Uncle Ernie’s Bayfront Grill & Brew House

The venue… spectacular! The food… very poor cost to value. My companion ordered the seared tuna rare with mash and broccoli and a red bean soup for a starter. I had the crab cakes. While the portions were generous the food was just ok. When paying $ 23 for an entrée you expect something better than you can produce at home. Frankly it was not at all special. The soup tasted like a diluted can of beans with raw onions on top. The crab cakes were very much like that gross doughy concoction you find in frozen super market stuffed crabs. The tuna was cooked perfectly but was flavorless. All in all the place has a gorgeous atmosphere and view but the food is priced way beyond the quality. I can say the service was exemplary and that did make up for some of the food’s shortcomings.

I lived in Panama City for ten + years and this was always a family favorite.
It’s been years since we’ve lived in the area, yet we still always hit Ernie’s on a visit.
It’s located in historic St. Andrews on the bay and the view is the best part. Can’t beat a leisurely lunch on the patio looking over the water and the boats. Heaters and plastic flaps are there in the winter so it’s not even like there’s a difference.
I rarely order off the menu because the specials are so amazing. On our most recent visit I had the lobster bisque grouper and lobster ravioli. It was TO DIE FOR. seriously. Never sleep on the salad and always enjoy a slice of the bread.
And don’t forget to cap off your meal with the key lime pie. Best in the state. I’ve traveled far and wide and this is still the best. Not too tart and not too sweet :)
Service always seems quick and speedy and you can’t miss when you come here. It’s been a staple and I imagine it always will be.

Mrs and I here at 4:30 for Valentine’s day dinner.
Started with a cup of she crab soup each.
Creamy and flavorful and a good bit of crab. A little light on the sherry.
Very good bloody Mary with a touch of sea (clam juice?) flavor.
Salads were fresh and tasty with the house parmesan vinaigrette dressing.
Wife ordered the fried seafood combo (Taste of the Gulf) which came with coleslaw and fries and I opted for the shrimp and scallops imperial with a double order of broccoli.
The Mrs was very impressed by both the fresh taste and size of the fried sea scallops and the shrimp. The fried oysters were good but not overly impressive. I don’t think she touched the fries, however, the coleslaw was top notch.
My shrimp and scallops imperial was very good and the imperial was creamy and crabby but had a lot of shell bits.
Meal came to $ 71 and change + tip.
Service was Excellent as was the view.
The wife and I decided we will probably return.
Recommended.

We had dinner during the super bowl. So it was quiet. I split a salad and the Mahi with raspberry sauce. If was terrific. It sounded strange but it was the best i have had in a long time. The Key lime pie was terrific also. Great fish restaurant on the water. Joanna

this place smells. but they have a good view of the water. crab cakes are good

We enjoy eating at Uncke Ernie’s. The waterfront view is the best of any restaurant in Panama City.
We have come by boat before while enjoying a beautiful day at sea. Watched the sunset on the back deck numerous times. Always amazing!
The food is just ok and the prices are high.

Such a great fun vacation lunch or dinner spot. Really great location on the water so you get atmosphere and delicious food. The staff was super helpful. We were 3 minutes early and they were sweet enough to let us in so we did not have to stand in the winter cold. We had grouper fish & chips and split a to die for chocolate cake. 4 layers of yum. Great for family or for night out. They have a cute bar. Thanks to the staff and way to go to their chef we loved everything the hush puppies are perfect with a hint of sweet and the tartar sauce is great with a hint of spice. Will definitely put on the list for next years vacation.

Pleasantly surprised by our visit to uncle Ernie’s last night. Started off with the Mona Lisa margarita which was a fantastic recommendation from the waiter. Enjoyed the spinach salad w/​crabcake, served w/​a great honey mustard dressing. Hubby had the ahi tuna which was quite impressive. Ambiance is so cozy and local. Loved it

4 stars for simply great, FRESH seafood on the water in a beautiful location for great prices and ambience.
The cocktail menu could use some work?! You can tell the demographic of this place focuses more on beer and wine but my table came in ready to eat AND drink (men’s birthdays) and this place just didn’t seem like it was ready for us. If I was our server, I would’ve used this to my advantage but ours didn’t. We (party of 4) split a pitcher of strawberry peach mojitos and each only got 1 glassful. Our server said there was «some leaves and stuff» that we might’ve wanted leftover inside of our now pitcher of ice. That made me laugh. We inquired about the nearest Liqour store and decided to leave the drinking for later.
We were also pretty cramped into a corner on the outside deck against the railing. Next time, I’m picking the table when I make the reservation.
All in all, I can appreciate that we visited this restaurant on a busy weekend night and was probably on the younger side of their usual guests. We definitely enjoyed our food and will be back! Hopefully we can catch the sunset, I bet that would be really beautiful here.

One of the locals suggested this as a great seafood spot and he was right! The waterside setting was beautiful. We started off with the calamari which was great. My wife and I split the combo platter which has shrimp, scallops, crab cake and fish smothered in mushrooms, salad, coleslaw and hushpuppies. Everything was delicious! Finished the meal off with an awesome key lime pie. It was a great lunch!

Last dinner in Panama City for this vacation and our extended family decided on Uncle Ernie’s.
Place was packed but by the time we arrived our cousin already had us a table. The restaurant used to be a family home we were told and it was built in the late 1800’s.
For an appetizer we ordered the Pecan Crusted Coconut Shrimp. Unlike a lot of coconut shrimp the pecan crust made the sweetness of the coconut less pronounced and quite delicious.
My son ordered the above mentioned shrimp as his meal and both Janet and I ordered the fried shrimp. Other dishes ordered at our table were the crab cakes, Mahi Mahi, fried grouper, broiled grouper, and Shrimp Imperial.
Everyone loved their food. The fried shrimp was fantastic and came with fries, Cole slaw, and a hush puppy. The cole slaw was delicious and next to Cock of the Walk, might be the best I’ve ever had. The cocktail sauce was very good but didn’t have the ‘bite’ I
Love.
Service was Okay but not great. It is pretty pricey, maybe more so than Captain Anderson’s, and it was very loud. The view of the bay with the sun setting adds to the ambience. I would recommend because the food was that good.

Great view and great music
There was a live music playing on the top level outdoor patio
Beautiful breeze and view of the bay and less noise than the floor level
We had the crab black bean dip — it was okay
The Greek salad was excellent and the bread was served with olive oil

BEST SEAFOOD EVER!!!
Not only is the view outside perfect for pictures, the food is amazing! We started off with the fried calamari and it was perfect. I ordered the shrimp and scallops imperial dinner and was blown away!!! The scallops were huge and it was sitting on a bed of seasoned crab meat with the shrimp around the edges. I told the server how delicious i thought the food was and he told me about how the cook came up with his own seasoning and that’s what makes it so tasty. When we were waiting for our table we went over to the side and took some awesome sunset pictures. We sat outside facing the docks and the view was great. The food is not too expensive, but it’s worth every penny.
I have been telling everyone about this place since I have eaten here and definately will be coming back when I come back to PCB!!! This place is a must eat when you get here!!!

First, I think this is a $$$ place and not a $$ place. Dinner for two was nearly $ 100. I don’t have an issue spending money eating out. Just want folks to know that most entrees are about $ 30 here.
It was fabulous. Great view of the bay. Excellent drinks and the bread with oil is off the chain. The house salad we had included black olives which was a little different but very good. The ranch was superb.
We had an appetizer that was huge and ended up sharing the grilled seafood platter which was outstanding. Scallops, shrimp, fish and a crab cake. We added extra order of shrimp. All of it was super. Perfectly cooked and the sides which are usually an after thought were no less delicious. If you are looking for upscale food and causal ambience this the place. The seafood is definitely among the very best in the area. Loved it.

Good seafood, unbeatable view, friendly service. Ask to be seated outdoors. The wait is worth it, especially just before dusk. I can’t wait to return to try out the upstairs bar on a Saturday night!
I always order the grouper, but their savory mashed potatoes are the highlight of the meal. Really, I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu, though the one cocktail I’ve ordered was much too sweet for my taste. Note for next time: stick to red wine.

Well, I found one of the best spots in PC/​PCB to get the sunset and it’s the upstairs bar at Uncle Ernie’s. I arrived with about 20 minutes to go and was able to get a great seat with a terrific view of the water facing west.
My waitress kindly brought me a beer and a menu, but she was disappointed that all I had was one beer and an appetizer order of the crab cakes. The beer was excellent, a local brew in a frosty glass. The crab cakes were tasty but I wonder why they had to pour so much honey mustard sauce over them. They were plenty moist already and well packed with crab meat.
The sunset was perfect.

i love this place! great location, great food, & great service! i like sitting outside on covered patio to watch the water & boats. great place to watch sunset, too.
i had the (special) mahi & shrimp in roasted red pepper cream sauce. wonderful! cooked perfectly & loved the sauce. i would definately recommend that dish.
but the best thing about this restaurant is the service. i’ve been to alot of places with good food but horrible service and it just ruins the experiance. our waitress, diane (?), was probably the best waitress i’ve ever had. she was pleasent & attentive without hovering or making us feel like we needed to leave as soon as we were done.
they now have a loyal customer with me :)

Ok uncle Ernie,
We got here on a Friday very busy waited almost 2 hours for a seat that’s our fault. I never wait that long for anywhere I don’t care what you’re serving.
First thing I noticed is the food is pricey ok seafood I get it they are close to the water but they have to up the prices to tax the visitors.
My First Lady ordered the shrimp and fries with hush puppies for a little over $ 20 and a crab cake for $ 8.99. I ordered the shrimp and scallop imperial with house salad.
Food came out my First Lady said the fried shrimp was good as well as the French fries. Hush puppies terrible she spit it out and the crab cake excuse me BREAD cake no crab in sight was terrible! How they got award winning I have no idea. I think they were the only people in the contest and won by default.
The salad was ok a little too much Parmesan cheese. Shrimp and scallop imperial was a failed attempt no flavor the sauce was like fake hollandaise sauce. The mash potatoes ok broccoli just broccoli.
Our waiter was awesome we told him about the crab cake and no hesitation he took it off the bill cool. So in short this is overpriced tourist destination with below average food. Oh the view on the back porch is VERY NICE. Eat at your own risk.

Food wasn’t very good, but the atmosphere was good with a wonderful view.
The ahi tuna appetizer was smothered in some sort of red chili gel sauce. I didn’t love it, or hate it — it was just kind of blah. When I ordered ahi tuna I always order it rare and like the flavor of the ahi tuna itself, but I couldn’t taste it at all with that gross sauce.
We ordered the grouper imperial to share. It was okay, but again — when a dish costs $ 32 I’d like some flavor. The one thing I liked a lot on that plate were the shrimp. They were great!
I am giving them 2 stars for the view.
I tried to order oysters on the half shell, which they don’t serve and vanilla ice cream for the kids and again they didn’t serve it. They had 4 or 5 deserts so I would assume they would have vanilla Ice cream for customers who wanted to order their dessert a la mode. But nope.

I love this place so much that every time I have family visit, I’d bring them here. First, it’s located in a cool spot right on the water. Sitting outside with the view and the breeze is so relaxing. Secondly, the food is wonderful! The scallops are the best I’ve ever had! Next, they have a great selection of beer! I love the sampler!!! Lastly, it’s kind of pricey, but it tasted fresh.