The Half Shell

Never again! The worst service we have ever had! We sat next to a window which was filthy dead bugs in the window seal! Had obviously not been cleaned in a very long time! Our waiter was awful no personality took forever to get us things we asked for! The food was awful and cold! And they forgot my order completely! The list goes on!

King Crab Bisque is a must have… I have a salad with it and water for a low calorie lunch…

Not as good as the original location for me. Can be very inconsistent. They do have some items and a decent brunch. Nothing to write home about really.

It’s average I suppose. The service was good and the food was ok. I normally get a salad here. The bar area is small and there is a sour smell behind the bar. Almost as if they haven’t cleaned the floors in a while. It stinks.

I’ve been going to this Half Shell for years. Lately I’ve noticed that the management is horrible and rude to patrons for the smallest things, and despite the good food and great wait staff, the customer service has dropped tremendously. We no longer go to this location.

I enjoy the shrimp and grits and the Crab cakes. I like the margaritas and it works for me .I like the extended hours

So, last night my mother and I went to Half Shell on Winchester to grab a bite to eat. After the hostess sat us down we began to view the menu. As we are looking at the menu, a waiter walks up and asked what we wanted to drink. I hesitated because he just walked up out of no where and didn’t even introduce himself. So, anyway, I ordered a VIP and my mother ordered sweet tea. He returned back with the drinks. He asked if we were ready to order and my mom replied, «no not yet» because she was still trying to make her decision. He left the table and returned maybe 10 minutes later. So, when he finally returned we began ordering our meals. My mother said, «I would like to order the Half Shell PoBoy.» His response was «Um… well… Half Shell has a lot of PoBoys» with a kind of snappy attitude. My mom and I looked at each other and she informed him that she would like blackened shrimp after skimming the menu fir her options. Anyway, we order our meals and we eat. As we are dining, two other couples came in one sat behind us and the other couple sat in front of us. Both couples were not African American. So, I immediately noticed that he was the waiter for both tables. I could hear him walk up to the tables, 1) introduce himself, 2) inform them of the specials, and even made suggestions. This pissed me off because their are still people out here that are extremely prejudice. His attitude and tone was completely different.
Anyone who knows me knows that I tip really well. I normally start at $ 5 and let you determine if it goes up or down. My mother suggested a $ 1 tip but knowledge is more powerful so I left him a tip. «You should not make a difference between white & black customers.» His name was David (found that out from the receipt) and if you go in there I would not recommend him.

My review went out on the wrong address. This review was meant for Half Shell on Mendenhall. We went there at least five times and at first we really enjoyed it. After that we were always seated by the service bar which we didn’t mind too much. At least we thought the food at would be good. One, two, three times we were so disappointed in the food that I could not believe it. We ordered King Crab bisque and my friend ordered seafood gumbo. The bowl was not full and it was cold. I asked my friend if their seafood gumbo was hot and he replied; actually it is not even warm. Our salads were not good either. What was wrong? Was there someone new cooking? We just looked at each other. I just couldn’t leave there without mentioning it to our waitress. We were ready to pay our bill, and the manager came over and asked us what was wrong. This was not what we wanted; but I felt that I had to be honest. He looked at us like You have got to be kidding. We have so much business that we just have to at Good. It was embarassing to have to inform him of the situation. He comped the bill but that was not we had in mind. He said «I know you are good customers because I see you on here all the time». We went back a couple of weeks later and after ordering our food, we say there and watched all the people drinking around the bar. We ordered a glass of wine each. It was mid afternoon and there was a flare from the sun coming through the front window because the blinds were open. The glare hot right into my eyes. However, I did not say anything to anyone. Soon a bartender went over and closed the blind, because someone else complained about it. Right away a man set down at the table and opened the blinds were up again; letting the glare come through the window. I looked over st the bartender and he was looking at me. I said someone opened the blind again. The bartender was talking to the manager, and he said I was told him about it and he said to leave it alone. It was more important for the man at the

Average. Nothing too bad, nothing really great. Not in a hurry to return. First of all they do not support our American freedoms that so many heros have fought and died to protect. No firearms allowed on property.
Gumbo: the bowl is an excellent snack except for the occasional shrimp peel. Just prepare to order two or three bowls of it if you like it.
Voodoo pompano is special today. I almost got a paper cut on the fish it was so thin. The waiter explained that they are weighed and thickness depends on the cut.
Stuffed potato: very good at about 100 degrees. Would be better about 200 degrees. Real bacon and good cheese.
Eggrolls: just ok. Not much flavor.
The plus side: waiter extremely attentive. Drinks are constantly full. Quick and excellent service. Clean dining room and bathroom. They have a live band twice a week.
Not a bad place, but this experience although pleasant was just average.

I used to come to The Half Shell very often, but no so much recently. The current visit was to celebrate Father’s Day and I was very excited. Unfortunately, it’s not what I remember it to be. I got a dozen oysters on the half-​shell, which were ok (yes, I realize it’s June and it doesn’t end in «R» so what should I expect), but still they were marginal at best. The worst part was that they want $ 16.95 for a dozen oysters — you gotta be kidding me!
The other thing I got was an oyster po-​boy, and honestly that was pretty good. The bread is so fresh, soft, and tasty. The oysters were ok, I’ve had better — kind of disappointing to be honest.
Lastly, the service was attentive and not in your face, so I would call it good.
Will I go back — probably not any time soon, but then that’s not necessarily due to the quality of the meal I got today… more the fact that I just won’t get back for awhile.

I was in the mood today for a bloody Mary and an omelette, and so I stopped by. The bloody Mary was mostly ice, and small. Very overpriced for $ 4.50. I had the Half Shell omelette, which was tasty but only warm and not hot. The grits were cold. The silverware had to be sent back because it was not clean. On the plus side, our server was courteous and did a good job taking care of us.

I have been a Half Shell fan for many years! I can’t begin to recall all of the visits to the location in East Memphis. Danny and his team there have always done a phenomenal job of giving Memphis a place to enjoy fresh seafood.
When this location on Winchester opened about almost a decade ago we where ecstatic! A brand new Half Shell close to home! We enjoyed many, many meals here with friends and family over the years. The Voodoo menu has been one we really enjoy. I can eat their «fried shrimp» every day for every meal and I don’t think I would ever get tired of them. Gumbo, Mussels, King Crab Bisque, and you cannot beat the «Half Shell Combo». Fried Shrimp, Crab Cakes, and Blackened Catfish! Don’t forget the Oysters! Man!
Now to present day review… My wife and I accidentally got a free date night on Valentine’s Day. The Kids were gone and it was already 7:30 so we had to think fast. Half Shell! We haven’t been in a while (previous two visits our service was TERRIBLE, food still good though), so we thought we can try again. We arrive to find a pretty decent wait, which was expected…
As we waited, I began to see why service has faded here… The cliental, at least on this night, are terrible, horrible, uneducated, trash! I witnessed so many travesties of human nature that it was difficult to contain myself. There was one guy in what looked like a full NASCAR racing suit full of logos from head to toe. WTF? Who wears that? I asked him if he was being paid for his outfit… this drew sharp criticism from the wifey that got really pissed at me about that one… I guess its good he didn’t understand me anyway based on the blank look I got from him. Everyone else seemed to have the same ignorant overly self important without reason chip on their shoulder air about them. Attitudes were obvious and I felt completely out of place. This review would be 10,000 words if I kept going about this…
So, if this is how this place has become, you can count on it closing… The servers will leave to find better jobs because of poor tips and terrible customers, crappier servers will replace them, giving even crappier service which will lead to the comps getting higher and higher because management will stop giving a shit. The owners will start thinking about bailing when the lease is up because of the mess the place has become and turnover and profit loss out of control. Just wait…
All in all, I am sad… I want this place to be here for me… forever… I am willing to try one more time in hopes of seeing something different. Good Luck Half Shell.
The food on the Valentines visit was still awesome! Thanks for that!

I would eat here all the time if I lived in Memphis.
Best example of a mussels dish — their Asian-​style mussel bowl is top-​tier, best in class. The mussels are truly large and aren’t the typical shrunken orange type… they are edge-​to-​edge, plump Mediterranean mussels and the accompanying coconut-​milk-​based broth is delicately spiced. I loved it.
Also tried their house special char-​grilled oysters, which were delicious, and then finished off with a dozen raw oysters, which were as expected — the shucking was a *little* messy with some shell-​bits which can be hazardous to your teeth so just be aware.
100% going back for more mussels the next time we’re in Memphis.

This is a good place to eat. I usually get the hamburger when I go. This is a nice place to have lunch.

We have been a fan of The Half Shell for years. Very consistent with both their food and service. The Shrimp and Lobster Bruschetta is a great appetizer! Love the extensive menu and the more seasonal «specials» section. The Half Shell is my go to spot when guests are in town because there seems to be something on the menu for everyone. Sunday Brunch is great and typically you do not have to wait!

I’ve been looking for a brunch spot close to home and this is my top pick thus far! There are just a few issues per my preferences. The mimosa comes with one in a glass and the remainder of a mimosa bottle. I asked for orange juice to mix and got a shot on ice. This may have just been due to our somewhat flighty waitress. I’m not sure if she was her standard self or just very distracted, but it was evident. Service issues aside, I really like the place.
Per a quick Unilocal review, I tried the lobster bisque. It was lovely and made a nice little appetizer. It was very rich so I had less than half a cup to save myself for the entrée.
I ordered the Pain Perdu. It was wonderful although incredibly filling! I’m a sucker for a French Toast! This is close to what I had in New Orleans. Well, as close as I’ll get in Memphis, I assume.
My friend had the Half Shell Omelet and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’ll be back to try more!

Do you like salmon, catfish, shrimp grilled/​blacken to perfection? You will enjoy Half Shell! Lobster bisque is awesome! All of the «Voodoo» dishes are good. Also, the menu changes so nothing gets stale over the course of the year. The price is reasonable considering the cost of seafood. No «Fake Fish» is served. My only drawback is if you go after 11PM, prepare for the drunkards to arrive. Eat earlier in the evening if at all possible. The servers were friendly, but I have been there when there were slammed. My rating is for the food.

My — the memories this place brought back to me this evening!
I would guess that since this location was opened I have had about 125 meals here, but is has been at least a couple of years since my last visit.
The atmosphere (for me) was like slipping an a favorite outfit. Nothing has changed at all. The staff is always slightly above average to excellent.
After so many visits I think I have eaten almost everything on the menu — which is like a book. Normally I abhor those thick digests built to meet everyone’s culinary desire. But The Shell pulls it off. Never have I had a bad meal; though some are better than others.
What I do appreciate is that I can order from an appetizer menu and have different tastes without getting filled up.
This visit I skipped the oysters (ours on the coast are better), the red beans (ditto) and the Gumbo (which is actually pretty damned good).
Instead I had the shrimp rolls (yum, crunchy and moist at the same time) and the coconut mussels — served with warm french bread. They were a knockout.
When I lived «Up North» in Memphis their Monte Cristo was my indulgent food. It has about the same food value and calories as 2 dozen Dunkin’ Donuts but is it YUM!!!
There is a full bar and I was impressed they had my Tito’s vodka.
I withhold a star because the «regulars» can be a bit annoying, it is in a strip center on the edge of a seedy area and it seems to border between family place/​bar/​restaurant-​attempting to be gourmet. But the formula has worked for about 40 years, so who am I to judge?

I visited Half Shell restaurant today for lunch. I must say that this place is a seafood lovers dream. Everything from oysters, shrimp, crawfish, are on this menu. The selection is abundant. The appetizers are great as well. Shrimp eggrolls, Red beans and rice, gumbo, and oysters to name a few.
I had the Voodoo catfish amazing. The shrimp stuffing layered underneath and the catfish was cooked to perfection. It was seasoned just right, not greasy, with a touch of lemon. The broccoli was just ok. It didn’t taste fresh and I ended up not eating all of it. I attached a picture to show my entrée. All in all, I would recommend this restaurant.

We had the chargrilled oysters. They were pretty good. I wished they had a bit more of the smoky flavor from the grill, but the butter, garlic, & Parmesan they were floating in was about a «sopping,» artery hardening goodness all it’s own.
I had the oyster sliders. I must say I was a little apprehensive how one little oyster on a bun was gonna be enough «meat» because I really don’t like too much bread and usually end up pulling the extra off. But those little magic morsels were pretty near perfect. I could have stood for the buns to maybe be a little toasty, but that’s the only complaint you get from me. The fried oyster on a slider bun with a Cajun aioli, a slice of some Roma tomato, a little slaw, and some bacon made for some really tasty treats. The flavors really worked well together. The tomato was fresh, not mealy; the slaw crunchy, not soggy; and the bacon was crispy. Slap it on a slider bun with crispy on the outside perfectly cooked oyster and it was manna.
I’ll definitely be back.