Half Shell on Western Avenue is a great seafood restaurant with great cocktails. The Caesar salad is delicious and creative. Great burgers, great chowder, and great desserts! read more

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After walking all around pikes market our stomachs started to grumble, so we made our way over to half shell for happy hour. Service was top notch - friendly and attentive - and we were sat very quickly. The oysters were so good - with great accompaniments. The steak frites were fine but not amazing - I blame myself for not choosing a seafood entree. Their happy hour mini crab rolls were definitely the highlight! If we are ever back in Seattle I'll definitely come back. read more

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Fantastic dinner at Half Shell's Seattle Restaurant week East Coast take over menu. One had Cape Cod Clam Chowder and New Haven Clam Spaghetti amazing, perfectly balanced. The other had the NYC Steakhouse Wedge Salad and Maine Lobster Roll, loved them both beautifully presented. Both ordered Atlantic Beach Pie lemon curd with saltines crust, crazy good! Very creative menu as always. Great atmosphere and service. One of our favorite seafood restaurants. read more

We found this restaurant looking for a seafood option that could accommodate our party of eight. Seeing the martini dip on the menu sealed the deal! Our server was great and our interactions with another server helping her was even better! The crab roll was the winning entree for the evening and I was so glad I ordered it. Seriously SO good! I ate five crab and/or lobster rolls on my trip and this was by far the best! The restaurant is right next to Pike's Market, so you can check out the market before you eat and take in ocean views if you'd like. I'd go again! read more

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Food 10! Service 10! Ambiance 10!! This was our dinner experience around day two or three and we were completely overwhelmed with the amount of food and the fact that it was so delicious read more

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We tried the small bites at happy hour. The mini crab rolls were very rich and filling. Personally, they felt a bit too bland for my taste but nonetheless they are filled with fresh crab. The roasted oysters were excellent and probably one of the best and flavorful of the roasted ones I've ever had. The clam chowder was pretty decent and tasty. Overall, the food is very good. The service (imo) is hit or miss - like we did not get the basics like crackers and Tabasco sauce that was suppled to every other table and had to keep asking for things - guess that's dependent on the time you visit and who you get. Pretty pricey as well but not a surprise give that it's at pikes. read more

Half Shell - Clam chowder, mini dungeness crab rolls and roasted oysters - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We arrived around 3:30pm on a Friday and were seated right away. The restaurant was busy, but not packed as there is plenty of inside and outside seating. We came for the $2 oysters during happy hour from 3-6pm. We started off with a dozen of the oysters on the half shell and they were so good and fresh! So good that we ended up ordering another dozen. Service was quick and friendly. I will be back whenever I'm back in Seattle! read more

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Great little happy hour menu and oyster happy hour. The cocktails were tasty. The outdoor patio has a nice view of the park and water. Server was very nice and service was timely. read more

Half Shell - Oyster hour - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Super cute place that now occupies Etta's old spot. Of course this is another Tom Douglass establishment. Mom and I didn't stay long and only had appetizers. The best one was the fried green tomatoes with Dungeness crab. The whole dish was delightful. The shrimp nuggets were just ok. I found them to be surprisingly dry, but the cucumbers they came with were supurb. They were the star of the dish. I could just get a bowl of those and be happy. I tried the baked oysters with Nuduja butter. I wasn't too fond of these because they were very rich and the taste of the ocean was overpowered by the butter. We sat outside because it was a nice day and our server was so very nice. She was very personable and attentive. Great service. We plan on returning to try their happy hour, but eating here really made me miss Etta's. Half Shell was good, but it doesn't have the elegance that Etta's did. Still a great place. Give it a try! read more

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Had a great happy hour at Half Shell. It runs from 3-6 and we got in line at 2:55 and inside by 3:10. Party of four and ordered two dozen oysters, four roasted oysters, and three mini Dungeness crab rolls. The oysters were amazing - I think the best I've had in Seattle. I couldn't get enough. The roasted oysters were also really good, huge. The Dungeness crab rolled were good, but the oysters were the star of the show for me. read more

Cute restaurant by Pike Place with an amazing oyster happy hour deal! $2 a pop from 3-5 pm every day, including weekends. They also have fun drinks and other food on the happy hour menu as well, like the fries I ordered for $8. The oysters were local and super fresh, 10/10 no notes. The fries are thick (not my usual preference) but were very fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Service was fast and attentive. Overall it was a very pleasant experience with great oysters. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Half Shell - Happy Hour menu as of January 2025 - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Meh minus. I came for the oyster happy hour, too bad the oysters weren't good. Had a clam dip with ritz crackers....it was ok. Wife had a "small plate", which was just a snow crab legs, son had the king salmon, which he said was ok (should be better than ok for 50 bucks), but there were very little sides, in quantity. After the awful oysters, very buttery (told waitress I didn't like them and she asked if I ever had west coast oysters, I said no, and she said well, there you go and walked away), and if that's how all west coast oysters taste, I'll stick to upper east coast oysters. I had a burger for dinner. 3 of us, total bill 230 bucks. I guess the worst part is our waitress was just so full of herself and condescending, yet never answering our questions. Hmm idk, maybe the worst part was the crappy expensive food, and terrible "happy hour". Flip a coin. read more

Great space! We sat outside and it was a nice time of the day. Sun was going down and we caught happy hour. Got everything on the menu enough for four & some drinks. Food was great for the most part. The only I would say is the shrimp nuggets need a little something. $2 dealers choice oysters were amazing. Great mignonette, just right with flavors in the tart brine taste. The service was on par and the guy had some swag too. A great ambience all together. read more

Half Shell - Happy Hour Food Menu - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Best happy hour in the city. $2 oysters are hard to beat. Oysters were creamy and super sweet. The type you get for HH varies but you are guranteed something fresh everytime. When I tell you their fries were probably the best I have ever had in my life, I am not joking. They are a must order. The baked oysters were just okay for me, each filled with bacon, cheese, and butter. Friendly and attentive service. I recommend making a reservation because as soon as we came in for HH at a decent line formed. Didn't order drinks but their HH cocktails were on the smaller side. Date night vibes for sure, larger parties may be harder to accomodate. I recommend this to anyone in the area or visiting! read more

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order: - 18 oysters in total, 6 of each from the daily selection: it was so good, it tasted really fresh and was one of the better oysters i've had 5/5. - roasted oyster: unique for sure, but it was mainly just okay 3/5. - smoked salmon chowder cup: if you get anything, get this! it was so delicious, creamy, and didn't have a fishy taste at all 5/5. - manila clams: the portion size for this is honestly pretty worth it, but it was okay nothing crazy, but still good 4/5. - bristol bay sockeye salmon: it was pretty dry which was kinda sad for the price, and didn't compare other places (i don't recommend) 1/5 . - dungeness crab roll: filled with flavors and good amount of crab, and a good portion for fries as well. - our server was so sweet and nice, answered a lot of the questions we had as well. a great spot for dinner and date, lots of table seatings + bar and tv a too. read more

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Definitely expensive, but worthwhile for a treat! We weren't able to come for happy hour but I'd definitely come back for that to pig out on oysters. My party had a good variety of dishes including the crab bisque, caesar salad, fish special and crab sandwich -- all was very tasty! Drinks and dessert were also good. I don't live in Seattle but I'll check it out again next time I visit! read more

We just walked in for dinner and we were so happy with the experience and meal. The staff were friendly and squeezed us into Happy Hour. The two of us had the "mini" crab rolls. They were some of the best we've ever had and were far from being "mini". We then split an entree and had the carrot side dish which had the most interesting heirloom-like carrots I've ever had. We were super pleased with the entire experience and we'll return next time we are in Seattle. read more

We came here during happy hour which is a great decision! The restaurant is very nice: I love the decoration of it. It looks so clean and chic! We ordered $2 happy hour oysters and the signing burger. Honestly the oysters are really good! Its way better than most of the oysters i had before giving i's an oyster lovers. We were not too hungry but after tasting it, we ordered more! The burger is on point too. It has a good mix of vege, sauce and beef patty. Lastly, the service is excellent, the server was very nice. I would highly recommend this place to everyone who love oysters!!! read more

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Half Shell took over the previous Tom Douglas-seafood centric restaurant Etta's last year I think. It shares the block with another Tom Douglas place Seatown Fish fry. Half Shell is the more refined of the two with a slightly fancier menu but the ambience is still casual. As the name suggests, they have some nice shellfish options. They will usually have three types of local oysters featured that are worth trying! The baked oysters are the larger pacific variety that are bigger and better for baking! My other favorite item there are the steamed manila clams that are served on top of toasted sourdough toast. I will usually also get the fresh catch which changes with availability. They do have a kids menu if you have younglings in tow. Check out their happy hour 3p-6p for some price deals! read more

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Great seafood that is open late and good location. The clams were tasty and done well while the oysters were fresh/on point. Dinner * Clams in white wine (Excellent) * Oysters (Very good) read more

Half Shell - Oysters - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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After a hot afternoon in downtown Seattle, this was just the place we needed for a late lunch. The ambiance was lovely with very few people and they kept it at a cool temperature. We were greeted by a friendly waitress who knew exactly what to recommend for me. I got the smoked black cod from the Sea Bar section of the menu. Although it was a smaller proportion than I would have wished given the price ($22), this plate had excellent flavor. I would recommend trying this dish out if you are looking for a small bite to eat. Not pictured: Others had the albacore tuna melt, grilled king salmon salad, and petit steak frites. I did not try these, but got word that the salad was especially delicious. Looking forward to trying that next! read more

Half Shell - Smoked black cod - with fennel jam and sour cream - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had a really good time here! The food was delicious and the staff were all friendly. Oysters were super fresh! Good service, clean restaurant. Would definitely go back! read more

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Went here for Seattle restaurant week and ended up getting one of the set menus and ordering stuff off the happy hour and regular menu that we wanted to try and do family style. This spot was really nice and well decorated and is so close to pike place and you can see the water from inside the restaurant. But overall we thought the food was very mid. Definitely skip the green beans bc some of the worst green beans I've had, not that they tasted bad but just no flavor and our server even noticied we didn't eat very much of it. The steak frites were solid. The seafood sampler was ok. The baked oysters were alright, little too much breadcrumbs for me. The oysters were good. The dessert was weird and I actively disliked it, the bottom of the cake tasted very herby like rosemary but the top was sweet and I didn't like the mix. Overall I'd probs come back for oysters and maybe try the crab roll but nothing else. read more

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The food was amazing! Mostly. Except for the scallop cure where the preserved lemon took over the scallop flavor and made it unpleasant. The service was good - I would say great, but we were there 3 times over the period of 2 days. We had 2 amazing servers, and one was semi clueless. Overall, I would go back! The food was yummy! read more

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*Only based off a quick happy hour experience* My friends and I were craving oysters, so when we saw a sign on the sidewalk that Half Shell had oysters during their happy hour, we said 'why the heck not'. Service was quick and our server was very friendly. We initially started with a half dozen of oysters, but it was so good that we ordered another half dozen. I now know that Pickering blue pool oysters are one of my favorites. I would be curious to try other items on the menu another time, but if you're looking for oyster happy hour that isn't too crowded, put this place on your radar. read more

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$2 oysters during HH! The days of $1 oysters seem long gone so $2 is definitely on the cheaper side. Oysters tasted fresh and were shucked well. Everything we had was tasty, just needed salt for the fries in the steak frites as they came unseasoned. We also really like our salt so maybe just preference. There were several different martini options and the two we tried were super good. Only wish the happy hour deal was off regular-sized cocktails and not a mini for cheaper. Easy to make reservations online. Street parking was difficult at 5:30pm on a weekday but there are parking garages nearby for $5. read more

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Hands down one of the best happy hours I've been to in a long time $2/ oyster $12 burger with all the fixings $6 fries with ketchup and mayonnaise- real potatoes with sea salt You won't be disappointed Mom said the minitini was regular size or at least heavy handed- she was having a great time haha Good looking wait staff and very polite and fast!! read more

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I love that they have an oyster happy hour! The oysters in July were fresh, in season, and delicious!! I love how modern but still cozy this restaurant is. There's outdoor seating so you can people watch and take in the market smells (yes, good and bad) so it's still a classic pike place pick in my book. The service is generally good and decent timing for food, even when pretty busy. There's a couple non alcoholic cocktails, a few carbonated options as well, so everyone can hang. Tip: make a reservation during busy days so you can enjoy, and possibly even glance a Mr Douglas on your visit. read more

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After being turned away from another restaurant, we stumbled upon Half Shell, and I'm so glad we did! We asked for a table for two without a reservation, and the host was incredibly kind and accommodating. He offered to seat us at the bar with a drink while he worked on getting us a table, which was a lovely touch. Our server was fantastic--she took the time to explain their oyster selection and was attentive throughout the meal. The oysters were incredibly fresh and delicious, and we also tried the Dirty Martini dip and steak frittes, both of which were mouthwatering. The restaurant itself is spacious and beautifully designed, and the drinks were spot-on; we both had different Martinis, and they were excellent. It turned out to be a perfect date night. read more

Half Shell - Dirty Martiny Dip - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is a great place for happy hour to enjoy $2 oysters and cold martinis. However, don't ask them for blue olives, even though their dirty martini dip is serve with olives and a layer of blue cheese. Guess I should have stuffed my own. The dirty martini dip was yummy, with amazing house made chips. I love ahi tuna, but they only have albacore on the menu. I asked my server if the tuna is red before searing. After searing there is very little red remaining. I almost wonder if they over seared it. It tasted fine, but just didn't have that look I crave. The tuna comes with a large serving of potatoes and green beans. It's almost a meal in itself. I ordered a side of charred peppers and they were delicious. So when I was paying my check, my server asked how were things? My response: Just okay. I would have expected a great server to ask me did we fall short? He didn't which I was disappointed. I love to build a great connection with my server, but just didn't feel it was reciprocated. I was a very easy diner. When I asked if I was missing something special on the menu after I placed my order, I got a you're doing good. Personally I think there are other winners on the menu but he didn't have the time to share. I came to Half Shell not because of happy hour, but because it's the newest Tom Douglas restaurant. I felt my meal fell short of my expectations. read more

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We dined 5pm, Saturday, early Oct. All-around great experience. Tasty food, creative + chic maritime interior, polished service, excellent cocktails. Half Shell could be family-friendly or casual-romantic, depending. An additional plant-based option or substitution would be good. The clams Half Shell serves are too mature for my taste, so I won't come every time, but I still enjoyed the smaller ones and will pop by occasionally. read more

Good was really good, and our server was very sweet! Drinks are a little over priced, but they were strong.

Amazing $2 oysters!! Our server Diana was amazing and gave us great recommendations for more restaurants to visit in Seattle. The vibes were 10/10 here!! read more

$2 oysters for HH! Nice place to enjoy HH just across the water and Pike's Place. Service was good and oysters not bad for $2 each. Just did oysters so can't comment on anything else'. read more

Half Shell - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food was great and the service was even better! We were seated immediately and the hostess Jennifer told us that happy hour was at 3pm, so we can have a seat and grab a drink and wait till 3pm to have the happy hour menu option. We couldn't pass up happy hour so we just ordered the scallop crudo to start off. It was fresh with plenty of scallops on the plate and the lemony sauce was a nice compliment. We were given crackers, but I would eat it without the crackers to get a better taste of the scallops. For the happy hour oysters, it's a randomly chosen oyster out of the 4 choices they had that day. $2 is a good standard happy hour deal for oysters. Our server also goes through and explains the level of brininess and flavors of the oyster. I like it a little on the sweeter side, so we opted to also pay $4.50 (full price) to try some other oysters as well. The burger was delicious as well. I love the tartar sauce inside it and it had a nice char to it too. It wasn't greasy and seemed really light for a burger. Loved the tangy mayo for the fries as well! read more

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We came in strictly for happy hour because we wanted a break from walking around Pike Place market. We saw the $2 oyster sign and went in and were fortunate to find three available seats at the corner right by the TV so we could watch some of the Olympic Games. The oysters were delicious and served with lemon and a mignonette sauce. We also ordered some fries which were delicious, I couldn't stop eating them. I can't say much for the entire dining menu, but there are both indoor seating and outdoor wooden bench seating. Our server at the bar was super friendly and helpful. Since we didn't get to spend much time there, I would definitely come back again for happy hour! read more

Half Shell - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Amazing happy hour oysters but more. Great bar and standard menu. Everything top notch and the staff is super. Down to earth good folks that know their stuff but don't flex. read more

The happy hour is so worth it! You can try lots of different foods and eat so many oysters. Definitely worth it if you split with friends. The atmosphere is really great inside. We had to wait a while even though a reservation was made so be prepared for that. The outdoor seating is beautiful, but be aware that the area does have heavy smells. read more

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I've always loved Tom Douglas restaurants so when I found out I would be visiting Seattle for the first time in 20+ years I immediately knew I wanted to try Half Shell. It ended up being our first stop for lunch as soon as we got to town. I was not disappointed!! We started with the fried green tomatoes based on the bartender's recommendation, and they were absolutely perfect! Next we had the crab roll with fries which was so good I forgot the take a photo! Finished with the coconut cream pie which was exactly like I remember from Dahlia lounge. My boyfriend doesn't like coconut and he ate half of this! The restaurant was super clean, decorated impeccably (oyster cornice above the bar!) and the service was perfect. Nicole is an extremely welcoming and friendly bartender with great recommendations. We are only here for 2 more days but plan to go back to Half Shell to enjoy happy hour oysters! Do not hesitate to try this place if you want a quintessential Seattle seafood experience!! read more

Half Shell - Coconut cream pie...started eating it before I took the pic, sorry! - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Stumbled upon this lovely patio a few days ago. Lovely service and a delightful meal. Fish was perfectly cooked! Flavor profile of the beats and spinach was a great counter to the spices on the fish. We will be back. read more

Half Shell - Halibut with beets and spinach - Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington