Patrón del Shawarma — Restaurant in Bajo Boquete

I'm pleased to say this was, by far and away, the best meal I've eaten in Panama. Initially, I was a little bit apprehensive upon discovering that the '5-10' usd I'd be paying was towards the upper end of that range, and likely more; it looked like I wasn't in for the cheap lunch I had planned for.

My concerns quickly subsided. After ordering the mixed traditional shwarma, the guy who runs the restaurant asked if I had 20 minutes to wait. True to his word, 20 minutes later my food was in front of me.

And while it initially looked a little small for what I'd paid, I quickly realised that I hadn't accounted for the sheer density and incredible, delicious flavour that was bundled up into the shwarma. The chips were also cooked and salted perfectly.

When the owner and I discussed how good the food had been afterwards, he revealed he has exactly the same ideology I have when it comes to dining out - he wants to add value to food, to make things that people don't or can't make at home. Even with something simple like chips, he makes sure he uses atypical seasoning to add a little twist to the experience.

All in all, I was blown away by the experience and more than happy to pay 10usd for it - and notably, only 10usd. The prices on his menu are exactly what you pay for, no hidden taxes.

Superb value. If only the rest of Panama tourist areas could say the same!

Edit: I returned here this evening - another 5 star experience. Still the best place I've...

Ahmed runs this food truck selling his authentic, home-made shawarmas and curries out of a car park in Boquete. If you don't mind the inauspicious surroundings, then you might just find one of the best hidden secrets of this upland town.

Unlike most Panamanian restaurants, Ahmed seasons his food "as it should be" which means he has options that are not afraid of a bit of spice. He doesn't blow your head off, but the richness of the spice against the raw flavour makes this one of the best fast food experiences I've had in Panama.

Being devout, there is also a huge range of alcohol free cervezas to go along with your meal. Hooray!

One last thing... He raises his own lamb, so if you want a lamb dish that will melt in your mouth, then go ahead and try something suitable from the menu - you won't be...

Beware of this place, if you want authentic Lebanese food or any of the other dishes they have from other countries, try a different place. Their menu has a section that literally says “Indian food”, I asked if they had naan for my butter chicken, but it seems that’s offensive to them. I was told they just had roti since it’s a 🇱🇧place. I said sure since I loved it while living in Beirut. They gave me a taco tortilla, that’s such a scammers move. The butter chicken, and shawarmas weren’t good. They’re taking advantage of especially locals that don’t know about 🇱🇧🇮🇳 cuisine. The worst part is their bubble tea.

It’s such a redflag that they brand this place with dishes from multiple countries but then say it’s just Lebanese food and they get offended if you mention any other country.

Si quieres comida libanesa auténtica o de cualquiera de la comida de otros países que ofrecen, definitivamente este es uno de los peores lugares en 🇵🇦. Su menú tiene una sección que literalmente dice "comida india". Pregunté si tenían naan para mi butter chicken, pero parece que les ofende. Me dijeron que solo tenían roti, ya que es un lugar 🇱🇧. Dije que sí, porque me encantaba cuando vivía en Beirut. Me dieron una tortilla para tacos; eso es una estafa, y el pollo con mantequilla para nada bueno. Se aprovechan, sobre todo, de los locales que no saben nada de 🇱🇧🇮🇳 Definitivamente evitar este lugar, hay muchas...