Panela

The staff is warm and the atmosphere was vibrant! We had never been, and will definitely be back next time we are in Lowell. Amazing food, everything we had was delicious. Not a single complaint from our table. If we could give more than 5 stars we would 🎉🎉🎉

My cousin and I had the empanadas with spicy sauce. Chicharrón -pork belly appetizer, mango salad with grilled chicken, red beans with rice, sweet plantain, grilled chicken. The food was to die for absolutely delicious. Sarah the waitress excellent. She said they have salsa dance classes on Thursday, multilingual karaoke Friday’s, DJ to dance on Saturdays. Definitely going back. Parking on the street. I didn’t have a problem but went there for an early dinner.

Had a great meal here a week ago. The fried yuca balls, empanadas and entrees were all delicious. Pictured are the yuca balls, empananads, and Arepas, which were amazing. Cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. And, it is all gluten free!! Margaritas were great. We lived the passionfruit coconut marg the most. Definitely coming back soon!! Sitting outside was nice, but road noise can get annoying.

I’ve been going to Panela for years and never once have I been disappointed. With a seasonal menu focusing on modern Colombian cuisine, Panela takes you on adventure for your palette. Recently I tried their new fall menu and per usual was super impressed with the flavors. We ordered: Plantain Arepitas Pork Belly Mora y Carne Buñuelo Donuts Merengon Service is always great and the atmosphere is always inviting. As a family run restaurant I love that when going to Panela I feel so welcome there! Definitely a gem of Lowell!

After the epic failure of a meal earlier in the day, I had to find something to remedy the taste buds. As I began to drive back towards Boston, I searched for possible options along the way that were recommended restaurant stops for their food quality. This Colombian restaurant popped up on the list and immediately beckoned a slight detour to visit. As New England states are so tiny compared to the West Coast, it wasn’t long before I exited the freeway and parked along the street outside Panela. While the restaurant had a large space (noticed later there was a dance floor) and an almost equally large bar area, there were only a couple patrons that day - nursing their beers and quietly chatting. Service was fast and prompt and menus were on the table before I even sat down. Water showed up