Top picks of where to eat beach front in Panama City Beach, Florida!
While in Florida for a destination beach wedding, we explored beachfront food options located close to our condo. Here are some of our favorite eats on the beach…
Breakfast//
Rise and shine and see what the day brings! For us, COFFEE IS A NECESSITY. We are HUGE coffee drinkers! Best spot for a cup o’ joe on Panama City Beach – THE POUR!
To save some money and time for most of the mornings though, we bought K-cups from the grocery store along with some other snacks . The condo we stayed at had many creature comforts, including a keurig! This allowed us to save crucial time which we used for dolphin watching!
Eating breakfast isn’t really our thing, we spent a lot of time in the mornings on our balcony watching the marine life swim by with our coffees; wild dolphins dancing and jumping out of the water, stingray gracefully gliding through the salt water swimmers, and big bait balls of fish. Who can resist that?! By the time we were ready to go for the day it was almost brunch-lunch!
Even though we didn’t eat breakfast, locals and other travelers we met recommended these places along the beach:
*The famous – Thomas’ Handmade Donuts//
*Pancakery//
Lunch//
After long mornings of marine life watching, we ventured to our activities planned for the day and grabbed some lunch! While traveling and vacationing, we like to embrace the areas we visit through their personalized and native dishes. In early September, the crowds are slim to almost a ghost town. Finding restaurants with short to no wait times was easier than I had thought it was going to be! We found some fantastic beach side restaurants in our travels down Front Beach Road.
\\Sharkey’s Beachfront Restaurant//
After Category 4 hurricanes almost decimated the beach, Sharkey’s tiki hut still doesn’t have a scratch! The Tiki Hut is a major staple on the beach, made out of cabbage palm fronds and thousands of cypress knees and poles! Many people have danced the night away under the hut while listening to the many bands they have. The food was just as good as the history of the place; The grouper sandwich was fresh and enjoyed while sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in with the fresh saltwater breeze hit your face. The Hawaiian chicken is a must and was extra delicious paired with the shade from the umbrella over our table.
\\Runaway Island Beach Bar and Grill//
When we ate here we were looking for a place to escape the heat and grab a cold beverage! Sweaty, hot, 110% humidity – we thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the bar enjoying the cool breeze from the multitude of huge ceiling fans. The fans spaced and purposefully pointed in all the right directions to get the air moving!
BAJA ROLLS were a huge hit, their sweet tai dipping sauce really brings out the flavor of the blackened chicken!
As we finished up the beverages and meal, we noticed stainless steel tumblers on the wall. The tumblers are available for purchase and if you so choose can have them filled. 2 of the stainless steel tumblers with closing lids, and our drink of choice was one highlight of Runaway Island! The tumblers are extra tough and sturdy, and surprisingly keep a slushy still “slushy” after HOURS under the seat of a golf cart in the Florida sun!
\\Hang Five Beach Bar and Grill//
Excellent food and relatively new facility built. I had their mahi mahi tacos with creamy potato salad and Mr. T had a delicious fresh ground burger! Service was fast and had some great chats with the staff about different things to do around the area (other than be on the beach). The atmosphere of the place was a genuine good feeling, we sat outside under the porch roof enjoying killer views and food.
Dinner//
The same restaurants for the lunch crowd also feed the late afternoon dinner crowd, including some extras. We loved eating dinner and watching the bright vivid red sunsets go down on the beach.
We met up with 2 other husband/wife couples for dinner at Runaway Island for a tasty meal to chatter around. The umbrellas made a nice intimate area and the warm glow of the string lights made the ambiance inviting and comfortable. Many of the beach front restaurants have umbrellas or some sort of protection from hot sunshine, but make sure that the umbrellas are not broken!
Not directly on the beach but some other restaurants we also ate at while in our travels:
\\Dicks Last Resort- Pier Park//
We had a couple drinks at Dicks last Resort and watched the people at tables next to us get fitted with special made hats, which were written by the waiters to create a sarcastic and laughable atmosphere. This is a super fun place if you have a sense of humor and don’t mind if people are sarcastic and rude. We laughed till our cheeks hurt !
\\Jimmy Buffet – Pier Park//
For being the end of season (Early September), Jimmy Buffet, was were we found the most trouble getting a table. Wait lines were long and tables full! This makes sense though, the restaurant is located in the middle of Pier Park and most convenient for the crowds shopping at the various stores or for pier dwellers and beach goers !
Hope this helps in deciding where to eat on the beach when you are visiting the beautiful emerald coast !
Looking for other trip tips for Panama City Beach? I’ve got another:
5 Things to do (other than sitting on the beach) in Panama City Beach, Florida