The Half Shell is one of my favorite places to visit for bar food. This location seems to always serve up pretty consistent food and how many bars in Memphis offer pretty darn good oysters! On this particular day I just happened to be in the area and decided to stop by for - wait for it - oysters! They were excellent; plump and juicy on the larger side, nicely chilled followed by the fish tacos made with tilapia. Recommendations: The oysters are always good, especially their Oyster Rockefeller. The peel and eat shrimp are also very good and the price is good as well. They make very good Po Boy's and I'd have to recommend either the Oyster Po Boy or their Soft Shell Crab Po Boy. Overall, good food at a great price and nice "locals" bar atmosphere. read more

What can I say The Half shell is a Memphis institution has been consistently good for over 30 years, there are not many restaurants that you can say that about. The food is always spot on, I have never had a bad meal here, Lunch, Dinner or Brunch. I urge everyone to try the Brunch just once and you will be hooked (cheap mimosas). The cheese burger sliders are so good, the perfect combination of cheesy, beefy and a little kick! The Pain Perdue is amazing, I almost felt like I was in New Orleans (almost). The Lunch Specials during the week are very reasonable and tasty. Fresh veggies as sides and the Homemade rolls are Yummy! The Patio Salad with grilled shrimp is one of my favorite salads anywhere ( I actually crave one right now). Mixed greens, dried cranberries, spiced walnuts, blue cheese and balsamic vinegar dressing. read more

The Half Shell has been a Memphis staple for years. Most people you talk to love the Half Shell. I am no exception. If you want good, quality seafood in a relaxed atmosphere this is the place to go. I love their Gumbo and always get in in the winter time. For lunch I typically get the special- whatever is fresh and in season and I'm never disappointed. I love their spinach and the salads are good too. It's has a good size bar area and is a popular late night hang out. read more

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I went here & LOVED the grilled oysters. Everything else was bleh. The crab cakes had a sour taste to them. The rice wasn't seasoned. I'll come back for the oysters though. read more

Very disappointed in our experience last Sunday. Our party of a dozen relatives had reserved the back room for a family reunion lunch... out of town visitors as well. Needed a quiet space for those with difficulty hearing in a crowded restaurant, and had called 2 days prior to confirm the reservation. When we arrived, the room had been given to another party. No heads up phone call, just no room. We were offered a table by the bar, frankly way too loud to have our gathering. Our group had to make a last minute alternate plan. Wouldn't go there again. read more

Ate here while we were on a business trip, 8-8-18 Wayyyy overpriced, food portions wayyy too small.4 shrimp on a shrimp Po boy, not happening. My amberjack was ok, just really small for $19.00. This place needs to decide if it's a seafood place or just a bar. Much better places in memphis to eat. Avoid... read more

Amazing service the food was wonderful the staff did a great job of serving a group of 15 simply outstanding. read more

Half Shell - Blacken catfish - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

My husband & I try to make it every Friday for lunch!! Half Shell has the best Fried Catfish!! Well, everything is delicious!! I love how they deliver my mimosas - a large glass of orange juice & and cut little bottle of champagne that will give you 2 nice drinks!! read more

Tonight my family and I visited The Half Shell for the first time, on Valentine's Day. I'm glad we made reservations for an early dinner time (5pm), because by the time we left at 7pm, the wait looked really long! I wasn't sure what to expect atmosphere wise based on other Yelper's pictures....I was afraid it would look too much like a bar type atmosphere on the inside....but it's actually nicely decorated. Dark woods, candles. Classy enough without being overly fancy. The only thing that seemed out of place was the classic rock music playing throughout the night. I would have preferred something a little more laid back for the type of setting. We started off with an order of the Baja Seafood Nachos. It was maybe the priciest appetizer I've ever paid for, at almost $16. And sadly, it wasn't that good at all.....in fact, I might go as far as to say it was terrible. It may have been better without the Tilapia they put on it......the Tilapia had a really off taste.....almost like a dirty, muddy taste. It ruined the flavor of the nachos for both my wife and I. I do not recommend this appetizer at all. My wife and I both ordered a full order (1.5 lbs) of King Crab Legs. They were pricey at $38 a plate, but hey, it's Valentine's Day. The king crab was absolutely delicious! I think it's pretty hard on average to screw up crab legs though (although Red Lobster has managed to do it on occasion). And in case you were wondering, despite there only being 4 crab legs in a full order, it WILL fill you up. I'm a big guy, and even I was struggling towards the end to finish them. There is tons of meat in these suckers! We both had a stuffed baked potato as our side, and sadly, it was pretty dry and tasteless in my opinion. The dinner was also served with a fairly decent yeast roll. My son ordered the kids chicken tenders, and unfortunately he did not even eat them after one bite. My wife took a bite of his, and stated they were extremely dry. Service was pretty inattentive too, especially for the kind of money I was dropping. It took a long time for the waiter to notice we needed refills, and we just didn't see him as often as I would have liked. If I ever have the desire for king crab legs, I certainly know where to go, but this isn't a place I'll be in a big hurry to rush back to anytime soon. read more

Half Shell - Full order (1.5lbs) king crab! - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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The Voodoo Catfish (Blackened catfish stuffed with shrimp & stuff, lol) with sautéed spinach never disappoints. The staff is friendly, especially the manager, he checked on us numerous times to make sure we were satisfied. He insisted that we try the strawberry cake w/a side of vanilla ice cream...Delicious read more

Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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My boyfriend and I came here to have brunch one afternoon and we waited for an hour, got to our table waited another 30 minutes to get our drinks, then finally our order was taken, 45 minutes later I got a refill along with my meal. The food wasn't that good, service was horrendous, and just not what I thought this establishment was known for. Maybe next time read more

Have enjoyed visiting Half Shell for years! Their service is always exceptional and food and drinks are great. Prices are affordable and seafood tastes fresh. read more

Half Shell gets major points for serving a full menu at hours when other restaurants in the area are no longer open. Monday through Saturday you can order anything you desire until 2am. On Sundays the kitchen closes at 1am. This how I ended up at the Half Shell in the first place. Where else am I going to get hot wings in east Memphis at 1130 on Sunday night? This was my first visit to Half Shell and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the variety of items on the menu. Oysters, salads, sandwiches, and entrees galore. Something for everyone... even late. I already had my mouth set for hot wings (go figure) so that's what I ordered. For $8.25 you get 12 wings, half flats and half drummies, served with celery and home-made dressing. The wing pieces were disappointingly small. The flavor was good and the heat was mild. I prefer wing sauce that is a bit hotter. The blue cheese dressing was really great, and for me, it actually made the mediocre wings a bit more enjoyable. I would visit Half Shell again but I would order some thing other than wings. A salad with home-made blue cheese dressing, perhaps. read more

Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The Half Shell has been around for years, and Memphians love to hang out at the bar or drop in for great seafood. I, too, like The Half Shell but I don't love it. The food is good and the service is attentive. The bar area is fun and usually crowded. The place just doesn't knock my socks off. Maybe it's because my hubby spent several years of his life in Louisiana and learned how to make authentic Cajun gumbo. Maybe it's because I love the Bayou Bar & Grill. I usually go at the suggestion of others, and I always order the Salad Nicoise. It is a great salad, and I do love the ambiance. For that, I give it 3 stars. read more

Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I ordered the coconut shrimp but it was nearly burnt. So it was ok )not better than Outback) and the apricot dipping sauce was a little to sweet. I asked for another dipping sauce option but there was none however she offered cocktail and tartar which was not a viable choice...not a great option for coconut. So I doubt I'll return since I love seafood. I feel as if I just wasted money. read more

Half Shell - Bar is full so HH must be nice. Wait staff was nice despite me coming in a little grumpy. - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I've eaten here multiple times. I love the lobster and shrimp bruschetta. I've never had an issue with the food I've gotten from there except the one time I ordered the blackened catfish and it wasn't cook all the way. Next time I'll make sure I ask them to cook it longer. Good seafood! read more

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Food is great but it's kinda dumb they don't bring your to-go order out to your car at night citing employee safety. Hueys hired a security guard to protect their customers, wish Half Shell did the same. If you've been inside Half Shell you know this place isn't spacious. read more

Haven't been here in awhile but came by on a Friday night with no reservations and only had about a 15 minute wait which is unbelievable. If you don't have reservations around here on a Friday or Saturday night you're looking at an hour or more wait! It was packed but we got great service and the food was really good. Our waiter was the best. The only thing I didn't like was the "special " bar drink. It wasn't good at all. I'll stick with wine next time. All in all, it was a great experience. read more

Good food good staff. Came in for the crab cakes and New Orleans pasta. Everything was on point. The drinks were a bit pricey.

Only complaint: At first our visit was not so good, we were seated in an area that wasn't being waited. We were ignored for twenty mins until Matthew got someone's attention. HOWEVER, once we got a waitress and got our food, all was forgiven. The food is absolutely excellent! We had the fried grits and shrimp to start and shared the Salmon voodoo. 10/10! read more

Half Shell - Shrimp and Fried Grits - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Really enjoyed this place the few times we've been. Food is great, service was better than average, but drink choices were limited. It's hard to find good seafood in the Memphis area, but this place has it! Will definitely be back! read more

Half Shell is definitely a Memphis THROWBACK. The '90s are wanting their decor back. I say that with no malice. This place is a LOCALS staple and forever will be (unless they change ownership). You know what to expect when you walk through the doors and the food is decent to good. I said all that to say -- if you want to eat like a local and you want to stay out a little later in the night -- then Half Shell is your place. Great service, nice atmosphere, and that Memphis vibe. read more

Food was just adequate not good and service was pretty poor. Kicker was gratuity was automatically included so no motivation for decent service. read more

After my fiancé and I were seated with menus we were told by the big guy behind the bar that...... we could not be served because my fiancé had on a sleeveless shirt. We are both bodybuilders and it's a shame your franchise look at image when customers come in. I will never eat at Halfshells again!!!! We don't treat our visitors from Florida in this manner...smh read more

The waiter was unaware of the items on the menu and what consisted of them ! I had to reorder my food because it was not what the waiter said it would be but they did it with no problem! They also added a tip into my check without my permission! The food was average ! The bread was also burnt ! And my rice was cold ! read more

Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Great food. We are from NY and wasn't too sure about seafood in Memphis as everyone thinks about BBQ. Saw that it was highly rated on yelp and we were not disappointed. Food was very flavorful and had a menu with great variety so everyone can find something they like. Will come back the next time we come to visit Memphis. read more

Visited from Brenham, Tx. We waited at the bar for our table which was fine. When we sat down I ordered the Half shell combination plate and my husband ordered the Mississippi Catfish plate with side of gumbo. Our appetizer was wings. Wings were great. Wish they were spicy but they were good. The comination plate looked really good however the crab cakes were not good and she shrimp was very blah..nothing special at all. The backend catfish was really good. The side gumbo was not good. It was very blan. They also need to be told how to handle glasses when refilling. Never touch the rim! Overall it was just okay. read more

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Love this place. Fell off my radar for a decade, don't know why. Wife and I went for late dinner - this is Top 5 late night places to eat in Memphis- and kicked ourselves for not coming more often. Any Voodoo item is great, only place left serving a monte Cristo sandwich and great catfish. Some items can be hit or miss, but you can probably identify those if you have any restaurant sense. Saw 2 sets of friends (it's like a neighborhood bar), ended up knocking back a few and howling like teenagers. It's a different experience here, a little trip back in time. Man, this is a Memphis institution. read more

Food is great, i order the catfish delicious . parking is great and it's close by. My friend order oster fried they were also good. Like everything about it. read more

Always been my fave place for oysters. They were out this visit bc of the hurricane Ida that recently came through the coast but that's ok we were planning on staying and ordered drinks and appetizer. Our waiter was very polite. The reason for the bad review is bc the bus boys white sweat pants were sagging so low that we could see his red underwear every-time he walked by. He bent over to bus the table across from us and we got full face of his entire butt covered only by his underwear/boxers. I guess the hurricane blew his pants down to. This should not be tolerated at a restaurant. So we paid for our oder and explained to the waiter that we wanted our check and why. read more

Half shell has a great atmosphere and amazing food. My fiancée and I first dined at the restaurant for a local mixer and instantly fell in love. Both locations (Mendenhall and Winchester) have unique tastes that make for great for both an intimate and social setting. Today we have the N'awlins omelette for brunch with mimosas! P.S. make sure you get a side of grits read more

Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Service was bad! I was given my food and that's it! Never got refills or anything! Food was okay, but super salty i had to add extra Cajun and ranch to my pasta. read more

Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Excellent local choice. If I'm in the area I will definitely go back. Ryan, the bartender made some excellent recommendations. The grilled oysters were covered in some type of lemon butter sauce and were excellent. He then recommended one of the royale dinners so I tried to catfish. It was also top-notch. Service was great and Wellers bourbon was a great night-cap. read more

Half Shell - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Bryan the waiter gave us great service; the food was good and the atmosphere was nice and romantic. read more

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Great bar and food. Locals go to place in east Memphis. Sharon, the bartender, is terrific. Not only a good bartender but listens and can solve any and all of your issues, no fee charged. World class gumbo, catfish, blackened fish tacos are just a few of the very good choices. read more

Half Shell - Excellent fried catfish filet with fries - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The food was great. The restaurant was very crowded though. We had to wait 15 min for a table (probably reasonable for no reservation on a Saturday night) and it was in a bad location by the door to the kitchen. My wife had the oysters and a shrimp poboy and loved it . I had the oyster sliders and a fat boy. The oyster sliders are amazing. Its a fried oyster , bacon and coleslaw as a sliders. Brilliant! I was totally surprised to find good seafood in a land locked state like Tennessee. read more

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Wonderful Amberjack - the fillet with rice & broccoli or the sandwich. I like the atmosphere at both the original location and the Winchester location. read more

It was just okay for me. The bread rolls were really good and the New Orleans pasta was okay but I don't know that I would go back. Service was subpar. Everyone's food came out at different times. And it was a bit overpriced for the value. Meh. read more

Excellent local seafood spot in East Memphis. An outstanding menu with seasonal specials. The trout is outstanding, and I highly recommend the mussels as an appetizer. A great bar, and the kitchen stays open late. If you are looking for a great seafood experience in East Memphis, this is the spot. Also kid friendly and features a kids menu. read more

I would put 3 1/2 if I could. I really love the crab bisque. I highly recommend you get it if you come here, hands down taste delicious! There's a weird smell to the place though almost like pee a little. I've been here a couple of times and didn't notice it before so I don't know maybe a fluke? My oyster po boy was good . Only four small oysters though on my sandwich, seems a little skimpy to me? For lunch , I think it's a bit pricey, came to about $20 plus tip. I had just got paid and thought I'd spurge a little , lobster bisque was calling me! My waiter was just business , maybe cause I'm only one person and she knew it wouldn't be that much tip? I don't know . I tip 20% but that's not much I guess for just one person but still, I could come back With more people and that would be good for them in the future. Always consider the future folks! You never know so will I go back ? Maybe in 6 to 8 months when I suddenly remember how good the bisque was and forget about the rest . read more

Half Shell - Interior - Seafood Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee