New Panama City Beach restaurant opening at former site of Half Baked Oyster Bar

Ebonee Burrell, The News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Panhandle Restaurant Group will soon bring a new restaurant concept to Panama City Beach.

The Rusty Grill, a Southern-style restaurant, is slated to open its doors Sunday at 2920 Thomas Drive, the former site of Half Baked Oyster Bar and Grill, which closed about a month ago. Scheduled hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Restaurant owner Rusty Enfinger said he is excited to start welcoming customers in an inviting, family-friendly atmosphere.

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The Rusty Grill is scheduled to open Sunday at 2920 Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach.
The Rusty Grill is scheduled to open Sunday at 2920 Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach.

"We know that people are excited about what's coming here," Enfinger said. "We really hope our customers leave here knowing our sense of family. We wanted to have a place where anyone could come to relax while enjoying great food."

The Rusty Grill will bring flavors of Southern and coastal cuisine, selling everything from steaks, grilled and fried seafood, wings, burgers, salads and desserts. The restaurant will also boast ice cream floats, low-carb options and a kids menu.

Most menu items will be made from in-house recipes and seasonings special to the brand. As the business grows, the owners said there are plans to expand menu options to give a wider variety.

In addition, TVs fill each wall of the restaurant, making it a new hub to enjoy seasonal sports and entertainment. It will also offer indoor seating and outdoor patio seating on a covered deck.

All hands were on deck to open the new restaurant, Enfinger said. The Rusty Grill was originally scheduled to open on Nov. 1, but it only took three weeks before the restaurant started taking shape, which expedited the process.

"It's been a smooth journey to open this restaurant," Enfinger said. "We have moved very fast, and it took a lot of hard work. We're very thankful for everyone on our team to help make this happen so soon."

The crew will be adding its final touches to the restaurant this week.

Chris McMillan, owner of PRG, said The Rusty Grill is the first location to open, and depending on the restaurant's success, the company will plan to open two additional restaurants in Bay County — eyeing locations in Callaway and Lynn Haven.

The Rusty Grill has it offers indoor and outdoor seating on a covered deck, with TVs filling each wall of the restaurant
The Rusty Grill has it offers indoor and outdoor seating on a covered deck, with TVs filling each wall of the restaurant

McMillan said PRG has plans to bring at least four new restaurant concepts to Bay County, including C-Macs, Teriyaki Madness, Big Chicken and a third RibCrib location.

"In the next five years, we hope to have opened about 150 restaurants and have at least 10 of those restaurants in Bay County," McMillan said. "We have big plans with PRG and are excited to keep growing in the community."

PRG is a Christian-based company that has operated out of Panama City for more than three years. The company owns the RibCrib locations in Callaway and Panama City and nearly 40 restaurants across the Southeastern states of Louisiana, Georgia, Arkansas and Florida.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Rusty Grill restaurant opening on Thomas Drive at Panama City Beach