My wife and I did Sunday brunch at Half Shell Oyster House in Covington and as usual, enjoyed the experience. Ambiance is somewhat upscale, but casual. Service was welcoming and efficient and a table visit by the manager was both appreciated and personable. Today we enjoyed the grilled catfish with broccoli and Caesar salad and the almond crusted chicken. Both were quite good, especially the catfish. I had a good Old Fashioned. I see an added attention to detail at Half Shell Oyster House. Good things are going on here! read more

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Best place in town for FISH. Just select the FISH you desire. Location Hwy 21 and Appetizers and Salads are delicious and tasty. read more

Great food, customer service and atmosphere. Love the atmosphere and hospitality of our greeters and waiter. read more

Tried the green apple martini, it was ok. Overall great ambiance and my waiter was amazing. Can't wait to go back read more

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I had a family lunch here yesterday and it was a good time. There were six of us and we had no reservation, but were seated right away at a large, comfortable table. The menu offers a great selection of local seafood, and for those who'd rather have something from the land, they've got you covered in that department as well. We ordered the oyster sampler, and a dozen chargrilled oysters for the table. They arrived quickly and were very good. For my entree I chose the almond crusted chicken salad. Y'all - I literally could've licked the plate clean. The chicken was delicious! The crust was full of almonds and it was super juicy and tender. Chef's kiss! Our server was fantastic. She was attentive and kind - she was smiling throughout her service with us. She checked on us and refilled our drinks regularly. My only issue was that our food took a while. We were enjoying our time together and chatting while we waited, but I found myself becoming a little hangry. If I lived in the area I'd certainly add this spot to my regular rotation. read more

Good service Ambiance! I absolutely loved Ali and Jake (from State Farm, just kidding). Ali was extremely attentive and my cousins' and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you Ali. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

Just spent two days helping my best friend bury his true love.At 75 years old, losing a spouse is devastating. Judy and I spent our time trying to help him recover. As our last day in town, we decided on a dinner before parting ways. Our server, beautiful , funny as well as efficient helped me bring a grieving husband back to " life" with her kind and charming personality. By the end of our excellent dinners I saw my old friend- temporarily back to his old self. Not a permanent healing, but good food and an earthly angel by the name of Natalie help stop the bleeding. read more

Great service, nice people. Excellent menu! Casual dining in a great environment. I visited once. & will return. read more

The good was delicious and a nice amount...seasoned well. The service was great and accommodating.

Half shell is such a great little gem. It's reasonably priced, Louisiana comfort food. I highly recommend going. It does get busy during lent and during the block parties. read more

Maybe choose a different side besides the salad. Bagged, brown lettuce full of stalks. This is from one side salad. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Maybe choose another side besides the salad. Bagged, brown lettuce full of stalks. This is from one side salad. - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

Drop in this new restaurant I've been eager to try. Went in nobody was in there so I was hesitant. But the food was amazing 10/10. The server was good also & knowledge I think his name was Bren( ponytail ). The ambiance was beautiful. My family and I will definitely be back !! read more

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We go at least once a month with a friend to enjoy the food and drink. The service is great too.

Was an amazing experience came in at the last min the treated us well food was really good never had an experience like this to where you come 30 min before closing and they still provide 5 star service big shoutout to the manager and staff read more

Everything about this place was pretty awesome starting with the WONDERFUL service my party and I received from Ali. Do yourself a favor and request her as a server. She knows the menu like she wrote it. No matter how many questions we asked about the food or drinks she was ready from descriptions to suggestions all while smiling and treating us like we were her friends. Thank you Ali! The restaurant has plenty of parking and easily accessible off of I12. There wasn't any wait on a Friday night but there was plenty of people there. The food was delicious. The oyster was fresh which is always a plus. I do recommend ordering some of those crab claws with the cajun sauce and the fried okra! Oh my goodness they were special. All of the food was pretty delicious and came out really quick. This place should be on a list of MUST try for yourself! read more

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This is a great place! Close to my home, good food, wonderful service and by far the best background music in any restaurant in the area...

Went with a friend to grab some lunch and was pleased. Atmosphere-The atmosphere was great, Natura lighting from outside. They were painting the windows with a mixture of Mardi Gras and Christmas theme. We were seated right away and they did the social/physical distancing. All workers wore mask. Server-We had a young lady name Vanna, she was pleasant. Very attentive and very polite. She was funny also. Restroom-exceptiinally clean and I love how the room was trimmed with oyster shells. Food- Food was delicious! I had the Oyster Rockefeller, perfectly prepared. My friend had tbe oyster poboy..she enjoyed it, especially since she's very picky about her oysters. She said they were fried perfect. The sweet potato creme broulee was just okay, mainly because it had too much sugar chunks for me, but someone else might enjoy it that way. All in all, a great place to enjoy lunch or dinner read more

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Stopped in on our way back to Texas. This place is ADORABLE! Service was quick as we had let our waitress know we were traveling. Food was amazing! We had the Uptowner Quesadilla, VooDoo Shrimp Po-Boy, the Half Shell Salad with grilled shrimp, and the Bananas Foster's Cheesecake. ALL SOOO GOOD! Half Shell Oyster House is a MUST! We will definitely make this a stop! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Half Shell Salad with grilled Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

The food and service were excellent. The atmosphere was great. We will definitely be coming back again.

The food was great! Service was excellent! It was my second time eating there and both times were great! Will visit again!

The service is always great. The signature cocktails are divine (specifically the pink one). I LOVE the charbroiled oysters. I could eat 2 dozen alone. The entrees are not to my liking and I've tried most of all the menu. However, I go for the charbroiled oysters and cocktails. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Charbroiled oysters - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

They used to have an excellent hamburger on the menu, but it's no longer there. Recommend they put it back. Sometimes you're just not in the mood for chicken or fish when the rest of your party is. Overall very good quality restaurant. read more

Last night was my 3rd time visiting Half Shell. Our waitress Amy was awesome and attentive even though she was bartending as well. She answered all of our questions and had great recommendations. I've never had a bad experience. The food is great every time. I usually get the Coco Runner cocktail every time, I love it. The crab cakes and shrimp and crab dip is great as well. My husband tried the charbroiled oysters and he enjoyed them. We tried the Comeback or Voodoo shrimp last night and they were crispy and had the the right amount of sauce. I usually stick to the Shrimp and Grits but I tried the Redfish Orleans and omg it was amazing. They will forever have a customer in me. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Voodoo Shrimp and Coco Runner Cocktail - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

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You can't go wrong here. Great model of a successful restaurant. Staff generally cares and the food is always on spot

I've been to each Half Shell Oyster House location and this is my favorite! The servers there love to roll out the red carpet. The ambiance is just a bonus but the food is the star of the show. Must Try! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

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as long time customers I'd like to see better size grilled oysters served. the oysters we've been served are about the size of a nickel and one of your nearby competitors are serving grilled oysters about the size of a silver dollar, roughly triple the size you're serving for the same price. please let me know when you get larger oysters so that I can return and enjoy your restaurant. Thank you read more

In a strip mall of Covington near the interstate. Nice building. Table side service w full bar and bar seats. Had the following: Appetizer: Buttery Garlic Crab Claws - New Orleans style. - 4 stars - Minus 1 star because the crab claws are small. Hint of smoke with creole spices. The crab claws are small but good enough to share w two - if you really need to. Make sure to request the bread to soak up the yummy flavorful sauce. Entrees: 1. Au' gratin Snapper w white sauce Parmesan lump crab meat and seasoned fries and Sweet Potato Cream Brûlée - 4 1/2. Snapper was 5 stars, seasoned fries 5 stars, and Sweet Potato Cream Brûlée 4 1/2. The sweet potato had a nice crust of brown sugar, howeve the scoop of Cinnamon Honey Butter did not melt into the sweet potato because it wasn't hot enough. 2. Shrimp and Grits w fried okra - 4 1/2 stars Grits were flavorful and balanced. Not your ordinary shrimp and grits as they were grit patties that were layered with white sauce and shrimp. Shrimp could have been more flavorful. shrimps were not seasoned enough. 3. Red Fish New Orleans w sauté shrimp, jalapeño hush puppies and flash fried garlic Parmesan cheese- 4 stars Red fish layered in a buttery creole sauce covered with lumpy blue crab and shrimp. Soak up the sauce with bread. Squeeze the lemon on the Redfish to enhance the flavor profile. Shrimp good but not seasoned enough. Seems they were tossed in the sauce at the last moment. Not enough time to infuse the creole spice. Some say "greasy redfish" but they are not into the flavor of the butter and the creole sauce. "To each is own" as they say. Watch "Last Holiday" because "butter is the essence of life". People who watch the movie will get what I am talking about...and if you haven't watch it, LL Cool J and Queen Latifah stars in it and it is wonderful holiday movie. read more

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We found them on Yelp while driving through the area off I-10. This is real deal authentic anew Orleans cuisine & we truly enjoyed. I had oysters & gumbo and my friend had a shrimp Po boy. We'll definitely be back. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Yummy! Grilled Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita to start! - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

The food at Half Shell Oyster was great the service wasn't to fast , but it was Valentine Day. The ambiance was nice an cozy.

I've been coming here more often after introducing my boyfriend to it. He is a seriously hard guy to please as he works as a cook in the restaurant industry and he loves this place. So I feel like that speaks volumes. It's consistently good. And I think what really makes it is the people that work here. In this day and age it honestly makes such a difference that they are so kind and friendly. The staff make you want to keep coming back. Of course the ambiance of the place doesn't hurt. It's styled like a New Orleans downtown restaurant with raised daises inside, string lights and exposed brick murals. The prices can be a bit on the high end, but because I enjoy the experience so much I don't mind it. read more

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Tonight we had one of the best meals we have had on the north shore! If you like New Orleans style food, you should eat here! We ate there when they first opened and it was good but they needed to work out the bugs of being new. Well they certainly have done that! We started with the chargrilled oysters and they were amazing! I don't normally brag on a salad but Half Shell salad was so good! I had the crab stuffed portobellos, loved this dish!! And my hubby had the Red Fish Orleans, so good!! And the service was great too!! We will definitely be back!! read more

I just came in for lunch with my mom and we had a great time! She ordered the royal red shrimp Alfredo pasta and I got the seafood stuffed mushrooms, delicious! The best part was the dessert recommended by Riley- Butter Pecan Cheesecake! Pure heaven! Riley took great care of us and we can't wait to come back! read more

Got half dozen oysters which were good. Staff was friendly. Went to order entree only to find out the don't know how to fully dress a po boy sandwich. Began asking if I wanted mayo or mustard and onion on it WTF. Move the restaurant to another state is my recommendation if in LA know the local food. This deterred me from ordering anything else due to the restaurant not knowing how to fix a simple sandwich that is a staple of the area. I don't go to a burger joint wondering if they know how to fix one or how many buns it requires. Good luck staying in business this close to New Orleans is all I can say. read more

Traveling through on my way to Florida. Had to stop to charge my Tesla so this was right next to a supercharger. How convenient! Food was great. Had clam chowder which was very good. Oysters were fresh and tasty as expected. Service was on point and even allowed my service dog to sit quietly under my table as I ate. Nice touch! read more

The food was above average and well prepared. The oysters were on another level though. Extremely good oysters. The highlight of our meal was our waiter Shawn. Shawn was extremely personable, and knowledgeable about the menu. We had a genuinely good time because of him, and we highly recommend dining here because of it. read more

We consider Half Shell Oyster House (Covington, LA) our go to neighborhood Creole restaurant. We've always had great food and great service, but last night was exceptional. Our son and daughter in law were in town and our waiter Riley made the evening an entertaining experience. We decided we'd like to switch some of the normal preparations to the fish of the day. Riley and the Manager Jake made that happen and it was excellent. We'll be back! Don S read more

OK. I rarely write a review for a restaurant, except when they're really bad and I feel compelled to warn others. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE. HSOH was a solid '10' on all metrics. Restaurant was noticeably clean and picked up upon entering. Further inspection of our booth and surroundings while dining didn't disappoint. The place was very clean for a high traffic public establishment. Nicely appointed décor as well. Server, Ben, was extremely pleasant, engaging, and knowledgeable about the menu and particular dishes. Great personality and really contributed to the whole dining experience. Made us feel as though we were having lunch at his house. Gracious and attentive, but not overly so. A great menu. We had a hard time making a decision. So many things that sounded good that we wanted to try. Ben's recommendations for our meal selections were spot on. My wife and I both tried lunch specials. My fish tacos were amazing. Overstuffed and really tasty. My wife tried the Smoky Bacon Shrimp and Grits. Also very tasty. Her portion was a little small, but it was a lunch portion. Still... We enjoyed talking to Ben and looking over the menu so much that we decided to trade in our waters with lemon for a Mango Martini and an Old Fashioned. The OF was very good and the MM was off-the-charts! My compliments to the bartender. A trip to the bathroom revealed clean restrooms that were very nicely decorated with framed vintage drawings, nice walls and floors with a beautiful border in the wall made from real oyster shells. Very creative. Did I mention the restrooms were spotless?? All in all, HSOH was a very pleasant surprise. Can't say enough about it. Everyone should give it a try. I'm sure you'll be hooked as well. Will definitely make it a regular option when we're choosing a place to eat out. My compliments to the owners and managers! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - a view of a city street - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

Food was mediocre..Not the best charbroiled oysters but it good. We lived close to that area and I was craving oysters. Everyone's opinion varies, but I'm not coming back here. read more

I had family passing through last week who wanted to meet for lunch and they wanted chargrilled oysters close to the interstate if possible, so I suggested Half Shell. I had been here two previous times and it wasn't much to speak of - once with coworkers for one's birthday and the second time my husband wanted to check it out but both times it was just underwhelming and chain-y, but it fit my family's request so that's where we went. When we got to the restaurant there were only 2 or 3 other tables full. The waitress came and took our drink orders. We were informed that the soft drink machine had been broken and they did not know when the repair person was coming and that we could only order water, tea, or alcohol. Winn-Dixie is just across the parking lot - why in the world couldn't someone go over there and get some - at least main flavors like Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite?? The waitress brought our teas and we ordered oysters and Boudin balls. She was pretty scarce after that. It seemed like a long time before we got this food but later we were told it was "only "16 minutes. At some point we ordered the rest of our food, which was two chicken salads. We waited for what seemed like forever. By that time the restaurant was much fuller and we realized that a few tables that were sat after us had already received their food. We spotted our waitress here and there but she never stopped at our table unless we flagged her down. We asked what was taking so long because it had been quite a while since we had ordered; we mentioned to her that we noticed other tables who ordered after us getting their food. She immediately got defensive and said "I put the food in on time". I don't necessarily believe that the customer is always right but in this case, all three of us knew we had waited too long and for her to actually go and get the kitchen ticket to try to show that she did her part - it rubbed the wrong way. She came back to the table with our salads and then pulled out the ticket and pointed out that it only took us 16 minutes to get our appetizers and then told us that our salads took an additional 30 minutes. She said she was going to see what she could do and would go talk to the manager and that if he thought it took too long to get our food they would compensate us. When she came back she had our bill and said that he agreed to comp the price of the food and we would only have to pay for the tea that we ordered. We were not looking for a free meal but at this point we just wanted to finish eating and get out of there. Then at some point she came back to the table and grabbed the check and said she had given us the wrong one. She told us she would be back with the correct check but never came back. Someone in our party got up to look for her and ended up talking to the manager about it. When she finally came back several minutes later with the check, she said "by the way, I have to charge you for the oysters as well". Again, not a big deal. All in all it was just such a weird experience service-wise. As for the food, the person who ate the oysters said they were good; the boudin balls were very dry with not much flavor, and our salads tasted good but it was clear that the chicken had literally just been cooked. Piping hot chicken on top of a cool salad is a big no-no for me. This trip sealed the deal...no reason to go back. read more

I'll make this quick, if you have other options for a meal- take the other option. This was a complete abs utter waste of time abs money. The building itself is lovely inside. It really gives a good impression when you're headed to be seated. But once the food comes, that facade fades... Quickly. I ordered a $16.50 Oyster Po-Boy. It arrived and turned out to be 6 oysters, on a glorified hot dog roll, accompanied by a half order of fries. I'm not kidding you. Plate looked as if someone had already eaten part of my food. I at least had hopes that the oysters would be down right delicious, wrong again. They were below average. The fries were pretty good, and if I'd had more of them, I might have enjoyed this I'll fated visit a little more. The hubby had the Crawfish Loaf, which he said was good. The "Seafood" Gumbo turned out to be more chicken than actual seafood. He also reported the taste as "not great". Our Server was nice, but clearly had too many tables to be as helpful as needed. And it's surprising, because they seemed overrun by staff: Needless to say, we left feeling like this had been an hour of our lives we'd lost and wished we'd had back. Simply summary to my review: Pass! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

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