An Everything Guide to Pensacola

I made the decision a long time ago that I would love wherever we were stationed however Pensacola made this very easy.  We truly loved the last year that we spent in Pensacola and feel so lucky to have called this place home.  We really tried to make the most of our time here and I know we will always look back on Pensacola with fond memories.  In case you find yourself lucky enough to call this place home (even just for a week on vacation!), here are some of our favorite places and things!

Pensacola is full of awesome, local restaurants.  We always struggled to decide between sticking with our favorites or trying out a new place on our list!  The classics are classic for a reason (if you have visitors in town you HAVE TO take them to McGuire's) but there are also lots of fabulous smaller places as well.
Brunch
Pot Roast and Pinot
The Fish House
Bodacious Brew
Bagel Heads

Casual Date Night
The Gulf
The Magnolia
The Yard
Al Fresco (the food trucks)
Dairy Queen on Scenic Highway (for the view!)

Fancy Date Night
Jackson's
Pot Roast and Pinot
Jaco's

Pizza
Ozone Pizza (Monday nights are half price)
Sky's Pizza (Big slice delivery)
Lillian's (In Perdido Key but worth the drive)
Hopjacks

Burger
The Tin Cow
McGuire's
Blue Dot Burger

Mexican
Cactus Flower Cafe
Tijuana Flats (Taco Tuesday)
Taco stand behind the gas station

Drinks
The Fish House (Wednesday is "Ladies Night" and everything, even their fancy mojitos, is $2)
World of Beer
Seville Quarter Piano Bar
The Bridge Bar

Sandwiches
City Grocery
Norma's (located inside of Duh!)
Wild Roots

To-Go 
Nancy's Haute Affairs
Joe Patti's

Pensacola Staples
McGuire's
Flounder's
Crabs

There is so much to do in Pensacola, in addition to soaking up sun on the beach.  Between festivals and parades, sporting events and social events, there is something scheduled almost every single weekend.  There are also tons of free events to take advantage of!  Most events are either downtown on Palafox Street or at Pensacola Beach.
Parades Downtown: Christmas, Mardi Gras, Fiesta
Festivals Seafood Festival, Crawfish Festival, Martini Festival, Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Taste of Pensacola
Gallery Night (once a month)
Blue Wahoos Games (baseball)
Ice Flyer Games (hockey)
McGuire's St. Patrick's Day Run (do not miss this)
Flora-Bama Mullet Toss (or this!)
Blue Angels Air Show
Tubing on the Blackwater River
Bands on the Beach (Tuesday nights at Pensacola Beach)
Tour Ft. Pickens
Go Paddleboarding (cheapest on base!)
Wine Tasting at Seville Quarter (Free on Fridays 5-7)
Palafox Farmers Market (Saturday mornings)
Run Club (Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6)
Sunset Beach Yoga (Sunday nights on Pensacola Beach)
Alligator Alley
Drive In Movies (Once a month in the summer)


In addition to finding things to do in Pensacola, I loved exploring the places nearby.  Getting out of town for a quick weekend trip was the perfect way to squeeze in some quality time without Rob having to take leave. (Plus who am I kidding?! Leave during flight school is practically impossible!)  We definitely found some charming new spots that quickly became our favorite getaways. 

New Orleans, LA (3 hour drive)

Seaside, FL/30A (2 hour drive)

Biloxi, MS (3 hour drive)
Fairhope, AL (1.5 hour drive)