We will definitely visit again next time we are in the area. The porch was pleasant on the warm day we were there. I had the steak salad with warm bacon dressing and my husband had the grouper sandwich. Both were excellent. Desserts at a nearby table looked tempting but we were too full. Next time! read more

Oysters were good size, bushwhackers were good, Cuban sandwich was great! Service was great! Live music was nice. read more

Half Shell Dockside - The sign and my wife lol - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE!! If I could give less than 1 star I would. Horrible experience. Waited over two hours to get our food. When it arrived....oyster stew was spilled all over the under plate, food was cold. Some so cold it felt refrigerated. Wait staff was highly unaffected by any of the issues. Manager blamed it on being short staffed BUT MANY OTHER TABLES GOT THERE FOOD way before we did.....that were seated after us. Ordered shrimp and grits without the bacon crumbles, what we received was a few shrimp on a pile of plain grits. Shrimp gumbo was thick and cold. Really bad all around. Not to mention lose dogs walking through and under tables We left all of the food on the table and left. Great waste of 3 hours read more

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One of my favorites in the area! We have been coming for years. Blackened shrimp dinner, and shrimp and grits were fantastic!!! Fried catfish poboy was the best I've had and a massive portion. I wouldn't recommend the cheese grits but can't complain about anything else. Great happy hour and stayed for Monday night bingo! Staff was amazing and felt so welcome! read more

Half Shell Dockside - Dirty martini and bingo night - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Many favorites have been removed from menu. Items on the menu were out of stock. Selection was poor. Waited 20 minutes on a table that was standing empty the whole time. read more

Everything about the half shell dockside was local and expected. The food was good, the service was good and the ambiance was that of a local seafood restaurant. read more

Stopped here for a late afternoon lunch, out exploring the area. A friend had been here before and recommended. Was really good. We had the low country boil and it was perfect, shrimp were cooked well and spices were good but not too strong (sucks, but I just can't eat super spicy stuff anymore .) we split the key lime pie for dessert and it was worth every calorie. Really nice eating outside in the water. Everyone was super nice. Good service. read more

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HIRE NEW HOSTESSES!!! Never in my Life have I been denied seating at a restaurant that has business hours 2 HOURS from listed closing! Terrible service recommendation to alternative place (we walked here) for dining CLOSED. Reason given for not being able to put name down on wait list: need to catch up on 15 names we already have.... Idk that smells fishy to me even at the dock. read more

Had a great little dinner here tonight. The fried shrimp was excellent, the cole slaw better, and cold beer. Our server was outstanding. The food was super fast as well. All this on a Saturday night. Well done! read more

Half Shell Dockside - Shrimp dinner - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Went to this place Thursday about 5PM Was seated out by the bar Waited for about 20 mins and no one came not even to say we'll be with you in a few minutes Another couple came and was seated after us and was waited on almost immediately We stopped their waitress and inquired if we had a waitress She went running off to the hostess So we decided to leave Will not be back Giving it one star because I couldn't give it 0 stars read more

Great place for a cocktail and live music. We had oysters and they were tasty. Met some nice locals at the bar. Flying Fish play on Sunday's and they were super fun! read more

Half Shell Dockside - Nice patio - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Had an awesome Black & Blue Salad here. Delicious, fresh and plentiful. Sat at the bar and had awesome service. Will be back!

View was great. Food was subpar. I had the shrimp basket(8 shrimp) and my wife had the grouper sandwich. Shrimp were ok/ medium size. Grouper was thin and translucent. (Like it came from the freezer aisle of Walmart). Mixed vegetables side was cooked to oblivion (squash, peppers, onions). Hush puppy(1 with basket) was undercooked in the middle. Small portions for both of us for a total of $44. (We had waters). In the end I felt like I was paying for the view. (Only). Service ok for a very slow night. read more

We both had delicious, sweet, fried oyster baskets with fried okra. The setting is right in the river with a great view. The service was fast and friendly. It sits well off the road so we missed the driveway the first time by. read more

Half Shell Dockside - View from enclosed porch - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

During the ten days my wife and I were in the area this was by far the best restaurant we visited! The food was good, the service was great and the dinning room was fun without being tacky. It's a bit hard to find, but it's worth the trouble. In addition to two sandwiches we had the fish dip. It was the best part of the meal! I highly recommend it. The key lime pie was also good. Our only disappointment was the 3% charge for using a credit card. We made up for that by drinking water. That saved us money and it's healthier. read more

Dont make a pick up order because no matter what you order you will be grossly skimped on the amount of food they give you, I've eaten inside before and had fine service but order the same thing for pick up and they'll give you 1/3rd of what you paid for. I've previously had trouble with meals on pick up orders, but today I order cheese curds for 12.90$, because I figured you can't mess that up. I got about 15 cheese curds that covered maybe 1/3 of the box they came in. I got a refund but the explanation I was told is that they do different sizes for appetizers and that's what that is considered as. Yet she didn't look in the box and in previous years I've gone in and gotten cheese curds as an appetizer and gotten a whole basket full. As well as gotten them as pick up with a whole to go container full. But in recent years it's a no go for pick up as ive found 100% of the time you will be scammed. read more

I will keep this simple, I have no idea how in the world Any of these reviews are above a three star. you want decent seafood, please do not bother eating at this establishment. I hate to do this, but I have had several different occasions where the Fried fish comes out burnt, I don't even know how the staff serve something like this out. It's really a shame because the view is great. If you want to play bingo it's a lot of fun drinks are good and beautiful scenery again just don't bother eating the food here! read more

Great place on the water stash very nice food looks great beers great nice options!.. nice deck read more

Half Shell Dockside - View from the deck - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Stopped in on a bicycle ride around Apalachicola for raw oysters and some calamari and so glad we did. Inside and deck dining on the water with local color of down home Florida. Friendly people and a fun place to hang out read more

If you're boating and want a place to stop, this would be an awesome location. They will even cook fish if you bring in your own catch. Now, for the rest of us landlubbers... Decent atmosphere, but not awesome. Fried grouper was pretty solid. Flavorful and good breading. I'd eat them again. Tarter sauce was great! Order extra Oysters were ok, but that could be due to the season. Not the best I've had in town. Maple old fashioned was very solid. The menu says it has a "twist", it doesn't have a twist. But very well made and well balanced. Being from Kentucky, I appreciate a well made ok'd fashioned, nothing fancy... just well crafted read more

We came on a monday night & got seated right away! Good service, great drinks and the food was super fresh! Mahi Mahi was good & so was the blackened shrimp. Fried pickles were a 10/10. Dive Bar kind of vibe with a nice view of the bay. Really liked this place! Will be back for sure read more

Half Shell Dockside - Mahi Mahi & Blackened Shrimp - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Great food and good service. Give it a try, sit outside and watch the boats go by. Drinks are good too!

The food is pretty good! We ordered raw oysters and weren't as good as previous oysters we've had in the area! The fried shrimp basket was okay! The bar area seemed like a great time and they have live music!! The restaurant has great service and fast sitting! Enjoy! read more

Half Shell Dockside - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Really fresh food and as everyone has stated the staff was so great. The hostess brought over a bowl of water for the dogs. Our waitress was great and very attentive. My son loved the little forks for the Oysters so she grabbed some extra for him lol. The grouper Reuben was great. Fried Calamari and Fried Green Tomatoes were fresh. It's the little things like 4 people ordering Coke Zero and our waitress getting us a pitcher instead. Such a great experience. read more

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Awesome service from Hope! Food was amazing, we loved sitting outside and live music was outstanding! read more

Half Shell Dockside - Patio waterfront dining - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

So good! The staff was wonderful. We were seated quickly and enjoyed live music on the back deck, overlooking the bay. It was such a fun, relaxing environment. The staff was very knowledgeable on the types of fish offered as well. This place is a must try! read more

Half Shell Dockside - Mahi Mahi and Triple Tail with rice! - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Took some friends this weekend during the Seafood Festival and everything was amazing! I wish they had more outdoor seating but we still had a wonderful view of the water. Our server was wonderful and kept apologizing for the very LOUD group next to us. We totally understood since it was a festival weekend. The shrimp poboy was so good! And definitely save room for the banana pudding cheesecake. It's my new favorite place! read more

I have visited here twice now and I am confused by some of the low ratings. It can be really busy and the service can be a bit spotty. But, the food is worth the wait. If you visit here, do yourself a favor and get the fried flounder. It is the best fried fish I have had anywhere. It is always cooked perfectly and falls off the bone. The hush puppies are very tasty and the cheese grits always hit the spot. We had the garlic and cheese oysters to start. The oysters here are usually some of the biggest in town and are always cooked to perfection. They do sell out of the local beers frequently, so keep an open mind and be prepared to try something new. read more

Everything was pretty good my favorite out of the whole dinner is banana pudding cheesecake! So delicious. The server was super sweet love the scenery and my drink was so delightful. I gave four stars only because they ran out of fries kinda early in the evening. Please try this place . read more

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Stopped by for lunch while in Aplachicola- had a great fried grouper sandwich, fried shrimp basket, and fish spread. Service was good and location on the water. read more

We had a wonderful lunch here right on the river. Grouper sandwich was two meals! Super fresh and tasty seafood. The oysters Rockefeller were lick-the-shell perfection. Great service too and our road warrior doggy was welcomed too! We'll be back! read more

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Welp after a long day fishing. Great atmosphere good food excellent music. Ask for Matt he keeps them cold and keeps them coming.

Excellent Grilled Grouper Sandwich was not on the menu, but we asked if it was available and it was. It was cooked perfectly. As was the tuna. read more

Half Shell Dockside - Grilled Grouper Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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Seriously delicious seafood. The Reuben sandwich with blackened grouper and the steamed oysters and the shrimp tacos all were so good. I had some of the cherry cheesecake which was homemade and was just incredible -- not too sweet, not too rich, but good good good. Servers and bartenders were friendly, and the view of the water is nice. I think this is the best place I've had seafood in Apalach and can't wait to go again. Also, they are open on Mondays, when many places aren't! read more

Awesome food, great local service, great riverfront location. Bring a date or the whole family. Delicious local seafood. Key lime pie is the best I have had this side of key west read more

Totally worth going out of your way! Well staffed with a great band this Sunday (4/24). We ordered mahi fish dip, dockside oysters and raw oysters. All of it was fantastic! Beautiful scenery. Would definitely recommend. read more

Half Shell Dockside - Outdoor dining and bar area - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

This is not my first visit here, nor my last. The grouper basket with smashed potatoes was awesome. Great taste and best value in town at only $14.00 Add a little cheese and sour cream to the smashed potatoes to make it a special treat. I prefer the cocktail sauce over tarter sauce any day. read more

Half Shell Dockside - Fried grouper basket - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

Wonderful dinner last night at Half Shell Dockside. The Grouper sandwich is the best. You also need to try the fish dip as an appetizer. Sit inside or outside, but either get there early, it is very popular. read more

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Would have been a five if not for the tasteless overpriced ($8!) cheesecake along with the overall lackluster dessert menu. That being said, the location, atmosphere and grouper were great! read more

Half Shell Dockside - Shrimped passing by. - Bars Near Me - Apalachicola, Florida

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The best place in Apalach for seafood....or anything else for that matter. I honestly think that the other restaurants in town are counting on tourists not bothering (or knowing) to drive about a 1/2 mile from the tourist trap area down to the Half Shell, because if they did those places would have to lower their prices, improve their menu and provide better service. After going to a couple other places in Apalach, Half-Shell is the only place we'll be going back to. We sat dock-side (adjacent to the bar) and enjoyed a great lunch, a dozen oysters and a couple of draft beers for perhaps a little over half of what that same meal would have cost at another place. The food was great, and so was the service. read more