Where to dine for freshest, local seafood?

Locals...where do you go to dine on the freshest, local seafood, especially shrimp, but also amberjack, redfish, grouper, etc.?

Nicks's in the sticks (Basin Bayou) for the shrimp no doubt! They also have good local catch fish.

In today's world, it is difficult to really know where the seafood comes from in a restaurant. Do you trust the waiter's guess? When I eat a cooked to hockey puck frozen burger patty from a pricey restaurant, I have to wonder about the ingredients. We live next to the Gulf, but Publix sells shrimp which comes from Indonesia. Go figure. I'm beginning to think that all locally caught seafood is shipped out. I'm sure there are restaurants with some fresh catches, from somewhat local areas. Beware that several popular restaurants in Panama City and Panama City Beach were busted last year and the year prior for serving product other than what they were saying it was. For instance, they were selling Tilapia and calling it Grouper.

I thought they stopped allowing commercial fishing of Redfish and allowed only farm-raised for commercial sales. ???

I agree that Nick's in the sticks is good. Saw them checking their crab traps at lunch time today.

Not sure if they are local or not, but Stinky's Fish Camp has some great tasting fried shrimp.

Dusty's is pretty good. Or, go to Shrimper's, on 98.

Stinky's Fish Camp. We recommend numerous 30-a eateries to guests at our store, and when they come back to us, we always hear the raves for Stinky's. Yes, it's a strange name, but behind the scenes at Stinky's are a great group of classically trained chefs that know & love great seafood and its preparation. Hope that helps!

The first time we went to The Back Porch (circa 1982-ish) we LOVED their chargrilled amberjack, but it seems to have changed a lot...smaller portions and not as good as we remembered it from that first trip. We're basically looking for that "old" Back Porch, if it even exists anymore.

I always have had great food at Stinky's! I also enjoy Seagrove Market Cafe. I'm hoping to make it to Nick's this year!

Smiling Fish in Gulf Place!

My house if I was a restaurant. I for the most part cook my own seafood, and I only buy from Shrimpers. If I go out, seafood and steaks are the things I don't order for the most part except for Louis Louis for their Grouper, spinach and grit which is great and I have yet to figure out how to make it at home to my satisfaction.

Book a trip with a Cpt. out of greyton for truly fresh fish..Shrimpers is the worst seafood market in sowal.Goatfeathers is a much better choice for raw shrimp..Cook em @ da house only way to be sure of freshness..

Stinky's.

I like Stinky's Fish Camp as well. Never had a bad meal there!

love Shrimpers Seafood market, always smells clean, good variety of locally caught fish, Stinky's is excellent, but props to Shorty's for some great grouper and shrimp, sushi too

If you go into Goatfeather's, pick your own shrimp and then have them season and steam them, it is as if you have died and gone to seafood heaven. They will still be hot when you get home, if you don't live too far and I don't, and with a salad, cocktail sauce, which I make, the meal is unparalled. It beats any restaurant hands down.

Nicks's in the sticks (Basin Bayou) for the shrimp no doubt! They also have good local catch fish.

I'll have to agree with you on Nicks!

I was there yesterday (by boat) and had "the best" smoked mullet dip,
and steamed blue crabs.

Thanks Trey!

If you go into Goatfeather's, pick your own shrimp and then have them season and steam them, it is as if you have died and gone to seafood heaven. They will still be hot when you get home, if you don't live too far and I don't, and with a salad, cocktail sauce, which I make, the meal is unparalled. It beats any restaurant hands down.

For fried shrimp, for us it's Stinky's. But our most enjoyable meals have been steamed shrimp from Goatfeathers with a bag salad and served at sunset on our porch overlooking the Gulf. Ten dollars plus a bottle or two of wine. Can't beat it!

For dinner Commander's Palace in Destin. Always get their fish from within a small radius from Destin!! Bon Appetit!

Gravel Road has been serving some wonderful fresh cobia lately!

Never had cobia. What's it taste like?

It's a firm, mild white fish with a nice texture. Something of a novelty because it's only in local waters a short time every spring.

Will it still be available next month?

Had lunch at Dewey Destin (original) yesterday. I'm from NOLA and those were the freshest most delicious fried shrimp ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've found Dewey Destin's has about an 80% hit/20% miss ratio, but when they're on, they're really on.

When we first started vacationing in Destin, our favorite seafood place was Captain Jewel Melvin's. Does that still exist?

IIRC, Jewel Melvin's closed some time around 2000. There's a park named for him in Destin over towards the airport.

The first time we went to The Back Porch (circa 1982-ish) we LOVED their chargrilled amberjack, but it seems to have changed a lot...smaller portions and not as good as we remembered it from that first trip. We're basically looking for that "old" Back Porch, if it even exists anymore.

it used to be pretty special...now, not so much.