- ext212
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
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Editor Pick
El Sabroson
- November 11, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
buzz_1919 from Tucson, Arizona
El Sabroson:
Located in the center of Boquete, on Central Avenue, El Sabroson is very convienent and easy to find. As there have been two other excellent reviews on El Sabroson, I will exclude some things to avoid duplication. Almost all of the locals eat here, and for very good reason. The food is excellent and the price couldn't be better. I ate at El Sabroson twice, once for dinner and once for breakfast.
For dinner I chose chicken, potatoes, rice, beans, some veggies, bread, and a coke. Total came to about $4. The chicken was very flavorful, as well as the rice. The potatoes were a little bland, but a few shakes of salt fixed that. The veggies were of course killer and I although I didn't eat the fish, I smelled it from the plate across from me and it made my mouth water.
El Sabroson opens around 6:30am, so it was perfect before my white-water rafting trip. For breakfast I had two eggs, scrambled, with some almost-hash brown things. The eggs were great, not too runny - but the hash brown thingys were bland (again a little salt fixed that). Add to that a cup of juice and my wallet was $3 lighter.
You can spot El Sabroson by the large blue Pepsi sign out front. Not much can be said for the decor of El Sabroson - but come on, you are in Boquete. You aren't here for fancy restaurants with froo-froo waiters and 21-piece table settings. All you need is some good, cheap food to fill your tank for your next hike.
The people working at El Sabroson are extremely friendy, especially with non-locals.
Dolores helped me with my Spanish while dishing out my food, and later the next day I saw her and she asked if I was the "gringo loco" who went up Volcan Baru.
From journal The Beauty of Boquete
Editor Pick
El Sabroson
- August 11, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Jose Kevo from Middle-of-Nowhere, Missouri
Savory, tasty and delicious are the three English descriptions associated with the Spanish word sabroso, and El Sabrosón Restaurante certainly lives up to its namesake in either language. This Boquete mainstay surpasses with quality and quantity of regional specialties, and was hands-down favorite of anywhere I ate while in Panamá.
Located a couple of blocks north of the central plaza on Avenida Central, they're open from 6:30am - 10:30pm. Popularity keeps this establishment quite busy, and travelers may find prices even more irresistible than the food. The cafeteria-style buffet has the greatest amount of selections found anywhere in town, a place where it's as big a challenge to break the $3 price range from loading up a tray as it will be to finish everything on plates!
Whether it's the fresh mountain air or physical exertions put forth, El Sabrosón commands a ravenous approach. It's possible to enjoy every meal here while in Boquete and never eat the same thing twice. Various styles of preparations evolve for entrees and side dishes each time a pan gets changed. As if what's on the buffet won't instigate droolings in trying to decide, don't exclude wall to the rear, which is scribbled with a confounding amount of seafood selections prepared to order.
The trout (trucha) was absolutely best I've ever had! Fillets are pan-grilled to perfection with a lite garlic sauce that encrusts the outer layer while flavorfully basting the fish that almost melts in your mouth. Trout costs $3.25, and is served with choice of white rice, french fries, or patacones; fried plantain slices called tostones in most other countries. The loaded yellow rice, which usually includes chunked chicken, peas and flavorful seasonings, upped the cost to $4.75 including a drink.
A well-rounded breakfast, with eggs, meat, cheese, bread and juice went for $1.75, while lunch and dinner plates, with entree and side items, averaged $2.75. There was nothing tried that I wouldn't recommend.
There's a large cooler with soft drinks and juices, but the majority of patrons drink water. Glasses are racked next to the cashier, and there's a large thermal cooler off to the side. Random water pitchers are also scattered about on tables.
El Sabroson's dining area is congested with elongated family-style tables a dozen people can crowd around. During peak hours, trays with dirty dishes can pile up as a secondary priority. You may have to clear a spot before eating, but also take your tray away when leaving. An undesignated table was usually overflowing as the dump station.
There's a small bakery case, but better opportunities await at El Jardín Panadería, across the street in the next block heading towards the plaza. If saving room for dessert, this is the place! Slabs of cakes, pastries and cookies average 50¢, and is also a great breakfast alternative, or for stocking up rooms.
Here's a general overview on Food & Dining while in Panama.
From journal The Outlandish Bounty of Boquete
Editor Pick
El Sabroson
- January 15, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
ext212 from New York, New York
For a typical Panamanian fare, you must go to El Sabroson, a cafeteria-style restaurant located on Avenue Central, the main street of Boquete. In the Philippines, we call a place like this “turo-turo.” “Turo” means “to point” and you point at the food behind the glass case to order what you want to eat.
It was high noon when we walked in, and the place buzzed with the lunch time local crowd. We came here famished after our cloud forest hike. There were several selections, from chicken and beef stews to fried fish and soups. Two kinds of beans were available as side dishes, as well as rice, mashed potatoes, and fries.
We shared the chicken stew and asked for a pork chop on the side. We waited a bit for the trout to be filleted and fried, but the wait was worth it for fresh fish. Both dishes, served with fries and bean salad cost us less than $8.
From journal Boquete in the Mist