Panama, One Plate at a Time

Eat Up: Your Guide to Tropical Fruit

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

The tropics are a fruit-lovers heaven, and Panama is no exception. Here are some of the fruits you can expect to find, where you can find them, and what to watch out for.Grapefruit. There's nothing like having a giant bag of grapefruit right from the tree! The local grapefruit we have are white and are absolutely loaded with seeds -- so they take a little more work to eat, but they're totally worth it. Be careful in the grocery store -- they have imported red grapefruit that cost about $4/pound, but if you look around you'll find the national grapefruit for about 41 cents per pound, allowing you to buy local and save money at the same time.Pineapple. Try to buy these from a loc...Read More

The tropics are a fruit-lovers heaven, and Panama is no exception. Here are some of the fruits you can expect to find, where you can find them, and what to watch out for.

Grapefruit. There's nothing like having a giant bag of grapefruit right from the tree! The local grapefruit we have are white and are absolutely loaded with seeds -- so they take a little more work to eat, but they're totally worth it. Be careful in the grocery store -- they have imported red grapefruit that cost about $4/pound, but if you look around you'll find the national grapefruit for about 41 cents per pound, allowing you to buy local and save money at the same time.

Pineapple. Try to buy these from a local farmer, or ask the vendors on the street if you're not sure where they come from. Surprisingly, even though Panama grows a lot of pineapple, you'll still get imported (from Costa Rica) pineapple in the grocery store. Once, a man had a truckload of pineapple he was selling on the street. When I made mention that I wanted one, a Panamanian friend of mine wrinkled his nose and pointed out how unnaturally yellow they were on the inside....evidence of a little chemical assistance. If the local won't buy that fruit, neither will I!

Lemons and oranges. Citrus trees abound -- again, try to find a local farmer.

Avocados. The season for avocados is short, at least here in the beach area, so you'll likely have to buy imported avocados from the store if you want them year-round.

Mango. Mango season is an event in Panama. For those few months, the air is ripe with the smell of rotting fruit on the ground. That's how plentiful it is -- no one can pick it fast enough. A friend of ours has a tree in her yard, and she said that last season she picked about 50-60 mangoes every day! That's a lot of smoothies and mango salsa. Don't buy mangoes -- just go pick them. The trees are everywhere.

Soursop. Known in Spanish as the much-more-fun-to-say guanabana, this fruit is getting some press lately as containing anti-cancer properties. Whatever the cancer boards say (usually something like, "no scientific evidence to support..."), I'll eat it anyway. You'll recognize it by it's prickly green shell.

Papaya. There's a papaya tree that popped up in our yard -- the landlords say they didn't plant one! It hasn't started to produce yet, though. You can usually find local papaya in the grocery stores and from vendors on the street.

Nance. It looks almost like a tiny apple or a yellow cherry tomato. They're hard to the touch and are usually made into a dessert or juice. You don't usually find them in the store, but you'll see the trees around.

Coconuts. Plentiful and inexpensive in the stores or at the markets, if you're feeling brave you can also climb the tree and knock them down yourself. They're not as hard to open as I'd imagined: taking a meat tenderizer or a hammer, simply hit around the circumference until you hear a crack. Make sure you're holding the coconut over a bowl, because the next hit will break it open and spill the water inside. Then you can use a knife (very carefully) and wedge it between the fruit and the shell to dislodge the edible part. Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

El Meson Suizo

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Disappointing Lunch at El Meson Suizo"

Quote:

I had heard nothing but great things about El Meson Suizo, and we'd been meaning to try it for months. My aunt and sister were in town, so my boyfriend and I went with them and my boyfriend's dad to have lunch on a Sunday. I was really excited to finally try this place.The setting is lovely -- a few tables on a covered patio. There was only one other person there when we arrived shortly after they opened.The menu was more expensive than I was expecting, but I didn't mind -- it's worth it for a good meal! The descriptions were fantastic and I had a hard time deciding what I wanted. I thought about the pumpkin soup from the appetizer menu, but ended up going with the beef curry. ...Read More

I had heard nothing but great things about El Meson Suizo, and we'd been meaning to try it for months. My aunt and sister were in town, so my boyfriend and I went with them and my boyfriend's dad to have lunch on a Sunday. I was really excited to finally try this place.

The setting is lovely -- a few tables on a covered patio. There was only one other person there when we arrived shortly after they opened.

The menu was more expensive than I was expecting, but I didn't mind -- it's worth it for a good meal! The descriptions were fantastic and I had a hard time deciding what I wanted. I thought about the pumpkin soup from the appetizer menu, but ended up going with the beef curry. There weren't a lot of non-meat options.

Each entree comes with a choice of side, and one of the words wasn't familiar to me. I asked the waitress what it was, and she said -- or I thought she said, as did everyone else at the table -- sweet potatoes. I figured that would be sweet potato fries, which are fantastic, so I made that my choice. Weird side dish for curry, but whatever.

We had the calamari and grilled avocado from the appetizer menu. The calamari was really good, and it came in a brown Thai sauce which was a nice touch, but it wasn't a very big portion to split between five people. The avocado was good, but it would have been very easy to make at home, and I probably will.

After a bit of a wait, the main dishes started to come out, one at a time. My boyfriend's dad's meal arrived first: chicken cordon bleu. I frowned a bit. It looked good, but the presentation was on par with the high school cafeteria. For a $17ish lunch, that's not really acceptable. Anyway, we told him to start eating, and he liked it.

Then my aunt's dish arrived. It was a traditional Swiss pasta with a name I can't remember, but basically it was $13 macaroni and cheese. I tried it -- it was tasty, but again, something you could whip up at home for a fraction of the cost.

Then my boyfriend's sausage arrived. There were two of them with a side of hash browns. I got really sad, because he and I had both ordered the same side dish, which we had believed to be sweet potatoes. Not so much. I don't even like hash browns for breakfast, and certainly not with my curry lunch.

My sister's meal arrived next -- she ordered the same thing I did. By the time mine arrived, I was devastated to have brought the whole family here to spend what ended up being nearly $80 on lunch. It was just beef in a sauce -- no vegetables, and it wasn't even especially curry-like. I would have described it as beef stroganoff.

Now, it was good beef stroganoff, for sure. But it wasn't good beef curry. That's the way we all felt about all the food -- it wasn't bad food, per se, it was just bad when you considered the price you were paying and compared it to the description and what you were expecting, not to mention the lousy presentation (hash browns never look nice).

So, now we know. We won't be going back.

Read Less

Member Rating 1 out of 5 on July 3, 2013

El Meson Suizo
Pan American Highway, Just Past The El Valle Turnoff
Coronado
240-8657

Cheer!
Flag

Gourmet Pizza

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

My aunt, sister, and I stopped by Gourmet Pizza for lunch one afternoon. My only prior experience was this place was a Greek salad to go. I had heard people rave about their giant, delicious salads, but my to-go salad was small and sad and still nearly $9. However, I'd still heard good things about the pizza, so I permitted us to stop by and give it a try. We ordered a 12-inch vegetarian pizza to share, and a salad for my boyfriend. He wasn't with us and I had every intention of getting it to go, but I had started to have a suspicion that "to-go" was the very reason my salad had been disappointing. So I ordered it for the table with plans to ask for it to go at the end of our meal. (It ar...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 3, 2013

Gourmet Pizza
Roberto Eisenmann
Coronado
393-1000

Cheer!
Flag

Don Chacho Grill

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Lunch at Don Chacho's"

Don Chacho Grill Photo, Coronado, Panama

Quote:

It was Wednesday, and the place we had intended to go for lunch with our visiting friend isn't open on Wednesdays. So, we opted for Don Chacho's. It was my first visit, but my boyfriend had been here before.We were too early for the lunch menu (the special set menu starts at noon and costs about $9, which includes an appetizer and a natural juice), so we settled into a table by the door and studied the menu. We were the only people there when we arrived, but by the time we finished there were four other tables.The decor is tasteful, neat and clean. There are lots of original paintings about, and there's an easel and palette in the corner, indicating that maybe an artist sets up...Read More

It was Wednesday, and the place we had intended to go for lunch with our visiting friend isn't open on Wednesdays. So, we opted for Don Chacho's. It was my first visit, but my boyfriend had been here before.

We were too early for the lunch menu (the special set menu starts at noon and costs about $9, which includes an appetizer and a natural juice), so we settled into a table by the door and studied the menu. We were the only people there when we arrived, but by the time we finished there were four other tables.

The decor is tasteful, neat and clean. There are lots of original paintings about, and there's an easel and palette in the corner, indicating that maybe an artist sets up studio right there in the restaurant.

The menu was a lot bigger than I expected, with several salad, steak, chicken, and fish options, including shrimp and lobster. The juice and "frosty" (fruit and ice slushie) menu was enormous, and I started there. There are several different fruits to choose from. I wanted a milkshake but knew I was going to a birthday party that night (complete with cake and ice cream) so I opted for the frosty instead, hoping it would mean less sugar. I'm not sure about that, but it was delicious. I asked for a blackberry/strawberry combo, but they didn't have any strawberries on hand, so I went for blackberry/pineapple -- delicious. And enormous! It came in a big glass as it was, and the frosty was piled high above the top of the glass. I had to work on it immediately, because it melted down the sides of my glass very quickly.

I also had a Greek salad, which is one of the best I've had here. The tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and lettuce were all arranged side-by-side on a rectangular plate, then covered in black olives, feta cheese, and oregano. So far in Coronado, it's the only one I've ever ordered that arrived with oregano, and that simple addition made a huge difference. I wished it were bigger.

My boyfriend and our friend both ordered steaks, which came with a small side salad. They both really enjoyed them, and my boyfriend even had trouble finishing his, it was so big.

The waitress was very friendly and patient, and fairly speedy even though she did disappear at a couple of inopportune times when the guys were looking for another beer.

I had kind of been putting off coming here -- my boyfriend had invited me before, and I always countered with another option -- but now I don't see why! I guess I figured that, as a grill, I would just be faced with a bunch of disappointed hunk-of-meat options, but there's more than that. True, meat is still the main part of the menu, but between the salads, fish, and juice options there were several things I was wanting to order. I'll definitely go back here. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 19, 2013

Don Chacho Grill
Avenida Roberto Eisenmann
Coronado
240-1930

Cheer!
Flag

La Teca

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "La Teca Happy Hour"

Quote:

La Teca opened a few months ago in Coronado to generally good reviews, although a common theme we'd been hearing is that it's too expensive. However, people raved about the food and the upscale atmosphere, which is otherwise missing in the beach area.For the too-expensive reason, we've put off going for dinner (or even lunch), but they recently added a Tuesday night happy hour -- and with our friend in town this week, we decided to give it a shot.The bartender was incredibly friendly and skilled at drink making (not necessarily skilled at making them quickly, but we liked him, anyway). I had a great sangria, a white sangria, and a margarita. He poured them strong, and they're t...Read More

La Teca opened a few months ago in Coronado to generally good reviews, although a common theme we'd been hearing is that it's too expensive. However, people raved about the food and the upscale atmosphere, which is otherwise missing in the beach area.

For the too-expensive reason, we've put off going for dinner (or even lunch), but they recently added a Tuesday night happy hour -- and with our friend in town this week, we decided to give it a shot.

The bartender was incredibly friendly and skilled at drink making (not necessarily skilled at making them quickly, but we liked him, anyway). I had a great sangria, a white sangria, and a margarita. He poured them strong, and they're two-for-one!

We ordered the appetizer platter, which seems to be a happy hour special. It says, "$15 x 5 options", so we assumed that meant we could choose five of the six items listed for our platter. Not so. We tried to do that (three calamari, please) and he told us that it was a set menu: $15 for all six. Which is fine, but that $15 x 5 thing still makes absolutely no sense.

So disregard that part and just place the order. It arrived a bit later, not quite as warm as we would have expected, but good. The calamari was my favorite -- the best I've had in Panama. The yucca was my second favorite, as it came with a sauce and a bit of spice, making it the best yucca I've had in Panama. The rest of it was so-so. There were two potato-meat things, and one "empanada" that was open on the sides and full of ground beef and veggies. The worst part was the clams, but that's just because I don't like clams. My boyfriend loves them, and ate them all.

Our friend was also having a birthday, so a cake was ordered in her honor. I'm not sure if it's a regular menu item or what, but it was like a jelly roll and the filling was this really bland bavarian cream. The best part was the strawberry garnish. I didn't finish my piece. I don't think that has ever happened before.

They were very proud to bring it out to her, though -- which they happened to do the first time while she was in the bathroom! Everyone started singing, then someone said, "Wait, wait!" The look on the waiter's face was priceless. Have you ever played Wii Sports? And when the little guy loses the game or misses a point? THAT face. Anyway, he tried again a few minutes later and it was spot on.

We looked at the menu to see what all the fuss over prices was about, and it turns out everyone was right. The skirt steak, for example -- which is a stew meat -- was $28. I can see how it would be an expensive night. It's a Spanish restaurant, so you can find paella and Spanish flair, as well as corvina, steak, duck, octopus and more.

Though I still doubt we'll make a effort to have dinner here, we'll definitely go back for another Happy Hour. We had a great time, and the people who help host the Happy Hour (a local expat online and print newspaper called Playa Community) drew names for prizes. We went home with a bottle of Bombay Sapphire -- my boyfriend noted that this is the first time he's ever left a bar with more alcohol than he came in with. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 19, 2013

La Teca
The Village Shopping Center, Local 16 Planta Alta
Coronado
240-2101

Cheer!
Flag

Las Veraneras

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Beach Lunch"

Santa Clara Beach Photo, Santa Clara, Panama

Quote:

On one of our Santa Clara beach days, my friend and I opted to eat at Las Veraneras, the larger of the two restaurants at the split in the road when you get to the beach (the one on the left, next to the bohios). Their menu was full of the usual beach-restaurant fare: fried chicken, grilled chicken, hamburgers, french fries, etc. They had a breakfast menu, and I was ready to order pancakes, but unfortunately we had arrived too late for that at 11:30am. My friend ordered fried chicken, and when I was turned down for breakfast, I said, "okay, never mind" -- I wasn't that hungry and didn't plan to eat.A few minutes later I decided to have a smoothie, instead. It's not on the me...Read More

On one of our Santa Clara beach days, my friend and I opted to eat at Las Veraneras, the larger of the two restaurants at the split in the road when you get to the beach (the one on the left, next to the bohios).

Their menu was full of the usual beach-restaurant fare: fried chicken, grilled chicken, hamburgers, french fries, etc. They had a breakfast menu, and I was ready to order pancakes, but unfortunately we had arrived too late for that at 11:30am. My friend ordered fried chicken, and when I was turned down for breakfast, I said, "okay, never mind" -- I wasn't that hungry and didn't plan to eat.

A few minutes later I decided to have a smoothie, instead. It's not on the menu, but any tropical eating establishment worth it's salt will offer fresh fruit in a blender in one form or another. They had strawberry or pineapple mixed with either milk or water. I did strawberry and milk.

It was so good -- so rich, it tasted almost like ice cream. I don't know if they used whole milk or if they added sugar or what, but I wished it were bigger. Yum.

After a few minutes, the waitress came out to the beach where we were sitting carrying a LOT of food. Turns out, it was TWO fried chicken meals -- we had ordered one, but apparently when I turned down breakfast she thought I was accepting the chicken idea. We told her we didn't want two; she shrugged and half-smiled an "oops" smile. And we paid for both chickens. My friend took the second one home.

Which she didn't mind, as it turned out -- she really liked the chicken and said it was much better than the chicken we'd had at the next door restaurant a couple of months ago.

(On a side note, we thought that the bohios were somewhat related to the restaurant, and that by eating at the restaurant we would not be charged for bohio use. Not so. It was $10 to sit in the hammock in the shade, just like last time. I think you could probably offer him $5 and that would be fine, but I'm not always very good at doing that.)

The service was friendly and efficient, and we'll probably eat here again next time we go to Santa Clara. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 15, 2013

Las Veraneras
Playa Santa Clara
Santa Clara, Panama
+507 993-3313

Cheer!
Flag

Diablicos

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Dinner at Diablicos"

Quote:

We were headed to Cirque du Soleil at the Figali Convention Center after having driven around, rather lost, for the past two hours. I had to go to the bathroom, and we were looking for a specific restaurant that we couldn't find. We drove up and down the street several times before finally turning in here at Diablicos.It said "Traditional Panamanian Food", which didn't excite me a lot because I figured I can make rice and beans or sancocho (a chicken soup) at home, but I got to go to the bathroom while my boyfriend parked the car.It was 6:00pm on a Tuesday, but there was nobody there. The waitstaff was incredibly friendly and helpful, eagerly answering our questions about the m...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 31, 2013

Diablicos
Avenida Amador
Panama City
314-0226

Cheer!
Flag

Cafe Caney

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Eating at the Supermarket"

Quote:

The Machetazo is a major supermarket chain in these parts, offering groceries as well as tools, household goods and appliances, school supplies, and much more. You can really find just about anything you're looking for -- if not this week, then maybe next week.They also have an on-site restaurant called Cafe Caney, where we have eaten a few times.It's a cafeteria, so you line up and point to the items you want, school-lunch style. They usually have several meat options, beans, rice, and a variety of salads. When I was there for lunch, I had red beans and rice with a cucumber/tomato/avocado salad -- it was all fantastic. It was filling and it felt pretty healthy at the same time...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 7, 2013

Cafe Caney
El Machetazo, Avenida Central
Coronado

Cheer!
Flag

La Joya de Chica

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Easter Brunch at La Joya de Chica"

Quote:

La Joya de Chica is so much more than just a place for Sunday brunch, but I'll start with that. We met the owners, Phil and Tiffany, over a month ago and we've been wanting to get up the mountain to their Sunday brunch ever since. It finally worked out on Easter Sunday when, despite the traffic, we carpooled with a group of friends.Overall, I really enjoyed the breakfast, and I definitely left the table with a full tummy. The food itself was your standard material -- scrambled eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, made-to-order omelettes, pancakes, mini muffins, cookies, fruit, and potatoes. The pancakes and muffins were a little dry and I would have liked more cheese and veggies in my omelette, but ...Read More

La Joya de Chica is so much more than just a place for Sunday brunch, but I'll start with that. We met the owners, Phil and Tiffany, over a month ago and we've been wanting to get up the mountain to their Sunday brunch ever since. It finally worked out on Easter Sunday when, despite the traffic, we carpooled with a group of friends.

Overall, I really enjoyed the breakfast, and I definitely left the table with a full tummy. The food itself was your standard material -- scrambled eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, made-to-order omelettes, pancakes, mini muffins, cookies, fruit, and potatoes. The pancakes and muffins were a little dry and I would have liked more cheese and veggies in my omelette, but they were all still good. The potatoes were fantastic, and I'm not really a potatoes-for-breakfast kind of girl. I don't know what they were seasoned with, but I loved them. The fruit was super fresh and grown right there on their land. The all-you-can-eat buffet included coffee for $15.

What made this day so special was the atmosphere, the location, and our wonderful hosts.

La Joya de Chica is actually a bed and breakfast. It's located in Chica, up the mountain near Campana, and sits on about six hectares of land. The view -- from just about anywhere on the property -- is absolutely gorgeous. Phil and Tiffany grow much of their own food, and after breakfast we took a hike through their little forest and farm: habanero peppers (homemade habanero salsa is for sale), pineapples, four types of mangos, sweet lemons, sour lemons (that look like oranges on the tree!), grapefruit, bananas, soursop, papaya, and more! Phil showed us the spot, near the habaneros, where they will also be growing other produce, like tomatoes.

He pointed out the volcanic rocks -- but there is no volcano there. They were blasted over from El Valle during the last eruption -- which Wikipedia says was maybe about 200,000 years ago!

After the hike, we lounged by the pool, enjoying the cool breeze and a brief spritz of rain.

Phil and Tiffany are constantly working to improve the property and serve their guests. We look forward to heading back up for another day of food, friends, and a peaceful outdoor Panama afternoon. Read Less

La Joya de Chica
60 kilometres south-west of Panama City in the District of Chame
Chica

Cheer!
Flag

Restaurante Nueva Gorgona

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Fried Rice at Restaurante Nueva Gorgona Photo, Gorgona, Panama

Quote:

Restaurante Nueva Gorgona is located on the right side of the road right after you turn off the Pan American Highway into Gorgona. By the looks of it -- a plain white store front with "Restaurante Nueva Gorgona" painted near the top in a similar fashion as the local "mini supers" (small supermarkets that contain a lot of shelf-stable food and not a lot of nutritious food) -- you might not stop in, but you should.Despite it's neat but generally unimpressive exterior, the inside is very clean, simply but tastefully decorated, and staffed by some of the nicest people you'll meet in Panama. The Chinese food menu is extensive, as you would expect from a Chinese restaurant, and low-priced. I ord...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on April 1, 2013

Cheer!
Flag

Locos Backyard Grill

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Loco's"

Locos Backyard Grill Photo, Gorgona, Panama

Quote:

We had heard about this place in Gorgona and set out one day to go have lunch. We drove up and down the little streets of Gorgona and never found it.Come to find out, Loco's is only open on the weekends -- Friday and Saturday from 5:00-11:00pm and Sundays noon-5:00pm. (When they're not open, the sign is not up! That's how we managed to pass it three or four times during our search.) We went on a Friday evening.We were greeted by the owners, David and Stephanie, and we exchanged stories with them while we waited for our food. Wonderful people!The menu is blissfully short -- decision-making made easier! -- but full of variety. I settled on a quesadilla (instead of...Read More

We had heard about this place in Gorgona and set out one day to go have lunch. We drove up and down the little streets of Gorgona and never found it.

Come to find out, Loco's is only open on the weekends -- Friday and Saturday from 5:00-11:00pm and Sundays noon-5:00pm. (When they're not open, the sign is not up! That's how we managed to pass it three or four times during our search.) We went on a Friday evening.

We were greeted by the owners, David and Stephanie, and we exchanged stories with them while we waited for our food. Wonderful people!

The menu is blissfully short -- decision-making made easier! -- but full of variety. I settled on a quesadilla (instead of a burrito) that was on special that night. There is a quesadilla on the menu, but it's an appetizer and just has cheese and, if you want, chicken or beef. This special quesadilla was full of vegetables and, if I had wanted, meat.

Loco's makes their own salsa, and it's delicious. It arrived with my quesadilla in a baby food jar, and I scraped it clean.

My boyfriend ordered the Cuban sandwich, which was so enormous that he had to take a full half of it home. It came with fresh cut French fries -- some of the best fries I've ever had.

The highlight was the margarita -- at last, a perfectly prepared margarita! It was awesome. I had two. It was sweet and came with salt on the rim. I usually don't care for salt on the rim, but it was in perfect proportion to the flavor of the drink, and I really enjoyed it for the first time.

The menu rounds out with grilled chicken and pork chops, a few other sandwiches, tortilla soup and a variety of salads (including taco salad).

Side note: the bathroom is awesome. The wall is covered in pictures that you would normally see while wasting time on the internet: cute puppies, people getting hurt, etc.

Loco's hosts a variety of special events -- like a guitar contest, a Gringos Go Green happy hour where you can bring in recyclables for discounts, and more. We're looking forward to becoming regulars at Loco's. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 6, 2013

Locos Backyard Grill
Corner of Avenida Nueva Gorgona & Bethancourt
Gorgona, Panama 00000
6482-1037

Cheer!
Flag

Pantay Restaurante

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Lunch at Pantay"

Pantay Restaurante Photo, Coronado, Panama

Quote:

We stopped at this place by accident, having intended to go into the restaurant next door. Pantay and Todo al Carbon share a building, and we just kind of went to the wrong side, thinking it was all one place. No matter -- we hadn't been to either one of them yet, we sat down on the patio.The waitress was very nice, and spoke to us in English although we kept asking the questions in Spanish. She is also the artist behind the hand-painted trucker hats on display by the desk. (If you don't see one that you like, she told us that she could paint whatever you wanted on a hat.)The menu was full of the normal stuff you see in restaurants down here: salads, fish, steak, chicken. H...Read More

We stopped at this place by accident, having intended to go into the restaurant next door. Pantay and Todo al Carbon share a building, and we just kind of went to the wrong side, thinking it was all one place. No matter -- we hadn't been to either one of them yet, we sat down on the patio.

The waitress was very nice, and spoke to us in English although we kept asking the questions in Spanish. She is also the artist behind the hand-painted trucker hats on display by the desk. (If you don't see one that you like, she told us that she could paint whatever you wanted on a hat.)

The menu was full of the normal stuff you see in restaurants down here: salads, fish, steak, chicken. Having had my fill of salad for the moment (we're living in a place with no stove for the time being, so I'd been having salads almost every day), I ordered the vegetarian pasta. It came with choice of sauce, and I elected the curry sauce. The waitress then recommended the garlic sauce, but I stuck to my original selection.

The sauce was fantastic. There were quite a few vegetables, though not as many as I would have liked, covering a giant bowl of spaghetti. Curry spaghetti. I'm just not that big of a fan of pasta, and come to think of it I'm not sure why I ordered it. I guess I focused in on "curry" and "vegetables," and I was very hungry and a little grumpy after several days of oatmeal and salads in our stove-less casita, and I'm making a conscious effort not to eat much meat, so I was sort of out of options.

My boyfriend enjoyed his fish and side salad.

It's not that the food wasn't good, but I doubt we'll go back here. Prices are about the same as they are everywhere around here, and the selection didn't give a grumpy salad-stuffed girl enough options. You can get the same food at several other places which, at the same time, provide other more creative dishes to suit people who are tired of just a piece of chicken and a side salad. That said, if what you're looking for is a good piece of chicken or fish and a side salad or some French fries, this place is as good as any, and the waitress was so nice and good at her job that I almost feel bad not raving about the restaurant as a whole. Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on March 6, 2013

Pantay Restaurante
Punta Prieta Blvd., Playa Coronado
Coronado, Panama
345-4166

Cheer!
Flag

Carlito's Pizza & Empanadas

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Lunch at Carlito's"

Carlito's Pizza & Empanadas Photo, San Carlos, Panama

Quote:

My boyfriend and I stopped off at Carlito's for a late lunch. We had been there once before, sipping sangria while we waited for some friends to meet us, and we decided then we wanted to come back and try the food.There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Usually in Panama, you opt for the outdoor table, but it was so windy that day that we wanted to be inside. Our waiter was really friendly and promptly attended to us.The pizza menu is enormous. They offer pizzas both with and without cheese, and then list every possible ingredient combination you can think of. Prices range from about $6-10, depending on which ingredients you choose. I finally decided on the vegetarian...Read More

My boyfriend and I stopped off at Carlito's for a late lunch. We had been there once before, sipping sangria while we waited for some friends to meet us, and we decided then we wanted to come back and try the food.

There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Usually in Panama, you opt for the outdoor table, but it was so windy that day that we wanted to be inside. Our waiter was really friendly and promptly attended to us.

The pizza menu is enormous. They offer pizzas both with and without cheese, and then list every possible ingredient combination you can think of. Prices range from about $6-10, depending on which ingredients you choose. I finally decided on the vegetarian pizza, and it arrived covered in chopped onions, peppers, black olives, and mushrooms. It was a personal-sized pizza, but big enough that I took 1/4 of it home (and probably would have taken 1/2 of it home, except that my boyfriend took a longer time eating and just staring at the delicious pizza drove me crazy enough that I slowly ate the third piece).

This is really some of the best pizza I've had in Panama. Often, when you order a pizza, there are only a few pieces of the toppings you ordered. This was absolutely covered; the emphasis was definitely on the veggies. The crust was thin and flavorful, and it wasn't too greasy.

My boyfriend eyed the various meat and fish options before deciding on the ribs. It came with choice of salad, fries, or plantains -- he had the salad. He requested hot sauce (which I also used on my meal), and it was absolutely delicious. It came in a tiny little bowl and appeared to be homemade. It was so spicy; I think it is probably the hottest hot sauce we've come across so far in Panama. The flavor was fantastic, as well -- it wasn't just a bowl of heat. This made using it very difficult: the taste encouraged you to add more and more, the heat factor reminded you to use far less.

They also serve empanadas, but after Argentina (see the journal Eating Buenos Aires), we are kind of burned out on empanadas at the moment. Besides, I heard from a friend who has tried them that they are a bit on the bready side, and could use a little more filling.

There are some awesome paintings on the wall inside -- the woman we took to be the owner (or at least manager) of the place said that her daughter painted them.

Carlito's is right off the Pan-American Highway in San Carlos and is a decent place to break up your drive. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 6, 2013

Carlito's Pizza & Empanadas
At the entrance to Playa Palmar
San Carlos, Panama
240-8526

Cheer!
Flag

Picasso Bar & Restaurante

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Picasso"

Picasso Bar & Restaurante Photo, Coronado, Panama

Quote:

Picasso is THE gathering place in Coronado for nightlife, happy hour, and good food. Wednesday offers Happy Hour (Merry Miercoles) from 5-7, and it fills with ex-pats. It doesn't take long to make some new friends and get the low-down on what's happening around town or a recommendation for any service you might need. On Saturdays throughout the high season they have live music. The seating is all outdoors, which is perfect in Panama -- you wouldn't want to be inside. The nights are so delightfully warm and breezy! The little outdoor bar can make up lots of good stuff -- wine and beer as well as sangria, pina coladas, margaritas and more.Note on the margarita: it seemed really salty ...Read More

Picasso is THE gathering place in Coronado for nightlife, happy hour, and good food. Wednesday offers Happy Hour (Merry Miercoles) from 5-7, and it fills with ex-pats. It doesn't take long to make some new friends and get the low-down on what's happening around town or a recommendation for any service you might need. On Saturdays throughout the high season they have live music. The seating is all outdoors, which is perfect in Panama -- you wouldn't want to be inside. The nights are so delightfully warm and breezy! The little outdoor bar can make up lots of good stuff -- wine and beer as well as sangria, pina coladas, margaritas and more.

Note on the margarita: it seemed really salty to me. Yes, there was salt on the rim, but I was drinking through a straw, and the liquid itself was way too salty for me. I couldn't finish it. The sangria, on the other hand, was good enough to have six. But, I only had one, since we had to be getting home.

They have a big menu, and pride themselves on using fresh, local food. The choices range from wood-fired pizza to homemade pumpkin cream soup, Thai curry to salads, pastas to desserts. They also do brunch, which I'm itching to try.

I had a couple slices of a meatlovers pizza, and another couple of slices of Hawaiian pizza with onions and black olives. I really enjoyed both -- the crust is thin and crispy. I have also had the Picasso Zen salad -- good, but a the bowl wasn't as deep as it looked and I was hungry for more -- and I've tried the Thai curry, which is really good.

Beer is cheap, and cocktails range from about $3-6. You can find food a little cheaper elsewhere, but not by enough to make it worth the loss of the atmosphere and the quality of the food you'll find at Picasso.

There is a large interior space, even though there is no seating in there. Instead, you'll find a huge library, a pool table, and a little gift shop where you can buy jewelry and picture frames, t-shirts, various nut butters, and organic skin care products.

If you're not here, especially on a Wednesday night -- what are you doing, exactly? Turn your car around and come see us. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

Picasso Bar & Restaurante
Corner Of Avenidas Eisenmann & Punta Prieta
Coronado, Panama

Cheer!
Flag

Paraiso Restaurante & Bar Campground, El Valle de Anton

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner at Paraiso"

Paraiso Restaurante & Bar Campground, El Valle de Anton Photo, Panama, Central America

Quote:

We had breakfast here several mornings and were delighted. $6 buys breakfast, whatever you order. That means it's $6 for fruit and coffee, or $6 for two eggs, two pancakes, toast, coffee, bacon, and fruit. Mix and match. My boyfriend ordered sausage three times, and each day it came out differently -- once it was a large link sausage, once it was a patty, and once it looked more like a squat hot dog. The pancake and eggs are both great, like you might make in your own kitchen. There are three main seating areas -- small round, covered tables in the courtyard, enclosed seating near the bar, and a huge covered outdoor patio with larger tables for larger groups. It very common to see pe...Read More

We had breakfast here several mornings and were delighted. $6 buys breakfast, whatever you order. That means it's $6 for fruit and coffee, or $6 for two eggs, two pancakes, toast, coffee, bacon, and fruit. Mix and match. My boyfriend ordered sausage three times, and each day it came out differently -- once it was a large link sausage, once it was a patty, and once it looked more like a squat hot dog. The pancake and eggs are both great, like you might make in your own kitchen.

There are three main seating areas -- small round, covered tables in the courtyard, enclosed seating near the bar, and a huge covered outdoor patio with larger tables for larger groups. It very common to see people sitting around talking, having drinks, or playing cards throughout the day.

Beer is the cheapest here that we've seen yet -- just $0.75 for certain brands, and $1-2 for others! I was sitting at one of the round tables one afternoon, and I ordered a pina colada. It came out in what you would could call a pina colada glass, and it was very good. So I ordered a second one after I had finished. Not only was did it come in a different glass the second time (more of a champagne glass), it tasted different! It was still good -- but nothing like what I'd ordered the first time. Another time, I had a great glass of sangria.

The menu has a lot of lunch and dinner items, as well -- nachos, soup, lasagna and other pasta, salad, chicken, pork chops, and fish. All the meat dishes come with salad and French fries, plantains, or yucca. For dinner one time I ordered the small order of breaded shrimp, and I asked for the Greek salad to accompany it. It was so good, and fairly large considering it was a side salad. However, the small order of shrimp is only five shrimp, so maybe they were just filling the plate. So glad they did! My boyfriend had the corvina (sea bass) -- and there were no bones in there, which meant I could taste it. Delicious.

Rose, the owner, also schedules lots of special events -- game nights, salsa lessons, Spanish classes, and more. It's a great social scene outside of Coronado, with great food to match. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

Paraiso Restaurante & Bar Campground, El Valle de Anton

El Valle de Anton,

Cheer!
Flag

Cholo's Comida Mexicana

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Cholo's"

Cholo's Comida Mexicana Photo, Coronado, Panama

Quote:

As always, we scouted out a great Mexican restaurant! The second time we were there, they had expanded the menus, so we had even more to choose from. I was excited about the addition of the vegetable fajitas (one of my favorite things anywhere!), and I had previously tried the vegetable quesadilla. It was almost as good as my favorite veggie quesadilla from Jose O'Shea's in Lakewood, CO!They have an entire page devoted to vegetarian options.My boyfriend had a chimichanga on our first visit, and I had the pleasure of trying it. The last chimi I had (in Denver) was soggy, having been drenched in chili. Of the two others I had tasted before that, one was too doughy (another D...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

Cholo's Comida Mexicana
Exit The Panamerican Highway To Las Lajas
Coronado, Panama
(507) 6419-4064

Cheer!
Flag

Gastronomia Mar del Sur

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Birthday Dinner at Mar del Sur"

Gastronomia Mar del Sur Photo, Penonome, Panama

Quote:

This Peruvian restaurant turned out to be quite a distance from home, but we set out in honor of my boyfriend's father's birthday, and we were determined to make it there! We weren't really sure of where it was, so we just kept looking for a huge billboard that indicated it was time to turn left. We headed toward Penonome and kept looking. It had gotten dark so we were worried that we had missed it. Fortunately, we saw that sign in Penonome about 45 minutes (and lots of tummy rumbling) after we had left home.We turned left and still had a bit of a drive, but when we got there, there was no mistaking it. Gastronomia Mar del Sur is this enormous old ranch house with lots of parking spac...Read More

This Peruvian restaurant turned out to be quite a distance from home, but we set out in honor of my boyfriend's father's birthday, and we were determined to make it there! We weren't really sure of where it was, so we just kept looking for a huge billboard that indicated it was time to turn left. We headed toward Penonome and kept looking. It had gotten dark so we were worried that we had missed it. Fortunately, we saw that sign in Penonome about 45 minutes (and lots of tummy rumbling) after we had left home.

We turned left and still had a bit of a drive, but when we got there, there was no mistaking it. Gastronomia Mar del Sur is this enormous old ranch house with lots of parking space, lots of Christmas lights, and lots of concrete horse heads and other horse statues.

It was around 8:00pm on a Friday night, but there were plenty of empty tables. The chairs are all gorgeously hand-carved wood, and the waiter pulled mine out for me.

The menu was huge -- really, too huge. By the time I got to the end, I had more or less forgotten what had looked good on the previous pages. The waiter was lingering, expecting us to be ready to order at any minute, but we kept flipping back to page one to try again.

At last, I ended up with jumbo shrimp, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms in a cream sauce with a side of French fries (because I never heard "vegetables" in the waiter's list of possible sides, but apparently he said it because both my boyfriend and his dad ordered veggies with their meals). It was good, but really rich, and I couldn't eat the last shrimp. My boyfriend had a similar dish but in a red sauce, and his dad ordered a steak stuff with shrimp and other things.

All the meals with rich and delicious, and by the end we were all full -- and all had left a little on our plates. Dessert was tempting, but we had a birthday cake waiting at home, so we got the check and left.

The splendor and the richness of the food make it feel like a special-occasion restaurant, and although the prices are a little higher than what we've found in Coronado and other areas, they weren't outrageous. If you don't mind difficult decisions, make your way to Penonome and try this delightful dining experience. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

Gastronomia Mar del Sur

Penonome, Panama
997-9952

Cheer!
Flag

Rancho Los Toros

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Sushi Night at Rancho Los Toros"

Rancho Los Toros Photo, San Carlos, Panama

Quote:

We went to this restaurant/resort with two of our friends for its special Friday night sushi! The place is relatively new (about eight months old, as of February 2013) and it's a little bit out of the way, but with the way this area is growing it probably won't be considered "out of the way" for long! For now, they have a beautiful large bit of land with a creek and a fantastic view with a pool and a few cabins along with their restaurant.It was sushi night, so that was the menu -- I didn't even get to see a regular menu. We had the shrimp and fish tempura to start, and both were excellent. They came with three dipping sauces, one of which was brown and we were taking bets as to what i...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

Rancho Los Toros

San Carlos, Panama
(507) 6619-1693

Cheer!
Flag

Cafe Coronado

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Breakfast at Coronado Cafe"

Quote:

Another newer restaurant, this place is, from what I understand, the original answer to "Where can I get a good breakfast?" They open for breakfast and lunch, and let other restaurants handle the dinner crowd. There was only one other table of people when we got there. I ordered the French toast, which was good but the presentation wasn't that impressive -- just six half-slices lined up on the plate. No garnish. No powder sugar dusting. Just the toast, along with a little bottle of syrup, which I proceeded to enjoy.My boyfriend had two fried eggs and the assorted sausage platter, which didn't look very assorted but you could indeed taste three different sausages in there. ...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

Cafe Coronado
Plaza Pergolas
Coronado, Panama

Cheer!
Flag

Hotel Punta Chame Villas Restaurant

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Lunch at Punta Chame Villas"

Hotel Punta Chame Villas Restaurant Photo, Punta Chame, Panama

Quote:

My boyfriend's father had a couple of friends traveling through Panama, so we met up with them at Punta Chame Villas. Again, it was a longer drive than we had imagined, and we were a few minutes late.The restaurant has covered outdoor seating, and I think some indoor seating as well but I couldn't see for sure, and I didn't look very hard. The tables are around the resort's lovely pool, and it's just a short walk behind the property to the beach.The menu is a lot smaller than I had gotten used to with restaurants like Cholo's and Mar del Sur, but it was full of good stuff. They also had an additional menu on the table with the lunch specials -- the fish and chips caught my e...Read More

My boyfriend's father had a couple of friends traveling through Panama, so we met up with them at Punta Chame Villas. Again, it was a longer drive than we had imagined, and we were a few minutes late.

The restaurant has covered outdoor seating, and I think some indoor seating as well but I couldn't see for sure, and I didn't look very hard. The tables are around the resort's lovely pool, and it's just a short walk behind the property to the beach.

The menu is a lot smaller than I had gotten used to with restaurants like Cholo's and Mar del Sur, but it was full of good stuff. They also had an additional menu on the table with the lunch specials -- the fish and chips caught my eye for a moment. My boyfriend, his dad, and I all ended up ordering the fajitas. I wanted just the chorizo, but the waitress insisted that it was made with all three meats (chicken, steak, and chorizo) because it was better that way. I finally agreed, and ended up giving most of my chicken and steak to my boyfriend. (It was good, I'm just not as interested in steak and chicken these days.) I was wishing there had been more peppers and onions, but overall they were good.

One of our friends had a shrimp quesadilla (after taking some ribbing from her boyfriend that she was not a very adventurous eater), and that tortilla was stuffed so full that I was a little jealous I hadn't ordered the quesadilla myself.

Her boyfriend, the most adventurous of us all, ordered the octopus, which came in a cream sauce. He really loved it. Even though I'm a fair fan of calamari and shrimp, I'm not sure I could eat a whole pile of creamy octopus. But maybe you can.

Our waitress was so friendly and nice, even though she didn't speak any Spanish. We were visited by two people at one point -- I believe they might have been managers or maybe owners -- who greeted us and made sure our meal was okay.

It was good, and they have a beautiful location, but I probably wouldn't go out here again just because it's so far from where we live and the food isn't so overwhelmingly good that it was worth the drive. For good fajitas I'll just go down the road to Cholo's. For octopus, this might be the best bet I've come across so far. Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

Hotel Punta Chame Villas Restaurant
Calle R, Lote 16-17
Punta Chame, Panama
507-240-5590

Cheer!
Flag

California Burger

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Burgers at California Burger"

Quote:

We went here to watch the Super Bowl (there was not a big crowd, but that's beside the point). I'm usually not a huge fan of hamburgers, so I went along expecting to find something else on the menu -- but there really isn't. Sure, you can get some fried chicken, but that's not really on my list of favorites, either. The menu is hamburgers. But here's where it gets fun.The waiter (or the owner, in our case), hands you a sheet of paper. You choose your burger "starter". I went with the veggie burger, because I realized I'd never actually even had one! I chose the 1/4 lb, but you could also chose 1/2 lb.Other burger options included the Carribean burger and the California b...Read More

We went here to watch the Super Bowl (there was not a big crowd, but that's beside the point). I'm usually not a huge fan of hamburgers, so I went along expecting to find something else on the menu -- but there really isn't. Sure, you can get some fried chicken, but that's not really on my list of favorites, either. The menu is hamburgers. But here's where it gets fun.

The waiter (or the owner, in our case), hands you a sheet of paper. You choose your burger "starter". I went with the veggie burger, because I realized I'd never actually even had one! I chose the 1/4 lb, but you could also chose 1/2 lb.

Other burger options included the Carribean burger and the California burger. If I remember right, the Carribean burger comes with pineapple -- which the owner told us is ground up to be more like a marmalade so it's easier to eat -- and it's best with jalapenos. My boyfriend ordered this and loved it.

After that, you circle which of the four ingredients you want that are included in the basic hamburger's price: raw onions, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomato. I circled all four.

Then you move on to options that cost a little extra -- cheese, guacamole, bacon, salami, jalapenos, and more. You can also order sides like French fries, fried yucca, or fried plantains. I went with pepper jack cheese and guac. I also requested no bun, and we got some yucca to share.

(If you've never had yucca -- it smells kind of sweet, but tastes more or less like a French fry. I dipped mine in ketchup.)

I loved this meal (my breadless burger came out on a lettuce leaf), and it was incredibly filling. My boyfriend's dad ordered the jalapeno poppers, as well, and I enjoyed a couple of those.

I also had a chocolate milkshake, the first I'd had in a very long time. It was really good. Other milkshake flavors included strawberry, vanilla, papaya, pineapple, and more. They also serve chocolate cake -- I'm told it's delicious, both from the man who made and delivered it while we were dining, and by my boyfriend's dad who has tried it once or twice.

It's a small little restaurant, and I find it charming. They keep it simple and they're doing a great job with it. If you want a burger, I'm told this is THE place in the area to get one. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on February 11, 2013

California Burger
Panamerican hwy on the right side coming from the city, across from the Coronado mall
Coronado, Panama
345-9985

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Panama Journals

Upload Photos