Bayou on the Beach — Restaurant in Panama City Beach

Was in Panama City Beach for the weekend, being from Louisiana and living in Georgia wanted some comfort food. Did Google search and read reviews, our first choice was packed so we decided on Bayou on the Beach. Reading the website it says the owner was from Lafayette so I was thrilled and excited. The wait was an hour on Sat so it even got me more excited about the food. Here are the goods and bads:

Good:

Service was wonderful, our waitress was very nice and food was served hot. It's a small place so it was a little loud but not that bad.

Bad:

There is no way this lady is from Lafayette. We ordered Char Grilled Oysters, Raw Oysters, 2 Shrimp Po Boy, Shrimp and Fish Basket, Shrimp and Grits and Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

The raw Oysters were fresh, but damn that was the worst Char Grilled Oysters I have ever had. I was with family from overseas and they thought it was good, bur being raised in Metairie and gone to school in Baton Rouge and been all over southern Louisiana, those Char Grilled was something I would never order again if I ever do decide to go back to Bayou on the Beach.

The Shrimp Po Boys were ok, but why did they put onions in the Po Boy is baffling.

Shrimp and Fish Basket were ok. Not over fried maybe a little under fried but ok.

Shrimp and Grits, this is where I was suspicious of the owner being from Lafayette.. it was just Grits with 5 pieces of shrimp, no sauce no sausage no nothing... a proud Louisianan would never ever ever serve what I was served... if the cook or owner was really from any part of Louisiana, they would know why this should be taken off the menu...

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo... where do I start... it wasn't homemade, I'm guessing Blue Runner, if you don't know what brand that is, Google it. It tasted like Blue Runner Chicken and Sausage Base and they just added some chicken and sausage, wasn't D&D sausage. It was pretty bad. And no one from Louisiana would serve that type of gumbo.

All in all I wouldn't visit again, EVER. But the service was really good and workers actually do seem to care, I didn't complain or anything but the table next to our had some kind of complaint and it was taken care of. Which shows the workers...

We arrived around 5:30 during the dinner rush, so take that into account with my review. We were "greeted" at the door with a waitress complaining to the host about being double-sat. Understandable, but not something to do within ear-shot of customers. The host, visibly irritated from the interaction he just had, got our party count and got us sat at a table in the middle of the room. This table was between two large-party tables. Both groups at those tables were obnoxiously loud and had no regard for anyone else in the restaurant. That part is not a fault of the restaurant staff, but it would have been nice to be sat elsewhere - especially since there were plenty of side booth tables available. This may have had something to do with the first event we witnessed when we walked in. With that being said, it was myself, my wife, and our two young boys. Another couple and their daughter were sat at a table next to us. There were two younger girls (late teens / early 20's) sat at a third table next to us. All three of us were between the two large parties, and our three tables were the quietest in the restaurant. When the waitress arrived to get our drink order, she seemed to be ready to rush us along. We hadn't had enought time to pick our food yet and we told her we needed a few minutes. She came back rather quickly (I didn't time her) asking if we were ready. We hurriedly picked what we wanted to eat and she scurried away. She seemed to do this with each table she waited. With all of that being said, the food was good. I had the shrimp, crawfish, flounder, and oyster plate. The seasoning was good, but the shrimp and crawfish were very slightly overcooked. This is why I'm giving 4 stars for the food instead of five. The overall experience wasn't good, but the food was okay. If you're looking for decent seafood, you can give it a try, but I recommend sitting outside. There is no music or anything to dampen the noise and chaos inside. You may also get lucky and score the bald gentleman as your waiter. He...

We have been wanting to try this restaurant for 4yrs! It was not at all what we expected! Looking at the outside, we expected an upscale seafood/steak house. When we walked in, we were shocked! This restaurant has a very openess feel to it. Against the walls, there are lg wooden tables w bench seating, & each bench has a comfy padded cushion. In the middle of the room are wooden tables with plastic chairs for seating.There is no stuffiness or overpretentiousness about this restaurant. It seems more like a local gathering place. Everybody is waving at everyone else, from the bartender to the guy picking up the chairs, to the waitress, taking those comfy cushions outside, shaking them off, & wiping the underneath of the benches off! Staff keeps it Very Clean at Bayou on the Beach! Now, the food...I had a ribeye & grilled shrimp-(Surf & Turf) hush puppies, rice, salad, (I ate my husband's fried peewee roll- new favorite way to eat a yeast roll!) Everything was. So fresh, hot, delicious, & cooked perfect-just the way I ordered! (So much, I had to bring 1/2 mine home, but it was just as good the 2x!)Chef really knows his/her stuff! My husband had those wonderful 1 #Boiled Royal Reds with salad,broccoli, & a fried peewee roll! Our Service was Excellent! I'm not sure I got our Server's name, but I'm taking a stab at it...Alana? Brown hair, glasses, slender built, relatively shy but not afraid to joke around or engage in a conversation! She knows her menu! She checked on us often enough to refill when 1/2 empty! To me, that's a sign of great service! We never had to wait to ask for anything! That's why Alana? got 23+% tip! Fantastic Job! Alana Good Luck in the Future! May God Bless, Prosper, & Give Good Health To You & Yours, May God Strengthen Your Faith & Always Be Thankful for the Gifts Given! It was nice meeting Such A Lovely Person! Bayou On The Beach...You have a Winning Menu, Winning Chef, Winning Am, But Your Server...She Really Sells Your Restaurant! With great service &...