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    The Half Shell

    4.4 (811 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM

    The Half Shell Photos

    Business Info

    THE HALF SHELL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Half Shell

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    Whole Blackened Flounder w/ Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
    Renee D.

    After bar hopping around St. Simons Island, we stopped by The Half Shell SSI for oysters. There was about a 20-minute wait, so we walked a block up until our buzzer went off. I had a prosecco and ordered the blackened flounder special with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms--everything was really good. The oysters from Tybee Island were fresh and hit the spot. Our waitress Jen was great, and we ended with a butter cake for dessert. We were celebrating a friend's birthday, and it was a solid experience overall. Definitely a place I'd come back to for a casual date night.

    Menu
    Al J.

    The atmosphere here is incredibly relaxed. If you plan to visit on a weekend, be prepared for a wait, but it's absolutely worth it. The service is exceptional, and the food is simply outstanding. I can't wait to return and experience it all again.

    Guerry N.

    The Half Shell is our go-to spot on St. Simons Island, and you can usually find us there every Saturday. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, and the food is consistently good. Our sweet Annabelle Lee loved going with us, too. The staff always made a fuss over her, and she especially enjoyed her bacon-wrapped green beans. We cannot wait to bring MoonPie along once she finishes getting her shots. The oysters are always fresh, and the Oysters Frederica are one of our favorites. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. Great food, great people, and a relaxed St. Simons atmosphere. It is easy to see why we keep coming back week after week

    Butter cake
    Virginia B.

    Two of us came here Sunday afternoon. This was my first visit but my friend had been here before. We were seated quickly and our waitress came and took our drink orders. It was cold and windy so we wanted something warm but all they had was coffee. The decor is nautical but the place is smaller than I expected. I had oysters that were broiled in butter and lemon and garlic. They were ok....didn't come with a side but I got the bacon wrapped green beans and they were very good. We had onion rings that were huge and done well, My friend had fried shrimp and was pleased. We had " butter cake" with ice cream for dessert, it was ok. This is not in my top five on Ssi but I'm glad we tried it.

    Melissa I.

    Very family friendly. Instead of crayons, they hand out sticky sticks to create figures and objects with. The bathrooms are singles, so makes it much easier to contain littles. Had the open face tuna tacos, the flounder special, and chicken tenders. The open face tacos were not easy to eat but delicious. The flounder was really yummy. And our son loved the chicken tenders with fries. Def recommend

    Broiled oysters
    Josh W.

    I found this little gem while walking around the area looking for a good dinner spot. I liked the look of it and thought it'd be good to try. Sometimes your gut tells you right and this was certainly the case. The service was excellent, the food was very tasty, and the ambiance was pretty relaxed. Our server Alie was very friendly and knowledgeable. The place has a somewhat divey local feel which we really liked. Here's what we got: -Line 39 Pinot Noir -Sweetwater 420 -Lemon and garlic oysters (broiled) -Mandarin orange and strawberry salad, poppy seed vinaigrette -Blackened mahi w/ sautéed vegetables -Grilled flounder special sautéed vegetables, sweet potato fries. We didn't wait long at all before everything was ready. My lady's really enjoyed the oysters and her salad. My lady's mom liked her flounder too. And overall, everything was very nicely priced. I could see stopping by here again.

    Adam B.

    We had a really good meal at The Half Shell. Started with the open-faced tuna tacos appetizer, which were fresh and well done. For dinner we had the crab cakes, crab BLT, and grilled shrimp, all served with sidewinder fries and a variety of dipping sauces. Everything tasted great and was nicely portioned. Cassie was our server and did a solid job--friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We also tried the drink of the day, the Mistletoe Martini, made with gin, elderflower, and cranberry. We went with gin and it was a good choice. Overall, a good experience with good food and service.

    Chef's Fish Special

    Unbelievable food. 10/10. Had a lovely time with my girlfriend. Great food, great vibes, and great service! Would recommend to anyone in the area looking for some fresh seafood.

    Chicken tenders and fries from the kids menu
    Jade C.

    Came to SSI for a few days and ended up coming back here twice. Food was phenomenal. A little bit of a wait on Saturday night but we went right in on Sunday evening since it was raining. Apps: Oysters and shrimps were fresh. (Pic not taken but the calamari was so tasty too) The oyster shooters (my first time ever having one) is very reasonably priced and an experience! All the entrees came out fresh, fishes were cooked perfectly. The bacon wrapped green beans are to die for, a little bit of sweet with the savory, and I didn't feel guilty eating the whole batch because they're GREEN BEANS. Lastly, the butter cake? It sent me to heaven with each bite. If I ever came back to St. Simons again, (besides the beach), this would be my first spot to visit.

    Sami G.

    This place is a must stop when I visits SSI!! They have the best food and the best staff around. I absolutely love fresh oysters and these did not disappoint. We also had the burger, massive beer battered onion rings, salad and bacon wrapped asparagus. The onion rings were outstanding. This place is such a comfortable cozy place and we had a great booth. I truly love going there. Def recommend!!

    Sandra F.

    My fiancée picked this spot for us to dine in for dinner. It has a divey feel with a great selection of seafood. Both drink and food menus are very reasonable with pricing. We ordered: Drinks: -Line 39 Pinot Noir -Sweetwater 420 Dinner: -Lemon and garlic oysters (broiled) -Mandarin orange and strawberry salad, poppy seed vinaigrette -Blackened mahi w/ sautéed vegetables --Grilled flounder special sautéed vegetables, sweet potatoe fries. We didn't have to wait long for our meals. They came out right away. I really enjoyed my salad and oysters. The oysters were not greasy or had too much butter. I loved the dressing that came with my salad. On the other hand, My fiancée and my mom liked their meal but thought it was a bit bland and could use some seasoning. Overall the experience was good and the service was great. Alie was our server and was really nice and very attentive. There are so many seafood places in the area. Not my favorite, But I thought they were fair.

    The half shell shot (tequila one) upgraded to Don Julio
    Elizabeth D.

    I had the triple tail crab crusted it was excellent. Also the green beans wrapped in bacon were awesome

    Gluten free menu

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    7 months ago

    Really good food. Large portions. Walter the bartender never stops and takes good care of you. Busy place

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    11 months ago

    Great food and great service! Definitely will be coming back next time we are in town. Oysters were fresh and delicious.

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    Ask the Community - The Half Shell

    Do you have happy hour pricing for raw oysters?

    Apologies, but we do not offer raw oysters on Happy Hour! Our oysters are Market Price and our Happy Hour applies to alcohol, only. The oysters are still delicious, though!

    Do you have a gluten free menu?

    Not menu but there are many gluten free options. This is primary a fish shack

    Do they have Happy Hour?

    Yes. Mon - Thu 5 - 6. Fri - Sun 4 - 6.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Ziggy's

    Ziggy's

    4.0
    (23 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    The karaoke booth was so fun! My wife and I were just talking about the food and how good it was…read more We don't have any pictures but between the 7 of us we all ordered a variety of their appetizers and everyone of them was delish! Great service from that staff too! There is a bunch of pool tables, a dance floor, a bar area. This place is probrably hopping on some night but when we went it was pretty slow. Hidden gem I'd say.

    Been here on SSI for about 2 1/2 years and have seen this restaurant from the outside when I have…read morebeen in The Retreat Plaza shopping and decided today to give it a try. Went for lunch with my wife and found Megan our server to be very nice & helpful with menu items. My wife had the Grouper Finger Basket w/fries. The fish was cooked nicely and the shoe string fries were tasty. Comes with both tartar & cocktail sauces. I had the Gyro w/Brussel sprouts including the Thai sauce & honey sauce for dipping the sprouts on Megan's recommendation . She also recommended the pasta salad which I will try next time. Megan was spot on with dipping the sprouts in both sauces! The Gyro I had was with lamb, tomato, lettuce & tzatziki sauce. The meat was hot & veggies w/sauce were cold and was fantastic! From the ambience standpoint there weren't a lot of folks at lunch time other than those playing cards or mahjong which was about 10 people. But, there is a large bar that is fully stocked, ample high top tables for eating or drinking etc. & quite a few pool tables & video game room. My only knock is no draft beer & they serve Pepsi products. Other than those 2 items, I will come back & try dinner time as I believe the vibe will have more energy. The food again was very good and they seem to do a good take out business too. Looking forward to trying the dinner hour time frames.

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    Pano view
    Pano view
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    The Nest SSI

    The Nest SSI

    4.6
    (24 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    If you are visiting SSI, this stop is a must! Such a memorable meal. Every bite was so delicious…read more Definitely order the Roti and Curry and keep ordering it like we did. We loved the small plates as it gave us an opportunity to taste more interesting foods. Definitely put it on your list! Yummy and fun times!

    I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience at the bar with Mattie completely ruined the…read morestart of what was supposed to be a special girls' night out. I hadn't gotten dressed up and gone out in a very long time, and within two minutes of sitting down, Mattie greeted me by asking if I was the mother of the bride. The bride in question is only three years younger than me, and her actual mother was sitting right at the other end of the bar. When I naturally reacted with shock and told her it was rude, she immediately took offense and began acting as if I had disrespected her. I was trying so hard not to cry or let it ruin my night. When I mentioned to my friend how badly my feelings were hurt, Mattie chimed in to say, "I already feel bad about it," before continuing to storm around behind the bar with an annoyed attitude. Not once did she actually say "I'm sorry," and she made absolutely no effort to fix the situation or soften the insult. Her complete lack of a real apology and her defensive behavior turned a careless mistake into an incredibly hostile and hurtful interaction. Customer service should mean making guests feel welcome, not making them want to cry two minutes after walking through the door. There was even a moment where she went to share with who I can only assume were regulars, what had been said and only stopped when I made direct eye contact with her to say a nonsensical "and yeah" as she walked off to say "anyone else need anything?!?" like she hadn't been on the verge of expressing HER bad experience to her buddies. The mean girl energy was the only top notch thing about her service. On top of that horrid taste in my mouth at the very start, the drink she made was so sweet, it was almost undrinkable. I guess she didn't hear me mention that the 4 or 5 times I did, because she never chimed in on that. Even when it came to the checks, she took off the second drink my friend ordered - who she didn't gravely insult as soon as they walked in. I still tipped 40% on my tab, but not because she deserved it, but because I'm sure some portion of it is given to the much more deserving staff. Mattie, that really sucked. Woman to woman - you know better. I don't care how long you have been there or how good or not good you are at your job - that was disrespectful, unprofessional, and unnecessary. Next time, just follow the law and ID everyone. Chef - great job! The street corn gnocchi was to die for. The guy who I think was the manager - thank you for laughing with us as we sang along to Blink 182. You were all otherwise very welcoming, dressed professionally, and all around offered a great atmosphere I'd be happy to come back to and get a table at.

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    Gnocchi
    Gnocchi
    Manhattan and a water

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    Manhattan and a water

    The Half Shell - seafood - Updated August 2026

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