Fonda Lo Que Hay

Inns are to Panamanians what cafes are to Italians. These inexpensive roadside restaurants are an essential part of daily life: unpretentious places where neighbors gather after long shifts at work and owners greet regular customers over steaming pots of beef stew. In its modern incarnation, José Olmedo Carles Rojas offers unique takes on traditional dishes, served in a corrugated-metal, neon-lit dining room that has all the energy of a cocktail bar. The menu changes regularly to highlight local produce, but the signature dish—toasted yucca with tuna carpaccio and onion ceviche—is always on the menu, and for good reason. Reservations are not accepted, so be prepared to wait in line.