Mark V.

The BEST Latin American food omg!!! Get the tapas!! Get as many as you can eat! Insane drinks, and bar! This is a must try if you are in the Hoboken area! God, we love this place! I would suggest just ordering the tapas! These shareable small plates are to die for! We ordered the four most popular ones recommended by our waiter, the street corn, the loco fries with beef, the chicken tostones, and the mango shrimp Tostadas!!!!! I don't know where to start, but you must get the street corn. This is not something to even think about. My favorite dish was the mango shrimp tostadas! There were so many flavors going on here, absolutely delicious unlike anything I can remember! Let me say that if you must order theLoco fries! We got it with beef, but it also comes with chicken. First of all very hearty and filling dish, which is a good thing. Boy was this a delicious one, I'm still thinking about it now and it days after I ate there! I also want to call out how awesome this place is decorated and the atmosphere inside is second to none! Very festive, fun place! If you're not there by 6:30 you will not get a seat at the bar or even the tables near the bar. Looks like they were serving up lots of margaritas! We ate in the dining area, which filled up quickly after we got there. Highly recommended if you're in the Hoboken area. If you're looking for a place to eat, please look no further and just come here you won't regret it, you'll love it!

Kriti S.

Nice ambiance, perfect spot for date night or grabbing dinner & drinks with friends. This is a spot with a Latin American take on bar food and plenty of great options on the menu. Whatever you end up ordering, I really don't think you can go wrong. I ordered the garlic shrimp and the tostadas that came with it were delicious. We also ordered the lamo chicken fries which was so flavorful.

Rajni D.

Really cool, fun place with yummy eats and cocktails. Open window gives it a semi-outdoor patio feel which is brought to life with all the grass walls. Neon signs adds a sense of "whimsy" that just tells your sober self that fun is on da waaaayyyyy (hey-o). Only ordered 1 entrée (the seafood chaufa) and two caipirinhas. Food was delish and definitely a generous portion. It tasted authentic but not rustic, you know? Close to the Path/train station so definitely conveniently located to go back a few times and try all sorts of things on the menu and enjoy happy hour (they have one) items even more. Best part was the staff. I sat at the bar and had the chance to interact with two different bartenders-- really nice, welcoming, which, let's be honest, makes the experience so much better, no? Hel-lo summer at Panela ;-)

Kylie N.

Pretty place but inadequate experience by far. Visited for a last minute date night and the place was pretty empty on a Saturday night. We were seated quickly and the first waitress was very nice. She took our drink orders and we wanted to try the cocktails so we ordered the La Jefa and Agua Fresca. The La Jefa was pretty good but I really did not like the Agua Fresca. I didn't even bother to take a photo. The service kept taking very long when we were trying to see if I can get a different drink. The initial waitress didn't continue helping us but a new one. I tried asking for a new drink because I didn't like the one I have and she immediately seemed rude and said they don't do that there. Fair but I'd think they want to give customers a happy experience so they'd try to make something work. I wasn't sure what I wanted because I don't like tequila and that was most of the menu. I told her I needed time and she came back like a minute later and I still didn't know. She gave an attitude and didn't come back or make eye contact the rest of the time. I finally asked for the classic mojito and it was fine. After this we were just over how long it was taking and by that point it was after 10pm and our hunger went away. We decided to just get the app because we didn't even want to spend the money. The Taco Vampiro was tasty and flavorful. I'm glad we didn't spend too much. They had a DJ toward the end of our dining experience that was playing good r&b and reggaeton mix. We went to the bar to have some well drinks and dance a bit but the music style changed so we left. It wasn't really the best experience and I wouldn't return to dine.

Jocelyn L.

What an amazing ambiance. This place has really great food and drinks!!!! The dishes are literally to die for. So flavorful and plentiful. I came here for my birthday dinner and the dishes that everyone got were so delicious. I look forward to coming back. It's also at a great location and you can go for a nice stroll by the water after eating.

Desiree F.

I got together with one of my friends for brunch and a dance class. When I arrived I had to circle a couple of times to find parking. Eventually, I found something not too far. I walked in and was greeted by a nice hostess. The restaurant was super cute and they had an area for the dance class. Isabella was our server, and she was nice. The restaurant has bottomless mimosas until 3pm on Sundays and a small brunch menu and a dance class for $55. They have an additional menu for an additional charge. I ordered the chicken chaufa with the mimosa, and they gave a salad as well. In addition, I ordered the seafood macho. My friend ordered the shrimp tostones, and in addition, she got the shrimp tallarin saltado. When the food came out, it looked yummy! We dug in, and the food was very good. I really liked the chaufa the most. To finish, we got some signature cocktails that were great, along with taking the class. It was a good time!

Molly F.

Went here for a friends birthday and was pleasantly surprised! The atmosphere was great and the food came out quickly and was delicious. Highly recommend getting tapas to split. The only negative was that we couldn't go downstairs to the speakeasy because it was booked up so if you want to try that, be sure to make a reservation.

Mark T.

Nice tapas! Enjoyed all 4...tostones, tostada, street corn, and empanada. The flavored margaritas lacked...the flavor. Will come back for the food again!

Natalie S.

Popped in here with some friends after we went to the Feast on Sinatra Drive because we heard EXCELLENT music coming from this establishment. We were not disappointed. We opted for the bar because we popped in just for drinks. Bartenders are super nice, extremely attentive and got us our Passion fruit margaritas. Good vibe, great people, but they get a full 10/10 because of that DJ. There was not one song that wasn't great. I started to get hungry so I just ordered the nachos (you can get it topped with beef, chicken, or veggies). I chose the beef. LISTEN! I can't believe I'm over here raving about nachos, but they were different, refreshing, and addicting! They were served with cut up cucumber and other deliciousness, but please please please, just order the nachos as an appetizer. You won't be disappointed. Totally going back for a sit down dinner soon! Cheers to Panela!

Latoya L.

Came here on friday night around 10pm after we did Tipsy tie dye around the corner. We didnt have reservations but was told it would be a 15 min wait for 2 people. I gave My name and phone number. We waited at the restaurant next door since they had an outdoor heater. After 15 min we went back to the hostest to see if our table were ready. They told us they had a table available but it would be a tight fit. We agreed to see it, and when we did, the table was crammed between 2 bigger parties. Everyone had to move their table for me to fit in the booth. I had to climb over someone to sit. It was a really tight fit but we delt with it. I ordered the Amish chicken and my friend ordered the steak with scrambled eggs. I also had the panela punch. The food too a really really long time to arrive. My friend wanted to leave but i was hungry. The punch was good but not worth $10 with no alcohol. The chicken was ok. It lacked a lot of flavor. It needed a sauce badly. The tacu tacu rice was too crunchy and dry for me but it had good flavor. My friend said his steak was good but they gave him powered eggs since he asked for scrambled eggs. The beans that came with his order wasnt good. It didnt go with the meal. I ordered a side of maduros thqt i sent back because they were under cooked. When i received them back, they were more well done which i liked. All in all, its an ok restaurant. I wouldn't drive over an hour to come here again. Parking is atrocious as well.

Giseli C.

The reception : People greet you with a smile when you walk in . I went in to take a peak and look at the menu , ended up going back same day . The decor : The decor is simply stunning .. loud , colorful and happy . Definitely a Party atmosphere . They have this wish tree painted on the wall but the leafs are sticky notes and you can write you own wish , a very cute touch to the place . The Bar : The bar is beautiful and our bartender Brandon was a pleasure the entire time we were there , always trying to be helpful and accommodating . The food : OMG :: they have this seasoned popcorn .. DO NOT EAT THAT .. HAHAHA you'll get addicted to it ( the best popcorn I ever had ) . We also ordered the Pulpo , Papa Rellena and Skewed Chicken . Everything as served nice and hot . In all the experience was very pleasant and we will definitely be back . The down side : The only down side os that the bathroom is extremely out of the way downstairs and some of the tequilas and beers we asked for they didn't have ( it's a bar, you shouldn't run out of alcohol ) if the item is on the menu you should have it available . So hopefully they will work on that . All and all a great place to visit conveniently located by the path .

Martha T.

Panela was one of those restaurants that I had in mind to visit. I had stumbled upon it on instagram and immediately said , " I wanna go"! I came here for a special burlesque show and dinner they had going on this week. So I was super excited to be there! My impression going in was like omg! It's beautiful in here! The decor, lighting, the whole place is just beautiful. Very instagram worthy. They also had Spanish music playing which I love, mainly salsa !! Everything looks upscale and modern but not too fancy to the point of a dress and tie, if that makes sense lol. Since the event was a ticket and dinner type thing, there was a pre fix dinner menu but you were also allowed to order from the regular menu. I order the salchi papa and the seafood with macho sauce or something like that. The salchi papa , had chorizo in this flavorful sauce like something my mom or grandma would make. So you know I enjoyed that. Instead of using fries , like most Latin Americans do with this dish. They totally made it their own with fingerling potatoes . It was delicious! The entree was ok. It came with white rice, beans and seafood in some kind of stew like sauce. I asked the server if the sauce that the dish came with , was spicy and I was told no, I was told that it's a garlic sauce. Well here is where my criticism comes in, it was spicy, for someone who doesn't like spice at all (like me) it was on the spicy side. The rice was good, shrimps were cooked perfect and so was the fish in the dish. But the sauce was too much for me. I really wish she would have been a bit more specific with her description of the sauce or just simply ask if she really didn't know. (This is the only reason I gave 4 stars) This place is very unique in a whole with their food and specially their drinks. I got a mock tail pina colada or something similar and it was delicious. Tasted like a smoothie. I then had a mojito which was alright. The burlesque show was amazing and although it was delayed, the manger gave us a complimentary dessert for the wait and inconvenience, which was very nice. I can't wait to come again and try something else that hopefully I'll enjoy a bit more. Things to know -Great Date night spot -Parking on the street (I found some fairly quick) -The Sinatra room is downstairs in the basement and is also a good little spot to hang. Also has another bar there. -Service was great - Great for family and or big groups - Reservations should be made if going on a weekend. ( I was there on a Wednesday night and it was pretty packed )

Cathy G.

Yummy! Authentic! Flavorful! Honestly I was pleasantly surprised by the food and the drinks. Let's be honest most places that have been hyped up by social media fall short. We had an array of dishes and desserts and drinks and nothing fell short. Our waitress was soft spoken but she was very attentive and let us know her opinion on items. The decor of this place is fun and funny. I would come back! 50% off a classic cocktail if you check in!! Very nice perk!