The Last Local Beach Club
Panama City Beach, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Seafood
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 0.5/5
Dined in October 2017
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
They call Schooners the "Last Local Beach Club," and it really is the last of the old open-air hangouts left on the Gulf Coast. It started back in the late 60's when it was known as "The Beach Party." In 1985, Jim Cannon purchased "The Beach Party" and renamed it “Schooners."
Every morning, Schooners restaurant chefs buy fresh local seafood from boat captains and, by lunchtime, they have created a menu of daily specials which make the most of the fresh seafood and fresh local produce. There is a hint of "Southern" flavor to the menu with items like gumbo and other blackened dishes from New Orleans. Hushpuppies recipes from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and homemade key lime pie. My wife and I were on a weekend visit to Panama City Beach to the Emerald Coast and stopped into Schooners for dinner. My wife started with a rosé from Château Miraval which is located in the village of Correns, just north of Brignoles, a village in the Var département in the south of France. An A.O.P Côtes de Provence blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Rolle. According to the winemaker, it is beautiful, pale, petal-pink color, elegant with bright nuances. An aromatic expression with aromas of fresh fruit and spring flowers, refreshing acidity, with great minerality and a saline finish. I started with a bloody Mary, normally reserved for brunch time, but what the heck, we were on vacation.
Menu:
- Appetizers
- Salads
- Soups
- Sandwiches
- Entrees
- On The Side
- Desserts
We began with two salads my wife having the Mediterranean salad with mixed greens, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, garlic croutons and feta cheese. I had the spinach and walnut salad with bacon, red onion, boiled eggs, and feta. Other selections included the gala chicken salad, house and Caesar salads.
If you decided on a few appetizers instead of salad, such as smoked tuna dip, crab claws, Wisconsin cheese curds, and lobster flatbread.
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| Spinach Salad |
Most of the menu consists of seafood, with a few land options like the jerk chicken. There are several shrimp dishes to which my wife and I shared the shrimp and grits with smoked gouda and tasso cheese grits topped with porcini mushroom cream sauce. with the dinner, I switched from the bloody mary to a Grayton 30A Beach Blonde, Light-bodied Ale, which had clean bittersweet undertones, mild citrus, and malt finish.
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| Shrimp and grits |
Dessert:
We did not have dessert on this visit but for those that do have room, they have the key lime pie mentioned earlier, a Molton lava cake, and two cheesecake recipes.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Seafood Articles & Restaurants:
400 Beach Seafood and Taphouse Relaxed coastal cuisine in St. Petersburg, Florida
Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California
Hank’s Seafood A classy southern seafood eatery house in Charleston, South Carolina
Moshulu New American dining on a restored ship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar Laid-back Cape Cod-style seafood restaurant in Austin, Texas
Red Snapper Kiwi “fush n’ Chups” takeaway restaurant in Sumner, New Zealand
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
A Few Florida Favorites:
|
Brandon,
Casual curries of North & South with Buffet
|
Key West
Landmark bar since 1851, where Jimmy Buffet got his start
|
Old School Rustic Tuscan
Gulfport
|
|
Fine-dining waterfront spot for grilled fish and steaks
Indian Shores
|
Rustic Italian bistro with modern takes on classic dishes
Winter Park, Florida
|
Gourmet Organic Taqueria Street Food
Anna Maria, Florida, USA
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Schooners a 0.5 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were a very basic restaurant, the same or lower than the average dining experience of most restaurants which was reflected in their customer service and food quality.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
|
Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
|
10
|
7.5
|
2.5
|
Food quality
|
10
|
6
|
4
|
Plate presentation
|
8
|
6
|
2
|
Customer service
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8.5
|
2.5
|
6
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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5
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4
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Total regular points awarded
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45.5
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27
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18.5
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.593406593406593
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||
“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
|
1
|
0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.021978021978022
|
||
Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.615384615384615
|
||
Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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0.5
|
**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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0.5 of 5 Stars:
62% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
A Very Basic Dining Experience
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
|
Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style:
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American, Seafood
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears flip-flops!
|
Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Great outdoor dining, Scenic views, Hole-in-the-wall, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Private lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium to Loud
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
|
€
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Alcohol prices:
$50.00 USD
Schooners:
5121 Gulf Drive
Panama City, Florida
32408, USA
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 850-235-3555
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Website Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
|
Mon-Sun
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Modern Gastro Whole Animal Cookery
Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
|
Seasonally inspired continental European fare
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
|
High-end bistro with modern New Zealand cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
Other Pictures:
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
