Restaurante Donde Alex — Restaurant in Quepos

Donde Alex, The only place we experienced as a tourist trap in Costa Rica. Somehow they were able to manipulate the charge and we ended up paying an additional $10 for our lunch after the park tour. This place came highly recommended by our driver. Probably because it’s a scam. We ate at a dozen restaurants during our stay and never had this discrepancy on the bill. I attached other receipts for proof. You can clearly see the difference in price and the exchange rate. No excuse for this behavior. Countries like Costa Rica depend heavily on tourism. This is one of those bad apples. Food was good.

Edited Review Based on Donde Alex Response (8/14/25) I stand by my review. I specifically attached other receipts from restaurants we visited while on vacation in Costa Rica for reference. Clearly, I put thought into this review, instead of just posting. All three receipts have the tax and service fee. I am NOT disputing these two charges. All three receipts pictured were obtain within a couple days of each other during our stay in Costa Rica, so the national exchange rate is pretty much the same. However, the issue is in the conversion from Colones to USD with Donde Alex. The Donde Alex Colones total is 59655. This is equal to 117.91 USD (see picture for exchange rate) However, I paid 128.29, a difference of 10.38 more than what the conversation rate is. In addition, I used two other receipts showing little difference in the conversion rate. Receipt Example 1, 103825 colones is approximately 208 USD. Receipt example 2, 72976 colones is approximately 146 USD. While I understand the exchange rate fluctuates daily, it does not fluctuate by 10 USD from day to day. A little difference here and there for sure.

"Background. Costa Rica's exchange rate is set by the Central Bank of Costa Rica. It fluctuates daily but is usually between 500-600 colones (₡) per 1 US dollar. You can check today's official exchange rate through the government website." -Google Search

Again, food was good, especially the Trio de la Casa. The meat was tender and the portion size was perfect...

We have been in M. A. Park area for the past week. Eaten in a lot of places, from the view of a picky(food) White guy, I was surprised at this unassuming hot spot!

First service. All young guys, learning customer service. Under the watchful eye of the Don running the register. And he doesnt miss much! He must be a master, because his men hussel; all smiles under masks, but they make the effort; are very polite, and are working on their engagement with tourists. Big props to the Don training them; you were obviously a Don in the restaurant service industry!

The Casada's or as I would refer to them as, "small feasts" (and I know that is not the definition; Im trying to let you know they are BIG platters!); are amazing! 2 of us split 2 Casada's, 1 Chicken, 1 Beef. Interesting that, had I only had the opportunity, to order and taste 1, I would have given it top marks! However, being lucky enough to be able to try 2 Different Casada's; I think I would give the edge to the Carne, (beef). But that is difficult thing to do here, as I beleive they were both delicious, flavourful, very well proportioned! So 5 stars to both the Chicken and the beef, but like a 5.1 for the beef!😁

The prices on the menu, are true, the only up sell I heard while there, was to a Lady ordering a smothered in Sauce Lobster, and the waiter offered to add giant Shrimps for an added dollar (I imagine he meant US dollar, as Colones are always stated in Colons). I saw the plate come out! She got way more than a Dollar's worth of shrimp!!😲

So in comparing to the other Restaurants in the walking area, This small, quaint, lively, and amazing food eatery, ranks easily with the big Hotel Restaurants, that are 4-5 Star. However, its fair prices make the biggest difference.

Just another...

I strongly advise against dining here. The experience was dreadful from start to finish. First, the service was abysmal. The wait was excessively long, and when I politely inquired about the status of our smoothies, the owner responded with an unwarranted attitude, telling me not to be impatient.

When the food finally arrived after a 25-minute wait—despite the restaurant being nearly empty—it was a major letdown. I ordered pasta with vegetables and red sauce, but received a bland dish featuring canned vegetables and a thin, flavorless tomato sauce that tasted like it came straight from a can.

To make matters worse, the owner attempted to scam us. When I went to pay, he asked for my card without providing a bill or any indication of the total. After processing the payment, I requested a receipt and discovered that I had been overcharged by nearly $15.00 USD.

Don’t be misled by the positive reviews—this place is a scam. Save yourself the trouble and eat...