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One of the many nice things about living and working in this area is that we have many excellent restaurants to choose from - especially for an area of our size. The choices range from "down and dirty" to fine dining comparable to that found in a major metropolitan area. Dress codes (where there are any) tend to be more casual, though. Someone in a coat and tie is obviously a lawyer or politician taking a break from work!
In this section we'll give you a sample of places we've enjoyed from Destin over to Panama City Beach working our way from west to east. In each case, you can click on the picture to visit the restaurant's web site and check out the menu, entertainment, etc. Except where noted, all major credit cards are accepted. Enjoy!
Destin has the most "traction" on the local dining and entertainment scene. We've left out a lot - and there's still a lot here! Click the pictures for more info.
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AJ's Seafood & Oyster Bar. On the Destin Harbor near the bridge to Okaloosa Island. Very casual. Decent food, but most folks go for the live entertainment, which runs until...... Popular place to hook up. |
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Boathouse Oyster Bar. Also on the harbor. Open from 11AM until? Good oysters, gumbo. Also features live entertainment. You can see everyone from bikers to billionaires here. Drive up or come by boat. Ultra casual. Drink of choice: beer, of course. |
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Harbor Docks. Another place to drive up or boat up. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fresh fish and excellent daily specials. Outdoor and indoor seating. A very good sushi bar and menu for those who like that. Live entertainment most nights on the deck. A calendar of events is on their web site. The same group owns Camille's at Crystal Beach (also covered on their web site). |
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Zampieri's Harbor Grille. Fine dining, eclectic menu with the freshest ingredients, and great view in a relaxed atmosphere. Dinner only. Relatively new place, but the excellent chef is from another well-known restaurant that burned down. Drink of choice: signature and dessert martinis. Dinner only. |
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Marina Cafe & Destin Chops. Known as the harbor restaurant group, these two next door restaurants have been contributing to the Destin fine dining (dinner only) scene for years. Marina Cafe emphasizes fresh seafood and offers outdoor and indoor seating. Destin Chops is a traditional upscale steakhouse. |
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Bonefish Grill. Located in a shopping center north of route 98, this is the only chain operator on our list. They have excellent fresh seafood, and the bar is a popular gathering area. Be prepared to wait after 7PM and on weekends. Dinner only. |
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Cuvee Beach. On the north side of Hwy 98 just east of Danny Wurfel Blvd (Hwy 293/Mid-Bay bridge road), this is a popular spot with the locals. Open from 5PM. Great appetizers and an inventive menu. Often features specials like half price appetizers in the bar area and 2 for 1 drinks. Excellent wine boutique and retail store. Many wines by the glass. |
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Beachwalk Cafe. Right on the Gulf on the ground floor of the Inn at Crystal Beach on Scenic Hwy 98 ("Old" 98 along the Gulf). Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Owner/chef Tim Creehan is the local celebrity chef; his operation is smooth and the food delicious. Try the hot crawfish salad or the fish tacos. |
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Vintij. A little gem tucked away in a small strip mall center just west of the Silver Sands outlet shopping mecca on the other side of Hwy 98. Worth finding, as the light menu is delicious and their rotating list of 40 wines by the taster, glass, or bottle will have something for everyone. Also an extensive wine retail selection - mostly more expensive vintages. Open for lunch and dinner. |
This roughly 18 mile stretch of scenic coastal road between Sandestin and Rosemary Beach is one of the few places in Florida where you won't be able to find a McDonald's (or any other chain restaurant for that matter). Fortunately, that doesn't limit your dining choices. Here are just a few:
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Criolla's. Located in Grayton Beach -one of the few "Old Florida" communities left around here - Criolla's has been in business since 1989 and is one of the finest restaurants on the Emerald Coast. Owner/chef Johnny Earles describes the menu as "Exotic. Tropical. Cutting Edge.Caribbean Creole. Dazzling." And he's right! Dinner only. Closed most Sundays except major holiday weekends.
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Borago's. Just around the corner in Grayton Beach, this is a classic Italian trattoria that also has a terrific bar. You can make a meal (and we have) out of a couple of appetizers and a bottle of wine at the bar. Dinner only. |
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The Red Bar and Cafe 3-Thirty-1. Under the same ownership (Oliver, who seems to remember everyone's name), the Red Bar is in Grayton Beach, while 3-Thirty-1 is, as you might guess, just on the Gulf side of the Rte 331 bay bridge coming into Santa Rosa Beach. Both have eclectic menus that change daily. The Red Bar has live jazz most nights. Lunch and dinner. Very casual. No credit cards accepted, but an ATM is on site. |
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Fish Out Of Water. Located in the Watercolor Inn just west of Seaside, this elegant setting with a terrific Gulf view offers outdoor and indoor dining. The menu is classic preparation with absolutely fresh ingredients. Pricey but awfully good. Go for a special occasion. Dinner only. |
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Bud and Alley's. Named after a dog and a cat back when Seaside was just getting started, Bud & Alley's has been going strong ever since. Recent reviews suggest the food and service have seen better days (we agree; it caters to large groups of mostly tourists). However, the Rooftop bar is still one of the best places to take in the sunset, see and be seen. VISA/MasterCard only. Lunch and dinner. |
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Cafe 30A. Located in Seagrove Beach east of Seaside. Eclectic menu with asian and southwestern influences. The food has been great every time we've been there. Features a wood oven. Gathering spot on the roof is very popular. Nice web site but events are out of date. Dinner only. |
Panama City Beach is undergoing a major transition from it's historic ("Redneck Riviera") reputation as Spring Break capital. However, although there are plenty of all-you-can eat buffets and gigantic fried fish emporiums, it's still hard to find a really good restaurant with something unique to offer. Here are a couple we like:
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Calypso. Located on the north side of Front Beach Road just across from the condo complex of the same name, and just east of the new Pier Park development. Arguably the best sports bar on the Emerald Coast with lots of large screen TV's in each room. Gator fans rally there in football season. Good sports pub food and more. Open for lunch and dinner. |
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The Boatyard. On Grand Lagoon behind the mammoth Captain Anderson's, you can get here by land or water. Nice setting, menu featuring Caribbean/Key West influences. Very casual. Lunch and dinner. | |
