Fonda Lo Que Hay
Fonda Lo Que Hay things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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It’s worth the hype. It really is. I was recommended to come here & then read the reviews. I was soooo excited and still I was skeptical. I had the Tuna Carpaccio… it is everything everyone raves about (I wanted 2 but behaved and stopped at one). The fried chicken is out of this world, the best I ever had and I didn’t think I would say that~ the seasoning is different but so delicious & the chicken crispy. I also had the Smoked Corn Tortilla, stuffed with cheese mozzarella and aged cheddar. It’s crunchy and puffy~ on the side it can come with a serving with pieces of pork belly and caramelized onion… you then proceed to fill the tortilla (worth the extra charge). It’s delicious. Holy moly! I was recommended to sit at the bar to watch the staff do their magic. The kitchen staff, cooks and chefs were amazing to watch and so friendly & hospitable. They so work as a beautiful team, a mesmerizing quick tempo symphony with high standards. You can see they love and take great pride in what they do. They care and want their food plated properly & to perfection. I can not name all of the gentleman on the line but all of them were fantastic & most of them extremely chatty and friendly but when it comes to business they don’t play, the food is the star, the priority and is top tier with the plating important. The mojitos were yummy also. I fly home soon but will return tomorrow before I leave. It was that good and the atmosphere well done.
Sasha FierceSasha Fierce
00
Had my first dinner in Panama here. I arrived at about 4:30p. It doesn't look like anything from the outside, but definitely go through the door. They took my name and said there would be a wait. The wait was longer than advertised but not horribly so and they did check in with me so I knew I was not forgotten. Service was fine but not exceptional. I had the Duepe Verde non-alcoholic drink. It was very refreshing, a good choice. The cheese empanada was excellent with a great salsa on the side. I had the chicken dinner. I was hesitant to order as it sounded to American for my first meal in Panama but was intrigued by the reviews. The chicken was perfectly season and fried and served with a creamy pepper sauce. The nadj potatoes and gravy was different. Very starchy and thin. It reminded me of KFC when you mix the gravy and potatoes. Excellent flavor, just a different preparation than traditional American. I had the flan for dessert. It was huge and came with what I believe to be a coffee reduction on top. Very tasty. I wish I had come with a group. This is the kind of place you want to order an assortment for the table and share family style.
Vicki JamesVicki James
00
My Friends have urged me to experience Fonda Lo Que Hay in Casco. I was looking forward to this. I reserved an Uber for a 12:00 noon pick up. In preparation for my experience I saved my appetite. I was famished when I arrived. As I proceeded to turn the door knob of my Dream meal, the door did not open!!! What? I looked at the glass door a bite closer. There is a paper listing the hours of operation. Nowhere in any review do they mention that this place Opens at 5 p.m. on weekdays. I was so hungry! I Walked around the old town and snacked on coffee and sweet bun. Not happy but Undefeated. I went home and reserved a second Uber for 4:45. My Uber took me back to this highly reveared eatery. The neón OPEN sign felt good on my again-hungry belly. I entered and opted to sit at the bar. The bar is in front of the kitchen. Quite entertaining since I dined alone. I ordered the fried chicken. The waiter explained that one of the three tiny cups around the chicken was a sauce for the chicken. The other was a very watery mashed potato. The third tiny cup had 5 tiny cubes of undercooked, hard to chew carrots and another 3 Cubes of something else. Lets discuss the chicken. The chicken was delicious. On its own, it reigned. It was perfectly fried; crispy on the outside and moist, juicy and flavorful inside. True perfection. The sauce took away from the chicken. The mashed potatos were a miss. They were soupy. I could have used a straw to sip these potatos. -- another miss. The undercooked carrots did not have favor, they were hard to chew and were cold too. --- another miss The presentation was nice, but the service was not what I anticipated. The waiter needed to be asked 3 times for a glass of water. The bar stools were super uncomfortable. After my meal I could not feel my legs! They were numb. I had to simply stand the rest of the time. Still, I ordered desert (Flan) and coffee. Oh wait!!! What??? This place does not serve coffee!! No coffee??? Flan is married to coffee!!! Holy cow! So I had a few spoonfuls of phenomenal Flan with WATER. Sinful!!! So I paid my check and left. Will I return? No.
Glenis HenriquezGlenis Henriquez
00
Just arrived to Panama and saw this place is on Latin America's Best Restaurants list so thought I needed to try. I have been to other restaurants on the list and this place just isn't up to par. The menu is very limited and lacks direction. The plates they have are so random. Never seen a restaurant serve pho and stew and pasta. I got the pork sandwich and the stew. The stew had a nice flavor, similar to gumbo, but had pieces of small bones in it. My dad almost choked. When we told the waiter, he seemed unbothered. We talk to the manager and although he apologized, he told us that that can be common in that dish and people know that. There was no warning and for tourists coming to eat there, not a great experience or response. Also the portion was sooo small for $15. My sandwich was good and a good size, but my dad's stew came out 20 mins before my sandwich so he already finished eating by the time I was eating. This dining experience was nothing like I was expecting for one on a best restaurant list.
Jennifer BJennifer B
00
Someone recommended this place while I was visiting in Panama and it was pretty ehh to me. I like the aesthetic and atmosphere of this place. However, I found the food and drink overall lack luster. To be fair I didn’t get many of the recommended items so maybe that is on me. I enjoyed the clams and I think that’s about it. I ordered the whole snapper and did not find the flavor appetizing at all which was disappointing. Also, I want to note, I tried snapper at other restaurants in Panama and this place charges double what others charge. I also tried the fried chicken w. mash potatoes and also did not really like that dish either. The mash potatoes were 100% from an instant powder mix lol. I ended up not finishing any of the dishes as I lost my appetite for the night. The service was great at first but started declining as the night started to set in. It def was alot slower and found no one was really attentive at that point. Overall, I’d pass and likely wouldn’t visit again.
NayyyNayyy
00
This place was recommend to me by a friend who claimed Lo Que Hay had some of the best Panamanian food in the city; and she was right. Everything about this restaurant was speculator. First the service was great! They put up with my high school Spanish and had someone help translate when the dishes came out so we could fully understand the true value of the cuisine. We had the tortilla de maiz, Guacho de Panza de Cerdo, Tamal, Pernil y su Flow and Yuca Tostada con Carpaccio de Atun. Being a Panamanian food novice I had no idea what to expect but every dish was fantastic. The Yuca Tostada con Carpaccio de Atun was my absolute fave and I will be trying to recreate it in the US because I need this dish in my life. The yuca was thin and crispy, the onion sauce on the side was just salty enough but the tuna and the sauce underneath was delectable. Cannot recommend this place enough.
Alexis BakerAlexis Baker
00
Nearby Attractions Of Fonda Lo Que Hay
France Square
Plaza Simón Bolívar
Tántalo Hotel / Kitchen / Roofbar
Panama Canal Museum
Selina Casco Viejo Panama City & Cowork
Plaza V Centenario
Plaza Herrera
Church of the Mercy
National Theatre
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria the Ancient
France Square
4.6
(3.6K)Click for details
Plaza Simón Bolívar
4.6
(1.9K)Click for details
Tántalo Hotel / Kitchen / Roofbar
4.5
(1.4K)Click for details
Panama Canal Museum
4.6
(1.4K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Fonda Lo Que Hay
Mercado De Marisco Cinta Costera
CasaCasco
La Pulpería - Casco Antiguo
La Rana Dorada Casco
Lazotea Restaurant & Rooftop
San Felipe Neri Public Market
La Fishería Seafood
En La Fonda, Panamá
Cevichera La Bendición
Diablicos
Mercado De Marisco Cinta Costera
4.2
(5.7K)$$
Click for details
CasaCasco
4.5
(2.2K)$$$
Click for details
La Pulpería - Casco Antiguo
4.9
(1.7K)$$
Click for details
La Rana Dorada Casco
4.6
(1.7K)$$
Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Edificio el Colegio, C. José D. de la Obaldía, Panama City, Panamá Province, Panama
Map
Phone
+507 6571-2843
Call
Website
fondaloquehay.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.5
(853 reviews)$$
Ratings & Description
attractions: France Square, Plaza Simón Bolívar, Tántalo Hotel / Kitchen / Roofbar, Panama Canal Museum, Selina Casco Viejo Panama City & Cowork, Plaza V Centenario, Plaza Herrera, Church of the Mercy, National Theatre, Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria the Ancient, restaurants: Mercado De Marisco Cinta Costera, CasaCasco, La Pulpería - Casco Antiguo, La Rana Dorada Casco, Lazotea Restaurant & Rooftop, San Felipe Neri Public Market, La Fishería Seafood, En La Fonda, Panamá, Cevichera La Bendición, Diablicos
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