Istmo Brew Pub

Beer to enjoy and pub food to savor

I have to admit I was a bit nervous about this assignment to review the food at Istmo Brew Pub. Not from any illusion of pub fare being beneath review status, but by a concern for what context I should judge it by. But I and my wary group of diners found the food at Istmo Brew Pub very good, and in some cases, such as the Lobsterdam Sandwich, excellent.

Istmo Brew Pub is a two-year-old establishment that makes and serves its own brew of four beers; Veraguas, Cocle, Colon and Chiriqui. According to the beer drinkers among us, they are quite good brews. They also offer a wide variety of other beer brands as well. In the land of 50 cent beer, the prices are a bit high, but then the old adage that "you get what you pay for" is quite true. These are rich, intensely flavored lagers. But it was the food I was more interested in. The menu offers ample Appetizer Plates, Burritos, Plantain Plates featuring a variety of ingredients, Hors d’ oeuvres, Sandwiches & Burgers, Picaditas and full Steak & Poultry main course meals. Quite an ambitious menu for "pub food".

We started with the 4-person Panamá Sampler ($14.50), which consisted of chicken skewers, chicken wings, beef skewers, onion rings, bbq ribs, and various dipping sauces. Almost everything was first rate...the ribs were rich and flavorful, the wings large and meaty, the meat skewers moist and rich. I say "almost everything" because, while good, the onion rings were frozen. Why include frozen rings? The real thing is easy and goes better with the overall quality of the platter. But, basically, we were off to a good start.

This was confirmed with the arrival of the El Carmen Sampler ($9.75) which consisted of sliced veal, Polish and Spanish sausages served with sauerkraut. These were not your supermarket variety sausages, either, but delicious, custom-made sausages packed with flavor.

Perhaps the best buy of the evening was a truly large and delicious Chicken Burrito ($3.90). Not the mock-Mexican variety you usually find, but a large Tex-Mex-style tortilla packed with chicken, guacamole, lettuce, refried beans, lettuce, sour cream, rice, and served with nachos. Eaten alone, it is a full meal...but shared by my hungry friends, it was a tempting reason to return and order one just for our personal enjoyment. Probably the best burrito I have found in Panamá.

I am an unabashed lover of really good hamburgers...and they are decpetively hard to make, unless you are satisfied with the overcooked, reheated variety drenched with flavor enhancer sauces served by fast food chains. The Ranch Burger ($6.25) was a real treat...obviously griddle fried with crusty burnt-meat edges, a large meaty patty, topped with cheese and crisp bacon, and served with just-made french fries. It was very good, although the bun was barely warm. (Note to cook: heat the buns on the griddle while the burger cooks. The burger flavor and eating experience is improved 50%!).

It was with the above referenced Lobsterdam Sandwich ($7.75), however, that I began to fully realize..."This isn’t pub food. This is a pub that serves restaurant quality fare." The sandwich was a good sized bun, packed with real lobster meat and a rich sauce that brought out the flavor of both to the delight of the entire table. Served with fries, it is simple but extremely good. In an evening of good food, it was a highlight.

We also enjoyed the Spanish Steak ($9.95), a large, thin-sliced strip steak, served with a great salad and your choice of side dish. Tender, moist, flavorful and perfectly cooked as per order...what more can you ask a steak to be? Alas, the Honey Mustard Chicken ($6.50) didn’t fare as well since the meat was tasty but dry. Perhaps if the breast were not pounded to make it thinner the cooking process would not deplete its natural juices. Good, but not on the same level as the other dishes we enjoyed.

Bottom line: Istmo Brew Pub is a place to go to enjoy beer. But it is also a place to enjoy a good no-frills meal. No table cloths, the napkins are paper and the seating is plain wooden benches and stools, the food is quite good and affordable.Finally, a good judge of any eating establishment is found in answering the question, "Would I go back?". For me, the answer is a definite "Yes!" In fact, I can’t wait to try another Lobster sandwich...or Hamburger....or.......