Unexpectedly stunning.

            Those were the two words that popped into my head when I entered the almost completed 119 Chops restaurant on West Main Street in downtown Statesboro. Located on the southwest corner of Walnut Street and West Main next to Josephine’s, the new restaurant is scheduled to open in February. This is the second 119 Chops location to be developed - the original is in Milledgeville, Ga.

        Described by owner and general manager Richard Toms as an “upscale, casual steakhouse that features top choice beef and fresh seafood at a competitive price”, 119 Chops is bound to “shake up” Statesboro’s restaurant scene. Frankly, from a construction standpoint, there just isn’t anything here quite like 119 Chops. It is absolutely beautiful with a self-described “old world” motif.

        “We wanted to use a lot of ‘warm’ wood, brick, and molding,” Toms said. “A lot of the wood used in the ceiling was taken from an old barn in North Carolina.”

        There are no tables sitting in the middle of the restaurant, only booths. It is immediately apparent that an immense amount of time was spent in designing the restaurant to achieve maximum comfort with a sense of privacy. The open kitchen is reminiscent of Houston’s Restaurant in Atlanta.

        Toms said the 6,000 square foot restaurant can seat 170 patrons. “There is a bar area, restaurant area, and private dining room,” he said. “We will also have dining out front on the patio.”

        Toms said it has taken 18 months for the project to come to fruition.

        “We started working on this restaurant almost a year and a half ago,” he said. “It has taken much longer than we had hoped, but we are thrilled with the finished product. It looks a great deal like our Milledgeville restaurant, but it is bigger, and we were able to do things with the interior of this location that we could’t do there.”

        Toms is particularly proud of the infrared broiler used to too cook the steaks.

        “It is a double broiler that sears the steaks on both sides at the same time. This keeps the juices in the steak locked in ‘so-to-speak’. Steaks come out incredible juicy and delicious.”

        In case you are curious, 119 Chops will have a number of appetizers, salads, and entrees to choose from in addition to its steaks. It looks as if another player has come to the  table, and let me tell you, this player has made a major investment.

        As with all new businesses, I wish them luck.

        To find out when 119 Chops is scheduled to open or to learn more about it, you may go to their website, www.119chops.com.

            Until next week, I bid you au revoir.

            Got a scoop for Jan? Call her at (912) 489-9463 or e-mail her at jmoore@statesboroherald.net