A Pensacola Beach restaurant which overlooks Santa Rosa Sound with an “air of island casualness” has been named one of America’s 100 best places for outdoor dining, according to the annual list compiled by OpenTable.

The Grand Marlin, located at 400 Pensacola Beach Boulevard, was one of 17 Florida restaurants named to the list — second only to California (31) in number of restaurants selected. The Grand Marlin was the only restaurant from the Florida Panhandle to make the list. No Alabama restaurants were selected.

According to OpenTable, the list’s focus was on spots which offered “delicious food, beautiful views, and above all, incredible outdoor dining experiences.” More than 13 million OpenTable diner reviews were analyzed for the list, with the authors noting outdoor dining increased by 20% in May and 19% during the first half of June in comparison with 2022.

The Grand Marlin opened in 2010 (a Panama City Beah location opened in 2016) and offers “seafood so fresh we print our menus daily to take advantage of the local catch,” according to the restaurant website. Chef Gregg McCarthy has been a guest chef at the James Beard House and was featured on PBS’ “Great Chefs” series.

This isn’t The Grand Marlin’s first time as an award-winner. It was an OpenTable Diner’s Choice winner in 2022 and has received Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence every year since 2011.

In its summary, OpenTable noted The Grand Marlin’s atmosphere, in which “boaters and beach-goers feel comfortable in shorts and flip-flops at the oyster bar, in the dining room and at the North Drop Bar.”

The North Drop Bar is an exterior bar which overlooks Santa Rosa Sound. There is live music Thursday through Sunday and high-def televisions for sports and other events. The Grand Marlin also has meeting rooms.

Among the most popular items at The Grand Marlin, according to diners, are the Grouper Piccata, Baked Oysters Rockefeller and BBQ Baked Oysters. The full menu can be found here.

The Grand Marlin is open seven days a week. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made online or via telephone at 850-677-9153.

As noted, The Grand Marlin was one of 17 Sunshine State restaurants chosen. Here’s the complete list of the Florida locations:

• Alberto’s on Fifth – Naples
• Campiello – Naples
• Columbia Restaurant – Celebration
• Connors Steak & Seafood – Fort Myers
• Del Mar – Naples
• DOYA – Miami
• Dry Dock Waterfront Grill – Longboat Key
• Kyle G’s Prime Seafood – Jensen Beach
• Latitudes Key West, FL on Sunset Key – Key West
• Louie Bossi Ristorante – Fort Lauderdale
• Ocean Prime – Tampa
• Raglan Road Irish Pub – Lake Buena Vista
• Takato Restaurant – Fort Lauderdale
• The Claw Bar – Naples
• The Grand Marlin of Pensacola Beach – Pensacola
• The Rosemary & Thyme – Sarasota
• Ulele – Tampa