Hunt’s Oyster Bar: Blast of the Past
Get there early or late, and prepare to wait. Hunt’s Oyster Bar in Old St. Andrews (Panama City) is insanely popular among both tourists and locals. Go for the oysters, stay for the fun.
Song That Pops In My Head When I Enter: Sweet Home Alabama
The Vibe.
Time travel right back to Old Florida circa 1966. Lots of beer, laid-back banter, and Roll Tide. Feels a little bit like a Tuscaloosa tailgate but with no pretentiousness.
What a Woman Should Wear: Beach version of Waffle House attire.
At The Table Next to Us: Rowdy, drinky family of eight squeezed in a booth for six. Two of them were under two years old.
Looks Like an Occasion for: Any real or imagined rite of passage or pawpaw’s birthday.
The Food.
It’s the oysters that have made Hunt’s famous for going on 60 years. What many people don’t know is that they are not harvested in the wild but are Fiddler’s Point Oyster Co. Panacea farm-raised oysters. Believe it or not, this is a good thing.
Raw or baked, they are slurped up quickly and with delight. There won’t be any left at your table. The fish tacos and buffalo shrimp are fantastic alternatives, but a better fried platter can be found elsewhere.
Don’t Miss: Parmesan Baked Oysters, Buffalo Shrimp
The Service.
Wait and serving staff are moving like white lightning and ready for volume and turnover. Drinks and food usually come out quickly. But the stars of the show are the bartenders and oyster shuckers who dance and sing along with the all-American hits.
Outside the wait can easily be one or two hours. Even with a cute outdoor bar made out of boat parts and live entertainment, people can get hangry. The hostesses guarding the door seem exhausted and a bit fed up from constant questions and complaints.
Level of Happiness
To the moon. So many meow-ments to remember.
We did our usual walk-around through St. Andrews for the first hour of our wait, stopping in a guitar store, checking out the boats in the marina, and counting feral cats along the alleyways. But it’s the atmosphere inside that people love most. Eating oysters, drinking beer and having a giant sing-along on the panhandle is as good as it gets.
Number of Cats Spotted: None on site, but plenty down the alley.
Suggestion Box: Up the seasoning ante on the fried platters
Location: 1150 Beck Ave., Historic St. Andrews
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Mon-Thurs; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri-Sat
Contact: 850.763.9645 and Facebook: Hunt’s Oyster Bar and Seafood RestaurantT
