San Jose - Post Report Question and Answers
What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
There are lots of American fast food and chain restaurants. The best restaurants are really expensive, which seems obvious, but the point being is that middle-class priced restaurants are not very good. The food in Costa Rica is very disappointing, ranging from mediocre but edible to really awful. And that's not a review based on a select handful of restaurants. Casado is good (rice, beans, & meat), but you can only eat but so much casado. Eating out is expensive, hit-or-miss, and generally not worth braving the traffic on a weekday. - May 2024
Restaurant selection is pretty good, with one or two good choices for each type of cuisine. UberEats is alive and well here. - Sep 2020
Costa Rica has everything. They love Americana, so the country is full of typical US chains, Food delivery now includes Uber Eats and every other thing you can imagine - Jul 2018
You can get everything delivered, including McDonald's. Restaurants are generally good but expensive: average cost for two people will be $50-$75 including drinks at an average restaurant. - Dec 2016
U.S. chains dominate fast food here, and are very common. - Feb 2016
American-style fast food is plentiful, popular, and of poor quality. American-style chain restaurants like Fridays are not much better except that they add good service and cold beer. The local 'sodas' are like diners and can be very tasty, inexpensive and are an important part of the cultural experience but Americans will miss variety and spice. The real fun of Costa Rican food is in the bocas -- like tapas, best with beer, and including patacones, chicharrones, ceviche, wings, ribs, chifrijo... Lots of fun stuff. There are tons of restaurants with New York prices. Few are worth it. Doris in Santa Ana and Furca near Sabana offer terrific dry-aged steaks for a splurge. Product C serves excellent fresh/sustainable seafood and with craft beers. In general, trying out new restaurants is an expensive gamble though -- too many 'concepts' that are all style and price with no real substance. We were burned many times. - Apr 2014
Everything, it's like living in the U.S. but at double or triple the price. We have Cinnabon, Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Wendy's, Applebee's, Chili's, Tony Roma's, TGI Fridays, Starbuck's, KFC, Subway, Teriyaki Experience, Cosi, Smashburger, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Hagen Das. - Jun 2013
All fast food places are here, McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Quiznos, & Wendy's and they are all expensive, almost double the price you would pay in the states. We also have Outback, Hooters, Applebees, TGIF, & Tony Roma's, again very expensive! - Aug 2011
McDonald's, Wendy's, Tony Roma's, Burger King... - Feb 2010
All fast food chains are here, with prices comparable to the US.There are a number of great resturaunts, also with prices the same as the US. - Jan 2010
McDonald's and Wendy's if that's your thing. Costa Rican traditional style restaurants. - Jul 2008
