Restaurante El Pampero — Restaurant in Panamá Oeste

A five star rating for what is most definitely not a 5 star restaurant in the "luxury and refinement" sense of the term. This is a no-frills and no-nonsense simple grill restaurant where to get simple, good, traditional food at a very honest price. It is, I think, a must to stop here if you are traveling on the Pan-American highway and this restaurants gets 1.000 extra points because, being geared mostly to motorists on the highway, it does not serve any alcohol. Everything we tried was simple, but really good, from sausages to chicken, to pork, to beef, and the sides as well. There also are home-made chimichurri and spicy sauce on every table. Service is very friendly, informal but polite, and very fast. The restaurant doesn't have air conditioning (it has no windows and plenty of ceiling fans), but in the Panamanian heat of some summer days, it can still get pretty...

First of all you should know that this is not an easy place to park on, even though this is a 60kph area, most of the times cars will be coming faster so be careful and use your warning lights way before.

I recommend the choripanes, since this is the fastest and best they do. Regular menu (seafood, pork and meat) is also available but do not expect anything fancy (although good enough for a quick meal).

Raw chorizos are also available, the tableños are great, I always take a few back home....

This is as authentic as it gets. Unlike other places with the same history that has gone upscale at the expense of prices, this place has maintained quality and taste while sacrificing it's ambiance. For those complaining that it's too hot and noisy, it's best to buy the famous choripan and eat it in your car just like a classic...