Steakhouse & Seafood · Buckhead, Atlanta · ~$150 per person
Steakhouse & Seafood$$$$BuckheadOpen since 1989 · top-ten US steakhouse
"Buckhead's 1989 power steakhouse, USDA prime upstairs and Hong Kong lobster below — take a client you need to impress."
8Food
8Ambience
6Value
About Chops Lobster Bar
Atlanta closes more deals over Chops's dry-aged ribeye than in half of Buckhead's conference rooms. Open since 1989 at 70 West Paces Ferry Road, Chops Lobster Bar is two restaurants stacked together: the wood-panelled Chops steakhouse upstairs for USDA prime beef, and the vaulted Lobster Bar below for the Hong Kong-style lobster that gave the room its name.
Buckhead Life Restaurant Group has kept it in the national top-ten steakhouse conversation for 35 years, and a full dinner clears about $150 a head.
The Kitchen
There is no celebrity chef name on the door, and the room does not pretend otherwise. Chops is a Buckhead Life Restaurant Group institution run on consistency rather than a single auteur. Upstairs, the kitchen turns out USDA prime, dry-aged steaks: the bone-in ribeye and the New York strip are the orders to make, with sides built for sharing.
Downstairs in the Lobster Bar, the Hong Kong-style lobster and the Hong Kong Chilean sea bass are the signatures, the seafood flown in daily. Prime steaks start north of $60 and the shellfish climbs from there. The Atlanta dining guide sets it against the city's newer rooms.
The Room
The split personality is the point. Upstairs is clubby and wood-lined, the classic deal-making steakhouse with generous table spacing and a low roar at prime time. Downstairs, the Lobster Bar sits under a dramatic vaulted, tiled ceiling that softens the noise and reads more date-night than boardroom. Dress is business-smart in both, and service is the career-server kind that remembers a regular's order. Book upstairs for talk, downstairs for atmosphere.
Best for Closing a Deal
Book the upstairs steakhouse for closing a deal because it does the three things a deal dinner needs: prime beef that signals you spent, tables spaced for a private conversation, and servers who pace the night so the cheque never interrupts the handshake. Buckhead's business crowd has used it this way since 1989. To impress clients with more theatre, take the vaulted Lobster Bar downstairs; the impress-clients guide lists the city's other power tables.
Not for
Not for a quiet first date or a tight budget — the upstairs room runs loud at prime time and a full dinner clears $150 a head before wine. Choose the Lobster Bar downstairs, or somewhere smaller, for an intimate night.
Frequently Asked
What is Chops Lobster Bar known for?
Two things: USDA prime, dry-aged steaks in the upstairs Chops steakhouse, and the Hong Kong-style lobster in the vaulted Lobster Bar downstairs. Open since 1989, it is a Buckhead Life Restaurant Group institution that consistently ranks among the top ten steakhouses in the country. The bone-in ribeye and the Hong Kong lobster are the defining orders.
How much does dinner cost at Chops Lobster Bar?
Budget around $150 per person for a full dinner with wine. Prime steaks start above $60 and the lobster and higher-end shellfish climb from there, with shared sides adding up quickly. It is a top-end Buckhead steakhouse, priced to match, so it works best as an expense-account or special-occasion dinner rather than a casual night.
What is the dress code at Chops Lobster Bar?
Business-smart. There is no strict jacket rule, but the clientele skews to suits and smart dresses, especially upstairs in the steakhouse at prime time. The downstairs Lobster Bar is a touch more relaxed but still polished. Dress as you would for a business dinner and you will fit either room.
Should I sit in Chops upstairs or the Lobster Bar downstairs?
Upstairs Chops is the clubby, wood-panelled steakhouse built for deal dinners and conversation. The downstairs Lobster Bar, under its vaulted tiled ceiling, is quieter and more date-night, with the seafood as the focus. Pick upstairs for business and beef, downstairs for atmosphere and the Hong Kong lobster, and reserve the room you want specifically.
Is Chops Lobster Bar good for business dinners?
Yes, it is one of Atlanta's definitive deal-making restaurants. The upstairs steakhouse offers spaced tables, prime beef and practiced service that paces the evening around conversation. Book upstairs, arrive a little early, and let the server manage the timing. See more options in the close a deal guide.
Two rooms: Chops steakhouse upstairs, the vaulted Lobster Bar below. Reserve on OpenTable or call (404) 262-2675; prime-time books out.
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Practical Information
Address70 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30305
NeighbourhoodBuckhead
CuisineSteakhouse & Seafood
Price~$150 per person; prime steaks $60+
Dress CodeBusiness smart
SeatingTwo rooms: Chops upstairs, vaulted Lobster Bar below
