www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I was scanning the photo posting website FlickR and did a search for Imperial. Lo and behold a photo of an Imperial beer came up. It was posted by a tourist who visited CR with his wife in February. I ran thru his photos and saw one of the Nuestra Tierra restaurant. It has wood planks on the outside to resemble a rural restaurant. It also has bags of onions hanging on the outside which is a good sign to me.
The tourist said he liked it.
From a web search I determined it is located at Avenida 2 at Calle 15 which is a reasonable distance from ground zero.

Anybody been there? Any opinions?

Doing research on Fodors.com I clicked on clubs, bars and nightlife and found a zillion gay/lesbian bars in San Jose for those interested.

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

Ya I ate there a couple times – it’s great. It is across the Ave. from the old fort and Plaza de Democracia. Easy walk in daytime early evening. Go past Mas X Menos and cut through the plaza and cross the street you are there. It has onions hanging in Bunches not bags all around the perimeter you can’t miss it.

I had a lunch and dinner there. For lunch I had shrimp salad, probably one of the best salads I have eaten in CR. Not the typical cabbage/bag lettuce crap but very attractive and fresh greens tomatoes avocados with large prawns and three homemade dressings. Swell and made a full lunch.

I was impressed enough to drag VB for a dinner - proud of myself for being able to introduce a new eatery worthy of note. We split a salad they are huge and those dressings are pretty fancy and fun to experiment with. I ordered a churrasco steak to take one for the team and VB ordered a pork chop. Mine was a huge cut I think their philosophy is give you the whole thing untrimmed and let you sort it out yourself. About half grissel/fat but very flavorful and well accompanied, with yet another special sauce – I loved it. I ordered medium rare and it was rare so sent it back for another minute on the grill – fine with me you can always cook it more but never less. VB’s porkchop came off right the first time and I don’t think there was a lot left when he was through with it. All very well and attentively presented a good experience both times I/we ate there.

A caveat: When I went there for lunch, right after I ordered - a big tour bus pulled up and discharged a ton of gringos to eat there. I got the feeling this was a regular happening and was glad I ordered when I did – the staff was pretty pre-occupied with the group when they finally settled in. This might have happened at dinner as well I don’t remember exactly. If there is a bus parked out front I would come back later.

Overall I would give it two thumbs up and I have eaten at a lot of the popular resturants. Not cheap soda prices more along the lines of say Machu Pichu or News Café. But something different and I would be very surprised if you were disappointed with the place. VB suggested that I write about Nuestra Tierra when we finished dinner and I swear I have been meaning to…

Thanks Ace for the bug in my ear. And again, thanks for those photos: I framed one of em’!

Buen Provecho,

Is this where the third incarnation of the Beatle Bar was?