Alright folks, I'll be there for a few days and I know some other people will too.
Let's hear the recommendations please
Let's hear the recommendations please
OT - Labor Day in Pensacola
- Thread starter ChinaDogSunflower
- Start date
Maybe I'm just old and crotchety, but I would say pick up some good groceries on the way in, stock up on liquor/wine/beer of choice(s), and not leave the beach or condo/house once you get there. I can't handle holiday weekend crowds.
Ok, most important is to bring a cooler and stop at Joe Patti's on the way home. It is the seafood market of the gods and the cheapest best shrimp you will ever find. I usually get 4-5 pounds of peeled and deveined Royal Reds and they are happy to put them in 1/2 pound bags for me so I only have to thaw what I want for one night.
The Grand Marlin is very good and you don't have to really dress up for the patio/bar. Peg Leg Pete's is a must. Native Cafe is good as well. One thing, the entire service sector is slammed down there. The beach is about the only summer vacation spot you can do right now. Add in the fact that restaurants are having a hard time getting people to work, you might just be better off getting groceries at Joe Patti's on the way in than trying to do restaurants. That is also where I buy bait going in. Peg Leg Pete's will also do a reasonably priced hook and cook.
A lot of what I would recommend is closed. The base is closed to tourists so no Naval Aviation Museum. No Minor League Baseball, which is a shame because the Blue Wahoo's have a stadium that might be the nicest outside the Major Leagues.
If you want a bar, my favorite is Juana's Pagodas over in Navarre Beach. It's family friendly till 9pm and always has live music. The sign on the wall says no cover unless Jimmy is playing. They even have a beach on the sound and playground equipment.
If you are up for some "gentlemanly entertainment, " Sammy's is nice. For a lower brow experience there is Arety's where Mike Price (fewest losses of any Alabama coach in history) rolled his last tide.
Tackle and live bait, Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle. Open 24/7/365. After all Pensacola is a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem. It's right there on the right before you get to the beach bridge in Gulf Breeze.
Pensacola has everything else a normal city has. So if you have anything more specific I can probably answer it. Like where the best tacos are at. I grew up down there a lot as my dad lived in Pace, and I still go there a good bit. So feel free to ask.
The Grand Marlin is very good and you don't have to really dress up for the patio/bar. Peg Leg Pete's is a must. Native Cafe is good as well. One thing, the entire service sector is slammed down there. The beach is about the only summer vacation spot you can do right now. Add in the fact that restaurants are having a hard time getting people to work, you might just be better off getting groceries at Joe Patti's on the way in than trying to do restaurants. That is also where I buy bait going in. Peg Leg Pete's will also do a reasonably priced hook and cook.
A lot of what I would recommend is closed. The base is closed to tourists so no Naval Aviation Museum. No Minor League Baseball, which is a shame because the Blue Wahoo's have a stadium that might be the nicest outside the Major Leagues.
If you want a bar, my favorite is Juana's Pagodas over in Navarre Beach. It's family friendly till 9pm and always has live music. The sign on the wall says no cover unless Jimmy is playing. They even have a beach on the sound and playground equipment.
If you are up for some "gentlemanly entertainment, " Sammy's is nice. For a lower brow experience there is Arety's where Mike Price (fewest losses of any Alabama coach in history) rolled his last tide.
Tackle and live bait, Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle. Open 24/7/365. After all Pensacola is a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem. It's right there on the right before you get to the beach bridge in Gulf Breeze.
Pensacola has everything else a normal city has. So if you have anything more specific I can probably answer it. Like where the best tacos are at. I grew up down there a lot as my dad lived in Pace, and I still go there a good bit. So feel free to ask.
You think Labor Day in Pensacola Beach is bad, let me tell you about Memorial Day there. Sodom and Gomorrah on the sand doesn't begin.
Pensacola has become my favorite town/beach in the panhandle. Pensacola has done a great job with the downtown area. I doubt you can really experience much of the bars or restaurants down there now. Others have made good suggestions. I didn’t see anyone mention McGuires (same as the one in destin if you’ve been there). Lots of seafood places down there as well. I’ll give you a couple Mexican places. Cactus Flower (I think they may have opened a location on Pensacola beach) is great. Also, Tijuana flats is a favorite of mine. I’m not sure that I’ve ever been to the Pensacola location but been to the one in fort Walton beach numerous times.
I think McGuires is way way overrated. Great atmosphere but meh food.
For Mexican one of the top rated taquareas in the country is El Asador. Long way from the beach though.
Ive had McGuires and thought it was great and had it when I thought it was average at best. I just know a lot of people love it but not everyone realizes there is one in Pensacola
Um, the original one is in Pensacola. Been there decades longer than any other. I had no idea they expanded.
Yeah, I know it’s the original but the destin one is more popular and is the busiest. And it ain’t even really close. Plus I think based on threads started in the past, most people on this board vacation in destin or orange beach.
I’m not trying to start an argument about McGuire’s. I was simply telling someone who asked about restaurants in Pensacola that McGuire’s had a location in Pensacola. Because I would guess most people that go to destin don’t know that McGuire’s is also in Pensacola.
You’re there for a weekend. Don’t stand in line at JP and then have to cook all weekend. Stay on the island and order Pappas one night, wear ur good shirt to marlin grill one night, and then tie one on at the inside bar at flounders one night. Get up the next morning and have some grits eggs and coffee at native.
Right there with you
Just give me a place to stay with access to the beach and I'll load up on food and booze before hand and get to relaxing.
Just give me a place to stay with access to the beach and I'll load up on food and booze before hand and get to relaxing.
Mobile knows what he's talking about right here ^^^^^ Well worth the stop. El Asador sits behind a shell gas station and next to a Dunkin Donuts on North Davis HWY about a block north of I-10. The Chorizo, Asada, Lengua, Pollo tacos are my go to....$3 each for Supreme. You'll want to get them Supreme...Should hit this place on your way in or on your way out of Pensacola.
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As someone mentioned, the city has done a great job with downtown over the last few years but we were down there back in May and the vagrants were noticeable and bothersome if you tried to eat outside. Not sure if they've done anything about that problem or not.
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One of my favorite facebook pasttimes is watching suburbanites argue and one-up each other about what they know about Destin. High level entertainment.
If you like BBQ then I recommend The Hot Spot. It's close to the downtown convention center off of 9th ave. It is no **** the best brisket i've ever had... EVER. I get the brisket sandwhich every time I'm down there. And the lemon pie is one of the best deserts I've ever had.
If you give it a try, report back. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
If you give it a try, report back. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Why don't you have a nice cold drink of shut the 17up. You want all those jackasses currently driving past Pensacola each year to go to Destin or 30A to stop in Pensacola instead? Want to start seeing Pensacola stickers on soccer mom Tahoes and Yukons in Jackson?
IntheIttaBenaHotSun has it right. Vagrants everywhere. Really a ******** when you think about it. Destin and 30A are where it's at. I'm not even sure you can get a salt life sticker in Pensacola and you definitely can't get a 30A sticker there, so really no reason to stop there.
They haven't. I make a lot of trips to NAS Pensacola for work. I go down there regularly. I'm always shocked at the amount of homeless people there. The downtown revitalization is fantastic, but median of Garden st (which runs through downtown) is packed with homeless. Police everywhere and noone bothers the homeless. It's crazy.
It's hard to do anything about the homeless. It's more or less unconstitutional to make being homeless a crime. Cities that keep certain areas nice and homeless free basically do it by harassing homeless people until they get the message it is easier for them to be in a different, less affluent part of the city.
On the beach, Grand Marlin and Casino Beach Bar (there is a higher end restaurant that opened above CBB, but I have heard mixed reviews). If you are looking for more of a dive, try Paradise Bar and Grill or Sandshaker. If you find yourself downtown I would suggest Global Grill (my personal favorite), Jackson's, or Iron. Also downtown there is a bar, Jaco's, that has the best sunset view for a bar in town and pretty decent food as well. I'll second Hot Spot for BBQ as was mentioned earlier. Seating is still restricted in Pensacola so I would recommend reservations to the extent the establishment accepts them. Feel free to PM me with any additional questions.
As someone that doesn’t work for a company that benefits from local tourists dollars anymore, I completely agree. Actually Pensacola isn’t that bad but the beaches of National Island Seashore and Navarre are pure trash. Don’t never ever go down there.
Mobile and others hit most of it. He’s right about the Mexican Food Truck. Marlin for seafood, Flounders for party, Shaker for friends in low places older crowd party. Sidelines for wings, Red Fish for atmosphere, Native for breakfast/brunch. Cafe Nola has solid Cajun fare. I also believe McGuires is overrated, but they have a great cheap Sunday Brunch, and their burgers are fantastic. If you are looking DT Pcola, it sucks Urban Swinery is closed because it is fantastic. I’ll take a DogHouse burger over a Tops Burger any day. Toward Navarre are two other exceptional places for burgers, Copper Bull and Johnny Hustons. If you are a whiskey drinker do yourself a favor and check out Old Hickory in DT Pensacola, it’s something I’d never thought I’d see in PCola. Also if you plan on buying liquor in Florida, do it before you get to the beach, the two liquor stores at the beach are insanely expensive. I’d recommend Fusion on Chase St. It’s on your left right after you get off of 110. Another cool lunch spot is Casino Beach Bar and Grill. It’s had some misses with us but lately it’s been solid and the atmosphere is nice. I prefer their food to Red Fish Blue Fish. I live here and I’m fat so I can give you all the recs you need. Food, drink, golf, play.
I've always had good food there. Only ever been to the original. Even when I'm vacationing further East, I often plan to hit McGuire's for lunch on the way. It's easy on/off of I-10 and doesn't add much driving delay.
I don't know if it computes or not. I do know it's damn good. Like I mentioned, it's directly behind the Shell station under these huge live oaks. If you're not looking for it you'll miss it for sure. It doesn't look like much but it is.
AMEN If you dont like their smoked tuna dip you are in serious need of a oil change
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