There’s something very satisfying about finding a truly local restaurant in a highly-touristed area. A recent visit to Panama City, Fla., turned up an absolute find, the sort of place we’d head for if we had only one night in town. Hunt’s Oyster Bar is deeply casual; t-shirts and cutoffs are the norm. It’s a bright yellow building in downtown Panama City, with a couple of small parking lots and some benches in front. Those benches are the first clue to Hunt’s popularity and a place to wait, unless you’re lucky. And no, they don’t take reservations. (Apparently most Panama City restaurants are the same way; during the busy season, they don’t need to, and during the off season – well, they feel they don’t need to then, either.) We were told it would be a 45-minute wait, and sent a scouting party out to check a fancy-schmancy spot across the street. The scouts returned, reported a 30-minute wait. We stuck to Hunt’s, and were seated in 25 minutes.
The specialty of the house is, of course, oysters. And the house oysters at Hunt’s are Apalachicolas, brinier, a little more metallic and far tastier than those found farther west in the Gulf. Like a lot of seafood houses, not all their offerings are local. But we like to honor locally sourced ingredients whenever we visit restaurants, and most of what we had was local and worthwhile.
Oysters to start? But of course. and at the wonderful price of $4.75 a dozen.
And if they’re running a little small, a dozen at Hunt’s turns out to be 13 or 14, sometimes 15, and so it was. They arrived icy cold, gleaming and almost quivering they were so fresh. Absolutely delicious, the finest Apalachicolas we’ve ever had. Several varieties of baked oysters, still on the shell, were next, though cheese toppings are not Joe’s favorite because they can overwhelm a delicate oyster.
He likes oysters straight, or the baked ones topped with bacon or spinach. These were improved by being fresh and from the broiler; and a three-cheese Cajun succeeded because it was gooey, nicely spiced and not overcooked.
Also called "Cajun spiced" but using a slightly different spice mixture were the steamed shrimp. Large head-on shrimp, still warm, the seasoning somewhat spicy with a surprising note of clove that adds a little sweetness. If you’re the sort of seafood addict who knows to suck the heads of crawfish, these heads, too, are worthwhile. For everyone, the tender meat is delicious, even addictive.
Grilled grouper, a favorite Florida fish that’s mild and white-fleshed, arrived lightly cooked, and topped with an oregano-laced tomato-and-pepper saute. The same treatment for a large serving of little bay scallops was a good idea, too. Of the sides, we’d advise the hush puppies, spicier than most, and skipping the forgettable steamed vegetables and the garlic toast, harsh and artificial-tasting.
Key lime pie is the dessert of choice. Hunt’s version is served half-frozen, its filling firm and lightly tart, topped with whipped cream. We won’t get into the argument over whether key lime pie should be topped with meringue or whipped cream, and we disagreed on the pie itself. Ann, after some consideration, decided she liked the density and coldness of the pie after a rather spicy meal; Joe thought it was merely okay.
But the oysters, shrimp, grouper and scallops were far beyond for the merely okay, and at the Hunt’s price, it’s a pleasure to fill up on oysters. A real find.
Hunt’s Oyster Bar
1150 Beck Ave, Panama City, FL
850-763-9645
Lunch & Dinner Mon.-Sat.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Poor
Smoking: No
Entrees: $10-$18