In November 2008 I visited and wrote about Tammy’s restaurant in Boquete. Times they have changed.

Tammy and Henry sold to Michael and Heidi, Michael is a professional chef from New York, Henry was not. Henry wanted to sell burgers and hot dogs, Tammy food from Israel, and they did. Michael wants to cook food from around the world and he is.

Our first trip was for dinner at about 7:30 Thursday, 22 July. Mayra, my daughter Paige, aka Gumby and I. We were lucky to have Joe Kimm join us and it gave as a chance an opportunity to try various menu items. We waited a while to return, Sept 29, I wanted to see what would happen once Heidi arrived in Boquete. As another ex-Tucsonian I had great confidence, I was not disappointed.

We picked Thursday both times because it is the night Tammy’s has had an open mike night since Amigos closed a year ago. We wanted to hear the music, see the crowd and see how the staff did under pressure. Mike has continued the open mike tradition and both times the music was eclectic and good.

Name: Mikes  Global Grill

Location: Across from Sugar and Spice Bakery, behind the Argentine Grill. Main street in Boquete.

Hours: 11 am to Midnight, Tues – Sunday, open later on Saturday. The main kitchen closes at 10am but bar food is available

Short Description of the food: Eclectic. The old menu from Tammy’s is still there with burgers, Israeli dishes etc In addition there are an array of specials, featuring Chinese, Thai and more.

We ordered odd food from the Dinner Specials menu both times. I wanted to try things Michael added to the menu.

We tried onion rings, I have had them at Big Daddy’s, Las Ruinas and now at Tammy’s. In the onion ring competition Las Ruinas still holds first prize, Tammy’s second, excellent taste but too greasy. I tried the Buffalo Wings, they were the best I have had in Boquete, I just wished there were more of them.

I had to twist Mayra’s arm to get her to try something new, the Orange Chicken, I explained that she likes oranges, she likes chicken and of course rice. She enjoyed the dish, I think I enjoyed it more, it had flavor but was sweet. Sweet is good with coffee, not with chicken in the local culinaria.

Joe ordered a hamburger medium rare, it came medium and looked good. I did notice that unlike the past this appeared to be a hand made patty, not a Price Smart frozen burger. Joe seemed satisfied and that is what counts.

Gumby tried the Pumpkin soup. she liked it. I tried it, it was good, not great. If you want great pumpkin soup, try the Panamonte.

On our second trip Mayra had the tempora shrimp and I had Pork Vindaloo. I love Vindaloo, it brings back memories of Red Dwarf and England. The vindaloo was excellent, a two lager bowl. If you can laugh at the clip below from Red Dwarf you will understand the significance of lager with Vindaloo; if not, well, lo siento.

Ambiance: Tammy’s makes no claim to elegance, it is a comfortable bar/ restaurant environment. Not too big, not too small.

Price: Meals vary from $5- under $10. Portions are in line with the prices not New York sized but certainly adequate.

Bathrooms: Clean, toilet paper, sinks, paper towels, soap 5/5

Kitchen Cleanliness: I peaked in when there were three very busy people working the kitchen. It appeared to be clean and organized.

Service: On the first Thursday we were among a mob who walked in at the same time.Table service was attentive when we could waive down a waitress. Drinks came quickly. The second time was also busy and the service has improved considerably. Heidi took charge and she is great at the tables and both ordering and delivery were not New York Style, no one threw the plates at us. Food was delivered in unison, hot and tasty.

Jubilado Discount: One of the themes that I hear in Boquete is a complaint about increasing food prices in those restaurants that cater to the expat community. Without being a restaurant owner I need to state the obvious. If you cater to expats you are catering to a significant group of people who ask for a 25% jubilado discount. That lost profit needs to come from someplace. Menu prices reflect some increase to everyone so a discount, required by law, can be given to those who qualify and ask. I rarely ask unless the meal is costly or I am visiting for a review and need to know if they will give it.

Summary: Our Global Grill experience was a good one. Dinner was good, the music was excellent, the service good and the environment perfect for the combination. Over all consider me a new fan of the restaurant, another nice addition to the eating options in Boquete.