Half Shell

Oysters were great as always. The bartender was friendly and attentive. Drinks were nice. The food definitely has gone downhill. I ordered red beans and rice and was given what looked like chili…topped with chives and cheese 🙃. There was barely any rice. The sausage wasn’t cooked into the dish, it was placed on top. Definitely tasted like chili with sausage on top and not red beans and rice. Will not order that again.

Unexpected, but right on time!! Hadn’t been here in years but decided to give it a try. Went here after another restaurant left us waiting for over a hour & 1/2 on a late night search for dinner and it ended up being just what I needed! It wasn’t very crowded so the wait was minimal. Moderate noise level and a bit dark, but not in a bad way. The bar was open with available seating but we took a booth instead. The server was prompt, attentive, and helpful. Our drinks came out quick and were good. The food came in a reasonable time and MAN!!! Oysters were on point, wings were amazing, & the blackened chicken dish was good as well (maybe, minus the stuffing but I’ll chop that up to late night, closing time shenanigans). Overall, I can say it won’t be as long before I return next time. Those wings are calling my name! ((I will add for the sake of full transparency: there was a weird scent as you enter the establishment. Almost made me turn around and leave but maybe that’s just me….))

Food was generally good. We went at brunch time on a Sunday. I had salmon benedict which was good. My husband had a full order of fried oysters and we shared a large Ceasar salad. The oysters were smaller than those at other restaurants with the price slightly higher than most. The seafood gumbo was excellent. My bloody mary was good and a better price tham most restaurants. They did charge us for the roll that we requested. I was surprised as bread is generally served with meals at other restaurants. We will probably go again if in the area but not sure if we would make the 40 min trip otherwise.

The chargrilled oysters were delicious. The oyster Rockerfella and Bienville Oysters were the opposite of delicious. They tasted fishy and did not seem done at all. I usually get oysters from MoonDance grill or Porch and Parlor and I’ve never had cooked oysters so mushy. I also ordered a brownie which seemed stale so I couldn’t eat that either. The lady at the bar was really sweet and nice though.

We have been devoted Half Shell customers for decades, since its original location, now The Belmont. For years, the food and cleanliness were exemplary. Unfortunately, over the past six months, the restaurant has declined dramatically. The first thing that hits you upon entering is the smell, like dirty mops, an overpowering, musty odor that lingers throughout. The women’s restroom was filthy: unflushed toilets, paper debris on the floor, and trash cans overflowing. Service, while polite, is clearly understaffed. Our server was frazzled, forgot items, and was left juggling far too many tables to manage professionally. Most disappointing of all is the Half Shell’s once-famous steak sandwich. For many years, my husband and I have coveted the steak sandwich, and considered it a signature dish; what was once a thick, flavorful steak has been reduced to a thin, tasteless meat patty. And why was the beloved fried chicken salad removed from the menu? I’ve since learned there has been an ownership change—sadly, that explains everything. It’s heartbreaking to see a neighborhood institution we loved for so long become such a disappointment.

Decided to drop in one afternoon around 3:30. After 5 minutes or so, the hostess noticed I didn't have anything to drink so she got me water with lemon. The waiter finally shows up, I order, he brings me my food- and leaves me with no utensils. Again, the hostess comes to the rescue with some utensils so I can finally start eating. I ordered Seafood Gumbo and a house salad. The gumbo was mostly roux, with some popcorn shrimp and slices of Cajun sausages (a few), and small chunks of crab, etc. A shadow of previous meals here. Bummer.

I love coming here for oysters. Service has been great every time we visit. The poboys were delicious. Update....same service

Quaint place that has a calm, non-overstimulating environment. When in town, I try to stop in for a meal. Seems a local fave as they're always reasonably busy. The food I've had on all occasions has been incredibly good & well prepared. Our fave is the oysters: raw, Rockefeller & Bieneville. The key lime pie is the star on the dessert menu & is house made. Soooo good! Service is always professional & on point. The staff is well mannered & knowledge about the menu & drink menu, which can change seasonally, it seems.

Met a dozen or so friends for a Christmas dinner here recently. Service was great from Megan our server. Food was superb. I had the blackened grouper & it was fantastic. Bisque was great as always.

I had the charcoal oysters and they were the most fresh oysters I have ever had. The setting was giving the 80s and it was somewhat quiet. My sever was very nice and we left her a tip . The only downside is the place had a smell and the building is outdated

A creditable cobb salad of fairly hefty proportions. I ordered balsamic vinaigrette and received an orange fluid whose "balsamic" nature, if any, was quite undetectable, vastly overwhelmed by oil, seemingly devoid of the "vinaigrette" feature one would expect the dressing to contain. Dreadful. Get a new dressing. My wife had a disappointing French onion soup and a tasty shrimp dish. Food: "okay." But pricey. Pleasant enough ambience, if you're very fond of the year 1979. Got that steak house vibe. Our server was agreeable and obliging. He was, however, hopelessly inarticulate, and I never did grasp a word he said. An entirely B-minus experience.

Note - I'd rate this higher if prices seemed more in line with others serving similar items. Haven't visited in a long time due to this but I did miss the food. I had the Griled Oysters (6 for $18) - good but not great and a bowl of their King Crab Bisque ($11, including a dollop of crab meat) - Very good. My wife wasn't up for heavy items so had the soup/salad combo ($13) - Good. We split a piece of Key Lime Pie ($7). The service is excellent and the atmosphere ok (very popular with drinkers, but this doesn't imply it's loud or otherwise bad). I'd go back more often but for the price. Note they no longer have the automatic 18% gratuity (possibly on large groups, which would be standard).

Great food and very quick service at an incredible reasonable price. The gumbo was first rate.

Good food, good vibes , love the appearance , fast service. Would come again. Prices are a little high for what they are

Shhh! Keep this to yourself but they got the best seafood in Memphis, came here late night after a movie and had oysters, catfish, and chicken! Sail boat vibe is perfect! P.S. Mary is an awesome server.

Monte Cristo with a twice baked potato The best in town!!!! . .

Go there for good food and good service! And don't worry about the tip! They have a standard 18% gratuity. Win! Win!

Haven't been to the half shell in several years. It has probably changed hands. We got the hamburger steak. it was greasey and the hamburger was tuff. This was the half shell on winchester in Memphis. also charging automatic 18% gratuity. I tip according to food and service. Just bad experience.

The oysters were phenomenal! I truly didn't expect them to be as big as they were. I also had the crab bisque and a side salad and both were great and filling. The bisque was loaded with lump crab meat. I have nothing bad to say. This was my first visit. I will definitely be back.

Been here a number of times when I'm in the area, my favorite is the half shell combo, this week I ate there three times, egg rolls one night, combo the next and the mussels the next . All food was super. Hospitality is always good, Mike behind the bar is a great guy, chatty and prompt. Busy little place almost every evening that I have seen. Just an fyi, after 4pm a service charge of 18% is automatically added to your bill, so no need to tip again. Like this place, will be back ++

Love the half Shell! Go there every Friday for lunch. They have the best catfish ! All the waiters are wonderful. Angela is our favorite! Been coming here for years. It's like Cheers "Everybody knows your name!" It has its own special charm!

Oysters are decent but certainly not the best I've ever had. Service was great. Ambience just okay. Be prepared for an 18% gratuity automatically added. Even if you have two in your party. Still using the covid excuse. They won't see me again.

A Memphis classic! The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is because they didn't have diet Sprite or diet ginger ale for my grandma. Biggg portions of food and service was good.

Auto 20% tip on to-go orders... well, then how about getting the order right?? Does the bartender give a crap? No, he's getting the auto 20%

Would have been 5 stars but there was this weird fellow standing in the dining room just watching everyone. I am a long term patron here but this was strange. Maybe he was a host/greeter but gave off a weird vibe. Service was excellent as always. Food was great.

9pm on a Friday night, many places had already closed their kitchens. Stopped into Half Shell with a pleasantly bustling vibe and somewhat full bar and tables. Sat at the bar, ordered a glass of Pinot Noir and perused the extensive menu. The nightly specials looked good and I ordered the braised fish in miso with vegetables. After all we are at Half Shell, so why not fish? Not super complicated, but tasty and filling. Service was attentive and friendly at the bar and I watched some of the playoff NBA game with other patrons while finishing my meal. Solid choice for good food and lively atmosphere especially later in the evening.

If i had to, I'd rip my penis off in order to save the half shell. Nothing better than boozing it up with your idiot friends and chowing down on some delicious slimy seatesticles. Yum. I also think the waitress is in love with me, you should give me a call sometime sweetheart.

the best oysters i've had from this place is the bienville. gumbo was ok. red beans and rice was good. also 13 margaritas and feeling lucky

You must stop into the Half Shell for Sunday brunch. The bartender "AMY" is amazing. The food is awesome and the drinks are wonderful. If you have not visited the Half Shell you must put it on your to do list. Check out their menu, and drinks! I'll see ya' all there! Cheers & Shots MJ

4 of us met here for lunch on Thursday. A couple of us hadn't eaten there before, me included. The menu is comprehensive, lots of choices and the prices reasonable for lunch. Two people had a sandwich with a side, another had a shrimp salad, and I had the lobster roll. As I've spend every summer in Maine for the last 15 years I know about lobster rolls. And this was way up there. The bun was nice and warm, the lobster meat varied between claw and body and mayo was left for me to add. I don't like much mayo, so this was great. And awesome value. You could easily add $6-9 in Maine for a lesser meal. We all walked away saying how good everything was. Service was excellent. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet, but staff are taking all precautions necessary. Recommended

Delicious food and tiramisu from the Half Shell -- Mendenhall. Today I ordered take out for lunch - Southern Style Crab Cakes and Gulf Shrimp Skewers - they were so good I forgot to snap a photograph! The only reason why I didn't rate today's visit 5 Stars was because of the 10 minute wait I had at the "to-go"/pickup section at the bar. I was the ONLY one waiting for pickup and it took me waving a waitress down to receive help.

I haven't been to Half Shell in over a year . The wait was 45 minutes and the noise level from 1 particular party was deafening. Several tables requested that the mgr ask them to please quieten down but that didn't happen . It was excessive. We were a table of 6 and couldn't have a conversation. Very dissatisfied and disappointed this time . Next time we will go elsewhere.

Came here for an early dinner one Sunday with a friend. The atmosphere is pretty loud, but they are distancing seating appropriately. All staff are wearing masks and cleaning tables appropriately after flipping. On to the food. Omg, it was awesome! So good that I've been back for lunch AND take out since. The oysters were awesome! The seafood nachos were outstanding, and that gumbo was dream worthy. My only issue is it is not consistent. I've ordered the same item and wasn't impressed the second time. For that, just 4 stars today. I'll still patronize so will keep posted on future visits

I'm not sure how I've missed reviewing this location as I've been here more times than I can count. I stopped the other night for a birthday dinner. We were seated pretty quickly. Our server was so sweet. He gave great feedback and a sample wine suggestion based on my preference ( they only had a dry reisling). He suggested the Pasqua Pinot Grigio. I will say that this was a great substitute. My meal choice was the blackened Mississippi Catfish Filet, which comes topped with fresh Pico de Gallo and served over a garnish of rice pilaf. It was soo good. Perfectly seasoned and cooked just to where it fell apart, just by tapping it with my fork. For dessert, the Brownie Sundae Ala Mode. This was perfect!!!

Sorry to say, but I don't see why anybody goes to this place. You get very little food at a huge price.

I went to the Half Shell with my mom & sister for dinner and I wasn't particularly impressed. I ordered a margarita, the chargrilled oysters, and a side of Brussels that were on their specials for the week. While the oysters tasted great, they were small (I went during December which is technically in season). The Brussels were NOT good - most restaurant style Brussels are so tasty - I was disappointed. Our waiter was inattentive and a little rude. I probably won't return.

I am truly only giving this place 4 stars because the hostess did not her job. When i wakes in, she just stared at me. No welcome, no hello, no nothing. So we stared at each other for a good 8 seconds before she asked how many. She asked for how many and my contact number. I provided my number which was a 423 area code and for some reason, she had a hard time with that. No, I'll call you when your table is ready or anything. I had to ask, will you call me? At that time she said yes. As a new diner, i was not aware of How the waiting process went. We came on a Friday evening around 5 and there was a 40 minute wait. No biggie. People were leaving so i didn't think we would be waiting a full 40 mins. After waiting in the car for exactly 40 minutes, i decided to go inside to see how much longer the wait would be. At that time she said she tried to call me but it wouldn't go through. I never got a call. But she was able to seat us immediately. The place is very dim (almost dark) In the corner we sat in. Anyway. Our waiter was pretty nice and fast! He quickly came over and ask for our drink orders and asked if we already knew what we wanted. I told him once he came back with our drinks we would be ready. He came back 4 minutes later and we were ready to order. My husband got the Catfish Pauline and i got Chargrilled Oysters with a cup of seafood gumbo. Our food came in about 10 minutes! Everything was really good! The oysters were very flavorful and the catfish was cooked to perfection. Only thing is, the catfish Pauline was supposed to have crab ontop and it was left off but we didn't ask about it again. The gumbo was spicy and delicious! Overall, the food was great! Will def be back to try something else on the menu!

Great service at the bar on Sunday afternoon. You can have cocktails and catch the game. I had the oysters & Italian spinach. Oysters were good although a little salty for my taste. Italian spinach was perfectly prepared. I also selected the lemon drop martini. Not as good as Houston's Restaurant lemon drop martini, but still pretty yummy. Be warned that they stay packed!! Even early when they first open! People love this place!

Mannnn I came here for lunch with high expectations but they weren't met I ordered the gumbo and a Caesar salad. The salad was okay but the gumbo was straight up trash. I'm so used to authentic New Orleans gumbo and but that right there was not it. But I wouldn't hold that against them. I'll def be back

I have tried both locations of this restaurant. The latest visit was the one on Winchester. The food was OK. The service was OK. But watch your bill and if you pay by credit card and include the tip by credit card be sure you keep the receipt. We did not. An additional five dollars was added to our credit card after we left. In addition, we were probably overcharged for what we actually ordered, our fault as we did not look at the itemized bill. Turns out that was $20 over what we actually ordered. Unfortunately, we don't have our receipts because we usually trust restaurants. But we won't do it again. Especially at this place. Bad food, bad service, and fraudulent billing.

Great food and our waitress, Jessica, could've been the best waitress I've ever seen. Absolutely amazing service from her. On top of it during a busy dinner service and remembered everything Highly recommend

We enjoyed a late dinner at the Half Shell. Although we arrived after 10pm, there was still a 30 minute wait. Once seated, the server came over right away. He was friendly and quickly took our drink orders. We ordered the seafood nachos as an appetizer and I tried the fish tacos. The seafood nachos were excellent! It only took us a minute to finish the dish. The tacos were good although I could only eat one. My Husband and son were both pleased with their selections as well. The drinks were reasonably priced at only $6. I tried a Mule and it was great. There wasn't a long wait for the food and the service was great!

While visiting Memphis for the first time, my friend was showing me around the city. We had stopped to get donuts and were about to pass Half Shell when he mentioned he'd been wanting oysters. I was down, so we pulled in to try them out. When we got inside, there was a short wait, so we sat on the bench at the entrance. In about 10 minutes, our table was ready so the hostess led us to it. Our server came and greeted us and then brought back waters. We were there strictly for oysters, so this was our focus. We were torn between chargrilled oysters and the half and half (3 Bienville and 3 Rockefeller), but decided to go with the half and half. We also ordered drinks, I can't remember ether name of my drink, but it was made with vodka, which I typically don't drink, but this was delicious! Our oysters came out within a few minutes and I noticed they'd given us 4 oysters Bienville and 2 oysters Rockefeller instead of 3 and 3 lol. I brought it to the food runner's attention and she got us another Rockefeller brought out a bit later. While the half and half was good, it was a lot...really heavy oysters lol. But the flavor was pretty good! We kinda wished we'd gotten the chargrilled but next time!

Louisiana has the lock on grilled oysters hands down but this place is on the same level. FRESH and cooked perfectly. That's all I have to say. Delicious. The pasta was full of seafood and the sauce had a nice kick to it. We ordered Little Red Corvettes (drink) and they were very well mixed! Not too strong but didn't taste like juice. I have no complaints.

This one of our favorite places in Memphis! We always sit at the bar and get great service! The food is always delicious!

Drove from Chicago to see the Memphis Sites. Found this place and the food was so good. Ordered the oysters, lobster and shrimp bruschetta. Service was great too. Definitely will return on our next Memphis trip.

I came here today with my daughter. It took an inordinate amount of time to even be acknowledged once we were sat. When the server did come, she was very nice and recommended a drink from cocktail menu at my request. I asked for a tequila that was of a better quality to be substituted. They did not have that particular liquor and she recommended one they they did have. The drink was horrible. I returned the drink. They also brought out horribly torched/burnt grilled oysters that they knew were burnt and still served. I did not return them and ate the very rubbery oysters. Long story short, they still charged me for the drink and the oysters (although they did send more home with me that I did not request). I spoke with the manager, Mike, about this and he is probably the most incompetent manager I've ever contacted. All in all, go across the street to a better restaurant but the service is lacking here folks. Do better.

Disclaimer: The only reason my rating is a 4 and not a 5 is because the parking is a hassle, and I think they used a lot of butter it seems in the mushrooms. Now that that's stated, I would like to say that the customer service was amazing! I did a to-go order while sitting in the parking lot. My server was Paige. I asked her to give me a call when it was ready. She did, and she even threw in some free mushrooms! She was so nice throughout the entire exchange that I asked to speak with the manager to share my appreciation. Oh, and my food was overall good too! I ordered the Royale with salmon. The salmon was crisp but not overcooked. The crawfish were kind of blah, but the complimentary mushrooms were delicious and made up for the crawfish. All in all, it was a great experience! God bless Paige for her customer service!

this is a first time to give a bad review of a restaurant. there are a few factors we tried to consider. it is the night after Christmas Day and it was getting busy. we ordered oysters He ordered raw and I ordered bienville. he knew immediately they were not fresh. The bienville mix was subpar. it was when I pulled out of my mouth a piece of plastic about the size of a dime that I was willing to overlook. the next bite I pulled out a 2" piece of plastic. we told the waitress to cancel our order and get the manager. never saw the manager and had to run down the waitress who still gave us a bill for the 2 drinks. it will be a very long time before we consider going back. too bad because we did like going there.

After working a long 12hr day. I looked up seafood as I haven't had any in a few weeks..."Half Shell" popped up after a couple scrolls down. It was 3_0 minutes away but they stayed open till 11 so I decided to venture out and try it, best decision I made all day. The setting is a tad too intimate at the bar but it wasn't the end of the world. I came by myself the bartender was very attentive and gave great service. I had 6 raw oysters for my appetizer honestly they weren't the best but I'm also in the middle of the country so it wasn't horrible. For my entree I had the half shell platter, A+ on the everything was cooked and season perfect. Definitely will come back when I'm in Memphis again .

Oldie but goodie! Stopped in here for lunch and it wasn't too busy. Our waiter was awesome. The service here has always been good. I started with some oysters they were yummy and I ordered son of a beach as my drink! Very fruity fun beach vibes drink! I ordered gumbo and crab cakes. Both were good. I loved the gumbo. The crab cakes were cooked perfectly. It had the crunch on the outside that most places don't have and the rémoulade sauce is amazing. My friend ordered the French dip. It was pretty tasty! There's something for everyone here. I think I'll try the nachos next! Those look really good! Til next! Happy eating!

Our first time but not our last. Excellent service and food. Great selections on the menu. We have added to our list to frequent.

First time being in the restaurant to eat since Covid. 2 days ago ordered out and the order was wrong and my husband had to go back to the restaurant to get correct order. Tonight, Paige Cooke (couldn't look you in the eye )aka manager has no social skills. We were in celebrating a birthday however we're quickly interrupted and told we had to be out in 30 min for someone else's party. We asked to be moved to another location and were told there was nothing available when CLEARLY there was. Being a Memphian my whole life and living in east memphis I was mortified by the behaviors of the waiter and so called manager. I will never beckon the doors of this joint nor recommend it to ANYONE. These kids need to remember, "It's nice to be nice." The waiter and "so called manager" won't get far. And the smell of urine.. awful!! I highly recommend extensive training of your staff in dealing with the public.

We came here really late, for a late dinner. It was one of the only decent restaurants that were open late. I have never been here before, but the establishment always has a lot of cars parked outside of it. So that means they're doing something right. We came in at 11 PM, we are ordered salad. Those were delicious salads. The blackened chicken on top of it was delicious. My husband also ordered the fried catfish to go along with his salad. He enjoyed it so much. They also had a variety of oysters that I can not wait to try on my next visit. I love oysters. Rockerfeller, Bienville and even Chargrilled.

Oysters were decent and the crab bisque was tasty!!!! It hit the spot for a late night snack in Memphis. We were seated immediately and they add 18% gratuity to all bills after 4pm.

When I tell ya'll that the chargrilled oysters gave me life!!!! Yaaaaaaaassss!!!! Ah-mazing!! And the voodoo sauce was just the right amount of kick! However, I didn't love the shrimp and grits. The grits were a "grit cake", but it was actually good and cheesy.... but the shrimp did not have ONE sprinkle of seasoning on them!! Not one!!! And when my server asked "How is everything", and I informed her, she said, "hmmm... but they're popular ". Not that I was necessarily expecting anything, but she didn't offer to make amends... oh well...

I was craving seafood coming from San Diego CA and I had eaten at Half Shell on Winchester about 12 years ago and thought that the food was pretty good, so I googled half shell and the One on men that all was the closest one to me I placed an order for the combo and it's a 2399 when I got there I was charged 2599+ a gratuity that took my bill up to $35 for a 2399 meal when I got it it wasn't worth it the food was cold and it taste nothing like it did 12 years ago so the manager comes out and he tells me that that's not his price that's on the website that google put that price and I had to pay the price of 2599+ they added the gratuity to bring the total to $35. it well you didn't do anything but fixed it to go won't be going back there again