This week’s Give Me Astoria: Pick of the Week is William Hallet!

Founded by George Rallis (who’s hilariously awkward interview you can read here) in June of 2011, William Hallet has quickly become a neighborhood staple. This eatery and bar offers some amazing American cuisine, as well as drinks from all over the world.

But wait… who on earth is William Hallet? Turns out he’s a lesser known settler who doesn’t get nearly as much attention as John Jacob Astor (guess who Astoria’s named after). George Rallis decided to honor William Hallet, and make a super awesome restaurant in his name.

Now… why is Hallet so great? Let’s start with the fact that that they have turducken year round, and it just so happens to be one of their best sellers. Don’t worry, though, you’re not getting a full on chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey– the turducken here is served up as an awesome meatloaf sandwich. If you’re coming by for brunch (WHICH YOU CAN ADD UNLIMITED BLOOD MARY’S AND MIMOSAS TOO, WHAAAAT) make sure you order the turducken– it comes with bacon, bourbon ketchup, an onion roll and a fried egg. Drool.

Are drinks your thing? Hallet’s got you covered. At last count, they’ve got more than 40 whiskeys from loads of different countries…and if you’re in the mood to have a REAL good time, they’ve got absinthe from the US, Switzerland, Austria, France and more. Another best seller is the Guava Lemonade, which tastes way so good we might’ve actually forgotten there’s alcohol in it…and ordered a few too many. And there’s always their brunch time bloody mary’s.

If you can’t decide what you want, there’s daily specials you can check out here. One of the coolest specials is Meat Market Mondays, where you can go grab some meat next door at International Meat Market, and have it cooked up for you with sides. How cool is that?

William Hallet is super pleasing because it’s menu is diverse enough to please anyone. If you’re in the mood for a fancy steak dinner, this is your place. If you’re in the mood to dive into a burger and fries…this is your place as well. Mac and cheese? Yup. You know it.

William Hallet creates a fun, engaging atmosphere. There’s lots of events going on all the time, most recently their Valentine’s Day for Singles party. We might’ve heard murmurs of a themed party coming up in May…we’ll keep you posted.

They constantly push the envelope with the chalkboard out front that can either be hilarious…or horrible…or a little bit of both. And there’s always the chance to get a free shot on Saturdays if you check out their Facebook page.

William Hallet is a great place to stop by for lunch, dinner, and especially for weekend brunch. We can’t wait to go back.