Half Shell Oyster House

Half Shell Oyster House in Gulfport exceeded all expectations! The oysters were absolutely incredible—perfectly cooked, packed with flavor, and downright delicious. The red beans and rice were also a standout, full of rich, comforting goodness. On top of the amazing food, the service was top-notch, and the ambiance made the dining experience even better. I will definitely be returning for more! Highly recommend!

I had the crab and corn bisque and the voodoo shrimp appetizer ✓ My husband had the oyster Poboy, and was disappointed with the amount (lack of) oysters. A couple of beers were also had. And ended with the bananas foster cheesecake to go! It was yummy ! We enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant.

Very fine place to visit! Food and service was great! My waiter Thomas was accommodating and made sure to keep our drinks full! I enjoyed the Mahi Savannah with sweet potato creme brûlée with honey butter for my side! The blackberry margarita was amazing! I ordered two! Overall, I’d come back. We came for a girls dinner with a large group! If you have a large group, come early. We had to wait a little bit but it was worth the wait!

Man I will star by saying Hey Man Say Man I haven’t experienced food this good since my trip to Italy laste year. I can even begin to explain how good there food is its amazingly fresh. I could say it’s amazing it’s delicious it’s incredible and all that would be true. It is most definitely a one of a kind experience you will never forget my wife and I are from Dallas Tx a city with some of the most amazing food in the country but I have been really impressed with the food in Gulfport Ms. My wife and had lunch here we started with Shrimp Orleans followed by Crab and Shrimp dip and finished it off with the Shrimp and cheddar homemade Grits all in can tell you if you are in or near Gulfport Ms it is definitely a 10 out 10 and I must come back and try again. And I can’t forget I also had there amazing Red Beans and rice. The service was amazing the restaurant was very clean even the restrooms were clean and that’s always a plus. I waiter was Chip he was very knowledgeable about the menu. He was very attentive. He was overall the great waiter. I highly recommend asking for also he was very helpful and giving us information of the surrounding cities and things to do near Gulfport Mississippi, which we really appreciate it as first-timers in Gulfport our overall experience at the half shell was absolutely amazing. Please treat yourself. Don’t cheat yourself. Have your oyster house and go for Mississippi is off the chain.

I came to Gulfport for my birthday weekend. I googled restaurants in the area trying to find somewhere to eat. I found this place and looked at the menu and posted pictures. Everything looked good but being a tourist town I knew the prices were gonna be high. We chose to eat here expecting to drop some money. When we arrived it appeared to be a "Hole in the wall" type restaurant. The wait was 20 minutes and there were 15 parties ahead of us. We sat outside enjoying the surroundings while we waited. When we got inside and to our table we were immediately greeted by our server. We got the oyster sampler and were blown away by the taste and quality of them. The wife ordered Mahi Savannah and I ordered the Royal Red. Both meals were phenomenal. I can't say enough amazing things about this place. I'll tell everyone about this place and will run back ASAP.

Great service and food. Choices of different grilled oysters is great. Steak is always cooked to proper temperature. Drinks are great. Close to the beach and hwy.90. Can not go wrong with this location. 5/17/25 Server Lisa H. was great on this particular visit.

Half Shell is simply amazing! I've never had less than a 5 Star meal in this restaurant. The food is delicious and the customer service is phenomenal. Everyone in the restaurant (waiters, bartender, and hostess) are friendly and courteous. This restaurant is a Gulfport staple... can't miss. Don't hesitate to dine there ever.

The food was ok, wasn't as tasty as it has been in the past. Maybe just an off day. Presentation was great.

5/5 Stars Had an amazing experience at Half Shell Oyster House! Our bartender/server, Jillian, was fantastic--attentive, helpful, and made sure we had everything we needed. The food was incredible from start to finish. The char-grilled oysters were fantastic, full of flavor and perfectly cooked. The crab and shrimp dip was rich and tasty, a perfect starter. The seafood pasta was a generous portion and packed with fresh seafood. The red beans and rice had just the right amount of spice--bold and delicious. And to top it all off, the cinnamon roll bread pudding was absolutely to die for! Highly recommend this spot for great food, excellent service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Definitely a 5 out of 5 for me!

Cute little restaurant to have lunch. Big menu, good offering of food and drinks. Also, a good selection of food orders in lunch size portions. We enjoyed the fried shrimp. They were fresh and well prepared. The accompanying salad was crisp and fresh. My husband enjoyed the charbroiled oysters and redfish entree. Our server was very good. She did her job behind the bar and still checked on us often. She did her best to make good recs based on food allergies. Would definitely recommend.

What a terrific place to eat while visiting Mississippi's Gulf Coast while on business. Even on a Sunday night, the place was packed. That either means tourist trap or LOTS of fans. Based on my meal, it's the latter. The menu looked incredible and I wish I could have ordered one of each! But, I settled on the dozen oyster sampler. Oysters are in the name and I was on the Coast. Am I glad I did! There wasn't a bad one in the bunch. A great variety of flavors and the oysters were well sized. I had peanut butter cheesecake for dessert. Incredible! The restaurant has a big interior, with a fish house feel. Terrific. And I can;t say enough about the very friendly staff. Lots of smiles and warm greetings. I'll be back!

Stopped in for a quick bite and a beer. Erin was our bartender she was funny and helpful. We never waited for anything. Best tuna dip we have had in a LONGtime! Oysters were delicious as well. Restaurant is well kept and clean.

The food was meh disappointing at best for an oyster house we expected so much more.. The oysters were small and when my grilled oysters in half shell came out barely grilled more like steamed I sent them back to ask that they be baked/Grilled more & they came out so over done they were hard to even find in their charred shell! Seemed chef knew no happy.medium! We'll be giving them a rest for while. Been to two locations, Gulfport and Covington and not impressed with either. The restaurant was practically empty so I suppose my opinion isn't unique. We've been a half dz times probably including the Tuesday special and each time underwhelmed. Too many other great oysters eateries so we'll pass Half Shell Oyster House up in future.

I decided to dine because I was in the mood for seafood. I'm glad I did! I came in right before happy hour and I was one of the only customers there. I decided to sit at the bar. The bartender was nice and attentive. I ordered the crab dip and fried shrimp platter. Everything came out hot and fresh. The fried shrimp were the star, seasoned and fried perfectly! I definitely got my fix!

I do not live in the area and it has been a few years since I've visited. The last time I was here, I went to the Half Shell in the Hard Rock Cafe. So when we came down for a wedding, I knew it would be a stop. There were 13 of us and we went to the Gulfport location. It did not disappoint. I got the Chicken Alfredo. Everyone loved what they had. I hope it is not so long before we are back!

We were travelling back to LA from FL and we stopped in Gulfport for lunch. I am so glad we did. The food here is out of this world, not to mention the service and the actual restaurant setting. We had royal red's which were so good. We can not find them too easily in New Orleans. We tried the crab cakes and they were phenomenal. My favorite item that we ordered was the red beans and rice. We have great red beans in New Orleans, but these were as good id not better. I can not wait to be back in Gulfport so that we can go back to this restaurant. I do not give out many 5 star ratings, but this place absolutely deserves 5 stars.

The Food, service and ambiance was amazing . highly recommend! seafood sampler, charbroiled Oysters, Shrimp Pasta and Sweet Potatoes Crème Brûlée were all amazing !!!

Food was good. Too expensive for what you get Service was excellent Ambience was good No elevator up to the 2nd floor

Updated review for Halfshell Gulfport, my last review was 7 years ago. However, we dine pretty consistent here, I would say every quarter. Starting off 2024 with a Friday night dinner at Halfshell, we ordered the following as pictured, Royal red fish, mahi, oyster sampler, and kids cheeseburger. As always our food was great, flavors were wonderful and always consistent. The charbroiled oysters are always a favorite! Our server was pleasant and attentive, we also got sat right away tonight! Which never happens, lol. I always prep myself to wait here for a table but I guess it was our lucky night. The ambiance at this Halfshell is consistent with others, it's relaxed, casual and a great place for a family to dine in or date night. Til next time, Halfshell!

Food was delicious, experience was nice. I loved the vibe by the bar, a lot of moving pieces to make that place run! Great Job Halfshell crew! You made our date night special!

Fantastic service, it always is. Food was pretty good, but it feels like shortcuts have crept in through the years. For example, the crème brûlée was not crisped or heated on top. It was just some raw brown sugar and a dollop of butter. It tasted very gritty and overly sweet.

The oysters were absolutely amazing, our waiter was spectacular and the atmosphere was very nice but casual. The oyster bar is amazing!

Our waiter was extremely rude and disrespectful towards my wife! We had lunch February 10 at about 11:30 after hearing wonderful things. Ordered a beer and a wine and started with the gumbo. The gumbo was ok, nothing special. (The gumbo at Island View and Beach View Casinos are much better) My wife was trying to decide between the Uptowner Quesadilla and the Seafood pot pie. Told the Pot pie was excellent she went with that. After a few bites she exclaimed to me "this is bland" i tried it and agreed. our waiter asked how was everything to which my wife explained het thoughts. He acted like she had insulted one of his children. "well your the first one to ever say that! we sell over $2 million a year!!!" She said im sorry but it just doesnt taste very good, it's bland! He reluctantly took it back and brought out the Steak Quesadilla which was decent. It said it had five cheeses on it, but the meat kept falling off and we didn't notice any cheese on it that could possibly even hold it together.! I got the triple steak burger, and AT his recommendation added the fried egg. It was tasty obviously quality meat, but seem to lack even the most basic of salt and pepper. while finishing our meal, the chef im assuming came from the kitchen to let us know that three others had tasted the pot pie and all agreed it was wonderful. Looking at us as if we were from a different planet. We felt very embarrassed and very humiliated. needless to say we will never go back or have anything good to say about the place.

I was in town for business with a colleague and one of our local team mates suggested Half shell to us. We definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. Our waitress Jill was absolutely amazing. She was very attentive, she made sure our glasses stayed full and she was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. The only downside.....not a big enough stomach to eat all the food on the menu . We will be back the next time we are in town and the next and the next. Great job Jill and Half shell

We went for lunch Saturday 1/18 it was not a very good experience! After the food was served, the waiter only came back to see if we needed a Togo box! We had ordered; crab claws 4 A Seafood platter 2 U call that a seafood platter? It had 3 oysters, 4 small shrimp and 1 pice of fishy fish that was horrible a steak1 it was not cooked the way my wife ordered it! Still mooing! No one came to check on how the food was so she brought her steak home and cooked it! Very loud and obnoxious bunch of African women (drunk) was the ambiance! Never never again! The place has gone to hell!

The redfish royal and redfish New Orleans was scrumptious. I got side dish of cheese grits and my husband got the sweet potato brûlée, awesome! We also ordered a dozen of oyster Rockefeller, so very delicious. The entire staff was friendly and our server Erin was the best. She gave us advice on the entrees. We are here day after Christmas and the Christmas music was very festive. The ambiance was gulf coast casual and a flavor of New Orleans. Murals of Bourbon Street and wrought iron railings. Husband and I enjoyed the warm, cozy time here at lunchtime. Will definitely come back!

Our server Nisha was so great! My husband liked his shrimp and grits and said he would give it a 4/5. I had the voodoo chicken sandwich which came with a Caesar salad and would give the chicken sandwich a 3.5/5 and the Caesar salad a 1/5. It was just too salty somehow. We had the fried green tomatoes and crab cake appetizer as well. I'd give it a 3. Overall, we'd probably try another place instead the next time we're in the area.

Love this place. We come to gulfport just to eat here...Food is always exceptional. Service is also top notch

OMG, we had the chef special oyster they have such great flavor and just melt in your mouth. The lobster excellent. Crab claws flavor melted on your tongue. Drinks were the best I've had, the Berry Martini and the Bloody Mary are both must have.

Service was spot on and the food was outstanding! Short review, but it's hard to express anything negative. Ya gotta check it out fo sho!

Always delicious food and good service. The Royal Reds are our favorite. If you go at peak times, you should make a reservation.

I honestly wish this was a five star review, every time I come here the service and atmosphere just great. The food has always been top-notch. We come here for the oysters Orleans, the flavoring and cook is amazing. This last visit they weren't cleaned very well and had some shell in about half of them. It happens, but unfortunately is also happened with my corn and crab bisque with bits of crab shell. The flavoring for this bisque is the best I've ever had and the meat ratio is perfect. Notable mention are their Salads, always on point. I prefer the Caesar, but the Half Shell salad is good as well.

First and foremost I want to say I absolutely love this restaurant and always try to patronize it when I'm in town; however, my latest visit was VERY disappointing. The server was okay but hard to find at times. The food was average at best and almost subpar. My bf and I LOVE oysters and we were excited to get the chargrilled oysters but what we were presented was unacceptable. I had to ask the server to re-fire 6 of them because they were completely burnt. Without the stuffing my eggplant would've been completely bland. He ordered the pasta and gave it a 5/10 due to lack of sauce. I hate we didn't enjoy ourselves but I'll be back to give them another chance.

We went to the Half Shell Oyster House in Gulfport yesterday . Both of us had royal red shrimp. Both of us loved them. Our waiter did a great job. Always checking to see if everything was good and made sure our glasses stayed full. I have been to this one in the past and have also been to the two restaurants in Biloxi also. I will definitely come back.

Food and service was fantastic. Absolutely worth the trip. Our server was Nisha. Absolutely perfect. Can't rave about this place more!

Absolutely MUST TRY the New Orleans style!!! I was HIGHLY impressed with this place and I'm from the New England states where this type of cuisine is even more authentic and I felt right back at home. The oysters and clams were both an absolutely spot on and the claim chowders had me feeling like I was back in cape cod with my late husband all over again truly amazing food! The s'mores cheesecake was so rich and chocolate delightful. Also the server was Very professional and very nice . I will definitely be bringing my boyfriend again for another road trip we found our new place .

Amazing!! We arrived with a large group and were seated immediately. Service was amazing and food was amazing. Everything arrived at a timely matter! I loved the ambiance. You can arrive in a very casual look for even a business look here it doesn't matter. We ordered the Rock Oysters, it was very good but my favorite is the charbroiled oysters! Something about the grill taste with seasoning butter sauce and the bread makes a great combination. My entree for the day was the red fish with salad and the yam parfait. I loved the butter and brown sugar with it! You need to try this combination! My fish was very well seasoned, slightly over cooked but I was very very happy to even complain about it! Thank you for your southern hospitality!

Would give it 6/5 stars if I had that option! plenty of space with a double decker seating inside. Ended up choosing the sautéed greens and seafood pie. The greens was absolutely out of the world good - yes we are only talking about pan frying greens but it's amazing how bad it tastes at most places, here you can taste the clean, fresh, and cooked taste of greens. The seafood pie was great also - could taste the sea in them - that also may sound strange with all the processed fish in restaurants.

Portion size and ambience is great. I did not stay. I ordered food to go, but very impressed with what they have done with the location.

Wow!!!! Just wow!!! Delicious oysters. The seafood pot pie is my absolute favorite. We sat at the bar downstairs. It's small area. Bartender was excellent. Food came out fast. This is one of my favorite restaurants.

We came down for a few days to celebrate our anniversary and to have a little time to ourselves. Tonight we came and ate here, debating if it was called Half Shell Oyster House when we celebrated our 25th Anniversary here 9 years ago. We were seated immediately. Our server came over quickly and we ordered drinks and Charbroiled oysters to start. The oysters were small, but still very good. For dinner my husband ordered the Ruby Reds and I had the Royal Redfish. This is the best meal I have had in a very long time. The Redfish was cooked perfectly and the Royal Reds with sauce was amazing. I cannot tell you how delicious this meal was. I can return home happy and satisfied. Great anniversary dinner with a complimentary cinnamon roll bread pudding for dessert.

Staff was super friendly and helpful in directing me to some of the best options. Ambiance was fantastic, dim lighting to add intimacy and jazz playing at the right level (a nice background, soft enough to let conversation flow) Food was great. Unfortunately out of redfish on the night I went, but the Mahi topped with Crab was a phenomenal substitute! Grits were a nice choice of side as well!

Good restaurant, many of colleagues recommend, good service and reasonable price, like oysters. Taste delicious.

Wow! The spinach dip was some of the best. The redfish orleans was spicy and with the cheese grits it was even better. Best place to eat in Biloxi

We had our first dinner on vacation at half shell oyster house. The food was good! The grilled pineapple margarita was AMAZING. Our server was extremely friendly and overall loved the atmosphere.

My bad for ordering the seafood platter, it was fried and could have been from anywhere. Certainly not fine dining. Can't say I would have given anything on the platter more than a 3 out of 5. The sweet potato Creme Brule was decent, as was the voodoo shrimp. Our waitress was attentive and we were seated promptly.

Met an old buddy here a few weeks ago on a x-country trip. We sat at the oyster bar and devoured 5 doz roasted and raw oysters, and a few ice cold beers. Giant ultra fresh oysters. Had a blast talking to the locals. LOVE this place. LOVE Gulfport. Gotta go here.

Really great selection bbq'd/baked oysters, they were delicous! I was in Gulfport a few weeks ago with a few co-workers and they were raving about these bbq'd oysters that we had to get. I'm not a fan of oysters, clams or mussels so I was definitely not looking forward to this place. However, my attitude changed when plates of 4 different types of oysters came to the table, bbq'd, baked and seasoned all sorts of ways. My fav and the big hit was the chef's special, a cajun seasoned baked oyster but they were all fabulous. I can't wait to get back there. No photos on this one however.

Loved the oysters but a 6 inch for that price is excessive. Drive on to New Orleans. You'll get a 12 inch there for the same price.

Wow! Just wow. Every bite and sip was absolutely delicious! We sat at the bar, served by Ray, and he knows his stuff! The drink he rx'd for me was so perfect and tasty! He heard me mention Ginger Beer and rx'd the Cucumber Ginger Breeze. Fantastic! I lost my mind over the Shrimp and Grits, and highly rx them! Great food. Great service! We will be back!

Regular go to for lunch and dinner. fast always good. Chargrilled, Orleans style oysters, are my favorite

A true five star restaurant, and well deserved. A wonderful, low-key old-school adult ambience. The top shell margaritas were exquisite. My Redfish Orleans was smooth and spicy, a terrific use of oil sauce, and the cheesy grits were a perfect accompaniment. My wife's seafood sampler was more than she could finish - she particularly enjoyed the mahi-mahi, done perfectly, along with a variety that included crab, shrimp, hush puppies, and Boudin balls. Our waiter was attentive and prompt, and at least two management types stopped by to ask if we were satisfied. A wonderful experience, which I will repeat next time I am in the area!

The food was good but nothing really jump out as far as flavor. We had the sampler oysters for a starter. Followed by an order of fried oysters and lobster bisque for the wife and a po boy and mashed sweet taters for me. It was relatively quiet for a nice meal to be able to just visiting. The waiter and his service/ recommendations were probably the best part about the restaurant.

Food, service, ambiance is an understatement. The chargrilled oysters and entrees are hard to compete with. This restaurant is in my top 10 seafood spots outside of New Orleans. Must try!

Great Oysters and Royal Red Shrimp. Great atmosphere and service great location plus a New Orleans vibe

We enjoyed our Dinner here. Service was excellent , waitress made suggestions, was very sweet and prompt with our cocktails, and food. Restaurant was clean and the music was at a volume perfect for dining. We will be back. Kudos to you all.

Food and service was amazing the guys at the oyster bar were entertaining and welcoming