Best Fried Chicken in Panama City or Panama City Beach -- truly! This is THE fried chicken: perfectly seasoned, thickly breaded, explosively crisp! Absolute YUM. But then... the sides... Who serves fried chicken and doesn't offer chicken gravy for the mashed potatoes? I asked, and the reply was: "We have brown and white." Brown and White??? That's a fried‑chicken sin. And the sin deepened when the "mashed potatoes" turned out to be so watery they could practically be served in a cup. I mentioned it to the waitress, who explained, "We use a mix of instant and real potatoes." OH‑kaaay. My response: "Way too much water." Meanwhile, I'm wondering where the butter and cream went. For reference: I took a skinny straw and actually sucked the potatoes through it. That's how thin they were. The vegetables, however, were genuinely delicious -- classic Southern style and well prepared. A surprise hit: the fried hoecakes. Imagine Jiffy sweet corn muffin mix dropped by the scoop full into the fryer. Oddly enough, they were even better dipped into the "brown" gravy (which tasted suspiciously like modified yeast extract). Look, I understand stretching product and using convenience items. But if you're going to cut corners, do it on pre‑slicing the desserts -- not on the core of a Southern plate. My suggestion to the owners: Lean into what you do exceptionally well -- that phenomenal fried chicken. Sell it by the bucket! I'll come buy it! Trim the sprawling buffet, reinvest in real mashed potatoes with butter and cream, make real gravies, and offer a rotating blue‑plate menu. Do fewer things excellently instead of trying to be an "everything" restaurant and missing the mark on the basics. The chicken is worth the trip. The sides could be, too, with a little love. read more

I think the food is good. Can get pricy I thought 8 dollars for 5 green tomatoes was a bit much. read more

Granny Cantrell's - Fried green tomatoes - Buffets Near Me - Panama City, Florida

Not the cleanest, old and worn looking, ok food, not not notable. Last food inspection score was not positive.

It has been a while, but went there Friday, had to wait for fish, that use to be my go to, the food was not good at all,way overpriced, wish I had went to Chow Time or Golden Coral read more

I was hankering for some good ol southern fried chicken and found this place. I'm not from the area so I'm easily impressed by southern cooking. The fact that this was a buffet allowed me to try several items. The cost of the buffet was probably what 8 pieces fried chicken at KFC costs and plus you get desert, sides, and more! I wished they had fried green tomatoes though! read more

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We went for veggies and ended up with beef tips and rice and fried chicken. The black peas and baby limas were so good and I had peach cobbler with vanilla frozen ice cream. I love the train going around on its track our server was very efficient and kept our glasses full and dirty dishes removed quickly. read more

Granny Cantrell's - Beef Tips and rice & brown gravy and side plate has black eye peas and baby limas. - Buffets Near Me - Panama City, Florida

A southern Buffett that is absolutely the best, they have so much to choose from! You are immediately greeted & drink order taken, then you make your way to Buffett! Hot & good. The desserts are the best . Plenty of seating with old time motif. Our go to place for meat & 3! read more

Really liked it. I very much enjoy southern cooking and the offerings at Granny Cantrell's was spot on. The roast turkey was excellent, the pulled pork and fried chicken were quite good. But the star of my visit was the cornbread stuffing and turkey gravy. Yep, plenty of vegetables (beans, greens, etc.) but that's traditional southern fare (I didn't find anything I thought was too salty as some reviews suggest). Rolls were very good and there were plenty of deserts offered as well. I had a large (maybe too large) slice of carrot cake and enjoyed it very much. Wife had bread pudding and she said it was outstanding. From 2pm to 5pm is senior discount and lots of regulars show up. Our unlimited buffet and two sweet teas were about $25. If we are in town again, we'll be back. read more

Ehhh it's ok ... lots of veggies ... the fried chicken was very good ! Give it a try ... pretty crowded at lunch

I'm tired of the big lies in the commercials. There is nothing fresh or homemade about anything in this crap hole . The food selection is limited. One whole side of the buffet is canned vegetables! Dried up hard fried steak. Funny how each piece is the same size and shape with mystery meat. You can't tell me they aren't processed and frozen. Lies!! Can I report their false advertising?? Pretty crappy service. I'll agree the baked mac Is homemade. That's it. I tried this place 4 times in 4 years. It's always horrible. The customers are regulars that probably never been outside of the city their whole 60-80 year lives. It's a fan food customer base, in this manner. I can't describe how angry this place makes me. I'd be so happy if one iota of their commercials were truthful. I'd go to the place they describe in their ads, but this is not it! Shame on these people. read more

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Delicious southern comfort buffet! The service was great super friendly! Cute ambience. It's like an old train station.

Love this place! Good price, lots of variety. Food id delicious! Desserts are a trip on their own. Service is always great.

Yesterday I took my grandson here for lunch. He was visiting from Italy and we always used to eat here when he would visit for summers. The food was always so good. When trying to choose a plate, every single plate we got, was filthy with food remnants on it. The silverware was also dirty. Once we found a clean plate we got the usual things, fried chicken, Mac and cheese, collards, a roll. The food was ok but not on the level that it used to be. The server brought him a refill to pour into his cup and of course that cup she brought was also filthy with lip prints and food on the cup. That was it for me. We got up- didn't finish our food, paid and left. This was so disappointing and I don't think I'll ever go back. I was really grossed out and so was my grandson. Yuck! read more

The food, limited selection as it is, was decent. The problem is there's not enough choices! Y'all need to add to your selection! I came here s year or so ago, and it was the same thing then! Unlike the saying, a this time won't be a charm for me! The waitress, Heather, was very nice. The limited food is, and will continue to be the problem! Hope y'all hear me! read more

Visited on Veteran's and wanted to experience the buffet that I've hear so many good things about. Biscuits were good, fruit was good, and that's about where it stopped. Sausage patties were way undercooked, potatoes tasted like they were fried in really old oil, and I too one bite of the French toast and it was all I could do to keep from spitting it out. Server kept plates off of table, but never asked if we wanted refills. When I checked out, I noticed they did their Veteran's Day even the day before Veteran's Day. All they offered was a discount on the veteran's meal. When I approached the checker, I handed her my ticket and my Veteran's ID Card. She took the ticket and said that's all she needed. After she rang it up, no Veteran's discount. When I asked her about it, she said you didn't tell me before and that's when I told her I handed her my ID card and she only took the ticket. Her response...."oh, well". Will not visit this establishment again and will tell everyone, especially Veterans how I was treated. DO NOT VISIT!!! I would have given zero stars if Yelp would allow. read more

We stopped in for breakfast. Love the signage that's dedicated to their core values. Also liked the decor as noted in the photos. Happy I ordered a half order of hash browns since the small platter was filled. The food was good and reasonably priced. Our server was very nice and took good care of us. read more

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The blue plate special was just the right amount for a lunchtime meal. The food was delicious. Service was great so was the price. read more

Granny Cantrell's - The food bar. - Buffets Near Me - Panama City, Florida

Breakfast with the family. California to PC Bacon and Sausage and eggs . Thanks Granny's read more

Granny Cantrell's - Pancakes - Buffets Near Me - Panama City, Florida

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I used to look forward to going to Granny's, but the last two times I've been there the food has been very disappointing. We always get there about 5pm so I would think they would be ready for the dinner crowd...... The fried chicken is excellent always and normally the cakes are moist and fresh, but that's it! This visit was the worse; most of the pans were empty and stayed that way. The country fried steak was like hockey pucks and the hoecakes which I have come to love were leftovers which had been fried and refried in old grease! definitely way to much water in the veggie pans! Pulled pork had probably been pulled for awhile! Zero chicken and dumplings and pan stated empty! What happened to my favorite dessert? Banana pudding with no bananas and very few vanilla wafers? This dessert doesn't cost that much to make and it used to always make my trip there sooo worth it! The service is always excellent, but until the food improves I'll pass for awhile... read more

The food is home cooked southern style. If you don't want a feeding frenzy go somewhere else. The food is all about southern like your grandma made, okra/ tomatoes, black eyed peas, fried chicken, meatloaf, rice n gravy, peach cobbler, There is a salad bar which is also pretty nice Service is great depending on on the crowd but usually gets drinks refilled quickly and waitresses are all willing to help read more

Very good food. I was tired of overpriced crappy beach food. Good to find some good solid food at a decent price!

Fried chicken is TOP tier. All gen veggies are great and rolls are soft and fresh. Cakes are amazing too! Can't go wrong.

Great place for breakfast and they're getting the buffet setup for lunch and it smelled delicious. Great staff, very friendly.

This is my husbands favorite place to go. He loves home cooking and this place is like home for him. The Chicken is excellent even the livers and gizzards, the beef tips are tender and the sides are all like he just slid up to the table at his momma's house. I enjoy the livers and the gizzards myself since most people overcook them. The cornbread is king - delicious. Best place in town for a home cook meal. Service is very prompt and friendly. read more

If you're craving a taste of Southern comfort food and want to fill your belly, Granny Cantrell's is the place for you. The place is clean and simply decorated. I went for the lunch buffet, and let me tell you, it's a spread that doesn't mess around. There is plenty of childhood favorites to choose from with the fried chicken being the focal point with plenty of other main choices to choose from, that change on a daily basis. There are plenty of side dishes to choose from as well like Mac n cheese, a couple kinds of beans, greens and mashed potatoes. A adequate salad bar and some delicious desserts, with the banana pudding being my favorite. Service was friendly and accommodating. I did find many on the side dished to be under seasoned for my personal taste and most tasted like they came right out of a can, but easily remedied with hot sauce and salt and pepper on the table. Better to under seasoned than to over seasoned for everyone's personal preference. I also found the sweet potato's to be way overly sweet from the additional added brown sugar and a marshmallow topping. What I did truly enjoy on this particular day, was the fried chicken gizzards (very tender) and livers. Something I would definitely come back for. All in all a decent, home cooked, filling meal at a reasonable price. read more

This place was supposedly the place to eat but it was a waste of money. I was looking forward to the advertised menu but only two of those things were on the buffet. The food that was there tasted canned. The collards were not cooked done. Bread was not even good. I did not finish any of the foods on my plate because they were just not good. Paid almost $20 for a lesson learned. Obviously I won't eat there again or recommend it. One highlight was the waitress; she was wonderful. read more

Ordered with Door Dash for the second time and again there's a lot of food on my plate, my only complaint is they need a larger tea cup!! read more

Granny Cantrell's - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, butter beans and roll - Buffets Near Me - Panama City, Florida

I stopped in for breakfast this morning with a colleague. He turned me on to this place and I was not at all disappointed. The decor was great with lots to look at . The servers were really friendly and the service was excellent. The food selection was good and the quality was great !!!! Overall a great experience. On a side note if you love trains or know a train lover bring them here they'll really enjoy the decor. read more

Food awfully, too salty, never had cornbread dressing that I did not recognize or eat. Prices way too high! No ambiance ha! Turkey inedible, dry and stringy. Do not waste your time or money. read more

They serve many foods, fried chicken is great, I love their carrot cake,pecan pie, and how about the sweet potato pie. I must admit it's all made from scratch, true southern favorites. If you eat there often enough you quickly realize the regulars consider you family. read more

First off, we almost went somewhere else because the GPS was leading us astray. Thank goodness we finally found this place nestled in a small strip mall. Some of the best southern cooking I've ever had. I had rutabagas, turnip greens, Mac n cheese, dressing, and succulent fried chicken. For dessert I created a plate with tasting portions of pecan pie, cheesecake, banana pudding, bread pudding and I topped it off with another piece of chicken.. I couldn't let that chicken go! We hear Friday is seafood night and Saturday has a breakfast buffet from 7:30-10 am.. we were told to get there early on Saturday to beat the crowd! Looking forward to it! read more

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My daughter, husband& I were there today (Tuesday). Great prices, great home style food & the service is super warm and polite. You don't see that anymore, it seems. HERE YOU WILL. I definitely recommend this honey, clean & fresh buffet! read more

Granny Cantrell's - My daughter running to this great buffet :) - Buffets Near Me - Panama City, Florida

The breakfast buffet was absolutely delicious. If you like biscuits and gravy, this is a must visit place. The food was also freshly made. The lady working the buffet was so accommodating and friendly. She is truly a gem. Our waitress was friendly and kept our coffee cups filled. I wood definitely go back read more

What happened to this place? This use to be my favorite place to eat. My husband and I ate at the Saturday breakfast buffet which, is normally the best there is. The sausage patties were so burnt that you could smell the burnt taste. They had small sausage links that were spicy but, good. What is normally the best biscuits in town were cold and hard. What a disappointment! We waited for more biscuits to come out, but, that didn't happen until we were getting up to leave. The service and food was just not what we are use to at Granny Cantrell's. We will go one more time and hope that it was just an off day. read more

A big hell yes to granny Cantrell's!!! I was wanting plain home-cooked food, and that is exactly what I got at Miss Cantrell's.

The food might be the worst that I have ever experienced in a restaurant. This place at one time has some of the premier food and service. It has been years since I last visited, but today was my last visit ever. The food was over cooked and greasy, some was even cold. It appears to draw a heavy senior crowd, that sits and yells across the restaurant and just wanders all around the buffet. Speaking of, this is all that they offer now, this is a buffet only restaurant. The style of menu is definitely for locals, as it is completely confusing trying to decide whether you want a blue, red or white plate. Honestly I will not return for any plate. read more

Overrated. We went Sunday night it it wasn't that good . But may be just cause it late before closing. So I decided to give another try for lunch. It was terrible. Something was wrong with mashed potatoes they tasted moldy and texture like powder potatoes. Not that big choice of food. Pot roast was looking so bad I was scared to try it. Like a meat soup . And pretty overpriced for quality of food. read more

Got it to go. It was so delicious and they were so nice in there! I would dine in. The chicken is the best chicken I've had since I've moved down here. I will be back ..a lot read more

Granny Cantrell's - Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese Mashed Potatoes - Buffets Near Me - Panama City, Florida

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The reviews here are mind blowing. I came here based on reviews and left thinking that I should open a buffet here if yelpers that frequent Granny Cantrell's are that easy to please. The food was basically slop. It was overpriced slop. Dried up buffet food with no flavor. Literally, the worst food I've ever put in my mouth. The server was nice. I have no more words. read more

Thank you for all the delicious meals I eat there Thank you To all the great waitresses. Thank you Greg and all the others that put all this together for delicious meals. Thank you Doug for all you go thru in making sure the operation goes smoothly. Thank you read more