By the five stars above, you can guess the direction of this review. Once in a while, I find myself seriously craving the meals that I had at this restaurant. Yes, it’s one of those. Not only a restaurant but an experience in and of itself. Initially, we stumbled upon this restaurant accidentally. The experience was astounding. I ended up canceling my birthday dinner reservation and heading back to La Pampa once more. I’ve broken down the restaurant review into three categories: atmosphere, food, and drinks. Here goes!

Atmosphere: 5/5. While on vacation, I strive to not revisit the same restaurant numerous times. This was an anomaly. We originally came across this establishment while having Google Maps lead us to another. It was closer, and we were starving. I’m pleased that we stopped. Though the outside was not much, I just knew the kind of service offered when we were greeted in our vehicle. Parking was tight, and a waiter offered to park the car as I was struggling. Following washing each of the four tires, he did just that. He then made his way to the entrance, where he directed us to step in a cleaning solvent to wash our shoes and took each of our temperatures as another staff member brought us to our table. The service the workers at this restaurant offered was by far the best that we encountered in the country. Detail-oriented, attentive, patient, professional, and kind are just a few characteristics that made the experience what it was. The environment could not have been more satisfying.

Food: 5/5. You know when you’re thankful that you were able to experience something incredible, but it saddens you that you can’t have it at your convenience? That encapsulates my thoughts. The cuisine was unbelievable. To be frank, I’m having difficulty recalling the initial meal I had there. All I can retain was the side that I still cannot stop thinking about. I went back to look at photos, but of course, I only focused on the side because it was unlike anything I have seen or tasted. After examining the menu once more, I can confirm that I had the mix to de tilapia y camarones. This meal included tilapia, veggies, which I switched for rice pilaf, and camarones en dos canastas de plátano, shrimp in a plantain shell. I’ve never even conceived the combo. I promise everything else was excellent, but this was everything. The creamy shrimp filled the small, flaky, plantain cup. The flavor was out of this world and hit every craving I didn’t even know I had. Everything, including my friends’ meals, was prepared to perfection. Not one single criticism. And for the price? This simply can’t be beaten. We all appreciated the food so much that I ended up canceling my birthday dinner reservation at another establishment so that we would be able to experience La Pampa again.

Drinks: I’m a sucker for some local juice. The difference is apparent in taste. I am unsure how many freshly squeezed lemonades I consumed within the two visits to this restaurant. Whatever the quantity was, it was not enough. Additionally, I had their mojito and just a few piña coladas. Their alcoholic beverages were smooth and tasted like juice, just how I like it.