Schooners has a fun, beachy bar atmosphere with a beautiful view--you're paying for the beachfront setting as well as the food. The seating is outdoors, so dress for the weather! The air-conditioned bathrooms were a major bonus in my opinion. We ordered breaded grouper, fries, coleslaw, and salad. The coleslaw was okay, but everything else was great! Our server was awesome! After we ordered our drinks and food, we ran down to the beach for evening family pictures. Our food arrived while we were down there, and he covered it to help keep it hot until we returned. We really appreciated that thoughtful gesture! A great spot for a relaxed meal right on the beach. read more

Schooners traces back to the late 1960s as "The Beach Party." In 1985, Jim Cannon bought it from Kinney Strickland and renamed it Schooners -- the story goes he was in Australia sipping a "schooner" of beer when he heard his favorite bar back home was for sale. It's billed as the "Last Local Beach Club," a nod to being the last of the old-school open-air beach hangouts left on the Gulf Coast. It's picked up a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2016 and a Travelers' Choice award in 2025, and Men's Journal called it out in 2017 as the classic, much-imitated-but-never-duplicated beach town hangout. Had the fish, fresh and well prepared, and the mixed drinks were strong -- no watered-down beach bar pours here. The real draw, though, is sitting right on the sand with a good sunset in front of you -- few spots on the beach pair the setting with the food and drinks this well. A genuine local institution, and the sunset alone makes it worth a visit. read more

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Beautiful beach open air restaurant with sugar white sand views. Came for the views and virgin mangoritas. Service was great at the bar inside and although no ac they had clean bathrooms with AC. Will definitely come back for seafood which smelled really good and their sunset views. read more

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Schooners was pretty good! We started with the smoked tuna dip, which was my first time ever trying anything like it. Little did we know, smoked tuna dip is basically an official Panama City Beach staple because almost every restaurant we visited had it on the menu! And honestly, it was amazing--especially with the added jalapeños. For our meal, I definitely recommend the blackened redfish tacos. They were really good, and of course, you can't go wrong with a side of French fries! The drinks were also worth trying. I ordered the Blue Lagoon Margarita, and I would definitely recommend it. The service was pretty good overall. My only complaint was the wait time. There were several tables available, but we still had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. The ambiance was definitely giving beachfront vibes, with the actual shoreline just steps away. All in all, it was a good visit, and I'd definitely go back! read more

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Solid place located right on the beach. We arrived around 5pm on a Thursday, and was roughly a 25 minute wait for a party of ten- not bad. Sat in the middle of the main dining room- it was loud in there, but nothing unexpected for what the place is. Our server was prompt and on it throughout the night. I had a beach bum drink- it was strong, but had a nice balance of taste for the price. Appreciate the cup you get to take home. I'm not a seafood guy but people in my party are- if you are a seafood person, this place is great for you. If not, you might be limited in some of the things you can get. I had a full order of loco wings and a side of fries. The wings had a nice crunch, and the sauce was a nice balance between hot and sweet. Would recommend to anyone. The fries are beer battered fries, which I personally enjoy, so would recommend to anyone. Nothing on my plate or my drink was spectacular, leading to the 4/5. Would be a place I'd return, but nothing I would drive out of the way specifically for. read more

Schooners - 16oz beach bum - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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We love this place. As you can see right on the beach and today we had premium table. Let me start by saying the pina colada is the gold standard. Go to the outside bar and ask them to put some ice cream mix in it, NEXT LEVEL. For our early dinner I had the red fish basket and my wife the bacon blue salad and we had an appetizer of the cowboy bites. I recommend those bites. Krystal was a great server as she was super attentive. Of course we will be back this week. read more

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WOW! They exceeded expectations in every aspect! We were seated right beside the beach (beautiful view). Our server was so sweet, friendly and on top of it! Our food....oh my goodness....it was OUTSTANDING! Our favorite was the tuna BLT (if I could rate it a 10 out of 5, I would LOL). We had a sudden windstorm come through and blew sand into our plates. Without hesitation, they re-made our food AND drinks!! Then we find out they took it off our of bills which we did not request or expect! Excellent customer service!!! The manager was as wonderful as our server! We will absolutely return and recommend!!!! read more

Schooners - View - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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Just went September 2026. The food was good. And the service was good. You pay for the view and it is worth the money. We come here every time we come to town. I recommend a fish sandwich and try to sit as close to the beach as possible. read more

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The food has dropped in quality. My favorite burger cooked medium DRY AS A BONE. The other items, Shrimp and Grits and the Lobster flatbread were not eye appealing, did not want to look at as I could have thrown up. We were informed by the waitress the flatbread was premade, frozen then cooked. Expected a nice flatbread with smoked gouda and lobster(informed 9 pieces of lobster on flatbread). Don't ruin Shrimp and grits, mushroom and crawfish sauce is not necessary. As a local for many years, dropping Schooners. Will Try Pineapple Willies next time for the open air dining. The waitress was very kind, not her fault. read more

This is where the locals hang out, I come for the view. The food isn't my all time favorite but it's a quick pop in place to get some food with an incredible view, if you don't do spice well then I don't recommend anything blackened from here because it brings the heat. However if you love spice the blackened tacos were made for you, I enjoy their tacos & wings here. The view of course is a lovely bonus to dining here. read more

Schooners - The View - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

We come to Panama/ Destin area every summer. We have never been to schoolers before and we stayed walking distance from it and decided to try it. OMG it was soo good! Yes they have long waits but it is so worth it. The service was great the atmosphere was beautiful , we ate watching the beautiful sunset. The food topped it all off! It was soo delicous and so much flavor we all three got the blackened grouper sandwhich and the grouper was perfectly cooked and had so much flavor no fishy flavor at all. We also got hushpuppies and the sautéed crab claws and those were phenomenal. Some of the best food I have eatin! Definitely reccomend this place and yes it is worth the wait! read more

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There are a lot of advertisements for Schooners which can sometimes be a bad sign however this spot was one of our favorites from our trip to PCB. Tons of parking (large lot across the street, smaller lot right in front and another just around the corner) local vibe, friendly staff, great food and even better views. If the views are super important to you, ask for a high top table. Our low top was near the back door so we could easily see out but I could see where your view could be obstructed from other spots. Happy to continue to support this local business! read more

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This one needs to be on your list if you've never been here. There has an amazing beach vibe. The food is phenomenal and the staff has always been on point. Five stars all the way! read more

It was Wednesday on the month of October, place was busy for dinner. Wait time was about 45 mins. Once we got seated, order for drinks were taken. Took about 15-20 mins before our main order was taken and another at least 25-30mins before it was served. After it was served, no follow up was done and needed to call the attention of the server to request our needs. Ambience was good because of the beach view but the music was so loud and it is very hard to have a conversation. Food is okay and price is about fair for the kind of place and location. Probably visit the place for a lunch, it maybe not as crazy busy. read more

Yes yes yes! We have already decided that when we return to PCB this will be a must for dinner or lunch every single time. There was about a 45 minute wait for dinner but it was well worth it and there was a bar where you can order drinks while you wait. The grouper sandwich was phenomenal and my husband loved his jerked chicken sandwich. The views are absolutely amazing whether you sit inside or outside because it's super open. Go here! You won't regret it! read more

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I was visiting PCB this weekend, and a friend recommended this beachfront spot. I'm so glad we stopped by! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the oceanfront views made the experience even better. A special thank you to Valerie for the outstanding service. She was friendly, attentive, and made us feel so welcome. If you're looking for a great place to enjoy good food with a beautiful view, I highly recommend it. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in PCB! read more

We wanted a restaurant that has crab claws and was on the water. We are staying in Mexico beach and decided to take a drive to Panama City for lunch. Definitely worth the drive. We actually were seated immediately with a perfect view of the beach. Our server Wes was very pleasant , attentive and answered all our questions. This restaurant is lucky to have him as a server. Hubby and I ordered Bushwackers. Also Ordered smoked tuna for appetizer. Hubby had the sautéed crab claws and hush puppies. He loved the crab claws and hush puppies. I had a small Caesar salad with blackened chicken. Salad was really small and the chicken overpowered the dish. I didn't really have much of the salad. Chicken was nicely seasoned. We recommend and will definitely return. read more

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Always the best atmosphere and ambience!!! The beach vibes are always beautiful! Unless you go when they open and lunch you will wait but it is worth it! The service is always friendly and fast! They work hard! The food is always on point. The grits are fantastic! The kids meals are great too! Kid friendly! Adult friendly. The bar can be super loud s and tight in some seats so be aware of that but seriously the best food and beach view on the island!! read more

Returned for another round before heading west. Landed at 2:30P for the 3P discount. Seated at about 3:15P. Morgan was our server, friendly and efficient. Split the Crab Cakes appetizer. Really good deal at 1/2 off. Two nicely browned cakes loaded with chunks of crab. Perched on iceberg lettuce and touch of diced fruit along with a small portion of spicy sauce. Wifey went with the flounder basket and a side salad. Two medium sized filets, blackened and grilled perfectly. Came with a couple of hush puppies. I went with the chicken tender basket. Nothing special to report. Had a side salad with blue cheese dressing. Salads were fresh and hearty. We wrapped up with chocolate lava cake. Decadent cake with warm chocolate filling. Just enough for two to share.. Good place. Big turnout as you can see. Highly recommend with any reservations. Can't beat the price of the early bird special from 3-5 weekdays. read more

Schooners - Packed house for early bird special. - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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Lucky to arrive when they're having their half off special. We heard about the half off special take your bill and divide by two. So we thought we would head to schooners and give it a try. We had popcorn, shrimp, dinner, grouper dinner, and crab dinner. The food was above expectations, it was a large piece of grouper. Perfectly cooked. Even though shrimp was not overcooked. The best part to compliment the dinner, was the sunset.. one of those perfect multicolored sunsets When the bill came with multiple drinks and dinner, it was just over $50 for three ....what a wonderful treat and at a great value. Even if they didn't have the half off special , the food as well worth going there. Make sure you go to watch the sunset as the atmosphere is great, the wait staff is responsive, and the food is delicious. We will definitely be going back there again. read more

Schooners - What else can you say.... relax ...enjoy the view ...and take a sip of your mai tai. - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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Went at lunchtime and sat at the bar. LJ was an awesome bartender. Food and drinks were great: view is amazing. Great beach bar atmosphere! Place gets super crowded at dinner time...with good reason. read more

Schooners - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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Wow what a cool place. An all wood structure adjacent to the beach. Several bar and dining areas. Perfect place to watch the sunset. They shoot off a canon at sunset. Arrived around 6:00 not that long of a wait to be seated. Friendly staff!!! I ordered the painkiller and my husband ordered a house margarita. For an appetizer, we ordered the Loco shrimp served with a sweet chili sauce. They were fried in a very light batter and were delicious. $13.00 Could have been stronger. For my main meal I ordered the Mai Mai basket with fries. $17.00. Fish was very tasty and the fries cooked to perfection. Crunchy, soft in the inside and well seasoned. My husband ordered the gulf grouper basket with mashed potatoes. $24.00. Both very flavorful and fresh. The place was packed when we left. read more

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Great beach views, a little noisy. Busy, half restaurant open at lunch, 10 min wait to get a table with a view. Sweet! Fried flounder bites were tender. Blackened Grouper sandwich was large, fresh and cook perfectly. Service was pedestrian (no real conversation) yet attentive (drink refills). I recommend. read more

Respectfully I am not sure what all the fuss is about for this particular restaurant. As soon as we informed our server Wesley we wanted just water with lemons, he pretty much ignored us the entire time. Also we did not get lemons, and I did not complain. We like to hydrate, especially in this humid heat. The ocean view was nice. My crab cakes were not terrible. The other items we ordered were not terrible, but not amazing either. We did tip 20% even though we felt ignored. I'm all about giving grace. I waited tables for a long time so I get it. One star gone from the 5 was the ok service, and the other star gone from the 5 was from the ok food. We have only ever been here this one time. Maybe it was a fluke? It's hard to tell. read more

Schooners - This was the view. It was nice. - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

I am only reviewing the lobster fest menu. Hell no to the lobster ceviche and the lobster flat bread. Lobster bisque was ok. Lobster tails was ok. Lobster Mac was barely ok. The marketing campaign is stellar but the food is not equal. Stick to their regular menu and you will be much happier. read more

We waited for an ocean front table. It was only about 20 minutes. Our server was Brittney and she was on the ball. We were looking for something a little different and she suggested the whipped feta with sun dried tomatoes, olives and cucumber. Wow talk about a taste sensation. It was awesome. She also suggested the shrimp and grits. It was another home run. The large shrimp had excellent flavor as did the grits. We had the mushroom and crawfish roux served on the side which I had as a dipping sauce. We had the hooter brown ale with our dinner which is a smooth non bitter ale . We watched the sunset from our table. You would be hard pressed to find a better place to eat in Panama City Beach read more

Schooners - Mushroom and crawfish roux - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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Long wait is to be expected for beachside- ours was about 70 minutes on a Monday night. Didn't get seated with a view, but it was dark by the time we got seated. Ordered redfish basket, chicken tender baskets, and red fish sandwiches. Hush puppies were delicious- best part of the meal. Red fish was overcooked and needed a sauce to make it something to come back for. Baskets come with lots of fries- frozen, nothing special. Chicken was a frozen strip, as well. Overall, just okay for the price, service, and wait. Probably better if you get the view. read more

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Matt our server was super amazing!! He came within 2 mins of sitting. He gave amazing recommendations and our table was right on the water. The blackened grouper was juicy and flavorful 10/10 fried grouper 7.5/10 was just a little over fried and needed a little seasoning the shrimp and wings app 10/10 for both. The hush puppies 10/10. We had a salad but didn't take pic of it. I would rate it 5/10. The lettuce tasted like it was sitting in water. It wasn't crunchy and I didn't care for the authentic croutons. read more

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We visited an early February. We had no wait for a table. The service was quick and friendly. I ordered a white peach sangria, which was delicious. Our entrées included Sunset Shrimp. It was half a pound of shrimp and he subbed out the cocktail sauce for the tartar sauce. The shrimp were fresh and fried beautifully. The french fries were crispy and tasty. I ordered the East End Fish Tacos with the blackened grouper. Tacos were delicious with a slaw and pico de gallo. We were seated at a high top at the back of the restaurant, with windows facing the beach. An incredible view! It was February and a bit chilly, and the staff was very accommodating with cranking closed the windows for us. read more

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Wisconsin cheese curds are the real deal, just buy them! We split the chicken breast dinner, very good flavor. Great service everytime. The views can't be beat so just go! read more

The food was very tasty and so good. The air was a bit long though and the waiter was nice. The one bad thing was they had Pepsi and not coke read more

I should have left a review for schooners a long time ago. I've been coming here on family beach trips to PCB for 4 years and it never disappoints. I probably used to get chicken tenders or something but I got the shrimp and grits this time with a sweet tea to drink and hush puppies on the side. The food was so delicious and fresh. This place was TOTALLY packed as usual but I still found my way to the bathroom. 5 stars bro read more

Schooners - Shrimp and Grits - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

Ambiance Food Great place to get lunch and enjoy the beach. Food was amazing and a great price for drinks! The crab claws are a must when they have them. read more

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Schooners is a huge establishment, right on the beach. If you're looking for good food or drinks, or even just good people watching, you can find it all here! Large menu with lots of great options; our group loved that we could get a good salad, but also some traditional southern fried foods. Fun beach vibes, and great service. read more

The food and atmosphere is awesome! It's right on the beach , and the sunsets are beautiful. Try the awesome grouper sandwich! We have lots of friends we meet there a lot. read more

Amazing Food, view, service & ambiance. We ate here twice while visiting PCB. We noticed the place was packed and we grew curious. We waited about 45 minutes & so glad we did. We ended up returning the following day. We had the seared crab cakes, the fried mahi basket, the beach party basket ,popcorn shrimp basket and schooners burger. All the seafood items were delicious and fresh. Now, let me tell you about that burger...it was delicious; perhaps the best burger I've had in years. It was bigger than expected, the patty was mega juicy and flavorful. We will definitely be eating here again & highly recommended. Also priced very reasonably. read more

Schooners - Fried Mahi basket - Seafood Near Me - Panama City Beach, Florida

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I had a great experience overall! The restaurant is right by the ocean, and there were lots of people out on the jet skis, making for a fun atmosphere. It was pretty packed during lunch, which shows it's a popular spot. The only issue was that I received the wrong side and the wrong drink. I had ordered beans and rice instead of grits, and a Dr Pepper but got a Pepsi. Even so, the employee was very kind and friendly, so I didn't make a big deal about it. Overall, the food was good, the location is beautiful, and the staff was welcoming. I'd definitely come back. Taste great! read more

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Good vibes we went there for lunch and wanted to try some food out. We just order a few platters and share and it was pretty good. read more

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Gumbo was great! Also loved the fried redfish and tuna dip. Wasn't very impressed with the crab cakes and the chicken was awful truly awful. Very pleasant staff though and accommodating. read more

Always a great place to go. Staff is amazing, so is the food. Get the crab claws. They are tops, the view is amazing.