The Boatyard Restaurant may not sit facing the ocean, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of Panama City Beach’s top dining and night spots. A waterfront location on Grand Lagoon provides diners with picture-perfect views both during the day and after dark, and a top-notch menu rivals any other in the area. Boatyard is actually owned and operated by the same folks as Schooners, and the consistence in quality is apparent. Both establishments are hugely popular with the local Panama City Beach crowd and share the same friendly, fun atmosphere.
The Boatyard Restaurant has been serving up some of Panama City Beach’s best seafood for years now, and with the recent addition of a stylish sushi bar, the restaurant is more popular than ever. Chef Konrad Jochum was executive chef at some of Key West’s most successful restaurants before bringing his talents and creativity to Florida’s panhandle. His cuisine is very much inspired by the islands but blends beautifully with local flavors to create a unique and delectable menu. Try a signature dish such as the cilantro spiced mahi – seasoned with Caribbean spices, flash seared, then topped with a garlic and cilantro sauce and served with yellow rice, black beans and sweet plantains. Delicious! Or how about the famous shrimp and grits? Tuck into colossal pink shrimp seared in garlic butter and fine herbs, served with tasso smoked gouda grits and a sherry mushroom gravy.
The sushi menu at Boatyard offers so much more than your ordinary, run of the mill sushi. Sushi chef Dan Pettis creates mouthwatering art that is featured Thursday through Sunday at the glass mosaic tiled Food Bar. If you love sushi you mustn’t miss the opportunity to try some of Boatyard’s colorful creations such as Choja Maki – lobster, masago, kimchee, mint, arugula and caviar, topped with paper thin sliced steak and a pickled ginger aoli. For those with a sweet tooth, you simply cannot eat at Boatyard without sampling the legendary key lime pie on a stick. This scrumptious dessert consists of creamy, tart key lime pie with a graham cracker crust, dipped in dark chocolate, frozen, and served old-fashioned popsicle style on a stick. I speak from experience when I say there is probably no better sweet treat on the planet – and I’ve indulged in a lot of desserts.
In addition to being one of Panama City Beach’s favorite restaurants, Boatyard is also a hot night spot. One of the area’s most popular events, Little Black Dress night, is held at Boatyard on the third Thursday of every month. Renamed Little Sundress Night during the summer months, Little Black Dress night is held from October through April, and is a chance for ladies of all ages to get glammed up and have a good time with friends, eating, drinking and dancing the night away. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society in an effort to fight breast cancer and raise breast cancer awareness, and men are also welcome – dress is resort casual. Each party offers a complimentary glass of champagne for ladies in black, a delicious assortment of hors d’oeuvres created by Chef Konrad, live music on the deck from 7 to 10 pm, and exciting dance music mixed by D.J. Vladi from 10 pm till late. There are also raffles for a beautiful designer dress provided by Envy Boutique or a ¾ carat diamond donated by Maharajas Designer Jewelry.
Whether you are looking to grab a relaxed lunch with a view, enjoy a special evening meal, or put on your dancing shoes, Boatyard in Panama City Beach rises to the occasion. Local or vacationer, day or night, this is one restaurant that must not be missed and will be going strong for a long time to come.
Boatyard is located at 5323 North Lagoon Drive, Panama City Beach. Call (850) 249 9273 for more details.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
No it doesnt face the ocean, its over 200 miles from a ocean. You can always tell somebody is not from here, they call the Gulf of Mexico a ocean. Sorry, one of my pet peeves
lol, I’ve been here since 01 and I still call it the ocean.
Thanks for the constructive criticism jamnolfin – as always we appreciate all reader comments! Glad to see your comment was related to the fabulous Boatyard and something our other readers will find useful!
Such educational comments are indeed quite useful and are very much appreciated.
I started coming here from Alabama in 1957 when I was just one year old and moved here in 2000.
Stupid me, I sometimes still slip up and say “Ocean”, knowing full well that it is the Gulf of Mexico.
I stand corrected and I thank you.
The Boatyard is certainly a hidden gem in PCB. I played there a little while after it opened with the Barry Fish Band. Live entertainment never took off there unfortunately, probably due to bad acoustics and there was no view of the harbor where they had us playing. However, the food is really good there and it has a really nice atmosphere and view. I think the view of Grand Lagoon is more interesting then the Gulf, but that’s me. I agree with Jamnolfin, it’s no ocean out there … does the Atlantic ever become glassy like the Gulf? It’s like a lake sometimes.
Well it does have a nice water view!
wow you are the first person to share my pet peeve. its a ridiculous pet peeve but what pet peeve isnt…. yes thats the gulf out there not the sea not the ocean… the gulf…. ive heard the lagoon called other things than the lagoon time after time, but thats not as irritating. lol
Sorry Tyrone, I didnt mean to belittle what was a good article. It does bug me though.