About Us
Set in The Picturesque Key West Bight
It’s a short stroll to the Half Shell Raw Bar from pretty much anywhere on the island, but a truly delicious departure from the ordinary.
The Half Shell Raw Bar offers a taste of old Key West you can’t experience anywhere else. As you head inside, you’ll notice the local fisherman unloading the day’s catch into the Half Shell’s Fish Market. Grab a seat at one of the wooden picnic tables or on a stool by the bar and get ready to enjoy the freshest seafood in Key West. If it’s oysters you’re after, you’ve come to the right place—order a dozen and watch as they’re shucked from the shell onto your plate.
The Original Key West Seafood Restaurant
Originally built as a shrimp warehouse, the Half Shell Raw Bar was established as a restaurant in 1972 just as the Key West shrimp industry moved north to Stock Island. Always a favorite with the fishing captains and locals, the Half Shell has remained a true Key West icon. Laid back, friendly and casual, the Half Shell Raw Bar is the original Key West Seafood Restaurant—where you can indulge in such delights as broiled garlic oysters, a basket of fish and chips, steamed middleneck clams, chilled Key West peel and eat shrimp, and the ultimate treat, Half Shell’s conch ceviche. All while gazing out at the pelicans gliding over the water, watching the boats arrive into the harbor, and witnessing the world-famous Key West sunset.