Our Favorite Craveable Restaurants
- tbatye70
- Aug 18
- 3 min read
The Panama City Beach meals we think about entirely too often
We’ve lived in Panama City Beach for decades, and passengers are always asking us the same question:
“Where do the locals eat?”
Well, here you go.
This isn’t a list of the trendiest restaurants or the places with the biggest advertising budgets. These are the actual dishes we crave, order again and again, and enthusiastically tell our passengers about.
No one paid to be included. We’re just hungry people with strong opinions.
Salty Sue’s
What we crave: Smoked Brisket French Dip
Salty Sue’s takes tender smoked brisket, adds provolone, piles it onto a toasted hoagie roll and serves it with homemade au jus.
It’s smoky, cheesy and wonderfully messy—the kind of sandwich that requires you to lean over the plate and accept that dignity is no longer the priority.
Our advice: Ask for extra napkins. Possibly a bib.
Christo’s Sports Bar & Grill
What we crave: Redneck Chicken Sammy, Philly Cheesesteak, seasonal salads and daily specials
The Redneck Chicken Sammy starts with country-fried chicken and adds pimento cheese, sriracha aioli, slaw and Christo’s famous “chrickles.”
It is not a dainty sandwich.
We also love the Philly Cheesesteak, Christine’s seasonal salads and the daily specials. This is one of those restaurants where you can walk in certain about what you’re ordering—and abandon the entire plan as soon as you hear the special.
Our advice: Always ask about the daily special before emotionally committing to anything else.
Liza’s Kitchen
What we crave: Eggs Benedict and the Roast Beef & Pimento Cheese Sandwich
The secret at Liza’s is the freshly baked focaccia.
Their Eggs Benedict is served on focaccia instead of the usual English muffin, and it may ruin ordinary Eggs Benedict for you forever.
Then there’s the Roast Beef & Pimento Cheese Sandwich: tender roast beef and homemade pimento cheese served warm on that same glorious focaccia.
Our advice: If they offered us an old flip-flop on that focaccia, we would at least consider it.
Schooners
What we crave: Sautéed Crab Claws, Gouda Grits and Shrimp & Grits
Panama City Beach is the only place we’ve ever lived where cheese grits regularly appear as a side dish instead of being limited to breakfast.
And honestly, we support this decision.
But the grits at Schooners aren’t just ordinary cheese grits. They’re creamy, rich, heavenly Gouda grits—and once you’ve tried them, regular cheese grits may begin to feel like they aren’t trying hard enough.
Add the sautéed crab claws or Shrimp & Grits, and enjoy it all with a gorgeous view of the Gulf.
Our advice: Come for the beachfront view. Stay because you’ve developed an emotional attachment to the grits.
Bayou on the Beach
What we crave: Classic Muffaletta, Fried Pork Skins and the Blackened Fish Sandwich
Bayou on the Beach serves big, bold Cajun food without pretending that eating neatly is a realistic goal.
Their hot-pressed Classic Muffaletta is stacked with mortadella, ham, salami, house-made olive salad and melted provolone. It’s available as a half or whole—but “whole” should probably come with a waiver.
The Fried Pork Skins arrive freshly cooked, warm, crispy and covered in Bayou seasoning. If you think you don’t like pork skins because you’ve only eaten the ones from a bag, these may change your mind.
We’re also fans of the blackened fish sandwich—especially when grouper is the catch of the day.
Our advice: Order the pork skins “for the table,” then sit closest to the basket.
Local Steamer Seafood Market
What we crave: Crab Legs
Sometimes a craving doesn’t need a clever explanation.
Sometimes you simply need crab legs, melted butter and permission to make an enormous mess.
Local Steamer Seafood Market is our choice when we want fresh steamed seafood without a lot of fuss. Roll up your sleeves, put on the plastic bib and prepare to work for your dinner.
It’s worth it.
Our advice: If you leave without butter on your shirt, did you even eat crab legs?
One Last Bite
These are our personal favorites—the dishes we actually eat, crave and recommend. We aren’t food critics, and these aren’t paid advertisements.
We’re simply longtime Panama City Beach locals who spend a lot of time driving hungry visitors around town.
Menus and availability can change, so check with each restaurant before arriving with your heart completely set on a particular dish.
And if you discover something else we absolutely need to try, tell us when you ride with Panhandle Shuttle. We take restaurant recommendations very seriously.
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