www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Without a doubt, Costa del Sol has excellent food and pizza. The man and lady working inside waiting tables are excellent hosts and honest people.

A word of caution though, as for the pizza counter where you buy pizza by the slice and stand at the counter to eat it. While it is an excellent deal; a slice of pizza for 400 colones or a slice of pizza and a fruit drink for 500 colones, the young fellows behind the counter tend to be a little lax when it comes to your change. I have been to this counter twice now, and the first time they "forgot" to give me my change. The second time, they outright short-changed me by 500 colones. Both times, they seemed irritated when I called it to their attention.

Zebra

Thanks for the heads up Zebra.

Ate there last night (chicken parm of course...still to much food ) and remarked to my amigo how busy the pizza counter was.

If they getting a rake off on everyone that guy at the counter is making more than a BM puta.

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

I doubt it would be close to what a DM puta makes......but always be aware. Someone is always looking for an angle!

Zebra....thanks for the heads up!

DD...I am looking forward to the DG special with carbanara sauce on my penne pasts! oooh la la!

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GG
"Last time I said no......I misunderstood the question!"

I ate there evvvvvvvery day. The first time the pizza man just let me give him the money, and I took a slice. The other times he told me to go into the restuarant and pay the girl at the counter.

They seemed pretty honest with me, he even saved a piece for me everyday in case they sold out before I got there

The people behind the counter up front where they make the pizza's I think are honest, possibly you just spoke to them in a unfriendly manor; they are use to us gringo's and I have always been treated well.

Are you sure you were at Costa Del Sol? I have never seen anyone pay for a slice any place other then the counter unless they order and eat at a table inside.

I also have never seen or heard of them running out of pizza. They just keep making them.

Really think you have Costa Del Sol confused with some other place.

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

Mas chicas,

I hardly think it was because I "spoke to them in an unfriendly manner,"
as I don't speak Spanish and there's only so many ways to point at a pizza and say "uno slice, por favor."

Even if someone does speak to them "in an unfriendly manner" that doesn't justify them cheating that person, or am I missing something?

Zebra

Hey DingDong
I've never eaten there but did walk by the place once and they look very honest to me and the pizza might be great, in fact if I wanted they would save the last piece for me every day even though they make 100 pizzas/day.
Oops, sorry.

Hey Zebra they charged us 600/slice and 500/pepsi the other day, did I get the gringo price even though I spoke very friendly? Note: I didn't bother with the CRT discount (10%?) for such a small la cuenta.
Another day had lunch with a couple other members and they charged him extra to split a pollo parmigiana- sounded like a LOT extra maybe double, I should have said something.

----------------------------
GringoGulch- where everyone wants to screw you

I eat inside on a very regular basis. Yesterday,for the first time,I stopped outside for a slice of pizza at the counter. I paid outside and received my correct change immediately.

A word to the wise:
My old man, Circus, and I use to frequent Costa Del Sol on each visit to SJ but no more.
Not only check your change at the pizza counter but you would be wise to inspect your check with scrutiny before paying. Last year, although not in country, I arranged and pre-paid for a large gathering of CRT members to have dinner there. Later I found out that the bill seemingly was padded with more charges that was consumed and drank. Only several even had a drink Not 100% sure but close that the restaurant took advantage of the situation. The members, being cordial, left a nice propina but unknowlingly Costa DS also put a propina in the bill. Even with that the charge was over what it should have been.

Do not let this deter you from doing business with them....just be observant of your charges. This is a problem with a number of establishment in CR that gringos run into. As a sidebar: The place does not have one of the cleaner kitchens in SJ.....ughhhh, don't go int there. Maybe it was just a bad day.

CTY

I believe we all got slightly screwed in a similar fashion at Mariscar after Handy's bachelor party dinner with the bill around 100.00, sure there was a group of us but it didn't add up to me, besides I have a hard time ever spending over 3 bucks in the place.
Buyer beware wherever you go.

I'd like to see the kitchens, I do contract work for some restaurant chains here in the states and some I'll NEVER eat at again Hey at least Mariscar has that good-luck cat wandering around

Circus the Younger wrote:



It is not by intention to defend poor sanitation practices by any restaurant anywhere in the world. However, I think if you inspected most kitchens in small sodas and restaurants in CR, and applied US standards, you would likely not eat there. In fact you would most likely go hungry many days.

However the situation is improving. When I first started visiting here and went exploring the central market I noticed the lack of refrigerated display cases. Chickens were displayed in a case on top of a bed of ice. That worked well for the bottom layer but did not do much for the chickens stacked 10 high on top of the bottom layer. Today the market displays meats, fish, chicken in refrigerated cases. Eggs are still sold here country wide unrefrigerated without any seemingly ill effect.

Hopefully in house sanitation will improve in the small sodas also. The good news is I guess your body builds a tolerance for some poor health practices. In over 2 years of living here I only suffered one case of illness seemingly connected to poor food hygiene and that was in purchasing some chiarones from the market at coca cola bus terminal.

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

The central market is still a trip with all the fish, meat, flies, etc...
I've wondered about seeing eggs out room temp what is the shelf life? Refrigerated 5+ weeks and recommended not to get warm over 2 hrs to prevent bacteria growth. I asked and someone told me they were fine to sit out room temp. as long as they hadn't been refrigerated before and were before use, but how long can eggs sit out in 70-80 degree temps?

When I was stationed in Turkey I used to walk down the streets and see long pieces of raw meat hanging in the open air at the little butcher shops.

I could only imagine what the flies had left in them.

Belize is as bad as it gets for food sanitation.

Another reason not to visit there.

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PacoLoco: "You pay for it one way or another."
Ace: "Rent everything, do not buy in Costa Rica"