www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Chelles is a little hole-in-the-wall soda/sandwich-shop 1 block due south down the hill from the HDR (on the SW corner). You've probably walked by it 100's of times every time you've walked from the HDR towards the Presidente. It is a well-known SJ institution that has been around forever. Just be aware, as Buzzfla has pointed out, that it is at the polar opposite end of the spectrum in terms of fanciness from the DelMar. It is a real TICO place.

I usually grab an empanada and a coke from there, then eat the empanada on my way back up the hill and bring my drink in with me into the HDR/BM instead of paying the HDR prices for my first drink there. I say Phuck the HDR and its management. They're the real whores. Just stay very alert if you decide to walk that block at night.

Thanks Prolijo! I think I know what you mean. There are a couple of really Tico places on that street. We passed on them last night because they were too authentic! Been to a few. Like finding a diamond in the rough!

Tague21, my buddy and I returned to the Del Mar a few nights ago. He had the same opinion of the Spinach Ravioli. Unfortunately no one dissuaded him from doing so! LOL!

!

lol

yeah, nothing worse than goin' to a foreign country & finding places that are too authentic. I certainly want places that are only semi-authentic & American knockoffs. Next time make a right at Chelles & you will find yourself in front of the friendly face of Colonel Sanders! Isn't that what everyone travels to Latin America for?

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"cuz I'm a back-door man" Jim Morrison-1969

I've eaten there over 70 times, and I've always thought the food was excellent. I've only had a sub-par meal once or twice. The service most always is very good. I think the food is comparable to the Colonial, but the service at the Colonial, especially recently, has been very slow.

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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)

Del Mar is open 24 hours . we use to go to Chelles after the NYB closed and keep on partying and I have ate breakfast there. Chelles isn't the cleanest place in CR and there can be some drunk ticos in early in the morning.

Chelles may not be the cleanest place in CR, but who knows what goes on in the kitchen of any of these places. At least, I can say I've never gotten sick from eating there, but apparently not everyone can say the same thing about the Del Mar. Also, as to the "drunks ticos that are (sometimes) there early in the morning", do you mean as opposed to the drunk gringos that you'll usually find at the NYB? You show me a place that is open in the wee hours in SJ that doesn't have any drunks. All I can say is that however "sketchy" or "too authentic", you might think Chelles might be, I have never had any of those "authentic drunk ticos" bother or hassle me when I've been in there. I can't say the same thing about walking between the BM and the Del Mar after midnight or even earlier during the day.

This thread started out for the Del Mar and was hijacked to compare to other places. Please keep to the topic of THIS discussion which is The Del Mar. I happen to like the place. I like the service and food. I do not eat often at Del Mar but when I do I get the Hamburger and have always enjoyed it. Thanks and have a great day Uncle H.

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Always nice to wake up and see what will happen today

Herman, this thread may have STRAYED somewhat off the original topic, but I wouldn't exactly characterize it as a "hijacking". Randydog made the inaccurate comment that the DelMar was the only place to get something to eat in the area after 10PM and I pointed out that there was at least one other place in the same area that was also open 24/7. And the discussion flowed from there. Besides that, I don't really think comparing the DelMar to other places is really all that much off topic any way. You happen to like the place. I happen to think that the place SHOULD be at least half decent for what they charge but that it overpriced and that there are much better deals or values out there. And IMHO that comparison really says something about the DelMar itself.

This discussion naturally evolved into somewhat different area as discussions often naturally tend to do on discussion forums such as this. Maybe we should just all agree that the DelMar is a perfectly wonderful place and that any contrary view hijacks the thread from that original conclusion. End of discussion.

staying on topic !!!I like the place and I am glad they are there and there are a few ways of getting in and out of the place....the servers in the restaurant go out of their way for you and if you tell them what you want ...most cases they will make it happen...only screw up they had for me....I was staying at the morazan and I got a late night ribeye and fries ....to take back to the room. I look in the box as I was leaving and ask for plastic silverware, waiter hands me some in rolled up napkin...I get to the room and I have 3 spoons ??? its 4 am so I just pull the steak apart and eat with my fingers, I was pissed. 5 days later, I go in again to order and before I do I ask the waiter (different one ) if they have to go silverware and show it to me .....he comes back and says no only spoons!!! I got the club sand.

I like the Del Mar... It is what it is...A place where you can get a decent meal in an up scale place....Prices abit above other places... They do have a few specials at lunch that are about six bucks... do not know if they have them at dinner??.Chica friendly as well

Hey Mike... When you look up in the sky do you always see a black cloud

The Del Mar is good IMO. Try The Hacienda lunch counter in the mall around the corner. Really good too. Good pickled peppers and good home made salsa.


The The HDR casino, The horseshoe and the other POS down the street from the DR are cheating and it's obvious cause they are not real good at it. Just FYI.

I have called them on a bunch of stuff and they just act like it never happened. They do it in the dominican republic too.

If you are good/lucky enough to beat the odds and their BS tricks too they get very frustrated.