Tucked along Wilshire Boulevard, Caribbean Soul Kitchen LA has become a beloved destination not just for its witty take on Panamanian and Caribbean food, but for the entire experience provided by its owners, Rogelio and Mercedes Squires. The cozy 40-seat space hums with energy. Plates of jerk chicken and pargo frito are hitting tables. The scent of coconut rice and sancocho fills the air. And a crowd that often spills past the door. So much so, in fact, that owners Rogelio and Mercedes Squires have had to turn guests away because there just wasn’t enough room.
But now, the couple is betting big once again. They’re packing up their popular LA spot and heading south to open a new, larger location in Downtown Long Beach, as first reported by Fernando Haro. Caribbean Soul Kitchen LA will take over a 3,000-square-foot space at 211 Pine Ave., in the former Taco Beach space. The new restaurant will seat nearly 150 people and, if all goes according to plan, open its doors by December.
It’s not just about more tables. The Long Beach location will feature a beer and wine bar, live entertainment, and what Mercedes describes as a “vibrant cultural experience” to match the bold flavors coming out of the kitchen. “We just felt like the beach area would be very complementary,” she told The Patch. “For a number of reasons, Long Beach chose us.”
To get the new space ready, the couple has launched a GoFundMe to help cover startup costs—rewiring and electrical work, refrigeration, new signage, upholstery, glassware, and dishes.
Caribbean Soul Kitchen reflects the cultural and culinary dichotomy of Panama.
Few countries capture the complexity of cultural layering quite like Panama. It is a nation that has always existed as a dichotomy—geographically, politically, and culinarily. In its kitchens, you find a fascinating chasm: on one hand, the influence of Spanish imperialism; on the other, African traditions forged in slavery, migration, resilience, and survival.
Together, these two culinary lineages—Hispanic and Afro-Panamanian—do not compete but rather intertwine. The result is a cuisine that is layered and soulful, a cuisine of contradictions and harmony, one where colonial dishes are given body and heat through Afro-Caribbean influence, and Afro-diasporic flavors find grounding through Spanish technique.
It’s food that tells stories of empire and displacement, of ingenuity and preservation. Food that, in the words of Panamanians themselves, is never just about filling the stomach but about nourishing memory, family, and identity. And it’s why Panamanian cooking feels so deeply personal—because it carries within it both the weight of history and the joy of survival.
What to expect culinarily from Caribbean Soul Kitchen LA when it comes to Long Beach.
The Spanish brought rice, wheat, olives, and methods of braising and stewing onto Panama, grafting European techniques onto local ingredients. Their imprint is evident in classics like arroz con pollo, a staple at Caribbean Soul Kitchen. Annatto-tinged rice is cooked with chicken, vegetables, and spices—comfort food that echoes Iberian kitchens but carries a distinctly tropical rhythm. You’ll also see it in their ropa vieja, shredded beef stewed in tomato and spices, served not with crusty bread but with coconut rice, a Panamanian twist that deepens the dish with richness.
On the other side of the table lies the Afro-Panamanian tradition. Rooted in the forced migration of enslaved Africans and the later arrival of West Indian laborers during the construction of the Panama Canal, this culinary heritage is bolder, spicier, and deeply tied to survival. It’s here you find pargo frito, whole red snapper fried crisp and eaten with pickled vegetables. Or sancocho, a rustic stew where chicken, lamb, yuca, corn, and root vegetables simmer into a dish that feels as restorative as it does celebratory. These dishes lean on ingredients that were accessible, hearty, and nourishing for workers who needed sustenance to survive grueling days.
The Afro-Caribbean presence also infused the cuisine with jerk spices, scotch bonnet peppers, curries, and the ubiquity of coconut—flavors that remain signatures in Panamanian kitchens today. Dishes like jerk chicken with plantains, or even hybrid plates like jerk mac and cheese, stand as testament to how African and Caribbean diasporas adapted their traditions to new soil.
Fundraising continues…
Caribbean Soul Kitchen LA has already raised part of its $3,500 GoFundMe goal, but the Squires family is asking the Long Beach community to help them bring this unique culinary voice to Pine Avenue.
Caribbean Soul Kitchen LA will be moving into 211 Pine Ave. in DTLB. They are hoping to open by December.
