They began in 1986 when Wanda “Mamma Gumbo” Greenand Paul “Action” Jackson took over the business. In the beginning they were about half the size they are today. They had a small detached building behind the Boathouse – called “The Outback” – that served as our kitchen. Each day tjhey prepared fresh hamburgers, fish sandwiches, and more. They cooked on a gas grill, much like yours at home, and served our ice cold beer and crawfish in the Boathouse and on the decks outside. On Fridays, a crowd would gather and watch the crawfish being purged and boiled, while drinking ice cold beer and enjoying the fishing fleet on the harbor.As a Boathouse originally, there have always been wooden walls and rafters where our customers, local and tourists alike, would write their names on and then staple up a dollar bill. People come back every year to find their dollar bill still there. The Boathouse is a local hotspot and they love their visitors. The only thing that disturbed the dollar bills was Hurricane Opal back in 1995. Destin took a direct hit and the Boathouse was flattened! Our customers, not having any place to go for a cold beer, gathered their chainsaws and tools and helped us rebuild the Boathouse as it is today. Hurricane Opal hit on October 4, 1995, and we reopened the day after Thanksgiving 1995 – thanks to our wonderful customers and friends!
The boathouse has developed several traditions over the years. They take pride in the quality of the food that they serve and only serve Appalachacola Oysters (unless they close their beds.) Plus our Crab and Shrimp Gumbo has won many local awards. The crawfish come only from Louisiana and you can “suck the head and eat the tail” from mid-February to mid-June each year.
Their T-shirts and Huggies are world famous and the long-neck beer is ice cold. From early Spring until late Fall they have the best local entertainment every night and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons overlooking the harbor.
Website: http://www.boathouseoysterbar.com/
Phone: (850) 837-3645
