If you head west on Avenida 7, pass the INS building, on the ground floor of the 6 story blue building corner of calle 5 behind Holiday Inn is both a vegetarian place and an excellent Tico soda.
They serve chicken, cheap but good n flavorful thin steak, even fish, (yea, I know it's tilapia but it tastes good, one time won't kill you), beans 'n rice and maduro, salad and vegetables and drink, about 3500 crc, the vegetarian place is not expensive either.
Walk down to the corner of calle 3 and ave 7, a little gringo owned bar called Morazon, no relationship to the hotel, a mix of Ticos and gringos hang out there.
It's a small place, but the cook there is amazing and can offer anything from chee burgers and fries to near gourmet meals for under 4 mil, friendly low key atmosphere, some old gringos who live here hang around, you will be at risk of getting advice but don't follow it, lol.
