The Captain's Table - A Taste of Home

WHERE WE WENT:   

The Captain's Table
1110 Beck Avenue
Panama City, FL 32405

WHAT WE ORDERED:
Shrimp Po' Boy, French Fries, Cheese Grits, Hushpuppies

WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 6
Menu - 7
Presentation - 5
Taste - 6
Price - 7
Service - 6
 Overall - 6


Atmosphere - The Captain's Table 's one word summation would be "dive." It's an old building, with peeling paint and in great need of renovation. Any little bits of decor are of old Florida photos, preserving the history of the town, which would be cool, if the amount was not so sparse. The idea could be executed really well,

if it seemed like there was any conscious effort to create a theme. It really looks like someone found a few old photos and keepsakes in the attic and just strew them around where they landed. The tables and chairs are old and rickety with torn cushions and wobbly legs that make you pay attention to your balance all meal. In spite of all of these really unappealing aspects, Captain's Table does manage to maintain an air of small town charm. This is the kind of place where the servers know you and you run into your neighbors on a Sunday afternoon. The chairs may be wobbly, but if you're from around here, then they're probably the same ones your great-grandparents sat in. It's located in the fantastic, historic old neighborhood of St. Andrews, surrounded by other quaint pieces of the town's history.

Menu -  There is pretty much all the kinds of seafood that you'd want. Since it's in the Panhandle, you know that anything you order is going to be super fresh. The oysters on the half shell are always the star. There are some standard options available in case you're not a fan of fishy fare. If you are a strict vegetarian though, good luck. You'll be relegated to maybe three choices, one of which is a less than appetizing side salad. While there is an abundance of seafood options, nothing is particularly unique or creative. There isn't any spark of culinary genius that you'd find in the big city.
 
Presentation - It's exactly the kind of presentation you would expect from a dive caliber joint.

Taste - We'll start with the good. Captain's Table has some of the BEST cheese grits ever. In the South, we take our grits pretty seriously, and these are serious. They are the perfect mix of creamy and cheesy. The hushpuppies are also delicious. They are have a nice after-kick to them. What wasn't so great was the po' boy. There wasn't a ton of shrimp and the bread was kinda stale. Where the bread was stale, the french fries have the exact opposite problem; they were soggy. While it's great that the hushpuppies and cheese were yummy, if you're a seafood restaurant then your main shrimp should be amazing.

Price -The price is good. It helps that the food comes fresh out of the gulf. It's pretty comparable to any other similar place in the same market.

Service - Our waitress was kind of flighty. It took her a long while to come over and greet us and take our drink orders, and it was not a particularly busy time. My drink sat empty for a while, a couple of different times. She wasn't very friendly either. Not someone I would ask for their section.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Meh. It's a part of the community and it's at a great location. It wouldn't be our first choice for dinner, but it works.