Kahua Panama Coffee Bar in Chitre, Panama

My second trip to a coffee shop was only 1.2 miles away, and it took me 22 minutes to get there. The name of the coffee shop is Kahua Panama Coffee Bar. This place was not second on my list, but in the past week, I’ve had two separate recommendations from my friends. So, I decided to try Kahua. See directions here.

I arrived at Kahua around 7:30 a.m. after an easy walk from home. I did not see it initially as I turned the corner to where Google told me to. The sign was high up, and the front porch entry was covered in overgrown ivy of some sort. After I went past the shop, I could see the sign and made my way back to it.

There were two people ahead of me as I entered the shop, so I had a sense of people liking this place and, hopefully, the coffee. I seated myself and looked at the menu displayed on my table. Again, they only had the Americano coffee – no dark roast, no different blends. I was starting to see a trend now. I hate to judge only after two coffee shops. I ordered my coffee – a choice of small or large Americano. I chose the large size and decided to try their veggie wrap.

The barista was a young, friendly man. I asked him in Spanish if he spoke English. And to my surprise, he started speaking English. I told him that I was “aprendiendo Espanol” (learning Spanish) and wasn’t advanced enough to carry on a conversation – yet. He laughed and took my order.

I was pleasantly surprised by the coffee house atmosphere. It did have that coffee vibe to it – the smells, the paintings on the wall, the music (Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Karma Chameleon, and Happy), the small tables and chairs, etc. The menu had all the foo-foo drinks and wasn’t overly filled with food items. But for me, my only choice in black coffee was the Americano – two shots of espresso in a cup of hot water.

It took about 10 minutes for my order to be completed. The coffee and wrap were delivered to my table, which was nice. I am not a big fan of the Americano, though. I tasted more hot water than I did coffee beans. The veggie wrap was tasty with a lot of vegetables but had way too much cheese in it to my liking. I usually don’t eat that much cheese, though. When we order a pizza, if they don’t have vegan cheese, then we’ll order just a small amount of cheese. But, if you love cheese, you’ll love the veggie wrap!

I’ll give Kahua five stars for the atmosphere, friendliness, variety of foo-foo drinks, and good food. It’s just me with the cheese thingy. I’m beginning to worry about the coffee, however. I’m beginning to wonder if all the coffee shops in Chitre only serve the watered-down espresso drink. Oh no! I’m also beginning to wonder if Starbucks has seduced and indoctrinated me. Panama and a good portion of the world that I’ve visited, seem to think that the Americano is a good coffee drink. Have I fallen into some unrealistic fantasies of what good coffee might entail? Someone help me! Do I need psycoffee threapy?

Follow Kahua Panama Coffee Bar on Instagram @KAHUAPTY.

I’m giving Kahua Panama Coffee Bar ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (even with my coffee hangups).