We are so spoiled in Atlanta. You can have any food you want (almost) and have your choice of restaurants open each and every day serving up a terrific selection of food well into the night. Panama City Beach is very much unlike Atlanta in this respect, though there seems to be a bit of an improvement in the city.

Since PCB is much the tourist city, they know they have a captive audience and therefore most restaurants are mediocre at best. Many don’t bother to update or even have a website and forget finding anything decent open on a Monday or Tuesday if you visit anytime other than the peak summer season. If you do find one that you like, there’s only a fifty-fifty chance it will be there the next time you visit. However, there are a few highlights I discovered since my last visit to Panama City Beach,  that I want to share with you.

The Egg and I
The only time we went out for breakfast / lunch, we stumbled upon the Egg and I. It kind of reminds me of a more upscale IHOP. One of the things that I really liked was that most breakfast platters like pancakes or waffles come with your choice of meat (bacon, sausage). So many breakfast places make you choose: carb or meat. My Spinach, Bacon and Cheese Frittata was quite yummy as was my dining companions’ Reubens. While there are cheaper places to have a meal, this was tasty and efficient.

Hognose Snapper
Based on the short time this restaurant has been open, they have great reviews. Unfortunately, there was no indication anywhere of days they are closed. On a Monday, we had high hopes of eating here but they were closed. Mr. ARB and his cousin went on another day. They lauded the fresh baked bread and tasty Crab Cake and Grouper sandwiches. This is definitely on my “must visit” list next time I find myself in PCB.

Schooner’s
So many rave about this restaurant, and it was where we ended up late on a Monday, when it seems everything else was closed. It is a seafood restaurant and I love seafood, yet I struggled to find anything on the menu that sounded remotely interesting. My fried shrimp was okay, but definitely not enough to make me want to ever return.

Sweet Racks
The best restaurant experience of the trip was at Sweet Racks, a Filipino style barbecue. The food was both tasty and reasonably priced. We had friendly and attentive service too, a scarce combination in Panama City Beach. Starting with the Lumpia, Filipino style spring rolls, we also ordered pulled pork and ribs. The slightly sweet barbecue sauce has a taste like no other barbecue I’ve sampled. We were so happy with everything, we even ordered wings to go. Huge and juicy, these wings didn’t disappoint.

About Malika

Malika is the author of Food Lovers' Guide to Atlanta and the founder of Atlanta Restaurant Blog. She is also a Digital Marketing and Social Media Consultant.