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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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    6 months ago

    I've been going to the Half Shell for years My favorite. I have it 5 stars eight years ago and give it 5 stars today. That says it all.

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    Quick and friendly service, shrimp was fresh and hot, crab cakes are fire, etc. Thanks for the great service Lindsey!

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    10 months ago

    Super great seafood selection! Great atmosphere & service. Affordable!Love this place!!

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    9 months ago

    Love Half-Shell and the wonderful seafood, oysters, and cocktails! Looking forward to having them tomorrow!

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    10 months ago

    Great seafood and oysters too, plus fantastic service! The prices are good, the dessert is good, and the Hot Sauce is out this world.

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    Page 2 of 21

    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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    Mr Shucks Seafood

    Mr Shucks Seafood

    4.5
    (63 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Excellent food and unparalleled service. One of the best restaurants on St. Simons…read more Was helped by multiple, highly attentive servers. The owner was present during the serving process and ensured to check on us multiple times. The menu has plenty of great options.

    Stopped in here last night at this locally owned St Simons sit-down seafood location for dinner…read more We arrived around 7pm and were told by the hostess that it would be a 30 minute wait. We opted to wait in the lobby on the benches they provide. While waiting we noted that they have indoor seating, outdoor starting in a screened in porch, and bar seating which is first come first serve. After a short wait, the hostess took us to our table, a two-top covered with butcher block paper. We met our server who was polite and promised us some samples of shrimp (that we never got - but other tables did). Our server did a great job answering questions we had about the menu and even provided some helpful suggestions. Please note, the tables a located close together, so if the table beside you has a loud talker, you can feel like part of their convo. We opted for 2 shrimp dinners (16 shrimp with 2 sides and choice of bread or hush puppies - get the hush puppies). I opted to have my shrimp served fried and broiled with cocktail sauce. For my sides, I ordered the garlic potatoes (roasted potatoes with their garlic butter - like a shrimp boil) and fried okra with a side of ranch. My wife opted for the shrimp dinner with cole slaw (their slaw is closer to a vinegar base with a sweet taste) and the garlic potatoes. We waited a little longer than we expected for our food and we noted that tables that were seated after us got their food before we did. Not sure if it is bc of what we ordered or bc our service was slow When we got out our food, it was well prepared and tasted great. Also, their portion sizes are generous and filing. Good option for a meal.

    Photos
    Mr Shucks Seafood
    Blue crabs
    Blue crabs
    Feast with 8 crabs and steamed shrimp and low country boil

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    Feast with 8 crabs and steamed shrimp and low country boil
    Fiddlers

    Fiddlers

    4.3
    (397 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Overall Rating: 4.5 Atmosphere: 4.9 | Service: 5.0 | Food:…read more4.5 | Cocktails: 4.8 | Price Per Bite: 4.3 Well, when you walk in and get a guitar serenade of Lynyrd Skynyrd songs by the bar tender it's gotta be a great place. Next up, the waitress was super nice and attentive. We ordered the deep fried devil eggs...so yummy. The mule drink was mixed well. The burger, fries, cup of stew was also prepared very well. Pricing was good. Will stop back here again.

    If I could only recommend one restaurant on St. Simon's, it would be Fiddler's. This place has it…read moreall. Stellar cocktails, friendly service, great views, modern design aesthetic, and incredible food. My only gripe is that they do not take reservations, though even on a Friday night, I've been able to get seated within 20-30 minutes, and you can always grab a drink from the bar and hang out on the lawn while you wait. This most recent visit, I started with the seafood chowder, one of my favorite soups on the island. Creamy, hearty, with plenty of fish, shrimp, crab, and potatoes. Shared a crabcake with my girlfriend--another solid choice, with plenty of crab, not too heavy on the filling, and with a lovely remoulade. For mains, we both had the grilled redfish, a baked potato for me, and mixed veggies for her. Perfectly cooked pieces of fish with a nice crust on the outside while still being moist and tender. Dessert this time was the chocolate pie, which was quite nice, not being too heavy nor excessively sweet. Did I mention the cocktails? I'm a big fan of the smokey mango Fiddlerita (a mezcal take on the classic marg), and the saladito a close second (again, mezcal, but with a little honey and cayenne). The girlfriend enjoys the basil smash (hold the simple syrup, please). Previously, we've tried the artichoke dip, which is also fantastic, shrimp and grits (solid, but Reid's does it better), blackened tripletail over creamy leek sauce (a special, and special indeed), and the key lime pie (excellent). You really can't go wrong here.

    Photos
    Inside pic
    Inside pic
    Seafood Chowder
    Seafood Chowder
    Inside restaurant

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    Inside restaurant

    The Half Shell - seafood - Updated August 2026

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