Half Shell Restaurant

I'll be honest, it's a little rough on the inside.  Both in its aesthetics and the friendliness of the staff.  But I once had a girlfriend with a wonky eye and at first it was a turn off and an aspect of her I would describe as something I'm dating her in spite of, I eventually fell in love with her and the wonky eye was something I grew very fond of.  Like this ex-girlfriends wonky eye, the rustic charm of Half Shell has grown on me.

If you want to binge on seafood and don't care about eating in what looks like my grandmothers basement, Half Shell is the only place to go.  The seafood is fresh, delicious and, most importantly, bountiful, especially in relation to its price.

Full disclosure: I have never dated a girl with a wonky eye, but I felt the metaphor would be more effective with a human touch.  I'm sorry for lying to you.  It will never happen again.

Oh wow can't believe I haven't reviewed Half Shell!  Been here a handful of times and it's one of the few places I am proud to say I order the same exact thing every time!

If you're walking into this place for the first time you might wonder if you're really in the right place.  It's basically a small bar (kind of dive-ish) with somewhat dated decor but don't let that dissuade you - the food is AWESOME.

The combo of king and snow crab is a fantastic deal.  I think it's $29, but I swear it must be over 2 pounds of crab legs, maybe 40% king and 60% snow.  The legs are always cooked to that perfect state where you can just crack it right in the middle and get the full leg out in one piece with minimal struggle :)

They always serve the crab with a decent heap of french fries - I don't know why but I LOVE the fries.  They look like nothing spectacular but they are yummy.  They're not even crispy, they just kind of go well with the crab legs I guess.

We have tried some of the appetizers, all were fine but nothing super memorable, they are mostly pretty standard appetizers options for a seafood place.

The service is laid back, yet attentive, and everyone who works here is really friendly.  I really enjoyed sitting at the bar the first time my wife and I popped in on a Friday night - it was packed and the place is really energetic!  We've been back mostly weeknights since then and it is usually a little quieter.

They are cash only but they have an ATM inside that doesn't charge an arm and a leg.

This place had amazing crab legs and reminded me of things from the past.  It was in the basement of an apartment building and had decor to match.  It was really cool and I would reccommend to anyone!