Dining

This page is under construction. But here's my recommendation: just go to Peg Leg's. Their food is the best and you can get on their waitlist through the Yelp app now, so even though the lines (and the waits) can be long, you don't have to be there waiting the whole time! (Online waitlists are available for all the restaurants listed here.) Their fried shrimp and fried grouper nuggets are the bomb, and you must get some crab claws (if sitting upstairs, try some sauteed in garlic butter - sooo good!). Speaking of the stairs....if you aren't looking for anything grilled or sauteed, the lines and waits are always MUCH shorter downstairs, and you can get everything there except for grilled or sauteed items. And kids can play on the playground!

Flounders has more stuff for the older kids (volleyball), and a massive serving of keylime pie that could feed a small village, but most locals will tell you the food is better at Peg Leg's. Growing up in Pensacola, I always considered Flounders to be the tourist restaurant on the beach (because what Pensacola native would order clam strips or deviled crab?), but I will say, having been there several times in recent years, their food really is pretty decent, and you can't beat the atmosphere when sitting outside, especially if you need to keep kids/teens entertained. They also have a fantastic brunch on Sundays - I love the seafood omelette, but my mom was always a huge fan of the Bottomless Glass of Champagne.

Crabs (owned by the owners of Flounders and McGuire's) is cool because it's gulf-front, but for the love of all that is holy, don't get the crab nachos unless you have a table for 10 to share them with!

For a smaller group I'd probably pick Casino Beach Bar and Grille for gulf-front dining, but it doesn't have the huge servings that Crabs does and isn't as kid-friendly (no playground, etc.).