That was the worst service I have ever received in my life, AGAIN! This was my second time at this location and I will likely never return. After waiting 20+ minutes for a sweet tea and a water we finally ordered apps , the raw oysters arrived dirty and the charbroiled oysters were old and burnt as if they had been sitting and then remade for us. we decided to leave after It took us 20 more minutes to flag down SOMEONE to assist us with the poorly made appetizers. I used to love the half shell I'm not sure what's going on. sadly. read more

I really want to give Half Shell Oyster House a 5 star review, but I can't. Last night was my second visit and the experience was the same, only worse, on the second trip. First: The food is on point, absolutely delicious! Three of us had the Norleans Red Fish with a side. It was fresh and tasty. Two of us had Oysters on the half shell and they were fabulous. The problem was the service. We waited at our table for 20 minutes with no one greeting us, nor making eye contact. I finally went to the front desk and asked for service. The manager came and took our food and drinks orders, then it still took ten minutes to get them. The server did, ultimately, show up and apologized, indicating she was super busy. Observing the servers, it seems to me that they need to be assigned by section. Our waitress was running all over. I truly wish this restaurant well and hope they can get their service sorted out. It has been too slow both visits. read more

Great food everything was fresh and well prepared. Service was spot on dinning area was clean and well maintained.

I was excited to try this place and see how it looked inside, but the vibe was more like a dark brewery--not welcoming at all. I told myself, "Maybe the food will make up for it," but it only got worse from there. The fried fish wasn't even cooked properly, the grits tasted off, and the crab cake, shrimp, and oysters had no flavor whatsoever. I paid a lot for food that tasted like it was worth $15. I usually don't like to leave reviews, but this was my first and last time going back there. Very disappointing overall. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Pelham, Alabama

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Fresh oysters , I got the sampler as an entree with their half shell salad. My wife loves the big red shrimp, tastes like lobster dipping into drawn butter. My Dad got fried crab claws. Service excellent and very little wait. Atmosphere was perfect. read more

I'd heard a lot about this place from friends, and it always seemed busy when driving by. That may have fallen off a little after the first of the year, but we also planned to go early to make sure we didn't have a long wait. Staff was friendly and good with suggestions. When I asked about one of the sauces, our waiter was happy to bring a sample so I knew whether I wanted to leave it off, get it on the side, etc. Wanted to love it since the couple we were with like it a lot. Will definitely give it another try. I ordered the Ribeye. But honestly, it just wasn't a great steak. I ordered it medium rare. I'm not even sure that was medium; it was overcooked. Got a side of Sweet Potato Creme Brulee. I don't know what made it creme brulee, because it seemed just like regular sweet potato mash, but it was smooth and tasty. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Pelham, Alabama

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Great food! The variety on the menu allows everyone to find something they enjoy. Always fresh seafood and the service was excellent.

Food was really good. Service was on point. We had a party of 8. Our waitress did a fantastic job. This restaurant is in a old school that was renovated. Very, Very, Kool. Definitely be back soon. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Crawfish, Corn, bisque - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Pelham, Alabama

OK, second time here and it is a much better experience! It's a Saturday night, walked in at 5:30 and the place had scads of tables available. We asked for a table near the bar and got a nice high top in the bar area. The bartender, Blake, came over soon to take our orders and said the 'game is still on'. Score for us!! We ordered an old fashioned and a martini both of which were well made and customized by Blake to our wishes. We ordered hushpuppies like we did last time, great alcohol absorbers. We then ordered a salad(me) crab and shrimp dip, half dozen Oysters Rockefeller and half dozen Oysters Bienville. My fave was the shrimp dip, so tasty with the grilled bread. The others were very close and we are quite satisfied. read more

Great service. Came for happy hour and ordered a margarita, Prosecco, a dozen raw oysters (we found out you can not do 1/2 raw 1/2 charbroiled FYI) which were $5 off, fried crab claws, gumbo, and hushpuppies. Gumbo was awesome, oysters were pretty standard, hushpuppies came with some delicious butter, and gumbo had plenty of good stuff buried in it. Margarita was weak sauce lol. Will come back! Happy hour deals are nothing crazy here but worth coming if you get an appetite and can race the 6pm buzzer haha read more

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Fairly bland. Big oysters though. Easy location, small menu, fast food delivery once ordered

If I could give zero stars I would. We had a party of nine for lunch on June, 17th, 2025. The front desk was not Accommodating, making us wait. The restaurant was basically empty. We were finally seated, and waited about 15 minutes for a server to come take drink orders. After that, it took about 20 minutes for her to come back with maybe half of them...after another 10 minutes, the other drinks were served. About 20 minutes later the server came back to take food orders. Salads came out maybe 30 minutes later, Seriously we waited ANOTHER 45 MINUTES for our food to come out! I ordered shrimp and crab Augratin....no way in heck was this dish even close...it was two scoops of something on an oval plate that was cold. And Awful. I would have sent it back, but at that point we were all ready to get out of there. I will NEVER recommend or go back there again. I tipped 20% because the server was new, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Do not waste your money. read more

I am happy to find a very good seafood restaurant in our area. Everything on the menu seemed attractive. My wife had Shrimp & Grits with Cream Brulee sweet potatoes. I had a blackened tuna steak with turnip greens and mashed potatoes. Everything was good, but the sweet potatoes and the blackened tuna were excellent! The server was friendly, helpful, and positive. The atmosphere was clean, nice, and modern. There is a large, well-stocked bar. I'm thinking I would like to go back again and again. Maybe sometime just for drinks and oysters. read more

Food was awesome, location is modern clean, very organized. Our server was great but somewhat overwhelmed. Appears the do not have as much help as they needed. Good was great, they have the best charbroiled oysters. Thanks for a great meal. read more

What a beautiful evening! The mood lighting was perfect, which made for an awesome date night for my husband and I! We had one of the most knowledgeable server ever! She directed us so well, and gave us the best input about the menu! Kudos to Casey you rock as a server! The food was fresh, hot and was served to us within a few minutes of being seated! The manager, Heather came out and greeted us, and made sure the food and service was acceptable! We will be back for sure! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone! Great job! read more

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SLOWWWWW SERVICE...multiple visits and still the same...each visit the restaurant was empty and quiet. Unfortunatel....

We tried to eat at Half Shell two weeks ago. We walked in and there was absolutely no one seated anywhere in the restaurant. There were two people sitting at the bar. There was someone at the front desk when we walked in, but she immediately walked away, and we waited about three/four minutes before another lady came out. When that lady out, the first lady came out with her, whispered something to her, and then the second lady asked us how many people, we said two, and she said it would be about an hour wait. I looked around the restaurant again, very confused, and asked if we could sit at the bar. She said yes, and we walked over to the bar. We sat at the bar for at least five minutes...could have been longer...and no one waited on us. So, we did what any sane person would do...we got up and walked out. In the beginning this restaurant was very good, but over the last few months it seems to keep going down. It is usually "hit or miss" if we will have a good experience there. Very disappointing and frustrating. read more

Wait list process was very efficient and our wait was minimal. Food and service as well as drinks from the bar were all excellent. We will return! read more

We went for lunch here on my birthday. The restaurant is beautiful and could be really nice however something was off, the hostess was not around when we walked in and seemed a bit put out when she realized we were there. There was hardly anyone there but it seemed to take forever for our server to come. I ordered a holiday drink and my husband a beer, we waited so long for those my salad came out before the drinks. My drink was very good but I had asked for limes and had to ask for them again before getting any. The other food took a while to come out, it was just okay nothing great. We had oyster Rockefeller which is one of my favorites but they were somehow greasy tasting. I was disappointed because I expected a much nicer experience. read more

This was a shot in the dark but had a feeling this was the same restaurant as in Lafayette. As always, didn't disappoint. I will say, though, my Redfish Orleans was swimming in a butter sauce that had a bit of a kick. It kinda drowned out my fish. But, that was just one night. This will not stop me from going. Enjoy! read more

Wait time was not too bad Service was phenomenal Food was delicious Atmosphere was a little noisy, but bearable What more could you want? Definitely recommend this restaurant read more

We decided to have lunch here during the week to kill some time. The restaurant was fairly empty. Three tables occupied in the whole restaurant. The oysters we ordered not only took 40 minutes to arrive, but the liquid in the oysters was still boiling and bubbling so we couldn't even eat them and by the time they were edible our entrees had arrived. They still charged us for them as well. read more

Consistency, comfort and taste! Absolutely love the half oyster house. Christian is a very special and highly valuable bartender! The wait staff are friendly and very helpful! Thumbs up! read more

The food is fantastic, the service and atmosphere are as good as the food. I come back often to Half Shell. It just like being at the beach.

Dinner here tonight with a big group for a Christmas party. Service was ok. My food was horrible. Food was cold when delivered to the table. This place is totally overrated!! No good!!! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Pelham, Alabama

I was excited to learn of a new seafood restaurant coming to my area. I was very disappointed with my whole dining experience at this establishment. I am not one to write a review because if I do not like a place, I simply will not return. However, from the moment we walked in, and were greeted by the host, We should have turned around and walked out. It was as if we were a burden to her having to do her job read more

Pot pie is great, had a great experience cumming again immediately very hard. Wife lived it I loved it would eat at again mwah mwah what great food was like from the ocean read more

Been there once and that was enough. Service is always hit or miss and that in and of itself is enough to kill a restaurant of that price point. Add to this a poor kitchen and chef, plates are either over or under and other than raw oysters, it's a lottery. Ordered the reddish and it came overcooked and drowned in sauce. Laissez les bons temps fouled does not live here. read more

Food is very good, service and ambience . If you're dealing with gluten-free, I'll give you a heads up. The menu is wrong. Be careful. read more

Fourth and last time I will go to this restaurant. I've been in summer and winter. Every time it is absolutely freezing. I was so miserable today. It's a shame because the food and service is excellent. read more

Mouth watering food every time I go, it gives me a my fix of New Orleans flavors!! Drinks and staff are nice, the outdoor patio and community setting is wonderful. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Redfish Orleans is topped with lumped crab meat and Parmesan cheese. The Cajun sauce is perfect for dipping your bread! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Pelham, Alabama

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The shrimp and grits is my favorite meal. The gumbo I had last time had so much shrimp and crawfish in it . So good. My only complaint is the menu prices and the prices your are charged is not the same. They need to update the menu with the correct prices. read more

Food, service, and drinks were all fantastic. The design of the restaurant gave it a nice New Orleans feel.

Uptown quesadilla greasy and falling apart with very little cheese. Had to send it back to be remade. Mushrooms in my pasta even though I requested none, they were at the bottom of the bowl covered up with pasta and sauce. This is dangerous for people with allergies. Luke warm entree's like they had been sitting for a while before being brought to the table. Drinks and server were good. I have had better food for the price I paid. First and last time going. read more

We visited this restaurant for the first time and we were pleased. We started with an appetizer , the crab and shrimp dip. It is not something that i would normally order, but it was better than I expected. It was enough for our party of 5 to share. For my entrée I had the red fish Orleans. I enjoyed it. It was a little spicier than i was expecting. I had the sweet potato creme brulee, and that was really good as well. The restaurant overall had a good atmosphere. I would say that it was a good date night place and a good place to eat with friends. The service overall was good. Our waitress was attentive without being annoying. She passed the tea test. I don't want to have to ask for my glass to be refilled. Our waitress had me a refill as soon as my glass was empty. The only thing I didn't like was that I think the waitress checked on us a little less the longer we were there. I think it was due to her having more tables. It wasn't terrible, just worth mentioning. Overall, I was happy, and I will definitely be going back. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Redfish Orleans - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Pelham, Alabama

Had a great dinner last night. Food was great, service was great. Walked in at 6:00 with no wait for a table.

Waited an hour just to be told they were no longer seating people because they cannot manage their kitchen.

We came on the 4th which was a great idea since everyone was still on vacation. This location looks like the other ones but I love the location and it has great parking. They do take wait list so please log in to Yelp and get on the wait list because they are normally packed! We were Greta's soon as we entered and escorted to our seat. Our server Alexandra, was very polite and shared with us a little about the restaurant before we got into the food. She told us about the Dorian's what she would recommend. We started off with chargrilled oysters. They were big and full of a great flavor. If they would have grilled just a little longer, they would have been perfect! Our entrees were the smoked bacon shrimp and grits and the snapper au gratin with cheese grits and fried okra. The shrimp and grits were amazing. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and not rubbery. The grits were thick and creamy and the bacon took them over the top. The snapper was the best I have ever had. The sauce with crab meat and shrimp that topped the snapper made the dish excellent . The fried okra was seasoned and paired great with the snapper and cheese grits. Last but not least, the dessert was a delicious bread pudding. I'm a bread pudding coni suer and this is in my top three in Alabama. I love the way it was cut into little chunks and the pieces of cranberries and nuts throughout were a great addition. If you didn't order an adult beverage with your meal, this dessert will serve as that also. The whiskey sauce is amazing and make sure you mix it all up before eating. I wish it was more in the serving!!! Overall, we will definitely be back and this is a great place for great seafood!!!! read more

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This place was GREAT! We tried the new restaurant for my mom's birthday and it all worked out amazing! The service was amazing and food was great. Our waitress was kind to our big group and everyone was friendly! We all tried so many things and loved it all. The appetizers made us feel just like we were at the beach and the Rockefeller Oysters were amazing!! They were so sweet to us celebrating and made it an amazing night. read more

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What can I say? When it comes to a true dining experience, this is one for the books. Upon entering you're immediately greeted with a welcoming smile. Jazz fills the air giving off a 1930's vibe. The restaurant sits in an old elementary school that has been converted into a restaurant and a few other businesses. The menu is very well organized. Some places tend to have too many menu items so it becomes somewhat overwhelming, though not the case here. This restaurant was recommended by a friend of mine, so I finally had the opportunity to give them a try and they definitely did not disappoint. My servers name was Becky. She was incredible. A radiant smile and a great attitude as I know working the restaurant industry it can be tiring after a long day of being on your feet and dealing with varying customer demeanors at a time. Though she was very present and really seemed to enjoy her position and employer. She knew the menu inside and out and within a few moments of being seated she was already greeting me making me feel welcomed. She recommended the Sweet Potato Brûlée which was phenomenal, and being a pasta fan their Royal Red Alfredo looked delicious. It was better than expected. By this I mean for the quality of food you would have expected it to reflect a much higher price than it is sold for. 5-stars! She also noted that she would be sure that the appetizer and salad came out first before the main course. I could literally rave about the quality of food and the quality of service I experienced at this establishment. Being from Tennessee, I had never heard of the restaurant before but I'm definitely going to come back for a second time. So if you're in the area, stop in and come see Becky. You will be well taken care of and in great hands on the various selections they have to offer. Service quality, flavor of food and menu selection I would put in line with a number of restaurants along Broadway in Nashville. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Pelham, Alabama