Casa Panza

• Cuisine(s): Cuban, Spanish
  Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-2am
  Price: $$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Takeout, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Family Style
  Serving: Dinner, Late Night, Lunch
  Entertainment: Live Entertainment
• Alcohol: Full bar
  Reservations: Accepted
  Parking: Meters

Description

A Calle Ocho institution for decades and something of a tourist trap, Casa Panza is as much an entertainment destination as a place to enjoy Spanish cuisine and tapas -- think of this as Medieval Times for flamenco enthusiasts. From outside, it looks like an 18th or 19th century mansion squashed in between other Eighth Street storefronts. There are faux balconies and windows, a red tile roof, and old English letters spelling out the name. Spanish tiles frame the bottom half of the structure. Inside, it's more of a fortress or maybe a cave. Uneven, sand-colored plaster that forms the walls and ceiling creates that effect. Diners can enjoy traditional cuisine such as caldo de gallego ($5.50), a Galician white bean soup, and paella mixta ($24.95), yellow rice with chicken, shrimp, mussels, squid, and scallops while theatrical flamenco dancers and cantaores (singers) perform on a wooden platform. The restaurant was closed for several months, and it has reopened under new management. Service was always a weak point for the place, and this seems to have improved under the new administration. Nevertheless, expect crowds and a festive atmosphere more attuned to the entertainment than the food.