Reviews of The Half Shell Oysters & Seafood (Restaurant)

the Ezio

missing this paradise of seafood and honest company!

Andrew Pritchard

Lovely chowder and great beer. The ginger lemonade is also delicious and refreshing! Servers were quick and very friendly. It is only open for the summer season and only if weather is good.

Mathieu Lalonde

(Translated) Fresh seafood at reasonable prices, with a summer atmosphere on the terrace. Good choice of beers, wines and cocktails. Best place to end a great summer day! (Original) Fruits de mer frais et a prix raisonnables, avec ambiance estivale sur la terrasse. Bon choix de bières, vins et cocktails. Meilleur endroit pour terminer une belle journée d'été!

Natalie Bova

Great oysters, food and view!

Derrick MacPherson

Great place, great view, great staff

Andrew O Shea

Was out of power when I went

Farid Yazdani

What a view - what a meal. One of the nicest patios in Lunenberg, but without sacrificing the flavour. Rockafeller Oysters - unreal and the calamari sandwich was a nice switch to the traditional way. Bonus points: very dog friendly (and people friendly).

Haven Alexander

Tuna Tartar and Scallop Ceviche.... must have!

Nadine S

Delicious with a beautiful view of the ocean! A must try :)

Matthew Thompson

Fantastic food, drinks and service! Expect touristy prices.

Jonathan Zeng

A nice, casual place to grab some fresh seafood! The outdoor setting provides a great view of Lunenburg; sitting outdoors is a great way to enjoy some small eats on a warm summer day. They've got an impressive selection of oysters from around the Maritimes, which is probably what they are known for... but for me, what impressed me the most was actually their clam chowder! I'm used to that certain type of clam chowder that you get from a can, so when the order arrived, I was a bit confused. Relatively clear broth, greens, *fresh* clams? This was not the clam chowder I grew up with! But biting into it, I was convinced. The fiddleheads provided that satisfying crunch, that chowder feel. The clams still in their shell created a surprisingly tactile chowder experience. Certainly the most unique, memorable, and simply delicious clam chowder I've ever eaten!

Casey Jones

Awesome atmosphere, location, and staff who care. Great freshly made drinks (the Jalapeno Marg!!) and nice dishes. Very impressed!

Tara Jantz

Great little place ????. Beautiful water views. Great raw bar selection!!! Which is totally my thing ????. Great music ????

Brendan Daw

Seemed to be one of the only spots open late and we went nuts on their food menu. Everything was delicious and you could tell it was fresh. Cocktails were also great.

Aart Langevoort

Very nice fish & chips.

Firyal Ramzan

Went late and had the fish (Baja) and beef tacos, as well as the baked oysters. Everything was cooked to perfection and very delicious. Also had the non-alcoholic honey lemon iced tea, which was delicious as well. Definitely recommend dropping by!

Kait Nernberg

Ordered the small seafood platter and the portions were generous and tasty. Staff was helpful with giving us tips on how to eat our first shelled lobster and crab. We sat at the bar which I always enjoy as you get to watch the kitchen which here works like a well oiled machine. Great views of the coast and the strawberry lemonade was very refreshing!

Kitty K.

Very casual seafood bar and nice outdoor seat. Their oysters are really fresh and at an affordable price! You can view the lunenberg harbour from the restaurant. You will love it if you are so done with fish and chips.

Alyssa Cooper

The BEST dinner spot in Lunenburg. Besides the fact that the food is outstanding, the view of the harbor is spectacular. Staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely cares about the customers. Be sure to stop for lunch or dinner during your visit.

Andrew Xiao

If you're not in the mood for fried seafood, head next door to the fresh oyster and seafood bar. Casual outdoor setting with friendly service. The tapas-like dishes were tasty and well put together.

Guy D'Alesio

Group of 6, we ordered almost everything on the menu. Everything was fresh and top notch. The staff were friendly and helpful. The raw scallops were so sweet, the lobster club was excellent, scallop carbonara was really good. We shared a seafood platter and everything on it tasted like it was caught in the morning. Will go again...YUM!

Timothy Ace

A very casual outdoor oyster bar atmosphere worth an amazing view, friendly staff, good beer on tap, a decent wine selection, and fantastic food. The prices are reasonable too. The oysters are among the best I've had and I would go back again from that alone. They have a selection of oysters from six different locations from across Nova Scotia, PEI, and New Brunswick. Aside from the oysters, their scallops are out of this world!

Dave T.

Never had fresh raw scallops before. But oh boy, what an experience! The raw scallops was tender, and sweet. Didn't even know you could eat these things raw. Waitress mentioned they they're caught daily just 500 metres from the restaurant. The sangria pitcher was amazing as well! Probably the best I've had so far.

Steven Yackel

We were in Lunenberg to the evening and saw this very inviting restaurant up above the harbor area. We arrived just as the sun was setting enjoyed a great evening of food and conversation over our dinner. This outdoor eating experience was the perfect cap to a beautiful day. While only open seasonally, this restaurant focuses on fresh seafood. They had six different types of oysters that you could get served on the half shell, broiled or done Rockefeller style. I had two of two different kinds of oysters, the Chebooktook from New Brunswick and the Gowanbrae from Prince Edward Island. They were served on ice with a slice of lemon and cocktail sauce in a cute little squeeze bottle. The oysters were perfectly shucked and delicious. For entrees, I got the seafood paella which was packed with a ton of seafood. There were shrimp clams in the shell, mussels, scallops and fish. The flavors were great and it was a definite treat. The price point was very fair based on the amount of seafood you got. The dish came out very hot and looked beautiful. We also got the Scallop Carbonara which was also delicious. It had all the traits of a perfectly executed carbonara with the addition of perfectly seared sea scallops. This dish was rich in its flavors and generous with the scallops. The team at The Half Shell was small but extremely efficient. Everyone jumped in and worked together to make for a great dining experience. The tables are fairly close together up by the bar, but frankly, we enjoyed that was we met a very nice couple from Dartmouth and had a great conversation over dinner like we were old friends. We would could highly recommend dinner here if you are in Lunenberg.

v l

Nice open air seafood bar with a view of the harbour. Food was well prepared, delicious. Friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Tourist pricing, but delivers on freshness.

Jessica Hebb

A small outdoor restaurant with a small menu that’s easy to choose from. The prices were reasonable but the portions were quite small (more appetizer size than full meal size)

Jackie Smith

High quality casual dining - at a bar or at a table. Views of the sea. Great service. Simple well executed menu.

Abe Sanjakdar

Don't listen to the grumpy tourists that had a bad day and ended up here giving a one star review. If you like open-concept outdoor dining, great cocktails, super attentive staff, and incredibly fresh seafood, make sure you stop in here. Two of us grabbed the seafood tower and couldn't have been more impressed with how perfect everything came out. Will be coming back for seconds next time we're in town. Yabba dabba doo.

Piotr Luczak

Raw scallops on the half shell, water view patio, great drinks. 10/10

Erin Benton

Amazing Haddock and great service! Lovely little date spot.

W T

Had the best chowder that we had in Nova Scotia, here! Service was quick, and staff very knowledgeable. Sit at the bar - there's lots to watch.

Amanda Hennigar

Best shrimp I have ever had! Who knew sustainable shrimp was so different from not. Amazing service.

Sean Maguire

So we usually drive in to Lunenburg once a week to have lunch at the Salt Shaker. This time, we decided to try something different. We walked in and were abruptly told by a server that they are not open until noon. It was 11:45, the door was open and there were 4 people standing around doing seemingly nothing. If it were my place I would have said "sorry, the kitchen isn't ready until noon but you can have a seat on the patio and have a drink until then." They threw $80 off the patio for 15 minutes. THEN we tried the Fish Shack next door and they are too cheap to take CC. We will just keep going to the Salt Shaker.

Melissa MacInnis

Tuna Tartare & a nice glass of wine is all you need in this precious world. Oh and don’t forget a side of fries from next door and so many other delicious items served by the nicest most accommodating staff!

john Banks

Staff were rude and discriminating. Went for some oysters with my wife and son after checking into our wonderful Inn room. It was mid afternoon and not busy. We wanted to sit in the fish shack seating and have oysters(adjoining restaurant- owned by same people). We were told NO, I said the other table was just served oysters in the same area and I didn’t understand why we couldn’t. The response was we can only use 2 tables from the adjoining fish shack At any one time. OK, but there was no-one else sitting in the fish shack - by my math we would have been the 2nd and only table in the fish shack - there were lots of empty tables. ??? Very disappointed with their hospitality and the worst thing is the owners of the fish shack and half shell own 2 other restaurants in town. But don’t despair, the fish factory attached to the museum has 1/2 dozen oysters and lg draft for $15. Great deal and great staff. The Grand banker was a perfect way to end the night for dinner. Their fish tacos were amazing.

Jillian L. Russell

Great spot for seafood, great staff, always great views

Jessica Chong

Amazing food. The best seafood we have had on our trip. The oysters were incredible, we had to order more at the end! We had a seafood tower and paella; everything tasted so fresh. The patio has a beautiful view. This place is quite busy and the service was a tad slow that they might benefit from having an extra waiter. We waited about 30 minutes for a table.

Gerry

Superbe staff just wow!! Must come here !! Incredible service, generous portions, better than any old restaurant in area

Josh Pogue

I was on a chowder mission during my time on the east coast and this was my favorite. Watched the cook make it to order in front of me, flavor was just right, texture was great, not glop. Staff was friendly, dinning area is completely open but the cool ocean breeze just made the hearty chowder that much more satisfying.

Subhashis Das

We thought that the fish taco was too expensive for the amount of filling. There was barely any fish and which there was-was crisped to have no flavor whatsoever. We also thought the beers did not seem fresh, so it did not taste good. The chowder was really soupy filled with uncooked vegetables with barely any haddock fish. Overall, we thought the food was too expensive for the quantity and quality of food.

Jason Picard

So good. Great afternoon hangout.

Alexandra Connor

Horribly rude server and the wait for a bowl of chowder was a solid 10min longer than quoted. Wouldn’t go back.

Ashley J

Got the oysters. Great selection! About 6 different types to choose from. Super fresh, loved it!!

Henry Münster

(Translated) Beautiful harbor view and very friendly and fast waiters. The food is excellent and we made it fresh. Especially recommend - the oysters (Original) Wunderschöner Hafenblick und sehr freundliche und schnelle Kellner. Das Essen ist exzellent und wir frisch gemacht. Besonders empfehlen - die Austern

Shawn McDermott

Awesome chowder

Jeremy Ewing

The scallop carbonara was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. Mel was an incredible server thanks!

Scott Skillin

Outstanding food and great open air dinning experience.

Stephen Carr

Some good food (mussels good, tacos not), but tiny portions. I ended up ordering the rest of my lunch from the fish shack next door.

Jane Sarah B

(Translated) Delicious ceviche, summer 2019! : D (Original) Ceviche délicieux, été 2019! :D

The Booku

The Half Shell is one of the many places in Lunenburg with seafood on the menu. The Lobster roll comes in a soft brioche bun and is well seasoned. The Lobster Tagliatele which was the special of the day, was creamy and had generous chunks of lobster. The food came out fast and the service was friendly!

Don Richard

Amazing food and service.

Shubho Biswas

Great place for oysters and drinks. They had 6 diferrent kinds of oysters whoch was nice. Drinks were well made. Tuna tartar was excellent. Clam chowder was good bit not as tasty as i like. Chocolate pot de creme was good. The open air restaurant meant that there was little protection from the sun. This restaurant would be perfect for food and drinks in the evening. Beautiful view of the harbor.

tiffany garon

Sooooo good! Great staff and the food is made to order, super fresh. I miss it!

Steve Thorne

Great Oysters!

Weekend Waterbed

An amazing dinner with my wife as our last night visiting Nova Scotia. Best seat in the house would be any stool at the bar observing the staff prepare your meal. Wine, oysters, lobster bisque, scallops carbonara with a chocolate desert. The best meal we enjoyed while visiting NS.

John Florian

Grumpy servers.

Ann Chevrier

Oysters were delicious!

Darren Goodyear

Stellar seafood experience with an al fresco flair

Aaron

Got the pork tacos, enough food for a small child. 3x 1 bite tacos for a main course. Really disappointed.

Christopher Bailey

We enjoyed the seafood platter. Amazing view of the harbour from the patio.

Jim Earls

Loved the Oysters Tuna Tartar, and the seafood Paella were delicious Washed it down with a very nice wine Great friendly staff, loads of fun

Steph S

Really cool place with great staff, food and drinks! Best oyster bar with a great view on the water :)

Rhonda Newton

A friend recommended this place but I wouldnt. Food was very expensive for what u got...lobster was chilled. We did get a great seat/view and the server was very friendly.

Marsha

Not going to lie. We were here 3 times in two days/two nights. Stunning waterfront views. Fantastic simple menu ( especially after 9pm going until midnight..$5 tacos and a couple $6 dollar craft beer options). Great top shelf selection of oysters and the tacos were very tasty. Highly recommend but u may be waiting awhile for a table...especially if we are there again.

Jaci Zanatta

Fresh seafood, friendly staff and a great view of the Harbour.

Kris Boehner

The best part of this oyster bar was that the oysters were extreamly fresh and delicious. Unfortunatly there were too many downsides for me to give them a good review. When we arrived our table was fairly grimy from the people that would have sat there previously. No big deal as it was very crowded and it looks like they turn over a lot of people. A waiter cleaned our table very quickly. They brought us menus but thet also contained this grime. All I could think of is dirty seafood smudges that have been sitting out on the sun (bacteria). Easy fix would be to wipe down the menus at the end of every shift. My largest complaint is that none of the oysters were fully removed from the mussel. Considering that they were $3.25 per pop - this absolutely should have been done. Also found the presentation to be poor (again considering the price), with a squeeze bottle sitting sideways in the middle of the platter? Our server was uninformative - when asked what type of Oysters they were serving, response was (2 kinds from PEI, 2 from Nova Scotia, 2 from New Brunswick). Ok - but what are the names of the Oysters?? Flavor profiles?? Lastly, our party also ordered mussels which were very overdone. It's really great that Lunenburg has an oyster bar now, and I gave them a 3 star only because I would like to go back again next year to see if theres been improvement. (Knowing that they are new) Otherwise unfortunately I would have given them a 2 star just based on price vs quality. I definitely would be so critical if they were $2 oysters, but at a premium price I expect a premium experience.

geff b

RIP off results RIP off restaurant. The dirty blond waitress with ring in her nose couldn't care less about the customer. I complained about half the mussels were not good and she didn't care. It was like too bad I don't care, . Wouldn't go back and overpay for nothing.

Mike Jurchak

Great service, food, drinks and atmosphere.