer, and we had hoped for a pleasant escape from her daily struggles.

Our evening was ruined, and we left in disgust.

Hal's management must critically examine their staff and policies. Every guest deserves respect. This incident left a terrible impression. I sincerely hope they take immediate steps to prevent such disgraceful situations from happening to others.

9/27/23 - UPDATE Dear Sammy and the Hal's Team,

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable response we received following our recent visit to Hal's. As you may recall, our initial experience was marred by an unfortunate incident that left us deeply disappointed.

However, the next evening, we were pleasantly surprised when Sammy, one of the owners of Hal's, reached out to us personally. Sammy not only offered a sincere apology but also took the time to thoroughly investigate the situation. He reviewed video footage, consulted with staff, and engaged in a thoughtful conversation with us, listening attentively for over half an hour to our feedback, which he carefully noted.

During our conversation, we emphasized the importance of a more measured and discreet approach when addressing issues related to attire, especially in situations where there might be ambiguity. We suggested that assessing the situation calmly and consulting with management first would be a more considerate approach, and Sammy wholeheartedly agreed. He even mentioned that he would bring this valuable insight to the next staff meeting to ensure such incidents are handled better in the future.

In addition to addressing our concerns, Sammy showed incredible compassion and understanding regarding my partner's health condition. He went above and beyond by sending a stunning bouquet of flowers with a personal note to my partner.. This gesture touched our hearts deeply.

We are genuinely appreciative of Sammy's dedication to making immediate changes to the dress policy and improving the way such situations are managed. It's evident that Hal's is committed to ensuring every guest receives the respect and consideration they deserve.

We now look forward with anticipation to revisiting Hal's in the near future, not only to experience your renowned cuisine but also to say hello to Sammy and, hopefully, meet Mr. Hal himself.

Thank you once again for your swift and compassionate response. It has truly turned our initial disappointment into a positive and hopeful experience.

Warm...

Update 8/20 After getting sick upon returning home, I contacted Hal's Thursday afternoon. I spoke to Megan, who said she would get back to me either the same night or no later than Friday. It's Saturday evening and I guess I should not expect a call any more. I have no words!

This was our first and last time at Hal's. My son and I had dinner reservations after a show and Hal's seemed to be the perfect choice to round up the evening. Heads up, if you don't like to smell cigars while trying to enjoy a meal, make sure you're seated upstairs. The first table we received was right in front of (we're talking inches) from the kitchen access. No, that was not the only table available. After being moved, we noticed the lingering cigar smell. Our waiter downstairs, after apologizing profusely for leaving us unattended for way too long, was trying his best to make up for it but since I like to enjoy my dinner without needing to cough, we were moved upstairs. I started of with the mussels, which were delicious. My son had the calamari which were absolutely void of any flavor. When my adult son ordered his rack of lamb, the waiter described the levels of doneness in colors. Interesting! My son then proceeded to order his medium rare. He received well done. Maybe he should have stuck with colors. Since he is a better person than I, he didn't send it back. Or maybe he was just too traumatized by my experience. After having to ask the waiter for any specials, and me asking what he would recommend (I was torn between osso bucco, filet mignon au poivre and rack of lamb), he stressed that they were famous for their steaks. So, steak rare, cool middle it was. Or so I thought. My steak came out medium-well. I cut it first at 1/4 of the length of steak and showed it to our waiter who asked me to cut it right in the middle. It was still medium-well. While waiting for my replacement, I "enjoyed" some by now luke warm sides. My son had mashed potatoes and asparagus and I had opted for sautéed mushrooms and creamed spinach. All delicious, but I would have preferred mine a little warmer, like hot. I'm not sure if the chef was trying to mock me, but the newly made filet mignon was brought to me raw. Besides the outside having briefly touched the pan, the rest of the steak was ice cold. I mean, nothing was in any way cooked or warm. How gross and what an insult! I chose not to have it replaced again. After ordering deserts, I was still starving at this point, we were told they would be on the house. My son's cheesecake was perfectly fine, but let's just say I wouldn't order the crème brûlée again. I prefer mine with an actual caramelized top and not just a hint of one. The two glasses of buttery chardonnay were delicious though, but since I, unforseen, never really ate, they affected me way too much. I'm sure the whole experience had absolutely nothing to do with the fact we're black. And, yes, I still tipped the waiter 20% of the full bill including the deducted steak. Didn't want to add to being...

LONG REVIEW FROM A LONG TIME ATLANTA FOOD CRITIC:

This is a renowned steakhouse in Atlanta i was excited to try! I've eaten at many of our local steakhouse gems,(Bones, Kaisers, Chops, etc.). This was the most disappointing experience I've ever had and was the first time I ever wanted to end my dinner mid-meal.

First, drinks: The server said they had a full bar. GREAT! We order a Sazerac and bee's Knees. 2 drinks we always order at a bar of this status. They immediately told us they could not make a sazerac (no absinthe) and they had no idea how to make a bee's knees. I explain in great detail how to make the drink, including the correct glass and the ratios. And we replaced the Sazerac with a Woodford old fashioned. The old fashioned was "lazy". Not muddled or stirred, and tasted like Woodford on the rocks. I never got the Bee's Knees. However, I did receive a gin martini with a twist and simple syrup. A swing and a miss.

For appetizers, we ordered the escargot, lobster bisque, and gumbo. Our server explains that he will course out the apps with escargot first and soup second. Perfect!

Escargot was PHENOMENAL. It really is top tier.

We placed our entrée order with 2 starter salads. The salads came fast. But our soups were nowhere to be found.

I reminded the server that we ordered them and he brought them out promptly after we finish our salads. The lobster bisque was perfect. The gumbo was actually just roux, one shrimp, and 5 sausage slices with about 15 grains of rice. Just all around incorrect. But I digress.

For entrées, we got the Bone-In ribeye, with creamed spinach, and the special, which was Chilean sea bass.

The ribeye was ordered medium rare and the cook would have been perfect, but the sear was very uneven. Medium on top and rare on the bottom.

The Chilean sea bass was cooked to perfection. But they drenched it in lobster bisque and it just did not work. It showed a lack of culinary expertise to take excess soup that they need to sell, and cover such a light and flaky fish. Too dense. It needs LIGHT flavors. Something like a Lemon caper sauce?? Would have nailed it.

Creamed spinach was the STAR! Which says all it needs to about the skill here.

Finished off the night with a bread pudding (amazing!) and an espresso martini which was delicious, and correct!

Some highs, mostly lows, won't be back. But the place is always booked, they won't miss us, we know that. We just really care about food. And Hal's? It's all about the atmosphere and the...