El Trapiche San Francisco — Restaurant in San Francisco

The food at El Trapiche just did not do it for me. We ordered the shredded beef sandwich on the recommended bread, but it was just too oily. Also, there were picked veggies on the sandwich which is fine, but they added way too many that it detracted from the meal. We also ordered a sampling of traditional Panamaian food. I really liked the chicken and rice dish and the fried plantains.

Service could be improved. One of the dishes came with a chicharrón and since we don't eat pork I told the waiter to please exclude it. I confirmed at the end of the order to ensure he understood and he said yes. However when he gave us our food there was a chicharrón. Instead of apologizing for the mess up he just looked at us confused when we said we didn't eat chicharrón. I think it was a cultural misunderstanding not realizing some people don't eat pork, but he just picked it off for us which is a little sketchy. I was disappointed by the...

This is exactly what we were looking for - authentic Panamanian food in a nice atmosphere with good service and more upscale than a hole-in-the-wall place you might find in a neighborhood. It felt like a typical American style restaurant but with Panamanian food and atmosphere. I lived in Panama as a missionary for two years so I ate food cooked by Panamanians hundreds of times. I ordered the Panamanian sample entree and it was perfect - arroz con pollo, yuca, the soup, etc. For dessert I got Pesada de Nance (the waiter couldn't believe I knew what it was) and it was 100% just like I had when I lived here. They didn't offer chicheme or jugo de papaya, but they did have sugar cane juice which was awesome. They also had other juices which I didn't try but I'm sure they were Panamanian style. Anyone that comes with me to Panama in the future will eat at this restaurant. I...

El Trapiche (The Mill) is a restaurant chain specialising in Panamanian fare in an upscale environment. I went here with friends ,and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and although I know that my friends played a big part, the meal and service were great. My meal consisted of tender bacon wrapped chicken medallions soaked in a divine sweet glaze, with a side of fries and a light salad finishing the plate. It tasted as gorgeous as it looked. I'm not 100% on how Panamanian this dish actually is, but I was too busy taking it all in to press anyone on the matter. Each of my friends at the table ( a mix of both locals and foreigners ) enjoyed the feast in our own little private room. Among the Panamanians at the table, the traditional soup was a favourite. I'd...