Oysters were excellent House salad w Garlic balsamic outstanding Gumbo great also Next time I'm close to that area I will drive There from I 10 Server was friendly and genuine Busy and noisy but I was served quickly read more

Great ambiance, very elegant. Service always friendly and nice. Usually go hear around lunch time. My mom loves the gumbo soup. I enjoy the oysters! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Good food and drinks! We enjoyed ourselves. The waitress was very helpful when explaining the many food options. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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Saturday night, little busy but we sat at the bar so no wait. Hostess said she liked the bar in the back the best. Excellent service, especially by Andrea who was training. The other gals were super sweet too. Neat old building with great character. Oysters were terrific. Seafood pasta was very good- crawfish, crab meat, small shrimp in a delicious sauce with good spice. We walked from Island View- easy walk and this section is so nice. Highly recommend! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood pasta- the small size - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Had a chance to dine with clients down in Gulfport Mississippi. The restaurant has a great vibe and it is clearly a local hot spot. I had a party of six. Unfortunately, they dont take reservations but they do take "call aheads". I am not a fan of call aheads but I do understand. My party waited 20-25m to be seated. Our server was great. He got the drink and food orders in quickly. Food came out In a reasonable amount of time. I had etoufee and shrimp. Both dishes were tasty and filling. Unfortunately, I took a pause on alcohol, so I did not get a chance to try some of bourbon and whiskey, but I will on my next visit. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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Get the Orleans sauce on whatever you order. You'll thank me later. Oysters, fish, and oh, the sweet potato brûlée! Mouth watering just thinking about it. read more

The oysters and seafood pasta were amazing. Good housekeeping to ensure dust isn't visible is a must. Ensure there is a manager meeting to cover the patrons expected to dine in large groups so everyone can have an enjoyable experience without having to wait on a server requiring managers to step in when brought to their attention. There should always be a runner or a floater to help with pushing out cocktails and food to patrons. The restaurant looks in good shape with the exception of a recommended "order" area at the bar for patrons waiting on a table or for other friends to show up. It's terrible when trying to eat at the bar and other patrons leaning over your food. read more

Updated review Oct 2025: We visited Half Shell numerous times and consistency was always great. But this visit was different. Service was not great, food was missing and flavor was off, server inattentive. We were a small party of 5 and first thing is that we waited about 20 minutes for someone to take our order - when they came, they also didn't bring us any silverware. We had to flag another server for an additional 10 minutes so we can eat our appetizers. When food came, sides were missing and we had to wait another 15 minutes for those sides to show up to us - and had to ask twice for it To wrap the experience up, the server never came back after he gave us our bill to pay - I had to go to the bar to flag him down so we can leave. I waited a good 15 minutes for him to show back up - so disappointing he never did ... hate that the consistency is missing here- what a miss. Won't be back. read more

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We really enjoyed our dinner. The food was fantastic at a reasonable price. We will definitely come again. read more

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Great service and the Dungeness crab claws were amazing! We also had fried crab claws that were good.

Enjoyed a great lunch here. Wendelin was our server and she was awesome. As always, loved the half shell salad and shrimp po boy. Come hungry and enjoy the ambience. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Fried Shrimp Po-Boy - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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I made a reservation for 20 through Yelp AND received a confirmation text stating "Your booked at Half Shell Oyster for 6:00 pm 08/01." So, imagine my surprise when I checked in and was informed they don't take reservations! I spoke with the manager and showed the staff my confirmation text but they just basically shrugged it off. We were finally seated after waiting 30 minutes or so. The food and drink was good and the service was excellent. I was a little surprised that this location only had gulf oysters. The Half Shell at St. Simons Island and they had several varieties. read more

Super yummy!! I loved the cheese crumbles on the sandwich--it paired nicely with the crunch of the fried chicken. Our waiter was okay because she was helping us while also bartending. Overall the staff was very friendly though. Definitely a cool spot with yummy food. A bit expensive though. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Chicken sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Half Shell Oyster House - Gulfport, MS This place is an absolute gem! I stopped in recently and was completely wowed by both the food and the experience. Creole Harvest Oysters (Seasonal Special) These were next-level delicious...Gulf oysters baked with a savory seafood and cornbread dressing packed with blue crab, Gulf shrimp, and crawfish, all topped with a rich Tasso ham hollandaise. It was like Thanksgiving had a dance party in my mouth. Decadent, soulful, and perfectly balanced. If this special is still on the menu, don't miss it! Triple Steak Cheeseburger A juicy blend of ground chuck, brisket, and short rib, grilled to perfection and topped with melty Provolone on a soft brioche bun. I added mushrooms and onions, and it was everything...moist, flavorful, and downright crave-worthy. Overall The service was warm, the atmosphere inviting, and every bite felt like a celebration. I highly recommend Half Shell Oyster House and will definitely be back! read more

Great food. Great service! Great downtown Gulfport location. My favorite is oyster on the half shell and their on tap selection. Great menu with something for everyone. Definitely a go-to spot. read more

The food, of course, was awesome...we started with a couple oyster samplers...that ALWAYS sets the tone...so good!!! It seemed everyone got a little something different, from fried shrimp to catfish Loumes (totally misspelled). I had the Margarita Grouper...exquisite!!! Our server was beyond attentive but not bothersome..just seemed to show up at the right time every-time. I think his name was David. The whole place also just FELT right...not too noisy, and though it was packed, it didn't seem 'busy'. Just an amazing trip. Will definitely be back. read more

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Terrific food, server was a little rude. Seemed very distracted and it wasn't that busy.

The server Israel is amazing. The food is always good. I've been eating here for over 10 years or however, long they have been open and I tell my husband all the time they are always consistent and delicious. Get the sweet potatoes and the oysters on the half shell are perfect. read more

Food is outstanding and service is the best!! I can't say enough about this restaurant. I have always enjoyed the atmosphere and ambiance of this restaurant. read more

Service was great and the oysters chargrilled some the best as were the Quesadillas with ribeye and filet Thank you lacy for great servi read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Char grilled oysters - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Been many times. Always excellent. It was my mother's favorite. No matter what else, you should not miss the char-grilled oysters.

Hands down the absolutely best place to eat in Gulfport! I have ate here for years. And I've never been disappointed.

Oyster sampler was delicious, as was the crawfish, crab and corn bisque. Also highly recommend triple chocolate martini! Cool ambience with oysters roasting over the fire and outstanding service. The place wasn't very crowded but it was a Monday night. read more

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The Food was super fresh and absolutely divine, and came out super fast and every plate was hot to the touch coming out. The restaurant itself was super clean and had an amazing atmosphere great for any event and reasonably priced. My waitress was Stevie and she was an angel super quick and amazing service she had great recommendations and checked on me all night 10/10 read more

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I've never left a poor review, however I can't help but feel such disappointment after our experience at half shell oyster house. Our server was wonderful.. however, my girlfriend and I will never be back. The quality of food is absolutely horrendous. Appears to be frozen food heated up and the smoked tuna dip tasted like a buffalo flavored tuna snack pack. The bread is like styrofoam, but they do provide a significant amount of packaged crackers. The presentation was nothing above a lunch-able and the taste... unforgivable. We sent back two oyster orders and boxed our food immediately. It was $100 for two persons. Will never be back. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

This once delicious restaurant has taken a nose dive and has followed the curse of too many too fast where quality dives. Our raw oysters were murdered by the shucker, but we don't complain. Their sizes were all over the place and not worth a dime each. Crab cake should be called something else, definitely not the right description. Crab Shrimp Gratin? How can these restaurants mess up the delicious ingredients as this! Make me understand. Service was good however, the staff a friendly bunch. We had French dip that was delicious! Why can't quality and taste rise with the menu prices ??? And clean bathrooms! Please don't blame COVID. read more

The food was amazing!! All 5 of us loved our food. My only complaint was it was freeeeezing in the restaurant. It made the experience less than ideal. We were all shivering (coming from MN that says a lot). read more

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Half Shell Oyster House in Gulfport, Mississippi, is celebrated for its Gulf oysters and Southern hospitality. Guests commend the flavorful dishes and the friendly, efficient service, with staff members often enhancing the dining experience. ​ read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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There are so many great things to say about this place. The food is amazing. I'm Not really even an oyster person , but the chargrilled oysters are awesome. I was there with my family for my 60th birthday. Larry, our server, was amazing!!! read more

The oysters here are phenomenal. We never have to wait too long and their servers are always attentive.

The manager was not nice and seemed very irrational when asked if we can sit with out party. It was an extra table beside our party and the reason we couldn't is because we already sat down at the current table which killed the mood entirely I felt like we was not asking for much. ruined our experience read more

I went with a large group and the restaurant was very accommodating, even last minute. The atmosphere inside is really nice, the wait staff/greeters were very friendly and efficient, and the food was delicious. I don't eat much seafood, so I ordered a different dish which was really good! I can't remember the exact name but it was like a dish of chicken Alfredo with noodles. For my side I chose the sweet potato soufflé which was amazing! The staff also worked with me to let me order my mail meal while others were ordering appetizers. I would highly recommend Half Shell Ouster House for your dining while in Gulfport. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Yellow fin tuna - Seafood Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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Amazing place!!! The sampler of the different oysters was delicious. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was fantastic!! We will be back when we are back in the area. read more

Our group of 4 visited Half Shell on a Monday evening, and can't say enough about the great experience. The staff and service were tremendous, and the food was great! We tried the oysters, gumbo, stuffed portobello and the shrimp. All were excellent!! Planning a return trip before we leave town. Strongly recommend dinner here! read more

This is by far the best service we've ever gotten! And the absolute best food! This place is so gorgeous in the inside! Cannot brave enough! We stopped in here to eat dinner while visiting for a wedding! Will absolutely come back next time we are in town! read more

We love this place!!! Chargrilled oysters, shrimp, seafood pot pie and sweet potato creme brûlée. Best dinner on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Server was spot on. She was so nice and pleasant. The restaurant is very quaint and comfortable. read more

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Great oysters. Great staff. Love the specialty drinks. Sitting at the oyster bar is always fun.

We ate here Friday night. We waited about 20 minutes for a table. Server was great. The gumbo was ok. The baked oysters pretty good. My wife loved here quesadillas. Atmosphere was nice but loud. read more

Stopped in for a quick bite and a beer. Erin was our bartender she was funny and helpful. We never waited for anything. Best tuna dip we have had in a LONGtime! Oysters were delicious as well. Restaurant is well kept and clean. read more

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Food great! Service fine! Responsive to our request for large group! One of our favorite places for oysters.