Strangely, visitors to Panama City Beach and surrounding areas are more obsessed with dining than most vacation spots. It’s just part of it as much as the white sand beaches and emerald waters. 

But with soaring food costs, there can be a bit of sticker shock when it comes to going out to eat. It’s easy to spend as much on food as lodging if you’re not mindful. Here are my best BIG TIPS for cutting those costs (up to 50 percent) without compromising your dining experience at all.

Go Early for Early-Bird Specials

This is one of the big easy ones. Unfortunately, fewer restaurants offer early bird specials around Panama City than they once did. I remember being a kid and being drug out of the pool to get to Captain Anderson’s by 4:30. Their early bird deals are long gone.

But here are a gems that remain. 

• Runaway Island – From 3-5:30 pm, you can grab a fish taco, parmesan flounder, or fried shrimp meal for $12.95. Ocean view is free.
• Dat Cajun Place – So beer is not technically a food group, (surprise), but draft is only $1 each day during the 4-7 pm happy hour. They also have daily specials, such as Cajun Chicken Alfredo, starting at $7.99 til they run out. 
• Saltwater Grill – Not heavily promoted, but this Top 20, fine-dining establishment offers a choice of early bird specials each day from 4-5:30 pm as well as a happy hour.  No reservations.

Share an Entree

Okay, there’s just enough for one hungry beach man at many of PCB’s best eateries. And portions seem to be getting smaller and smaller. But here’s a few places where we know (from experience) that there’s plenty for two of us. 

• Bella Roma – Pasta is filling anyway. Indulge in the bread service (with olive oil), get two salads (make one of them Caesar) and go for one of their many authentic entrees. Trust me, you’ll still be full.
• Captain Anderson’s – Here we like to get a soup and then share some sort of large platter. You’re still getting the experience and will leave satisfied and with fewer regrets.
• C-Level – Nice, large portions of many of the main seafood entrees. We even share a salad here, but get some extra sides (grits please).
• Andy’s Flour Power – No way you’re going to be able to eat that mongo breakfast on your own. Instead of dealing with leftovers, just split a meal. Maybe reward yourself with a morning drink or a pistachio muffin to go.
• Back Beach BBQ – This one is hit and miss. Sometimes, there’s twice as much brisket on a sandwich as other times. Start small and go big on the sides (smoked mac & cheese OMG).

Choose a Place with Fab Appetizers and Ditch the Entree

Most of the time, once we’ve eaten a salad and an appetizer or two, there’s no room left for the entree. Yet we forge ahead, paying a gulf-sized check and trying to suck in that ever-blooming muffin top on the beach the next morning.

Here are a few ideas for appetizers around the area if you’d like to at least try sticking with just a salad and a starter or two. 

• Anywhere with good raw or baked oysters. So at Hunt’s or Sharkey’s for example, you’d just order a small side salad for each person along with 1/2 – 1 dozen oysters per person.
• The brisket nachos at Muy Wayne O’s are enough to feed three (along with the requisite margarita). 
• Uncle Ernie’s is all about the view and the salty night air. (And the precious feral cat colony that hangs around nearby). But that crab cake appetizer is significantly less expensive than the crab cake entree and mighty filling. 
• Fill up on Nam Sod and Tom Kha soup at Thai Basil. Skip the Pad Thai (or order a kid’s portion to-go for later).