Everything you need to know about eating seafood in Panama City Beach - what's fresh, where to go, and what to avoid.
Panama City Beach sits on the Gulf of Mexico's Emerald Coast - some of the most productive fishing waters in the southeastern United States. Grouper, snapper, amberjack, Gulf shrimp, and blue crab are all caught locally, often within 30 miles of shore.
The flagship fish of the Florida Panhandle. Firm, white, mildly sweet, and caught locally year-round with peaks in summer. If you eat one thing in PCB, make it fresh Gulf grouper.
Gulf brown shrimp is caught in the warm shallow waters off the Panhandle and is noticeably sweeter and more flavorful than imported alternatives.
Large, plump, and milder than East Coast oysters. Best eaten raw on the half shell or baked. Apalachicola Bay oysters from nearby are among the most prized in the country.
Caught offshore in Gulf waters, snapper season peaks in summer. Firm, slightly sweet, excellent grilled or pan-seared.
Gulf blue crab is sweet and delicate - best in crab cakes, scamp imperial, or steamed. Capt. Anderson's scamp imperial with lump blue crab is one of the defining dishes of PCB dining.
The fishing boats at Grand Lagoon unload daily - Capt. Anderson's is next to the marina where commercial boats dock. Arriving early for dinner and watching the catch come off the boats before you eat it is one of the genuine PCB experiences.
For full rankings see our Top 15 list and Area Guide.