Memorial Day 2024 in Pensacola area: 15+ places to go for cookouts, crawfish boils, specials
Memorial Day, which falls on May 27, is a day to honor the men and women who died serving in the U.S. military. It’s a place for being with family and friends, remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives while serving. Since Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are home to a large military population, there are plenty of places to spend time together without having to do the hosting.
In hopes of making your weekend meal planning a little easier, we’ve gathered up a list of Memorial Day food events, local restaurants offering military discounts and weekend food and drink specials for you to enjoy.
Memorial Day food events in Pensacola:
Coastal County Memorial Day Pre-Party May 25
3041 E. Olive Road
This Saturday, Coastal County will “kick off this Memorial Day weekend in true Coastal County style, transforming our beer garden into the perfect playground for having some fun in the sun!” according to the Coastal County website. From 1-6 p.m., they will be serving up all-American favorites, like smash burgers and hot dogs, along with all the toppings. They will have three giant bounce houses for the children and a giant inflatable water slide. There will be live, local music on the Beer Garden Stage all afternoon, along with a few lighthearted competitions.
Pensacola Harley-Davidson Memorial Day Cookout May 25
6385 Pensacola Blvd.
From noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Pensacola Harley-Davidson will be holding a Memorial Weekend Cookout “to remember those who have fought for our country and are no longer with us.” Harley’s Angels will be grilling free burgers and hot dogs along with serving free beer, soda, and water. Monster Cone Ice Cream Truck will also be serving frozen treats for purchase.
Warrior Beer Company - all weekend long
10605 Sorrento Rd.
Pensacola’s newest brewery, Warrior Beer Company, will have live music running all weekend long, including Memorial Day itself. There will be craft beer on-site, along with fresh food from the Cactus Flower Food Truck. Rockstarfish will be playing from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, Freedom Fighters from noon to 3 p.m. and Brandon Gilles from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday and Justin Colvard Band from 4-7 p.m. on Monday. Warrior Beer Co. will be open from noon to 10 p.m. on Memorial Day.
O’Riley’s Exotic Car Show and Crawfish Boil May 26
321 S. Palafox St.
“What better view to enjoy on Memorial Day Weekend than a line-up of exotic cars?” the O’Riley’s event description states.
At 10 a.m. on Sunday, O’Riley’s will host an Exotic Car Show with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, McLarens, Porches and GT-R’s for viewing. Next at 11 a.m., O’Riley’s will start serving crawfish will all the fixins’. Those 21+ get a free Bud Light with the purchase of a crawfish plate. There will also be bottomless mimosa Sunday brunch as a crawfish alternative along with $20 NUTRL bucket specials throughout the event. Only pre-registered vehicles with O’Riley’s Irish Pub are permitted in the designated car show lot. The event lasts until 2 p.m.
Crawfish Saturdays at Perfect Plain Brewing Co.- May 25
50 E. Garden St.
Downtown Pensacola brewery will be hosting its final Crawfish Saturday event for the month of May at its resident food truck, El Camino. Crawfish will be $7 per pound, plus an extra $4 if you want the fixings. If you’re looking for a laidback place to grab a locally made craft beer, handcrafted cocktail, and chow down on some crawfish, Perfect Plain is the place. Indoor and outdoor seating is available.
Where to find Memorial Day food/drink specials and military discounts:
850 Barbecue: 850 Barbecue is veteran-owned and offers discounts for current and former military year-round. They are a food truck and pop-up at various locations around Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. On Saturday, they will be set up at “The Usual Spot” in Milton from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 7060 Highway 90 in Milton. They’re known for their mouthwatering barbecue coined as “Where Texas style barbecue meets Southern charm.”
Bar515 Cocktails & Tapas: Bar515, Pace's go-to spot for creative small plates and handcrafted cocktails, will be offering dine-in guests with their choice of a free tapa with active duty or retired Military ID Saturday and Sunday. Bar515 is located at 4495 Chumuckla Highway in Pace.
Bubba’s 33: Pensacola's Bubba's 33 location will be offering a Memorial Day "dinner for two" special on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The special offers customers a shared appetizer and two select entrees for $39.95. Bubba’s will also offer a 10% discount for all military, active and retired. Bubba's 33 is located at 7001 North Davis Highway.
Fish Heads Pensacola Beach: Fish Heads is a beach bar and grill located behind Pensacola Beach's Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott offering views of the Gulf of Mexico and made-to-order food. For Memorial Day weekend, Fish heads will be offering a variety of drink deals all three days, including a Tito’s Raspberry Lemonade Bucket for $20, Pensacola Paradise Bucket for $20, Tiki Torch for $5, $8 Cranberry Nütrl, $8 Lemonade Nütrl, $8 Sunny D Vodka Seltzer and $5 Beach Juice. Fish Heads is located at 15 Via DeLuna Drive.
Gilligan’s Tiki Bar at the Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach: Gilligan's will be offering drink specials Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Memorial Day weekend, including High Noon Buckets (including five High Noon seltzers) for $20, $12 Lavender Lemonade. Gilligan's is located at 2 Via De Luna Drive.
Pedro's Tacos & Tequila Bar- Gulf Breeze: Members of the military will get a 10% discount on food at Gulf Breeze's location of Pedro's Tacos & Tequila Bar during Memorial Day weekend. Pedro's is located at 3095 Gulf Breeze Parkway.
Pensacola Smokehouse: Pensacola Smokehouse, known for local homemade barbecue, will be offering a free appetizer for dine-in service including fried pickles, wings, street corn dip, or nachos with active duty or retired Military ID on Saturday and Sunday. Pensacola Smokehouse is located at 232 E. Main St.
Sal De Mar: Sal de Mar, a beach bar behind the Hilton on Pensacola Beach, is offering a food and drink special on Saturday and Sunday including half Rack Ribs, potato salad and baked beans for $18.99, $2 Jello shots, $3 Happy Thursday canned seltzers, $10 cocktail features. Sal De Mar is located at 12 Via De Luna Drive.
Sammy Barker’s American Street Food: Sammy Barker’s is offering a “kids eat free” special for Memorial Day. Children will receive one free meal per paid adult entrée, side and beverage purchase. Sammy Barker's will also be offering 10% off food, beverages and alcohol with military ID for the entire party. The offer is not to be combined with other offers or discounts. Sammy Barker’s is located at 875 E. Nine Mile Road.
Solo Caffe: Solo Caffe, a cozy cafe located inside the West Florida Public Library, will be offering a Memorial Day hot dog and French fry lunch special for $6. Solo Coffee will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and is located at 239 N. Spring Street.
South Market: South Market will be offering a free spinach artichoke dip, bay scallop dip or hummus all-day long Monday for dine-in only with Military ID, including military spouses. South Market is located at 905 E. Gregory St.
True Grit American Bistro: True Grit offers a 10% military discount with military ID Tuesday through Sunday. True Grit is located at 6675 Pine Forest Road Unit 12.
The Lobster Cage: The Lobster Cage offers a 10 percent discount to military and first responders daily. This weekend, The Lobster Cage will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Lobster Cage is located at 9218 N. Palafox St.
Whiskey Joe's: Whiskey Joe’s on Pensacola Beach has a slew of food and drink specials running from May 24-27. Drink specials include $2.50 12-ounce domestic drafts, $5 12-ounce Red, White and Blue Colada, $5 Vodka lemonade (available in watermelon, peach or cherry) and $16.50 bucket drinks. Food specials include the following: Half rack of ribs with strawberry guava barbecue sauce, fries and slaw for $14.99, full rack of ribs with strawberry guava barbecue sauce, fries and slaw for $24.99, Nathan’s all-beef hot dog and fries for $10, and a seafood boil including snow crab leg cluster, fresh corn, red potatoes, andouille sausage and shrimp for $24.99- available on Saturday and Sunday only. Whiskey Joe’s is located at 400 Quietwater Beach Road Suite 13.
Did we miss one? Send an email with the pertinent information to BMisencik@pnj.com and we'll add it to the list.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Memorial Day 2024 in Pensacola: Where to find cookouts, military discounts
