We were visiting from Boston and celebrating our 10th anniversary. After seeing many positive reviews, we decided to hop into Half Shell for happy hour. A cool room and nice afternoon with views out to the water and our first impression was that we had chosen well...Great start. It quickly went downhill. We were greeted by a bartender right out the Seattle playbook. Big burly guy with a beard and lots of tattoos! A bit edgy perhaps... We started with happy hour "mini-tinis" . A small version of some creative cocktails...for a mini price of $10/drink, three sips and they were gone. We ordered oysters and were looking forward to them as oysters and martinis are a favorite for us in New England. The oysters were very different with a creamy buttery texture. Not my style but they are different than we're used to. That said, they seemed slightly off and perhaps not fresh. The bartender took the menus away even though we clearly were there to enjoy more. After asking for the menus again, we ordered more food., a simple and tasty cheese dip and crab rolls, which were quite tasty. He took the menus away again. ..I guess deciding for us we'd had enough!! He just had an edgy and rude attitude. It was like watching performative rudeness in action with all the folks at his end of the bar. I asked for two proper martinis with vodka, dirty with rocks on the side. They come in the same "mini-tini"glasses. Which I thought was odd. I asked him if these were happy hour mini-tinis"...he quipped back that "no! That's full size!" I'm sorry...$40 bucks for two martinis that are at best two ounces is robbery. It was like he charged us full price just for asking! At this point his act and rude attitude and little one-liners aimed at being funny but essentially being a jerk had grown tiresome. This bill was $175 for two small happy hour plates plates , a dozen oysters two mini-tinis and $40 for two martinis served in these very small glasses. A moment later I see a proper martini being presented to a nearby table. What a total disappointment. I've been in the service industry for 20* years including fairly high level restaurants as a server, bartender and manager and almost never have had any desire to be negative about a restaurant. First time for everything. Seemed like a waste of money after so much positive hype online. What a rude jerk of a bartender...he needs to decide if he actually likes this business. Perhaps he was having a very bad day...regardless it shouldn't play out for the bar to watch. Totally disappointed with our first experience in Seattle. Not worth sitting down!! read more

$2 oysters from 3-6pm weekdays, what a bargain. Enjoyed a dozen with my husband and our teenager had a lemonade. Our server was super nice and helpful. Lovely looking over the water close to the market. read more

Half Shell - Dozen oysters during happy hour, paired with Italian Prosecco - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you want to enjoy happy hour from 3 to 6 PM At hi market Seattle This is a must to enjoy their Royster on the half shell ! Suckers choice! Only two dollars each! You can enjoy the happy hour for the drinks, Mini Time! Spritzers! Sauvignon Blanc La Rosetaie from France and Italian anna Ross! I really enjoy the oyster on the half shell watching the owner of the restaurant. Open them for me.! I literally ate a dozen! The roasted oyster with the green garlic butter and bacon are really really dynamite! Enjoy the ambience, mostly Sweet and friendly service! Teresa my server is a little sweetheart! I definitely will come back again when I'm visiting Seattle! read more

Half Shell - Roasted oyster with green garlic butter and bacon! - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Stopped by for some oysters on Friday night after exploring Pikes Place. My party of 2 was offered bar seating since the restaurant was full and bustling. We ordered: 1. Warm pull apart potato rolls with thyme salt, butter (4 rolls) $7 2. Smoked sockeye salmon belly fennel jam, sour cream $17 3. roasted oysters miso butter, bacon, breadcrumbs, grilled lemon $30/ half dozen 4. hama hama - hood rock, plump, briny, medium $52/ dozen Oysters were fresh and delicious, we loved the fig jam for the sockeye and paired it with Ritz crackers which made for a delicious bite, and the bread was soft, warm and buttery. We could have done without the baked oysters - the bacon was overpowering and too thick of a bite. Great inviting atmosphere and very beautifully designed. read more

See all

Dined here during Restaurant week. This was a great opportunity for me to try out Half Shell. A co-workers cousin suggested we attend because of my love for oysters. The seafood was good and very fresh. My steak was cooked to perfection, but lacked flavor. I enjoyed the fresh cut fries. Our service for the evening was great. Our waitress was attentive and provided some great things for us to do on our next visit to Seattle. She provided great conversation and a friendly face! Half Shell is great for date night or dinner with friends. read more

Half Shell - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Great new addition to the neighborhood! Visited during happy hour for the first time during opening week. The food is sooooo good. Planning to return often. We ordered raw oysters, roasted oysters, ginger shrimp nugget sliders, the cheeseburger, and wine. The flavors of each dish were fantastic. I was completely surprised by the juicy and delicious cheeseburger too. Definitely one of my top burgers in Seattle (smash burgers are in a different comparison category to me). :-) Service was friendly and the restaurant decor is really nicely done. I also appreciate the various seating options, especially the outdoor patio and elevated booths in the dining room. Positive bonus details: - The music was nice and unobtrusive. Very important to me. -Tip suggestions are based on the subtotal as they should be. I get really annoyed by restaurants that suggest fee percent based on the total bill after tax and fees. read more

See all

Visiting Seattle for the first time and this place did not disappoint. I was walking around the downtown area for dinner and while I was looking at Half Shell's display menu, a local told me it was a great restaurant..so decision was made. We were greeted and seated right away by their friendly staff. The ambiance was great for a Saturday evening dinner. My fiancee ordered the Hama oysters, kids buttered noodles and the spicy spinach and said thought everything was good. We got the pull apart bread and the fried green tomatoes. The bread was decent but the tomatoes with that crab remoulade was very very good. I ordered the steak & frites. The steak was well seasoned and very tender and the fries with the aioli were banging! We were very pleased with everything. read more

See all

I enjoyed amazing oysters, acquachile and cocktails at the bar of this place on a nice weekend in the summer. Even though they were super busy, the bar tenders were amazingly attentive and friendly! Highly recommend for downtown fun! read more

Stopped by for a quick snack. Loved the decor inside. We got 2 dozen oysters. Best oysters I've ever had! So fresh and so much meat! If I'm craving oysters again and I'm near Pike's Place, this is where I'll be going. Interested in trying their fries next time. read more

Half Shell - 2 dozen oysters - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What a delightful happy hour! It's nice and close to Pike Place. The interior is nicely decorated and the lighting was soft. The best part was our fun waiter who had great recommendations and advice . read more

Half Shell - Oysters with Tabasco mignonette - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great location! Semi busy on a Sunday afternoon. Stopped in for happy hour. Enjoyed some oysters, martini dip, crab rolls and drinks. Everything was tasty, service was good. The only drink we didn't enjoy was April Showers. I would stay away from that, the taste profile doesn't work. The dirty shucker was great. This is good spot for small bites. read more

Half Shell - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Here for happy hour and it was wonderful. The oysters were fresh and delicious, and the service was wonderful. read more

Half Shell - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Really cool happy hour for the oysters and mini martinis! We really liked our oysters, fries, and drinks! The salad was also good, though a bit pricey perhaps. The potato rolls were good but WAY too salty on top. The only thing we didn't finish was the clams - they were very gritty like they had not been properly cleaned and had sand in them. It was multiple clams too versus just one off one. Would not order those again but def would come back for the happy hour oysters and drinks and snacks! The service was also really good and the vibes were fun. read more

See all

Yummy oysters! I don't eat oysters often, but I thought these were very fresh and delicious. It tasted like cucumber/winter melon and the sea. The other sides we got were OK, but I really loved the happy hour oysters deal and would definitely come back just for that! read more

See all

Came in on Mother's Day the 2nd day they opened for happy hour. They have some special prices on oysters and my wife loves oysters on her birthday month. We sat in a comfortable booth and watched the action on the street in a cozy atmosphere. Very relaxed and had great service and oysters that were shucked perfectly with juicy and no shell grit. Had the frites and they were great addition to the oysters and finished after 3 dozen with Espresso martini and lemon meringue pie. read more

See all

Definitely a 5 star joint. Great service and views and food. We went here back to back days and were seated right away. Food was incredible! read more

See all

Stopped here to grab lunch before hopping a flight to Phoenix. Had the salmon warm salad with lemon. . It was amazing. My hubby had the burger and said it was one of the best he's ever had. You could just taste how fresh all the ingredients were. Definitely recommend. read more

Half Shell - Burger - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Great Happy Happy hour destination! Pristine oysters served by very friendly staff. In a world of $4-5/per oysters, their $2 HH special hits the spot. Plenty of other goodies to make day's end a joy. Try their various martinis as well as the olive dip (with fresh potato chips) or hand cut fries (with house made aioli). read more

Half Shell - A dozen Hammersley Bay oysters - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Love the location near Pike Place Market and the waterfront. They have sidewalk tables, and the inside is light a bright with a mermaid motif going on that I love. Their happy hour is probably my new favorite in the whole city. Every single thing on it is delicious, so the only decisions are which items to get and how much of it. $2 oysters are a must no matter what else you get. We ordered everything on the HH menu except for the burger and fries, and it was enough for the two of us. They have mini tinis which come in 4 or 5 versions. They are probably exactly half of a regular martini which is good if you want to keep it light or if you want to try the different versions, which is what we did. However, if you are going to order 2 or more of the exact same one, you might as well just order a regular size because the price is the same. Our service was solid, although our server came to our table with our check when we hadn't asked for it. We weren't asked if we wanted anything else or asked about dessert. I asked the manager if they had dessert, and it is a Tom Douglas place, so the triple coconut cream pie is an option. read more

We were here with a large group of about 20 people. We reserved family style, so I had a number of appetizers and other dishes. All the food was very good, the cod was the best. We had a nice private room, and the server was good. The hazelnut dessert was just about the best I've ever had. It was rich and heavy, but the flavor was perfect. read more

We came during restaurant week and loved every dish they served! They oysters and scallops were fresh, The fish was cooked perfectly, the steak was delicious, melty, and perfectly cooked as well (yes, even the steak ) We also loved the ambience of the restaurant and would love to come back and try more food! read more

See all

I enjoyed Etta's seafood a lot. So, I had to bring a group of English visitors here. We had a walk through downtown Seattle, the Market and the waterfront before landing here. Everyone was hot, hungry and thirsty. We were greeted warmly and shown an outside table. Have to take advantage of summer weather in Seattle when it was here. Not my favorite, but my group loves gin. We had to first order the "etta's revenge", which had botanist gin, dewars, smoked gouda, olive. We also order a bottle of the pinot gris, peyrie vineyards, 2022, willamette valley, with the pull apart rolls and Manila clams. The clams do come with sourdough. The contrast of the potato rolls vs the sourdough bread was lovely. Especially with the fennel and white bean sauce of the clams. One fact I know about Tom Douglas, he incorporates fresh farm grown items into his menu selections. So, you could definitely taste the freshness of the herbs in this dish. Next, everyone wanted fresh seafood. So we got the seafood platter, with shrimp, snow crab, scallop, black cod and a half dozen hama hama oysters. We took advantage of being able to order the additional oyster backs. Plus, we also ordered the optional endless fries and a bottle of prosecco. The seafood platter had a generous variety of fresh seafood. The scallops and black cod was a particularly delicious standout for me. My English friends raved about the oysters and snow crab. We could have sat for many hours, just enjoying the drinks, seafood and bread. I'm not much of a French fry person, but these were fried nicely. And came with what tasted like both house made ketchup and tartar sauce. The sauteed green beans had all the elements of summer, with with toum, nasturtiums and fried garlic. Made me remember the beans of my childhood fondly. I could eat these beans every day, smoky and spicy at the same time. We ended our meal with multiple orders of the triple coconut cream pie. Light, creamy and delicious. A high quality meal in a more humble setting. We loved the experience. read more

$2 oysters were great. The rest were overpriced. Skip the lobster roll. So not worth it. Then there's the service. Our server was Dianna. One of the worst servers. She didn't make mistakes or anything like that. But she clearly did not want to be our server. She was dismissive. Impatient. We asked for a recommendation and she found the quickest answer , everything. When the variety sample oysters were delivered, she named the first 2 types and then gave us the list and told us to read the rest if we wanted to know. Only time she engaged with us patiently and pleasantly was when she dropped off the check. Skip Dianna's section read more

Sadly, this was not the experience that I hoped for. I made a 5 pm reservation a day in advance and when I arrived, the greeter had to go find someone else to tell here where to seat us. We got a cozy spot by the window on the end of the restaurant which was fine, except our server ended up taking care of people on the other side of the restaurant as well. I don't know if they were short staffed tonight or what but it was 5 pm on a Saturday night. The server did get to us fairly soon but had a hard time answering basic questions about the very limited menu options. After about 10 minutes, she came back to take our order. We got the Steak Frites, Coho Salmon, and a roasted oyster appetizer plus drinks. The drinks were good but we only got one oyster. Apparently I didn't hear her ask if we just wanted one... she said she asked me so I'll give her a pass but I still think she should have made it clear that the appetizer comes in singles. The entrees were average at best. The steak Frites was a little over cooked, more medium well than medium but the flavor was decent. The fries were actually pretty good. The salmon was a little fishy and not well seasoned, we've definitely had better. I wanted to try dessert and the special Lemoncello but our server didn't come to our table for 15 minutes after we were done eating. In fact, she only came once after we got our food and never looked at us again. If you want a good seafood experience, I do not recommend this place as there are much better options elsewhere that are close by and have better service. read more

See all

One of my favorite places to visit whenever I'm in Seattle! Who can beat a daily HH of $2 oysters?! Also love the dirty martini dip -- btw I am not much of a blue cheese fan but if you are the same, please do not let that deter you from getting it, it's delicious!!! Lastly, I always need to get a dirty shucker martini to go with my oysters & dip. Service is always good here + ambiance is nice. Can't wait to come back again when I'm in town! read more

Half Shell - Happy Hour Oysters, roasted oyster, dirty martini dip, dirty shucker martini, a rose is a rose spritzer - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

First time trying this restaurant. On the main drive at pikes public market. Husband and I shared a crab roll. Wasn't as good as we expected. Was more like crab salad sandwich. Not lump crab. French fries were very good! Service was excellent. Split our sandwich for us & checked on us frequently to see if we needed anything else. read more

Half Shell - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Beautiful restaurant right near Pike's Plsce, but typically not as packed with tourists as some spots (yet, at least). Operated by restaurateur Tom Douglas, we stopped in based on the recommendation of Eater 38. First came around noon on Saturday, but didn't live the "brunch" menu, so came back at 5 pm for happy hour. Happy hour is currently daily 3-6 pm, and a great deal. Between the 3 of us, got a half dozen oysters in the half shell, just $2 each (wasn't really a fan of the variety they served), 3 baked oysters ($4 each) pretty good, but not my favorites; 3 ginger shrimp nugget sliders - ok, but kind of a little ground shrimp patty -wasn't expecting that, but LOVED the spicy cucumber salad served on the side! And then we split a burger - regularly $24, but a total bargain for $12 during happy hour -.just $12. Quality burger, nice bun and fixings - actually our favorite item. I tried 2 "mini-tinis " - just $10 for a little glass on happy hour, regularly $18-19 for a full-sized martini. The Etta's Revenge was pretty good (botanical gin, Dewar's, smoked Gouda, olives), but I really liked the Poor Unfortunate Soul (fun Littke Mermaid Ursula reference), with purple Empress gin, Carpano, Bianca, maraschino Cherry, absinthe. And bitters. read more

See all

Went for Daily Happy Hour Food - 5/5. Oysters were fresh, meaty, and had a clean flavor. It had the distinct briny, ocean flavor of west coast oysters that paired well with the piquant mignonette. Despite their small size, the meat of the oysters were dense, providing a delicious bite. Shrimp slider was crispy with a bouncy bite on the shrimp. The bread was on the softer side, which paired well with the crunchy shrimp. The sauce added a creamy texture with a mild flavor that complimented the shrimp well. Cucumbers had a slight numbing spice. Service - 3/5. Server clearly forgot some of our orders, but tried to blame it on the kitchen. While I think mistakes are bound to happen, her lack of accountability was disappointing to witness. Value - 5/5. During happy hour the oysters are $2 a piece, which is a great deal, especially since happy hours are daily. The shrimp slider was $5, which was of good value given the quality and size. Great happy hour location for oysters! Parking - Street (Metered) read more

See all

Nice start to our visit to Seattle. The Scallops and Oysters were deliciously fresh. The oysters could have been a little better cleaned, each had just a bit of grit to them. read more

Half Shell - Scallops - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My friends & I decided to try this place avoiding long wait at Pike Place. It was late lunch but they still serve brunch through 3pm. I was hoping for after brunch menu. So disappointing. I ended up having the Dungeness Crab Roll which is good and my friends ordered 8oz burger and half shell breakfast which are so-so as you can see in the pictures. The service was slow for ordering sodas. We have to remind our server or any server twice. Then we were given the wrong check. There's totally lack of attentiveness in this place and it is not even busy. Like I asked to be seated by the window and we were directed to seat by the wall so I declined & ask to be seated at the booth facing the window. Not a good place to eat when you're hungry. read more

See all

Outstanding Happy Hour. The oysters were delicious and Washington harvested. The sour beer was really pretty tasty and flavorful. The fries were outstanding. Service excellent. Eat outside to enjoy the people watching and beautiful sunny weather. Will be back! read more

See all

Cute spot with some views of the waterfront. Definitely pricey but the food was really good and they had very unique brunch drinks. read more

See all

Great customer service. Lovely valentines theme. The waitress was very nice and welcoming.

My visit to this restaurant was a wonderful experience. Our waitress, whose name I unfortunately do not recall, was nothing short of magical. She was very kind, welcoming, and informative. We visited during happy hour and ordered oysters, the dirty martini dip, French fries, and snow crab. Everything was delicious and came to our table very fast. The dirty martini dip had blu cheese, so it was interesting and took a few bites to fully appreciate. So amazing, highly recommend. read more

I adore this place. It's the perfect spot away from the busy area near Pike Place Market. It has a nice modern marine aesthetic. I came a little before happy hour so I ordered a spritz and the scallop crudo to start. The crudo was delicious and the portion was decent. This is a great spot for refreshing cocktails and light crudo bites. read more

See all

They were very nice! The hostess, which I found out was the manager, was pleasant and welcoming. I arrived right before the traffic. This place fills up fast. The food is cooked well and very fresh. Need a little more seasoning but that's neither here or there. The vibe of the place is light and airy. read more

Half Shell - Steak and fries. The fries was so good and the steak cooked well but needed more seasoning. I added salt. Wish it was a bit warmer - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Thoroughly enjoyed my lunch here. It's juuuust outside the market which makes it much more pleasant to eat at than all the tourist traps nearby. Definitely think this is the best place in that area of Seattle. Oysters were fresh and tasty. The fries - wow. I love them. Had some kind of scallop crudo that was also good. read more

Enjoyed a really great happy hour with Matt, the bartender, taking care of us. We were both pleased with our HH choices including the burger, shrimp slider, dirty martini dip & oysters. Drinks were good too. Can recommend without hesitation. Not the cheapest, but good. read more

See all

an amazing gem in pike place, with an amazing happy hour from 3-6 daily. we came for the oysters that are $2, we had the hama hama ones, which were delightful, they tasted fresh and were smooth and i would even say creamy. the roasted oysters were also good, tastes kind of like a mac and cheese with breadcrumbs. the fries were also amazing, salted and fried perfectly and the star of the dish is the mignonette mayo, which is so unique, had to dip our burger in it too! also really enjoyed the burger! half off during happy hour and definitely worth it! just a good classic burger, juicy, came with a cornichon pickle and pickled pepper. also not too busy even on a saturday afternoon! great spot, with indoor and outdoor seating! read more

See all

The food was definitely not what we expected from a Tom Douglas restaurant. Ordered the smoked cod (we were surprised by the ritz crackers it came with) it was just ok. The clams were presented on focaccia which soaked up all the juice and leaving them on the dry side. The shrimp nuggets came in a patty and were mediocre at best. The only thing that was worth anything were the potato rolls. Our server was very pleasant. Dirty martini was good. We shocked that the bar was out of Pilsner and Rainier on Friday night. We don't go out very often and we're really looking forward to the delicious food Tom Douglas is known for. This didn't not match our previous experiences at his other restaurants. Definitely not worth the 150.00 bill. Update. The team at Half Shell have been great at following up. Definitely worth another visit. read more