Private Hibachi Chef in Miramar Beach

Miramar Beach runs along the coast between Destin and Sandestin and mixes almost every kind of rental on the Emerald Coast: gulf-front houses on the south side of Scenic 98, mid-rise condo complexes, resort villas, and conventional neighbourhoods inland. As with Destin, the deciding factor for us is which of those you are in. Gulf-front houses and villas are usually excellent — wide decks, real driveways, and enough room to run two stations for a big group. Condo complexes depend entirely on whether there is a reservable outdoor space, because balconies here have the same problems they do in Destin. Miramar's advantage over Destin proper is traffic: we can usually reach a Miramar address without sitting in the worst of the 98 crawl, which means a tighter arrival window and a seating that starts when you asked for it.

Six by four feet, level, open sky, three feet of clearance. Gulf-front Miramar houses generally give us a large elevated deck or a ground-level paver patio, both good. Resort villas usually have a private patio or driveway. Condos need a reservable pavilion, pool-deck grilling area or ground-floor patio — not a balcony. For groups over twenty, Miramar's bigger gulf-front houses are among the best on the coast for two stations, since the decks are wide enough to run both without the plates crossing.

In off US-98 or Scenic Gulf Drive, arriving 45 minutes before the seating. Scenic Gulf Drive is slow in season with a lot of pedestrian traffic, so we favour the 98 approach where the address allows. Gulf-front houses often have under-house parking with a stair to the deck — tell us the flights. For condo and resort addresses, send the loading zone, the reservable space name and any gate or parking pass with your confirmation.

Miramar Beach splits neatly between two bookings. The first is the large gulf-front house rented by a bridal party or two families — sixteen to twenty-four people, two stations, one long evening on the deck. The second is the resort-villa or condo group, usually smaller and usually eating before going out in Destin. Both are common enough that we ask early which one you are, because it changes the staffing rather than the menu. Bachelorette groups here tend to want the show at full volume, which a gulf-front deck can absorb without troubling anyone. Family birthdays get the same treatment with an earlier seating and the kids at the rail.