Half Shells Oyster Bar & Grill

Oyster nachos, peel and eat shrimp, oysters guys you have to come. It’s sooo good. Come on Mondays and ask for Lesslie and Steven. They are the bomb dot com. Best service and food. Period.

I’ve been eating at Half Shells for over 10 years and I am never disappointed with the food, the cocktails, or the service. Today «Bre» was our server and she was top notch! During the busy lunch rush, Bre made a point to make us feel like we were her only table. I highly recommend sitting in her section for the BEST Half Shell’s experience!

Bree C was the the sweetest waitress. Very helpful, sit in her section if you can. Love the food always fresh and in season.

I love snow crab. This place is near my home. But I cannot get my head around $ 25.99 for 1lb of snow crab. $ 16.99 is a reasonable price. So can’t return. Sadly.

You gotta love it. Steven is the homie, best bartender [other than myself]
Seriously if you don’t come you should probably move to North Dakota because that’s what you’ve become

Bre C our server is great and the food was amazing. All soups were home made and we love the frozen margaritas!

I went to Half Shells for an all-​you-​can-​eat snow crab leg special. They started me off with a soup sampler (I think that’s a thing for first-​time guests), and I enjoyed all of the soups. I would’ve ordered one, but I saved room for the crab legs. They kept bringin’ ‘em out as quickly as I could eat them (I must’ve had 3 – 4 dozen legs total; they’re actually pretty healthy), and I have to say they were pretty good. They were somewhat busy, but my plate (giant dish) and cup were always filled, which is really nice. Props to my server, Steve, for the great service, as well as the rest of the staff for being really friendly.

Half shells is most likely the best seafood grill I’ve eaten at in years, I lived on the east coast for years and I have to tip my hat to the staff and cooks. Excellent food !! I had the broiled shrimp in the shell and they were large and delicious. They gave me a sample of all the soups and I was impressed with everyone one of them, and special thanks to the bartender Steve for taking care of me and his suggestions. Thanks half shells and Steve !! I’ll be back…
Brian

Hot as hell shrimp is fantastic plus the Texas gulf oysters. New place on regular rotation.

I am very impressed with the oysters and customer service! For the price, these oysters are the best I have found in Dallas thus far!

I stopped by here on a whim after shopping for bikes elsewhere in the strip. I was not expecting much, but to my surprise they had a really great oyster selection (not just run of the mill gulf) that were all well shucked and served impeccably. Other things I noted was fantastic soup, a really cool but laid back sort outdoor patio, and wonderful service. I was met and taken care of by «Amanda» who was an absolute doll and sweet as could be, honestly I wish someone like her worked at every restaurant, I would eat out a lot more. I forget what the fish tacos I had were called, but they were also amazing, as was the house made sauce that was served along side them.. The awesome food and great service means that, even though it is a little far from me, I will definitely find an excuse to make it back soon.

Great keeping coming back
FRIED OYSTERS is a Must !
CUP GUMBO is good.
SOFT SHRIMP TACOS are excellent !!!
The Texas Ranger WIN ON OPENING DAY was fantastic as well. I was stuffed and went home.

Perhaps the thing I miss the most about living on the Gulf Coast is the seafood.
Since moving to the Dallas area, my holy grail has been a restaurant that offers two things:
1) Fare from the Gulf, shrimp, oysters, and fish
2) A chef who prepares those things according to traditional recipes from the Gulf Coast
Bound for another restaurant in Snider Plaza, H. R. H. and I decided instead to stop in Half Shells Oyster Bar and Grill for our first visit.
The atmosphere is pleasant: a small room adorned with strings of colored lighting along the ceiling and placards of witty euphemisms hanging on the walls. There are tables and booths available and a large bar. The host was friendly and seated us quickly outdoors — per our choice — in a narrow courtyard, also pleasantly appointed with items similar to the dining room.
We began with an appetizer of Fried Pickles. The dish was good, but how can you go wrong deep-​frying a pickle and serving it with Ranch Dressing? This dish is (hopefully) not the defining point for any kitchen, so I remained guarded in my quest for an authentic Gulf Coast taste.
One of the specials was intriguing: a dish prepared with sheepshead. If you have never seen one, this fish is not attractively colorful, and has teeth that would make the Cheshire Cat jealous. In my years of fishing Galveston Bay, I never ate one as it is often labeled a «junk fish». As described, the recipe sounded tasty, but I will reserve partaking of it for a later time.
I opted for what was billed on the menu as blackened «Gulf Shrimp», also available fried or as a «healthy option». Two sides come with this entrée, the selections being Virginia’s Apple Cider, Cole Slaw, Waffle Fries, or rice. I substituted a cup of Red Beans and Rice, which was very well prepared, seasoned like Mama used to make it, and went down quite easily.
H. R. H. had the Fish & Chips, beer battered cod usually served with Virginia’s Apple Cider Cole Slaw, but chose Hush Puppies instead. Fish and chips is one of those time-​respected dishes that you’ll never go wrong ordering. As reported, it held true to the English tradition of having little flavor, hence a bottle of malt vinegar was brought with the meal — a definite plus since most restaurants forget about it or don’t keep it.
Wouldn’t you know that the Loud Family was just then seated at an adjacent table? There should have been little doubt among all diners or passersby within three blocks as to what was being said. One loud and resonant voice and the shrieks of two very young children are still reverberating in my head a day later. While definitely a damper on our overall experience, this is definitely not controllable by any restaurant; people simply need to learn social skills.
Enter the shrimp. First, not all shrimp served in restaurants are from the Gulf of Mexico. If you are a shrimp aficionado, move on. Second, shrimp are graded by size in terms of number per pound. I overlooked on the menu that the entrée consisted of only six shrimp, which were disappointingly small. The flavor however was delightful, as were the Hush Puppies that accompanied. Ask first though what the size of the offering is.
Still hungry, I ordered «Homemade Bread Pudding». Served under a whiskey sauce and topped with pecans and just the right amount of sugar, this praline decadence is so delicious that you can picture an apron-​clad Cajun grandmother baking it with love, personally delivering it to your table, and saying to you, «A bon couer appetite bouillee, cher!».
Chronologically, I have omitted to this point a crucial step in any restaurant dining experience, preferring to close with the best part of our visit to Half Shells. A talented waitstaff can oftentimes make up for the rudeness of others or quality that might be lacking in the food. So it was on this visit when we were fortunate enough to meet Bri C. She is one of those who never meets a stranger, and thankfully so since I am a strange one. Not many folks indulge my style of sick redneck humor, laden with whimsical tales of trombones, baseball, and Simmental cattle. In a most professional manner, Bri simply acted as though she’d been listening to my stories all her life and even spun a couple of her own yarns. Our drinks (tea and Coke) never emptied and she checked on us often, exchanging pleasant conversation each time. Bri was obviously quite busy, but she was never lacking on patience, making us feel as though we were seated at the only table she was responsible for.
And so my quest continues, but H. R. H. and I will certainly visit Half Shells and Bri again. If only more restaurants had Bri C…

Preface: my wife and I have been trying to find good Cajun food since our New Orleans vacation in 2014.
Fast forward past Dodie’s and Razzoo’s to put visit here. This place has it going on. The gumbo tasted authentic, not over salted like the other «Cajun» places. The crawfish poboy was excellent, the French loaf was soft on the inside, perfect crust. They have waffle fries, win! The dusting on the fries are perfect and even better when dipped in the chipotle tartar sauce. Catfish was crisp, fresh and not over seasoned. Great server, Amanda, recommended everything we are and we loved it. My wife even ate the cheese grits, she hates grits normally. She said they were the perfect consistency and flavor.
Do go here.

My family and I are visiting from California and this was the perfect place ever! The hush puppy’s were like heaven and the fried calamari was amazing to! The service is fast and the waiters are so nice and the portions are perfect. You wouldn’t expect this place to be great from the way it looks but this is the best restaurant we’ve been to this whole time we’ve been here and I of course do suggest to stop by and order something off the perfectly amazing menu!

This was a great stop! Amanda was our server and she gave great service. It was our first time here, so she offered to give us a little sampler of their clam chowder, red beans and rice, crab bisque, jalapeño soup, and an oyster nacho. It was more than enough! We were almost full just off of that! We ordered calamari for the appetizer which was crispy and hot. Very delicious. I ordered the blackened catfish, it was ok, and my boyfriend ordered the fish tacos which he really enjoyed. If we are back in the area we will definitely be back! Thanks for your awesome service Amanda! Good luck on painting faces for Mardi Gras!

I was in the mood for seafood and didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg, so we trekked to Snider Plaza for dinner. This place is tiny! Like less than 20 tables tiny. Luckily I came at the right time and we were seated in a booth after just 2 minutes. The menu is simple but they have some interesting looking specials daily. I ordered off the regular menu and got the shrimp and grits. They were delish. Cheesy, buttery with crumbled bacon and a little cilantro for flavor. Only complaint is the shrimp they use are small but they do give you several.
Hubs got the fried seafood platter and it was pretty blah. Cornmeal batter didn’t have much flavor and the shrimp were small too. Service was just ok, our waiter took so long to check on us a manager had to be flagged down to get extra tartar sauce. I would go back, but I’d try something off of the specials menu like crab stuffed flounder or the shrimp and sausage Mac and cheese.

Comfort Seafood! Never disappoints! Always crowded yet festive in this cozy spot! This time, from the board, their Scottish Salmon, grilled perfectly to my medium rare specification — yeah! Delicious also were the sides, the flavorful wilted garlic spinach and corn mixture! A fun evening Half Shells makes! Cheers!

Gumbo was inedible due to a bunt rue. If you can’t cook gumbo (their rue is prepared off site) you’re not a legitimate Cajun restaurant.

Small place but it was easy to get in the evening we went. We enjoyed the experience both the food and sitting in the side «outdoor» area. My wife’s view was toward the back of the area and she was thinking they could put some effort in hiding some of that storage area. The food was good and reasonably priced and it was pleasant with the fans.

Excellent service. We ordered out of the menu and they delivered! The meal was great, everyone was extremely attentive and ready to take care of their customers. A special thanks to Juan! In the Kitchen, he is a magician. Oops, and the best frozen margaritas in Dallas, with a dash of Grand Mariner. We will be back. Thank you.

Great oysters and I love that you can choose the location of where your oysters are from. Cute little establishment with friendly staff.
Oysters are super fresh and huge! $ 12 for half a dozen or something like that.
Also ordered the clam chowder, but it wasn’t much to rave about.

Great food! Really casual! Great kids menu, strong drinks, good happy hour. Food took longer than I expected. Good service=

Ordered the famed oyster nachos, fish tacos, Mexican shrimp cocktail with nachos and cheeses grits for my son. First of all very cute dive in university park with great parking. My hubby is 6’2 and we were seated at the booths which were a little cramped, no biggie next time we might ask for a regular table instead of a booth. Oyster nachos were on point though! The actual nacho looked like it was just regular ‘store bought out of the bag’ kind of nachos but together with the fried oyster and sauce… Delicious! Grits were ok… A little salty. My fish tacos came in half (2) and full (4) size. I ordered the half size and I am so glad I did! The tacos, more like burritos, were huge so definitely a good buy if you’re hungry!

Best seafood in this area! We are very frequent here and you will not be disappointed

Crowded! Small! Food decent! Seafood! Crawfish could use better flavor but it was ok. It reminded me of a «Bennigan’s» type atmosphere. Good for small groups. Mostly all american menu. Medium priced. Ok quality. Nothing special. I probably would go elsewhere unless a friend made me return. Drinks were good!

Expect to seat yourself when you walk in. They have a regular menu but they have a number of dishes that they write on the board, which are daily specials. As complimentary, they bring out warm, toasted bread that was pretty good. The blackened halibut with cheese grits was okay but I wish it had a few more things thrown into it for flavor: e.g. red bell pepper sautéed onions etc. although the spice on the fish had a good kick, the entire dish just didn’t seem bursting with color and a lot of flavor and slightly a little too much salt on the grits. My tuna tacos were pretty darn good and the rice that came with it was rich and creamy but not enough salt there; however, I did get a little bit of an upset stomach following that meal.
Overall the meals were okay but nothing too exciting to come back for.

Amazing food, service and atmosphere. I’m a born-​and-​raised Galveston girl, and this reminded me of home immediately!
Sagan was our server and she went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. She provided amazing suggestions for both food and drinks. The manager (owner? Not sure…) was nice and checked on us and made fun conversation.
I had the oyster nachos, crab bisque and redfish ponchartrain. Boyfriend had the seafood platter. Everything was amazing.
We will be back as soon as possible. Choose Half Shells for any upcoming crawfish «needs.»

The BEST crab bisque. Holy shizz. Awesome bartender guy, Madison. New salmon salad is amazing!!! They serve a Malbec :)
Thank you!

This is an updated review from my last review. First of all I must say thank you to Half Shells for contacting me and sending me a gift certificate in the mail and inviting me back. Even though I could have used it for any Fish City Grill which I happen to love I decided to go back to the same location.
I was greeted right away. Unfortunately, there was no available seating at the bar so I had to take a small table inside. My waitress was very friendly and got my drink order right away and I also ordered a cup of gumbo. The gumbo was better this time and it was served nice and hot. They also brought some bread out with it. She asked if I wanted bread but I said no and I still got it which is fine but I was trying not to eat bread and it looked so delicious that I of course ate some of the bread. It was as good as it looked!
I decided to go with one of the specials and it turned out to be a wise decision. I had the scallops along with the shrimp. There were 3 of each and the scallops were covered with bruschetta and a small amount of melted cheese and it was supposed to be accompanied by mashed potatoes and asparagus but I asked to have broccoli instead and everything came out promptly and as I asked for it. Both the shrimps and scallops were impeccably delicious. I would order this dish again! I would go back just to have this dish. The only thing is I wished that I had more of it. Ok, call me greedy! I had just worked out so I was HUNGRY!!!
I went ahead and went out of my element and had a bloody mary (yes after my wor out) which came with a shrimp! Smart thinking because I enjoyed that shrimp. It was not salty or anything. (Last time my friends shrimp had tasted saltier then usual) It tasted yummy! The waitress also asked if there was a particular kind of vodka that I wanted and that was a great question because YES I did. I do not do well vodkas or at least my stomach will not do well. hehehe
I enjoyed this visit and I am very appreciative that I was given a gift certificate. It is awesome that a business keeps up with their customers and they definitely went the extra mile to satisfy me and it worked. I will be going back to this location again. Everything was great this time. My server was also awesome. I can’t believe I forgot her name but I did thank her before I left for the amazing service.

We have visited Half Shells many times over the years. We have always enjoyed the atmosphere and the seafood.
Oyster nachos are always tasty, their daily specials are usually fresh. The crab bisque is usually something to look forward to.
Our visit this past week was not great. The bar service was solid, but the wine pours were much lighter than usual. But something has clearly changed.
My wife’s fish was greasy and my buffalo shrimp po boy was subpar and prepared decider toy than ever before. The shrimp tasted and had the texture as if it was reheated, the buffalo sauce was just squirted on the bun instead of the shrimp being tossed in the buffalo sauce.
That was disappointing, but not the worst. The crab bisque gave me food poisoning. It tasted a little differently than normal.
Probably not going back. Sad, we have been customers for over 12 years.

I visited with two friends tonight who had not been here before. We arrived at 6:30, had a 30 minute wait, and left around 10. We had crawfish (no spice, medium, or spicy are options), oyster nachos (cornmeal-​crusted oyster that aren’t greasy on corn chips with pico), and a steamed seafood platter (lots of steamed seafood to choose from. Crab!) It was all fresh, clean, and delicious. Our order was taken promptly but it took some time to get our food, which was fine because we sipped on cocktails and had a lot to discuss… and that tiny kitchen handles every order as quickly as they possibly can.
Upon arriving, expect to wait your turn for a table in this small, narrow, cozy, festive, bustling space. Waiting inside can be arduous (because it’s narrow and bustling!) so I recommend ordering a drink and sitting outside in the outdoor covered alley. The servers stay very busy so if you feel ignored or slighted, simply grab the attention of a server or manager and they will make sure you’re attended to. If you’re in a hurry, want a quiet dinner, or are not comfortable in cozy spaces, you might not like it here. If you aren’t pressed for time, are in the mood for delicious seafood, have patience, and want to mentally transport yourself to the Gulf for a couple of hours, you might just love Half Shells.
There is a tiny bar, one restroom (meaning one toilet and sink), and a little outdoor alley that’s covered which is quaint (but could use some nicer heaters!). As far as I’m concerned, this is a GEM of a restaurant nestled in Snider Plaza near SMU.
Five stars for all of the above, I just wish I could be right next to the ocean when I walk out of the door.

Had dinner here last night and tried a little bit of everything. We had the Mexican shrimp cocktail, blue point oysters, oyster nachos, lobster cake (an off the menu special), and fish & chips.
Loved it all except the lobster cake. It was served with roasted corn and lobster sauce. There wasn’t a lot of lobster in the sauce and the corn tasted like freezer burn.
I agree with another reviewer that they could stand to use better quality tortilla chips for their oyster nachos. I still thought the nachos tasted great, though.
It was overall a great experience and I will definitely be back!

Half shells leads the pack as the best restaurant in snider plaza. The food is so fresh and hand crafted, the atmosphere warm and the service excellent. It’s hard to be a great, N’orleans style seafood restaurant so far from the sea, but half shells has achieved it.
The oysters here are legendary, I always order them and am always impressed. My favorite is the oyster po’ boy. A good portion of fried oysters, red onions, tomato, Cajun remoullade and an okra spiked through the top… So good every time! Perhaps the best part is the roll it’s served on: perfect balance of crispy outside with a soft, chewy inside that compliments the overall sandwich. The size is just enough to house the innards, but not enough to unhinge your jaw trying to fit it in.
My favorite part of half shells may in fact be their soups. Clam chowder, roasted jalapeño, gumbo and **drumroll** THE CRAB BISQUE!!! The CB is the best soup I’ve ever had! EVER! I have to get it every time I come. Plenty of crab meat in a creamy, slightly spicy broth. Absolutely perfect for when you’re just feeling like a warm bowl of soup.
The restaurant space and atmosphere seals the deal. Small and quaint, half-​shells has that feel of a pieced together restaurant that’s been around, a space that makes you feel comfortable. My favorite is the outside «patio», which is really an alley with tables and a cover overhead with plenty of festive, norleans-​style decorations.
Definite must-​haves: fried artichokes, oysters, crab bisque or roasted jalapeño soup and bread!