Went for Friday Happy Hour. Everything was great. Service was exceptional Highly recommend!!

Intense touch and go business negotiations down the street resulting in Skipped Lunch! Now I'm barreling thru the area with an eye peeled for a bite to eat. Outta the gloom rises Half Shells. No time to dilly dally,h-anger is creeping in. I learned two important lessons as a youngster. Don't judge a book by its cover and everyone deserves a second chance. A short time back my experience here was less than fulfilling so,2nd chance,here we are ! It's early 4:30 but still a few in the restaurant and happy hour is starting. The hostess sits me in a booth in the bar area which is fine. I look at the menu, thinking someone is going to ask me for a drink order anytime. 5 minutes pass,I get thirstier and look around. 3 or 4 people are doing things around the bar. A lot of kidding around, someone on a ladder. Good atmosphere but...no service! Wait,is this groundhog day? I stand up walk back across the restaurant and tell the hostess I want to sit on this side. No attention over there. About then a waitress I recognize from a few visits ago walks by. I say ,I want you! I need service. She seemed shocked then I tell her she waited on me before. Laughs all around. So it begins. My second visit to the new space just doors down from the former location. My ice tea was delivered,I ordered the crab stuffed flounder and now the wait begins. Michelle is the waitress to ask for here. She saved the day! Truely. My stuffed flounder was just short of, sublime. Not much more the chef could have done to perfect it. The accompanying fresh green beans, al dente, flavorful. Mashed potatoes creamy and delicious. What would have been a total bust was saved by happenstance. Seeing a waitress I knew was excellent. Crazy thing is, she has only been here 8 months! I didnt get a chance to thank the excellent preperation by the chef. His shift had ended. A really good piece of Key lime pie on the house to sooth my rough start,rounded out a very good meal. At this point I have to suggest you... Go! However,do definitly ask for Michelle. She will make sure your meal is right. Tell her Guy H sent you read more

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Always greeted with a friend smile and positive attitude. The burgers are delicious. The seafood is delicious. The beer at tap is great and chilled. Overall this place does not disappoint. Great and fresh atmosphere. read more

I haven't been to Half Shell in about a year and now I know why. Went tonight and had one of the specials which was suppose to be pesto pasta with a lobster tail! Horrible meal! Just butter noddle and an over cooked lobster tail. Absolutely no flavor. The noodles were so bland it was hard to eat. The lobster was so overcooked the meat was hard! My wife had a salmon special which was overcooked and do bland! Good Lord, how this place has gone down! I will not be back for any reason, over priced and poor quality! read more

This was our second visit to Half Shells Seafood Grill. We enjoyed the happy hour and their patio on our first visit, so we decided to go again for a patio date. Their outdoor patio is nicely shaded and has fans and plenty of space. We ordered their east coast and gulf oysters as an appetizer, which are around 2-2.5 per oyster during their happy hour. We both preferred the taste and texture of their east coast oysters, which had a nice buttery texture. Our intention was to hang out a bit, so we also ordered their fried pickles, which were also a part of their happy hour deal. The breading on the pickles was not overdone and they were not overly greasy like some friend foods can be. As a main, I ordered the Seared Georges Bank Scallops & Applewood Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. This came with mashed potatoes and spinach that were covered in a nice sauce. Sometimes bacon wrapped things are a little too soft/chewy for my taste, but these were cooked nicely. My husband ordered the Mexican Chargrilled Grouper, which was a special of the night. It did not have a chargrilled taste/scent and there was little to no flavor (we have a heavy taste at times). On our last visit he got their Blackened Rainbow Trout, and that was way more flavorful and worth ordering again. We are pretty picky with cocktails and did not like their old fashion. Their was not much depth of flavor and it was overly bitter. We didn't try any other cocktails, so that is the only one I can comment on. We also ordered a cheesecake with chocolate sauce, which was delicious. Our server had a great attention to detail and gave the best service we've had in quite a while. read more

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We eat here fairly often because the food is consistently good and the dinner specials change daily with a nice variety. Service is, generally, very good and waitstaff checks in regularly. Like the fact we can now reserve a table too. read more

Yummy. Perfect light but well seasoned meal For a hot summer day! The seafood boil was reasonably priced and the best seasoned in the area. That Cajun butter topped it off. Thanks Candice for great service. read more

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Half Shells has pretty decent seafood. I was on a trip and wanted some UberEats dropped off at the hotel. I ended up getting some of Half Shells popular items. I got the following and their description: Crab Bisque- This soup was good and was on the creamier side. Lump Crab Cake- This came with a creamy sauce. I thought this was okay. Seared Scallops & Applewood Bacon Wrapped Shrimp- I got this with a side of hush puppies. An order came with 3 scallops and 3 shrimps. The scallops were really good. I loved that the shrimps were bacon wrapped and were delicious. The hush puppies were also good as well. This was $32 which I thought was on a pricier side. Homemade Bread Pudding- This was the best thing there. It wasn't too sweet and the homemade sauce was light. I loved it. My total was $73 with delivery. It was good and I would recommend it. I would like to come back and try dining in person next time. read more

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The team there was extremely nice. very clean restaurant. food was great and service was great.

Nice location, friendly staff, really good food. Came for a birthday party. Everyone there seemed to enjoy the atmosphere as well as the food. I had the calamari and crabcakes. Both were absolutely delicious. read more

Love coming to this place for happy hour!! The drinks and oysters are delicious and the staff is always great. Love coming for the oysters and sitting out on the patio enjoying time with friends. read more

Half Shells Seafood Grill - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Plano, Texas

If you're looking for the BEST soft burrito fish tacos there's no better place in Dallas or Plano than Half Shell's.....and the servers are the best..... Trina John , Michelle and Paul. By the way their Seafood Gumbo and New England clam chowder is outstanding....give them a try you won't be disappointed! read more

Half Shells must've put a spell on me--I ended up there three nights straight on a business trip! The Fishwich sandwich had me hooked the first two nights, but on the third night, I thought I'd be adventurous and try the salmon special. Big mistake! Not because the salmon wasn't delicious (it was), but I was immediately struck with intense "fishwich food remorse." Who knew sandwich loyalty could be so strong? Great service, chill vibe, and fresh seafood--just beware of forming an unhealthy attachment to the Fishwich! read more

My order was the beer battered cod sandwich and it was delicious! My wife's order on the other hand wasn't bad but just a little too oily for her liking so our waiter Mr Matthew gladly helped her in picking something more palatable. The atmosphere is casual we came on a Sunday afternoon and the crowd was not bad. Can be for groups or outings or you and your significant other just enjoying your meal as well as each other. Very good for our first time dining there. Hats off to Matthew , give that young man a raise awesome service read more

Half Shells Seafood Grill - Panko crusted flounder - Seafood Near Me - Plano, Texas

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This place isn't bad at all, but I cannot give it more than 3 stars. Everything was a bit mediocre and that overall brought my opinion of this place down by a lot. The service took forever at first, even though it really was not that busy. We had to wait up to 15 minutes for a server to approach for drink orders. Then another 20 minutes for her to return to take food orders. Then over 40 minutes for the food to come out. Keep in mind, we literally only came for oysters, so we ordered the chargrilled oysters and 12 raw oysters. The chargrilled oysters came out first and were not impressive. They were tiny and one was so burned that we could barely eat it, my boyfriend ended up eating the tiny piece he could scrape off from it. They were also not good at all, I could only eat one. Another 20 minute wait after finishing the chargrilled oysters, the raw oysters came out and were pretty good. We got Shooting Point and the Ugly Duckling oysters. There was nothing to complain about other than a few of them having a tiny bit of sand. We wanted more food, but were absolutely not going to waste another hour waiting for the server to take our order then for the food to come. I loved the inside decor as well as the bathroom cleanliness. If the overall experience was better, I would return because I am obsessed with raw oysters. However, this kind of sucked so we will not return again. read more

Half Shells Seafood Grill - Chargrilled oysters - Seafood Near Me - Plano, Texas

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So my wife and I started out with a glass of Pinot Grigio for me and a Tito's front porch lemonade for her. My wine was cold and refreshing and my wife's drink was awesome and sour which she enjoyed. We followed that with the oyster nachos that were to die for and will go back for the happy hour special starting at 4. YUM We then ordered dinner. I ordered the blackened rainbow trout on a bed of wilted spinach and rice an the dish was great. My wife ordered the shrimp and grits which were fantastic. We highly recommend this place and our hat is tipped to the staff for the great service provided. read more

Half Shells Seafood Grill - Menu on a wall - Seafood Near Me - Plano, Texas

What a beautiful day after Easter to visit half shells. Our waitress Michelle was amazing. They were so accommodating at this restaurant and strives to make "made to order" food a specialty there. Ask asked for spicy fried crawfish tails and they made them for me even though they weren't on the menu...so delicious! Don't be afraid to order boiled crawfish...it's only $8.99 a pound even though it says "Market Price" on the menu. The seafood platter with Crab Queso was delicious. Would have like some cheesy garlic bread to dip in the queso instead of chips imo. The margaritas were delicious but so tiny....maybe got 5 sips out of it. They need to offer schooner margaritas and they will have people coming back to enjoy the patio. Loved the guitarist playing on the patio while we ate. It was a perfect evening. read more

Holy moly this food is great! Everyone is welcoming. Our first time visiting and we will surely return next weekend. Angela was super and everything she recommended was just perfect. The crab cake was the best we've had. And we've had a lot. The bisque was great. The horseradish battered flounder was a sensation. Great mashed potatoes too! The bowl special with grilled salmon - excellent. Now I know we came for the seafood - but damn, that peach cobbler!! I may have passed out... Suffice it to say we had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Took my mom here for her birthday and had the best lunch! Our server, Joel, was exceptional and helped make her birthday great!! else will for sure come back! read more

Service - our waitress was attentive, just not super personable. I can live with a waitress that isn't super bubbly, as long as they're attentive! Ambiance - inside got pretty crowded fast (on a Friday around 5:30ish). The inside is really cute with all the design - I really enjoyed this. Food - this is where the 2/5 stars comes into play: Oyster nachos -- oysters and sauce were good but the pico wasn't fresh and the chips were probably corn Tostitos. Not impressed. Gold margarita - this was good and only $6 during happy hour (3pm-6pm)!! Sandbass plate - mashed potatoes were cold, Brussel sprouts weren't seasoned at all, and the fish IMO was very bland. Not impressed. Seared scallop/bacon wrapped shrimp plate - not a lot of food for $24. (3 shrimp, 3 scallops) The scallops weren't seared well. Hate to say it, but we won't be coming back :( what a let down. I'm 30wks pregnant and was really craving seafood! ****Update - I emailed the manager as asked and have not received anything back. Yelp doesn't allow you to reply to comments. I'm wondering if management just posts those kinds of comments to make it seem like they care. read more

While Im not completely dismissing this place, it's another mediocre restaurant to fill the cramped quarters of legacy West area, offering nothing artisan or special. Our server did an OK job, even though he didn't know many of the specials, what oysters they had, and needed to clarify several times our simple orders. Clearly he was a newbie, and while I was slightly annoyed, he did a decent job. The Charbroiled Oysters are a far cry from what you can get in New Orleans. The char on them was quite weak, and the oysters felt like the size of my thumb tip. The have a few east coast options for Raw Oysters, but nothing extensive. I feel like their main push are trash gulf oysters. Queso with crab and shrimp was ok, but it felt like an inferior mix of both worlds. Queso that gets waxy real quick, and a sprinkling of seafood that leaves you truly wanting more in portion for the price. The crab cakes were decent amount of crab to breading ratio. They also had a solid crab taste. I wouldn't say they are the best you have in Dallas, but it exceeded my expectations compared to what I had already consumed. The Scallops and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp was ok. They both had a decent seafood taste, and the scallops were cooked at the right consistency. The sides were bland and terrible. If I were you, I wouldn't bother eating them. Unseasoned, prepared straight out of the bag they came from, and more than likely only steamed. I felt like I was at a wedding reception with the sides and veggies they serve. The key lime pie was pretty good, although the key lime could have been stronger for my taste. But for a dessert, it still satisfies. read more

Austin was an outstanding server. He was attentive without being intrusive, knew the menu incredibly well, and made excellent recommendations. He anticipated what we needed before we even asked and made the entire dining experience smooth and enjoyable. One of the best servers we've had in a long time. read more

I have been coming to half shells for more than 15 years. The food has been consistently good over the years. The customer service has never been great but the food made up for it. However they seemed to be mismanaged recently. I was looking forward to eating crawfish on my birthday. It was a Sunday. We called ahead to make sure they had crawfish. The said sure we have crawfish. Our group sat down and we ordered 4 lbs to start along with some oysters and chowder. As they started bringing the oysters and chowder we were informed that they did not have crawfish. I informed them that we had even called ahead. I informed them that I did not want to eat as I wanted crawfish. They offered to comp the oysters and chowder. We explained it was my birthday and we really wanted crawfish. So we packed up and headed to Nate's. Nate's is always our backup as they are always fully stocked and busy but are a little far. It was delicious. A week and a half later we went to half shells on a Monday night. We sat down to order and asked the very rude waitress if they had crawfish. She stated of course like we were crazy. It's crawfish season. We sat and waited maybe 5 minutes when she returned and stated she did not have any crawfish. We had ordered chowder with the crawfish. Once she told us they were out of crawfish we order two specials and stated we did not want the chowder without the crawfish. She seemed quite nasty about the fact we did not want the chowder. She never apologized for the crawfish and made us feel guilty about terminating the chowder. It seems as if they have no communication in the restaurant. The kitchen can't seem to make the front of the house aware when they are out of something. Also it's crawfish season!!! Stop running out.. your competitors seem to be able to stock properly. I am afraid I will have to find a local restaurant that actually sells crawfish during the season . Anyone can say they have crawfish. The important part is actually having the crawfish read more

Clean with casual dining. Reasonable prices. Excellent gold margarita. The food came out hot and well prepared. Your chocolate cake was very rich and had a death by chocolate vibe. My server Paul was attentive and helpful. read more

Food was wonderful and the staff was very friendly. Will continue to eat here to get my seafood fix.

Food was great. You could definitely tell it was fresh. The chargrilled oysters are perfection.

We were actually surprised by the unavailability of one of their featured dishes-stuffed flounder on their menu. We used to frequent this restaurant prior to their move and loved it. Although the waitress was wonderful, we were disappointed in the food except for the fish tacos. read more

Great friendly service! Felt welcomed and enjoyed my visit. Got a 1st time treat as I was asking about the soups drinks were great! read more

Half Shells Seafood Grill - Dirty martini for the win! - Seafood Near Me - Plano, Texas

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Food, service and atmosphere are always excellent. The chef at this location always amazing with his board specials. This is our go to seafood restaurant. Never disappointed!! read more

Cleaning my car and found the gift certificate I've won from a giveaway in IG. So excited to know that it's still valid but had a sinking feeling not knowing if the place is still open due to this pandemic. I Googled, IG-ed and Yelped it and excited to know they are still slinging seafood, took over their next door's patio for more seating outside ( they can only have 50% capacity max inside) and have $20/lb shrimp boil with all the fixin' My parents haven't been out since they came back from their trip so I decided to take them out plus seafood in general is their favorite. Staff is very helpful and followed cdc guidelines respectfully and carefully. All of them were wearing their mask PROPERLY. They have paper menus and QR Vode to scan to view the menu on your phone. It wasn't busy at all and just by looking the place isn't even to 50% capacity during lunch time on a Saturday. If you tell them it's your first time, they bring you soup/bisque sample to try. All of them are tasty but our party isn't soup people. Overall, our experience is phenomenal. We had good food, good service and a great day. P.S. YELPERS are TIPPERS. read more

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First time visiting this place and it was all amazing!! Patrick was my server and he was on point with everything. He recommended a few items, his service was excellent and the food was well savory and delightful. At first I didn't think it was enough, but I was wrong. I couldn't even finish as it was so much. read more

Half Shells Seafood Grill - Crab Stuffed Flounder - Seafood Near Me - Plano, Texas

Didn't realize this place had moved locations.... Luckily down the street. Our navigation kept bringing us to the old location; so I had to call to find out where they were. Aesthetics of this place is super nice and tranquil in a sense. Love the color pallet they chose. They have that cool atmosphere where it's inside but also outside for eating options. We were sat inside near the bar; brought the kids this go around. Our waitress was amazing with us and the kids. Our toddlers can be a bit much at times. Food came out in a timely fashion; presentation was nice and portions I thought were great. Price point was normal (pricey for seafood in TX compared to back home); but definitely worth the money. Food was yummy in my opinion. I liked the shrimp appetizer very much; the deep fried Mac n cheese was surprisingly good, and my fish special was good. All in all a good experience. read more

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Loved the oyster nachos and the fish and chips was great. Loved the decor and the service was fantastic definitely will be back. read more

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This used to be my favorite spot for shrimp and grits until they discontinued the dish OR lost the chef who prepared it. I wish I could send out an APB to find the chef who used to prepare the shrimp and grits because I have not found any better and it's been at least 3 years since they discontinued the dish. read more

Visiting from out of town, we found this gem not far from the hotel. We frequent the Fish City back home often but did not know this place associated until arrival. First thought was this feels just like Fish City and soon had that thought confirmed, in a good way. The oysters were good and crab cakes were great but the true surprise was the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. I really contemplated before ordering but had eaten so much seafood all week that I just gave a try and it was shockingly delicious and well presented. Service was especially good considering we sat about an hour before closing. We weren't rushed or neglected at all. We will return next time and I'll be looking forward to trying one of the specials on chalkboard. read more

The staff is outstanding, and the service strikes the perfect balance--attentive without being overbearing. We loved the oysters 20 years ago, and they were just as incredible tonight. The restaurant has grown over the years, but it hasn't lost its charm or quality. They've managed to preserve the personality, delicious food, and inviting atmosphere we remember so well. We'll definitely be back again and again. If you haven't tried this place yet, you absolutely should! read more

Not sure what I'm missing here. App: the grilled oysters in the half shell were just ok. When you name your restaurant Half Shells Seafood the oysters HAVE TO BE Amazing, these were not. App: Peel and Eat Shrimp came out cold on same ice platter as oysters, we we're looking for a hot platter w potatoes and corn. Menu should read "Shrimp Cocktail" App: Bisque, open sysco can, stir in old bay for color and serve. Thick, stiff. Not good, hard pass. Entree: Pound of boiled crawfish, ($8.99) not a bad price especially for the location of the restaurant and the (inside) ambiance BUT again something not with crawfish which they should nail. Took a star away for Bisque, Shrimp and Crawfish. read more

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Love, love, love Half Shells Seafood grill and the reasons are simple... 1. Always great service. Their waiters and waitresses are always so kind and friendly. It certainly helps add to the quality of your experience when you have someone who is personable waiting the table. Maddie was our waitress this time. 2. Always great food. Everything we have had here has been spot-on exceptional! This visit we tried the crab bisque, and it was amazing... so amazing that we ordered an extra cup after finishing the bowl. 3. Always great value. The prices here are probably consistently about 33% less expensive than Pappadeaux. Actually, we were at Pappadeaux and left to come here because Pappadeaux did not have any oysters, they took the lobster bisque off the menu, as well as their lettuce wedge. We have been coming to Half Shells for years and it's always the same great service, same great food and the same great value! read more

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Found this fantastic seafood resturant and bar while walking and coming back tomorrow. Clean, fresh and amazing service. They change their specials twice a day and being from the east coast I feel in my element here. Great fish and oysters. read more

Wandered into here from pepper smash and their trash ass service. Came in during happy hour 3-6 and Rudy? I believe was his name greeted us immediately. He was sweet and attentive. We switched to their patio because it was nice out and Tony (the manager) checked on us. It was awesome!! The food was amazing. The chargrilled oysters, jalapeño shrimp, prickly pear margarita, patron margarita: nice and strong!! We can not wait to go back. And it's a lot of hotties hanging around the bar! I loveee this place! Happy hour is second to none and the food and drinks are no where close to mediocre! We went on a Friday. Great food, drink, and service!! read more