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Award winner thanks to recommendations from couples on WeddingWire.com.
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Runaway Island

Up to 600 guests
Ceremony/Reception
Outdoor/Indoor
Clean Up

Why couples loved this venue

  • Quality catering
  • Guests comfort
  • Amenities
Kelsey
Rick
Julie
Prabhu
Laura

Recommended by 98% of couples

About this venue

Runaway Island Beach Bar & Grill is a two-story full-service restaurant and wedding space in the heart of Panama City Beach, Florida. This popular restaurant, inspired by colorful local tales of adventures on the Gulf of Mexico, boasts breathtaking views, a wide selection of surf and turf specialties, live entertainment, and friendly service.

Facilities and capacity

This beachfront venue offers a fun, yet sophisticated atmosphere, and semi-private and private dining rooms that accommodate up to 500 guests. For a one-of-a-kind wedding ceremony by the sea, the beachfront is available. With large windows, hardwood floors, a private bar, stage, and open air area that fits up to 160 seated guests, the Ballyhoo Room is optimal for roomy wedding receptions and cocktail hour. The Flag Room accommodates up to 65 people seated, and features a stylish lounge area with plush leather couches for a more relaxed ambiance. The Ballyhoo and Flag Rooms combined fit up to 235 guests. Perfect for smaller gatherings, The Captain Room fits two rectangular community-style tables with both banquette and regular seating for up to 20. Their gorgeous boardwalk extends all the way to the shore, so you can sit back, enjoy a beverage, and a quintessential Florida sunset.

Services Offered

The staff at Runaway Island Beach Bar & Grill is reliable and professional, and will work every step of the way to create an unforgettable celebration. Services and amenities available include:

  • Setup
  • Pet friendly
  • In-house catering
  • Bartending
  • Lighting
  • Audio Equipment
  • Rentals
  • WiFi Internet
  • Wheelchair access
  • On site and valet parking
  • Tableware
  • Catering and cuisine
  • Chef Chris Hein specializes in coastal cuisine and fresh seafood, and couples can build a custom menu with bar and beverage packages. Choose from plated stations, hors d’oeuvres, buffets, dessert bar, and a wide selection of alternatives featuring the freshest locally sourced ingredients.

Other Services

In addition to weddings, Runaway Island Beach Bar & Grill is happy to host a wide range of events. They are perfect for bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and engagement parties. This venue is also available for corporate meetings such as holiday parties, class reunions, presentations, galas, and fundraisers.

Features

Small team (2-10 members)

Experience

  • 12 years in business

  • We speak English

Links

Visit website

FAQ

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$500

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$500

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

China
Clean Up
Flatware
Glassware
Lighting/Sound
Parking
Tables

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Cake Cutting
Dessert

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$100

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

4

Describe your venue:

Banquet Hall
Beach
Restaurant
Waterfront

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Rentals
Outside Vendors
Pet Friendly
Wifi

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Dessert
Family Style
French Service
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside Cake
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash Bar
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Liquor License
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

What event items are available?

Altar/Arch
Audio Equipment
Chairs
Dance Floor
Lighting
Tables
Tents

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Shuttle
Valet
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

June
July
August
September
October
November
December

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
April
May

Still have questions?

Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Wedding couple

Reviews of Runaway Island

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

Powered by AI

Runaway Island offers a gorgeous beach setting and a rustic Ballyhoo reception room with outstanding buffet food. Reviewers praised the responsive coordinator and attentive staff for seamless planning and day‑of execution, even on short notice. Service and drinks were lauded, though one group mentioned a "no shots" request wasn’t followed. Highly recommended.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Runaway Island offers a gorgeous beach setting and a rustic Ballyhoo reception room with outstanding buffet food. Reviewers praised the responsive coordinator and attentive staff for seamless planning and day‑of execution, even on short notice. Service and drinks were lauded, though one group mentioned a "no shots" request wasn’t followed. Highly recommended.

Weddingwire
4.9/5 89 reviews
Google
4.3/5 6924 reviews
Kelsey
Kelsey Sent on 04/30/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Wedding Experience with Runaway Island

Runaway island was an incredible place to get married, my wife and I had the best experience with them. Devin is fantastic, so communicative and helpful. The food, drinks, and service was amazing. The beach itself is beautiful, the upstairs event space is fantastic. We are beyond satisfied and we can't recommend them highly enough!
Rick
Rick Sent on 04/30/2026
5 out of 5 rating

WOW K&T's Wedding!!!

Devin and the entire team were incredible! The service was beyond reproach. The handled set up, appetizers, food, the bar and was very helpful to other service that we brought in. The budget landed right in the area we believed it would be. The experience was incredible and added to the event success in so many ways.
Julie
Julie Sent on 02/19/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Rainbow after the Storm

Wow! What can I say about Runaway Island! We were booked at a place at another place in Florda that was hit by both of the hurricanes 5 weeks before our wedding. While we were trying to find what we were going to do as we had family coming from out of the country and we could not reschedule, we started looking in the Panama/Destin area. We reached out to so many places and Devin's responses and willingness to work with us in such a short period of time was so refreshing during a time of stress with us not knowing what we were going to do.

Before the wedding, quick communication and the venue's willingness to work with us on special menu items from his home country was amazing!

The week of and actual ceremony and reception went so well. Everything was in it's place and taken care without me having to worry about one thing!

The staff/owners made this day so welcoming and comfortable. They went above and beyond.

I would recommend Runaway Island to anyone wanting to get married on the beach!
Prabhu
Prabhu Sent on 12/20/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing experience with our wedding event and reception

First of all we want to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for Devin event coordinator and runaway island staff. Devin is very responsive with communication and make sure everything is in place and explained us all the details very clearly. Ballyhoo wedding room is gorgeous and great room for large guests and the island buffet food option is delicious and appetizers and the drinks, the staff and bar tender are amazing. We had a great and memorable experience for our wedding event and we recommend anyone to choose runaway island without a doubt.
M
Monica Sent on 11/24/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Reception!

I had my wedding reception at Runaway Island and I am so happy with how it went! Devin was extremely professional, responsive, and helpful. The day-of went extremely smoothly, thanks to Devin and the amazing staff! Our guests were so impressed with the food and the beauty of the venue! I loved the atmosphere and beach view!
B
Bobbi Sent on 04/23/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect day

I can not thank the staff at Runaway Island enough for making our day so special. They were absolutely wonderful. Everyone raved about the food (island buffet) for weeks to come. Everyone was so professional and helpful with absolutely everything. Devan was PHENOMENAL! She was so helpful and just helped to ease all my worries and stresses. I can not recommend them enough!
Laura
Laura Sent on 12/05/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Exceptional Place to host a wedding!

We cannot say enough about Devin and her crew. The entire experience was over the top special. Not only was the ceremony and reception venue perfect, you could feel the genuine celebration from the entire staff. It felt like family when all was said and done. I would recommend Runaway Island to anyone looking for a fun, beautiful and inclusive place to gather and celebrate! Not to mention the food! I think we are there 3 nights in a row with our wedding staff and friends. It was just perfect! 💗
K
Kaitlin Sent on 12/03/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Highly recommend

We hosted a 50th wedding anniversary in the Ballyhoo room and everything was perfect. Devin is professional, communicative, and wonderful to work with. She is very knowledgeable and makes the planning process easy. The night of the event went super smooth and the staff was so great! 10/10 recommend!
A
Anber Sent on 10/20/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful rustic theme and a balcony overlooking the beach

This Venue was perfect and our style. we were able to have the ceremony on the beach through Runaway Island which was convenient for my guest. Devin, the coordinator was amazing. She made everything run smoothly and very responsive throughout the planning. The venue itself is a gorgeous, rustic scenery with a balcony overlooking the beach. It was a cool night and we were able to open up the garage door windows. Food was amazing and so were the bartenders. I couldn't have asked for a better venue for our special day.
Paula
Paula Sent on 10/01/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Best Wedding Venue

One word: DEVIN! She is amazing from start to finish! We visited the venue and knew as soon as we left it was the one. The view of the beach, the wood floors, tables and lights hanging from the ceiling… just amazing! During the tour Devin explained everything in great detail. She answered every question we had and others we hadn’t even thought of! We live in Colorado so having her as the venue coordinator was a huge plus. Any time I had a question she was quick to respond and put my mind at ease. It was all so stress free because I knew Devin had it all handled for me. We booked the Ballyhoo Room for our reception and the beach at Runaway Island for our ceremony. It rained the day of our wedding but magically stopped for just the amount of time for the ceremony and pictures. Devin stayed with me until it was time for me to walk down the aisle. She tracked the weather on her phone and continuously kept me updated. Her team of servers were amazing as well. And the food… oh man the food… we served the buffet, mahi mahi, chicken Alfredo, mashed potatoes, etc… everything was so good and all of our guests raved about the food and the service! It was so delicious! Devin and her team worked to make sure every small and big detail was covered! Tables and chairs were setup how we requested, when we came up to the reception Devin got us drinks before heading in for our grand entrance, appetizers were at our seat when we arrived to the reception, they offered to fix our plates and continuously checked on us throughout the reception making sure we had everything we needed. Our wedding day was perfect because of Devin and her team. We highly recommend Runaway Island for your wedding or any celebration. You will not be disappointed!
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

89
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
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Great location for a beach front celebration. Private rooms available for different party sizes.

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Runaway Island frequently asked questions

Runaway Island includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • China
  • Clean Up
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Lighting/Sound
  • Parking
  • Tables
Runaway Island includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
  • Cake Cutting
  • Dessert
The bar service starting price at Runaway Island includes:
  • Bartender(s)
The space offered by Runaway Island for wedding events is known for:
  • Banquet Hall
  • Beach
  • Restaurant
  • Waterfront
Runaway Island offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Runaway Island offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Runaway Island offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Bar Services
  • Catering Services
  • Clean Up
  • Event Rentals
  • Outside Vendors
  • Pet Friendly
  • Wifi
Runaway Island offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Altar/Arch
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
  • Dance Floor
  • Lighting
  • Tables
  • Tents
Runaway Island is recommended by 98% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.9 in quality of service, 4.9 in average response time, 4.9 in flexibility, 4.9 in professionalism and 4.9 in value.
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