Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant and Waterfront Market

I really wasn’t expecting much from this place. After all, it is huge, full of kitsch, and has tourist trap written all over it. They advertise EVERYWHERE. But we were in the area and we were hungry so we decided to give it a try. Am I glad we did. Maybe we caught it on a good night, night, but everything we had was very fresh and tasty. The She crab soup wasn’t true to its name, as it did not have any crab roe in it, but it was absolutely loaded with fresh lump crab. This more than made up for the otherwise bland taste. A salad was pretty generic, but very fresh. The star was the scamp imperial… it was the priciest fish on the menu, but well worth the upgraded price. For those who have never heard of it, scamp is a type of grouper, a mild, white, flaky fish. It was excellently grilled, simply and with little adornment. It was served with a little olive oil, lemon, parsley, and green onions. The imperial was not like the imperials I was used to from Maryland, the rich mayonaisse-​based mixture. Here, it simply meant crab, and lots of it. The fish was perfectly done, still wonderfully moist. This was the best fish dish I had on our trip! Oh, and the hush puppies were incredibly light and crispy… I actually ate these for once. Like all seafood restaurants, this place was pretty pricey. But we had friendly attentive service with a wonderful meal. This will be a regular part of our restaurant rotation on our next trip back to PCB.

First time here and was mildly disappointed. Couldn’t believe a seafood restaurant that didn’t have crab legs on the menu. I really liked the old school, leather and old wood nautical theme. The staff seems to be original to the establishment. The food was good just not great. The prices were too high for the quality of food. I would consider giving it second chance if my first choice was closed. Of the 4 restaurants I ate this week, it was my least favorite. I miss the Boatyard restaurant that used to be nearby.

Wonderful place, the atmosphere was very nice. It was very unique. I truly enjoyed our waitress, she was very nice. She made sure everyone was taken care of. She kept our drinks filled which is rare when you go to places now a days. Ok onto the food… the salad was delicious as was the popcorn shrimp and fries. My daughter ate every bit of her grilled cheese and proceeded to help me with mine ((which is rare)). The prices were a bit rich for me; but for the items that were listed they weren’t bad. The sizes you receive were accurate.
This is definitely more suited for a dinner date.

Amazing view food and service! The she crab soup is one you have to try, my other favorite is the scampi imperial it’s a type of whitefish like grouper with crabmeat on top phenomenal!

Ehhhh, the crab claws were waaaayyyyy too salty, the African lobster I ordered really didn’t have enough flavor. The cheesecake was good. The service was fast. I wish I could have gave this place 4 stars, but they need to go back over their food issues.

Great atmosphere. Friendly service. The food was not knock your socks off great but a solid rendering of seafood classics.
The potatoes au gratin were a surprise. Cubed potatoes in a bright orange sauce were not what I expected. The warm fresh rolls with my Greek salad were a nice touch. The Greek trim was one small cube of feta, 2 black olives, and a pepperoncini. The dressing was tasty.
The serving of baked scallops I received was tasty and plentiful. I had wished they had the local 30A brews on tap but took the available longneck instead.

This was one of the worst dining experiences of my life! Avoid this restaurant at all cost unless you like to pay top dollar for fast food quality. The service, menu and loud atmosphere make you feel like you are at Denny’s but they charge prices of a nice restaurant. I ordered calamari as an appetizer but it was inedible because it was like chewing on a rubber band. Then I had one of their signature specials which was Imperial Grouper which is basically grouper with crab meat on top. It was dry as a bone and I only finished it because I was hungry and had to send back my calamari. Now I know why they advertise all over the place on big billboards and should have heeded the warning that good restaurants attract people by word of mouth and don’t need to spend thousands on advertising.

Amazing food and service Julie B was attentive and all of the seafood and she crab soup was amazing reservations not accepted and the place was packed at 5pm but we did get seated right away and had an amazing meal at a reasonable price

Anyone who says this place is expensive does not eat more than fast food. The quality of the food is top notch. And that being said the price are good for what you get. Price range from 20 – 40 $ but you get big portions. A must try are the crab fingers. These are in butter and garlic! Yummy! Try any of the blackened fish and you will be in love. A must if you are in the area!

The service was great! We had a table by the window and the view was amazing. I had the whole fresh flounder with crab meat stuffing, with vegetables on the side. It was really good and I would definitely go back!

Good food and outstanding service. A little pricey, but worth it. The mahi mahi, crab claws (fried and baked), scallops and all deserts were awesome. A defhinite must if you want some good seafood while at PCB.

First of all, it is a fallacy that this restaurant is expensive. If I could give it 6-​Stars, I would. Most full course meals are $ 19 to $ 28. The grilled fish menu of about 12 different fish is about this price range. Yes, there is a 32 oz. Porterhouse for $ 50, but who can eat that? Be realistic folks. Look, when I go to the coast, I eat fresh seafood, not steaks from Omaha. I say this restaurant is the best deal in Panama City and I’ve eaten at A LOT of mom and pop restaurants in PCB. Anyone who says it’s too pricey, is being ridiculous on the ordering. You will spend about as much at a PCB sports bar eating seafood. Our Holiday Inn Resort restaurant and bar was MUCH higher. So who wouldn’t choose Captain Anderson’s? Listen, at Captain Anderson’s, you KNOW what you are getting and the place is a first-​class restaurant. All of the fish is fresh and almost all of it is from the Gulf, ask and they will tell you. We went on Friday and Saturday Feb 19 & 20, 2016. We had such a good meal the first night that we decided to go back on the next night. I had the grilled Salmon and my wife had the fried shrimp dinner. Both were large portions and we walked out with food. Yes, the shrimp are big. And the hush puppies are really good. The salad that comes with the meal is big, not some little rice bowl. Don’t expect all sorts of fancy lettuce and green leave because it’s iceberg lettuce.
I think the best appetizer is the bowl of crab soup. It is only $ 8 and has huge chunks of real crab meat. It is very creamy and absolutely delicious. Don’t get the cup for $ 6, go for the bowl for $ 8. With bar drinks, our tickets were $ 65 and $ 71 for each day, Plus tip. The second night I had the grilled Mahi-​Mahi, and it too was great. I likely fish grilled. That night, it was $ 19. The waitress recommended and added a stuffed potato with cheese and bacon, which seemed like a meal in itself! (Again, reasonable price of only $ 1.50 to add the bacon and cheese). Mixed drinks are about $ 5 and doubles are $ 7. Be smart ave never call the brand because you will pay more. My wife had a Pina Colada with a souvenir glass for $ 8 and it was The Best as well. (When you are ready to depart, the waitress brings you a new souvenir glass wrapped in paper). And expect to take home food as well because you just can’t eat it all. I want to emphasize that there are no rip-​offs in this restaurant.
Another special note is that the service is exceptional with mature waitresses who know the menu extremely well and have worked there for a century or two. Service is second to none and I was amazed at how well the entire operation was run. As soon as a table is vacated, the table is full reset within 60-​seconds. Management KNOWS how to turn tables. This place is a well-​oiled-​machine. No we did not feel rushed in any way.
We were visiting before the beach crowd arrived in March, so the wait was about 15 – 20 minutes each time. You can relax at the bar or just browse the store and see all the memorabilia on the walls. The place is decorated like a ship and gives a real feel of the ocean.
Notice there is no closing time posted. When the people stop coming, the restaurant stops taking in people. For us, on the off-​season, the last customer was accepted about 8:30.

My family has been eating here for as long as the restaurants been open. Always great food and service! If you show up past 5:30 in the summer expect a wait of an hour or more depending on the size of your party. People want to complain and say it’s expensive but on one of my trips last year I actually noticed we paid the same price at 2 other restaurants in pier park and didn’t even order appetizers at the other restaurants.

Pricey, but worth it. Gigantic portions. Perfectly cooked. They know there stuff here. We will be back!

Want to feel rushed, and ripped-​off? Eat here.
I swear to the food Gods, I wasn’t even halfway done with eating my main course (a lobster, no less) when our waitress (Debbie?) dropped the check in front of me. Unbelievable, but true.
Party of 7, drinks and main courses, and we got turned-​and-​burned big time. Turned-​and-​burned to the tune of a $ 400 meal cut off to less than 1 hour. A restaurant accountant’s dream! (The Cheesecake Factory would be a $ 20 billion dollar company if they could pull this off with any regularity.)
Captain Anderson’s is *not* a fancy restaurant. This is, like other Unilocalers have described, a big Red Lobster, with more expensive food. The front waiting area is vomitously packed with screaming children and much-​too-​loud waiting number announcements. The front desk host stand is staffed by the fakest of hosts — his demeanor reminds me of a despicable car sales manager that one would dream of punching in the face.
Back to my dining experience: During the menu stage of the meal, I was intrigued by the array of fish specials, some of which weren’t indigenous to the area and couldn’t have been fished out of the water earlier in the day. So I was a bit forward with Debbie and asked her, «Which fish is fresh and which is frozen?» and Debbie responded with, «All of our fish is fresh.» Bullshit. Even the salmon? This is the Florida panhandle, right?
The Mahi Mahi «special» tasted frozen. The baked potatoes were overbaked and dried out. The salad lettuce is 100% iceberg. Water glasses weren’t refilled until it was time to pay. Wine-​by-​the-​glass is a stingy pour and therefore overpriced, draft beer is average priced in the $ 5-​$ 7 range (Stella Artois, et al).
And, a hundred of the Maine lobster specials were already pre-​cooked before we set foot in the place. I know this because I specifically ordered my lobster steamed and plain and whole. And right away, Debbie tells me they can’t do that because, «The fish guy splits all of the lobsters earlier in the day, blah blah blah…»
Taste-​wise, thank God I ordered lobster, as it’s pretty hard to mess up. My lobster, even though it was royally messed with (claw meat removed, entire body split, buttered and paprika’d to death) was edible, but the feeling of being rushed out the door really sucks. It will happen to you, too. In retrospect, the reason they disassemble the lobster becomes fairly obvious — to reduce the amount of time it takes their dining customers to eat the lobster. Turn-​and-​burn, baby. Turn-​and-​burn.
There aren’t even spoons in the place settings. A fork and knife is all you’ll get.
And, no cloth or paper towels in the bathrooms. Just hand dryers. Hand dryers suck. What is this, a California highway rest area?
Was going to give this place 2 stars. But I’m going to round down, just like I did with Debbie’s tip.
This place doesn’t need your business. They’re going to do fine with all of those that don’t use Unilocal.And that’s pretty sad!

Last night we ventured to my moms favorite restaurant in Panama City, Captain Anderson’s. We arrived around 5:45, requested a table for six, and we were seated in about 30 minutes.
First of all, it is one busy restaurant and people were dressed in everything from shorts and a t-​shirt to business dress. Of course, most places in this area have a casual dress code and that is one of the great things about beach resort areas.
Anyway, the service here is top notch, our drink and appetizer order was taken within 2 – 3 minutes of being seated. I ordered the shrimp cocktail, my mom and aunt ordered the crab fingers, and my cousin ordered the stuffed mushrooms. The others loved their appetizers and mine was pretty good. Shrimp was large and well chilled but it is the cocktail sauce that was the star. Fantastic with a great spicy horseradish kick. Most got a salad with their meal but I opted for the loaded potato soup. The best I have had in quite a while. It is much better than O’Charley’s IMO.
I ordered the popcorn shrimp, my mom had the broiled red snapper (availability is very hit and miss), my wife and son shared the seafood platter with South African lobster, my aunt ordered the stuffed grouper, and my cousin ordered the crab cakes.
The popcorn shrimp still had the tail and was cooked very nicely. My wife and son really loved the lobster and I thought the bay scallops were fantastic. My mom loved the snapper, again it can be hard to get down here, and she considered it a treat. my aunt and cousin enjoyed their meals and none of us had room for desert.
Again, the service was a ⁵⁄₅ but IMO, I’ve had better seafood in PC than here. Nothing wrong with the quality or quantity of food here I’ve just had better. It is kind of pricy but they’re doing something right considering how busy they stay. Again, this is my moms favorite place and she is pretty discerning with restaurants so I can recommend Captain Anderson’s if you’re visiting Panama City.

We visited Captain Anderson’s tonight and had excellent service. The surf and turf with the grouper was perfectly cooked. The chicken parmesan was a hearty, well cooked dish. Great from start to finish.

Rating Captain Andersons is difficult because in comparison to other restaurants in PCB it is easily a 5, but compared to other seafood outside of PCB it is probably closer to a 3. The quality of the seafood itself is very good as it is all freshly caught each day (except maybe the salmon which they would obviously have to ship in), but the preparation and service isn’t the best I’ve had. It is obvious that Captain Andersons has good intentions, but due to their extreme customer load I think sacrifices on attentive servers and flashy food have been made. The servers seem to serve too many tables to keep up with everything and they usually always seem frazzled.
The bar selection is not great, with limited beer and cocktail availability. They weren’t able to make me a Moscow mule or a dark and stormy, which I think is quickly becoming a staple of most upper-​to-​middle end restaurants so that was disappointing. While they may have an extensive wine list, they have a handful of domestic beers not worthy of pairing with the price you pay for an entrée.
The noise level is always loud with lots of young children and loud parents, so don’t go here for a quiet evening. If you’re looking for a great selection of fresh gulf fish, this is a great place to get it. But don’t be disappointed if that’s all you find

Shrimp Scampi was excellent
Perfectly cooked steaks
Nice atmosphere inside and out.
Can be a long wait time so go early!
Marina is simple but if you love boats like I do you won’t even notice the wait.

Captain Anderson’s has been our favorite family restaurant since I was a child. We were patrons of the proprietors, the Patronis brothers, since they ran a wonderful Greek restaurant called The Seven Seas in downtown Panama City.
Captain Anderson’s remains true to the owners’ Greek roots. You will find delicious Greek flavors in such dishes as their peel-​and-​eat shrimp, their shrimp scampi and their incredible charcoal-​grilled fish.
The restaurant itself is much the same as when the brothers bought the place from the original Captain. Fiberglass covered tables and nautical décor compliment the restaurant’s location next to the fishing wharf on the bay. Fishermen unload their catch right outside the restaurant’s windows.
The seafood is fresh and the service is brisk and professional. You won’t find a light hand here; the seafood is mostly fried or cooked with generous quantities of olive oil. However, if you are looking for an old-​school seafood place with deep local roots, this is the place to be. Johnny and Jimmy have pretty much turned the business over to their sons now, but if you are lucky enough to be there when the restaurant opens, you just may meet Jimmy unlocking the door!