{"id":88004,"date":"2026-01-07T13:57:46","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T21:57:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/?p=88004"},"modified":"2026-01-07T13:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T21:58:16","slug":"serving-snapper-jerk-chicken-oxtail-panama-international-restaurant-is-open-downtown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/eat-see-do-2\/eat\/serving-snapper-jerk-chicken-oxtail-panama-international-restaurant-is-open-downtown","title":{"rendered":"Serving snapper, jerk chicken, oxtail, Panama International Restaurant is open downtown\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stuck in their apartment during the pandemic, Mercedes Squires and her husband, Roger, started cooking more food that connected them to their roots in Panama and the Caribbean. Then, when Squires was laid off from her old job, the couple opened a pop-up restaurant to share their culture with the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That pop-up quickly turned into a brick-and-mortar in Los Angeles and their business, Caribbean Soul Kitchen LA, really took off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But their location in Los Angeles was small \u2014\u00a0the restaurant could only accommodate 37 guests at a time \u2014 and after four years, they had outgrown the space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now, they\u2019re bringing the taste of Panama to Long Beach. They just opened on New Year\u2019s Eve under the new name Panama International Restaurant. On Thursday, Jan. 8, the new restaurant will be officially introduced to the city with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe’re excited to just come out with a bang,\u201d Squires said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With dishes like fried snapper, jerk chicken, beef oxtail, sancocho, and yuca fritters, Panama International Restaurant serves meals rich in Panamanian culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Panama International Restaurant (@eatpanama.intl)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n