Hello Jim Sloan,
I could be the delicate stomach poster boy, but I'll tell you...
Costa Rican food is a little on the bland side, and it presented no challenge whatsoever to my stomach.
Keep in mind that with few exceptions, American chains use locally available meats, fish and poultry. I read somewhere here on CRT that the Outback imports its beef, but I can't swear to it. My only experiment eating American chain fast food (Burger King) was horrible; I got very queasy after eating there. OTOH, I never got sick once from local cuisine.
The other side of this is, why would you miss out on a wonderful part of the travel experience by limiting yourself to eating only American chainstore food? From gallo pinto to carne al pastor to corvina (sea bass) to quesadilla con trucha ahumada (a pizza-like thing made with smoked trout), there are many wonderful things to eat in C.R. (besides the chicas, I mean).
Fruits unavailable in the U.S.: Mamon chino, guanabana, mandarinas, the best pineapple you'll ever eat... Batidos (fruit drinks made with milk)... the list of terrific local foods goes on and on!
Again, I do not have naything close to a cast-iron stomach (more like cast tinfoil!) If I can survive Costa Rican food without stomach upset, you can too.
