Would appreciate more restaurant recommendations

We tried sky pizza and the pizza was very good. Incredible crust. Not as nice of atmosphere as New York Deli, but the pizza was very good as it appears folks in Pensacola have two civilized places to get pizza.

We have certain restaurants we frequent.  Newk's or Panera is good for a quick lunch or late evening. Still love McGuire's for special occasions.....had dinner there last week. All 22 of us...food and service was great. You can't beat the smoked prime rib. 

Peg Leg's and Sidelines on the beach. Shane's rib shake in Gulf Breeze is good for a quick meal or carry out. Rocky D's in Gulf Breeze across from IHOP for carry out ribs and potatoe salad. Joey Patti's for a fried seafood  lunch. Cactus Flower anytime. The  mango shrimp appetizer is really good and the top shelf Margarita. We like Chet's in Pace for fried mullet, shrimp and oysters. (They accommodate my dietary restrictions and fry my mullet with corn meal only)

For a reasonably prices steak & potato place, We like Texas Roadhouse on Davis.
It's not Ruth Chris, but they do a pretty good job.

We sometime get there early enough for the "Early Bird Geezer" specials and get get out of there for around $25 for the two of us.

Join the VIP club and get a free app with every meal.

PS: Glad you liked Sky!

For a reasonably prices steak & potato place, We like Texas Roadhouse on Davis.
It's not Ruth Chris, but they do a pretty good job.


We are taking neighbors out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse Saturday night. I really love steaks, but I am not much of a rib eye steak person, but I love their rib eyes. It is not a great steak place, but it is tasty and priced reasonably and we always try to stop once every three weeks we are down here in the winter.

Glad you liked Sky!

The crust was even better when we reheated the pizza. I am so thankful for the recommendations because some of the folks in Milton recommended a pizza place near the courthouse and it was horrible. It tasted live velvetta cheese and ketchup. Strangest pizza place seating and they sold fudge in a glass case as you waited too long for the pizza. Horrible experience. I have also enjoyed the firehouse subs from a recommendation from Boards two years ago when Subway around Thanksgiving had a hot pastrami sandwich which was only seasonal. We tried the firehouse on boards recommendation and it was good.

We would like to check out Chets on Sunday as we need to return monday afternoon.

I heard Jackson's had the best steak in town, but last time we walked by they required a dinner jacket and I have not brought one down. I will probably try to bring one down in early march. My daughter is bringing the grandkids and husband down for spring break on Navarre beach end of March, but I will have to drive up by myself, get my shot, turn around, get right back down to see the grandkids. I am piszed at my son and daughter in law as they chose a cruise and will not be bringing the boys down. They do not like driving and drinking and the cruise allows them to kick back with the kids, drink and walk to their rooms. I just do not think I am going to have another spring break with them and would have enjoyed the beach with them.

We took out our neighbors who watch our property when we are out of town and had planned on the texas roadhouse, but we had a forty minute wait, so I suggested Chet's and they were regular patrons and preferred it.

When we got there we only had to wait less than five minutes. However, they were out of everything. Our neighbors love the Mullet, but when the waitress came back, they only had a half order left. They were out of corona beer, they were out of crackers, they were out of crab claws, they were out of banana pudding which made my neighbor insane because I had talked about my grandmother in Birmingham making fresh banana pudding........The waitress was a sweetheart and despite our neighbors giving her a little crap about being out of everything, I left her a 25% tip. I worked as a busboy my freshman year in high school and always understood that the problems in the back end of a restaurant are not the fault of the waitress and they get abused. The fish was good, but I am not much into fried foods. I like broiled fish but it reminded me of my childhood. The neighbor got out of the waitress that they had 400 lbs of mullet delivered earlier in the week, and they had sold it all. Lot of silver haired older people, but sadly my wife and I did not have a good experience, and I am not a big Mullet fan.......even when they do not run out of it.

Sorry you had a bad visit. We always go around 5pm. 

I grew up on mullet....fresh mullet. We cleaned and cook the mullet the day we caught it. 

My fondest memories with my dad was mullet fishing every Friday morning (weather permitting) for a couple of years. Dad caught the mullet, I cleaned it and we cooked it right on the dock and ate.....Fried mullet, canned pork and beans and a slice of white bread.

It is an acquired taste. My neighbors love it, but again I am not a fried food fan. I told the waitress who was apologizing that we would be back because of your recommendation. You have to think about 400 lbs of mullet being gobbled up by patrons by only Saturday night. They were very flexible as I asked the cajun rice to be substituted with their garlic mashed potatoes on another special.....they did it and it was very tasty. I am happy that you got to spend that quality time with your father......I have a feeling you were daddy's little girl and those memories stay with you a lifetime.

2seaoat wrote:I heard Jackson's had the best steak in town, but last time we walked by they required a dinner jacket and I have not brought one down.  I will probably try to bring one down in early march.  My daughter is bringing the grandkids and husband down for spring break on Navarre beach end of March, but I will have to drive up by myself, get my shot, turn around, get right back down to see the grandkids.  I am piszed at my son and daughter in law as they chose a cruise and will not be bringing the boys down.  They do not like driving and drinking and the cruise allows them to kick back with the kids, drink and walk to their rooms.  I just do not think I am going to have another spring break with them and would have enjoyed the beach with them.

Have eaten at Jackson's twice, not impressed. Saltgrass where Landry's used to be has steaks that melt in your mouth. Shrimp platter out of this world.

ppaca wrote:Have eaten at Jackson's twice, not impressed. Saltgrass where Landry's used to be has steaks that melt in your mouth. Shrimp platter out of this world.

Used to be Jackson's was happy with a long sleeved dress shirt. Things must've changed. Always thought it was overpriced and pretentious myself. Thanks for the recommendation on Saltgrass; have been wondering. How hard do you suppose it is to get in on a Saturday night these days?

McGuire's also has excellent steaks.

McGuire's also has excellent steaks.

Only been there once as we found the food mediocre and the place was a jammed tourist trap. It must have improved over the years and we will try it in March. We had friends who swore by the place, and when we went with them it was like going to the dentist waiting for a table and excruciating slow service with my wife and I not having very good burgers. Whataburgers were tenfold better, but I will try a steak there instead of a burger.

2seaoat wrote:McGuire's also has excellent steaks.

Only been there once as we found the food mediocre and the place was a jammed tourist trap.  It must have improved over the years and we will try it in March.  We had friends who swore by the place, and when we went with them it was like going to the dentist waiting for a table and excruciating slow service with my wife and I not having very good burgers.  Whataburgers were tenfold better, but I will try a steak there instead of a burger.

We have always enjoyed McGuire's, you just have to know the best time to go.

The steaks are very good. Our favorite is the smoked prime rib....it is a 16 oz cut so we split it and still have to get a to go box. My older grandkids love the filet mignon. I am not a huge rib eye lover but the McGuire's rib eye has great flavor.

My favorite sandwich the rueben but I do not like the potato salad at McGuire's,  Yuk.

Originally, McGuire's was the Old Firehouse Restaurant and drive in....it has a lot of nostalgia for native Pensacolians.

I like whataburger but the best burger's I've had around here are either McGuire's or sidelines. I have found the best times to go to McGuire's is between 2 and 4 and Saltgrass 2 and 5 PM.

I like East Hill Market on 9th Ave. between DeSoto and Gonzales.  It's an old converted gas station, but the food is great and there's a small grocery.  What I really like is the people who run it...a family operation.  

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34550-d3823263-Reviews-East_Hill_Market-Pensacola_Florida.html

I recommend the fish tacos.

Even though it's not a restaurant, I also recommend the Apple Market on Scenic Hwy. Their deli is great, but they (still) have the best meat dept. in town...great food to go from the deli. I recently cooked filet mignon...just bacon-wrapped and seasoned with garlic salt and pepper. Sauteed in olive oil on both sides; then finish covered at 300 degrees. (I like my meat well done). So good!

ppaca wrote:I like whataburger but the best burger's I've had around here are either McGuire's or sidelines. I have found the best times to go to McGuire's is between 2 and 4 and Saltgrass 2 and 5 PM.

Sidelines' burger is one of our top favorites,too, and is just like a perfectly cooked, thick (half pound) and moist back yard burger from home.

McGuire's burger consistently wins "best of" awards around here, but it's not a traditional hamburger, so that may've been what was off-putting to Sea. It's billed as a steakburger and that's exactly what it is -- ground steak on a bun. Obscenely large and very flavorful, if you like a char-grilled steak taste.

In fact, we treated ourselves to the steakburger yesterday afternoon after taking departing guests to the airport, hoping the beach-bound traffic would clear before we headed home. It didn't; in fact, traffic was much worse at 3 p.m. than it had been at 1:30. Bumper-to-bumper all the way across the Three Mile and creeping & crawling onto the beach. Even taking the 'back' way in Gulf Breeze it was still an hour trip. Portent of things to come. Ugh.

Ppaca, is the shrimp platter at Saltgrass fried, I hope not?

RealLindaL wrote:

ppaca wrote:I like whataburger but the best burger's I've had around here are either McGuire's or sidelines. I have found the best times to go to McGuire's is between 2 and 4 and Saltgrass 2 and 5 PM.

Sidelines' burger is one of our top favorites,too, and is just like a perfectly cooked, thick (half pound) and moist back yard burger from home.

McGuire's burger consistently wins "best of" awards around here, but it's not a traditional hamburger, so that may've been what was off-putting to Sea.  It's billed as a steakburger and that's exactly what it is -- ground steak on a bun.   Obscenely large and very flavorful, if you like a char-grilled steak taste.  

In fact, we treated ourselves to the steakburger yesterday afternoon after taking departing guests to the airport, hoping the beach-bound traffic would clear before we headed home.  It didn't; in fact, traffic was much worse at 3 p.m. than it had been at 1:30.  Bumper-to-bumper all the way across the Three Mile and creeping & crawling onto the beach.  Even taking the 'back' way in Gulf Breeze it was still an hour trip.  Portent of things to come.  Ugh.

Makes me homesick . . .

RealLindaL wrote:Ppaca, is the shrimp platter at Saltgrass fried, I hope not?

6 grilled 6 bbq but really grilled with sauce on them and 6 stuffed, but I believe the stuffed were fried, but not at all greasy.

knothead wrote:

RealLindaL wrote:

ppaca wrote:I like whataburger but the best burger's I've had around here are either McGuire's or sidelines. I have found the best times to go to McGuire's is between 2 and 4 and Saltgrass 2 and 5 PM.

Sidelines' burger is one of our top favorites,too, and is just like a perfectly cooked, thick (half pound) and moist back yard burger from home.

McGuire's burger consistently wins "best of" awards around here, but it's not a traditional hamburger, so that may've been what was off-putting to Sea.  It's billed as a steakburger and that's exactly what it is -- ground steak on a bun.   Obscenely large and very flavorful, if you like a char-grilled steak taste.  

In fact, we treated ourselves to the steakburger yesterday afternoon after taking departing guests to the airport, hoping the beach-bound traffic would clear before we headed home.  It didn't; in fact, traffic was much worse at 3 p.m. than it had been at 1:30.  Bumper-to-bumper all the way across the Three Mile and creeping & crawling onto the beach.  Even taking the 'back' way in Gulf Breeze it was still an hour trip.  Portent of things to come.  Ugh.

Makes me homesick . . .

Missing the seafood?

Enjoyed a delightful lunch Panera Bread. I have the steak sandwich (1/2) and the chicken and rice soup with some bread........been going to one in Illinois for 15 years, but the new one in Pace has clean restrooms and good quality control on the food. We have not enjoyed the same quality control on some other national chains, but this is a new store and they are doing a good job.

I like the Panera in Gulf Breeze but I must say we enjoy Newk's. The new location is across from the Civic Center on 9th and Chase. We eat there often and the grandkids love it.

Joani, can you define how Newk's is better than Panera? Not that we'll likely go to Newk's - Gulf Breeze is just too convenient, and always good. (Except for the time last year when hubby got food poisoning from the turkey chili.)

RealLindaL wrote:Joani, can you define how Newk's is better than Panera?  Not that we'll likely go to Newk's - Gulf Breeze is just too convenient, and always good.  (Except for the time last year when hubby got food poisoning from the turkey chili.)

Newk's has a better variety....  Salads are excellent as well as the sandwiches. Newk's is only 4-5 miles away from Panera. Very convenient for Gulf Breeze....

 I like the fire roasted tomato soup. Being Celiac, I get the chicken salad no bread and Cole slaw.