Restaurant Review: Montego Bay Panama City Beach, Florida

May 20, 2007 I revisited Montego Bay in Panama City Beach, Florida. There are two locations; the original is small, older, and located on Thomas Drive. The Second Montego Bay is at The Shops at Edgewater. It is a lot nicer, and newer. Where you go may depend on the wait, or the atmosphere you prefer. Either way, you are sure to get great food and service.

Montego Bay offers some of Panama City Beach’s best seafood at reasonable prices. A group of four adults ate well, for approximately seventy-two dollars. This included three entrees, one appetizer, and one appetizer as a meal.

We started with a mixed appetizer that offered a sample of coconut fried shrimp, onion fries, gator bites, fried pickles and chicken wings. The gator bites are the best available in Panama City Beach. Montego Bay seems to be the only restaurant that knows how to pick them, or cook them so they can actually be chewed. The shrimp were plump and delicious. The only improvement would to have had them deveined. No one likes pulling a stringy vein out of their food. The onion fries were lightly battered and crisp, and the fried pickles were a treat.

All of the entrees were great. They always are at Montego Bay.

I had Mahi Mahi grilled to perfection. I have yet to find a restaurant that can cook the mild, white fish any better. Montego Bay serves it grilled, fried, blackened, or jerk. It was served with long grain rice, and a house salad. Even the greens in the house salad were fresh. I didn’t feel like I was paying for a salad dumped out of a quick seal bag.

One diner in our group had chicken fingers. They were more like breaded chicken breasts and fried golden brown. There were at least six massive pieces of chicken served with piping hot fries. Yum! There was far too much in this entrée to eat in one sitting.

Another diner in our group had grilled catfish. I had never heard of grilled catfish. I’m from the south, and we fry everything. I was surprised to see it on the menu. The diner loved the flavor, and said it was cooked as well as any she had ever had. Her sides were homemade mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

The gator bites were so good they served as someone’s dinner. With a side of fries, he had so many gator bites that he had enough to take back to the condo for lunch the next day. We also took home onion straws and chicken fingers.

Montego Bay has never failed to meet or exceed my expectations for taste, service, and price. The portions are hardy and filling. After a day in the heat, the staff makes sure your glass stays full. For a dependable good meal in Panama City Beach eat at Montego Bay.