El Trapiche is a popular spot for traditional Panamanian food, thanks to its convenient location and reasonable prices. The menu includes all the local favorites, from ropa vieja (stewed beef) to cazuelo de mariscos (seafood stew) and sancocho (chicken soup). They serve inexpensive set lunches, and typical Panamanian breakfasts, which include bistec encebollado (skirt steak smothered in onions), tortillas (thick deep-fried corn patties), and carimañolas (cassava croquets stuffed with ground beef).

El Trapiche is one of the most traditional and popular restaurants of Panama City. With a branch in Via Argentina and another at Albrook Mall, the restaurants offers authentic Panamanian cuisine as well as its renowned typical breakfast made up of eggs, beans, pastries and the famous “desayuno Centenario”, a fried pastry with fresh cheese and eggs.

On the other side of town, restaurant El Trapiche prides itself on serving more traditional dishes in a more traditional setting. In addition to preparing local renditions of Latin American staples like ropa vieja and arroz con pollo, you'll find carimañola, a meat-stuffed yuca turnover, and tamal de olla, the Panamanian version of a tamale, cooked not in a banana leaf, but in a pot, as a casserole. Of course, a traditional Panamanian meal wouldn’t be complete without those cheese doodle-looking almonjabános, which join the other dishes in their “Fiesta Panamena” sampler offering.

People go to El Trapiche to eat fried bread, stuffed yucca fritters, and rice and beans. Founded in 1983, the idea for the restaurant came to Alfonso Jaén, Domingo de Obaldía, and Santiago Anguizola, who wanted to open a restaurant that would offer the foods that grace the tables of the country’s interior. As Marketing Manager Domingo de Obaldía Jr. says: “We serve authentic Panamanian food from original recipes, because here at El Trapiche we’re not trying to surprise anyone, but rather to offer them tried and true flavors.

The Panama City fish market is worth a trip if you like markets and a couple of restaurants we ate at, El Trapiche and Jimmy’s served up tasty Panamanian food. For the most part Panama City is a very cosmopolitan place, filled with skyscrapers and international cuisine owing to the influence of all the different people who came to help build the canal, or came later because of it. I thought because of this the international food options would be good, and I’m sure they are there, we just weren’t lucky enough to find them.

One of the best dining locations for any visitor is El Trapiche, which was founded in 1983, its name translates as “a mill that squeezes a sugar cane juice out of it.” The restaurant is one of the best in town, which serves lots of local and international dishes, in fact, it is the choice of excellence for experiencing Panamanian food. You will enjoy your meal whether you sit outdoors or the interior, the whole atmosphere is friendly, comforting, and relaxing.

Packed with locals and one of our favourite cheap eats in Panama (sooo good, we went here way too many times), El Trapiche serves affordable and authentic cuisine (soul food) with several branches to choose from. Most dishes cost around $5 to $10 and we’d recommend their mixed meat combinacion hojaldre (sandwich), sancocho chicken soup (amazing and surprisingly good for hangovers) and their Fiesta Panameña platter for a delicious mix of local specialities.

Ask any local for the best Panama City restaurant and there’s a good chance they’ll direct you to El Trapiche. Open since 1983, this restaurant serves traditional Panamanian food, including platters loaded with seafood, chicharrón, yucca, patacones, rice, beans and tortillas. Two especially popular platters include arroz con pollo, a chicken and rice platter and sancocho, a Latin American soup with chicken and vegetables.

Conveniently located within Albrook Mall, El Trapiche Restaurant is a fantastic option for families looking to shop or explore the area. This spot serves traditional Panamanian cuisine in a comfortable setting, making it easy for families to take a break and refuel. The restaurant's casual atmosphere is ideal for kids, and the menu features familiar favorites that appeal to both young and old.

El Trapiche offers a journey into the heart of Panamanian food culture, with a distinct emphasis on traditional dishes. Visitors can indulge in delicacies like carimañolas, yucca fritters, and ropas viejas in an ambiance that reminds them of Panama’s culinary heritage. Keywords: Traditional dishes, Panamanian food culture, carimañolas, yucca fritters, ropas viejas, culinary heritage.

El Trapiche has four locations in the City, Albrook Mall, Via Argentina, Brisas del Golf, and their newest restaurant on Calle 71 in San Francisco. El Trapiche describes its menu as authentic traditional Panamanian cuisine. If you love traditional Panamanian breakfast staples such as empanadas, hojaldres, carimañolas, tortillas, and chorizos then you won’t be disappointed.

On our first night, we stumbled upon one of the city's traditional panamanian restaurants called El Trapiche. The restaurant celebrated the Panamanian identity: mannequins adorned in traditional Panamanian clothing stood proudly; national instruments were hung on the walls; the place was alive with music; and the food invited us into a cultural experience.

Another great option for restaurants in Panama City is El Trapiche. This restaurant is slightly more upscale than Cafe Coca Cola but still offers very reasonably-priced food and a festive atmosphere for guests. This restaurant is located in the expat-popular El Cangrejo district and is known for its Panama-style seafood dishes.

El Trapiche has locations throughout Panama City and for good reason. It is one of the few restaurants that features vegan versions of Panamanian cuisine. Wherever I travel, I always want to try the local cuisine, so it was nice to find a restaurant with an entire section of plant-based versions of Panamanian dishes.

In fact, Spanish Panama shares the friendly neighborhood of El Cangrejo with many of these types of international restaurants, as well as those serving local fare, such as the famous El Trapiche. So if you’re wondering about the traditional food in Panama (and what the dishes are called in Spanish!), read on …

El Trapiche is your go-to restaurant if you want to try Panamanian food. Whenever there’s a client in town who wants to enjoy local cuisine, I take them here. The prices are extremely affordable, and you can try anything from various ‘emparedados’ to the typical chicken soup, sancocho.

El Trapiche is a local chain with three different locations that serve up traditional dishes from Panama. The food was pretty good and I’d recommend it for seafood dishes. They did not have an English menu so prepare by having you Google translate ready.

El Trapiche: There are branches of El Trapiche all over the city and it’s our favorite place to get local Panamanian food at really affordable prices. We love getting the sampler platter so the whole family can try a variety of dishes from the area.

This is a highly recommended local Panamanian restaurant, and it was very good. It’s an institution that has been around since 1983. We had a rather interesting dinner companion on the wall above us, which was fun.

Indulge in a traditional Panamanian breakfast at El Trapiche, a local favorite. Then, explore the historic neighborhood of Casco Viejo on a guided bike tour, discovering its hidden gems and rich heritage.

No hotels to recommend specifically but great areas to stay are in Casco, near Calle 50 in Obarrio or El Congrejo off Via Argentina area, San Francisco between Via Israel and Parque Omar.

Vía Argentina, Albrook Mall y San FranciscoPanama City, PA 0807+507 269-4353. El Trapiche, dating back to 1983, is a renowned restaurant specializing in authentic Panamanian cuisine.

Try it in Panama City at restaurants like El Trapiche or in local fondas (small eateries) in the interior regions.