Shells Seafood Restaurant – South Tampa

Great service, great food, chill atmosphere! Had the clam chowder, calamari, and crab cakes dinner. The chowder was awesome! Lots of clams, and just the right amount of salt. The calamari was fresh, and cooked perfectly! The crab cakes were good (a little small for my taste but there were 3 of them). The service was spectacular! Tanya was attentive, polite, and always had a smile on her face! I could really tell she likes her job! I’m only in Tampa for a little bit but I WILL be back!

Passing through to visit family and a friend of a friend said this place was good with reasonable prices so we checked it out. They were pretty dead but had plenty of staff (half the kitchen seemed to come out and stare as our party of 8 walked in). We were seated right away. Our waitress was nice enough, got our drinks quickly, that’s where the efficiency ended with her. She took our order for apps but didn’t come back to take our food order until after she dropped off our apps. We asked for tarter sauce to go with the calm strips app. She didn’t bring it until she started bringing out the meals after we had to ask a 3^rd time. By that point the apps were very cold. The meals themselves were pretty good. The crab legs came out cold but I told my daughter she cleans them all before she eats any so they’d be cold anyway, so she let it go and we didn’t say anything about that. She still enjoyed her cold crabs. The lobster in the lobster pasta was a little over cooked and a little mushy but the flavor was great and the pasta was cooked well so again we let it go. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals with no complaints. The portions were generous for the price. Overall I’d say it was a good place to eat a casual seafood meal with good food at reasonable prices. Just don’t go if you’re in a hurry because service is slow.
Oh and watch your head!!! The lights are hanging so low and not centered over the tables. One person in our party hit his head on the light over his chair 4 times during our meal. Not very well thought out. Other than that, we’d go back as long as we weren’t in a hurry.

BUGS GROSS!!! WTH! June 15 2016
I went to Shells & got a margarita then was looking at the menu noticed that the choices were kind of slim. Not to mention the prices OMG. Really! Compared to choices at other restaurants, I would spend double the money. I immediately wanted to leave but, had just reluctantly ordered some food.
Then like a gift from GOD, I notice a large BUG floating in my margarita.
After pointing out that something was in my drink, I was told
«sometimes there is debris from ice or limes in the drinks» (Good to know)
then told her really loud «it is a BUG in my drink, I’m out!»
Shells is not like it used to be years ago. I will NEVER go back or take my kids.
P. S.: I went to Burger King afterwards!

Was in Tampa and stumbled across this original treasure! Food was DELISH! will be dinner 4 rest of the week!

Pricey, but I did order the king crab legs. Which were amazing. The sides were just meh and I didn’t finish them, but them king crab legs though. So good! Nothing like fresh seafood. The atmosphere was pleasant. Slightly snooty. Mostly older couples in their 40’s. My server was nice. Was a good memory on this vacation.

Really great food and great service! We had a group of eight and the waiter never missed a beat.

Fantastic! Great food, great service, fantastic prices, and the the BEST clam chowder I’ve ever tasted!

The clam chowder is the best chowder I have ever eaten in my life. Believe it or not, it was better the San Francisco chowder and Seattle chowder. I still need to go to Boston to compare it with. Our server was a sweetheart named «Tanya O» and she was by far the best server I had as well. Very polite and professional, she always made sure our drinks were topped off and check out group of 9 every 5 minutes. I was very skeptical when we entered the parking lot and it was empty. But like they say, don’t judge the book by its cover, because the food was delicious!!! I would also go back again, not just for the food, but actually take advantage of the free margarita by ising the check-​in on this app.

Totally casual seafood at a great price.
I was in town for a conference and searched and searched for a great seafood spot. Coming from a landlocked state, the expectations were high. I picked this place based on location but mostly on price. So many options were high priced and seemed like there was a dress code. This was a serious win. Our meal and service were second to none. The kitchy décor worked for the purpose.
We split a few appetizers and each ordered a meal. Plentiful portions for everyone and no one complained. The peanuts were a little odd but still okay.
Make sure you check this spot for a great family evening.

An excellent family restaurant. A bright clean environment where the service was top notch. My ice tea glass was never empty for too long. I had the pasta and shrimp with a white sauce. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and was not chewy or rubbery as an overcooked shrimp sometimes is. The general manager even stopped by to make sure our service and meal was satisfactory.
I highly recommend this restaurant.

This is place is a must! The food was awesome, our waitress Tonya was great, she made sure we had everything we needed!

Loved the oysters. Very fresh. The blackened grouper sandwich was good. Nice atmosphere. Great service.

stopped in here on a weekday while on vacation, and it was amazing! coming from living in northern NY and OH all my life, I don’t get much seafood, and this was amazing. I somehow finished my whole plate, and wanted more even though I was more than full. Would go to again next time I’m in the Tampa area!

All three of us enjoyed our meals here! Although it was crowded when we arrived we were seated within 15 minutes. I had blackened grouper, my husband had the chowder and jambalaya and our friend had the shrimp mezzo mezzo — it was very tasty and fresh!

Very good food!!! We came here with a groupon on a weekday.
I took some pasta with seafood, I don’t remember the name but it’s one of the famous dishes. It was AWESOME!!! So delicious! Yummy I still remember the taste by writing my review.
My hubby were very happy of this fish and said its was a long time that he had such a good one.
I really recommend this place

Great seafood, location seemingly random. Why are these not closer to beachy/​shore locations? Anyway, their shrimp pasta has long been a favorite of mine, and it has a lot of seafood and good flavor for a reasonable price. Although I like when pasta comes with a salad and here you can pay a little extra if desired.
My friend had the clam chowder which is advertised as the best clam chowder ever, which is a bold claim and sets expectations really high. She said it was nice, but not the best ever. You set her up for disappointment. I thought it tasted good but I do agree best ever is a hard title to earn.
I think if you are looking for a casual seafood experience (seems like mostly pasta and fried foods) it’s good for a casual night out. There is nothing fancy here. Also a lot of the décor is signs with puns on them. Which are corny and funny.

Excellent food, very good service and reasonable pricing in South Tampa, very impressed.

Excellent! We had crab cakes, mahi italiano, Cesar salad. Everything was very good. Prices were around $ 15 for entrees.

Elizabeth was awesome! The food was great! Would go all the time if I lived closer!

Thomas was great!
Diablo shrimp was awesome, a good seafood place without the fancy deco and unreasonable price A+
Thank you for the good food and Great service :)

Had the small portion of Maui. It came with one side. No Hushpuppies or bread. No garnish $ 12.00. Had a good side salad $ 2.00. Décor is fair. Probably will not go again

Food was very tasty. We had crab cakes and calamari for appetizers. They were were both very good. For entrees, we had shrimp pasta, coconut shrimp and a shrimp po-​boy. They were all very good. Would definitely go back.

Come and enjoy clam chowder that is the best.
Service is good… don’t need to ask for water refill… It’s show on table by our server (I drink a lot of water). Well hope you lucky get Thomas R. like my table.

We had a great time and delicious food here. All appetizer are $ 5 on Wednesday and also free margaritas if you are check in Unilocal.Great services. Will come back more.

Everything is decent here not amazing but not horrible either! Been coming here for years maybe one or twice a year and always leave happy. Their never slammed so it’s easy to get in usually. We stopped in today after the gym, because it’s right across the street, and we had a groupon.
We started with fried calamari and mushrooms! Like the calamari better then the mushrooms. I had the seafood pasta with a white sauce, was good! Very creamy and rich the seafood portion of it was ok. My girl had the buffalo shrimp and thought it was ok, she said it wasn’t bad but neither one of the greatest. All in all enjoy coming in for casual seafood, and I feel the service here is usually spot on! Our served Carl got pretty busy while taking care of us, but still made sure we were taken care of us when they got a little unusual rush for Monday, I’m sure.

Well… never thought I would be eating at Shells LOL! Boyfriend dragged me in here. Lots of fried food. We split a few things, fried mushrooms, Calamari, buffalo shrimp, and seafood pasta. I think my favorite was the seafood pasta.
Everything was pretty average, but beat my expectations as I had none! Our server Carl was very nice, friendly, and we always had everything we needed!
Wouldn’t fight my boyfriend next time if he had a craving for shells :)

There was no line and no wait to be seated and my family and I were politely greeted by the host and manager. The waitress didn’t seem thrilled to be working but it didn’t effect service other than I was handed a salad bowl and luckily I caught the falling dressing before disaster struck. The special $ 5.00 appetizer was ordered – fried zucchini – and I felt that $ 5.00 should have been the regular price not a «special». Kids ordered typical kids menu items – chicken fingers, mac n cheese and fried shrimp. They were pleased and happy it came with graham cracker cookies. Wife and I ordered salmon nuggets and fish n chips respectively and it left a lot to be desired. Mediocre fries and seafood was bland. I don’t feel cheated but I didn’t walk out a winner either.

Server was nice, food was good (large portions), shrimp and crab dip was delicious! White sauce on the children’s shrimp pasta and shrimp & scallop dish was very thick… too creamy and salty for us.
Would go again.

Well, color me pleasantly surprised!
We initially found Shells via Unilocal,and since we were hankerin’ for some seafood, Shells was the best reviewed choice within our price range.
My snobby wife (she authorized me to say that, btw) said that the restaurant looks like a former IHOP. Like that’s a bad thing… Anyway, I think she was being a little harsh. It is a little nondescript on the outside, but I find no offense in the appearance.
Much to our surprise, we discovered there were $ 1 St. Arnold’s brews, and ½ off drinks. Double win!
I had the Shrimp Diablo pasta. I’ll have to say, it was very well put together. Portion size was good. The shrimp were properly cooked. The best part of the dish was that it wasn’t that diablo-​y. Wait what? Yes. It wasn’t that spicy! A lot of times Diablo dishes are all heat, no flavor. The Diablo dish at Shells had a lot of flavor– you could really taste the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, all held together with just a touch of heat.
As for everyone else, their dishes looked delicious as well. The other members of our party had the Chicken pasta, grilled grouper, and a couple other dishes that I don’t recall… All I remember is that everyone was pleased with that quality, quantity, and overall presentation of the dishes.
We will definitely be back, maybe with the intent of taking better advantage of the Sunday Sunday drink deals.

Clam chowder is wonderful and full of clams as promised. Caesar salad was large and crisp with lite lemon and tasty shreds of Parmesan cheese. Can’t wait for the Chicken Primates and the Grilled Seafood platter with skewers of shrimp. Yum. Great food and Tom gave us the best service, making sure we were well taken care of. Thanks Tom!

Always a nice and relaxing time with well prepared seafood. The calamari was in large and small chunks cooked perfectly and not greasy like many places in Tampa. Well done for a non-​Italian restaurant. Always enjoyed the grouper sandwich with quality French fries. We also enjoyed the large plate of lobster pasta. Very tasty with properly prepared lobster
The waiter was courteous and attentive. A plus was the free margarita!

simply awesome do not pass this place up! Fantastic food fantastic service fantastic pricing !

Unilocal coupon for free margarita. really sweet.great scallops .i came for these way back when they were $ 3.95 a basket. same great recipe. the coleslaw usually has mandarin orange in it. not tonite. Still good. baby lobster pasta was great. we will be back soon

Everything is casual here… The décor, the menu, the service, the ambience, the customers, and the vibe. This is not a bad thing.
Don’t let the casual nature fool you. The food is excellent, and we were pleasantly surprised. My wife grew up eating here, and I’m so happy she took us on our last visit to Tampa.
I had, and recommend the classic seafood pasta and the fresh oysters on the half shell. I also had some local craft beers.
We’re definitely coming here next time we’re in town. It’s a family tradition!

I went here with my friend who loves their clam chowder. We’ve had clam chowder all over the country and I have to agree that Shell’s is pretty delicious. The chowder is full of clams, along with potatoes and bacon.
I was also impressed by the shrimp and crab dip — there is a good amount of shrimp and (jumbo lump) crab mixed in with the cheese. I could have this and a cup of chowder and would be very full and satisfied.
But apparently, we are gluttons for punishment and we ordered the shrimp pasta dinner. We asked to split the dinner and when it came, they actually split the plates (and didn’t charge extra.) I enjoyed this as well — very simple but the flavors were good.
Service is okay, it was a little slow but it was busy (but nothing close to the bad service described in other reviews.
Bonus: they have a few local draft beers on tap — though you need to ask what they are because the menu doesn’t have them.