Half Shell Oyster House

For inland seafood, you can’t get that much better. That being said, I left fairly satisfied with my food, dissatisfied with my service, and cheated with the prices. For $ 50 (entrée, side, a beer, and dessert) per person, you should be expecting some top of the line seafood. Well it wasn’t caught fresh yesterday, but still had some salty sea taste to it. Shrimp were plump, crab cakes juicy, oysters were top notch (I got the sampler). The grouper was not cooked all the way. I happen to like it that way, so I was cool with it, but if you like it done, tell them. One other person in my party had to send theirs back.
That’s actually where most of my great experience turned to average. Less than stellar service. I was overcharged $ 5.00 for gumbo! I pointed it out to the waitress and she said that normally my meal came with only 1 side. I then countered, saying the menu said you get two sides. She gave me some lengthy nonsensical explanation. I told her fix the menu, or don’t charge me. She said ok, brought me the gumbo, AND STILL charged me. I get there is an up charge for gumbo by the way, but the menu was very clear about getting 2 sides, and so I paid for 3 and only got 2. I was pretty upset about that, so I just left after paying. That coupled with my friend’s order being sent back; my tip was less than its normal generous wage. She gave fast food effort, deserving of a fast food paycheck. She couldn’t even bring out salads early (like she said she would).
So in short, food was B+, Service an F and I will be returning, but NOT to the one in Hattiesburg. I hear there is one in Biloxi, much more highly favored. I’ll try it.

I have eaten at three of the Oyster House locations and never been disappointed. I love the Blackened Redfish and the sweet potato Brulé… Outstanding!
I am definitely a regular!

Was not impressed with food or service. Too many good places to eat in Hattiesburg to waste your time going here. Hey we tried twice thinking the first time was just a bad day but were disappointed the second time also.

royal red shrimp were overcooked. oysters not plump.

The one star is for the appetizer. We ordered the crab claws and the waitress recommended that we get them sautéed rather than fried. That wasn’t on the menu but we got em. They were really good. Everything else was really really really bad!!!
The drinks were just wrong. The margarita was not good at all and the special summer cocktail tasted like boxed juice.
The bisque was ok. But the gumbo my husband ordered never came until after his entrée which had to be sent back. He ordered the ribeye. It was 60% fat and WAY undercooked!!! I mean, grossly undercooked! It was supposed to be medium rare. When we got it back the second time it was rare.
I ordered the grouper blackened with broccoli. It came grilled with bones all in it :-/​The broccoli AND grouper tasted like cold rubber. I’m not even a picky eater but it was truly awful. I promise I tried but I couldn’t eat it.
The waitress was a doll though. Very sweet and attentive and gave good recommendations. Too bad she couldn’t cook the meals too. She was training a new girl who had no clue what was going on in this life, much less in the restaurant. Poor girl.
Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else.

We had dinner here last night. Our waiter Jay was excellent. He had great recommendations. The food was fresh and excellent. We had the oyster sampler, Caesar salad, and seafood platter. The jalapeño hush puppies were so flavorful with just the right amount of spice. The turnip greens tasted just like the ones my grandmother used to make me as a child. Would definitely return.

Awesome everything! The crab lobster & corn bisque is pretty bomb, ahi tuna is killer, and of course the oysters are great. Raw oysters are probably some of the largest I’ve ever been served. Definitely a must stop when I’m nearby one of these!

They have fresh oysters, a friendly staff and nice atmosphere. it’s expensive but then again it is seafood.

My favorite place to eat in the Hattiesburg area. The Red Royal shrimp are fantastic. They are mildy sweet and huge and plump. The stuffed mushrooms are very tasty too. This place is always full so get there early. Even if there is a line it is definitely worth the wait.

Ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes and Crab Cakes. I wasn’t disappointed!!! Waitress staff was very attentive as well.

I have eaten here and the one on the coast many times. I’ve never been disappointed. Sometimes a bit pricy, but definitely worth it. One of my favorite restaurants in Hattiesburg.

In town on adate weekend. My bf had been great before then he was working out of town. Had the raw oysters and surf and turf. Steak was cooked less than I ordered it but are it anyway. It was all great! We are talking about coming back for lunch tomorrow.

Exceptional seafood and oyster house. Some friends of mine took me here and I was a little skeptical until we ordered. We got the oyster sampler platter, which consists of a dozen oysters in four varieties. I had the same think at Pappadeaux, Pappadeaux could not compare to these. We also ordered the fried crab claws. Which were excellent. I got a soup and salad. The soup was corn and crab bisque. Everything was over the top. And for this kind of food the pricing was great. Definitely a must try!

Phenomenal food, impeccable service and impressive atmosphere. We have eaten at the Biloxi restaurant several times and this location delivers a similar experience. The food is fresh, the staff make wonderful recommendations and are attentive but not overbearing. A great place for a family get together on a Sunday afternoon. We cannot say enough good things about this restaurant family and highly recommend any of their restaurants in Biloxi, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Mobile or Sarasota. Looking forward to a location in the Jackson area!

Second time here. First time got the royal red shrimp. They were very good. This time ordered the oyster sampler ($ 19). Which was composed of oysters bienville, oysters Rockefeller, chargrilled oysters, and oysters orleans. They were good and hot. Wife ordered shrimp orleans and it was good also. Will definitely be coming back. The burgers are good and the chicken bacon Swiss sandwich.

It’s a bit pricey but the food is good. I had the (monthly special) grilled salmon, which was excellent. Our group also ordered both the raw and grilled oysters and while I didnt have any, they seemed to enjoy them.
Food was slow to come out, but otherwise the meal was good.

I had the barbecue shrimp and grits. I’m a real shrimp and grit lover! Not in this case. It was spicy which I liked but too cold to the touch. My spouse had an item that was basically the same. A much too pricy a place for what is served. I had really expected this location to rate high but the food simply did not live up to the other locations. The overhead must be a killer. Overpriced and overrated. We won’t be back. I left feeling ripped off.

Building on its reputation from Gulfport, this location does not dissapoint in its first 30 days in business. Place was packed, first come, first served… so bring patience as it will be rewarded with great service and even better food.
We were a part of six, all of which left smiling. Here’s why…1) charbroiled oysters to perfection (and i prefer raw) 2) entrée of bacon/​pecan redfish (need i say more?) 3) key lime pie that bites back (reportedly trucked in from NOLA).
But the other honorable mention here was Bananas Foster Cheesecake. Server highly recommended, glad we took her advice. It was light, flavorful, and made you feel sinfully good with each taste. Not usually a cheesecake fan, but split among six people there was nothing left but a clean plate. Enjoy yours soon.

I absolutely loved the food here. Its amazing. The only reason I didnt rate Half Shell higher is because we waited so long for our food. More than an hour. If your going to go on a Saturday make reservations. People who didn’t were standing outside in a very long line waiting to get in. Also our server had to be new because she clearly didn’t know the menu and kept forgetting parts of our orders. She was very sweet though. I wasn’t even upset because the food and cocktails were so amazing. Everyone should eat here and I will be going back!

Great new restaurant (originally from the coast) in Hattiesburg! I really like the more upscale yet relaxed ambiance and bar area… iron, cooper, wood, warm lighting. The entire staff was really friendly, helpful and attentive, which made eating alone for lunch a pleasurable experience. There were several couples there eating and having a great time… an ideal place for a date, girls night out and dinner with friends.
I had the Half Shell Salad with blackened tuna, very good ($ 17). The raw oysters had a clean, fresh ocean taste, delicious, not muddy. For a spice adventure, I tried Oysters Orleans, that was also delicious.
Try Half Shell with an open mind to experience their flavors, and go for an adventure if oysters are new to you.