I recently stopped by El Caribe restaurant for lunch during a layover in Panama, and I was truly impressed. The service was exceptional, with the staff going above and beyond to ensure a pleasant dining experience. The owner, in particular, was incredibly friendly and welcoming. As for the food, I indulged in their fried fish dish, and I couldn't have been happier. The fish was perfectly fried, with a crispy chip-like texture that was simply delightful. Not to mention, it was seasoned beautifully, enhancing the flavors even further. In addition to the fish, I also tried their oxtails, and boy, was it a wise choice. The oxtails were seasoned to perfection, creating a burst of incredible flavors. They were served alongside a delectable brown stew, which was simply divine. Moreover, the dish came with an ample amount of dumplings, adding a comforting touch to the whole experience. El Caribe is truly a local gem that I cannot recommend enough. The exceptional service, coupled with the delicious and homemade food, makes this restaurant a must-visit spot. So, next time you find yourself in Panama, make sure to stop by El Caribe for an unforgettable dining experience.

The food is so good, I recommend anyone who wants some good food in panama City to visit this place. I had the chicken wings, oxtail and peach cobbler. The flavour on on point and the meat was so tender. Also the service was very good.

Great food, definitely best food after trying lots of restaurants during our vacation in Panama City. Staff was welcoming and helpful. Our waitress went out of her way to fulfill my request for avocado although she had to get it from somewhere else. Little family run business. Highly recommend

Wow, where do we start?! Great vibes, great chairs, amazingly great food 😩. I love Panama. Shoutout to PassportHeavy on YouTube for the recommendation. The staff there were great, they made us feel at home. Speaking with the chef, he was very down to earth and loved his job. Which transferred to the food. If you’re reading up to this point there’s no more I need to say lol, just go!

The food was SOOOO delicious! I had the curry chicken and it was hands down the BEST curry chicken I have ever had. The chicken was PERFECTLY tender and juicy. The curry was delicate not thick. I had it with red beans and rice. It also comes with dumplings. It was so great. The serving size was perfect. I went on a Monday early evening so all the restaurants in the area were very slow/empty. If you are looking for people watching, this is not the time to visit. But if you want good food, This was fantastic because our food was fast and tasty. Also, we had Margaritas from the happy hour special. They were PERFECT!

10\10 Great food! Oxtail was amazing. I'm a little upset that when I came a 2nd time for the oxtails we were told that they ran out but 45 mins before closing another couple came and got 2 orders😮‍💨. The brown stew chicken was a good replacement tho. Favorite spot to eat in Panama city.

Listen this place was recommended by everyone we met and after visiting I know why. The food the drinks and the service was amazing. It takes time to get your food so just please be patient. It was worth the wait. Parking is insane so Uber.

Really great staff, they were patient, friendly and super helpful, food was excellent especially the oxtail, had a great time here and must come back every i visit panama. As a Yardie!!!

I came on a few different days and they were closed when they were advertised as open. On a Monday night I caught them open so took advantage by ordering their ox tail and dumplings. $22 for small portions but excellent taste. If they lower their prices, their place will be packed. At least there were plenty of available tables.

Had oxtail with rice and peas on my second day of vacation. It was juicy and flesh falling off the bone. My wife had fish with rice and peas. The food was great and we had to return the next day and the following day. I recommend this place to anyone seeking the best caribbean food. Servers were great and kids enjoy the ice cream as well.

Great flavorful restaurant. Had to visit 3x within a week and still wasn’t enough. Will definitely be back. The house sauce is so amazing.

First time in Panama City, Panama from Los Angeles, California area and immediately was on the hunt for some really authentic Afro-Panamanian cuisine and fell upon El Caribe. THIS IS A MUST STOP IF VISITING OR EVEN IF YOU ARE A LOCAL!!! The staff is extremely friendly, my bf and I sat outside to enjoy the weather with a cold and refreshing strawberry lemonade (the best I’ve had in my life) and we each ordered the oxtail and dumplings with a side of rice and peas. The oxtail must have been marinated for hoursssss! It was so flavorful that I was sucking on the bones and licking every single finger. If you can handle spice, please add the house made hot sauce on top of the rice for an added kick....You won’t regret it! This was the best oxtail/Caribbean food I’ve had in a very long time as out in the West Coast there aren’t many spots to go to when craving homemade Caribbean cuisine. Chefs kiss to the establishment This was my favorite spot of my entire vacation Well done and wishing continued success!!!

First off, best food in Panama hands down. The curry chicken was great and the oxtail was just as tasty. The chef Buju is excellent at his craft and really cooks with love. We also had mojitos for happy hour and they were very good as well. However, the hospitality could improve a lot. Maritza, the owner, was friendly after we had a conversation with her, however she can initially come off as cold when you first enter the restaurant.

I enjoyed the spot. Food was good. Pretty decent selection (although they seem to have cut back on some menu options). I would eat here again.

This restaurant is further down the block. Do not give up until you find it. It is delicious and worth the short walk

Absolutely phenomenal experience in Caribbean cuisine and social engagement. If you are in Panama don't just visit, go several times and get several different experiences...guaranteed you will have a pleasurable and different culinary and social experience.

This is an excellent restaurant to eat at. The Royal Mojito is great, and the Cuban Mojito is good too. I had the oxtails with dumplings and fried Plantains. We ate EVERYTHING on the table. The service is good and the chef is very nice. You have to eat here when you come. You won't regret it.

Delicious grilled salmon and rice with peas. The Caribbean spicy sauce on the side was awesome! Will come back.

This place is know for their oxtail. I had it with rice and beans and it was fantastic. I also had the "adult" milk shake. Highly recommended.

El Caribe was a must stop during our trip to Panama City! Everyone was so friendly and I got to meet the owner - a fellow Howard University alumni! HU!! We had the Oxtails and fried whole fish…recommended this place to the rest of our travel group and they pulled up 15 deep the next night to support her!

I have been staying in panama for almost 2 years but what i had today completly blew my mind. most amazing and the best dish i hv ever tasted here till date its called Oxtail with rice and peas and boy o boy ..what an extraordinary dish you guys have won a fan for life keep up the good work guys

This place has delicious food. We ordered the ceviche, chicken wings, oxtail, and sea bass. And for dessert we had the coconut flan. Yup.

This food was absolutely incredible. The service was quick, L and her mother were kind and informative, the environment was homey and inviting. I haven’t had Caribbean food like this outside of home in my 36 years of life but everything I ordered made my tummy dance. I had the red beans and pigtail soup, curry chicken, festivals, oxtail and dumplings and the fish in the coconut sauce. The beverages were equally delightful including the ginger and pineapple, rum punch, and ginger beer. I am mad it was so good because I leave tomorrow. If you are in Panama City do yourself a favor and treat yourself.

Excellent food! Best we've found since leaving Brooklyn. Chef Lindo works magic with his delicious meals.

This was one of the best spots for Caribbean food I've ever been to, period. El Caribe is a must if you're in Panama. Be sure to ask for the Pineapple Ginger juice, Rum punch and festivals. If you get the festivals ask for a side of curry sauce to dip them in.

Son Delicioso…… that’s truly an understatement, this place is awesome!!! The service and family atmosphere is worth every morsel of bliss! Go there relax, EAT, 🇵🇦🍗🥗🍤🧆🦪🍷🍻🍺🥃 and be MERRY

I’m here visiting Panama for the first time & this was the resteraunt I chose fresh off my flight. Absolutely delightful! The customer service is very good! I ordered the chicken in curry sauce & I made the right decision! It was soo good & the chicken was super tender. The curry sauce had the perfect amount of spice. Their house hot sauce is crazy good😂 . I didn’t even need hot sauce for my curry chicken but used it anyway just because the hot sauce was so good 😍. 10/10 recommend. I’d for sure come back . Like this if it helped you out💚 Subscribe to my Youtube channel: Safiya Lin to watch my Panama vlog!

Awesome food, drinks, service and atmosphere. A must-visit spot when in Panama City. The menu is large and offers a wide selection of Caribbean food. Also, you have to try the salsa! It has a wonderful flavor and spice.

We found this restaurant on our last night in Panama, and it was the best food we had to eat in the two weeks we spent in Panama! We were tired of the food options and decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed. From appetizer to main course to dessert, it was amazing! The owner, Maritza, and her staff are refreshingly friendly and welcoming. They will fill your belly and warm your heart. Definitely a must visit if you are in Panama City and looking for something other than traditional Panamanian fare.

Visiting from New York - best Jamaican food I’ve had so far. Owners are extremely nice and welcoming. Came here twice and will prob come a third, everything on the menu is delicious. Highly recommend Getting the oxtail!

Excellent food! A Few more dollars, but competitive with the area. When we came the first time, We tried a little of everything and loved it, and what we didn’t like, was kindly replaced.😊 So we came back a second time, but the food was not consistent. The Frozen Drinks we had before were prepared differently, and one of the dishes we had before was prepared slightly differently, which to someone else would seem minor but the dish was prepared to have a spicy and sweet combination the sweet was missing . We expressed our disappointment and they immediately fixed the problem.👏🏾👏🏾 👏🏾 The cod fish fritters had me returning a third time and I have NEVER tasted pathacones like hers! They are prepared light and airy . AMAZING! So over all the FOOD IS DELICIOUS! Consistency is Important. If I Send my friends to the restaurant to experience the food that I tasted , I want them to have the same lovely experience I had. I believe in the food and the talent of the owner. Enjoy! 🙏🏾

Went here with high hopes and ended up very disappointed. Ordered Octopus, whole fish and a Negroni. Bartender / waiter / manager had no idea what I was asking for. When I told him that the Negroni was on the drinks menu then he told me that he could make it. Well, he didnt know how as what I got was definitely not a Negroni. The chef did an amazing job with both the Octopus in garlic sauce and the whole fish, fried with a coconut sauce. Worst part was having to swat a roach off the table almost knocking down a few plates with it. Then I found more roaches crawling on the seats. I decided to ask for my bill and had to find someone (i was literally the only person in the restaurant) to give me the bill. Only to find out I was chaged a SERVICE FEE! Wont recommend this place nor will I ever return.

THE BEST RESTAURANT IN PANAMA, hands down. We had oxtails with coconut rice, shrimp ajillo, sweet plains and the plain rain stuffed with mixed seafood. EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS. The oxtails were perfectly cooked and seasoned, the shrimp was great! I can’t talk good enough about this place.

Absolutely amazing food and atmosphere! You must try the oxtails!!! The owner is super sweet and extremely helpful with recommendations. Next time we are in the country, we will stop by again.

We had a fantastic meal with superb service. The flavours were authentic and the quality of the ingredients shone through. Even the cocktails were expertly made. Quite dear but you get what you pay for!

Please make it a priority to dine here on your visits to Panama. The food is soo full of flavor and delicious. We had the fish fritters, oxtail and seafood pasta. The fish fritters were soo good. They make the breading in house so everything tastes much better! The seafood pasta in the white sauce was soo light and delicious. I couldn’t stop thanking the owner and her team! They really have superior service. I will definitely be back. S.N the plating was perfection. I started eating before I took the picture so I have sauce around the plate. It was that good!

Wow such q low key amazing dinner place. I got the Camarones Alajijos and they were heaven on earth. I also tried their Oxtails and it was AMAZING ! Definitely recommend this place ! Must try when in Panama!

The oxtail was hands down the best I ever had! The meat was falling off the bones and it was full of flavor. The rice and peas, salad and plantain were also on point. My only regret was not trying this place sooner. Excellent customer service also! A must try if you're in Panama!

This restaurant is wonderful from the moment you step in you feel like home. The server was very pleasant and helpful. I wasn't feeling well and he offered to make tea for me and checked in on me. I highly recommend this location the food is excellent, service excellent and atmosphere awesome.

Delicious Food, Excellent Staff, and Great Atmosphere! The best Caribbean food we had in. Better yet, it was the best meal while on vacation 😋 honey garlic wings and curry chicken.

Great Pamanian foods, seafoods and cocktails. Staff are really nice and friendly and price is decent. I would recommended if you like seafoods and pamanian food

DELICIOUS!!!! Full of authentic flavors. They have drunken milkshakes. The patio is nice at night. THOSE PINEAPPLE GINGER WINGS will have you feigning.

A wonderful Caribbean dining experience. Amazing food and atmosphere. The owner and staff truly treat you like Family! The food was impeccable!!!

very very good! can not say one bad thing about this restaurant. i had the curry chicken and it was authentic jamaican food, coming from someone who grew up eating it. perfect seasoning, dumplings, rice and peas. i was full but couldn’t help but to finish. a gem in the city.

The best meal i had while visiting Panamá! The red snapper was so flavorful and delicious. The happy hour prices and drinks were great as well! This is a must go for good food while in Panamá!

One fine place for local Caribbean food and drinks like ginger beers sea mass great loaded fruit drinks

(Translated by Google) Excellent for spending time with friends! (Original) Excelente para pasar tiempo con amigos!

(Translated by Google) Nice Food. Good attention. Modern with a very cultural air. Tables outside. The best mojito. (Original) Rica comida. Buena atención. Moderno con un aire muy cultural. Mesas afuera. El mejor mojito.

(Translated by Google) Neither service nor food (Original) Ni servicio ni comida

Loved it

(Translated by Google) Good lemonade I didn't like the fish very much. I find very expensive ceviches (Original) Buena limonada. No me gustó mucho el pescado. Me parecen muy costosos los ceviches

(Translated by Google) I loved (Original) Me encanto

(Translated by Google) Expensive and not so good burgers (Original) Hamburguesas caras y no tan buenas

Beyond excellent place. The owner (Maritza), turned dinner into an experience. Vast menu of many choices. A real taste of the Caribbean in Panamá. The best restaurant I’ve eaten at during my visit in Panamá City.

(Translated by Google) Excellent food and customer service (Original) Excelente comida y atención al cliente

One of the best dining experiences I ever had! For Caribbean cuisine - a real gem in Panama on Via Argentina. The jerk chicken and homemade hot sauce were absolutely delicious. For desert - ask for a Pina Colada and Coconut Flan :)

The best caribbean food ever

Excellent food, excellent drinks and great all around. Best food of our trip!!

The food is soooooooo amazing. R u kidding me wth??.... I was so happy to find this place. Owner and staff are sooo sweet???? I came in by accident.

Probably the best food I've had in Panama City. Everything is fresh and full of flavor. If you're looking for an authentic Afro-Caribbean meal, this is the place to go.

The food is great 👍

This is an amazing restaurant. It's unpretentious as you walk up, but the food is brilliant. We had jerk pork, jerk chicken, BBQ chicken, and the curry chicken. All of it was amazing, even including the grilled plantains (my husband hates bananas but he raved about the plantains). Maritza is an inspiring woman, crazy educated and a force as an entrepreneur ... definitely worth talking with her! Would recommend this restaurant to anyone. (Forgot to mention, the brownies were amazing!)

Best food in the city! We paired 2 appetizers for a delicious combination: fried plantains with creole and beef kabobs. Relaxing patio in an awesome neighborhood. 2 for 1 cocktails from 4-8:30pm Monday-Saturday. Average cocktail is $6.50. Our waitress was awesome. We spoke with our broken Spanish and she help us learn new words. Initially I ordered a liquor they were out of so I ordered a different drink. The waitress later brought me the cocktail I wanted on the house as a surprise!

I visited Panama for a short trip. I searched Caribbean restaurant and it came up. I wasn’t disappointed. We went there on a Friday night it was karaoke night. I know only a little Spanish but the owner was very helpful. Warm environment they even sang happy birthday for my gf. We both had fish fried and steamed* it was so good I tried to go back Sunday but I just ran out of time. It was well seasoned I craved that fried fish for days. I definitely recommend. Milk shakes we had was awesome.

We went to this restaurant as we'd just booked in at a near by hotel. Very friendly staff, great food, spoke to the Chef, a very tall, slim Jamaican gentleman, passionate about his food and cooking style. Beers served cold in refrigerated glasses, premier League football on the big screen but with commentary sufficiently low so that I could still hold a conversation with my partner. Well worth the visit, excellent value for money, totally stuffed now! Highly recommended!..

The cook is Jamaican so next time will try the ox tails. The ceviche was not good, the seafood was not fresh, tasted like it was previously frozen. The fried pork chops had so much flavor. The staff, especially Lsyle was so nice and suggested other places to visit.

We had the prawns and chicken with Jamaican style curry sauce and it was simply delicious. Really well served dishes, I went out of there stuffed. Prices are affordable. Plenty of beers in the menu with glasses served refrigerated. The only down point was that the place was a bit of a mess. Uncleaned tables, plenty of dirty dishes and cups over the bar, and visible electric cables everywhere. However, the food made me forget all this and I had a good time with excellent food.

Monica is very nice! Great food

(Translated by Google) Excellent place to spend with friends, tasty food and Maritza's attention, the owner is spectacular. (Original) Exelente lugar para pasarla entre amigos, la comida sabrosisima y la atencion de Maritza, la dueña es espectacular.

(Translated by Google) Very delicious food! (Original) Muy rica la comida!

(Translated by Google) Good food (Original) Buena comida

Great menu ejecutivo - the salsa was amazing

(Translated by Google) The rice was raw ... it has drained a lot (Original) El arroz estaba, crudo..ha desembocado mucho

Horrible service definitely I will not recommend it

(Translated by Google) Very nice place, delicious food, excellent service and the location is the best !! (Original) Lugar muy agradable, comida deliciosa, excelente servicio y la ubicación es lo mejor!!

(Translated by Google) Very friendly staff but food was not that good (Original) El personal muy amable pero la comida no estaba tan buena

Wonderful curry chicken, best service we’ve had in Panamá and reasonably priced drinks. We’ll definitely be back!

It's so pricy and it doesn't even tastes good 14 dollars for a burger that seems it's 4 dollars

The service and meal was great!

Best food i ate in Panama.

I ate in many places in Panama city and this was the best food that I had while there!

I can say the food is awesome!!!

Great food! Came back twice in one week.

3.50 for fries n she charged 4. Also the curry oxtail and its not Caribbean food it's Panamanian!

Mini Jamaica restuarant really nice I never regret going

(Translated by Google) Great experience .. So unforgettable (Original) Fenomenal q experiencia.. Tan inolvidable

The food is amazing

Visiting from barbados 🇧🇧 i decided to try this restaurant do get a taste of my culture abroad, I was more than impressed, Food was awesome and tasteful, full of flavour, service was excellent, beautiful people and wonderful atmosphere. My first time trying oxtail ever and i was over the moon when i took the first bite. Must Try Restaurant When Here In Panama 🙌🏽 10/10