Soda y Marisquería Mary Mar — Restaurant in Jacó

• TOURIST TRAP *

We strolled past this restaurant multiple times on the way to the beach/hostel. Sadly, it was empty each time as the husband and wife peered over the kitchen counter awaiting their next customers, or shall I say, victims.

Our hearts felt heavy so we decided to give them a chance for dinner. As we entered, we saw the couples eyes light up with joy and saliva sequestering at the edge of their mouths. We were greated and offered a comfortable table with dainty mis-matched plastic lawn chairs. To add to the ambiance of being steps away from Jaco Beach and the bathroom located in their house, we recieved a front row seat to a TV streaming a deep house playlist with common european tourism locations.

We soon placed our orders and started drinking our ice-cold draft beers. The husband (server) sat and chatted with us for nearly 15 minutes about Costa Rica, his travels to Canada, his career as a restaurant owner, and even his secret habanero sauce recipe. The trap had been set. Little did we know he was buttering us up before he delicately bends us over and takes all of our colones.

Eager to get on with our night, we asked for the bill, which was promptly presented to us on a blank sheet of printer paper. We immediately noticed that none of the items on the bill had prices, and only a final total was provided, which was egrigiously high for what we ordered (3 mains, and 6 Imperial Beers).

We asked him to redo the bill. Hesitant, he put on his reading glasses and promptly got to work with his calculator. After 10 minutes filled with difficult arithmatic, staring with "confusion" at his calculator, and a few verbal exchanges with his wife, our updated bill was presented nearly 25% cheaper.

I can almost guarantee most of the 5 star reviews here are by people who didn't even notice they were significantly overcharged as tourists. It's a shame because the food and service was good. AVOID THIS...

Best hidden restaurant in Jaco. Its next to the beach and off the main road, and you couldn’t find it unless you took time to read the surf board that says Mary.

The atmosphere is like being like home- casual with the tv on with other customers watching the soccer game. We could pick any table to sit and I was allowed to drink my bottle of wine Ive been carrying around with me for a few days so BYOB!

I had the best ceviche in my entire life here and I’m a ceviche fanatic. It doesnt compare to ANY place else in the world. The mahi mahi they cubed and cooked melted in my mouth. It wasnt over cooked, gummy, or fishy. The lime was perfect and not too strong with the perfect amount if salt. It was all just an extraordinary dish made to perfection. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing this was.

My husband and I came here for the fish based on Google photos and review but this place only took cash and we had only X amount of cash left. My husband got the seabass fish filet and he absolutely loved it as well. He had it with a side of mashed potatoes and the portion was HUGE! The owner gave us an orange hot sauce that paired very well with the dish.

It was an overall great experience to eat casually, locally, authentically and exceptionally well. It was a breath of fresh air not to eat something so heavy and rice and beans. We’ve stayed in Costa Rica for a week and this was our favorite restaurant and meals we have eaten. The owners were so lovely and so sweet. You must disregard any other review that doesn’t say the same or...

Horrible dining experience, first I read the reviews which indicated fairly good and give the place a chance. We had lunch and ordered the Jumbo Shrimp which was more like 5 large shrimps, for about $35 and it was like eating rubber, a fried fish plate $30 which was NOT fresh, gray texture instead of white and tasted bad, chicken fingers $15 to we do not believe it was chicken as it was nasty and a combo fish and rice dish $12, to which the rice was ok, small bottle cokes $3 each. No one in our group enjoy their meals as everything tasted bad or off of what it should taste like and the total with tax was $125 for a barely edible lunch. The place is a completely ripoff and to boot, there are very strange and indigent type individuals, some barely able to walk, arriving randomly and told to go to the back of the place and ring the bell. This is not what a family eating lunch wants to see, then round 10 to 15 mins later, they reappear adjusting their clothes and leaving without eating at this dive. As others have stated, they only accept cash and no receipt. The next day we went to Marisqueria Recrio Rest on the strip, for about $80 we had more the twice the food, including a hugh mix of garlic seafood dish with lobster tail and a hugh full FRESH fried fish, also like alot Marys DIner and KFC. Do yourself a favor and avoid this...