www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Vegas Bob took myself and Buzzfla to Soda Peru last week. It's a block or two behind the Holiday Inn, heading towards the Dunn Inn and HLH. The food is excellent, and you can't beat the price. Thanks VB!

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Totally agree. When I'm in San Jose, I have lunch there at least twice a week.

i agree try there stuffed peas plus go back to the kitchen and vwatch them prepare your food it is a kodak moment they cook there pork at 155 68 c not the required 165 68 c but who cares it only your stomach afterall raw or nothing at all.

Hands down my favorite item on the menu es el Filete de Corvina en Salsa de Mariscos They prepare it as picante as you prefer...

Pura Vida

EdB

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"You will never run out of good things because there is more than enough to go around. Life is meant to be abundant"
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Food is great but it took me an hour and a half to eat lunch. The service was poor and the kitchen overloaded. It is worth a try but be wary if you are on a schedule.

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Play Safe

Apparently it's very popular with the locals who work in the area. The first time we went, with VB, it was a Thursday, and the place was packed. We returned on Saturday, and we were the only ones in the place.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Yes....this has happened to me in the past. I am sympathetic to the situation, as I am only "an occasional customer." There is no doubt, that they do a large lunchtime business with the INS workers. If you arrive around noontime, you will indeed wait until they are all served. I have waited an hour and a half already. Knowing this, I make it a point to arrive at no later than 11:30 am. At that time, the place is empty, and my order is promptly prepared.

They are nice people and efficient, but you must realize, they do take care of their usual INS trade first.

Zebra got this 100% correct
Get there before 12 or after 1:30 just like a MP
The sea bass with garlic sauce is my fav

Soda Peru for lunch and Cheles for late night with the hotel provided breakfast you can save a lot of money for other adventures.

I have eaten at soda peru many times and never once had a bad meal. The sea bass with garlic sauce is fabulous and the seafood soup is a meal unto itself. There is one cook so naturally it can be a bit slow, but aren't we all there on vacation?

The Criolittas Restaurante next to the Edificio Metallico school building on Ave. 7 also has the same problem of getting packed at lunch by nearby INS workers since it is also a very good place to go for lunch and even closer to the INS building. And forget about getting the coveted back courtyard tables next to the aviary if you go there anytime between noon and 1PM during the week. The suggestions made about either getting there early or else getting there after the midday lunch rush is a good one for either place. After all, we don't have to clock in anywhere or schedule or lunch break according to our employers guidelines. We can eat our lunch basically anytime we like. In fact, if you were up late the night before and didn't even have breakfast until after 9AM, you'll probably want to eat your lunch a little later anyway (or earlier if you skipped breakfast).

Wordwiz also had a good outlook on it too. You're on vacation and mostly just relaxing and killing time during the day anyway, so what difference does it really make if you're sitting down with your friends shooting the shit while waiting for your food to arrive? Just go with the flow. This is CR after all. Pura Vida. Its all good. Its not like you need to get back to your office or you'll be docked pay for taking a little longer for lunch. Your favorite chica will still be there at the MP when you get done, or maybe she'll even have finally just arrived for work. In fact, its sort of like expecting a chica to actually show up when she said she would and getting totally bent out of shape about it when she doesn't. If you're that impatient and non-understanding about such things then maybe you just don't have the right temperment for a country like CR.

Personally, I've never been to Soda Peru during the mid-day lunch rush but have been there at other times and found the food to be great and the service perfectly fine.

Went to this place almost every day for lunch. It was so good I wanted to try every item on the menu. I usually had the plato del dio (blue plate special) and the sweet waitress always remembered what I drank and just brought it to me. No beer there, but we need to take a break sometime, eh? I never really waited too long for service.

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" Omit no happy hour that may give furtherance to our expedition."

Soda Peru is a mom and pop establishment that provides exceptional food. One thing to note is you are charged exactly what is on the menu. No tax or service charge. That means the tip is not included. The waitress, Laurena, is a sweet lady who works hard and I am sure could use the money if you appreciate the quality of the food and service. The garlic shrimp is fantastic as is the beef loin with onion over potatoes.

Brother Pops makes an important point on tipping--give it up, guys! It's still inexpensive.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Totally agree....Laurena, the waitress, is a very nice and helpful person. I always give her a nice propina.