One of me and my husband's favorite restaurants. Friendly staff, from waiter, to chef, and manager. Every meal I've had has been delicious. They frequently have new menu items as a special so you never get bored. The restaurant is small but that adds to the charm. Give this place a try. You won't be disappointed. read more

Came here because boyfriend found it on Yelp and it did not disappoint. My boyfriend and I love fresh oysters and seafood so finding this place was jackpot! all the oysters were super fresh and really big both of our dishes were also very delicious and we were so satisfied. Crawfish Etouffe perfectly seasoned very big portion. does not disappoint! Alaskan Flounder! not dry and very well cooked. even the asparagus was really good. the prices are a bit higher but that was expected because quality and quantity both were 5 stars! Service was amazing! We let them know it was our first time there so we got their soup sampler. read more

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Such an enjoyable experience for the fat man! Greeted by a lovely staff member. Scanned for the menu which is so COVID 19ish. Ordered a dozen of mixed oysters. So good. I will say that only one was super gritty where the others were all perfectly shucked and cleaned. I'll tell you if you like your oysters, this might be the place for you! As a first timer, we were introduced to a sampler of five tastings. Presented were smokin' hot shrimp, crab bisque, clam chowder, jalapeno soup, and gumbo. Each excellent in its own right. At this point we decided that the fat man would be satisfied with a run of apps. Not on the phone, you silly. On the table and then the belly! Did a full bowl of soup and gumbo and then we had lump crab cake and oyster nachos. Wrapping up the stream of food with calamari. I will confess that the calamari was just a tad too salty. But this was a great introduction for fat man to a new business. Fat man will return. read more

Food is delicious & service is great! Highly recommend!! I enjoyed shrimp & grits and fried green tomatoes. Yumm !!

Absolutely wonderful service and even better food! Ambiance was great, we will definitely return. read more

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This place is constantly GREAT! We eat here every time we are in the Metroplex. Fernando, the manager, it's all about customer service! The service is wonderful. Go here!!! read more

The food was absolutely delicious and I really loved the mellow atmosphere of the dining room. I sat at the bar and Alex provided great service. New fave lunch spot! read more

The drinks were absolutely delicious. The staff was attentive to our party. The food was fresh and savory. Will be back.

The food was great, we had the Oysters, fish and chips, and the lobster and shrimp grilled cheese, all excellent. We had friends that went after us and enjoyed several of the apps and soups. read more

Stephanie and Fernando are GREAT!!! wonderful service and great environment :) highly recommend for GREAT deals too

Food was excellent...services was not too good. It was not packed and it took a minute for the servers to come back to check on us. We had to ask for sugar two times before the server remembered. The music was relaxing (Christmas). It's a little small almost as if it's an intimate place. The prices for the food are reasonable as well. read more

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Good oysters and have happy hour everyday from 3-6! We liked the Blue point oysters the most read more

Half Shells - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Server is excellent & loved the Mexican Shrimp Cocktail. Surprised to see happy hour wine was $2 more per glass. That disappointed me which is why I rated 4 & not 5. read more

Love this place. Great seafood. Great staff. Reasonable prices. Good selection of drinks. Local vibe. Highly recommend.

Wow This place needs improvement Ordered Uber eats Gumbo not very good. The shrimp and okra was edible Crab stuffed fish not good, stuffing not good at all Asparagus not bad but tiny Cheesy grits not bad Key lime pie actually good but I'm sure not made in the store Store owner offered to correct this Bye Very bad read more

Half Shells - Crab stuffed fish Gumbo Cheesy grits - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I never thought that I would leave a bad review for Half Shells - Snider Plaza. We've eaten here for years, and everything has always been super fresh and tasty. Tonight, I went to dinner with 2 friends and we were looking forward to great seafood and cold tasty drinks... The drinks, at least, were good. To start, we ordered a dozen Gulf oysters on the half shell. I'm not sure what we were thinking because we all know the "months with an R" rule, and obviously, it's been exceptionally hot recently. But we trusted the management of Half Shells- Snider Plaza wouldn't have them on the menu if they weren't good. News Flash - the oysters were NOT good. I'm not sure how we ate the first ones without noticing - except that we all use a lot of horseradish in the cocktail sauce, and we were happily distracted by the conversation. I picked up a second one, and as it traveled towards me, I caught the smell - they reeked! Then I really looked at the oysters, and they all had brown colored brine. The oyster brine should be clear, clean, and taste like the ocean - these tasted like a red tide. I flagged down the waiter and explained that the oysters were BAD - as in spoilt. He expressed no surprise or concern and just took them away. I had to go wash my hands because I could still smell the oysters (blech). He did come back and ask if we wanted a different appetizer. I was hesitant, but again, we were kind of shell-shocked (pun intended) because we're used to such high quality from this Half Shells, so we ordered the crab queso. I thought it tasted funny - kind of sour - but my friends thought that it tasted ok, if not very interesting. A manager did finally come over to ask what was wrong with the oysters. Again, I explained that they were BAD with brown brine and they stunk. He merely said, OK thanks for telling us. He didn't apologize, didn't ask if we were OK after eating bad oysters, didn't offer any explanation or apology. How those oysters made it all the way to our table for us to eat is mind-boggling. They had to have STUNK when they were opened up. There was obviously no quality control going on if those oysters were allowed to leave the kitchen and be served. I'm honestly shocked at US for not leaving after this. My only excuse/explanation is that we're all 3 the type of diners to give the benefit of the doubt to restaurants these days, knowing the difficulties they have gone through since the pandemic. Also, our history with good food and service and this Half Shells- Snider Plaza. In hindsight, we were dumb and should have left. The rest of the meal was not necessarily bad - as compared to the oysters - but also not good. My friends both ordered the Shellfish Pasta, and I ordered the Grilled Ruby Red Trout & Gulf Shrimp. Everything was distressingly bland. It didn't taste like either of the dishes even had salt and pepper used in them. My trout was dry, and the skin wasn't crisp. I asked for their Garlic Wilted Spinach as a side - which is usually delicious. Instead, I got a mound of watery, half sautéed spinach with no garlic and no flavor. The Gulf shrimp were tiny and overcooked. The Shellfish Pasta was supposed to have a spinach alfredo but, except for a slight green tinge to the sauce, you'd never know there was any spinach used. They also said that the pasta, shellfish, and sauce were all very under seasoned. When we got the bill, we were a little surprised that there wasn't any adjustment for the bad oyster experience, except that they "comp'ed" the oysters. Gee - thanks for not charging us for the horrible experience of eating spoiled seafood that could potentially make us very sick. We're not the type of customers to cause a scene and demand things - but a manager with good customer service would have made sure that we were happy and that we left the restaurant feeling like this was an anomalous experience and would never happen again. It cost us $112 + Tip (because we would never not tip a waiter for bad food) - definitely not worth it! read more

I googled this place and I felt like an extra from the movie "Get out." The food was really good but was overshadowed by the service that I received from the server Blake. He was a slender guy with a short bob haircut. My actual waiter was Alex (Alex was fine). I kindly asked Blake if he could get Alex for me since I had been waiting for my friend to arrive and wanted to put in my order. Blake seemed really annoyed that I asked him this and proceeded to move about as if I had annoyed him with my request ( Alex was inside as I was waiting on my friend.) Blake was the only server outside where I was sitting hence why I asked if he could get Alex for me. After waiting for a bit (several more minutes), Blake returns outside (doesn't say a word to me at all) and I ask if he had been able to reach Alex to which he responded "I let him know & Alex will come when he can." Blake then rolls his eyes and walks away. Later decided to double back and offer bug-spray as a way to salvage his poor customer service prior. Eventually the waiter shadowing Alex comes out after I wait a bit longer. Turns out, Blake never mentioned to Alex that I had requested him. So I waited and then eventually another waiter came out to help us out. By the way. The surrounding area was really unwelcoming. There were people staring from their cars and the service from the restaurant was below my expectations for this place. Alex was nice, Blake not so much. read more

Half Shells - Chargrilled Gulf Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Hello fellow Yelpers and Yelpettes, hope this review finds you safe and well. As Ray F. stated the parking here is QUITE the challenge. So either go early to get your parking spot or use a car service. There are a lot of quant shops in this area but yes they are expensive. Half Shells is about the par for the area price wise. A wee bit expensive but the food is great. The closer your table is to the kitchen the better off you are. Unfortunately the table service is lacking. More time on their phones than looking to take care of service. The crab cake appetizer with arugula and toasted almonds is spot on! The clam chowder is like something from out of New England. Half Shells also has chalkboard specials that should command your attention. Get out of your comfort zone folks & try something different. As always...your mileage may vary. Peace out. read more

I've lived very close to this place for years and never tried it, but I've been missing out!! The gumbo was exceptional, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. The watermelon margarita was something you will want time and time again. Great service, nice patio! read more

Half Shells - Watermelon margarita - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Love the food. Love the options. Great drinks. Friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Half Shells - Soup sampler! ALL are fantastic and made from scratch. - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Great food, staff and atmosphere. I had the blackened redfish and red beans and rice and it was a hit. Highly recommended and I will be back! read more

This is an updated review from my last review. First of all I must say thank you to Half Shells for contacting me and sending me a gift certificate in the mail and inviting me back. Even though I could have used it for any Fish City Grill which I happen to love I decided to go back to the same location. I was greeted right away. Unfortunately, there was no available seating at the bar so I had to take a small table inside. My waitress was very friendly and got my drink order right away and I also ordered a cup of gumbo. The gumbo was better this time and it was served nice and hot. They also brought some bread out with it. She asked if I wanted bread but I said no and I still got it which is fine but I was trying not to eat bread and it looked so delicious that I of course ate some of the bread. It was as good as it looked!! I decided to go with one of the specials and it turned out to be a wise decision. I had the scallops along with the shrimp. There were 3 of each and the scallops were covered with bruschetta and a small amount of melted cheese and it was supposed to be accompanied by mashed potatoes and asparagus but I asked to have broccoli instead and everything came out promptly and as I asked for it. Both the shrimps and scallops were impeccably delicious. I would order this dish again! I would go back just to have this dish. The only thing is I wished that I had more of it. Ok, call me greedy!! I had just worked out so I was HUNGRY!!! I went ahead and went out of my element and had a bloody mary (yes after my wor out) which came with a shrimp! Smart thinking because I enjoyed that shrimp. It was not salty or anything. (Last time my friends shrimp had tasted saltier then usual) It tasted yummy! The waitress also asked if there was a particular kind of vodka that I wanted and that was a great question because YES I did. I do not do well vodkas or at least my stomach will not do well. hehehe I enjoyed this visit and I am very appreciative that I was given a gift certificate. It is awesome that a business keeps up with their customers and they definitely went the extra mile to satisfy me and it worked. I will be going back to this location again. Everything was great this time. My server was also awesome. I can't believe I forgot her name but I did thank her before I left for the amazing service. read more

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Amazing food and atmosphere. The service was great. We had shrimp nachos, charbroiled oysters and shrimp tacos. Everything was delicious. We will be back when visiting Dallas again! Arturo and Tony were friendly and very welcoming for our first time visit. read more

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Love coming to this restaurant! Food and service is always great! Our server Candy really does go above and beyond! Chalkboard specials are always amazing!! read more

Half Shells - Blackened Barramundi w/Blue Cheese Butter - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

This place is great. Fish was perfectly good. I had the flounder. Loved it. My husband had the blackened trout. Great!!

Food was good and service was good. Since we were first timers they threw in a sampler of soups. Gumbo and Chowder tasted really good. Simple and not overpriced, which isn't common in this particular part of Dallas. Definitely would recommend. read more

OMG THIS PLACE IS FREAKING AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!!!!! Hands down 1st time hear and every thing from the chargrilled oysters....to the lobster bisque to the chipotle shrimp tacos blew me away!!!!! Def will be coming back again n again! Thank you to our server Candy who was super sweet and had amazing hospitality!!!!!!!! read more

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i've lived in the DFW area now for five years. This Half Shells is by far my favorite seafood restaurant in the entire DFW area. The have the best chefs and cook the seafood perfectly each time regardless of what I order. And to top it off the pricing is extremely fair for the quality of seafood you receive. I can't think of another restaurant in the DFW area that has better value than this little place. This is a small little restaurant, but the atmosphere is very friendly and inviting and reminds me of eating near the ocean somewhere. I really enjoy dining here. Tonight was a truly exceptional experience. Today I was served by John who provided fantastic service as well as the manager who was very accommodating and helpful. Five stars all day! read more

OHHHH--EMMMM-GEEE! It'e been a day since I had lunch here and I'm still dreaming about this place. I came for an impromptu lunch with some of my fave work pals. We drove around for 10 minutes before realizing we all had a taste for some seafood. One of the coworkers suggested Half Shells because he remembered going once before awhile back and it was close to our job. I was nervous because I limited myself to eating out and didn't want to spend a ton of money on top of never hearing about this place. However, when you hear the term "hidden gem" THIS IS IT! I browsed the menu and pictures on Yelp (because of course, why not) while en route there and already was torn between so many options that looked (and sounded) delish. Once we got there the decision was even harder. Half Shells is in Snider Plaza so if you go during lunch be prepared to circle many times to find a parking spot and just snag the first one you see. The parking is limited for the amount of people but there's plenty of windows to "window shop" on your walk to/from the car. TIP!!!! If it is your first time visiting, TELL THEM. You will get a sampling of all their soups which are made in house and get better with each spoonful. That right there made my decision even harder. I was torn between 3 options but to complicate things in a good way, they have a chalkboard of specials that changes daily and even twice a day. The server recommends to always try something on the board because it may not be there again. I did just that and ordered the Flounder over red beans & rice with a creamy pico sauce. It look amazing and was did not disappoint. The fish comes fried but you can change it to grilled (which I did) or blackened. All 3 of us cleaned our plates completely and I will definitely be back to make my way around the menu. If you're in the area and want some good seafood this is it! read more

Half Shells - Bayou Flounder (grilled) with Red Beans and Rice, and Pico Cream - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Oysters were very fresh tasting!! You can tell this place is top notch food. The manager and wait service really care about its customers! 10/10. Will be coming back. read more

Update: Owner responded--asked me to email him. Email sent on 3/16/21. No response. I went in to this restaurant hoping for a nice solo dinner with friendly staff and good food! But I am 100% sure there was some discrimination going on. The hostess that greeted me at the door was rather RUDE. She tried to seat me right in front of the door (strong wind) when it was so many other tables available. After requesting another table..her rude energy persisted. No communication as in "your waitress will be right with you" or "please scan this bar code for our menu" NOTHING. Just led me to the table and walked away. Not even eye contact! I sat and waited for a good 15 mins on a waitress. The place was NOT that busy (with multiple waitresses) and it's nothing to take a drink order. During that time, I watched the door hostess greet people (Caucasian) with such grace and care. What I know know as my waiter..took drink orders and brought them out to parties that were seated WELL AFTER me. They did not have to wait. She walked past me a good 5 times before finally "noticing" me at an empty table waiting for some type of service. No apology--just took my drink order. Another 15 mins goes by and still no sweet tea. So I stopped her during the many times she passed my table (waiting on the other white customers) and asked "did you forget my sweet tea?" She said "I did" and proceeded to bring it to me. No apology or even empathy. By that time, I was very uncomfortable and felt like I was being racially discriminated against. I am 5 months pregnant and was STARVING so I had no choice but to order. I had every intention to dine in what I thought would be a nice place to try...but decided to order it to go. I did not like the energy of the place. While waiting for my food, I did notice that I was the only black person in there. Ok, fine. No worries. But the treatment I received vs the treatment I saw the other white customers received...gave me all the reason to think it was a race thing. AGAIN the place was NOT busy. 7:30pm on a Sunday night. Not even a small wait. Everyone was seated immediately. So the horrible service cannot be justified due to the place being busy. I was treated poorly and blatantly disregarded. The 1 star is ONLY because the food was decent. Very ill packed..but decent. read more

The food was good and delicious the services were also very fast but the restaurant needs cleaning it was bit dirty.

This was our first time here. We were visiting the SMU campus. It was recommended from a friend. Ambience was comfotable. Staff was extremely friendly. They asked if it was our first time visiting. We ordered the Oyster Nachos to start out with and they brought us another small plate of oyster nachos to try since we were furst timers. Also brought 4 plates of soup samples for us. We enoyed all of it. Oyster nachos were delish! Plates were good portions. Lots of fries. We had the shrimp poboy, fish and chips and the lightly blackened shrimp salad. Only complaint was there was too much dressing on the shrimp salad. I didn't realize it came premixed. The lettuce was no longer crunchy and somewhat soggy so it didn't seem refreshing. After a few bites with no crunch, I noticed that the salad didn't cone out with the tortilla strips. They brought a plate out for me when I asked. It greatly improved the salad but I still would have preferred to mix my own salad. The corn in the salad was very good. Wish there was more of it. I would definitely come back to try other menu items if I am in the area. read more

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Great atmosphere, even better food! The service was great and very welcoming. Can't wait to go back!

We recently re-acquainted ourselves with half shells. This used to be a weekly stop for our family. Unfortunately life gets in the way and routine ma change... Now that we're back, wow! The fish is fresh and there is always something new on the specials list. The fried oysters are the best! Try the fried oyster nachos! I hear they have really cold draft beers too! The staff makes you feel like a regular, even if you haven't been for a few years. read more

Came for a lite meal but did not expect the quality of the entrees or the subtle favor balances. We both started of with a Hurricane, that had a nice balance between the Bacardi Superior, Myers Jamaican Dark Rum and the juices. I had the Pick 2 Combo with blackened shrimp and grilled gulf oysters. Both were served hot and cooked as expected. Tonight they had a Jalapeño/cheese rice that was outstanding. The Jalapeños didn't knock you out of your socks, but were a perfect balance to the cheese and rice. The meal comes with "Virginia's Apple Cider Cole Slaw" that set off the other components of the meal perfectly. My wife had the SHRIMP & GRITS, and almost didn't let me taste it... For desert we shared a slice of their Key Lime Pie which settled our meal nicely. read more

Half Shells - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

WOW!!!!! Where do I began? The Half Shell Oyster Bar is a very laid back place with a Sexy intimate setting as well as a bar with food and drinks with friends and family. The food here is crazy good no matter what you order, and the staff is very friendly and on point. This place is just freaking of the chain y'all!!! read more

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I love this half shells. I have been coming here for years and tonight I brought my extended family in. Our server Harrison was one of the kindest and patient waiters I think I have ever had. The other huge highlight was Kenny, the manager. Kenny came by our table to check how everyone was doing and introduced himself and got the whole table laughing after about 30 seconds. He also ran out all of our food and made sure we had everything we needed. I took notice of him servicing the entire restaurant and was very impressed. I have met a few different managers here and he by far is my new favorite. As always the kitchen did an amazing job. Thank you guys so much. read more

I have had some wonderful dinners at this establishment. The fish is good and the soups are amazing. Service has always been great, with very little wait time durning the busy times. Nice outdoor patio with an indoor feel. Will return many many more times. read more

Expect to seat yourself when you walk in. They have a regular menu but they have a number of dishes that they write on the board, which are daily specials. As complimentary, they bring out warm, toasted bread that was pretty good. The blackened halibut with cheese grits was okay but I wish it had a few more things thrown into it for flavor: e.g. red bell pepper sautéed onions etc. although the spice on the fish had a good kick, the entire dish just didn't seem bursting with color and a lot of flavor and slightly a little too much salt on the grits. My tuna tacos were pretty darn good and the rice that came with it was rich and creamy but not enough salt there; however, I did get a little bit of an upset stomach following that meal. Overall the meals were okay but nothing too exciting to come back for. read more

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