Panama City Beach Restaurants by Area: Where to Eat Near Pier Park, the Beach & St. Andrews

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If you’re staying on Panama City Beach, chances are your hotel, your golf tee time, and your dolphin tour dock are all clustered a few minutes from each other — and so is the food. Instead of one long list, here’s where to eat broken down by the part of the beach you’re actually going to be in, whether that’s the Pier Park corridor, the east end near the dolphin boats, or a day trip inland to Old Florida in St. Andrews.

Near Pier Park & Front Beach Road

If you’re staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Panama City Beach, this stretch of Front Beach Road is your home base, and you won’t have to go far to eat well.

The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House

Right on the boardwalk next to Margaritaville (16220 Front Beach Road), this seafood house has been feeding beachgoers since 1974. Its claim to fame is a char-grilled Amberjack sandwich you won’t find at most other spots in town, alongside standards like raw oysters and a smoked tuna dip. Nobody dresses up here — flip-flops are the norm.

Open daily from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Diego’s Burrito Factory

Diego’s Burrito Factory/Margarita Bar is located at 15514 Front Beach Road — directly across the street from the Hampton Inn, so it’s about as convenient as dinner gets. Diego’s is listed as #6 out of 70 Quick Bites in Panama City Beach.

The Margarita Bar is accessible via a walk-up window at the front of the restaurant. The Burrito Factory has both indoor and outdoor dining along Beach Front Road.

Ordering at Diego’s Burrito Factory is similar to ordering at Moe’s or Chipotle. There is a large menu board listing three steps: 1) Pick It (select the base such as burrito, nachos, quesadilla, or burrito bowl), 2) Fill It (select the filling: chicken, steak, carnitas, al pastor, ground beef, grilled fish or shrimp, or veggies), and 3) Top It (veggies, cheese, and such to go on or in your meal).

We each ordered Baja Grilled Tacos with mahi-mahi ($8.99 for two tacos) and had them topped with lettuce and cilantro ranch. They were served with chips and salsa. We also ordered a small cup of queso ($1.75) which came with a side of chips.

The total for our meal with two cups of water came to $23.20 with tax (before tip). The food was fresh and delicious and I would have no problems eating the same tacos again.

Diego’s Burrito Factory is open daily from 11:00 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Thomas Donut & Snack Shop

A Front Beach Road fixture since 1971 (19208 Front Beach Road). Mornings here mean a steady line for fresh donuts, and the pink take-home box has become something of a local badge of honor. Past the donut case, the kitchen also runs a full breakfast and lunch menu — biscuits, bagels, burgers, and fried seafood. A good stop before an early tee time or a beach day.

Open daily from 6:00 a.m.; arrive early, since the line grows fast once the sun’s up.

Kilwin’s Chocolate and Ice Cream

If you are at the beach and looking for something sweet to indulge in, you won’t have to look far with there being over 2 dozen sweet shops. Kilwin’s comes in at #5 of 23 for Desserts in PCB on Tripadvisor.com and is located at 821 Pier Park Drive.

Kilwin’s is an old-time confectionary serving fudge, ice cream, truffles, candy apples, nut brittles, and more.

I ordered the Georgia Peach ice cream in a waffle bowl ($6.24) for my husband. The ice cream was creamy and had small chunks of peach, but the best part was the waffle bowl it was served in.

Kilwin’s is open Monday – Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

East End: Beach Days, Golf, and Dolphin Tours

Head toward Thomas Drive and Gulf Drive and you’re in dolphin-tour and golf course territory — this is where most of the boat docks and tee times are, and the food here matches the pace: casual, fast, and built for refueling between activities.

Pineapple Willy’s

Pineapple Willy’s in Panama City Beach was the first restaurant that was recommended to me and piqued my interest. It is located on the beach at 9875 S Thomas Drive and is listed as #18 of 211 restaurants in Panama City Beach on Tripadivsor.com. They offer both dining room accommodations as well as highly coveted picnic tables outside on their covered pier — and it’s an easy stop before or after a dolphin tour out of the same stretch of water.

While you have great views of the ocean from the inside, dining outside offers the best views (and longer wait times).

Pineapple Willy’s has been operating since 1984 and serves some pretty good seafood. My husband ordered a Willy Basket/shrimp basket ($13) and I got the ‘Nawlins Po’ Boys ($14) with shrimp.

Both meals are served with French fries. We both ordered a side of coleslaw ($1 each).

The Po’ Boy sandwich is huge and large enough to feed two people. The bread was fresh and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. The pineapple coleslaw – which did not have pineapple in it – was fresh and tasty.

Their signature drink is a Pineapple Willy and it has Myers Platinum Rum, gold rum, Hawaiian pineapple juice, and cream of coconut. I ordered a medium size ($13) and it came in a reusable mug. (The mug is reusable for the life of the mug and currently, the price of refills is $9.) The drink was really refreshing and delicious.

Our total with tax, before tip, came to $45.39. Our server did a great job and earned his tip. All-in-all, Pineapple Willy’s is a fun place to eat that serves good food. I would definitely go back (and take my reusable cup with me!).

In addition to adult libations, Pineapple Willy’s has kid-friendly options, such as Chicken Littles, Shrimp Skippers, and Mini Corndogs. Kids meals for children 12 and under range in price from $4.59 – $6.59. Kids can get soda in a 16 oz souvenir kid’s cup for $6.

Pineapple Willy’s is open from 11 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. daily.

Schooners – The Last Local Beach Club

Schooners sits directly on the sand at 5121 Gulf Drive and has anchored this stretch of beach since the late 1960s, rebuilding after Hurricane Opal took it out in 1995. Staff fire off a small cannon every evening at sunset, a nightly ritual regulars plan their visit around. The menu sticks to classic beach-bar territory — fried baskets, hushpuppies, and gator bites for anyone wanting a taste of old Florida.

Open daily from 11:00 a.m.

Pompano Joe’s Seafood House

At 16202 Front Beach Road, Pompano Joe’s puts a Caribbean spin on Gulf seafood. Its best-known plate is a coconut-crusted shrimp served with a fruity dipping sauce, and a jerk-chicken egg roll appetizer is a regular favorite among diners. Open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. — a good pick when part of your group wants island flavors instead of a plain fried basket.

Dat Cajun Place Cafe

This Thomas Drive spot (2705 Thomas Drive) is known among locals for its Sunday brunch built around Cajun flavors and a well-made bloody mary — a solid way to recover before an afternoon on a boat. The rest of the week it runs more like a neighborhood bar — wings, burgers, and cold beer, with chalkboard-topped tables to keep you occupied while you wait on food.

AutentiKa Mexican Grille

Run by the same family since 2017, AutentiKa makes its salsas in-house and leans into street-style Mexican dishes — tacos callejeros and corn-husk tamales are standouts, alongside a well-stocked margarita menu. The quick-service express counter is right on Thomas Drive (8711 Thomas Drive), making it an easy grab between beach stops.

Worth the Drive: A Day Trip to St. Andrews & Downtown Panama City

If you’ve rented a car, a short drive off the beach takes you into Old Florida — worth pairing with a visit to see the US Oyster Shucking Champ if you’re here at the right time of year.

Hunt’s Oyster Bar & Seafood

Head inland to the St. Andrews neighborhood of Panama City (1150 Beck Avenue) for Hunt’s, run by the same family for close to six decades. Oysters are the draw here, served several different ways, but the kitchen also handles grouper, snapper, and gator, plus non-seafood standards like burgers and ribeye for anyone opting out of shellfish. The upstairs seating looks out over the bay, worth requesting if you’re there in the evening.

Closed Sundays; open until 9:30 p.m. most other nights.

Liza’s Kitchen

Liza’s Kitchen occupies a small storefront at 7328 Thomas Drive that’s easy to miss from the road. Nearly everything served is made in-house, down to the bread and condiments. Weekdays bring sandwiches and salads; weekends switch over to a brunch menu, with egg dishes built on a house-made hollandaise as the standouts. A good lunch stop on your way back from St. Andrews.

Closed Tuesdays; weekend brunch starts as early as 8:00 a.m.

Date Night: Fine Dining

Firefly in Panama City Beach

Located at 535 N Richard Jackson Boulevard, Firefly is inside a strip mall and has a pretty unassuming exterior. Walk through the door, though, and the space opens up into something cozy and a little magical that the exterior doesn’t let on.

Firefly has earned the #9 spot on Tripadvisor.com for restaurants in Panama City Beach. Firefly is divided into two – on one side a sushi bar, the other fine dining.

Diners are treated to a bread basket served alongside a trio of flavored butter.

The house wine when we were there was Velvet Devil Merlot and it was excellent ($9 for a generous glass of wine).

My husband ordered Sesame Seared Yellowfin Tuna (rare ahi tuna served with grilled baby bok choy, chili truffle vinaigrette, and crispy wontons). The price of this entree is $32.

I ordered the Wild Caught Salmon Amandine which is naturally gluten-free. It was served with whipped potatoes, french beans, preserved lemon, brown butter, and almonds and cost $32.

Being that we were completing our stay in Panama City Beach the night we dined at Firefly, we made the most out of our dining experience at the beach. For the finale, we ordered the vanilla Crème Brûlée ($8) which was lit at the table.

Dining at Firefly is an experience that does come with a price tag. The total of our meal for two with wine and dessert came to $100.36.

Note: This is one of the few fine dining establishments that we found to be open on Sundays. I recommend that you make reservations online. Firefly is closed on Monday and open Tuesday – Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

FAQs About Eating in PCB

What food is Panama City Beach known for? Seafood is the star in PCB — shrimp, grouper, and oysters are on just about every menu. You’ll also find plenty of casual eats like burgers, tacos, and donuts.

What’s a good spot to eat near Pier Park? The Back Porch, Diego’s Burrito Factory, and Thomas Donut & Snack Shop are all within a few minutes’ walk of Pier Park and the Hampton Inn.

Where should I eat near the dolphin tour docks? Pineapple Willy’s and Pompano Joe’s both sit right along the Thomas Drive/Gulf Drive stretch where most of the dolphin tour boats launch.

Is it worth driving inland to eat? Yes, especially for oysters — Hunt’s Oyster Bar in St. Andrews is a local favorite that most tourists miss because it’s a few minutes off the main beach strip.

Planning the rest of your trip? Check out our reviews of the Hampton Inn and Suites in Panama City Beach, golfing in Panama City Beach, and Panama City Beach dolphin tours to round out your stay.

Panama City Beach has no shortage of restaurants, and this list is just the beginning. Whether you’re in the mood for fried shrimp, fresh tacos, or a donut that’s bigger than your hand, you’ll find it here.

👉 Have you eaten in PCB? Share your favorite restaurant in the comments — I’d love to add it to my list for next time!

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