Half Shell Oyster House — Restaurant in Cullman

If you love classy upscale elegant atmosphere combined with sports, live bands , outdoor venue and a beautiful night life scene then Half Shell Oyster House is the place for you!

After talking with the waitress (Alex) who was my tour guide of the menu, drinks and the history of the establishment, which she did an amazing job at all of the above and never let me sit with an empty glass for long! 👍🏼

The restaurant has only been open for about 3 months but they are already growing fast in the popularity pool of Cullman and further around.

Half Shell has amazing food (especially the oysters! , I mean you kinda half too with a name like Half Shell Oyster House right?) but let me tell you , they did not disappoint!

Oh the flavor! I personally loved the original charbroiled and couldn't go wrong with that but I also fell in love with the "Award winning Oysters Orleans flavor" that is one of their big sellers and i can totally see and taste why! It's has a small kick but with an explosion of New Orleans smoky cajun sauce and parmesan and pairs perfectly with an ice cold beer!

The other flavor of oysters that they had were called "Oysters Bienville" they are topped with herb, mushroom, crab, Gulf shrimp , and bacon along with Italian bread crumb mixture and they really good too!

They also serve the oysters up with toasted bread and lemon slices which is perfect if want to use a piece of the bread like an edible sponge spoon to sop it up and make sure you don't miss out on any of that amazing flavor! 🤤

For adult beverages I had a long island with light on the sweet and sour and it was perfect👌🏼besides that just Michelob from a bottle poured into ice cold glasses. They have multiple beers on tap and a huge variety to choose from when it comes to wine, liquor, and beer. For beer besides draft they also they have cans and bottles. They do not have any IPAs yet but are working on partnering with some to get even more choices for everyine to enjoy!

They also had some ongoing deals such as right now they have "buy one oyster sampler get half off on any kind of other dozen oysters as long as they're the same value" and you can have them raw or cooked. I love them both ways but my favorite is chargrilled!

Speaking of chargrklled the man behind the grill is a Master and the flavor is there along with the char from the grill! 🤤 Also the oysters are chargrilled right behind the bar!

So it's not only cool but tickles my inner fat kid when I see him prepping my order! As far as the rest of the food, it's cooked in the kitchen.

The atmosphere is very upscale in my opinion. I am Lawrence county/Morgan county redneck hillbilly nerd and I absolutely loved it.

It seemed as though everyone was modestly dressed as I showed up in a tank top and shorts and Crocs with a hat but didn't catch any odd looks or vibes from anyone staff or other customers, which even if they did I wouldn't care but it's just makes it that much better to not have that in the air when trying to enjoy yourself on one of your only days off work. 😎

My only negatives which are of personal preference is that I never really enjoy "Rockerfeller oysters" no matter where I go it's just not my thing but out of all the ones I have tried at many other establishments icluding famous oyster restaurants these were the best I've had yet even though they still weren't my cup of tea.

Besides that my only other negative which again is just personal opinion is that they don't have Michelob on draft or I don't believe they did, which isn't a deal breaker but I just don't understand why more places don't have that on tap but Im always inclined to explore other flavors as well for the experience and may find a new favorite!

I will definitely be back with the wife for a date night without a doubt and they had sooo much more I want to try food wise I can't wait to come back multiple times and see the bands and watch sports games and more...

Grand Opening Review...!

We were excited to visit this establishment for its grand opening today!

Approaching the restaurant the atmosphere is very cool, relaxed and a kind reminder of the French Quarters in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The service, from the hosts to the waiters (and their trainees) were above average and well received. Definitely seems as though the management made sure and went over the menu and gave the staff a taste test of the cuisine to allow them to make educated and knowledgeable recommendations. Kudos and job well done to all, the hard work was on display for sure!

Now to the food. We had half a dozen of the Oysters Bienville and half a dozen of the Oysters Rockefeller. Both were good, but the Oysters Rockefeller was the better of the two, in our humble opinion. We had the Seafood Pasta (Not Pictured), Chicken Alfredo (Not Pictured), Fried Farm-Raised Catfish (Not Pictured) and the Blackened Mahi Fish. Everything came out looking great! When we started eating we found that the Blackened Mahi Fish was overcooked and rubbery. The staff was very apologetic and took it back to be remade. The new dish came out looking better, but was very bland tasting. The manager was again apologetic and removed it from our check. Looks as though the kitchen staff is still getting acquainted with the cook time and seasoning for this dish (at least) as our other dishes were good, no complaints.

We will definitely be back as they get some more time in the kitchen with the menu.

Overall, Half Shell Oyster House in Cullman is a solid 4/5, with room for...

In hindsight, our experience initially warranted less than a 1-star rating.

A week prior, we called to ask if reservations were available and were told they were not. Unfortunately, we also weren’t informed that a waitlist was an option—something we only discovered upon arrival. On a busy early Saturday evening, we anticipated a long wait, and sure enough, it was a full two hours. We added our name to the list, went home, and monitored our spot online. When our name neared the top, we returned within minutes and were promptly seated in a packed dining room.

Chelsea, our server, provided excellent customer service from the start. Given it was their first night hosting live music, some level of chaos was expected. Still, the number of mistakes—incorrect food and drink orders—made it hard to justify more than a low rating for service.

That said, every issue was addressed quickly and with genuine care. Tyler, the manager, personally apologized without excuses and resolved things in a way any guest would appreciate.

Now, the highlight: the food. Absolutely phenomenal. We raved over every bite—from appetizers to entrées to dessert. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, the staff was kind, and the crowd that came for the live music added great energy. Surprisingly, the concert outside didn’t interfere with the dining experience inside at all.

Despite the rocky start, the food, the ambiance, and the staff’s dedication to making things right turned the night around—and made it one to remember.

We will be back and we highly recommend...