The Half-Shell

ok, i unfairly rated them 4 stars on the merit of the single slices. i got a pie which was much better. i just think they don’t make a lot of single-​slice pies. get the gyro, get the gyro pizza, get the greek salad, fries. there are not a lot of old school local eateries like this these days. firefighters and police officers love this place, there’s a lot of local love here.

I recently moved to the porter area (just a few blocks from the Half Shell, actually) and I’m so happy I found this place.
I’ve been here half a dozen times in the past month, and have not been disappointed once. So far, I’ve tried the chicken gyro, the lamb gyro, the pizza, Caesar and Greek salads and the steak bomb. All have been delicious.
On top of that, the folks running the place are super nice and accommodating. The food is prepared quickly and always top notch. One of my favorite places to eat in the area.

After a long day, all I really wanted was pepperoni pizza with fluffy crust. So I found this place on Unilocal and decided to try it. I’m glad I did! I got my pizza as well as a Greek salad, and both are everything I wanted them to be. The pizza has fluffy crust and the perfect ratio of crust to toppings, and the salad is fresh and tasty.
I also have nothing but positive things to say about the staff here. The man on the phone and the man who delivered my pizza were both incredibly friendly and helpful.
All in all, I absolutely recommend this place — enjoy!

I love this place. It’s unpretentious with a helpful staff and affordable, yummy food. I order the garden salad and ask them to sub the greens with spinach and it is delicious and healthy. The portions are huge and they are open late.
In the winter, I live on their chicken soup. So good. I sometimes order two and save one for later.

Great pizza and lasagna. Their calzones are fantastic. I frequently get them. I also come to this place for large party orders of 30 people or more. They’re great and very helpful with these. The delivery is always on time, which is crucial for large party orders. Mike, the delivery person, is great: friendly, helpful, punctual. I definitely recommend this place.

Ok this review comes after MANY deliveries this summer. This place is fantastic! It’s a super fast delivery and the food is really quality. I have only had the sandwiches and fries but legit they hit the nail on the head every time! I am a sandwich person and I usually make my own bc I am really picky about the ratios and the condiments. The bread is never soggy when delivered (even when I get oil on it) and the fries really are always crispy (need a little salt but crispy). The price is great for what you get. I usually get the turkey sub and the small is HUGE! We’re talking at least 2 meals worth. Got the turkey club today to try it out! delicious, I even stopped eating half way to take a pic!
Will continue to order from here!

Why even focus on 1 or 2 star restaurants when we can give our attention to a 5 star local restaurant like Half Shell.
Thank you for feeding me this homemade food, cooked with love and care, with tomato sauce that tastes like my Italian grandmother made it!
Eggplant parmigiana — excellent! I am stuffed! Grazie Mille!!!

This is by far one of my favorite go to pizza places. I absolutely love their chicken salad sandwich on white (toasted) especially since it is more savory than sweet. In my experience, the pizza has always been pretty good. The grilled chicken salad is quite filling and they give you a lot of chicken! They definitely serve generous portions in general for a very reasonable price. I go out of my way to get food from here so I would definitely recommend it!

One of my favorite places to eat. Delicious gyros above all else, with a great selection of subs, pizzas, and pastas as well. I haven’t had the breakfast options myself yet, but I’ve also heard great things about them. Portion sizes are generous, and prices are cheap for the area given the value you get (taste and amount). It’s pretty casual, with only two-​person tables and rather slow service, so don’t expect anything fancy. But if you’re looking for a cool local classic, Half Shell is a great place to chow.

I’m confused about this place… pizza was nasty! I ordered a cheese pizza with green peppers and onions. I like that they put a lot of toppings, but they were just on top of the melted cheese so they fell off easily. I also didn’t care for the cheddar cheese mixed in. The outer crust tasted store bought and the inner part of the pie was soggy.
Mozzarella sticks were good. Good amount of food for the price, quick delivery, good customer service.

I’m not a big fan of this place, I know it’s popular but the pizza wasn’t very good and the people working there weren’t overly friendly, they weren’t mean but not nice either, for the price the food wasn’t worth it.

I have ordered from them multiple times the gyro and it is pretty good for american gyro but not quite as good as the original greek gyro that I have been searching for, which is why I am giving 3 stars only. They are really nice though and I have already been there 3 – 4 times.

I will always come here to eat. They serve breakfast lunch and dinner for more than reasonable prices. On my second visit, the guy already remembered me and knew what I wanted. This place is for local people who live in porter square, and respect a sense of community. So to the bloggers and food critics of Unilocal,stand clear because this spot is for real people. Shout out to half shell! Awesome people!

Great pasta and tomato sauce! Wonderful garlic bread.
Cozy atmosphere. Friendly owners. Good place to talk to strangers.
Open late!

Is this place open still? I’ve called at least five separate times (both numbers) in the last two months and they never answer. The salads are amazing!

love the gyro pizza! delicious. Not to mention the salad is always good and fresh.

Paul and Hope (the owners) are a delight to know, in person. They have one of the the best cheese pizza slices. I live in the neighbourhood and you will always be greeted by smiling faces when you enter. You can have your subs custom made and the custom made pizzas are made with CHEESY love!!!
Great place for a quick, casual bite!!!

So pros and cons: don’t like the gryos, but LOVE the salads. They are huge and delicious I could eat them everyday. Maybe I will eat them everyday! It says they are open everyday!
Wait
That lies. This is the second Sunday in a row now that I’ve gone, craving a delicious salad and it’s been closed. Nowhere does it indicate it closes on Sunday, but apparently it is does.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, now I’m just mad and very hungry!!!
Please post accurate hours. Bah.

This place has great salads! Plentiful greens and veggies with tons of chicken. A large is good for two meals. Definitely a great option for a healthy delivery meal. Get some feta too… yummy.
I can’t speak for anything other than the salads.

I’ve been here only once, today in fact, since a friend who lives in the area recommended their gyros to me. Wow! He was not joking. Definitely one of, if not the best gyro I’ve ever had! It was fully loaded and the bread was excellent.
I’m not in the Porter Square area very often, but the next time I am you can damn well bet that I’ll be stopping by The Half-​Shell for another heavenly gyro! The man who runs the place was lovely too. He asked me how my gyro was and I gave him the Italian three finger kiss to the air… he seemed to appreciate that.