Half Moon Seafood Co. — Restaurant in Tampa

Walking into the restaurant, it was completely empty. Just a couple parties entered after me. Upon completing my Sample the Sea with fried grouper, blackened shrimp, and a crab cake with fried okra and collard greens, I thought it was a crime that this place wasn't packed.

Though it was understandable as the price point was quite high for a fast casual establishment. But value is not found in only single digit prices. With quality and quantity, you really get a bang for your buck with the average price of $15.

My meal was $33 since I decided to have the sampler. The crab cake was delicate. The shrimp was busting with flavor. And the fish, a generous helping of fish for a sampler might I add, was fresh and perfectly friend and seasoned. The fried okra was just what I asked for. The collard greens were good as well, though I could have done with less meat and salt personally. I'm a fan of the bitter bite of collard greens.

I asked a couple other patrons who I noticed got just the fish and chips. The fish was twice as large as mine! If you can afford it, you cannot be disappointed by Half Moon Seafood Company.

The staff were also very kind and attentive for a restaurant that is not modeled to have a direct wait staff. They regularly checked on my enjoyment of the food and were quick to respond to an issue with the soda fountain. Sweet tea was a fine substitute for my initial choice of root beer, so no complaints there.

My only negative judgement might be that the lunch specials don't seem to be very special and aren't worth mentioning. It looks like they're just the same menu items with the same price. Though I could be wrong, it seems unnecessary and could be done without.

Half Moon Seafood Company is almost a secret I don't want to share so I'd never have to wait in line to dig into more great seafood. But alas, I must ask that you give them a try because not a lot of restaurants in Tampa are worth a damn. And Half Moon is worth at least...

I have been twice now and I have not been disappointed. I found Half Moon Seafood Co. because they were one of the few places around that has fried oysters, and I really love fried oysters. I was not disappointed!

My first time I ordered the Sample the Sea with fried catfish, fried shrimp, fried oysters instead of the crab cake, fried okra. and hushpuppies. The catfish and shrimp had the perfect amount of batter and fried to the perfect crispness. The shrimp are HUGE. The fried oysters were the star of the show. I ordered them cooked medium. They were lightly battered and cooked just how I liked them, kind of soft with a slight crunch. The okra tasted like my grandma's; however, a few pieces had a little too much batter and not enough time in the fryer. The seafood and okra were fresh. The hushpuppies were hot, crunchy, and slightly sweet.

The second go around I ordered the 1/4 pound oysters, fried medium, fried shrimp with fried okra, and a crab cake. The oysters, shrimp, and okra were a 15/20 again. This time I had a few very large pieces of okra and every single piece was battered and cooked perfectly. The crab cake was delicious and you can definitely see and taste the crab.

Aside from the food, the service is great. I also love how they label each box with the contents. This is my new go to for quality...

I dropped in on a whim for an order at the counter/take out order (someone posted a menu in our office).

Restaurant is small but very clean and inviting. Staff is friendly and helpful. Lunch specials include the drink in the price (which is an added plus, as most are $2-4 extra).

Tables were full at the time I came but there were open seats. Most customers seem to be repeat, and local resident/Temple Terrace City workers.

A pleasant surprise to actually see the Owner following up with tables to see how food and service were ..... on top of that he was even working in the kitchen. Kudos for having a "hands on business approach".

The only downfall today was that from the time I paid, until I actually got my take out order, it was 27 minutes. This makes an hour lunch break difficult, when it takes 7-10 minutes to drive there. From what I've heard from my office-mates, this is not the norm. I will be more than happy to be a return customer.

Fish & Chips were amazing, and I was especially happy to see that they had Malt Vinegar. Their homemade seasoned tartar sauce is...