Shore Dogs Grill is a standout spot to grab some hot American food, a cold beer, and rub elbows with the locals. It’s located in the heart of Panama City and, despite this, remains one of the few places on the beach strip where you can get a big meal for a great price.
You will find Shore Dogs Grill just a short walk from Rick Seltzer Park (an excellent beach spot) and with an unmistakable exterior. Their building looks something like a converted barn with bright turquoise trimming and their branded sign done in graffiti style. The front porch area features several umbrella-ed picnic tables and a small roofed patio. On some evenings, part of the parking lot to the building’s left is roped off and repurposed for games like cornhole accompanied by a DJ set up. At just about any type in the afternoon and evening you’ll see people outside enjoying the salty air and the grill’s friendly atmosphere and good eats.
Inside, Shore Dogs Grill feels like an upscale tavern. The place has tiled flooring with bright blue walls boasting mostly sports memorabilia (the owners love the Georgia Bulldogs) but with one wall dedicated to photographs of and from patrons of the place. Again, this looks, feels, and very much is a locals type of place. But it’s also more than that as no matter where you’re coming from, you’re sure to feel welcomed by the friendly service staff.
Shore Dogs Grill earned its reputation for selling an impressive array of creative and flavorful hot dog creations alongside cold beers at Happy Hour prices. Some fantastic examples of this include their German Shepherd which features a thick beer brat smothered with cheese, seasoned grilled onions, and mustard, and their Junk Yard Dog featuring a jumbo all beef dog smothered in coney sauce, cheese, mustard, ketchup, mayo relish, onions, kraut, lettuce, tomato, and jalapenos. In other words, just about everything in the yard!
Yet, while hot dogs do reign supreme at Shore Dogs Grill, there are some other tasty menu items you might consider. Such as:
Philly Cheese Steaks
Even those visiting from Philadelphia itself will find this to be one tasty northern-come-southern sandwich. Sink your teeth into seasoned steak sauteed with onions and peppers and topped with queso cheese, all served on a toasted hoagie roll.
Loaded Nachos
This is a big helping and one you’ll probably want to share. The Shore Dogs Grill’s Loaded Nachos come with chips piled well over the basket and covered with seasoned Angus beef, lettuce, tomato, onions, jalapenos, sour cream, and even hot sauce. Over all of this, they drizzle two types of cheese. The order comes standard with seasoned Angus beef but you can substitute that for Fajita chicken and a side of salsa for a small upcharge.
Note that this is part bar and people do readily come here just to enjoy cool brews with friends in a fun atmosphere. That said, this is a very friendly place and they have a sizeable kids’ menu that even includes their own signature drinks. There are also often games outside for all ages to enjoy as well as live music on weekends in the summer.
Insider Tips:
-Let’s take a moment to go back and talk about that Rick Seltzer Park. This is a fantastic park to access the beach with plenty of parking, large and clean restrooms, rinse stations, and a beautiful shaded pavilion overlooking the ocean. From car to sand is less than a two-minute walk, and while the restaurant is not on the beach, it’s just a seven-minute walk or one-minute drive to get to Shore Dogs Grill from here.
-If you are really looking for local flavor and community, aim to go to Shore Dogs Grill on a Sunday in the spring if you can. This is when they’ll host their massive shrimp boils that bring everyone over.