Sodas & Restaurants: Where Locals Eat

A soda is a small, family-run restaurant — Costa Rica's answer to a diner. Most are open-air, run by one family, and serve a casado (rice, beans, plantain, salad, and your choice of meat) for under $10. The food is fresh, it's honest, and it's how most Costa Ricans actually eat.

Here are the ones we send guests to, sorted from closest to the ranch outward.

Right around Venado (5–10 min)

**Chicharronera y Grill** — family-run spot just outside Venado where the owner raises his own pork and makes everything on site. Chicharrones, grilled meats, fresh tortillas off the comal. Honest, hearty, locals-only.

**Mirador Linda Vista** — a great family stop with a seated zipline, lookout bridges, and a small motocross area on the property in addition to the restaurant. Standard Costa Rican menu with a view — kids will remember it.

**Bar y Restaurante La Taverna** — right in Venado town. Casual sit-down with a porch overlooking the main road — a good spot to grab a plate and a beer while watching the town go by.

La Fortuna (45 min)

**Soda Viquez** — the locals' favorite in La Fortuna. Right downtown, no atmosphere, incredible food. Get the casado or the chifrijo. Under $10 a person.

**Don Rufino** — the splurge dinner spot. Open kitchen, great steaks, beautiful cocktails, big wine list. Plan on $35–$50 a person. Worth one night.

**Lava Lounge** — open-air, good gringo-friendly menu (burgers, tacos, wood-fired pizza), kids welcome. Loud, lively, easy.

**Anch'io** — surprisingly excellent Italian. Real wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, the kind of place you'd be happy to find anywhere. Around $20 a person.

Coffee

**Café Mediterráneo** in downtown La Fortuna — best espresso in town and good pastries. Outdoor seats, dog-friendly.

**Down to Earth Coffee** — small specialty roaster a few blocks off the main square. Cold brew, single-origin pour-overs, and breakfast burritos. Run by a couple of expats; surprisingly good.

On the way to Río Celeste (Bijagua)

**Soda Pizote** — the lunch stop on Río Celeste day. Casados, fresh juice, and a back deck overlooking the jungle. There's a high chance you might sight a sloth from your table.

A few habits worth knowing

Most sodas are cash-only and close around 8 PM. Tipping isn't expected — a 10% service charge is usually already on the bill. Tap water in this region is safe and cold. And if you order "agua dulce," you're getting hot sugarcane water with milk — a very Costa Rican breakfast drink and surprisingly good. Another delicious drink to try is a fruit batido — ask for 'en leche' for a creamy version or 'en agua' for a refreshing juice.

Don't eat at the resort restaurants every night. The best food in this part of the country is at the sodas — and you'll spend a quarter of what you would at a hotel.