Hammerhead Fred's in Panama City Review
Hammerhead Fred's
While in Panama City Beach, Florida, you'll find there are many restaurants that are local, such as Hammerhead Fred's. Personally, it wasn't my first pick to eat dinner, but at 9:30 on an off-season, there wasn't much else open.
When we walked in, the hostess wasn't too thrilled and gave us a crazy look because they were closing in 30 minutes. One of the girls with us said the look and attitude alone would have normally made her leave, but there wasn't anything else available except Cheddars, Dominoe's, Hungry Howies Pizza, McDonald's, and a few other food places that we have in town.
We sat inside, as there is an option of inside or outside on the deck. The atmosphere was ok. The lighting was a little dark, or at least it had some type of odd lighting- a sort of dark yellow, but I've sat in worse and much darker. Personally, I like to see my food as it comes to the table and as I eat.
Anyway, the waitress was pleasant considering the attitude that we were introduced with upon walking in the door. We received our drinks and food rather quickly, and our checks were prompt. The service wasn't over the top courteous, but the waitress wasn't rude either. I'd say all in all, everything was about average.
Food:
The food wasn't too bad, but I will admit that I wasn't the hungriest person at the dinner table. I ordered a side salad with ranch and a VooDoo drink, which is one of the house specialties. The salad was a basic salad, so there's not much that you can do wrong here. Surprisingly enough, the ranch dressing wasn't overly watered down like a lot of restaurants like to do.
Other meals that were purchased, included a shrimp alfredo pasta which was loved. It was rich. After a side salad, there was a half a pasta left over that was devoured later that night.
A half a pound of crab legs was relatively cheap for the quantity and the overall flavor and taste. The crab legs were definitely loved among the table.
And, if you're lucky enough to catch a lobster for one dollar, you can get the lobster cooked and served for just that $1. We were able to catch a lobster and eat it among several people, as we all ordered regular meals and drinks. The lobster was pretty good, but I'm not much of a lobster fan.
The Drinks:
I did find that almost every restaurant has a VooDoo mix drink on the menu, and I tried a few, and Hammerhead Fred's had the best. There wasn't an overwhelming liquor taste and it was blended just right.
The drink was a little weak for $10, but it was definitely drinkable. It was a fruity drink, so if you're a beer drinker, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but if you're a mix drink lover, then I'd suggest giving the drink a try.
Overall:
Overall, I would definitely recommend checking out Hammerhead Fred's if you find yourself in Panama City, Florida. You may find that the prices can be a little high, but if you shop the menu, you can still get a cheap meal if you're trying to budget you're money while you're on vacation.
If you like crab legs, definitely grab the basket of legs, as they are rather flavorful, but you will find that there are many things on the menu to choose from. If you don't like seafood, there are plenty of other options.
