www.CostaRicaTicas.com

If you want a good steak....you go to the Palm in NY or Ruth's in Beverly Hills. I wouldn't order a steak in CR if YOU paid for it. It just doesn't pay. I may be limiting the possibilities but I don't like spending the night picking stingy beef out of my teeth. No thanks.

I have had a piece meat called a 'tenderloin' at El Hicaco in Jaco that was pretty good, but not good in the same way as American Beef. So for me that steak was the best I have had in CR...but I never do order meat anymore so I don't know where a good steak might be had.( I think the price was about 9 or 10 dollars but I didn't pay too much attention because I was the guest of the owner(the best way to enjoy!) All and all....there are few good places to eat here. When you consider that Pizza Hut is acknowledged by many to be the best pizza around....not good pickin's.

I do like the pizza at Pamadoros(San Pedro and Iscazu)

The enchaladas at Padrisimos across from the Sabana

The breakfast at Espigas in downtown Heredia(Sit by the window and you won't be bored)

The breakfast at the Boganvillia Hotel(Santa Domingo Heredia) for 1500 or so colones is really great(linen on the tables!)....girls just LOVE this place. Its first class(CR first class) for a very low price. Then walk in the gardens.

Pirate,
I have to second what you say about ordering steak at restaurants in CR, but I would go a few steps further. This restaurant review section is really worthwhile because when you are away from home ya gotta eat somethin'. But, IMHO, I don't think CR newbies should be mislead into beleiving that CR in general has much to recommend in the area of cuisine. When you get right down to it, that's not why we go there. CR is a beef producing country but the best quality steaks seem to be imported and anything imported means more expensive. You might find a good quality steak in CR but it will end up costing you as much or as more as in the US. The same also applies to other types of restaurants. For example, for asian food the Tin Jo may be the best in CR, but compared to what one can find in the US it is only average at best. What more could you expect from a restaurant that tries to do everything from Indian to Thai to Sushi to Indonesian? Again, in my own opinion, though other members may disagree, your best bet when in CR is to eat cheaply at the local sodas (or places like Mariscar) and save your limited travel dollars for the chicas (with perhaps an occasional special meal out now and then to break up the monotony).

One more question for Pirate, though this should really be in the Hotel section. I have been curious about the Hotel Bougainvillea for some time. It looks like a nice but reasonably priced hotel alternative if one doesn't mind (or even prefers) to be out of the downtown area. Have you or anyone else ever stayed there and if so what was their chica policy?

I've also thought about staying at the Hotel Bougainvilla in the past, and would like to know more. Apparently they have free shuttle service to downtown SJ. Their rates seem to be reasonable. I'd like to know what the accomodations are like and of course their guest policy.

_________________
"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)

I stayed there with my novio 2 years ago. She got me a corporate rate of 69$. It is a beautiful place with acres of gardens in the back. The rooms either face the mountains or San Jose. All have a balcony. It is great to sit on the balcony and watch the sunset over San Jose. The rooms were nice and the suites are bigger and have bigger tvs. I do not about the chica fees as we oth signed in. They run a shuttle to their other hotel the Tournon near El Pueblo. I really like the location breezy and cool in a nice neighborhood. The only problem is it is so hard to find. We drove around for hours trying to find it even asking directions in spanish. By the 4th time we figured it out. The restaurant is good also but no free breakfast. Recommended

I'm no longer a big meat eater but ended up eating at Los Anonos in San Rafael de Escazu last Sunday with my landlady and her son. They have been going there for years and are so well know that we were whisked by about 50 people waiting and seated immediately.

They call it BBQ but it is really a grilled meat place and very, very good. I had a piece of grilled beef tenderloin in a fresh tomatoe sauce that was delicious. About 5,000 colones with appetizer and beverage. Everybody was eating big slabs of meat and seemed to be enjoying them.

mexpat

Good steaks and meats WITHOUT the Ruth Chris or US price are available at Churascos in Barrio Escalante, and the Invernadero in Escazu. Invernadero more on the high end, but worthwhile.

There are also a couple good Argentinian steak places around with good beef. If you look around, you WILL find SOME good steaks in CR.

Ill try Charuscos.