Food is good but the service and attention the customer very mediocre. The server said they were out of pan de Bono even though I saw a table getting some. The server kept repeating "we are so busy, The kitchen will be so mad if I ask them to make more." The restaurant was not busy! Orders were wrong and additions were forgotten. We were disappointed and unfortunately we don't think it's worth going back. read more

First time here. We are here for lunch. It's a family run Columbian food restaurant with authentic flavors and delicious combinations. We parked on the street. I dint know, but the have a parking lot on the side of the building. Lunch came on a thin bread that was both crispy on the outside and delicious. I had a steak and cheese that had two different sauces on top. One was avocado. So delicious. Great lunch spot and is really quiet from the bustle in downtown lowell. Cool vibe, great music,full bar. read more

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Full of flavor! 10/10. I ordered the empanadas which are surprisingly gluten free. They are crispy and are best with the sauce it comes with. I also got The Executive, which was a very generous portion for the prices and quality. The coconut lemonade tastes SO fresh and natural.... the fresh coconut they put on top is amazing, and it's only $4! This drink would be close to $10 closer to Boston. Staff is super friendly. I will be back soon! read more

Went to Lowell for an event. This place came highly recommended. Great food. Good cocktails. A Diamond in the rough.

I went to visit Panela with some co-workers and the food was great! I had the executive my co-worker had the spicy chicken sandwich and we also had the arepas and the service was outstanding! Family owned Lets support our local restaurant! Sorry no photo we where to hungry next time. read more

With all the construction, it was tricky to find this new restaurant. Service was great and prices were reasonable. We were served complimentary fried tostones that were great. The wings were also yummy! The carne arepa was a bit on the greasy side but delicious. Try the coconut lemonade. The mango shake was good too, similar to a lassi. They accept credit cards! read more

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An awesome find. Flavorful Colombian food in Lowell. We tried several plates and all were great, and as expected from Colombians, everyone was super friendly. If you are up for some different, good quality food, you should try this place! The empanadas were super tasty and the meat was cooked perfectly! read more

Amazing food!!! By far the best empanadas I've ever had. The food and drinks are so great. Mr. Leo behind the bar was a great server and advertised all the events through the week. They have free salsa classes Thursday and $5 bingo on Friday! read more

Gr8 Colombian food! The best Bandeja Paisa ! Tasty empanadaa, gr8 guanabara smoothies, and Lulo smoothies too. read more

Came back today with my parents. Got more photos of the food this time. It was my mom's birthday. We wanted to buy the meringue dessert, but again they gave it to us free as a birthday gift. The owner is very kind and friendly. The waitress is very friendly though not sure she fully understands what we say to her. We got the bread basket this time which was really nice. read more

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Once you are inside and how friendly the staff is, you forget the construction situation outside of the restaurant. Food was delicious, healthy, fresh. With a touch of modern Colombian cuisine. There is something for everyone. Small children. Juices weren't over sweet. Definitely a place to come back. read more

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Family business serving generous portions of tasty food at good prices. The street is under construction but there is a lot nearby on Merrimack St. Service was quick, friendly, helpful. Tabla trio had pork belly, shrimp, steak all perfectly cooked with chimichurri and avocado sauce. We also ordered the wings, house special rice bowl, arepa carnes, and fish & shrimp combo. Both desserts featured a dulce de leche whipped cream that was delicious. Not a fancy place but a great value and an excellent way to try Colombian food. read more

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I love everything about this place. Came here for lunch last week and was blown away by the carne arepa and fries. I attended a private breakfast event there this morning and the spread was incredible-arepas, chorizo, pork belly...all were delicious. My favorite element might have been the fresh green juice they served, so refreshing. The owners couldn't be nicer and I hope to see them do well. Here's hoping the construction outside their door wraps up soon so they get some heightened visibility! read more

The staff is awesome. The food is amazing. Very creative chef who proposes something new every week. Very nice decor. The paintings on the walls is are cool. Salsa Nigth on Thursday is our favorite event of the week. The music is the best ! read more

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I love Panela soooooo much. The food is delicious, the drinks are great, and the staff is very friendly.

The food was pretty good but they're starting to make their portions smaller and charge more. We came in here on a Thursday around 6 and waited and waited to be waited on. Finally we pulled up to the bar to order and ate there (not what we wanted). Food and drinks were fine; great flavors. Nice bartender. read more

We got takeout from Panela tonight and we were blown away! It was amazing! Starting with the cucumber and mango salad that was dressed perfectly to the rice bowl that was delicious. We also tried the seafood stew special. Full of great crab legs, clams and shrimp. We will definitely be going back. read more

We really enjoyed what looks to be very authentic food (so my Colombian friend said!). Very much enjoyed the drinks as well. So creative and they take a lot of care in making everything look beautiful as well. Delicious desserts, don't miss out on them. Diana was great in explaining dishes and we had a lot of fun with her. Believe all the great reviews, this is one to keep going back to! read more

Best empanadas ever! The burger was very tasty as well. Service wasn't the best but the staff was friendly and the food was great. We went to the bar area for the salsa dancing and had a blast! read more

I was there for their sod opening. The staff was very nice. The food was delicious specially their donuts. The fish was simple but flavorful and beat brown rice I've ever had. My cousin had the beef arepas and was delighted. It's a little hidden but now they have a parking spot! Definitely a plus! I'll definitely be going back! read more

Great Colombian restaurant in Lowell. Mondo go soup was good. Food were fresh and hot. If you want to support your local restaurant and enjoy eating Spanish food this is the place. Atmosphere was good and staff are very professional. Cumbia music playing while you eat... read more

This place is about a 40 min. Drive from where I live and it is totally worth it! They have an amazing sandwich where the bun is cheese with chorizo, eggs and avocados! The most amazing breakfast sandwich I've had!! The juices are fresh and really great! The staff is friendly and the service is great. I'll be back, especially if I'm in the area. Stopping at Panela for for a great meal is a must. read more

My husband and I have a date night thing where we seek out small ethnic restaurants, dive bars, eclectic venues, etc.. A couple of weeks ago we found the granddaddy of them all at Panela. Go! I've never had anything like the food. We shared a giant sampler of traditional Columbian food, a steak and avocado arepa, and a passion fruit mousse. Everyone receives complimentary fried plantains and salsa, too. In a restaurant full Columbian food afficionados, we stood out demographically-speaking, so the staff was understandably curious about what brought us in. They were exceedingly helpful and friendly. Juan tends the full bar while his sister performs magic in the kitchen. Our server was related, too. Everything is traditional Columbian from the live music down to the beer glasses hand-painted in Medellin. Whether you want to impress clients with unique, perfectly executed Columbian fare or charm the pants off of your special someone with live sexy Latin music and dancing, this place will get it done. (Oh and the house appetizer, two of the most expensive plates on the menu, four beers, and a dessert only totaled $68.) read more

Panela - Cuban sampler and steak and avocado arepa - Colombian Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts

We had a great meal. Aaron was a great server and helped us navigate the menu as we had never had Colombian food before. The food was delicious, and we sampled some Colombian drinks, as well. When we had a small problem with our order, he quickly took care of it and everyone was satisfied. I would highly recommend a visit. read more

It was a nice day and we ate outside. Got the Carimanolis for the appetizer, very tasty. I mixed the leftover aioli with my ketchup for the fries!!! I got the Ranchera Burger. So tall I couldn't get my mouth over it. My wife got a chicken sandwich that was so big some had to come home with us. For dessert we had the Plum and Blackberry Merengon, no problem eating it. The drinks were different and very tasty. The beer selection was ok. The service was very good! We will definitely be going back. read more

I popped into Panela last Saturday morning after seeing their banner on Merrimack St for the last few weeks (the street they are on is currently under construction, but do not let that deter you, there is plenty of street parking on Merrimack, literally a 45 second walk from my car). So, upon entry I immediatly noticed that it was very clean and there was a fair amount of seating. The hand painted artwork on the walls was a nice touch, but on to the important stuff. The man at the counter (who I believe was the manager) was super freindly and helpful. He suggested a green juice (Kale, spinach and all that good stuff) that was freshly made that morning and to the tune of $3.00 for a 16 oz. Delicious and at a fair price. The woman behind the counter, who I believe is an owner, was also super friendly, good vibe here. To nosh, I chose the Almojabana Sandwich: almojabana (Colombian cheese bread) filled with Colombian sausage, eggs and avocado. Served with fried plantains (which were mashed and flattened, not sliced, before frying). One of the best breakfast sandwiches I have had in a loooong time, the cheese bread and avocado put it over the top. For $4.50 you cannot go wrong, as the quality is top notch, the portion to price ratio is quite reasonable, and the offering atypical for the area. Apologies for the lack of a photo, stomach took over and I dove in immediatly. It was as pretty as it needed to be. I will definitly be back for lunch/dinner, as the menu holds some promising options. Thanks Panela! read more

Get here before it blows up! Lowell? Lowell means plenty of free parking and a table when you walk in. At least until it blows up. Awesome friendly staff. Food was incredible - authentic and flavorful with a dash of adventure. read more

I haven't yet had the pleasure of eating in but I ordered delivery today for the first time and it was delicious. Wonderful chicken, plantains, egg, beans and rice all perfectly seasoned. I look forward to coming in person one day soon!! read more

I absolutely love this restaurant, the staff are so welcoming and very accommodating. If I could give them 10/10 stars I would. They offer student discounts to UML students which I think is so amazing. I definitely recommend this place. It is a hidden gem and you will not regret stopping by, the food is so amazing, and the prices cannot be beat! read more

I love Colombian food and decided to try this place when I was in lowell. The empanadas were fresh and delicious. I also ordered the ejecutivo which had steak, rice, egg, and frijoles. The steak was well cooked and had a lot of flavor. I could have done without the frijoles; they were too thick. The maracuja was great for me because it was not sweet at all. The downside to my experience was finding a way into the place due to all the construction going on. Would recommend this place if you want to stay local but East Boston is the way to go for GREAT Colombian food! read more

My mom, the biggest Colombian food critique ever ("why would I go to a Colombian restaurant when I can just make it myself?") was Really Impressed with this restaurant. The servers are friendly and the food was delicious and they manage to elevate Colombian cuisine farther than the typical dishes other Colombian restaurants serve. You should definitely come here and support local businesses. read more

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Cute little place, food not what I expected. The food had ZERO flavor no seasoning on my chicken at all. The beans were bland, the white rice was just plain boiled don't even think they put any salt. The Empanadas were mostly just plain potatoes very bland. The service was..... let's just say my boyfriend didn't get his meal.... at all. He ordered chicken wings as his appetizer and that's all he ate. He said the wings were good though. The tostones with the salsa were good nothing spectacular. Overall I wouldn't recommend if you like your food to have seasoning. read more

Working in Lowell, MA for a special event and decided to get lunch from here with three colleagues. We were told to sit where we wanted. It took about 20 minutes to receive menus and only because we had to stop the server that walked by our table about 10 times to ask for them. (In all fairness, there were about 8-10 other people/groups that came in moments after we did and it was obvious they are not normally prepared for something like that.) After receiving the menus it took another 10-15 minutes to have our orders taken. Meanwhile, all the other tables are receiving their drinks and some even started getting their food. From the time we arrived until food was starting to be delivered it was over an hour and ten minutes of wait. We had to pre-game and ask for our checks AND to go boxes before the food even came out. Once the server realized we were not going to eat on site the rest of the food was delivered in boxes. I am certain that if I am ever in Lowell, MA again I will definitely not be going here . Which is sad because the food was pretty good. read more

Very good never a bad meal. Drinks & food is fresh & authentic colombian cuisine. Especially make room for dessert

SO GOOD!!!! Can't wait to go back!!! Staff was amazing!! Food was delicious!!! My coconut lemonade was a perfect end to a hot day. The blackberry dessert was scrumptious. Can't wait for the bar to be open!!! read more

Great new restaurant in Lowell. The service and food were excellent. Authentic Colombian food with a chef's original touch.

Come on guys, come here! This is a must! We have a group of 9 and one of us has a Columbian origin. Everything we ordered, drinks, entry, dessert, are way beyond our expectations. Also, the service here is super great. In one word, try this! 真的很好吃！ read more

Great Colombian food. Empanadas and arepas are great. They have salsa/Bachata on Thursday nights and it's so much fun!

Very very good tostones on the house. Very good cheese bread & my bfs fried chicken sandwich was very good. We asked for that to be on an arepa. My rib eye was ok... not really worth $ 28 though. The crab stuffed Avo was good. We waited a long time for the check then we went up to the counter to pay. We'll be back! read more

Fantastic experience! Service was great, the chefs brother gave us the background of this fairly new columbian gem! Our party had the traditional Bandeja paisa, rice, beans, chorizo, pork belly, etc...just amazing food! Beautiful artwork on the walls! Looking forward to the next time we go...they will have live music! read more

Panela - Bandeja Paisa - Colombian Near Me - Lowell, Massachusetts