Michael’s on the Alley

Had my birthday dinner here the other day. Food was pretty good but honestly halls is just that much better and worth it. The service was okay, my drink was bitter& missing an ingredient. We expected for the restaurant to fill up as it was 7 on a Tuesday with only one other table in there and they sat us at the front of the restaurant by the hostess stand. But the restaurant never did fill up and we just got to hear the hostess conversations the whole time. They served the food at different times, not all at once like a nicer restaurant should. And the manager never once came to the table to ask how things were. With two tables in the restaurant you would think the manager would come by, especially since I saw him at the other table at 3 separate times. Our service was nothing extraordinary and even as the food came out wrong he just brought the missing component and didn’t think to take the plate away to make the presentation right. I’ve dined in fine dining restaurants throughout the country but this restaurant needs some help. Sadly won’t be returning to those big comfortable leather booths.

Michaels on the alley is fine, but if you want great… and an experience to remember look elsewhere.
There was an African American couple dining behind us, and when they left the servers assistant said, «20%», as in disbelief. There is no reason another patron should hear the sizing up of clientele from servers, wait staff etc… I as appalled and put off for the rest of the evening! Is the wait staff sizing up all its patrons?
My daughter ordered the filet with a gorgonzola butter topping, and the gorgonzola butter arrived 5 minutes later cubed and cold like a stick of butter. Yup, he plopped the cold cubed butter on top of a filet where it sat unmelted, cold and in its original butter form. Yuck!
Just go to Halls!!! Spend the extra bit of money enjoy your meal and service! You won’t be disappointed!

Dinner with friends. High expectations given the locale, affiliation w Coast & Rue de Jean (both great!), and pricing. We were largely disappointed…
We had a party of three. Shared the Artisanal Cheese Plate ($ 16), all tasted very good. There were 5 – 6 different cheeses, fruits, spreads and grilled bread.
Entrees were less impressive. My two friends each ordered the Tournadoes ($ 42): Two 3oz Prime Filet Medallions, served w garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Both added a steak accompaniment for an additional $ 3-​$ 4, and both ordered their medallions medium rare. The steaks were overcooked, medium at best. In my opinion, a steak house should nail requested steak temperature every time, no questions asked.
I ordered the Local Fresh Catch of the Day (Market Price, $ 36): Wreckfish (a favorite!) with an arugula and watermelon salad and some kind of sauce on the plate. The accompaniments were fine, but the fish was heavily salted on the skin side. I wind up scraping the skin off and just eating the flesh part of the filet. An unwelcome chore while trying to catch up w friends and be more involved in conversation vs avoiding a super salty bite.
The service was great, ambiance was nice. But I wouldn’t recommend given the disparity in price and taste.

The food was superb. Steaks were excellent & the lamb chops were Devine. I would recommend this place to a steak lover. The sides were delicious too.

This review is for Tomahawk Tuesday. The deal: $ 100 gets you a 30-​ounce tomahawk ribeye, 2 sides and a bottle of wine. It is an amazing deal. The wine selection for the base price is fine but you can get a pricier bottle for an upcharge. The side item choices are full sized and do not exclude the lobster mac and cheese, making the deal more valuable. The steak itself is phenomenal and you can take the massive bone home to your dog. Started with the full sized chopped salad to share. It was not split and plated for us making it a bit unpolished and messy to share and I also felt it was too heavy before the meal so I will not be getting that next time. The mushroom side dish and lobster mac were both A+. The steak was tender and perfectly cooked to temp. Expect leftovers if you and your dining companion are modest eaters. I subtract one star because the service was a little clunky — I don’t really want to know your life story even if my date engages you. Just serve the food and remain professional even if your patrons are not. Also the crowd was sparse and older.

Michael’s on the Alley was a random and unexpected dinner find. After unsuccessfully getting a table at Rue de Jean and Coast, we stumbled upon this place.
It is very business dinner or bachelor party friendly on the inside. High ceilings, dark interiors, leather furniture, rich mahogany, you get the picture. Service was very pleasant. The GM came by to see how we were enjoying our meal, and then proceeded to overshare with us his whole life story and how many FitBit steps he got daily. The wine list was thorough and expensive, as is the case of all nice steakhouses. (The red wine induced headache the next day did not disappoint.) The gentleman caller had the pork chop and I had the filet mignon medium rare. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed our respective entrees.
Overall the food was great, but the atmosphere wasn’t my cup of tea. When going out for a really expensive meal, I much prefer a lively atmosphere like Hall’s to a somewhat contrived place like Michael’s on the Alley. If you’re craving a filet and forgot to make a reservation elsewhere, then by all means give it a try.

If you are offended by the Washington Redskins name saga, you might not want to hit up Michael’s on the alley for Tomahawk Tuesday! The rest that want a good deal hurry on down on Tuesday and experience a beautiful place and a fantastic steak!
$ 100 gets you a 30 oz steak, a bottle of wine and two side dishes. As with any fine steak house sides are always extra, typically in the $ 10 range.
It was our 35^th anniversary and I messaged the manager to ask if this special was something my wife and I could share. I received an «absolutely» response from Beverly the manager.
I read other reviews that were luke warm and I have to say we had a great experience. The location on the alley gives patrons that real Charleston feel and the décor of the restaurant is elegant and very steak houseish. Big round booths over looking a glass enclosed wine room.
As for the steak it was a Fred Flintstone Brontosaurus piece of meat! It was presented whole at the table. We made a cut to check to see it was cooked to our liking and after giving our ok was whisked back to the kitchen to be carved.
Perfect dry aged beef! Sides of wild mushrooms and asparagus were excellent.
Dena our server was not only knowledgeable but friendly and welcoming as well.
Charleston certainly has it’s share of good no great restaurants and you can add this one to this list. This is on par with the other high end steak houses in town.
Only I don’t think it has been discovered so put it on the list, leave your PC behind and go enjoy Tomahawk Tuesday!

I’m shocked Michael’s isn’t more popular than it is. Perhaps the construction at one end of the alley is to blame or the fact that’s it’s not visible from any street. Either way, the tomahawk ribeye was one of the best I’ve ever had. Often, in high end steakhouses around the country lately, I question whether or not the meat is truly dry aged even though the menu says it is. The color, texture and classic aged flavor just aren’t there. Not so at Michael’s. Cooked to perfection with excellent sides made this a meal to remember. It’s definitely an expensive restaurant but the tomahawk Tuesday deal just can’t be beat. (I hesitate to even mention it for fear that I won’t be able to get a reservation next time)

This was the only place available to take last minute reservations for our anniversary dinner and I’m not really sure why. The food is amazing. We started with the charcuterie board. This could have been a meal in itself. Everything on it was amazing. My husband and I each got their prime rib special. This was a bad move because the portions were so large we basically had a meal leftover. This could have easily been split between us.
The atmosphere was amazing, rustic industrial old world charm. The wait staff was on point. If a waiter/​waitress from another section walked by they would refill the water glasses as if it was nothing. Zach (our waiter) was very attentive. He made sure our food was cooked to our liking. We never had to wait for a refill and he was overly attentive.
This place isn’t a family style restaurant. This is for special occasions, anniversary dinners, celebrations etc. so get dressed up and go have a great meal at Michael’s on the Alley.

Delish! The restaurant is in a beautiful old Charleston building with a large wine display in the back. The staff is friendly and knowledgable, and will know which wine to pair with any dish. Comfortable seating, delicious food, and an attentive staff make for the perfect evening! (P.S.- you must have the chocolate crème brûlée for dessert)

Conviction of Courage! The Culinary staff is so confident in their creations that there is not a salt or pepper shaker to be found. Great food (Prime Rib and Lobster), great service (Thomas and others) great time. If you go, you must try the collard greens. We shall return.

Best collard greens in Charleston
Steak was ok but not worth the money.
Lobster mac was also good
Great atmosphere and bring your gold bars cause it’s expensive!

What I loved:
The service is excellent. Steaks are fantastic. Pâté, appetizers great. Overall, it’s just as good or better than Halls. The place is beautiful. Worth every penny…
What I didnt like–
Lobster mac and cheese good but for 22.00 should have been better.
Table side CAESAR
salad is not very good. I dont know why, but 3 out of 4 of us didnt care for it… Overall, a great experience and a fantastic meal… GO HERE.

We went to dinner there for a special occasion on a Friday night. They were nice and accommodating and we got a complimentary glass of champagne. We started our dinner off with the Oysters Rockefeller and the table side Cesar salad. Neither were the best we have ever had and we agreed that it wasn’t worth it. For our entrees we ordered the Porterhouse and the Wagyu filet with the foie gras. The entrees were exceptional. It was the best foie gras I have ever had outside of a French restaurant. The Wagyu filet was great and compared to other Steakhouses with was priced comparably. I have been coming here since they opened and the quality has held up! We will be returning and soon!

I enjoyed dining at Michael’s on the Alley. We had planned to go to Coast but my brother doesn’t care for seafood. It was not very crowded when we dined and we received excellent service. The food was as beautiful as it was delicious. Steaks cooked perfectly and everyone was quite happy with their entrée selections. The ambiance was nice. Drinks were strong. All in all a wonderful time was had by all.

Ok so it was decent. I just feel like 450 for the 4 of us could have had a better meal and service at the best steakhouse in Charleston on King Street. The servers did not know the difference between spinach and collards, the steak was a great dry aged. Something feels like it missing?

We went here on a Saturday for dinner. There were 4 of us. 2 bottles of Bordeaux. And steaks. Everything was good. Except for the service. But the service took a star away. Our server was without any steak knowledge. When asked the difference between the wagyu filet and strip, she told us «one comes with mashed potatoes».
Other than the service, we enjoyed our nite

I’d compare this place to a steak house at a really nice all inclusive resort. Three separate concepts being serviced by a single kitchen or perhaps two according to the waitstaff. Walked in on a Wednesday evening at 7pm and we became the third table in the entire restaurant. Weather was beautiful outside and temperature perfect for an evening out. Other two tables left, only one other couple showed up. Time is now 8:30pm as I type this. But I digress…
Food: oysters were great, but unless you’re Mother Nature, can’t really screw those up.
House charcuterie — not bad, but weird flavors — currant pork sausage? Eh…
I got the filet and it was cooked perfectly and seasoned very well. Happy that I didn’t spend extra for their toppings as it would have been too much.
Sides: creamed spinach was more like milk and spinach — not even edible. Lobster Mac n cheese was ok, but just ok, again too milky.
I can tell they spent a lot of money to build the space and it does look incredible, but the food needs a lot of work in my opinion. Total bill was $ 269 with tip. Did buy a bottle of champagne, so I would expect to pay $ 100 a person. Give it a shot and perhaps they’re still working out the kinks… I know we won’t be back.

Brought my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner. I didn’t know much about Michael’s On The Alley, but after seeing the menu I knew it was going to be good! I was surprised to see not that many people in the dining room, but that could be because there was a large part upstairs. I loved the quietness though! We sat in a big half circle booth (love those!) Everyone was extremely attentive and pleasant, very friendly.
The food was amazing! We enjoyed a bottle of wine as we had our complimentary bread. The chef also gave us a sample of chilled soup, can’t remember what it was, but it was tasty! We had the Oysters Rockefeller app (6 oysters-​great deal!) My boyfriend ordered the Bone-​in-​Ribeye with a Lobster Tail. I’m usually not a steak fan, but it was really tender and juicy! Very good choice. The sides we ordered (we shared) were Lobster Mac N Cheese. the best we’ve ever had and Asparagus w/​Bearnaise. the biggest asparagus spears I’ve ever seen! We were lucky enough to go during soft shell blue crap season and so I ordered their special, Tempura Fried Soft Shell Crap (two) with an Heirloom salad and a basil sauce I believe. This was my first soft shell crap experience and it was pretty darn good! The heirloom tomatoes cut really thick and were so fresh! We got a complimentary dessert for the birthday boy, Flourless Chocolate Torte paired with Raspberry-​to die for!
Apparently they have «Tomahawk Tuesday» where on Tuesdays you can order their 30 oz. Bone-​In Ribeye with two sides of your choice and a bottle of select wine all for just $ 100! That is so awesome! Will definitely be back!

I wanted to like this place. Feels like they’re trying too hard. I won’t be going back.
— foie gras milkshake with strawberry as an amuse bouche.
— the bone-​in ribeye was average regardless of the ‘poached in butter and seared on a 900-​degree grill’ preparation. It didn’t come seasoned. No salt or pepper on the table.
— the table-​side preparation of Caesar salad was novel but average. The Romaine was not cold/​crisp. We tasted more of the Tabasco sauce he apparently heavy-​handed in there than anything.
— the expediter was clearing the table as we were still eating our entrees. So much for getting more of the sautéed wild mushroom side we were sharing. She just swept them away without asking if we were finished with them.
There are just too many other great steakhouses around town. Oh, and the manager came by a couple times like he was trying to be that guy at Hall’s.
All this and the place never got more than half full through the entire dinner service.