Soda Tapia San José — Restaurant in Hospital

This was my last authentic Costa Rican meal before leaving the country. I spent most of my trip in Jacó, but for my final night, I decided to stay in San José near the airport. Since we arrived late and took a walk, Soda Tapia was one of the few spots still open — and it turned out to be a great choice.

We were seated right away, and our food came out in under 15 minutes. I ordered the Half and Half Gordo, while my friend went with the Arroz con Pollo.

From the look alone, both dishes were well-presented and hearty. My sandwich came out golden and perfectly pressed, loaded with juicy meat, fresh veggies, and paired with a side of crispy fries and dipping sauce. The Arroz con Pollo looked colorful and comforting — the rice mixed with corn, peas, carrots, and shredded chicken gave it that homemade Costa Rican feel, with sides of beans, fries, and a small salad to complete the plate.

I can’t remember my friend’s exact reaction, but my sandwich was amazing. The service was also quick and friendly.

Overall, Soda Tapia was a perfect way to close out my time in Costa Rica — simple, tasty, and...

Soda Tapia is a casual eatery offering affordable plates of typical Costa Rican food. The vegetarian casado lunch plate came with rice, black beans, lettuce/tomato salad, fried sweet plantains, eggs, fries, and a tortilla. All of these components sounded simple on their own, but put together, they made for a colorful, surprisingly flavorful platter. The lunch plate also came with a choice of drink, and I had the guava fresca, which was lightly sweet, pulpy, and super refreshing. I also tried the Ensalada de Pollo, a simple but tasty salad made of lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onions, corn, ham, and cheese, all topped with a juicy grilled chicken breast and two triangles of pressed white toast, along with a creamy dressing on the side. On the table came two different sauces: Salsa Picante Chilero (spicy red chili) and Salsa tipo Inglesa (Worcestershire), both of which enhanced the flavors of the food. The service here was also super friendly (especially for such a casual restaurant), quick, and efficient, and everything came at a...

OK this is funny ... I like Soda Tapia. While it is basic it is also attractive and clean. My friend asked in limited Spanish if they had pasteles and the waiter said No. I then repeated the question in slightly better Spanish and added "ó postres?" to which the waiter again said No. I noticed on the menu there are Reposterías / Queque and while I didn't know these words I thought they sounded familiar...

OK, it is not an exact match but REPOSTERÍA is PASTRY ...

Then we went thru the sometimes common activity in Costa Rica where the Queques (cake) Seca/Dry, Moka/Moka, and Torta Chilena/Chilean cakes were not available...

Only the chocolate and Zanahoria/Carrot cakes were available, and we both asked for Zanahoria... which ended up also not being available...

And then an amazing and beautiful thing happened ... the waiter said they had a Queque de higos (fig)! We ordered it and it was delicious 😋🤤

April 12, 2022 no Quequén de higos but the queque Zanahoria was delicious and moist 🤤😋

9 de Julio 2023 still...