Shell Shock Restaurant

I thought the food here was pricey, but just OK. I got the sleeping pig ramen and it was severely lacking flavor. ²⁄₅
However, the oyster deal is great! The oysters are large, tender, and cheap! I will definitely be back for drinks/​oysters during happy hour, but I probably wouldn’t get the food.

Nice restaurant! Love the interior design, hip but warm. We went for their Happy Hour, and it was great prices for pretty good quality. I had the Tequila Mockingbird and I think they were called the Killin Oysters/​Killer Oysters… And then the Crsipy Fish Tacos, which were a huge portion for the cost. Took a star off bc they only let you have a max of 24, $ 1, oysters. And when you have 6 people that’s nothing. And none of us found evidence of this «rule» on the menu. And the drinks are light, yes they are less expensive at Happy Hour — but would be nice to have a reasonable amount of alcohol! But overall, great experience.

********************** 1483 *********************
Shell Shock is an oyster bar, seafood bites and bar food spot. Serve be the sister restaurant next door XANH. While the food is nothing to be impressed, but the happy hour is a bargain, 4:30 — 6:30 PM on M-​THU & 3:30 — 6:30 PM on F-​SU, after 9 PM-​close on W-​SU. It’s definitely a fun place to hang out with friends after the office.
Happy Hour $ 1 oyster is definitely a place to be for oyster lovers if you can’t come to SF. Crab Fat-​Caramel Chicken Wings and Crispy Fish Taco were good too.
Maria the bartender is really nice and accommodating to guests. With the brightest smile, Maria is a star at the bar.

not sure if I would recommend, nice bar and great wine selection & drinks but the food was not ideal. won’t return
not sure if I would recommend, nice bar and great wine selection & drinks but the food was not ideal. won’t return
not sure if I would recommend, nice bar and great wine selection & drinks but the food was not ideal. won’t return

Shell Shock is a great restaurant for dollar oyster happy hours. Be wary though– they only offer it for an hour or so out of the entire duration of the allocated happy hour. For some reason, the dollar oysters are only offered till 5:30 when happy hour ends at 6:15, or something alone those lines.
My boyfriend and I came here for other dishes before, including the pork slider, garlic fries, and sweet chicken wings. The pork slider was primarily fat, which I wasn’t a fan of. The garlic fries were mixed in with cheesy tater tots which actually pleasantly surprised me. It was a great appetizer. The sweet chicken wings however were quite average, nothing new and not worth the price.
All in all, I’ll be back for the dollar oyster deal.

I love their happy hour!!! Service is great and attentive. Drinks are yummy and their $ 1 HH oysters are the best!

Love it!
Great rice bowls. The miso truffle pork belly is delicious! I also loved the bacon, tater tot and pretzels appetizer. We ordered two rounds!
If you go after 9pm them do a late happy hour menu. Great to grab a bite before a 10pm movie over at the cinema close by.
We have been here twice in the last two weeks and plan on making this a regular stop!
Very nice décor, great bar and overall a fun dinning experience!
If you plan to dine during peak hours on weekend I suggest making a reservation. It gets busy!

This review is strictly for the «Break An Egg» and fried crab rice bowl dishes.
Meh, what can I say? I’ve had better seafood experiences elsewhere. Maybe it was the dishes that I chose that were the culprit to my less than sub-​par rating.
The «Break an Egg» dish was okay. I would avoid the fried crab rice bowl – lacked flavor! The rice was also super soggy. None of my dishes were reminiscent of the ocean smell or taste.
Not to say I wouldn’t return again, I’d probably come back for the ambiance and order something else.

As a person who grew up in Mountain View and now only comes back a few times a year, I love experiencing new restaurants that pop up on the local dining scene. As a tradition, I like to bar/​restaurant crawl every holiday scene to see what’s out there for the new locals to eat. Shell Shock made that list this year because of the uniqueness of the food and drink specials.
I went to this place 2 times and I have to say each time, the bartenders were wonderful! This place definitely passed my «could I frequent this place» test because I would not mind hitting this place up by myself during happy hour for a specialty cocktail or a Bulleit Rye on the rocks and some $ 1 oysters.
The only downside to this place is that I wish happy hour was longer! It’s such a great find but if you are a person that works closer to the city, making back in time to enjoy those oysters would be difficult.
All in all, if you sit at the bar, you will have an amazing time people watch those walking on Castro and having lovely conversations with the bartenders or other solo happy hour goers.

Lovely Al Fresco dining spot! Casual seafood dining with yummy food.
Came here when weather was warmer. Their Moscow Mule was on point. I love their wings, which we ordered to share. I had their Salmon Poke Rice Bowl, which is refreshing, tasty, and full of flavor. I love the addition of avocado to the bowl, the creamy texture was a great compliment to the dish.
Our server was very attentive, and I appreciate her patience when my friend asked about drinks recommendation, since she wants to try something new.
We had a delightful meal, and enjoyed every second of dining at Shell Shock. :)

Great staff, so-​so food.
Chicken wings were over sauced, chowder was disappointing and actually tasted sour. Lobster tacos were decent – everything was right about it until you get a weird piece of dill pickle which ruined the fresh sweet and sour taste of the other veggies. Definitely go for the Vietnamese mussels if you get the chance. The seafood pasta is also pretty good. Edamame is also yummy – get the garlic ones.
Staff here is awesome. Super attentive.
Noise can get a bit overwhelming here. Surprising since it’s a fairly spacious space.
Food here is a hit or miss. Good luck, Unilocalers.

I’ve come here twice for the happy hour, as I am a BIG FAN of fresh oysters. The happy hour prices are good, but the selection of oysters for the happy hour deal is small — only 2 types are typically available for the deal.
The happy hour drinks selection is good, too. And the service at the bar is fast and friendly. The rest of their menu is also great — they have A LOT of varieties of oysters, plus lots of other apps and mains. Think Asian fusion — but I’ve not tried anything but the oysters and drinks.
I come here b/​c it’s super convenient if you work in Mountain View (and also close to CalTrain) and the oysters are fresh — what else do you need?!

Solid 4 stars here. Check in with the Unilocal app and get a free order of fries!
Swanky place on Castro St. and just a few minutes away from Caltrain, this is a solid happy hour spot in my book. They have a few different happy hour menus, Mon-​Thurs 4:30 — 6:30 PM and Fri-​Sun 3:30 — 6:30. They also have different prices from 9 PM-​Closing. Yes, a little confusing I know, but the big takeaways are $ 1 oysters from 4:30 — 5:30 and $ 3 beers!
Their small bites (appetizers) range from $ 4 – 12, which is pretty damn reasonable… you’re hard pressed to find those prices in SF. The pigs on a stick is really hong shao rou (for those of you who know what that is, Shanghai style braised pork belly) with truffle oil. Even though it’s only two pieces, it’s one the more filling items on their HH menu. The crab fat caramel chicken wing was probably my favorite though, crunchy on the outside and tender inside with just the right amount of flavor to pack it all in. Delish!
The only thing that I wasn’t too crazy about was the crispy mac & cheese balls… I felt it was way too dry and overcooked it by just a bit, but oh well no biggie. Service was fantastic and there is plenty of outside seating. On a cold day, they’ll turn on heaters stationed between the two tables. I’ll be back soon to try some of their other items!

Delicious, but heinously expensive.
I came here with two of my girlfriends. We are all (deceptively) small Asian girls, and by the time we were done with dinner, I was about 60% satiated and $ 40 poorer (meaning dinner cost $ 120 with tax and tip). We had:
Oyster sampler: 6 oysters, so 2 apiece. Very good start to the meal. Can’t remember how much it was… let’s say $ 12.
Yellowtail jalapeño: well praised by other Unilocalers. 5 pieces, so 1 – 2 bites apiece. $ 17.
Pigs on a stick: thank goodness for slightly more filling (but still small portions of) glorious pork belly. 4 pieces, a little over 1 bite each. $ 10.
Shell shock raw rice bowl: a reasonably generous serving of ahi tuna and two different kinds of poke. One small rice bowl sized serving each, $ 19.
Sea urchin pasta (half size): absolutely delicious with a good serving of uni. Probably 5 bites each, $ 14.
Chocolate lava cake: too rich and could not be finished despite our best efforts (and despite the fact that I at least was not super full). Probably 5 bites each, maybe $ 8?
Banana crisp: interesting bananas-​wrapped-​in-​egg-​roll-​skin served a la mode. One egg roll apiece with some ice cream, probably also $ 8?
So the average serving size per person: 10 bites of food, one small bowel of rice and poke, and 5 bites of cake plus a banana egg roll and some ice cream. For $ 40. If I was only 60% full, I can only imagine how anyone not a one-​hundred-​some-​pounds-​Asian-​female would feel. I mean, we could have strategerized it better: maybe a poke bowl apiece (or a full serving of the uni pasta), plus an appetizer or two. But then one does not get to really try their small bites and raw foods, which is where Shell Shock really shines… but also where they really price gouge you.
Overall, a delicious but frustrating experience, and I’d probably only go back for their happy hour, where you get to enjoy more of their raw food offerings for a little cheaper.

We were searching for a late night happy hour and chose Shell Shock based on the Unilocal reviews. We were not disappointed!
We were seated immediately and while I didn’t think we had waited long, a woman who appeared to be the manager or owner apologized for the wait and took our order and brought out our drinks/​food almost immediately. The food was all great and the house wine is good for $ 6 a glass. This place does add up quickly though!
We were just visiting town but next time, we’ll swing by!

Came here with the husband for a light dinner. I got a half dozen of the oysters which came with sparkling wine ($ 22) and very much enjoyed it. Oysters were fresh, clean tasting, had a good amount of liquor in them and prepped for easy eating (not still connected to adductor muscles). The glass of wine was a nice accompaniment. Husband liked his chicken sandwich and we were both happy to find a restaurant we could both eat at since he doesn’t like seafood and I’ve been craving it. I tried some of his fries and they were nice and crispy. Service was pretty good. We sat outside with our dog and staff asked a few times if we wanted some water for him. Very thoughtful. It’s also a nice touch that they have blankets for people sitting outside in addition to the gas heaters they have. Overall, a very nice place for date night. Will be coming back.

Love love love this joint. We are repeat customers to a point where we order the same things everytime!
Hamachi shots
Tuna tacos
Lobster tacos
Salmon poki bowl
Oysters
and my favorite Princess Bride bubbly drink.
Waitstaff is awesome here. Attentive and on point. If you sit at the oyster bar, you can watch the family quickly make patron’s dishes. Absolutely love this place!

4.5 stars really
The outdoor seating was a plus. With heaters, pillows, and blankets it was comfy and cozy.
And tiffany our server was outstanding
The mini ahi tacos are a must have;: artful, fresh seared ahi, and the guac and sauces paired on the inside of that crunchy shell rocked my world.
Edamame was tasty with the spices added. Good size portion. Garlic gave it the flavor and sesame seeds for texture!!!
Yellow tail jalapeño was the best I’ve had. Fresh fish, with the pop of fish eggs along with succulent juices and the crunch of he jalapeño mmmmmmmm mm mmmmmmm!!!
Did the dozen oysters and those were pretty damn good paired with basic sauces so we could really taste the oyster! Be sure to ask for extra lemon, they only give you 2.
Probably wouldn’t order the garlic butter prawns again, was good… but there’s better here!
Had two princess bride cocktail and was pleasantly pleased !
Will be back
Will recommend
Alright shell shock I’ll be back for another round

I came here on a Sunday afternoon and service was SERIOUSLY lacking.
I was very surprised that such a new restaurant with an upscale feel was absolutely hectic, short-​handed and struggling to maintain even basic initial orders. The restaurant appeared to be run by a family and three workers seemed to be age 16 or younger– their inexperience was painful and the poor boy didn’t even know what a Hefeweizen was!
Parts of our order were forgotten 2 – 3 times as meal orders from the kitchen piled up but the servers were too busy running around. I think a kitchen worker actually had to come out and become a server to take orders.
THE FOOD:
*Free house champagne with check-​in! (with any $ 10 entrée 11am-2:30 daily)
— They have great happy hour deals (otherwise it’s a bit pricey)
— A great selection of fresh, half-​shell, and/​or cooked oysters
I got the «Shuck You» and the ceviche oysters along with the grilled chicken rice bowl. The shuck you had jalapeño and bacon which I have never seen before! The oysters were fairly fresh and the diversity in toppings and serving options for the oysters was great.
This restaurant has serious potential with great menu options so it’s really unfortunate I caught it on such a horrible day. While the food was decent, the fact that the owner wasn’t present and a server didn’t come in for their shift makes for a critically negative impact on the very necessary reality of needing to impress Downtown Mountain View locals and the city’s concentrated novelty restaurant culture.
—-
UPDATE:
The owner personally reached out to me to apologize for my experience with an honest sincerity and generously offered to reimburse us for the unfortunate mishap during my visit. Considering the food and menu options, I do believe that Shell Shock has some great potential and is a fun place for dates or happy hour.

Where do you go to get a good oyster fix… right here at Shell Shock hahaha…
So before I begin my actual review, I just wanted to throw out there that this restaurant is one of those restaurants whose appetizers are better than it’s entrees… not saying their entrees are bad b/​c they’re not at all, but if I wanted a meal, I would make it out of the appetizers…
The look of the place is nice, and there was hardly anyone there for a Saturday afternoon, with the exception of the people sitting outside. Since I checked in on Unilocal!,I got a free glass of champagne, so that was off to a good start. The servers are really nice and attentive.
Our orders, which again was mainly appetizers:
–Pigs and tots: Basically tater tots with bacon in it with jalapeño beer cheese sauce on the side… cute presentation, and good appetizer (but heavy) overall
–Pigs on a (chop) stick: pork belly with truffle citrus sauce and miso glaze… oh yeah, give me more please lol… mmm…
–Oysters! So there’s a separate menu for this… half of the page has a list of raw oysters and other garnishes that come with it, and the other half of the page is the same thing except the oysters are cooked… so my friend and I ordered the raw oyster sampler… it came with 6 (1 of each of the 6 types of raw oysters they were serving)…I usually don’t eat raw oyster, and I could barely get past the 2^nd one, however the raw oyster with ponzu sauce tasted very good… my friend said all the raw oysters tasted good as well… I forget what type of cooked oyster we ordered, but it had pork belly, and man was that hella bomb… loved the taste of the cooked order, and of course loved the taste of the pork belly…
Entrees: (Just when you thought we would get full off of it huh)
–My friend ordered the Lobster Rumble that came with a side of salad. My friend said the sandwich was good
–I ordered the Miso Glaze Chilean Sea Bass. The dish was tasted good – loved the crunchiness of the kale and how the miso glaze fit with the Chilean Sea Bass. However… there was a bit too much of the sauce, and the size of the fish looked very small compared to the rest of the dish… it’s probably b/​c of all the kale that was «drowning» my plate lol… I mean, it was HELLA kale lol… I could barely finish half of my meal b/​c I was so full from the appetizers…
I wouldn’t mind going back here again… if I did, I would want to try their pork belly ramen… not that I was trying to be a creeper or anything, but the girl sitting at the table adjacent to us had the pork belly ramen, and it looked hella bomb hahaha…