Firefly is casual fine dining at its best wrapped in a package of cozy elegance.  A one-word-description would be "Enchanting!"  The bar and library lounge are warm and inviting.  The dining room, with its grand old oak tree in the center, sets the stage for a unique dining experience.  The atmosphere is perfect for a special occasion. However, you will not wait for a special occasion to return once you've tasted their award winning fare.

In 2010, Firefly received the prestigious Golden Spoon Award. Among other awards, Firefly has been named "Most Romantic Restaurant," "Best Fine Dining," "Best Chef" and "Best Service."  And President Obama, along with his family and staff, dined at Firefly in August of 2010 during their official Panama City Beach visit.  A restaurant selected by a President is recognized by most as special.

Gracie Rae is a fun, casual place with good food. It is connected with The Shrimp Boat.

We wound up at Gracie Rae on the last evening of a recent week long stay in PCB. Two nights in a row we had driven to Panama City intending to eat at a small, crowded seafood restaurant across the street from The Shrimp Boat (Hunt's). It's a very tiny place with tables tightly packed for maximum seating capacity. No atmosphere to speak of. And yet there are always people waiting for a table. So we really wanted to try their seafood. But we never felt like waiting. On our third try, we arrived at 4:30 thinking there surely would not be a wait that early. And there was still a 30 minute wait. So we opted for Gracie Rae and a view of the bay.

No regrets. We had a pleasant and enjoyable experience.

Fresh imported beer from Munich. 
Authentic food.  Bavarian specialties. 
Authentic tables and benches.  

Enjoy good times, a hearty meal and great beer.  

"A true Hofbrau experience is meeting as strangers and leaving as friends."

The food at Margaritaville is good.  But that's not really why you want to go there. 
After visiting both the Panama City Beach Margaritaville and the Nashville Margaritaville, let me tell you the simple truth ... you want to go there because MARGARITAVILLE IS FUN!  Beginning with the moment you walk through the door, you enter the Jimmy Buffet "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" time zone.  Although one would not normally use the words "laid back" and "electric" in the same sentence, they are appropriate together when describing the atmosphere at Margaritaville.  The music is great ... and loud. 

The servers are friendly and attentive.  The ambiance is: "Let's party."  While waiting in the bar for our table, I couldn't decide which entertainment I was enjoying the most; the performer on stage or the customers in the bar!  Everyone was having a wonderful time.

I went out of my way to try this Mexican restaurant after a native Californian gave it a rave review and told me she eats there at least twice every time she's in Panama City Beach. 

As we pulled up to this restaurant, I felt a bit apprehensive.  But it had been described to me as a hole in the wall place with great food and there were plenty of cars in the parking lot.  So we went in and sat down.  The interior was nicer than the exterior ... a casual and welcoming atmosphere with a friendly staff.

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.