Hal's On Old Ivy Buckhead
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Buckhead30 Old Ivy Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30342 (404) 261-0025
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Valet
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
13 Reviews for Hal's On Old Ivy Buckhead
Hal's is my favorite steak place in the city. It's everything a steakhouse should be - dark, kind of old school, white tableclothes, big red wines and focus on the meat. The filet here is the best I've ever had. The sides are delicious, as well.
The service on my last visit was not great. In fact, it was borderline rude. It's the first time I've experienced anything but professionalism, so I'm gonna let it slide.
The bar scene here is a hoot, too. It's totally the training ground for the Johnny's Hideaway crowd!
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Hal's hosted a dinner for a party of ten for us and the service is perfect! First thing you notice about Hal's when you walk in is that its a traditional steak house, complete with white table cloths and oak woods, its dark, a bit small and sometimes a bit noisy too...
The crowd is somewhat older than the newer, hipper steakhouses and they allow smoking at the bar
I like the lobster bisque and the classic cheddar whipped potatoes is amazing as well. Steaks are excellent and better than some of the more well-known restaurants here in Buckhead... crispy and crunchy on the outside from the grill and tender at the inside... flavored by the simple butter sauce..
The service is perfect...everybody got the correct order even though our group's order is very complicated. Napkins were folded back when someone went away, water was always refilled, empty plates were cleared immediately.. and the restaurant is actually full at that time...
I would highly recommend this place!!!
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My hands down favorite steak EVER!!! I just ate at 3 Forks in Austin and while it came close, it was not able to knock Hal's out of my #1 spot.
Last time I went it was with a big group of people so I was pretty much able to have everything on the menu. For appetizers, the Escargot stood out as the best. The Lobster Bisque was rich and flavorful. My 12 oz filet was amazingly prepared...cool rare just like I asked for. No special sauces needed other than the butter sauce because the meat was so fresh and such an excellent cut! Now pair that with the price of $33.95 and you can see why this is my #1 steak place for a steak. It is better than steakhouses that charge much more for their steaks. Not to mention Hal's also has lamb, veal, chicken salads, seafood.....
So still today, Hal's ranks as #1 for my favorite steak so far to date.
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My boyfriend and I had been wanting to try Hal's for a year or so now...and we finally had the opportunity to last Friday - and it was on his boss, no less! We got there early to have some drinks at the bar. It was a dark, old school steakhouse filled with the 50+ crowd that looked like they had been coming there as long as this place had been open. It was a bit loud by the piano and the bar was crowded, but the bartender made a great effort to reach out to us behind the rows of customers, which was a nice treat when you're used to going to places like 5 Paces and it takes 20 minutes to get a drink.
We were fortunate enough to get what I think was one of the best seats in the house. Right by the window and in the far corner away from the bar area, it was nice and quiet - and we had great people watching while we waited on our appetizers. The waiter was friendly and funny. The menu had lots of delicious-sounding options, but Craig and I stuck with the filet. He chose the 12 oz. and I decided on the blackened filet medallions - topped with fried onion strings. Amazing! That first bite of juicy, tender steak was to die for. And the remaining bites were no less satisfying. We were too full for dessert, but vowed to come back again to try it.
The scene is definitely old Buckhead business men, but the atmosphere is cool and a little different from the normal Buckhead and Midtown places we frequent. I will definitely be bringing my parents back to try it. But make sure to make a reservation in advance - it's fairly small and seems to fill up very quickly on the weekends.
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Great steak. It's kind of dark, cozy and loud at times in all of the best ways. I know this is weird to say for a steakhouse, but I'm an incredibly big fan of their vegetable side items. Wedge salad is great, and the bar area is fun.
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Hal's is good. Go there expecting an old-fashioned white table cloth steak place. It's solid with what they do best. A good piece of red meat, a good wedge salad and great cocktails. It's good to people watch there on the weekends too.
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You want old school decor, a great martini and a perfect steak? Then Hal's is your spot. A taste of Buckhead that can't be rivaled, the food is outstanding, the service is spot-on and the people-watching is unrivaled. The dining room is great for business dinners and cozy twosomes; the bar scene is a spectator sport any night of the week! First, try the lobster bisque, the appetizer sampler with crab claws or the mussels lebeaux. Next, while the fish is always excellent, you're missing out not to try the filet and frequent specials include the bone-in version (ribeye also available!). All sides are big enough to share, and their various takes on potatoes/hash browns will suit all tastes! You will leave full, happy and with a refresher course on old Buckhead dining life.
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Hal's has been here for-e-v-e-r; and for good reason. Hal knows how to serve excellent flavourful food with a lil 'New Orleans steak house style twist. Hal's son has now joined the family business.
I love their Snapper Franchese and their extensive wine collection. I have celebrated many special occaisons here. I loved the old smaller place but the renovations have made it easier to get a table. On par with McKendricks but a more authentic Atlanta feel. Dress nice and brings lots of money to tip Valets, concierge and the excellent bar and wait staff. :o)
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At first, I was hesitant about reviewing this place because I don't want all of you to go and discover my secret steak spot. But after thinking about it, I would rather share the joy of fork-cutting steak instead of hoarding it to myself.
This may seem like a long stretch, but the best steak I have ever had in Atlanta (Sorry, Kevin) was at Hal's. They have a rather robust menu for being best known for their steaks - salads, meats, sides, seafood, appeteasers, pasta, veal, etc. I don't think that many people know about it because of it's semi-discrete local in Buckhead, but that's no excuse! I went out on a limb and ordered (to our very charming and accommodating waiter) my fillet as medium plus just to test them. They nailed it! It was just right, for those of you who know the justness and the rightness of just right. I cut it once with my knife to check the color and temp, and for the remainder of the steak...I used my fork. No lie!
Oh and try the sauteed spinach. Yum. Yum.
The atmosphere is very Buckhead-esk. It's a quaint eatery with a small bar and flat-screen TV. Very simple. Optional valet up to a certain time, I'm sure.
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What a gem in the Buckhead area.
Non assuming from the street, however once inside a very active bar and a wonderful white table cloth dining room.
Service from Bryon was spot on and the Filet was one of the best pieces of meat I have ever had.
Addi tonally the Wedge Blue Cheese Salad, the Creamed Spinach and the Bread Pudding were all outstanding.
Definitely a must dine!
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Best filet in town. Friendly bartenders don't hurt either.
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The most underrated place in Atlanta to get an excellent steak. It is a refreshing change of place from the more traditional stuffy steakhouse atmosphere. Piano player and the bar scene are noteworthy and really make for a fun time. Stiff pours on the cocktails also.
I split a crabmeat and shrimp appetizer to start. It was nothing creative, just chilled, fresh seafood served with an overly creamy remoulade type sauce. Tomato and onion salad was quite simple, yet delicious. After visiting, I can see why people talk about their filet. I am usually not one to order a filet, as I usually opt for a bone-in and/or USDA prime cut, but Hal's really makes a tasty steak. Maybe it is the massive amount of butter they use, but doesn't Peter Luger use a lot of butter as well? It is also great that you get to choose a side to come along with your steak.
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Hands down best filet in Atlanta!!
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