Half Shells — Restaurant in Plano

First off let me explain that the food was fantastic. The drinks were great. The reason for this poor review is from service alone. We arrived at the restaurant at around 2:20. It was my wife’s 30th birthday and I wanted to treat her to oysters from a reputable location. When we were seated at our table we noticed they had an everyday happy hour from 3 to 6. Understanding that waiting to order until 3 would be tacky and rude we each ordered a drink and appetizer. When we explained to our server Michelle that we intended to order our main course at 3 she retorted with “you know happy hour doesn’t start until 3?” As if I was unaware how a clock worked. She brought us our drink and app and huffed off. About 2:50 she came back to the table and asked “do you just want me to leave you alone until 3?” I couldn’t believe the attitude in her voice. She made me feel like I was holding up a table when we were 1 of 3 groups at tables. We ordered our entree and when it arrived my wife had oysters with cocktail sauce, Sheri vinegar, and horseradish. My oysters had just the cocktail sauce. Usually not an issue but we were already annoyed at the service thus far. Michelle came by to ask if there was anything we needed. I asked for some horseradish and she had the audacity to look at my plate of oysters as if I had somehow overlooked the lack of horseradish. The rest of the meal was fine. I’ve never left a restaurant feeling like an inconvenience, but Michelle made sure I felt that way with her snarky responses and overall unpleasant attitude. If I’m back in town I’ll come back, but make sure I’m given a...

These were absolutely the worst 2 meals that my husband and I have had in years!! Granted, we had the food delivered. But the cole slaw was dry with minimal flavor. The catfish had a terrible Cajun seasoning and was burnt. The French fries had no taste and were old. The crab cake did not have any lump crab in it... just shredded bits of seemingly crab flavored mix. The one hush puppy included in catfish meal was also burnt. And the cold peel-and-eat shrimp was old tasting... as if it had been frozen, thawed, then re-frozen and thawed; and 2 were not de-veined. We have never eaten at this restaurant and guarantee we will not ever order take-out again or dine in. Stay away unless/until you hear that they have changed their chef/management!

I originally gave a 1-star review due to the initial experience we had. Since then, the area manager and restaurant manager have been in touch with me, listened to my specific feedback, and offered to make things right. I appreciate their genuine concern and believe they have addressed the situation. We do plan to give Half Shells another try and when we do I will post an update then.

We tried Half Shells again last weekend but this time went to the restaurant rather than ordering take-out. Our server was extremely pleasant and attentive. The food was much better. The crab cake was fresh and our entrees were hot and tasty. I guess the difference may be in dining in vs take-out. We will probably eat here again as we love the location and their menu is pretty good. But I cannot give a 5-star due to our initial experience with...

Half Shells is a great place to eat. Why? Well the food is great and the staff and manager are very friendly and if you’re not happy they’re not happy. One of our meals was just a bit delayed so one person in our party was not able to eat with the group. Guess what? The manager observed what happened and without us saying anything apologized and 100% comped that late meal. That action alone made me a repeat customer not because that meal was free but because the manager and staff cared that they made a mistake in timing. We all make mistakes, none of us are perfect. I truly appreciated in this day in age where it seems most people blame their mistakes on others it was awesome to see the busy manager helping out his staff with bussing tables to seating customers to serving tables their plates…out of his presence of mind caught what was going on at our table. That was great leadership as well. The manager wasn’t in some back office letting his team fight with keeping up….no…this manager lead in the trenches by example, the highest level of leading others in my books. We have been back twice since mid May 2025 and the service was perfect though they were extremely busy. I strongly recommend this Half Shells because of the great food, fair prices and friendly staff topped off with a manager who truly cares about his customers experience as well as his...