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Guacaya Bistreaux takes its name from a mountain in Penonomé, Panama, overlooking breathtaking views of the region’s lush flora, fauna, and indigenous communities. The restaurant draws inspiration not only from mainland Panama but also from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the islands in between, as well as Latin America as a whole. Here, tradition meets innovation in a vibrant Latin Caribbean dining experience. The space features a striking bar, a thoughtfully crafted cocktail program, and a lively wine list, all designed to complement the bold, flavorful essence of Caribbean cuisine.
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We can’t wait to cook for you. ❤️ . Photo by Guacaya Bistreaux in Minneapolis, Minnesota with @pedrowolcott.
Sad News Indeed! In Minneapolis, Guacaya Bistreaux has closed as …
Recent Posts · Brunch at Guacaya Bistreaux in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
North Loop restaurant Guacaya Bistreaux has quietly closed
Joy Summers is a St. Paul-based food reporter who has been covering Twin Cities restaurants since 2010. She joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in …
Reviews
Mike Shepperd
We went here to celebrate my wife’s birthday and this has easily become a new favorite restaurant that we will be back to. Everything about the food was fantastic and we cannot think of any particular item that wasn’t good enough to be a favorite. Highly recommend the whole snapper. Our server was herself and very friendly. The entire serving staff noticeably helped each other, was organized, and very calm. Kitchen staff didn’t seem rushed or stressed as well. A sign of a well run restaurant.
… moreChong Xiong
I got the jerk chicken, and it was a huge piece of chicken, and I couldn’t finish, so I had to take it home .
My sister got seafood paella and it was delicious.
We both shared the Panamanian beef skewer, and this is just my opinion only. It looked like the beef wasn’t well done cooking, so it was still raw inside. So yeah, I didn’t finish. I gave it to my sister instead.
Tres’ leches were delicious . Loved it. The environment was cool.
The parking, I know it’s downtown, so yeah. Just go early to find a parking and walk.
… moreMy sister got seafood paella and it was delicious.
We both shared the Panamanian beef skewer, and this is just my opinion only. It looked like the beef wasn’t well done cooking, so it was still raw inside. So yeah, I didn’t finish. I gave it to my sister instead.
Tres’ leches were delicious . Loved it. The environment was cool.
The parking, I know it’s downtown, so yeah. Just go early to find a parking and walk.
Felicia Murrell
The food was great. It’s way too loud and drafty. Jubilant, vibrant atmosphere but the acoustics with no noise dampening panels makes it really hard to be enjoyable. We ate in haste and left as quickly as we could to go somewhere else more tolerable. I’m glad I had a little of everything I wanted to sample, it’s not a place I’d revisit. Parking in that area can also be challenging. Other than the Brussels sprouts which had a burnt bitter taste from over-charring in the skillet, the food was lovely. Our server never came back to ask how we were enjoying the food. We had to flag him down to give him our credit card for payment.
… moreEd
Guacaya Bistreaux is a true gem — offering a fresh and flavorful take on Panamanian and Caribbean cuisine that’s not your typical Mexican fare. The dishes here are bold, unique, and absolutely packed with authentic flavor. You can tell from the first bite that a lot of care goes into the ingredients and preparation.
The quality of the food is outstanding, and the menu brings something truly different to the Twin Cities dining scene. This isn’t food you find just anywhere — and that’s what makes Guacaya so special. It’s vibrant, exciting, and deeply satisfying.
Service was quick, friendly, and attentive without ever feeling rushed. The atmosphere matches the food — lively, warm, and full of personality.
If you’re looking for a place that delivers true Caribbean and Panamanian flavor, Guacaya Bistreaux is a must. Very, very good — and absolutely worth a return visit.
… moreThe quality of the food is outstanding, and the menu brings something truly different to the Twin Cities dining scene. This isn’t food you find just anywhere — and that’s what makes Guacaya so special. It’s vibrant, exciting, and deeply satisfying.
Service was quick, friendly, and attentive without ever feeling rushed. The atmosphere matches the food — lively, warm, and full of personality.
If you’re looking for a place that delivers true Caribbean and Panamanian flavor, Guacaya Bistreaux is a must. Very, very good — and absolutely worth a return visit.
Juan Morin
If you are looking for great tasting food and the customer service attached to it, Guacaya Bistreaux is a must to do for an elegant evening of food and atmosphere. We chose Guacaya upon a recommendation. As you walk in we were greeted by the hostess Mimi, who was upon further talking with her, was the owner of the eatery. She was fun, bubbly, and excited to have us at her restaurant. She sat us and immediately connected with her by revealing to us of her restaurant. The place is open, airy, and having been to Central America and the Caribbean, you close your eyes and reopen you would think you were on the coast of a Latin American coastal country. Mariano, our waiter was also kind, inviting, and helpful with our decision for alcoholic drinks and their food choices. As our first ordered arrived to the table, the ceviche, it was beautifully presented and the flavors of the ocean were forward. It was citrusy, tart, creamy, and sweet, where the small mounds of sweet potato were the needed sweetness to cut through all other flavors. I could go on, really, I could. But I recommend you go see Mimi and her staff that gave us a nice night of food, ambiance, and connection.
… moreNadder Ayad
The restaurant has a very nice vibe and atmosphere. The people are very nice.
My favorite menu items were the empanadas, Jerk Chicken and the Patagonian Shrimp! Delicious flavors.
The reason why I’m giving the food 4 stars, was the rib eye steak. The presentation was great but the taste was very underwhelming. Barely seasoned and it was extra fatty to my liking especially for a rib eye cut. It’s only saving grace was the steak sauce that came with it.
Overall I highly recommend but I would probably substitute the rib eye for the steak skewers instead
… moreMy favorite menu items were the empanadas, Jerk Chicken and the Patagonian Shrimp! Delicious flavors.
The reason why I’m giving the food 4 stars, was the rib eye steak. The presentation was great but the taste was very underwhelming. Barely seasoned and it was extra fatty to my liking especially for a rib eye cut. It’s only saving grace was the steak sauce that came with it.
Overall I highly recommend but I would probably substitute the rib eye for the steak skewers instead
Jay Shen
Overall solid food, with some items very good while others leaning towards mediocre. The best item in my opinion was the jerk chicken, with the chicken very tender, juicy, and flavorful. Even with the jerk BBQ sauce, I was able to taste the softness. Having braise kale on the top, along with corn risotto at the bottom, made the dining experience that much better, because if one perceived the chicken to have too much sauce, then using either two could neutralize the taste a bit. The risotto tasted like grits, which may be a negative to some, but I personally love grits, so I didn’t mind at all.
The pineapple rum cake was solid as well, having a bit of the rum taste, along with piña colada ice cream that elevated the overall flavorful. As for the mariscada, the best tasting part was the purple heirloom grits, because it contained the taste of all the seafood in there. The scallops, shrimps, and clams themselves tasted relatively mediocre. There was a bit of a fishy taste that wasn’t completely gone.
I didn’t enjoy the miss river beet salad because of several reasons: 1) the beet pieces were tiny and there wasn’t enough, but instead way too much green lettuce and other veggies 2) not sure if the sauce was balsamic vinegar, but it was very strong, too strong to the point of making the beets taste nothing like beets themselves 3) there wasn’t enough feta crumble or candied pecans, and if there were more, the sauce taste wouldn’t be as strong. Normally I love beet salad, but unfortunately this one fell short.
With all said above, this is a solid place located in a lively neighborhood and I would still recommend it for those looking for a relatively upscale dining experience.
… moreThe pineapple rum cake was solid as well, having a bit of the rum taste, along with piña colada ice cream that elevated the overall flavorful. As for the mariscada, the best tasting part was the purple heirloom grits, because it contained the taste of all the seafood in there. The scallops, shrimps, and clams themselves tasted relatively mediocre. There was a bit of a fishy taste that wasn’t completely gone.
I didn’t enjoy the miss river beet salad because of several reasons: 1) the beet pieces were tiny and there wasn’t enough, but instead way too much green lettuce and other veggies 2) not sure if the sauce was balsamic vinegar, but it was very strong, too strong to the point of making the beets taste nothing like beets themselves 3) there wasn’t enough feta crumble or candied pecans, and if there were more, the sauce taste wouldn’t be as strong. Normally I love beet salad, but unfortunately this one fell short.
With all said above, this is a solid place located in a lively neighborhood and I would still recommend it for those looking for a relatively upscale dining experience.
DM12
The food was really good and so was service. We ordered an appetizer then the food came out five mins later that can be a good thing some times but the app was so good our entree sat there until we finished. Next time we’ll just ask for them to hold off a few mins. We ordered jalapeño hummus and Chorizo, and while it was really good we were looking for the kick of the jalapeño, but it wasn’t spicy at all, and couldn’t really taste them. Still a very good dish and perfect for those who do not like spicy food but may be timid about seeing “jalapeño.” Also the breakfast sandwich was good but small and not much too it. We also had a tropical sunset mock tail and it really was a great summer spritz drink that we couldn’t stop ordering.
… moreAlexander Johnson
We came here for dinner and it was a lovely experience. The food, service, and drinks are all great. The guacayacolada, their version of a piña colada is a must get. Definitely order the Patagonian shrimps, carne en palito, and the truffle yucas! Aling, our server was excellent as well! We’ll definitely be back.
… moreCymone Stolz-Clark
I would recommend giving this restaurant a try! I love the vibe and patio. We really enjoyed sitting out on the patio on a summer evening. The menu is Caribbean inspired and brings together a lot of unique flavors. The Aruba Arriba drink was so good and not as sweet as I would’ve guessed. The empanadas and spicy shrimp Caesar salad were both hits. Some of the items were decent, but could use tweaks to make them great. The whole fish could be great with a bit more seasoning and a more thorough descaling and cleaning. Jerk chicken was okay. It was on top of a good risotto but really barbeque sauce heavy and the chicken was pretty dry. Still a great experience on my first time.
… more