www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Restaurante El Pelicano Jaco Beach / Los Sueños Beach

Alter reading a couple of reviews on this board about a restaurant in The Jaco, Los Suenos area; I thought I’d give it my best open minded review. With Tman and G-man’s thoughts in my head and the Pirate Morgan It sucks review also, I was trying to stay positive at El Pelicano.

1st of all after happy hour, I felt it was best to take a taxi from Jaco to El Pelicano which was about a 5-10 minute taxi ride for about 1500 Colones. It is a small open air restaurant about 60 feet from the beach just across the street from the Los Suenos Marriott. Large # of tables, and if you want one in the front looking at the ocean and hearing the waves and enjoying the night breezes call ahead as during the holiday season with everyone in San Jose at the beach, this place was packed.

We waited until a table near the windows opened up and we were seated. 6 of us tonight and one look at the menu and the wine list and knew this would be no bargain basement meal. Menu is extensive catering heavily on shellfish, with some good chicken and meat choices as well. Wine list also extensive with some good wines here as well. No values, but a superior selection to anything I’ve had in the gulch. Our waiter was good, efficient and knowledgeable of the menu, as we had plenty of questions. The owner was there and he came by to introduce himself and welcome us.

Now, we tend as you can tell to over order and tonight was no exception. Several soups, salads and appetizers were ordered. By far the best thing was the stuffed pepper. It was stuffed with shrimp, tomatoes, and cheese and baked and it was topped with a sauce that was second to none. I do not know if it was a special or on the menu, but everything we had was excellent. Now with the amount of appetizers consumed, I knew right away we ordered too much food. We ordered 3 orders of lobster tails which included 3 tails each. We also ordered 1 filet mignon which was actually twin fairly sized medallions of beef. Two other orders one of a chicken with a cream sauce and a pasta dish were ordered. Well when the food came out it was for an army. We easily could have ordered only 3 or 4 entrees and been more than enough for 6 people. I do not mean to be disrespectful to anyone’s opinion, but on this night, this without a doubt was one of the finest meals I have eaten in Costa Rica hands down.

Everything was fresh, full of flavor, plentiful with an excellent presentation. The lobster tails were fantastic, and the wines were served at a proper temperature and were a perfect accompaniment to the meal.

For desert they put on a show for us with bananas, liquors, fire & flames over Ice Cream that is a DO NOT MISS for the end of a perfect meal. Prices were not cheap, but the view, ambiance, service, and quality were something that I have yet to experience anywhere else in Costa Rica.

With all due respect to PirateMorgan, I wish you would give it another try and report back to us.

All credit cards accepted and will definitely make this a regular stop on my beach excursions.

How expensive is it?

_________________
"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)

GringoTim..
Personally I think it is on Par with American prices, but would have be considered high for Costa Rica... Now we tend to drink like fish and overdoes of wine is never out of the norm. I would say a good bottle of wine, some lobster, appetizers, a steak or a pasta, desert coffee will run you 80-100$ US..

Considering the location, service, ambiance and MY EXPIERIENCE with the food, I thought it was well worth it.. No where near as close to as expensive as Le Monastere.

The second time I was there I was there with two local girls who ordered 'light' as I did...and they almost didn't eat their food...salad type food..maybe savichi.

The first time I was there I was a guest and didn't see the bill. I ordered something good...like shrimp. You would have thought they would do it right.....I was a guest of the owner and his family.

They didn't.

T Man, myself and our dates had dinner there in early december and it was excellent; both the food and service. I had the best caesar salad, prepared tableside, in about 8 years. This rates high on my restaurant experiences.
Will return this weekend.

If I remember right...last time there (New YEars eve eve) bill for 5 people with bottle of wine was around $70. This is NOT expensive for what you get. I would say that service was better at times when they werent packed...and Christmas week is probably 2nd busiest of the year. But I still say this place is about the best combined deal for beach, food, wine list and service in the country.

Just got an email they are now offering a discount, don't miss this place..