In a world of cookie cutter chain restaurants and bars, a good dive bar is a treasure.  In Panama City Beach, a dive isn’t always the smallest, dirtiest, or cheapest place to grab a drink - but it usually takes a little from each category, and always draws an eclectic crowd.  So while Panama City Beach may always be better known for beach bars or dance clubs, it’s important not to overlook the dive bars that give patrons a place to grab a drink and a conversation - the places where just being bellying up to the bar gives you enough in common with anyone else there to strike up a conversation.

So in celebration of these small havens of originality and character, I give you: Panama City Beach’s Top 5 Dive Bars:
  • Patches
  • Mehdi’s
  • Ms. Newbys
  • No Name
  • Dusty’s

Patches Pub

A few years ago, when Florida’s indoor smoking laws changed and Patches had to choose between cigarettes and food, they chose cigarettes.  The remaining patrons stayed glued to their barstools, smoking and drinking and daring anyone to make them stop.  I assume they all died of lung cancer, and now Patches happily serves food again and limits smoking to the outside area, but that "Damn the Torpedos" attitude persists.  They have a reasonable beer selection, a shuffleboard table, a pretty good jukebox, but more importantly, they are possibly the last place in town where the bartender will drink with you, and spot you a free drink once you’ve put your time in.  There’s still also a bond that remains among the crowd that gathers in Patches.  It’s not uncommon to find live music played here, put on by small, local bands, but good stuff.  Come for a conversation, for the music, and for the out-of-the-way beach bar atmosphere.
4723 Thomas Drive
PCB (850) 233-8879 
(No stinkin’ website!)

Mehdi’s Sports Bar

Mehdi’s has cheap beer, an alcoholic concoction known as a "Bucket of Fun," and shots known as "Sexual Chocolate," but they had me hooked the moment I laid eyes on their ping-pong table.  Seriously, this is a wonderfully terrible idea for a bar, and it’s what keeps me coming back.  They certainly also bring in an eclectic crowd of people - none of whom are going to win any beauty prizes, but all of whom seem to be ready to rock out the Kareoke machine when the time is right. 
11840 Front Beach Rd., PCB
(850) 234-7333
www.mehdispcb.com


Ms. Newbys

Ms. Newbys slogan, "It’s not just a bar, it’s an adventure," is unfortunately true.  What began as a liquor store with a drive-thru window quickly evolved into something much more after its famous "Hunch Punch" made it a drinking destination.  Inside, they have a couple dartboards and a pool table (and a bar and a liquor store, of course), but the adventure is more plentiful in the covered outside area, where the live music blares, and bikers swarm as if the place is their personal Mecca.  It’s really hard to get kicked out of Ms. Newbys, but it’s still a pretty common occurrence.  But, really, it all boils down to this: Some of the weirdest people I’ve ever met in Panama City Beach, I’ve met in Ms. Newbys.  And that’s saying a lot!
8711 Thomas Dr.
PCB (850) 234-0030
www.msnewbyspcb.com

No Name Lounge

The No Name Lounge is just across the Hathaway Bridge, technically in Panama City.  However, the bar sits on the water, with a terrific view from the back deck.  Not that you’ll be able to see much of anything after two drinks here - these could be the strongest liquor drinks in the world, and they’re incredibly cheap.  Only suckers order beer here - Everyone in the know orders a booze drink.  If you’re extra brave, head over to the popcorn machine in the corner and make yourself a basket.  It’s sometime a little stale, but alway the perfect compliment to a strong, cheap booze drinkl.  Fun Fact:  The No Name has been in its current location since the dawn of time and has immeasurable clout with Panama City locals - The new Hathaway Bridge crosses the bay at an odd angle that can only be explained as purposefully bending its way around the No Name.
5555 W. Highway 98
Panama City (850) 763-9153 


Dusty’s Oyster Bar

While Dusty’s may not have the character of a classic dive bar, it has more characters than any other place on earth.  Behind the oyster bar, you’ll usually find Steve-O, owner of the fiercest mullet you’re likely to find this side of a Halloween costume, and the winner of several national oyster shucking championships.  As you might imagine, oysters are a specialty of the house, but they’re not the best in town.  What Dusty’s offers is an experience... and a lot of weird junk on the walls and hanging from the ceiling.  You might sit at a table with a ship’s steering wheel taking up valuable space, or maybe you’ll wander away from the table to feed the fish from the deck overhanging the pond out back.  If that’s not  your thing, try to pick a prize from the oddly placed claw game!  The food at Dusty’s that isn’t raw is generally fried, and while there always seems to be a crowd, there also always seems to be a bartender who’s more than able to straighten out a potential situation before anyone gets out of line.  Despite its drawbacks, Dusty’s remains a favorite for many, and once you’re hooked, you’re in for life.
16450 Front Beach Rd.
PCB (850) 233-0035

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