Explore Pensacola Beach Best Restaurants
Pensacola Beach, a slice of paradise nestled in the Florida Panhandle, is not just known for its pristine white beaches and crystal-clear waters, but also for its vibrant culinary scene. This beach town is a gastronomic haven, offering a diverse array of dining options that cater to all palates. From fresh seafood caught daily from the Gulf of Mexico to traditional Southern comfort food, Pensacola Beach's best restaurants serve up a delightful mix of flavors and cuisines. Whether you're a food connoisseur or a casual diner seeking a memorable meal, this guide will take you on a culinary journey through the top-rated restaurants in Pensacola Beach.
Sidelines sports bar and restaurant
4.4
(1594)
Local tavern pairing TV sports with booze, pub grub & video games in lively, booth-equipped digs.
Reviews:
We stopped in before bands on the beach, and it was quite busy. Plus, it's tourist season. We were prepared for this. Once we were seated, I ordered my usual GO TO: Sidelines Supreme, (without the bun) and my date ordered the Caribbean Chicken sandwich. You cannot go wrong with either one. We have always had exceptional food here. Margeaux our server, was on que. Our drinks were never empty and Kevin the Manager stopped by to say Hello, make sure everything was just right. A great Pensacola Beach Gem
Erin B
Sidelines is a surprisingly decent sports bar and grill with a pretty good menu and variety. I had the mushroom burger. My wife had the Reuben. Both were great. We also had chips and salsa - not so great, but fine for beach fare. Weekend and evening parking will be challenging.
Rebel Intel
I'm a local and I could kick myself for not eating here sooner. Came in with a group of five. We were all pleased with our meal. I got the Sideline Supreme (fish sandwich) The grouper was delicious. The others got Florida fish sandwich, mushroom Swiss, French dip and wings. No one left hungry or disappointed. Our server Robin was the best. Should have got her schedule so we can had her again. She needs a raise 😆. Definitely will be back and I will recommend Sidelines.
Queen Maxie
A nice little sports bar to get away from the crowds at crabs. Food is reasonably priced all things considered as it is a restaurant that is next to the beach. However, I was thoroughly surprised at how delicious and perfectly cooked the steaks were. I had a side of butter with my steak and it transcended the dish and then some. Had the spinach dip and my God was it good. Me and my party ended up finishing everything. Definitely a place to come back to
Pat Eats
Great food. Love the burgers and wings!! Everything is great there but those are my favs 😍
Al Davis
2 Via De Luna Dr, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, USA
Felix's restaurant & oyster bar
4.1
(864)
Reviews:
One the top dinner experiences ever! One of the best views/decks anywhere. The building alone is huge and beautiful! All of the staff were extra friendly and engaged with the customers. JD was more than hospitable! Great attitude and service!! Food was outstanding and presented well. The patio/deck/ and building presentation is great for fine dining and beach goers! The bathrooms were fancy and clean also.
Jacki Z
Food was spectacular! Highly recommend the add-on of the soft shell crab to your entree. Chilean sea bass was very delicate and seasoned perfectly. As good as the food was, the service was next level! Our server Jade was so nice and really went out of her way to make our meal special. Knowledgeable about the menu, sweet as you can be, and attentive.
Benjamin Law
This was the sexiest, most relaxing restaurant I have ever been too. The service and food were EVERYTHING!! Our waitress, Ms. Tammy was the BEST. The bartender was super awesome, and the manager was very professional and customer satisfaction focused!! I wish we would have visited more than once, preferably at the beginning of our trip and not on the last day. I will keep Felix's on my list of favorite restaurants and go back EVERYTIME i'm in Florida!
Paulette Jones
Amazing staff!! Wonderful atmosphere, friendly, and prompt service from Missy and Briana are attentive and personable.. the Avocado shrimp salad is to die for!! Freshly made and crisp. Not too light but not too heavy! The patio seating is where it’s at!! Manager Jack even personally came by to say hello!! Absolutely top notch.. not everywhere a manager will just come by to say hello!!
Shari Nitz
We decided to dine here on a Saturday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious and perfectly cooked. Definitely a must try when you visit. On top of the amazing food, our server, Jade, was amazing. She was attentive and provided the best service. Overall, a great restaurant! 👍🏻
Susanna Lee
400 Quietwater Beach Rd, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, USA
The reef
4.8
(354)
Reviews:
This is a little restaurant bar combination. They have specials every day. We had wings and a salmon with bacon, burger and fries. The food is excellent and the service is lovely! We felt very welcomed and enjoyed our evening meal. There is handicap parking and handicap seating.
Gayle Ochs
This place looks like a hole in the wall but man! The food was amazing. Place is small but it worked for 9 of us. We had a mix of wings, surf n turf burger, pot stickers, patty melt etc and everything we ate was 10/10 . Will definitely come again. Oh and the ladies waitresses was great thank you
Alisha Garrett
The Reef quickly became our favorite restaurant in Pensacola Beach - we ate there three times during our week stay. Our kids loved the food so much they kept asking to go back! The wings are amazing - especially the Old Bay seasoned wings. The burger of the month was on point as well. Potato salad is incredible! But even better than the food, was the service. Everyone was so friendly and attentive. Especially Jerod - he remembered us each time we came back - even remembered our drink order each time! Next time we're in Pensacola Beach, we'll be frequent visitors to The Reef again!
Clint Albers
On vacation someone mentioned this place it looks like a pub but man the wings are elite. Probably top 3 I ever had. Crispy big hot good flavor lemon pepper wings hot sauce is also excellent. Chill low key bar off the beach. Definitely would eat here again anyway maybe twice day 🤣🤣🤣. The bartender funny dude cool great customer service from him all evening. His name JJ go see him.
Rustan Porter
We ate lunch here today. I ordered the Meatzilla flatbread pizza, which was awesome! I highly recommend it. My husband ordered one of the burgers and he really liked his burger. The staff is so nice and friendly, and the atmosphere is great! We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at The Reef.
Ashley Young
63 Via De Luna Dr, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, USA
The grand marlin of pensacola beach
4.6
(3466)
Elegant, clubby waterfront destination with a raw bar serves refined, area-sourced seafood dishes.
Reviews:
Great restaurant! They made my birthday awesome! My dad is a very picky eater and they accommodated him no problems!! Our waiter was great and caring. Cannot wait to dine here again. We got the Lobster fingers app, tuna, shrimp, steak, and chef special.
Amber Walker
What a fantastic experience. Wife and I wanted to check this place out on our honeymoon and it did not disappoint! Our waiter Randall was amazing and offered us some amazing suggestions. He didn’t miss on a single one of them. Great service, better food, and the best atmosphere. Would give it 10 stars if we could.
jordan miller
The service we were provided made our experience exceptional! The hostesses were helpful in securing a table with the live music for us, and our server Brad was so awesome! We absolutely loved him! The food was amazing and the lobster we had was 100.
Rachel
My husband and I had a great experience celebrating our wedding anniversary. Taylor was our server and she was top notch! The food was amazing. We also had the best seat in the restaurant overlooking the bay.
Samantha Lee
Celebrated my girlfriends birthday here, great food and staff. Our server was very attentive and all of the food was spectacular. 10/10
Daniel Woods
400 Pensacola Beach Blvd, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, USA
Cafe nola
4.4
(1364)
Seafood baskets, po' boys & Cajun-Creole classics, served in simple digs with TVs & outdoor seats.
Reviews:
This is an order at the counter and they'll bring your food to you when it's ready. The girl working the counter never spoke to us. After waiting on the people in front of us she went about doing other things. Not a "I'll be right with you." Not a "get out". Nothing. It was like she didn't even know we were there. Someone came out of the kitchen and politely explained how things work and took our order. The food was good. The blackened fish was surprisingly good, but too spicy for my partner. The onion rings were good. The fried oysters were good, but definitely overcooked. The shrimp was good. They use a cornmeal breading on the shrimp. I prefer a flour based breading, but they were still good. The fries weren't. And no I didn't go for the fries, but if they need better fries. Maybe I just didn't get fresh ones. Much more expensive than we expected for an order at the counter place. $70 for two of us. No Appetizers and only 1 beer. Great view of Quietwater Beach.
Greg Chapmon
This is a must stop. Our hotel recommended this spot. The staff was courteous, the food and drinks were delicious and nest of all the view was so peaceful. Hubby and I were happy and filled leaving.
Toni Mitchell
We had such an amazing ( truly beyond 5 stars) experience at Cafe NOLA. Authentic, creative, and rich food. The owners are extremely friendly and attentive with a staff that obviously works magic together, as they have a prep team, oyster shuckers, wait staff, bartenders, runners and they all work together to clear tables and keep this place spotless. Our portions were huge! The gumbo has an appropriate amount of kick to it ( you might need extra bread ) and the rice was perfectly cooked… fluffy and delicious. You can order as light or as heavy as you want, just stop in for debris fries & a Barq’s root beer -or- bring the entire entourage for a 5 course meal on the mezzanine. Such a versatile place. Ordering is done up front right when you walk in the door ( almost concession style at the bar) and you seat yourself and can pour your own fountain drink. It’s nice and air conditioned in the main dining for a much needed break from the sun. I also had a few trays of raw oysters which were gigantic, in my opinion! Everything I needed was brought out to me within 3 minutes of ordering: crackers, lemons, cocktail & horseradish with the fun ice garnishments. This was unforgettable Louisiana cuisine, and I’ve lived my whole life there. To the sweet owner: you should think about franchising, you’re operational genius is unmatched!
Ashley Curry
I tried the shrimp po boy and the wife had the fish po boy! My shrimp po boy was loaded with so much shrimp it was falling in my lap! My wife fish po boy was also huge and seasoned great! The only reason I removed a star is because our food wasn’t hot maybe because we ordered to go idk! I would definitely recommend and am we likely to return!
James Doe
Seafood platter was hot, and flavorful . Gumbo was a little thin but tasted pretty good . Crab cakes were great.
Treesa Wittmann
400 Quietwater Beach Rd, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
Cafe bistro
4.6
(1432)
Colorful nook offering an array of bagel sandwiches, pancakes & salads, plus smoothies & ice cream.
Reviews:
Don’t skip this charming local cafe! Raquel's breakfast sandwich is an absolute delight! Let me start by raving about the pancakes - they were wonderfully sweet and fluffy, just like biting into a cloud of breakfast goodness. The sausage and egg were cooked to perfection, with the sausage providing a delightful savory flavor that paired wonderfully with the rest of the ingredients. And let's not forget about the cheese! It tied all the flavors together. Overall, Raquel's breakfast sandwich is a true winner, packed with mouthwatering ingredients that will have you coming back for more. The staff is friendly and the food is excellent. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
Lana Lenzini
My husband and I are foodies! We travel the United States, and we eat at many different places. The breakfast at Cafe Bistro was very memorable to say the least! I loved the ambience in this quaint little Bistro! I will definitely be visiting there again! The hostess, Eriyona was very friendly and accommodating as well! I give this place TEN stars!
Lisa Abshire
They made me a white hot chocolate(my favorite), delicious shrimp & grits, love the jam drizzled over the French toast. Such a cute place felt very welcoming and relaxing.
Jessie Leszczynski
A little hole in the wall place on the beach!🏖️ This little Pensacola Beach restaurant accommodates to any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! Atmosphere: The space is very cute and has more of a mom-and-pop type of vibe in comparison to some of the larger beach restaurants. Service: The workers here are friendly and good about answering questions! Food: I had a burger and coffee when I visited. The burger was good, and the coffee wasn’t bad—I wouldn’t say that it’s their speciality as they serve a variety of food items. What I liked most about the place is that they have a variety of food menu options for breakfast but especially for lunch and dinner—sandwiches, salads, pasta, and more! They also serve pastries, a wide assortment of ice cream, and smoothies to accommodate the sweet tooth! I’d like to come back to try their breakfast and sweets!🥞☕️🍔🍝
Anastasia Reyes
Being a local, I have wanted to try Cafe Bistro for a while now. Place with small with a long line bit moved quickly and tables turned over quickly. I ordered the Sausage Egg and Cheese Biscuit, which was one of the best southern biscuits I have had. They did a special request Iced DECAF Vanilla Latte which was perfect. My husband's #20 breakfast plate was fantastic with a super fluffy pancake. Raquel took great care of us. Super nice and helpful. So enjoyed chatting with her. We will be back frequently.
C C
39 Via De Luna Dr, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, USA
Paradise bar & grill
4.5
(1460)
Beach-shack bar provides drinks, casual chow & live music steps away from the sand & surf.
Reviews:
Such a cute little place to grab a quick bite to eat! The view of the bay was so beautiful. The service was fast and the food came out hot. The cheese curds are so yummy. Our server was really great, he remembered everyone’s order without writing it down, brought out refills for everyone without us needing to ask. We’re from out of town but the next time we visit the area, we’ll come back again.
Amanda Williams
Did a quick stop to grab a bite. It was a great choice. The food was great the drink options were great. They had live music that was festive but not stupid loud. Overall it's a great spot to grab a bite and have a couple cold ones for the ride along the coast. Don't be put off by the portion sizes... They were too good to wait on a pic.
Steven Sanders
Best hidden gem in Pensacola beach paradise . Great seafood , drinks and atmosphere. Almost always a daily special that always hits the spot . Amazing views and good bands
Erica Crouch-Kays
Slow and definitely not in a hurry. We were there 15 min before we even had anyone come to the table. When she did, she seemed bothered. Food was average, loved the outside eating area.
Rebecca Berna
Wow! We had a great time for Nancy & Carol's retirement party! Lindsey waited on us the whole time and did a wonderful job! Very friendly, efficient staff! Yay!
Debra Greene
21 Via De Luna Dr, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, USA