Years ago, when I first moved to Memphin, the mention of fresh ocean seafood would get a laugh from the resident foodies (although they weren’t called foodies back then). After all, Memphis might be a river town, but it doesn’t boast a gulf shoreline like New Orleans. However, there was always one restaurant that got mentioned when tourists would ask about fresh fish in town. That place was The Half Shell Restaurant.
The half shell opened in 1973 and has spent that forty plus years perfecting their recipes, and finding the best sources for fresh ocean fish and shellfish. I highly recommend you try a cup of the gumbo as a starter, and don’t shy away from the Oysters Bienville which is a dish even my six year old adores.
Much has changed in Memphis, however. Fresh fish purveyors like Off the Dock Seafood have become adept at getting the finest quality seafood to the city. Meanwhile, many restaurants have taken to getting fresh fish delivered overnight from other parts of the country (including Hawaii).
As the fresh fish market has successfully been incorporated to the city, sushi restaurants have sprouted up. Places like Sekisui Pacific Rim and Sakura have made a name on their fresh fare. Other restaurants have picked up the flavors made famous by sister city New Orleans as Memphis has become a town filled with crawfish festivals and gumbo cookoffs. Memphis had always had a touch of the cajun and creole, but the influx of fresh fish certainly has made an impact on the sheer amount of cajun food available.
If you’re stopping through Memphis on your way to the coast, I’d recommend stopping in town to try these restaurants:
Over 40 years of Oysters on the half shell experience!
2146 Monroe Ave
Nationally acclaimed chef Kelly English (2009 Food & Wine magazine ‘Best New Chef’)
4724 Poplar Avenue
Great sushi with some of the best ambiance in town
928 Cooper St
Ben Smith’s Tsunami was one of the first restaurants in Memphis to take fresh cancel and Pacific Rim cuisine to a new culinary level in the city
Nice article David. There are not many on the list for a city this size and being the Fedex city its pretty sad. You nailed the best of the few.