By the Coronado entrance, just besides Malibu Restaurant, is located Hermanos Marquez, a cafeteria style, fast-food restaurant where you can get a really good meal and a beer for well under $5.

This little open style, semi-outdoor restaurant is simple in its set up, yet efficient for its purpose. It has just 6 tables with 4 seats each and a little TV in the background with local programming. Panamanian and Peruvian flags let you know that the owners are native to the South American country, although the food served here is Panamanian. This restaurant is set up in a cafeteria style, thus there are no servers. Hot food is served from behind the counter. You must choose your meal from the menu board above.

Be sure to arrive early during meal times, as this is a popular eating place for the workers in the area. Last Thursday my friend and I went for lunch around 12:45pm. There was a line of people in front of us and the food was over by the time we got to the counter.

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I had better luck the following day when I returned with my uncle around noon. We beat the lunch crowd and even got to have a friendly chat with the owner who was behind the counter, serving. She tells us that today the meat dishes are prepared with red sauce. Tomorrow it may be different. They also have some fresh potato salad.

The food here tastes like good home style Panamanian cooking. The portions are healthy and the prices cannot be beat. Since the meals are prepared you don’t have to wait to get your food and you can what you are ordering.

Hermanos Marquez Restaurante is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast Menu:

Hojaldres (Fried bread) for .25 cents.
Corn Tortillas for .20 cents.
Empanadas filled with meat or chicken for .40 cents.
Yucca, 3 pieces for .25 cents
Fried banana, 6 pieces for .25 cents
Chorizo for .55 cents
Fried chicken or fried pork for $1.00

Lunch and Dinner Menu:
Beef or chicken soup for $1.25 or $1.50 with rice.
Comida con gallina o carne o Puerco (Food with chicken, beef or pork) for $2.75.

(In Panama, you can often find Comida con gallina or carne or Puerco on a menu of a local restaurant. Often this meal is not written on the menu, but the server will tell you about it. This is a traditional plate that will usually come with some beans or rice or ripe banana - called tajada on the side, plus a small salad.)

There are a number of sodas, juices and chichas on the menu, plus beer.

Open Mondays through Fridays from 6:30am until they sell all the food. The owner told me that they close later during Fridays and Saturdays because those are the days their clients like to party. No reservations needed. Call to 240-42-91.