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Friday, May 9, 2008 Dining
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Three Panama City Hotspots, Five Great Restaurants
By Allan Boyles
Panama City and Panama City Beach are loaded with restaurants. Some big, some small, some elegant, some casual, some great, some average. My trusty Intercity Oz sidekick, Julie, and I, having some pretty extensive experience in the restaurant business, thought it would be fun to visit about 15 establishments. As the idea for this article was tossed around, we decided that we would showcase our 3 favorites. While we were fortunate to have good food and service at each of the establishments we visited (15 out of 15, ain’t bad!), we had no disagreements on our favorites.
Our first stop actually took place the day before we planned this little adventure. Julie and I had been working hard all day and were starved! We needed something quick, but “fast food”, in its true nature, was not an option. We found a cute little place on Thomas Drive, something Jimmy Buffet might have sung about. The name caught our eye, so we decided to give it a try. Flamingo Joe’s is a wonderful little place with more outdoor seating than in. The menu is refreshingly different and is available for take-out.
A simple fare of fresh salads, sandwiches made on lahvosh, fresh oysters, award-winning gumbo is available as well as some original preparations of fresh seafood. All food is served in disposable containers…good thing since you can’t finish all of it! I had the grilled shrimp sandwich and Julie ate a hot veggie pita with a side of black beans and rice. We both had strawberry smoothies. (They added protein and wheat germ to hers…guess she figured it would make up for the lack of meat?!?) Check out the menu here.
We found the most original, unbelievable, entertainment structure we had ever seen, on our ninth stop. The Treasure Ship, a giant replica of the Golden Hind, sailed by Sir Francis Drake back in the 16th century, houses three restaurants, two open-air bars, and live entertainment nightly. Live pirates roam the decks and a collection of treasures can be had in the Treasure Ship Gift Shop. All three restaurants face Grand Lagoon, an active harbor supporting four marinas. On the first level of this giant ship, we found Hook’s Grille and Grog, a casual indoor/outdoor restaurant with a Caribbean flair. A big, beautiful bar on the outside deck, was full of locals and anglers. Acoustix, a very talented duo, performed covers by Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Jim Croce. and more. The Caribbean fare was quite good and affordable. Here’s the menu. The second level houses the Treasure Ship’s Main Dining Room, a traditional Seafood Restaurant. This restaurant offers an unbelievable view through glass walls without sacrificing beloved air-conditioning. The food was incredible and the service was perfect. Menu. Captain Crabby’s, we learned, is the Treasure Ship’s latest venture. Open-air decks, along with a climate controlled room made up the dining area. Locals say Crabby’s has become famous for all-u-can-eat crab legs. Julie and I ate on the deck overlooking Grand Lagoon. We ate crab legs, prime rib, ribs, corn-on-the-cob, clam chowder, steamed shrimp and fresh yeast rolls ( you know, the kind the lunch ladies made in school!!) It was excellent! The bartender at Crabby’s told us that The Treasure Ship made the best Pina Coladas that could be found. We saw this as a challenge! Neither of us had ever tasted such a good Pina Colada! We stayed all evening! Menu.
Lucky #13!! That was the stop number for J. Michael’s Restaurant and Oyster bar. I already knew about J. Michaels because I’ve been eating there since 1980. They’ve grown and moved, but I can still get my favorite dish, Grouper Nouveau. “ Mike” has the best cold, fresh Apalachicola oysters in town. Whether your hungry for a serving of authentic Cajun Red Beans and rice, or the biggest sliced roast beef sandwich you’ve ever seen, there’s something for everyone! Plenty of televisions so you won’t miss out!
We had a great time on this project and hopefully helped you with some decisions. Thanks for stopping by. Please check back for future articles about the “Worlds Most Beautiful Beaches”.
Bookmark us at www.VisitPCFla.com and check out the latest information!
Buddy's Seafood Market - The best steamed shrimp on Panama City Beach
Flamingo Joe's grill and OysterBar - Din in or take out!
Hook's Grille & Grog - Waterfront Patio Dining!
J. Michael's Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Los Antojitos - Mexican Restaurant
The Treasure Ship - Dine in a 200 ft. replica of a Spanish galleon!