My spouse and I visited
Panama 66 (P66) for drinks on a Thursday afternoon in early July 2018. Panama
66 is open from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm daily, with earlier closing hours of
3:00 pm on Mondays and extended opening hours on weekends at 10:00 am. The bar
remains open an hour or two later than food is available. Live music is offered
on certain evenings. The restaurant does not accept reservations. The operators of Panama
66 also own the Blind Lady Ale House and Tiger!Tiger!
Panama 66 is located in
Balboa Park at the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA); however, museum admission is
not required to dine in the restaurant. The restaurant’s name is a reference to
its location on the Plaza de Panama (from the city’s Panama-California
Exposition in 1915) as well as a nod to the year that the museum opened its
west wing and sculpture court. In fact, this open-air cafe is located in front
of the May
S. Marcy Sculpture Garden, which offers views of the California Tower at the
Museum of Man. The café’s outdoor tables are positioned on the flagstone patio
between the two buildings, some under cover of umbrellas, and others under a
colonnade arcade. A small bar offers seating for about eight patrons at a time.
Semi-counter service is available; you
stand in line at a counter to order, but a server delivers your food.
The
restaurant offers upscale American cuisine, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
Many varieties of craft beers are available on tap, along with a full menu of
cocktails and a few types of wine. We enjoyed a few rounds of drinks, but we
did not sample the food (other than to share a giant freshly baked chocolate
chip cookie).
We enjoyed our brief time
spent on the patio at Panama 66; its position between the main museum
building’s auditorium and the wing that contains the library and bookstore
provides a breezy spot to enjoy a drink or a meal.
