Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Half Shell

    3.6 (369 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Half Shell Photos

    Business Info

    HALF SHELL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Half Shell

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Group shot
    Adam H.

    How in the gash darn hell have I not written a review for The Half Shell Memphis?!?!? I've been coming here since birth. Ok. Maybe not that long. Most definitely since I can remember. My parents had the blandest worst taste for food, so I was a depraved child as far as flavor was concerned. We ate at very blah places and my Mom was the pickiest person in the world, but.... She loved this fried shrimp! So we came here often. I grew up in Parkway Village so we were always nearby. Fast forward to my Yelp days. My first CM, Joelle had a part ownership of this place when I first started Yelping. We even had her going away party here when Yelp ruined the Memphis Elite Program with part time CM's for our city. She was part owner and we hung out there so it seemed inappropriate to write a review. Besides, I knew Danny pretty well too and that was also a conflict. Nowadays it's been bought by the folks that turned Forrest Hill Grill around. They have closed the location on Winchester (which I called years ago) and opened up in Germantown on Poplar. I have no idea who these people are so I guess it's time. I have not been to the new one, but I have seen the menu. I do not have any intentions of rushing to try it. Seems as if they butchered the whole dang menu. Anywho.... I still like this one. It's pretty run down, but the food is still good. It's still the original menu with all the treats. They have a freaking Monte Cristo sandwich folks! I know of less than five places left that still serve them. When is the last time you saw a twice baked potato? Here it is!! They still have a changing weekly, "daily special". They still have an intense regular bar business. Good luck getting a seat at the bar at any given time. Best of all they still have those damn tasty fried shrimp! Oh they are so good! The best ever man. The sauces they serve are great. I've been up and down the menu and it's almost always great. Oysters are some of the best charbroiled that there are anywhere in Shelby County. Long live OG Half Shell! Please never change! '25 - 44/111

    Wings
    DeMario J.

    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....))

    Club sandwich with stuffed baked potato
    Tara H.

    Upon walking in, the place looks interestingly nice. There is a dress code as far as full clothing required which is understandable for any restaurant in my opinion. Our server was very nice and helpful. I met my husband for lunch here and I had our 2 year old with and other servers that walked by engaged with him and were friendly as well. The food we got was good, but nothing amazing. The only thing I didn't care for and would not order again was the lobster dip. It was missing something, but I couldn't figure out what would have made it better, because of this it had an odd flavor. I got a patio salad with blackened shrimp for my entre. I should have gotten grilled shrimp with it, but it was still a decent salad. My husband got basically a club sandwich with a stuffed baked potato. That potato was the best out of the whole meal. So good! I will probably go back and try other items on the menu.

    Rockefeller Oysters
    Adrian R.

    The service was fairly quick and our waitress was really nice. I enjoyed a cocktail and the Rockefeller oysters, which were quite delicious! However, the crab cakes were a dud. There was no real crab flavor and they seemed like they were a frozen crab cake over something fresh or made in the restaurant. Not bad, not great.

    Rockefeller oysters

    See all

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pam R.
    0
    12
    1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

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

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of LJ R.
    932
    626
    6982

    14 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ed K.
    21
    8
    0

    3 years ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hang T.
    445
    1120
    3367

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 2 of 10

    Ask the Community - Half Shell

    How late do they serve food?

    I believe until about 2 or 3

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Seafood 1,153 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Red Pier Cajun Seafood & Bar - Ridgeway

    Red Pier Cajun Seafood & Bar - Ridgeway

    3.3
    (93 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Food very good an service was fast an drinks was strong fish poboy was amazing an flavofulread more

    I stopped by one of the Memphis, Tennessee Red Pier Cajun Seafood & Bar locations for lunch on a…read moreSunday afternoon. The staff was very friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant itself was clean. The food had good flavor, and I would consider ordering it again. Unfortunately, it was served only lukewarm instead of at the proper temperature, which took away from the overall experience. What stood out most, however, was the presentation of the restaurant. Upon entering, I was greeted by numerous handwritten paper signs and messages written on dry-erase boards throughout the dining area. For a restaurant with mid-range pricing, this came across as unprofessional and distracted from the dining experience. I was also surprised that there was no standard silverware available--only individually wrapped, inexpensive plastic forks and spoons. As I was leaving, I noticed several customers were being served their meals in takeout containers rather than on traditional plates, which further gave the impression of a casual takeout establishment rather than a dine-in restaurant. Overall, the friendly service and flavorful food were definite positives, but the food temperature and the overall presentation of the restaurant left me remembering why I rarely choose to dine at Red Pier. With a few improvements to presentation and attention to detail, the experience could better match the prices being charged.

    Photos
    Doors.
    Doors.
    A4. Calamari
    A4. Calamari
    Dinner Date

    See all

    Dinner Date
    Seasons 52

    Seasons 52

    3.9
    (472 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Great food! Everything was quite tasty. The service was great!…read more A large group left the restaurant and it took more than 45 minutes for someone to clean it up. There weren't that many customers in during this time and I saw quite a few waiters that could have cleaned it up. Maybe I'm a bit of a prude - when I eat out, I'd prefer not to see dirty dishes on empty tables when I'm walking to/from the laboratory. Regardless, I will be returning next time I'm in Memphis. One more comment - when I used to live in Memphis (maybe 5 years ago?) this restaurant had a piano player some nights. This was AWESOME !!! Any chance of bringing that back??? That piano player made the place SO SPECIAL compared to other restaurants. It was the perfect blend of a good meal in a nice environment with a magnificent musician demonstrating their talents. Always kinda felt magical in a manner of speaking

    As an international traveling food critic and unbeknownst to the staff, the following is what I…read moreexperienced: - We arrived at 11:10 for an 11:15 reservation and it was clear that the management did not plan for ample staff nor were the scheduled staff in position ready to serve prior to their 11 o'clock opening. - Our waiter, Matthew was very pleasant, but it took him over seven minutes for his first visit to our table. He was then subsequently also tasked with an entire conference room full of people to serve. - When our food did finally come out, it was lukewarm and the appetizer arrived when the rest of our meal arrived, 47 minutes after we arrived. --- Total miss management of staffing!!! - Also, they are cutting back on the size of the meatballs now, which used to be a favorite. We'll think twice about returning here!

    Photos
    Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops served with broccolini and mascarpone risotto.
    Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops served with broccolini and mascarpone risotto.
    Cedar Plank-roasted Salmon with seasonal vegetables, marble potatoes and dill-mustard sauce
    Cedar Plank-roasted Salmon with seasonal vegetables, marble potatoes and dill-mustard sauce
    Seasons 52 has a wide selection of varietals on our wine menu

    See all

    Seasons 52 has a wide selection of varietals on our wine menu
    Crab Island

    Crab Island

    4.5
    (30 reviews)
    6.4 mi

    My husband and I have been wanting to try this spot out since it has the same name as one we had…read moreback where we lived. It is very different than any crab boil place we been to. You order at the counter and seat yourself. They do supply the tools needed, bibs, gloves, and crackers. Each table has a big bowl which we assumed is for your shells. We ordered the Big Island Gold as it was perfect for the both of us. They were out of sausages so we did ask for extra shrimp. Everything was cooked to perfection, even the potatoes. I'm guessing since it's an order and seat yourself kind of place, they don't really check up on you too often. For the most part this is good spot.

    Had a great time with family last Saturday. The food was well seasoned and tasted yummy…read more Many of us ordered the Little Island which came with two snow crab clusters, 12 shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. The food was very good. You have a choice of 3 butters and 3 types of seasoning. You pick one from each category. Liked that the seafood boil is served out of the bag. There was plenty of food in the bag. I did take half of the food home. Some of my family ordered the fried fish and shrimp. Everything had a great flavor. Service was good. You order your selection at the back counter then it is brought to the table. Ambience was standard diner like environment. The tables were sticky and some of the chairs were kind of rocky. The silverware was not as clean as we would have liked it to be. That was the biggest hiccup. The tartar sauce was not refrigerated. That was a concern. I will be back to order the food again but will need to bring my own Clorox wipes. Nit a problem since the food was tasty!!

    Photos
    Delivery was excellent!
    Delivery was excellent!
    Bro in law having fun
    Bro in law having fun
    2. Big Island Gold

    See all

    2. Big Island Gold

    Half Shell - seafood - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...