Rancho Paisa Boquete Panama

At least once a week, usually more, I drive past Rancho Paisa in Alto Boquete. It is on the highway to David and in the past I passed it by. Yesterday Heather and I were driving back from David and decided to heed the sagely advice of Susan Thoms, “STOP there, it’s good”.

As usual, Susan was right.

Rancho Pais, named after the Paisa region of Columbia has some exciting cuisine.

“The Paisa cuisine is very influenced by their traditional rural background of the mountains. It belongs to the Colombian Andes cuisine with abundance of beans, rice, maize, pork and cattle meat, tropical fruits, potato and several types of vegetables.

• Bandeja paisa: It is the more traditional dish and is generally composed by carne asada (grilled steak) or carne molida (finely ground grilled steak), chicharrón (fried pork rind), rice, red beans, a slice of avocado, sweet fried plantains, a fried egg, a small white corn arepa, and sometimes chorizo (sausage). Bandeja paisa is also a very popular dish served in Colombian restaurants in Europe and the United States.”

• Wikipedia

• Boquete’s very own touch of Northern Columbia has some of these treats in a relaxed unusual atmosphere. The Restaurant is under a giant thatched roof.
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• But there is more including a pool table and real swimming pool.
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• There is the food, hearty fair from Paisa like this Bandeja de Carne, $10 and too much for the two of us to eat.
• Out first impression, we will return. They are open from 9:30am Wednesday through Sunday and it is a great place relax, chill out, play pool or swim and not have internet access.