Panama City Beach is a lively place with things going on just about every hour of the day. Before the sun rises, fishing enthusiasts stow their poles and leave the docks, and long after the sun sets, both locals and visitors enjoy moonlit beach walks and late-night parties at popular beachfront bars and restaurants. Simply put, this is a community that is always bustling — so much so that it can be easy to miss some good gems.
This is especially true for those visiting for just a short time. As such, we wanted to highlight some of the more underrated eateries in Panama City Beach, FL. These are places that may be a bit off the popular track and or for other reasons less noticed than others despite offering things like unique flavors, outstanding service, or an exceptional dining area.
1. Easy Way (If Only for the Cuban Sandwich)
1724 Thomas Dr, Panama City Beach, FL 32408
We are going to start you off with a real shocker as the first place on our list of most underrated eateries is actually a gas station. Hear us out! This Marathon-branded gas station at the corner of Thomas Drive and Summer Oak Drive has certainly the best sandwich in the county and some will even cite it as the best Cuban sandwich in the state. And that’s saying a lot given the high number of Cuban immigrants in South Florida.
The diner they have inside serves up a variety of sandwiches, including a Reuben and Italian Sub that are delicious, but by far and away the very best sandwich made and sold at Easy Way is the Cuban Sub. For just $8 (at the time of this publishing), you can get a foot-long hoagie packed with roast pork, ham, Genoa Salami, Swiss cheese, and pickles and layered with mayo and mustard. It comers hot pressed to order with garlic butter. We cannot recommend this sandwich enough for a quick pre or post-beach day lunch!
2. Hunt & Gather
7942 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407
850-708-1147
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Hunt & Gather is a Panama City Beach brand that actually encompasses two businesses at the same location on 30A just one block west of where it divides into Front Beach Road. During the morning and daytime hours, the most popular of these businesses is the Hunt & Gather Butcher Shop and Market which offers the highest quality goods at incredible rates. Go here to stock up on meat and seafood to grill up and serve at home.
But for those who want to enjoy a delicious meal out, go to Hunt & Gather later in the afternoon and evening to enjoy a meal at their Hunt & Gather Raw Bar & Pub. This underrated restaurant and bar, likes its daytime market, utilizes only the freshest and most seasonal products. They build their menu each and every season based on what local farmers and fishers are bringing in. Likewise, their wine and beer menu boasts offerings from small family vineyards and breweries that their staff is always happy to talk about. Go here for the meal and stay for the conversation!
3. Bamboo’s 2 Jamaican Restaurant
207 S Arnold Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32413
850-249-5500
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Located just blocks from the beach on Arnold Road, Bamboo’s 2 Jamaican Restaurant is a wonderful hole-in-the-wall Jamaican restaurant. This location features a bright and cheery interior and an outdoor dining area that is set up to look something like a tiki bar mixed with an old wooden dock vibe. Their menu is pretty diverse, including vegan-friendly entrees as well as more meat-oriented entrees that is more Jamaican-centric. Their Traditional Curry Chicken Bowl is a particularly exceptional choice!
4. Tally-Ho Drive In
1449 Harrison Ave, Panama City, FL 32401
850-769-2436
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Tally-Ho Drive-In is located at the very busy intersection of 15th and US 231, yet it is more often than not devoid of tourist diners. We suspect that’s because like Easy Way, Tally-Ho Drive-In has a very simple appearance without a lot of flash. In other words, it’s easy to miss it or think that its blah exterior equates to a blah dining experience. Au contraire our American grill-loving eaters! This is a very old-school drive-in that has some of the best cheeseburgers and french fries around. Once you’ve bitten into one of those burgers, you might just see why they’ve been in business and under the same owners since 1949.
5. Dee’s Hang-Out: Seafood & More
529 N Richard Jackson Blvd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407
850-249-4264
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Dee’s Hang-Out Seafood & More is often overlooked because it is in the center of a shopping mall near Front Street and not exactly on that bustling thruway. Don’t let that deter you from this underrated PCB eatery. This Panama City Beach Hangout specializes in Cajun and Creole dishes, with popular items like chicken gumbo and shrimp etouffee.
6. Sue’s Thai Cafe
2725 Joan Ave, Panama City Beach, FL 32408
850-238-9585
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Located just east of Signal Hill Golf Course on North Lagoon Drive, Sue’s Thai Cafe is a small Thai restaurant that just opened in early 2024. Now, when we say small, we really mean it as their dine-in seating includes only a few outdoor chairs and tables (which they surprisingly do accept reservations for). Sue’s Thai Cafe is new, but they are already amassing quite the local following thanks to their massive portions and outstanding food, so go soon as they may not be on this list of underrated eateries for long!
7. David’s New Orleans Style Cafe & Sno-Balls
13913 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama City Beach, FL 32407
850-236-1998
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Located on 30A, David’s New Orleans Style Cafe & Sno-Balls restaurant is a counter-serve restaurant that has a nice list of unique menu items to choose from. This is the kind of place to go when everyone in the family wants something different (or if you have picky children) as their menu includes the basic Grilled Cheese Sandwich as well as authentic po-boys and Stuffed-Sno-Balls as a cool dessert treat (which are flavored ice with soft-serve ice cream at the center).
Learn More About Panama City Beach’s Hidden Gems
We hope this quick list of the best underrated spots in Panama City Beach has inspired you to try some new things on your next visit. Make sure to check out our other pages to learn even more about what this area has to offer!
