Pineapple Willy's offers many grilled seafood options as well as fried. And if you're not a seafood eater, they serve prime rib and grilled chicken too. Their appetizer menu includes onion rings, buffalo wings, calamari, peel and eat shrimp, nachos and even breaded alligator tail. Open for lunch and dinner, it's a relaxed, casual beachside setting your whole family will enjoy.

On a recent beach trip, my teenage nieces asked if we could go to Pineapple Willy's because they had heard about it from so many of their friends who take summer vacations in PCB.  I had checked out their online menu and felt attracted to the onion rings. But I must confess that I did not have high expectations.  I assumed it was a tourist trap with mediocre seafood.  However, I wanted to make my nieces happy.  And if this was a place they really wanted to eat, I was happy to go.

Saltwater Grill was voted #1 Seafood Restaurant in Panama City Beach. There are many reasons for its popularity and appeal. 

Prior to the opening in 2002, brewing vats occupied the center of the former restaurant (The Panama City Brewery).  Extensive work was done by the new owners to transform this area into a breathtakingly beautiful, seven foot high, 25,000 gallon tropical salt water aquarium.  A panoramic view of abundant sealife sets the stage for a unique dining experience.  Saltwater Grill also offers PCB's only  
Piano Bar.

Although Salvatore's could be described as a little hole in the wall pizza joint, I can't bring myself to call it that.  Yes, it is small enough to be easily missed.  And it's certainly not fancy.  But Salvatore's has atmosphere as well as great food.

On a recent visit to PCB, my family and I were enjoying the pool at Emerald Beach Resort.  We were hungry for more than a snack, but did not want to get in the car and go anywhere.  We had been told about a homemade ice cream shop right next door to the resort that we simply "must" try.  And the person recommending the ice cream just happened to mention that it was next door to a place serving pizza, calzones and wings.  Both places sounded interesting and it was a very short walk.  We had no idea what a "find" this little place was going to be!

Wanting a quality seafood meal in a very casual setting, we visited Sandbar Seafood & Deli based on the recommendation of friends. Being here in the quieter early fall season and visiting on a weeknight, we did not have to wait for a table. We sat in a roomy, comfortable booth with a view of numerous flat screen TVs mounted on the walls.

When you walk in, you'll see that Sandbar is not a large place. It's a seafood market and deli as well as a restaurant. The seafood counter abounds with beautiful, fresh seafood. The deli counter is stocked with Boar's Head meats and cheeses. They also serve burgers and prime rib. So you don't have to be a seafood lover to be drawn here!

Being seafood lovers, however, we went there for the seafood. And we were certainly not disappointed. Decisions are particularly difficult for me the first time I visit any restaurant. But we settled on the Sandbar Crabcake appetizer, served with a generous drizzle of remoulade. And what an excellent choice it turned out to be! The crabcake was thick and loaded with fresh lump crab meat. We were tempted to order a second one, but knew we would never finish the rest of our meal if we did. I cannot over-emphasize the freshness of this seafood.

The original Back Porch is located in Destin.  It's been a local favorite since 1979, serving quality seafood in an open air setting with an amazing view of the beach.  Hence, the name. 

The PCB location is another version of the original restaurant.  It's located in Pier Park and decked out in bold, bright colors.  The atmosphere is still open and airy; although not exactly a "back porch" feel like the original, since it isn't right on the water.  However, Pier Park is another perfect location for this type of beachy restaurant.  It's a great place to take the whole family, and they do have a kid's menu.

Despite some lukewarm reviews, I recommend The Cantina for Mexican food in Pier Park.

Search for reviews of any restaurant in any location and you will find raves and pans.  This restaurant is no exception.  But I really enjoyed The Cantina and I look forward to going back. 

Ideally, I prefer to visit a new restaurant in a larger party so I can taste and write about more than two dishes.  The Cantina menu offers a wide variety of appetizers and entrees.  And on this occasion there were just the two of us.  So I mentioned to the server that I would be writing an article about our meal.  I hoped he might want to bring out a few sample-size servings of favorite menu items.  But our particular server didn't seem to pay much attention to my hint.  To be honest, I have to agree with some of the online reviewers who weren't thrilled with the service they received.  We did not have bad service, but it was nothing to rave about, either.  Mexican food usually comes out pretty quick.  We waited quite a while for our food and the servers did seem to be doing a lot of visiting around the bar with a favorite customer.  It wasn't a big problem for me because I wasn't in a hurry and I was enjoying the chips and salsa along with a delicious peach margarita.  But my mother-in-law commented that it sure was taking a long time for our food to arrive at the table.  Fortunately, when it did come, we thought it was worth the wait.

Thomas' Donuts are exceptionally fresh and well worth the indulgence if you are a donut lover.  In fact, I dare say no trip to PCB will be complete without a Thomas' donut once you've had one.  They are amazing. 

I especially love the chocolate iced glazed donuts and the cinnamon rolls.  Oh yeah, the key lime filled are uniquely scrumptious.  Oh, and I almost forgot ... you really have to try the sour cream donuts.  They are the best I've ever tasted.  (Decisions are tough here!)  

The building looks a little rough on the exterior.  But don't let that concern you.  It's a PCB institution that has been around since 1961.