Half Shell – Straightforward approach a delight

Continuing my search for a unique and satisfying dining experience at an area restaurant that starts out with quality, local ingredients paired with local flavors and seasoning to achieve a homemade tasting menu of dishes, I decided on trying the Half Shell restaurant in Thibodaux.

The Half Shell has been open for many years and I always see patron’s cars parked out front. This is among criteria I use to decide on new places to dine. If a restaurant has been in business for over five years, then they have to be doing something right and worth a try in my book.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was surprised to see a rather small but quaint establishment that seems to cater to a mostly local crowd. It was not fancied up with flowers and candles, but rather had a straightforward utilitarian décor. I wonder if this is how the food will be?

Our server was very friendly and accommodating to our many questions about the menu as we ordered the drinks. Looking over the menu, I noticed many different selections from seafood to steaks and burgers. Many items have unique names like Eggplant Saranell, Flounder Lily, and even a Hank Williams special of crawfish pie, jambalaya and seafood gumbo, all coming from the house specials section on the menu.

Naming dishes after customers or the person who created it is a time-honored custom. There are also many daily specials that are featured on boards around the restaurant such as fried softshell crabs, where the chef topped one with a crawfish cream sauce and the other with a mushroom butter sauce.

To start things off, we ordered a dozen oysters ($9.95) on the “Half Shell.” The oysters arrived freshly shucked with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. I like my oysters ice cold when raw, but these were barely cool. They still tasted good, however, and were enjoyed by all.

For my entrée, I choose the Flounder Lily ($15.95) following the advice of our server. The dish consisted of three flounder filets wrapped around the homemade seafood stuffing then each were battered and fried. They came resting on a pool of thick sauce loaded with crawfish tails and piping hot. The sauce was spicy and rich and I enjoyed it with the fish.

It was a large portion so I took the other half home to enjoy for lunch.

All entrees come with a salad or vegetable choice so I chose the potatoes au gratin. This came out bubbling hot with nicely browned cheese on top and was quite delicious.

The daily special was a fried chicken meal. We chose a three-piece mixed plate that included a breast, wing and thigh of fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and a salad ($5.50). At that price, it is hard to beat. The chicken was nicely fried and cooked to order. Our server let us know that the owner uses peanut oil, which I really prefer.

We had to try a small fried seafood platter ($15.95). It only seemed appropriate with a menu so full of seafood. The plate came loaded with a large portion of fish cut into strips, oysters, stuffed shrimp and hushpuppies. We were given a choice of sides and opted for a sweet potato with butter and sugar. All items were nicely fried while still remaining moist, which is evidence of a quality fry cook.

The last entree’ we selected was a cheeseburger on a bun ($4.75). It is also offered as a po-boy as are all of their sandwiches. It was a large homemade burger dressed with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise served alongside a heap of hot French fries.

We finished up the meal with bread pudding with a bourbon sauce ($5). It was forgettable as bread pudding goes and seemed to be a bit pricey for the size. Uncharacteristic to the other items we ordered as we had to take some home.

Looking over the menu, I noticed a broiled platter section that showcased a few dishes featuring red snapper. The Red Snapper Supreme ($15.95) is broiled in a lemon butter sauce and topped with onion, bell pepper, crabmeat and shrimp.

The Half Shell has a relaxed atmosphere and delivers the foods of our area with a straightforward approach that I found appealing. If you are passing though Thibodaux, stop in and give them a try!

Half Shell Restaurant 1106 St. Mary St., Thibodaux (985) 449-1106 Restaurant Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.