Excellent place I came here with my hubs driving through the night before thanksgiving. Since moving to East Texas area he has become addicted to charbroiled oysters. We stopped at Fezzos & had some & they almost tasted baked though claiming to be charbroiled. No black burn on the shucks. But who knows My point is he tries a lot of oysters. I always take a couple of his. Again I did this & the New Orleans sauce was wonderfully different than the typical jalapeños & parm. We both loved them. A kind man at the bar bought us the plain chargrilled. Excellent. He also gave us a lot of great places to go as he was a local. So our experience was really nice. Of course he was bragging on your restaurant too. I wish ya'll were closer but def make a weekend trip! The pecan old fashioned also unique. I like how you put your own creative spin on favorites. It definitely takes the food to a higher level ! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Do not get the gumbo. It's tomato based and thick. Sweet potato has sugar poured on top. Don't sit in a booth you will feel trapped. read more

Hubby and I decided to dine here for a midday date. The staff was incredibly friendly. We loved the "New Orleans style" feel of the restaurant. Food was overall pretty good, but small portion sizes for the price we paid. read more

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My lovely wife and I started with a dozen raw oysters, some gulf mud still on the bottom, in the best way! They were fresh and not over handled. My guess is a day or two max from gulf to table. My wife had the seafood (crab and shrimp) stuffed portobellos. They were a perfect balance of light and rich; light without the added oil and rich in distinct seafood flavor profiles from each ingredient. I ordered the "Red Royals" 3/4 of a pound of deep water clean shrimp which are likely prawns. Amazingly , I do not know how they were able to cook them to perfection the way they did. Neither rubbery or mushy, yet decadent. It's a south Louisiana mystery. Cancel your next reservation and eat here. read more

Half Shell is normally awesome, I'm really not sure if it was a bad night or the work force is going downhill but either way, we had the WORST experience to date. It was supposed to date night. We ordered our usual apps and our crab claws came out over-cooked. We decided possibly it was an error and sent them back. Our "new"batch same thing. The runners had absolutely no idea where food was going. I got asked if I ordered the salad that was in one of their hands. It seems as if that should be something a runner would know. But to add insult to injury OUR FOOD WAS GIVEN TO ANOTHER TABLE. A table that got sat after us, ordered after us, got OUR FOOD. This is absolutely insane. Then our server tried to lie that the plates never touched their table when I in fact, saw the gentleman hand the server the plate back saying it wasn't his food. I sincerely hope this location gets it together because the prices don't reflect the service. This isn't the Half Shell I loved. read more

The staff is very friendly and helpful. The restaurant can get packed during peak hours but the wait isn't very long. My wife and I always order the dozen raw oysters. The wait staff is very helpful and attentive. I recommend this place to anyone who likes oysters or is curious about trying raw oysters for the first time. You won't be disappointed. read more

Wonderful Valentines Date dinner. Our waitress, Sarah was delightful and helpful. We started out with the oyster sampler then bisque soup. Entrees were steak with Orleans sauce and almond crusted chicken. The Cajun music captures the essence of Acadiana. read more

Great place for some good ole seafood. Everything was seasoned great. The oyster sampler was amazing. The wait wasn't long and I'd put this restaurant in from of Dragos, Dons, and Fezzos. Very nice place, will def return soon. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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I love their oyster sampler. Their food is great and servers are always friendly. They have a very nice cozy atmosphere.

The food and service are excellent. The restaurant is clean and staff are welcoming. Great experience!

I was dying to get some Cajun cooking while in Lafayette, LA... This place hit the spot! From the appetizer if Royal Reds (shrimp) to the main entree I had, the Redfish Orleans, to the sides, like a cup of seafood gumbo... The food was delightfully off-the-hook tasty... So well seasoned to perfection. Cooked perfect. Such delightful flavor. The waitress was a delight as well. Perfect place for a business meal or upscale dining. I well definitely look this place up whenever I make it back to Lafayette. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Snapper New Orleans was awesome! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Don't walk, amble or stroll over to this place: RUN! Run and get a table (comfy chairs that are just right for a 5 1/2 hour visit with your first-grade teacher that you haven't seen since, well, first grade 51 years ago.) The food is superb (seafood-leaning menu) and the wait staff is top-notch. I had the Caesar salad and the fried shrimp off of the lunch menu and it was ample and oh, so good. Our glasses of tea were never empty and the coffee and Bananas Foster cheesecake was the perfect way to end our meal. It's not a stand-alone restaurant, but who cares? Plenty of seating and smiling faces all around make the Half Shell a gem. read more

Hit or miss. I've had really good food and really not so good at times.

Always good, please try the half shell sampler. In one of my favorite dishes they have there is the parrot fish. The bartenders are extremely friendly and engaging. read more

According to my boyfriend the charbroiled oysters were pretty good. I got the maui grilled fish and I quite liked it.

Very good meal. Enjoyed the raw oysters very much. Tried the royal reds which were absolutely fantastic. Like a huge plate of lobsters but easier to eat. My wife had a fish plate that she liked but could not eat much as the chili oil sauce was too spicy. Everyone enjoyed dinner, apps and drinks. Sweet potato crepe brûlée was delicious but soooo sweet. Young staff but they did well. Loved my meal. read more

The atmosphere is upscale casual. You won't feel out of place with jeans and a shirt but the food gives more of an upscale vibe. I enjoyed the oysters on the half shelve and boy were they amazing. Not skimpy little oysters. The crab cakes and friend green tomatoes had great flavor. My only suggestion is less aioli sauce. The sauce was good bit I felt the crab cake and tomato were drowning in it and I had to skim some off. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Crab cakes and fried green tomatoes - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Have eaten here twice now when I come from out of town and need a Cajun food fix. The food is on point - don't miss the oyster sampler and sweet potato side. Jennifer has been our server both times and is so beyond pleasant and makes sure we have a great time. Def request her! Hope to make it back to half shell soon read more

Always great food. The bloody Mary's are out of this world. If you're a seafood or oyster lover give them a try.

Terrible!!! I ordered pasta with shrimp and scallops. When I got it it was mostly pasta and microscopic shrimp and scallops about four total. Did not eat it because too many carbs. Did not order a bowl of pasta. Some young manager came over and she had no clue how to deal with customers. She said there's some little package of thing they put in there and it was so tiny. First and last time there would not recommend read more

Best oysters in town.. Pomegranate tini is fantastic, love the service, food and ambiance. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

My husband and I decided to eat here for our anniversary date. It most deff did not disappoint. The food and the drinks were excellent. The atmosphere was very relaxing and set a great mood. Now the best thing about it was the service. We had the best waitress we've ever had in a restaurant. Her name was Krystal and I couldn't come up with words that would describe how amazing she was. I had three different flavored martinis but must say the ginger cucumber breeze was by far the best! We will most definitely be back. read more

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We came to Lafayette with friends from Lake Charles.. we got the sample oysters.. they were small.. shucks in Abbeville are much better.. didn't taste charbroiled.. the red Royal shrimp were not as tasty as I was expecting.. no flavor really.. will not get them again.. Then we got the seafood platter.. it was really good.. the crab cake was awesome.. the fried shrimp were really good and the jalapeños hush puppies yummy.. fried oysters were small but good.. the side cheese grits were creamy and the sweet potato cream brûlée wasn't brûlée but was good.. read more

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Great atmosphere. Servers are always top notch. We normally sit at the bar and bartenders are first class. Food is always good! Oysters, shrimp, fish, apps or entrees, you just can't go wrong with this place!! Highly Recommend! read more

The first time I went to half shell was the first time I ever ate an oyster and holy moly did I get spoiled! The oyster Orleans and the oyster Rockefeller were the best! I have since been back several times for various occasions and always suggest this restaurant when something comes up. Great food, good atmosphere, and friendly servers. read more

Great place! First time there today. I had the oyster sampler with 4 different cooked/charbroiled oysters. Rockefeller/Bienville and two others I can't recall. All were so good! Boyfriend has a dozen and ordered a second dozen. He said they were really good. We shared the redfish. I had a side of fried green tomatoes with some creole/ Cajun dip to go with it. They were tasty! The redfish was good but the oysters were best. Greatest thing we had today was sweet potato creme brûlée. It was delicious. We inquired from Lance Guidry, I assume the manager, and he Told us you can order a batch on half gallon pan. Can't wait to go back! I recommend, y'all try them out! read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Raw Oysters on the half shell - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Stopped for lunch. Ordered coffee, grilled oysters and side salad. Fake creamer. Grilled oysters weren't up to par. Not crispy. No grill flavor. Slow slow service. Under staffed for lunch. Been to Sarasota FL Half Shell. No comparison. Save you money. read more

We had a great meal and drinks this evening. Happy Hour special on drinks. We both had snapper dishes that were wonderful. Topped it off with the cinnamon roll bread pudding. Yumm!! McKenzie was the waitress that kept us happy. read more

The dinner was very good. The fried green tomato topped with crab cake and sauce was very tasty and delicious. I had the 6 oz filet topped with crab meat and the sweet potato side and asparagus. My wife had the filet without the crab meat topping. The steaks were tender and tasty. A bit more pepper than I'm used to but not bad. If you are not someone who likes pepper on steak make sure you ask for them to not put that. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - One of the 3 servings from an order of fried green tomatoes topped with crab cake and sauce. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Perfect! The oysters were spot on...as always. My wife had the seafood pasta, perfection as well. There is a seasoned bartender also who can make mean cocktails, but the beer goes down just as good. My favorite, Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan. Dark but still light with a subtitle taste of pecan. Washes down any dish here. Make sure and stop! read more

Decent seafood spot, but a bit on the pricey side. Nice quiet environment and staff was very friendly and attentive. We had half dozen chargrilled oysters and a cup of gumbo to start. Oysters weren't bad but every bite had some shell in it. Gumbo was really great. I had the blackened Tuna sandwich. Should've gotten it medium rare, even medium was too tough. Pretty good flavor, and came with one side. The poboys were great. Tons of fried oysters and fried shrimp on the plate. Definitely worth your money. Drink menu is extensive and would be a great spot for appetizers and drinks. I'd come back and try something else next time! Dessert menu looked fantastic too. I'll be back! read more

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The food is consistently awesome and the service is consistently atrocious.If I could find the food anywhere else, I would. How many times can you visit a restaurant and stare at your food with no silverware or drinks? Always someone else's fault. It was like this before covid and will be like this until it closes. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Crab claws, done. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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To start, food was great as always. Our charbroiled oysters were cold though. When we got there, our server took a while to come and great us. She was bartending too that night but we felt like she forgot about us a lot. She forgot to put in our appetizer, so we never got that. And at the end of dinner when we were paying, she automatically pressed the 20% tip, which really annoyed us. I will still continue to go as we understand she was busy, but let's just hope it was a one time occurrence... read more

Amazing diversity in oyster preparations... Much better than traveling 2 hours from Lafayette... Great atmosphere which is totally hidden from outside facade Fresh red snapper & yellow fin tuna dip are best around We are lucky to have this quality restaurant here!! read more

So glad I came here. I'm new to town and was here for work this week. I saw the oyster sampler and HAD to go. Definitely DID NOT disappoint. The staff was great! And I even got a specialty oyster that isn't in the menu. Didn't get to try anything else but I'll be back next week! Can't wait to more! Their drinks were also very well made. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Strawberry Mojito - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

This is probably one of my favorite restaurants. We really had a wonderful evening, service was exceptional and the food was delicious. The holiday drink specials( Love Potion) we're refreshing. Our server Connor made sure that all our demands were met. read more

Half Shell Oyster House - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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It's alright. First time we went it was fantastic. Second time I went I was totally bummed. It was loud, waiters were rude, the meat in my meal was chewy and rancid tasting. I gave it a good rating because they might have been having a bad night that night. The oysters are a constant amazing! My fiance got them both times we went and they were equally good. read more

The Oysters Orleans were excellent. Also had the 6oz filet with fried okra and jalapeño hush puppies. Wife had the filet with the new potatoes and corn grits. Everything was great. It's my favorite steak on this side of town. read more

Definitely will return when in town! Oysters Orleans was good but the seafood au gratin with sweet potato cream brûlée was OMG good!

We've been to Half Shell numerous times and have never been disappointed. Everything on the menu is delicious and the service is first rate. Our server tonight was Stacey and she couldn't have been better. Everything came out on time and perfect. She even took care of a small discrepancy on our bill without blinking an eye. We will always come back to Half Shell Oyster House, the best kept secret in Lafayette. If you haven't made it there yet, you are truly missing out on a fabulous dining experience. read more