Baked oysters, nautical cocktails and live music abound at this Pensacola hidden gem

The flow of the Escambia River points the way to DeLuna’s Hideout Oyster Bar & Grill, a lowkey angler's respite with food so good it's putting this tucked away restaurant on Pensacola’s map.

On weekdays, regulars load up on crispy shrimp po’boys, smoked pulled sandwiches and fried seafood platters at 10421 Mills Swamp House Road. The customers are always quick to thank owner Brittany Snyder on their way out the door, or one of her sons, who likely either cooked or served the food they enjoyed. On weekends, the sounds of songwriters’ tunes fill the room with acoustic performances and trays of freshly shucked oysters and nautically inspired cocktails flow amongst friends.

The DeLuna's on-site sister business, The Swamp House, attracts diners who arrive by water and take advantage of services like their 24-hour boat launch and wet slips.

While the restaurant is under a mile away from the busy University of West Florida campus, it has managed to stay one of Pensacola’s many local hidden gems for almost two years with its delicious food, friendly atmosphere and a patio right on the water.

“Some people say, 'Keep it that way,'” Snyder teased of the restaurant’s hidden nature.

The down-home, family friendly feel she was going for happened naturally, as many of the paintings and décor items were either purchased or built by a friend and gifted to the shop.

Snyder’s discovery of the tucked away slice of swamp paradise started with family too, as their little spot on the river was the spot her fiance’s grandfather would take him to stash their boat when heavy rain was coming in. The story played into the “hideout” part of the restaurant name. His grandfather wasn’t the only one, as Don Tristan de Luna, the explorer credited with discovering Pensacola, was said to have brought ships up the Escambia River to hide out from storms as well and head into Alabama for trade.

“Now, this canal right here is man-made, and it wasn't here when he (De Luna) was here, but the land was here. So, I was like I want something 'DeLuna’s.' And then my son, Bryant, he actually said, 'This is like DeLuna’s Hideout,'” she said.

They’ve embraced the theme through and through, and even have even buried their own treasure, a time capsule, deep inside of the restaurant’s walls.

While the land started out with sentimental value to her fiancé, it has become a gathering place for many anglers, their children and their children's children.

“It's generations of generations coming and visiting. Because I've met grandfathers that are taking their sons and their grandsons out on the boat, they’re coming in and telling the stories when they used to come here and going out fishing. So that's what keeps me going, for sure. These regulars are amazing. It's the locals,” Snyder said.

The restaurant renovation was one of the first phases of her family’s long-term plan. Prior to the restaurant that stands today, the building served as a concession style shack for fishermen coming off the river that had sat vacant for years.

“There weren’t even ceiling tiles, we were seeing just insulation ... so, we came in here, cleaned it up. Definitely did some lovin’ on it,” Snyder said.

While it’s kept its rustic charm, with a server station built out of wood pallets, fishing nets adorning the walls and hand painted bait lures framed on the wall, Snyder still added her own personal flair. This included aqua green acid washed floors and a green floral bar backdrop. A mermaid mural is also in the works.

Their restaurant’s scratch menu holds true to the fishermen’s’ feel, but with additions for even the most seafood averse.

One thing that you can’t leave without trying are the house DeLuna Oysters, baked with garlic butter and topped with all the best parts of a baked potato: cheddar cheese, bacon and chopped jalapeno.

“We'll also offer and tell people to put sour cream on it … that’s a very strange thing to tell somebody. But it's the same toppings as like you would get on a potato skin. So, it's actually really good,” Snyder said.

The gumbo has also become famed, made with andouille sausage, chicken and shrimp cooked with "the Holy Spirit" and a bacon roux.

Neatly two years in, and Snyder plans to continue growing DeLuna’s. Her goal is to build a retractable patio covering so customers can enjoy the patio in all seasons, even in the sticky summer heat. Her dream is to install patio doors in the main dining room.

Right now, the restaurant doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.

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“I mean, if it doesn't work out, I'll rent the space out,” Snyder remembers saying in the beginning. “So far, we're going two years into it in July. Last year, we got voted best new restaurant in Pensacola in 2023. So, I think we're doing pretty good.”

She also has plans for the 15 acres of land that the restaurant sits on, including a RV park and boat rentals, making it a one-stop-shop for a day of fun.

“You don't have to go to the beach to do all this stuff,” Snyder said. “You can keep it right here, is what we're really wanting to hone in on with people."

More updates and information can be found on the DeLuna’s Hideout Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: DeLuna's Hideout Oyster Bar & Grill is a Pensacola hidden gem for a reason