A Review of the Half Shell Restaurant in Memphis, TN

This review is based on a visit that occurred 24 January 2011. The Half Shell is located at 688 South Mendenhall in Memphis, TN. The zip code is 38117. The telephone number is 901-682-3966. Here is a link to their website (www.halfshell-memphis.com/index.htm). It is located across from Whole Foods Market and Hillstone Restaurant Group. It is also close to the White Station Plaza Shopping Center and Malco Paradiso Theatre.

The service we received was a little above average. Our drinks stayed filled for the most part and the waiter was polite. I should mention that I was a little surprised to find two different charges from The Half Shell had been applied to our debit card. After calling the restaurant I was advised that our card has accidentally been swiped for someone Else's ticket but that it would be removed very shortly. It was no big deal in the end but somewhat alarming when I first saw it. I will also mention that we got seated next to a window and we did freeze for the majority of our meal.

My wife had the Voodoo Shrimp and I had the Fat Boy. My wife loved the Voodoo Shrimp. I had one bite and I also thought it was very good. It definitely has a different taste to it. It is pan blackened and "drizzled" with fresh basil beurre blanc. It comes with steamed broccoli which was absolutely delicious and I am not a huge fan of steamed broccoli but it may have been my favorite part of the meal. The Fat Boy comes with shrimp, crawfish, and oysters. It is served with some type of special sauce. It had an orangish color. I apologize for not knowing the exact name. I chose steak fries as my side. The Fat Boy had a good taste but for some reason it did not hit the spot that night. I could not keeping it from falling apart and so it basically ended up all over my plate. The steak fries were good and the special orange sauce added some flavor to the sandwich but I could never make up my mind about whether I liked it or not.

The total cost of our meal was $32.00. We both ordered water. The Fat Boy was around $12.00 and Voodoo Shrimp was around $13.50. Unfortunately, I did not get an itemized receipt but I can tell you our total after tax was $27.80. We tipped $4.20 for a grand total of $32.00.

Based on what I had heard and read the Half Shell is a very well liked seafood restaurant in Memphis. Out of all the restaurants we have tried in Memphis it is probably one of my least favorites. That may be my own fault as probably could have selected a better dish. At the end of the night I was kind of missing Red Lobster. If I am going to pay $32.00 I at least want cheesy biscuits. You do not get anything before your meal at Half Shell like you do at Red Lobster. If you love seafood and do not want to eat at a chain, you should at least try it. You may love it. I probably need to give it a second chance before I completely write it off.