www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Costa del Sol:

Here is a long time favorite of many a mongerer and long time San Jose Residents. Costa Del Sol restaurant and Pizzeria.. Avenida Central, about 4 blocks I do not know north south, etc, in San Jose so 4 blocks left of the Presidente, coming from the Del Rey. Do not get confused, as there is a pizza place, which sells pizza out their window a few stores down.

Place looks like nothing from the outside, and does not lend any ambiance inside either. They sell pizza from the front windows and have about six plus tables downstairs and upstairs dining room as well. I have not been there in a few months, but last time I was there, I was told they were going to renovate the upstairs dining room, add air conditioning, as it was during rainy season and it was hot as hell up there.

What it lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in food. Dollar for Dollar always as solid as it comes. First, the pizza is excellent for San Jose though I still do not understand why they put Jamon on everything. They never heard of plain cheese pizza. Regardless, tasty and inexpensive. The house special has to be the Monger famous chicken Parmigiana with pasta. About $7-8 dollars and enough food for two. I do not eat that much so I definitely split it with someone, as I like to have a slice of pizza while I am awaiting my meal. Beer, & Soda & wine available. Waiter staff is adequate, for the type of place, it is, and they are very pleasing as owners.

Prices are cheap to cheap, and I do not believe credit cards are accepted. A wait can happen downstairs, so I am curious to know if anyone has been there recently to give us an update on the upstairs.

TWO THUMBS UP!

Took a pizza home out of there last night. Didnt go upstairs...but downstair they have downsized the bar and added a few tables and chairs...which is a good idea. They are always pumping out fresh pizza from the sidewalk oven...grabbed a fresh salami, mushroom cheese pizza which came out of the oven the minute I walked up. 2500 colones for the whole thing to take out ($6 US). You will pay $10-12 at pizza huts or similar US pizza joints here for a lesser pizza in my opinion. If these guys delivered, they would put the others out of biz. Actually, they MAY deliver to hotels in the neighborhood...you might want to check on that.

For a sitdown dinner there...definitely concur with the Chicken Parm being the best choice in the house.

This restaurant has good food with reasonable price. The foods here are served in big portion. As Tman said the chicken parmesan (sp?) is quite good and one dish could feed two persons. This place is Vegasbob's second home. I'm surprised that it has not change it's name to "Costa Del Vegasbob."

Vegas Bob turned me on to Costa Del Sol in November. I ate there twice in 5 nights. We even had a little surprise birthday party for a girl and the head waiter/mgr went down the block and got a small birthday cake.

It is located only 1 block south of the Del Rey and 1 block east of The Presidente on Ave Central. It's in the middle of the block on the south side of the street.

Great place, great food.

what can i say i can see why know, that VBOB and others like this place. ate there on my first night and my last night. thumbs up from myself and ZIGMONGER. from the pizza to the chicken parm, great food great prices and good service. pura vida

you forgot, that the owner and the waitress liked us so much that we got free shots....what was the stuff...had like seeds in the stuff....sure tasted like seeds as i bit on em and they were crunchy...did taste like german liquor...I should know, as my last name is pronounced Von ziigller in the language....see ya soon, my friend

the zig

had to bump this one......the old timers

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

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I heard recently that they cleaned up the little insect problems of the past. Can anybody confirm that? No more cucaracha specials?

I have not seen a roach in the past 6 to 8 months anytime I have been there. The downstairs is cleaner and they have a new menu. Thats the good news. The bad news is the upstairs bathroom is still the most disgusting one I have seen in San Jose and they changed the tomato sauce on the Don Gordo especial and everyone in my party felt it was not very good and will not order anything with tomato sauce there again.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

ID QUOTE:

"The bad news is the upstairs bathroom is still the most disgusting one I have seen in San Jose."




That's bad.

Check it out and I think you will agree.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

"


I have always thought that if the front of the establishment looks disgusting, then the back of the establishment (ie. the kitchen) probably is in the same condition!

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

I believe Anthony Bourdain advised in his book Kitchen Confidential to always use the restroom before you order in a place you've never dined before. If the restroom is not immaculate, assume the kitchen is not as well - and is most likely less sanitary than the kitchen.

He also advised never to get the fish specials on Monday. Reason being, it's going to be the fresh fish that was bought Thursday for the weekend crowd, and whatever they couldn't sell at top dollar over the weekend becomes Monday night specials. Mmmm, four day old fish that's been sitting around the cooler.....

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

Always exceptions to every situation.

La Princessa Marina bathroom (at least the one in La Sabana), spotless.

Costa del Sol bathroom disgusting.

A number of reports on patrons being ill after eating at La Princessa but not a Costa.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

As a general rule .............. if the coffee is lousy and the bathroom is dirty, the meals probably won't be that great either.