Firefly

Located in the heart of the Grand Lagoon, Firefly offers a romantic and elegant dining experience. This upscale, "Golden Spoon Award" winning restaurant will immediately captivate any guest with their nature-inspired decor and beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the lagoon. The menu offers a variety of seafood dishes, steaks, and southern-style appetizers. This restaurant is perfect for a date night or a more classier night out for two, where you can enjoy a great wine selection and wonderful atmosphere. The must-try dish at Firefly is their crab cakes, made with lump crab meat and served with a cream sauce. For dessert, try their signature key lime pie.

Runaway Island

Runaway Island offers the ultimate waterfront scenery with a casual and relaxed dining experience. The restaurant has been delighting locals and tourists alike for over 20 years with a menu that focuses on fresh seafood and local cuisine. The restaurant has an indoor dining space and a gorgeous outdoor deck with a boardwalk that extends all the way to the beach. Runaway Island's top dishes are their baja fish tacos, their New Orleans BBQ shrimp and their signature Runaway Salad. The restaurant also offers great live entertainment and a daily happy hour with drink and food specials.

Pineapple Willy's

Pineapple Willy's is a popular Panama City Beach spot for both locals and tourists with more than 30 years of tradition. The restaurant's atmosphere is family-friendly and their menu focuses on seafood and BBQ dishes. Some of their highlights are their fried po'boys with shrimp, calamari or Mahi mahi and their famous BBQ rib platter, served with their signature BBQ sauce made with Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. The restaurant also offers live music and entertainment on their outdoor stage creating the perfect beach vibe for a fun time.

Sharky's Beachfront Restaurant

Sharky's Beachfront Restaurant has been offering a casual and laid-back PCB dining experience for over 30 years. The restaurant's menu focuses on seafood and bar food. The must-try dishes at Sharky's are their smoked tuna dip, baja fish tacos topped with cilantro cream and pico de gallo and their grouper sandwich, with your choice of fried, grilled or blackened filet on a grilled bun with tartar sauce. The restaurant also has an outdoor tiki bar with live music and holds a lot of events throughout the year.

Harpoon Harry's Beachfront Restaurant

With over 40 years of serving locals and visitors, Harpoon Harry's Beachfront Restaurant offers a fun and lively beach dining experience. It's a restaurant with a slightly upscale feel while keeping to its casual vibe, which most tourists would appreciate. The restaurant's menu features gourmet Gulf seafood dishes, steaks, pasta and other traditional American favorites. The must-try dishes at Harpoon Harry's are their fish tacos, served with a mango salsa and guacamole, its World Famous Seafood Bucket, stuffed with jumbo shrimp, crab legs and baby clams, and its Shrimp Alfredo pasta. The restaurant features live music and also has a great selection of cocktails and beach drinks, a great reason to not miss their drink specials during their daily happy hour.

Shuckums Oyster Pub & Seafood Grill

Shuckums Oyster Pub & Seafood Grill is the place to indulge in oyster platters, great seafood dishes and cocktails. Established in 1967, this restaurant offers a casual atmosphere and relaxed dining experience with an extensive menu that features the freshest gulf coast seafood and local cuisine. Besides their wide range of baked, steamed, grilled or fried oyster platters, their trademark dishes are their shrimp jammers, their oyster Po'boy and their crab cakes. The restaurant also offers a daily happy hour with drink and food specials.

Bayou Bill's Crab House

Bayou Bill's Crab House is your one-stop shop for seafood and oyster lovers on the Emerald Coast. They've been a local tradition since 1986, serving up some of Florida’s finest catches directly from locally sourced suppliers. Bayou Bill's Crab House is a local favorite, and it's easy to see why. The seafood here is fresh and flavorful, and the prices are unbeatable. With an extensive menu that features everything from Choctawhatchee blue crabs to lobsters, and from delicious shrimp to the finest oysters in the Emerald Coast. Their knowledgeable staff will be more than happy help guide any visitors through their unique menu. If you're looking for a casual dining experience, this is the place for you.

The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House

The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House is another great option for seafood lovers. The Back Porch has been serving up some delicious seafood with the best Gulf views for over 40 years. This restaurant has a more upscale vibe, but the prices are still reasonable. And the seafood is, of course, outstanding. They invented their renowned Amberjack sandwich, which is made from a fresh piece of Chargrilled Amberjack fish served on an authentic hamburger or sandwich bun, and they are also well-known for their fresh Appalachicola oysters, which are sure to delight even the most demanding customers. If you're looking to enjoy some great seafood with local flavor then make sure to stop by The Back Porch.

Pompano Joe's

Pompano Joe's is a must-visit for any seafood lover travelling in Panama City Beach. This restaurant has won multiple awards for its delicious food, and it's easy to see why. The menu features fresh seafood that is caught daily, and the chefs here have a real passion for what they do. Pompano Joe's offers a wide variety of seafood dishes with their specialty in serving local Gulf seafood. Their specialty dish is their famous "Seafood Gumbo", which has won several Gumbo contests or try their "Garlic Crusted Grouper with Lobster" – a platter of grouper and lobster served with croquettes and vegetables. This is a great place to enjoy some fresh seafood while watching the Gulf waves roll in from their outdoor patio deck. It's also conveniently located in the Pier Park shopping center, so you can do some shopping before or after your meal.

Schooners

Schooners is a Panama City Beach institution. This beachfront bar and grill has been serving up cold drinks and fresh seafood since 1977. And with live music and special events seven nights a week, it's the perfect place to enjoy a sunset dinner or a late-night snack. The menu features all of your favorite seafood dishes, sandwiches and food baskets as well as some unique specialties like the "Tuna BLT" and their "East End Fish Tacos". And of course, no visit to Schooners is complete without trying their delicious Gulf specialties like the Mahi-Mahi, Grouper or Shrimp. If you're looking for a casual dining experience with a view, then Schooners is the place for you.

Saltwater Grill

Saltwater Grill is one of the newer restaurants that's making waves in the Panama City Beach culinary scene. This restaurant offers a unique blend of Southern hospitality and Florida flair. As soon as you walk in, you'll be greeted with a 25,000 gallon aquarium with an incredible view of all things tropical. You can enjoy the view of the aquarium from either side of the restaurant while enjoying dinner or having drinks at the bar. It's a truly unique experience to watch these beautiful saltwater tanks full of exotic sea creatures from around world. The menu features fresh, local seafood that is caught daily and prepared to perfection. Choose between fresh seafood or steakhouse dishes and enjoy some of Saltwater Grill's unique cocktails, like the "Saltwater Tequila Mule" and the "Seasonal Mojito". If you're looking for a delicious meal in a beautiful setting, then be sure to check out Saltwater Grill.

Dee's Hang Out

Last but not least, Dee's Hang Out is a local favorite that has been serving up fresh seafood for over a decade. This family-owned restaurant is known for its friendly atmosphere and its delicious food. Their Southern coastal cajun menu features all of your favorite seafood dishes, as well as some unique specialties like the "She-Crab Soup" and the "Smoked Tuna Dip". And if you're looking for something truly original, try the "Po-Boys" – served on a Liedenhimer Brother’s French bread. If you're looking for a casual dining experience with a home-cooked meal, then Dee's Hang Out is the place for you.