Marina Bar & Grill

Marina Bar & Grill sits right on the water at Sandestin’s Baytowne Marina, where diners trade city noise for open views of Choctawhatchee Bay. The restaurant occupies one of the best vantage points in the resort, with a dining room and covered seating that face the marina’s rows of sailboats, charter boats, and pontoons. Visitors come here for the setting as much as the food. The bay stretches out in every direction, boats idle at the docks, and pelicans glide past at eye level with the tables.

The restaurant’s best-known feature has nothing to do with the menu. Maryann, a resident macaw, has become the unofficial mascot of Marina Bar & Grill, greeting guests from her perch near the entrance. Sandestin describes her as the restaurant’s “feathered ambassador,” and longtime visitors often stop to say hello before finding a table. Kids and first-time guests are usually the most delighted by the encounter, and Maryann turns a casual lunch stop into a small event for families exploring Baytowne Marina.

Marina Bar & Grill leans casual, and the menu matches the vibe. Shareables headline the starters, including nachos, wings, calamari, and grouper bites, a nod to the fresh Gulf seafood the Emerald Coast is known for. Soups and fresh salads round out the lighter options, while the sandwich list covers burgers, seafood, and poultry for guests who want something heartier. Entrees lean Southern and coastal at once, with Southern Shrimp and Grits and Fish Tacos among the standout plates. The bar keeps pace with the food, pouring frozen daiquiris, margaritas, mojitos, and a rotating list of house cocktail specialties built for sipping on the deck.

Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., with discounted pricing on rail drinks, draft beer, and wine, making late afternoon one of the better times to grab a waterfront seat without the dinner rush. The restaurant’s hours flex through the week. It opens at 8 a.m. on Sunday and Saturday for guests who want breakfast with a bay view, while Monday through Thursday service starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Friday hours stretch from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., giving visitors extra time to linger over drinks after the sun goes down.

Location matters here. Baytowne Marina is the boating hub of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, a 2,400-acre property that stretches between the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay. The marina holds 113 slips and serves as the launch point for evening cruises, bay fishing trips, and deep-sea charters, along with rentals for jet skis, kayaks, canoes, and pontoon boats. Marina Bar & Grill sits in the middle of all that activity, making it a natural stop before or after a day on the water. It also sits within easy walking distance of the Village of Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin’s dining and retail hub, so a meal here pairs easily with an evening of shopping or live entertainment nearby.

For visitors staying anywhere in Sandestin, the restaurant works as a low-key option that does not require a reservation or a dress-up outfit. It is a place to watch boats come and go, order a plate of grouper bites, and let a macaw steal a little bit of the spotlight. Groups traveling with kids will find it especially easy going, since the open-air seating and marina views give children plenty to look at between courses. Anyone booking a stay at Sandestin should plan at least one meal here, ideally timed for sunset, when the bay light turns gold and the marina slows down for the evening.

Reach the restaurant at 850-267-7778 to check on wait times or large-party seating. Marina Bar & Grill sits at 8330 Mike Hayes Dr in Miramar Beach, just steps from the marina docks, and details on the current menu and hours are posted at sandestin.com/marina-bar-grill.