J Michael’s

So glad I found this funky hole in the wall type restaurant/​bar. Atmosphere is really unique. Waitresses and staff were super efficient and friendly. We both had the pound of snow crab, it was great. They took back my butter reheating half way through. Only regret I have is I did not find it earlier in our vacation. Great place!!!

Some call Panama City the emerald coast, some the redneck Rivera… J. Michaels is a bit of both. Eclectic décor is everywhere. I found it charming but could have done without the 100 shotguns hanging from the ceiling. But this is the pan handle. Food is fish with southern and creole infusions. Oysters where great, fried shrimp light and delicious and the grouper sandwich fresh. All together a nice spot and our waitress was the best of our trip. Clearly lots of locals here which is always a good sign and in Feb this means average age is 65… So people watching was a bonus. Somehow balances the cheesiness with charm and I would come back.

I went to this restaurant twice on my vacation. The red beans and rice are outstanding and the «Oysters J Michael» are delicious. The second trip I had the top sirloin which was cooked perfectly and the garlic potatoes were better than I imagined. I sat at the bar (beer and wine only) and noticed the speed and efficiency of Jordan the bartender. I would have gone again but my vacation ended.

We had lunch here with friends Sunday. We had heard that this was a great locals restaurant. So we were really looking forward to it. We were very happy with the food and service. I had the days special roast beef sandwich with garlic sauce. My mistake was not getting the slaw. I’ve heard its wonderful. I’ll get it next time. The others in the group got the fish and were very happy. Fun place to hang out with friends and enjoy a good meal.

Been eating with Mike for over 30 years. You won’t find fresher ingredients, producing much better, expertly prepared food anywhere. The service provided by Jordan and Ricci at the bar is phenomenal!

We came here after the dolphin cruise. The captain strongly recommended this place. It’s really a nice place. Fresh seafood. I love the French baked oyster and the shrimp pasta! The seafood gumbo is also worth a try.

On vacation in PCB so we decided to try out this dive bar. I had the Chris and seafood gumbo. The gumbo was okay.

My wife, our 9 yr do daughter, & mself waited an hour to get a table. That was not an issue as that is a sign that the restaurant must be really good? Service from waitress was very slow. Turned out she was the waitress at the next table where she had let her hair down and was flirting with the 4 men at the table. Finally getting to our table, she put her hair back up. She took our order in a rushed fashion. We didn’t see her for another long while. She went to the table with the 4 men and let her hair back down and seemed to have plenty of time. Someone else brought our food to us which was now only slightly warm. Food was very salty. And so, this was my first and last visit! Hope you fair better!

This restaurant is located just off the main strip. Definitely worth visiting as the seafood is very fresh. They will also cook fish that you catch and bring in which a nice option after a fishing trip and you are from out of town. The interior has many pieces of all types of memorabilia on the walls and ceilings. I tried the oysters on the half shell, fresh locally caught gulf shrimp and the crab legs which were all off the hook. Most of all the servers and bartenders were all amazing and really on the ball more so than many high end establishments that I visited. The staff was also very engaging, welcoming and friendly. They did a great job of making me feel right at home with just the right amount of Southern Hospitality.
I will definitely return to dine here again.
Service 5 star
Atmosphere 5 star — for what it is
Food 5 star
Location 4 star
Appearance 5 star — very clean!
PS the burgers look amazing!

Oysters and beer! Really cool place where lots of local go to eat. Tasty food and atentive service.

We arrived fairly late on a weekend and got in within about twenty minutes. No problem, we stood outside and talked with some of the locals. The place has a lot of interesting vintage items and memorabilia on the walls and rafters. Everything we ordered from the fried shrimp to the oysters was great. The only thing that was disappointing was the gumbo. It was done the right way, but quite bland and under seasoned. This was just an extra side order I got, so not a deal-​breaker and I’m sure it’s not the norm here. Never rush gumbo, haha. Overall a really good experience and will return when back in the area. 4.5 stars.

I went on a Sunday for lunch and was seated right away. The hostess was very apathetic, like I’d interrupted her day, but she seated me quickly. The server made up for the initial impression with fast and friendly service. The hush puppies, fried shrimp and garlic bread were superb. The shrimp were very fresh, like they had literally just been caught. The scallops, red beans and rice and fries were unremarkable. I love onions more than the average person, but the cole slaw had more onions than cabbage, it was too much even for me.

I went to this place with my 2 girl friends and J Michael’s is a must-​go place in Panama City. We’ve stopped by some 4+ stars places listed on Unilocal,the wait time was super duper long, employees were rude and disrespectful towards their customers. Anyways, we put our names on the list as soon as we arrived at J Michael’s but there were 10 parties ahead of us. But, this girl, who works there as a hostess kindly let us know there were bar seats available, so we got inside without having to wait 1+ hours (she is awesome). Another thing we were so grateful was that everyone who works there were so super nice and wonderful, especially this gentleman (Robert?) who served us oysters and the owner who checks on each table to see if everything is okay. Had the best experience, food was great. People were great. Definitely going back later!

Excellent décor. Wait staff was very courteous and getting seated was fast even though we were at PCB the last week of July. It was a Monday at 6 pm. Food prices were reasonable. Kids got a goody bag with candy and balloons. Even had a play area to occupy them. Food was. delivered fast. Bad boy burger was great.

The only true problem we had with this restaurant was the wait time of over an hour. However, we did go around 7 p.m. on Father’s Day! We were able to get cold drinks as we waited so that helped. Cool mist blowing fans would have been an additional solution. Once seated our service, provided by a wonderful girl named Sammy, was exquisite!
I enjoyed the Shrimp J. Michael. It was served with rice and garlic toast. The shrimp in the sauce was perfectly cooked, and the sauce itself was delicious. It had a mild kick of spice, and included small pieces of green bell pepper, celery, and green onion. I poured all of it over the rice and mixed it together. I also added a salad with the Greek dressing, which was very tasty and had a LOT of spices in it. My wife had the shrimp and pasta, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very well seasoned, and portion size was no issue as she was unable to finish it. My son was able to get the crab legs he so desired the whole trip. Shockingly, a pound was only $ 14.50! My daughter ordered a cheeseburger and she ate the entire thing.
Long story short, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and recommend J. Michael’s to all!

We took our fresh catch straight from the docks to here to have it cooked. They have a standard ‘Hook and Cook” menu prepared for $ 11.
The meal was awesome!

We were here last night and the service was terrible. We sat at the bar because all the tables were full. The bar tender took out drink order & gave us menus, then delivered our drinks without a word and never talked to us again. She took drink orders for everyone around us twice but never asked to refill our drinks or take food order. The guy next to us, who was a local, told us to go tho Schooners. We gladly took his advice and left. Apparently if you are not a local you get second rate service.
They also only serve beer and wine. :(

Bottom line: food was great fresh service good. Will be back.
Went early on a Wednesday to beat tourists. No problem at 5. When we left at 6 a huge line had formed.
Ordered the specials. Grilled grouper sandwich. Excellent. Son had fried flounder. Also excellent. Very flaky. Just fell aprt. Sooo good. Other son had fried fish off main menu. Good but not as good as flounder
Fries are seasone and good. Hush puppies have corn and give it a nice added sweetness. Very good.
Slaw was disappointing. Meh.
Ordered garlic shrimp take out for wife later. She’s eating know and says yummy
Service was prompt efficient and friendly. Not over the top. Took good care of us.
So overall, great food. Just need some help on the sides
They also have full oyster selection. Gotta try those next time.

Coldest beer on the planet… amazing baked oysters… freshest fish… great service.. love this place

One of the few places in the Panama City area that brings a local feel and mix of tourists and residents, J Michaels does a few things really good, namely oysters, shrimp, grouper and gumbo. If you’re coming here, you can’t go wrong with any of these dishes. It’s a good choice for quality seafood without being forced to pay tourist prices. It seems fewer tourists come here because it’s not in Panama City Beach, rather just outside town.
it’s definitely worth leaving Panama City Beach for a quick meal here. There’s a oyster bar inside and you can watch the staff shuck oysters while you eat. The food is solid and comes with a laid back atmosphere where you can enjoy eating fresh grouper, a bowl of gumbo or Gulf shrimp.
Come for lunch or dinner and you won’t be disappointed at this waterside, oddly decorated spot where service stands out and boats are always close by. If you’re coming in from a fishing charter out of Captain Anderson’s this is a great spot for lunch.