Chops & Lobster Bar
Steak house · Atlanta
70 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
Highlights
USDA prime aged beef, fresh seafood, classic chophouse atmosphere
USDA prime aged beef, fresh seafood, classic chophouse atmosphere
"With millions of steak dinners under its belt, Chops Lobster Bar is all kinds of efficient with the protein. That’s why, after three decades, this Buckhead classic is still rightly jumping with both old and new Atlantans. So a steak is necessary to experience Chops the right way. There are enough options to satisfy even the pickiest client or friend: dry-aged for 35 days, a thick, 14-ounce barrel-cut, a 32-ounce tomahawk bone-in ribeye (our pick if we're on a date), and even a Miyazaki A5 wagyu cut at $45 per ounce for those nights when regular beef just won’t cut it. Each will always have a rich, buttery intensity and perfect sear that almost complement the motif of elegant, dark mahogany dining room. photo credit: Courtesy of Chops Lobster Bar Since you’re here, might as well throw in their signature lobster nuggets, which are lightly fried and paired with a pool of honey-mustard aioli. dark mahogany. Eating steak and lobster is the point, but Chops’ meticulous service boosts dinner to another level. Servers call you by name (even if you’re not a regular), never let your drinks get below halfway full, and check in more often than we talk to our own mothers. It's not just up there with the top steakhouses in the city, a night at Chops is an essential bullet point for any Atlantan's resume. RESERVE A TABLE WITH RESERVE A TABLE Food Rundown Whole South African Lobster Tail Partake in the lobster fun, or at least four bites of it. It’s lightly fried and the honey-mustard aioli gives the lobster morsels a nice tang. It’s technically for sharing, but we would happily eat this half-pound appetizer solo. All Jumbo Lump “Maryland Style” Crab Cake No filler, straight to the point. It’s all crab here, baby. And it sits in a lemony grain mustard emulsion that gives some extra pep. Black Diamond New York Strip Generally speaking, the New York strip isn’t as tender as other cuts of beef, but Chops’ version could be slice with a plastic Montessori school knife. It comes in 12- and 16-ounce portions. Filet Mignon Buttery, juicy, and the exact beefy flavor that you came for. Florida Black Grouper This grouper has a light crust seasoned with horseradish and sits in a saucy orange pool of sweet grapefruit sauce that isn’t overpowering. It’s a solid choice if, for whatever reason, you can’t do steak or lobster. 1 Lb Baked Idaho There’s nothing fancy going on with this side. It’s topped with heaping globs of butter and sour cream and sprinkled with chives and cheese. But it’s a whole pound and makes us feel like we’re doing the whole “meat and potatoes” thing right." - Juli Horsford
"A $40-per-ounce wagyu steak, private dining room, and cigar lounge might be the equation for attracting ultra rich people, so it makes sense that pictures of celebrity guests line the walls of this two-level Buckhead institution. Both floors offer the same menu and attentive white tablecloth service, but the upstairs Chops feels like a mahogany-heavy country club while the downstairs Lobster Bar is a bit more casual and louder (so bring your noisy coworkers). In both spaces, you’ll see couples on anniversary outings and birthday groups dining on quality steak cuts, from more affordable NY strips to that pricey wagyu. When paired with other signatures like the lightly fried lobster morsels and the tableside-prepared shiitake and warmed spinach salad, we see why Chops Lobster Bar is still jumping three decades in." - nina reeder, juli horsford, jacinta howard
"“M is a new omakase counter inside of Umi in Buckhead. Courses like oysters in spicy cauliflower puree, flash-seared wagyu, and fatty slabs of nigiri are all fantastic small bites (which is why M makes our Hit List). But it’s the lobster dish, which comes midway through the 21-course meal, that makes me want to pause the fast-moving parade of plates so I can have a moment. It’s a sweet, tender chunk of lobster tail cooked in a red bourbon sauce and topped with fresh chimichurri and a zing of yuzu zest. Next visit, I’ll beg our neighbor to trade us their lobster in exchange for a few cups of sake.”—Nina Reeder, senior editor" - nina reeder, juli horsford, demarco williams, jacinta howard
"Two years after a fire prompted the temporarily closure of the restaurant, there’s not a single sign that it ever lost its footing. This Buckhead stalwart serves up the quintessential classic experience, flawless from lobster bisque to daily-delivered oysters, oversized shellfish, and salads tossed at the table. The custom- and dry-aged Prime steaks are the stars, though, with two types of bone-in ribeyes to choose from, plus certificate-verified (yours to keep!) A-5 grade Miyazaki sold by the ounce. Whole Nova Scotian lobsters and top-tier finfish honor the surf side. Reservations required." - Su-Jit Lin
"I report that Mayor Andre Dickens counts Chops among his favorite Atlanta restaurants for consistency in food and service." - Mike Jordan
